Reviews

review

  • Books,  Reviews

    #WIRW: The Boys of the Dixie Pig

    No, you’re not stuck in a time warp – it’s not Wednesday. This post did not go live as it was supposed to, yay, me. So lucky you, you’ll likely see TWO posts from me today. Go, me. Happy Wednesday Thursday! This week’s pick for What I’m Reading Wednesday is The Boys of the Dixie Pig by Stacy Childs.  What a fun, wild ride it was!!  I’m seeing it touted as a medical thriller, but while one of the two main storylines has a medical bent not far off of what you might see with Robin Cook, I’d likely classify it as a thriller, plain and simple. Ok, so I…

  • Books,  Reviews

    WIRW: Books to Get Lost In

    Before you say anything…I know…never end a sentence with a preposition. That’s why I’m reviewing the books and not writing them – I get so excited when it’s time to review books sometimes that I just can’t come up with a title suitable to reflect how I feel. In this case, I have the added problem writing a title for two entirely different stories in two different genres. So why review them together? They both sucked me in so quickly, they BOTH proved to be a great escape. Ok, so I basically sat and did nothing until I finished these books. You caught me. I don’t care. Let’s start already,…

  • middle-school-is-tough
    Books,  Reviews

    Middle School is Tough. (These Books Aren’t)

    This summer, my soon-to-be middle schooler lodged a complaint: “Why is it that so many books talk about how awful middle school is?” I took a look at his bookshelf and have to admit, it’s true. I didn’t want to admit that since middle school can be pretty miserable in real life, it’s a relatable topic for kids and easier to laugh at than cry with – I want him to look forward to middle school, after all! So we talked about what is happening in the books he’s read, and how the real meat of the story is in how the main character conquers his fears, or overcomes a huge challenge, or…

  • #WIRW
    Books,  Reviews

    #WIRW: The Late Night Edition

    With memories of summer vacation fading faster than my tan and the kids back to school and so organized that I’m hardly needed in the mornings, I had great plans of conquering my to-do list in record time, all while re-establishing a semblance of routine. Ah, the best laid plans, all felled by a single sentence, an opening chapter, a stack of to-be-read thrillers and crime fiction. You got it. Little has been ticked off of my to-do list except for going to the gym, and I’ve had to add “drink coffee” and “read 6 chapters” to that list just to be able to tick something off. It hasn’t helped that these books…

  • Books,  Reviews

    What I’m Reading Wednesday – The Murderer’s Daughter

    This one has had me on the edge of my seat as I raced to the finish; I’m sure it’s still Wednesday in the Pacific Northwest so I think I can legitimately put this one under “What I’m Reading Wednesday”. This week’s book choice is the standalone novel The Murderer’s Daughter by Jonathan Kellerman.  I’ve long been a fan of Jonathan Kellerman and his Alex Delaware character; while Delaware makes a cameo in this book, trust me, this isn’t an Alex Delaware novel. This is a much darker, and much more twisted psychological thriller. Five year old Grace Blades was taking care of herself, living on leftovers her slacker, shoplifting,…

  • #WIRW, we-never-asked-for-wings, who-do-you-love
    Books,  Reviews

    What I’m Reading Wednesday: Two Powerful Tales

    Oh, you guys. Remember how I promised you that I have weeks and weeks of What I’m Reading Wednesday reviews of awesome, soon to be released books? I still do. (Along with a few just released, because it’s summer and my kids think that mom on the computer is the perfect time to pick a fight/ask her questions/spill something on the rug/<insert your favorite distraction here>.) As I mentioned previously, I read ALL the books on my summer vacation that had “hold ’til publication” requests forthe reviews (and the books I could review were unread). What can I say – sometimes, a book description hits your mood or something clicks and you just…

  • Books,  Reviews

    Book Reviewer Fail (or, Coming Soon on #WIRW)

    I spent last week at the Outer Banks of North Carolina with one eye deep in my Kindle (with many thanks to NetGalley) and the other on the ocean, scanning for shark fins. Thankfully, the only sightings were (erroneously) that of a porpoise (but you can’t be too safe), and “Bob”, served at Tortuga’s Lie full of blood-red Grenadine syrup to pour into my nine-year-olds glass of pink lemonade. (The drink is aptly named the “Near Miss”, by the way.) All in all, I worked my way through eight galleys in ten days, and I read some amazing novels that I can’t wait to share with you! Unfortunately, you’ll have to do just that: wait. Because in my…

  • #wirw-coincidence-coconut-cake
    Books,  Reviews

    What I’m Reading Wednesday: The Coincidence of Coconut Cake #WIRW

    Are you hungry? I’m really excited about this week’s pick for What I’m Reading Wednesday – The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy Reichert. It’s been frequently described as “You’ve Got Mail” meets “How to Eat a Cupcake”, and I would have to agree. The Coincidence of Coconut Cake is light, fun read about a restaurant owner brought down by a food critic’s untimely visit to her restaurant and subsequent scathing review. Set in Milwaukee, chef and restaurant owner Lou makes an awful discovery on her fiance’s birthday, resulting in a tumultuous night in the kitchen. Al is a British food writer biding his time in Milwaukee by writing scathing reviews of…

  • Books,  Reviews

    What I’m Reading Wednesday: The Truth According to Us

    It’s been a busy week and Wednesday just snuck up on me! How could it do that? I have a book to share with you this week that I just fell in love with! So let’s waste no more time, because I want to share my What I’m Reading Wednesday pick, Annie Barrows’ The Truth According to Us.   Annie Barrows co-wrote The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, and she is the author of the Ivy and Bean children’s book series.  If you were a fan of the former, well, this book has a different feel. The Truth According To Us is historical fiction set in the summer of 1938. Layla…