Atmospheric Psyhological Mystery

Leave No Trace by Mindy Mejia
Publication Date - September 4, 2018
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Maya is a young woman with a checkered past working as a speech therapist at a psychiatric hospital.  When a young man, Lucas, suddenly appears after living off the grid with his father in the Minnesota Boundary Waters, Maya is forced to take him on as a patient.  As she tries to coax any form of communication from him, she begins to wonder if he has more of a connection to her past than either realizes.  I'm not sure I would characterize this so much as a thriller but instead as a psychological mystery.  The action is actually pretty slow but has such an interesting plot, that the pages turn really fast.  I especially enjoyed the beautifully atmospheric descriptions of the Boundary Waters and am more than ready for a trip up North.  I received a physical ARC of this book from the BookishFirst program in exchange for an honest review. 

Historical Romance Review

The Singular Mr. Sinclair by Mia Marlowe
🌟🌟🌟1/2



Lawrence Sinclair is the unwanted heir of an earl (but maybe not much longer) and he begins to fall for his friend's sister while staying in their family home.  Lady Caroline has completed three seasons and has no interest in marrying.  Once she comes into her inheritance, she plans on leaving London behind and traveling.  These two characters were very likable and their romance was sweet.  I would have liked a bit more chemistry between the characters, but overall it was a perfectly enjoyable historical romance.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Friday Review

The Third Hotel by Laura van den Berg
Publication Date - August 7, 2018
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I should probably start this review by admitting that this is really not my kind of book which probably reflects in my rating.  The main character, Clare, travels to Havana after the death of her husband to attend a horror film festival in his stead.  Walking around the city, she details her observations and swears she sees her deceased husband.  I enjoyed the beautiful descriptions of Cuba and the various little mysteries that are mentioned throughout, however, those mysteries are never really addressed satisfactorily and I felt this either needed to be formatted as a tightly vague short story or a fleshed-out longer novel but not this in-between rambling.  Although, it seems like this book is getting good reviews from professional reviewers, it really is just not for me.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Jarring Read

Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company That Addicted America
by Beth Macy
Publication Date:  August 7, 2017
🌟🌟🌟🌟1/2



It's not often that you read a book that just feels so important and relevant to current society.  This follows the Opioid epidemic from the time that OxyContin was being aggressively hyped to doctors treating overworked mineworkers in Appalachia to the current time as Heroin is being used across class lines.  This is a frightening book and anger-inducing book but I think it is so important for as many people as possible to understand how this happens.  My only quibble is with the structure, which jumps around quite a bit, introducing her interviewees over and over again, but that in no way detracts from the necessity of this book.  I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Weekend Wrap-Up

Nothing Good Can Come From This: Essays by Kristi Coulter
Publication Date - August 7, 2018
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I like to read personal essays but I've realized that the more that I relate to an author, the more that I enjoy the essays and I really related to Kristi Coulter.  I found this full of low-key humor and so many sentences that I ended up highlighting because it fell so true to me.  My only complaint is that they started to feel really similar towards the end but for women (and there are a lot of us) in our late thirties/early forties who feel some days require a glass of wine, this is a very authentic wake up call.  I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Big Friday Review

Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson
Publication Date - August 28, 2018
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This short, simple, middle grade novel is just overflowing with beautiful language, moving moments and a powerful message.  Following a group of students with special learning needs placed in an experimental class together with an inspiring teacher, they all have hard and realistic problems.  Since I have a child the same age as these characters, I witness the power of belonging and of having the dynamics of a group.  When it is also used to discuss real topics such as racism, immigration and not bullying, it is a strong but simple statement.  I received a digital ARC of this book through Penguin's First to Read program in exchange for an honest review. 


Jell-O Girls: A Family History by Allie Rowbottom
Publication Date- July 24, 2018
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This is an interesting memoir, part history of Jell-O and the town in which it was manufactured, part family history and part look at the theme of female hysteria and emotional repression.  Immensely readable, I found this a fascinating book. I received a digital ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 


Mary B by Katherine Chen
Publication Date - July 24, 2018
🌟🌟🌟1/2



Oh boy, so Pride and Prejudice purists beware of this book.  As a retelling, following mousy Mary Bennett, this is just so rebellious.  I count Austen's book among my favorites, but I found this too much fun to really take offense at the way my favorite characters are portrayed.  To be honest, the way that Mary found herself the center of so many dramas in a sort of Forest Gump-like manner was at times tiresome but the good writing and deep delve into a little liked side character enjoyable.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Romance Review

An Affair with a Spare by Shana Galen
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I have given Shana Galen's books more five star reviews than any other historical romance author.  Unfortunately, I have had a harder time clicking with this series following veterans from the Napoleonic wars.  This book was fine and perfectly enjoyable but is missing the fun heroines and witty dialogue from her previous books.  To be honest, my expectations for Galen's book may be too high at this point but this was just an okay historical romance read for me.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for on honest review. 

New Releases This Week

Crux: a Cross-Border Memoir by Jean Guerrero
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Jean grew up in San Diego with a Puerto Rican mother and a Mexican father.  Her father was always an enigma, suffering from addiction issues and possible mental illness, he frequently crossed back and forth across the border straddling his Mexican roots and American dream.  The author attempts to investigate the duality of living in two very different countries and how it affects psyche.  While at times she turns way too much inwards, I think this book does an excellent job of exploring how family heritage is inherent in us and cannot be escaped by crossing a border.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Give Me Your Hand by Megan Abbott

🌟🌟🌟1/2

Kit's life changed in high school when the new girl, Diane, became her lab partner and convinced her that she was smart and talented enough to want more with her life.  When Diane shares a terrible secret, however, their friendship changes.  Year later, Kit has the career opportunity of a lifetime right when Diane mysteriously enters back into her life.  This psychological thriller is twisty and kind of strange and definitely fun to read.  Even though I was occasionally frustrated with the actions of the characters, this was a solid summer read.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Family Ties

The Mighty Franks: a Memoir by Michael Frank
🌟🌟🌟🌟1/2



This memoir completely took me by surprise and was so riveting to read that I had to keep reminding myself that it wasn't literary fiction.  Michael Frank grew up in a very close family and an especially close relationship with an aunt who did not have children of her own.  Aunt Hank and her husband were successful Hollywood screenwriters whose volatile personalities and rigid opinions were the backbone of the family.   Beautifully written and a magnificent homage to family and finding your own self outside of family, I really loved this book.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Friday Review

Dead Girls:  Essays on Surviving an American Obsession
By Alice Bolin
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This is a book of essays, mostly about the author's moving to and living in Los Angeles.  She uses books, film and art as references to talk about varied topics, including the title which is covered in one of the essays.  I found this to be interesting, especially when discussing literature, but also very scattered and really the title has little to do with the book itself.  I may have enjoyed it more, if I read it a bit slower.  I received a digital ARC of the book from the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. 


The Lauras by Sara Taylor
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Alex's uproots their life when she packs up a car and forces them to leave home in the middle of the night.  The resulting road trip takes the across country and on a spiritual quest to come to terms with her past.  Alex is an interesting teenage, genderless character who tells the story with a keen eye and realistic point of view.  This is a slow book but I really enjoyed it.  I have read the author's previous book, The Shore, and think her writing is beautiful and insightful.  She is definitely an author I will continue to read in the future.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Midweek Review

Okay Fine Whatever:  The Year I Wet From Being Afraid of Everything to Only Being Afraid of Most Things by Courtenay Hameister
Publication Date - July 31, 2018
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Courtenay Hameister was a long time writer and host of Live, Wire and suffers from general anxiety and OCD.  For an entire year, she decides to do things that scare her with the attitude "okay, fine, whatever," thus calling it her OFW project.  This is a very honest, often funny account of a woman with body issues, relationship issues and anxiety issues who lays it all out for her readers.  I sometimes felt that her oversharing was overkill and weirdly a bit repetitive, but otherwise this is an entertaining summer read.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Genre Bending Fiction

Providence by Caroline Kepnes
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A young, lonely and bullied teenage boy is kidnapped while on his way to school, leaving his parents and best friend anguished.  Four years later, he mysteriously reappears with no memory of the his recent years and strange new powers that propel him on the run once more.  Alternating between Jon, his love Chloe and an obsessive detective named Eggs, this is a strange mix of a book that blends science fiction, mystery and maudlin romance.  I've actually not read Kepnes other books so I went into this with no expectations and was entertained.  To be honest, I enjoyed Jon and Eggs story so much that I wish the romance aspect would have been greatly minimized but I think this is a very interesting reading experience.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

July 4 Review

Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris
3 stars



I have almost accepted the complete implausibility of B.A. Paris's plots and instead have come to crave the breathtakingly creepy way in which she tells a story.  This is not my favorite, though.  It was perfectly entertaining and I inhaled the book in a couple of days, but I also had the mystery figured out really early and was fairly dissatisfied with the ending.  Regardless of my feelings for this book, I will definitely keep reading everything that Paris writes.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Weekend Reading

All We Ever Wanted by Emily Giffin
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I always read fictional books about contemporary issues with a bit of trepidation and often find them stressful.  This book though, about a sexualized photo scandal at a ritzy private school, realistic and well nuanced.  Nina came from a middle class family from a small Tennessee town.  She married Kirk, a confident, self absorbed man from an old money family who made it big in the tech business and now has more money than common sense.  When their eighteen year old son gets in trouble for sending a very disturbing photo with caption of a younger teenager, Nina has to reevaluate the direction that her family and life has taken.  I think this was very well done and easy to tear through.  I did have issues with the characters at times but I liked how everything in the end was resolved.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 



Jane Seymour: the Haunted Queen by Alison Weir
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These books are so long but such a fun guilty pleasure, at least for those of us obsessed with the Tudors.  Jane Seymour has always fascinated me, as she was queen for so little a time yet brought the much wanted heir to the tyrannical Henry VIII.  I thought this was a good portrayal of Jane but she is not quite as interesting a subject as Anne Boleyn so this probably didn't need to be so long.  Overall, this is an entertaining series for those of us who love history but are open to fictionalized accounts.  I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.