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Book Review: The List of Things That Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead
Warm-hearted and relatable, Rebecca Stead’s middle-grade novel The List of Things That Will Not Change is simply wonderful. Read on to learn more about this lovely book. I received an advance copy of the book from Random House Children’s Books via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions are my own. This post may contain affiliate links. The Book My Take Straight up – I absolutely adored this book. The writing is warm and funny, and the characters are relatable and REAL. The voice of this book is spot on for middle-grade readers, and the author tackles some tough subjects head on. She really understands anxiety and guilt…
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Book Review: Been There, Married That by Gigi Levangie
If you’re looking for a fun, totally over-the-top beach read that is an outlandish take on Hollywood life, Gigi Levangie’s book Been There, Married That is for you. While it had a few bumps at the start, I could easily overlook it for the snark and the fun. Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy. Some links in this post are affiliate links that earn me a commission if you purchase through them. All opinions are my own. Been There, Married That by Gigi Levangie is a rapid-fire snark fest, focusing on the stereotype of the vapid, silicone-laden, entitled, trophy-wife Hollywood culture, where the assistants have assistants,…
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Book Review: The Return by Rachel Harrison
I took a break from all the historical fiction I’ve been reading and grabbed an ARC (thank you NetGalley) of Rachel Harrison’s upcoming release titled The Return. This was one seriously creepy work of horror. Read on to see why this one had me rethinking some upcoming hotel choices. Some links in this post are affiliate links that earn me a commission if you purchase through them. All opinions are my own. MY THOUGHTS ON THE RETURN Oh my goodness, y’all, this book…this book was deliciously and vividly CREEPY. And humorous at times. And… touching. Sound like an odd combination? Yes. And it worked. What a page turner! This is…
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Recursion by Blake Crouch – Book Review
The 2016 release of Dark Matter completely blew me away, but I think Blake Crouch topped that novel with Recursion. (And not just because he over-scienced my brain in Dark Matter.) Read on to find out why! Thanks to Crown Publishing and NetGalley for providing an ARC for review. This post also contains affiliate links. My coffee habit thanks you. Recursion is a wild ride by the one author who makes me feel like I nearly grasp quantum physics. Knowing that there is usually some sort of actual technology/emerging sciencey-thing that sparks the idea for his unique blend of scifi/thriller/mystery novel is mind-bending in its own right. This is a…
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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…
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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…
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What I’m Reading Wednesday: It Started With a Breakup
Today’s picks for What I’m Reading Wednesday have one thing in common – they both center around a young woman who has just broken off her engagement – one the dumper, one the dumpee – and what direction their lives take afterwards. They are two very different characters in personality (one independent and driven, one dependent and searching for purpose) and life circumstance (one scraping by, one a reluctant socialite) but both women are surrounded by colorful supporting characters and find their strengths and happiness in the end (of course!) So let’s get started with What I’m Reading Wednesday! First on my list is Creature Comforts by Trisha Ashley. This…
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What I’m Reading Wednesday: Books for A Cold Day
Brrrr! Fall is slipping away quickly here in Chicagoland and winter is tiptoeing in! I don’t know about you, but when the weather starts to turn, all I REALLY want to do is curl up in my favorite chair under a cozy blanket with a hot cup of tea and a good book! Lucky for you, I’ve got three really great mysteries that are recent releases – no waiting! So let’s get started: it’s time for What I’m Reading Wednesday and the “Books for a Cold Day” edition. There is something about Tana French’s style of writing that is instantly identifiable. Her books have a very distinctive feel –…
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What I’m Reading Wednesday: Vanished
Are you a mystery fan??? Well, this week’s pick is an excellent, stay up late ’til ya’ finish romantic thriller: Vanished by Kendra Elliot. Fans of Carla Neggers, Lisa Jackson, Nora Roberts and/or Karen Robards will love this book as Elliot successfully meshes an intense mystery/thriller with a blooming romance. Initially, the story is about an eleven year old girl abducted on her way to school, but it proves to be much more complicated than that. The cast of characters is a complexly intertwined bunch. The missing girl turns out to be the stepdaughter of Mason Callahan’s ex-wife. (Got that?) On the surface, he, his ex-wife, her new husband and HIS ex-wife seem to…
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What I’m Reading Wednesday: The Girl With All The Gifts
I’ve been on a bit of “dystopian fiction” bender lately. I promise that I’m going to be changing gears next week, but before I do, I’m ending with a big BANG. This week’s pick is the just-published The Girl With All The Gifts. Let me start by saying that I was totally mistaken about what this book was all about. You might even say that I was tricked. I was led to believe that Melanie, the bright young girl that gets strapped in a wheelchair every morning (guns pointed at her all the while) in order to be wheeled off to class had some sort of dangerous but desired supernatural…
