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Review (And Giveaway!) – Finding My Badass Self: A Year of Truths and Dares
In less than a week, the kids head back to school and I will place order back into my life. But I confess: within that order (such as it was) last spring, I was feeling a bit of emptiness and a lot of feeling stuck. However, after reading Finding My Badass Self – A year of Truths and Dares by the delightful Sherry Stanfa-Stanley, this gem of a book has inspired me to get off my ass and maybe even out of my comfort zone. Fine – you won’t find me riding shotgun on a drug bust here in Dallas, and I’m still not down for a Brazilian wax. But…
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Middle School Book Picks from my Middle Schooler
Two weeks before school let out, my 11-year-old suffered a concussion which left her unable to do much of anything – like watching TV, running outside, or the worst possible punishment when you could inflict upon her – reading. This proves especially painful (pun intended) when your order of Scholastic books arrives the day after you bonk your head. Thankfully, the concussion cleared up in time for vacation and Maddie spent nearly the entire 3200 mile drive reading. As such, SHE has a pile of middle school books she would love to recommend. They run the gamut from fantasy to supernatural fiction (dealing with grief) to historical fiction, and she was…
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Summer Reads (and Giveaway): I Need a Lifeguard Everywhere But the Pool
My next summer reading recommendation is a hilarious new book by the mother-daughter writing duo of Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella titled I Need A Lifeguard Everywhere But The Pool. Read on for my review, which includes a clear overuse of the adjective “hilarious” AND for a giveaway! You may be a fan of Lisa Scottoline as a writer of thrillers but if you aren’t yet familiar with her humor writing (and why aren’t you) you will be in for a treat. With her daughter Francesca Serritella, they pen a column for the Philadelphia Inquirer titled “Chick Wit” which hilariously talks about life from women’s perspective. Their series of…
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Amazon Prime Day 2017 Best Picks for Bookworms!
Amazon Prime Day starts early – you can get some great deals starting tonight! I confess, I’m an Amazon devotee (addict?) and make good use of my Prime account. Perhaps too much good use, my hubby might say, but it’s SO helpful. Do you have a Prime account? If not, you can get a free Amazon Prime trial by signing up here! (Just set a reminder to cancel it if you find it is not for you. I bet you keep it….) Of course, you know I’m addicted to my Kindle Paperwhite because of both its portable size and its awesome glare-free and back-lit screen which lets me read in ANY…
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Weekend Reads: Remember No More by Jan Newton
Review I confess, I was initially drawn to Remember No More in part because of the synopsis, and in part due to the fact that I spent nearly four years in this part of Wales. Jan Newton does not disappoint with her writing nor with the stunningly depicted setting. This the perfect book to get lost in on a quiet Sunday afternoon, and I confess I devoured it in one sitting. Newton’s debut novel is well crafted with a tightly knit story that twists and turns. While I thought I might have figured out “whodunit” midway through the story, she so skillfully dropped red herrings that I was fully in doubt of my detective work.…
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Two Twisty-Turny Psychological Thrillers
When the world feels upside down and my anxiety is through the roof, a fast-paced, tense roller-coaster of a psychological thriller through which I can funnel and filter that anxiety is often just the thing I need. Forget a gentle, happy book. I need to work through my jitters and restlessness. In this case, I have just the books for you. Set in London, both books have the kind of eye-opening endings that will make you look back at everything you read. Both will have you looking over your shoulder – but you’ll forget all your other concerns! I See You Author: Clare Mackintosh Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group Genre: Mystery & Thrillers Pub Date 21 Feb 2017 372…
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Book Review: The Bear and the Nightingale
This book…oh, this book. Magical, rich, and lyrical, this book was just gorgeous. Who says fairy tales are for kids? I didn’t want this one to end. The Bear and the Nightingale is one of those finds that make me appreciate the diverse array of books and authors that NetGalley introduces to me, because this is a gem. Curious? Read on… Genre: Literary Fiction Publisher: Del Rey Books Release Date: January 10, 2017 Pages: 336 Synopsis At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn’t mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings,…
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Book Review: Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall
I’ve been on a YA/Middle School reading binge (and a horror/thriller binge, and…fine, I’ve spent most of the past two weeks with my nose in a book.) This was simply a remarkable, fun, smart, painful (at times, in a good, “I feel her pain” kind of way) read. Let me introduce you to Louise Gornall’s Under Rose-Tainted Skies. Title: Under Rose-Tainted Skies Author: Louise Gornall Publisher: Clarion Books Release Date: January 3, 2017 Pages: 320 Synopsis Norah has agoraphobia and OCD. When groceries are left on the porch, she can’t step out to get them. Struggling to snag the bags with a stick, she meets Luke. He’s sweet and funny, and he just caught her fishing for…
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Review & Giveaway: Champion of the Barrio by R. Gaines Baty
CHAMPION OF THE BARRIO The Legacy of Coach Buryl Baty by R. Gaines Baty Genre: Biography / Sports / Civil Rights Publisher: Texas A&M University Press Date of Publication: February 9, 2015 Number of Pages: 288 Scroll down for Giveaway! In 1947, after serving in WWII and quarterbacking the Texas Aggies during the glory days of the old Southwest Conference, Texas football legend Buryl Baty was drafted by the Detroit Lions. But, the NFL wouldn’t be where he’d create his legacy. He instead became the head football coach at Bowie High School in El Paso, where he’d inspire a team of Mexican Americans from the Segundo Barrio with…
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The Christmas Town by Donna VanLiere
Genre: Fiction Publisher: Macmillan Release Date: October 18, 2016 Pages: 240 Synopsis Donna VanLiere, New York Times bestselling author of the timeless The Christmas Shoes and The Christmas Hope, is back with this moving and uplifting story about finding love, hope, and family in unexpected places. Lauren Gabriel spent many years of her childhood in foster homes, wishing her mother would come back for her and be the family she needs. Now twenty-years-old, she still longs for a place that she can truly call home. Her work as a cashier is unfulfilling, and at Christmas it’s unbearable with the songs and carols and chatter of Christmas that she hears throughout the day. When…
