Review: Comfort and Joy by Kristin Hannah

Here is a summary of Comfort and Joy from Kristin Hannah's website:

In this modern-day fairy tale, New York Times bestselling author Kristin Hannah gives us a very special gift: the heartwarming story of a woman at a crossroads, caught between two lives, who finds a second chance at happiness.

Joy Candellaro used to love Christmas more than any other time of the year. Now, as the holiday approaches, she finds herself at loose ends. Recently divorced and estranged from her sister, she can't summon the old enthusiasm for celebrating. So without telling anyone, she buys a ticket and boards a plane bound for the rural Northwest.

Yet Joy's best-laid plans go terribly awry. The plane crashes deep in the darkness of a forest. Miraculously, Joy and her fellow passengers walk away from the wreckage as the plane explodes. There, amid the towering trees, Joy makes a bold and desperate decision to leave her ordinary life behind and embark on an adventure…just for the holidays.

Daniel O'Shea has returned to the small town of Rain Valley, following the death of his ex-wife. Now he is a single father facing his son's first Christmas without a mother. Six-year-old Bobby isn't making it easy-the boy has closed himself off from the world, surrounding himself with imaginary friends.

When Joy and Bobby meet, they form an instant bond. Thrown together by fate, these wounded souls will be touched by the true spirit of Christmas and remember what it means to be a family.

Then a dramatic turn of events shows Joy the price of starting over. On a magical Christmas Eve she will come face-to-face with a startling truth. Now she must decide: In a time of impossible dreams and unexpected chances, can she find the faith to reach for the love she has found…and the new life only she believes in? 

My Review:
I know the Holiday season is over but you might want to keep this one in mind for next year!  The only Holiday themed book that I seem to read during the Christmas season is the one that is selected by my book club.  This genre has been hit or miss with our group so after reading one holiday book I am usually ready to move onto something that offers more intellectual stimulation.  So you can imagine how pleasantly surprised I was to find that I absolutely loved this book!

Life hasn't been very good for Joy considering that her sister is marrying her ex-husband.  When Joy decides that she just can't take any more she flees the world she knows before she can receive more bad news, by hopping on the next plane out of town.  Little does she know that this plane ride will impact her life even more.

When events take a life-threatening turn, Joy finds herself plunged into the lives of a young boy and his father that appear to be just as lost in this world as she is.  Could it be that she needs this father and son as much as they need her so they can all move on with their lives?

I really don't want to give any more of this book away as it was such a magical Christmas story that reached deep in my heart.  I can honestly tell you that it was thoroughly enjoyed by all of the ladies in my book club, and that doesn't happen often!  With themes of love, forgiveness, believing, and Christmas miracles, I highly recommend this Holiday themed book.

My Rating:  5/5

Disclosure:  I purchased this e-book from Amazon and read it as a book club selection for my own entertainment.

Audiobook Review: Oogy by Larry Levin

Here is a summary of Oogy from the Hachette website:

In the bestselling tradition of Rescuing Sprite comes the story of a puppy brought back from the brink of death, and the family he adopted.

In 2002, Larry Levin and his twin sons, Dan and Noah, took their terminally ill cat to the Ardmore Animal Hospital outside Philadelphia to have the beloved pet put to sleep. What would begin as a terrible day suddenly got brighter as the ugliest dog they had ever seen--one who was missing an ear and had half his face covered in scar tissue--ran up to them and captured their hearts. The dog had been used as bait for fighting dogs when he was just a few months old. He had been thrown in a cage and left to die until the police rescued him and the staff at Ardmore Animal Hospital saved his life. The Levins, whose sons are themselves adopted, were unable to resist Oogy's charms, and decided to take him home.

Heartwarming and redemptive, OOGY is the story of the people who were determined to rescue this dog against all odds, and of the family who took him home, named him "Oogy" (an affectionate derivative of ugly), and made him one of their own.

My Review:
I absolutely loved listening to this audiobook that was read by Joe Barrett.  I listen to my audiobooks in the car and when I walked in the door at night after listening to this book I just wanted to give my dog a big hug for being such a special part of our lives!

Oogy is obviously a very special dog that was introduced to the Levin family during a time of need.  The ugliest dog that they could ever imagine seemed to find a place in the family's hearts immediately.  They adopted Oogy as just a puppy thinking he was going to grow to about 50 pounds, but not realizing that he was a rare breed of dog not very common to the U.S., he grew much larger than anticipated.  Oogy was just a few months old when he was adopted and to think that he was mangled to disfigurement from being used as a bait dog for dogfighting is just heartbreaking.  So be prepared to have your heartstrings tugged if you decide to pick up this book!

Knowing the pain and hurt that Oogy had already endured, the Levin family was very hesitant to enforce obedience with Oogy within the home.  I can hardly blame them, as I probably would have acted the same way.  This did create quite the challenges for the family as Oogy basically found himself running the household.  It wasn't uncommon to have Oogy climb on the dinner table during mealtime or even raid the refrigerator when no-one was looking. 

The lives of the Levin family obviously changed to help Oogy settle into their household.  As Oogy became such a special member of their family they wanted to protect Oogy and keep him safe just as much as that dog wanted to protect them.  When Oogy started to face some medical challenges it was heartbreaking for the family to watch Oogy in such physical pain as he seemed to lose his spirit and fun personality.  They worked together to get Oogy healthy again and so his happy demeanor eventually returned.

Once again I can't help but say that I loved listening to this book!  Learning about how Oogy was treated as such a young puppy was very hard to listen to, but I think it is also important.  I have often heard about how inhumane dogfighting is but I guess I have been sheltered as to what the extent of the abuse actually is.  If you are looking for a non-fiction book that will bring you into the life of a family as they take in this special dog and let him become one of them, then this book is for you.

My Rating:  4/5

Disclosure:  This audiobook was provided to me from Anna at Hachette in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Drinking Closer to Home by Jessica Anya Blau

Here is a summary of Drinking Closer to Home from the Goodreads website:

There is nothing like ten days with one’s family to bring forth old obsessions and stir up childhood memories. When Anna, Portia and Emery’s mother, Louise, suffers a massive heart attack, the three grown children return to Santa Barbara to be with their father, Buzzy, as they wait for Louise to either recover or die.

Anna can’t stop thinking about sex with strangers, although in junior high she was terrifyingly certain that her free-loving parents had syphilis (from which they would shortly die). Portia’s beach-bunny teen years feel far away as she struggles with an unfaithful husband who has left her feeling boneless and unsure. And though Emery’s greatest childhood fear was that The Law would catch up with their parents for any one of their numerous transgressions (marijuana plants in the backyard; peeing in public; the time Louise quit being a housewife and gave Emery’s care over to eight-year-old Portia), now his only worry is that he won’t be able to create his own family, a newer, better, improved version that will trump the impetuousness and chaos that ruled his childhood home.

But this time together will also bring to the surface sometimes painful, often heartbreaking secrets that will shake the foundations of everything the three siblings know about themselves and assume about their family. Secrets that may, perhaps, change the way they view the past as well as the future.

My Review:
This is the kind of book that has a way of getting under my skin (in a good way) as I'm reading, and even moreso as I ponder it upon completion!  This story gives us the nitty, gritty details of about the most dysfunctional family I could imagine by bringing us into the lives of three siblings.

Buzzy and Louise have raised their three children in a remote area of California and now that they have grown they seemed to have disbursed throughout various sections of the United States.  After Louise has a heart attack the children flock back to the home nest to offer support to both of their parents. While they are visiting we are given glimpses of childhood memories that it seems they may have been keeping locked away for years.

Anna is the oldest daughter and the one that seemed to take charge of the kitchen and housework when her mother decided that raising children wasn't something that she wanted to do any longer.  She could not stand the messy household that they were forced to live in and did not have any respect for her mother whom she suspected was having an affair.  I find it interesting how Anna was the one to become the most promiscuous of the siblings when she was the most concerned about her mother's infidelity.

Portia was the middle child and although Anna was considered the housekeeper, Portia seemed to be the one to keep a close watch over their little brother Emery.  Portia was always quiet and withdrawn and for some reason the family considered her to be mentally slow because of this.  They were all surprised, but not quite as much as Portia, when she was accepted into Berkely.  Although this did help to instill confidence in her, she still spent her life striving for love and acceptance.

Emery was the youngest and always felt out of place.  Since his parents always had marijuana plants growing he just knew that one day his family was going to be ripped apart because they would be thrown in jail.  Emery was always dirty and it seemed that his sisters really didn't want to be near him most of the time.  It took Emery a long time to be honest with himself and his longings so it really took a while for him to develop a healthy dose of self respect.

These parents really confused me as I couldn't imagine deciding to have three children but then still grow marijuana plants in your backyard for your own personal use.  Although Louise was the smoker, Buzzy seemed to take satisfaction in growing a superior crop for her.  Buzzy appeared to be a successful lawyer so finances were not a problem for this family as they muddled their way through life.

I really enjoyed this book as I can personally say that I know people that grew up in similar environments to this one.  I know many ladies that would say this is not even possible and it makes me sad to think that some people cannot even imagine the life that others have survived to get where they are.  This book had me laughing while at other times saddened by what these children had to endure.  So if you are interested in a book that paints an honest picture of what a family life can be with selfish parents then I definitely recommend this book.

My Rating:  4/5

Disclosure:  This e-book was provided to me from the publisher through the Netgalley program in exchange for an honest review.

Review: The Swimming Pool by Holly LeCraw

Here is a summary of The Swimming Pool from the Random House website:

Seven summers ago, Marcella Atkinson fell in love with Cecil McClatchey, a married father of two. But on the same night their romance abruptly ended, Cecil's wife was found murdered—and their lives changed forever. The case was never solved, and Cecil died soon after, an uncharged suspect.

Now divorced and estranged from her only daughter, Marcella lives alone, mired in grief and guilt. Meanwhile, Cecil's grown son, Jed, returns to the Cape with his sister for the first time in years. One day he finds a woman's bathing suit buried in a closet—a relic, unbeknownst to him, of his father's affair—and, on a hunch, confronts Marcella. When they fall into an affair of their own, their passion temporarily masks the pain of the past, but also leads to crises and revelations they never could have imagined.

In what is sure to be the debut of the season, The Swimming Pool delivers a sensuous narrative of such force and depth that you won't be able to put it down.

My Review:
This novel takes us into the lives of the family members that were victimized by an unsolved mystery that took place years ago.  When Betsy was found murdered in her Atlanta kitchen she leaves her children, Jed and Callie, and her husband Cecil, to deal with the aftermath of the event.

The book opens in a summer home that the McClatchey family has always owned on Cape Cod.  Even though both of their parents are gone, Jed and Callie decided to keep the home in the family.  Callie has married and has two children of her own while Jed can never seem to be a part of a committed relationship.  It is clear that Jed and Callie are both a couple of broken, disheartened souls and they have decided to spend the summer, along with Callie's husband and children in the Cape Cod home.

Jed finds himself drawn to Marcella, a woman that he vividly remembers from his youthful days when his parents were alive and the neighborhood in the Cape was bustling with fun and energy.  When he confronts Marcella it is quite a surprise to find that they are both full of passion for one another.  This summer affair will lead to secrets revealed, some secrets kept, and finally a tragedy that is unavoidable.

I have to admit that I didn't really enjoy this book, but it still kept me turning the pages.  It held a very depressing element to the storyline and the affair between Marcella and Jed seemed quite unrealistic to me.  I can understand why Jed would find himself attracted to the older woman that Marcella was, but would he really stay attracted to her once he found out that his own father had an affair with her years before?  And as far as Marcella goes, would she really have an affair with the son of the man that she claimed to love years ago?  I guess this is a possibility considering how broken all of their lives were, but it just didn't add up for me.

Like I said earlier, I found that I couldn't put this book down for I had to see how this scenario was going to end.  The most broken character in this novel appeared to be Callie and I wish we really would have gotten to hear more of her story, rather than focusing on Jed and Marcella's affair.  This is one of those books where I can say I didn't find a liking for any of the characters, but I have found in the past that if the writing is good I can still find enjoyment of the book.  I obviously did find a substantial amount of enjoyment but I didn't particularly like the writing style either.  It didn't seem to flow well and was also a bit choppy for my taste.  But after reflection of the storyline it could be that this is what the author meant to accomplish. 

My Rating:  3/5

Disclosure:  This book was provided to me from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Things I've Been Silent About by Azar Nafisi

Here is a summary of Things I've Been Silent About from the Random House website:

Azar Nafisi, author of the beloved international bestseller Reading Lolita in Tehran, now gives us a stunning personal story of growing up in Iran, memories of her life lived in thrall to a powerful and complex mother, against the background of a country’s political revolution. A girl’s pain over family secrets; a young woman’s discovery of the power of sensuality in literature; the price a family pays for freedom in a country beset by political upheaval–these and other threads are woven together in this beautiful memoir, as a gifted storyteller once again transforms the way we see the world and “reminds us of why we read in the first place” (Newsday).

Nafisi’s intelligent and complicated mother, disappointed in her dreams of leading an important and romantic life, created mesmerizing fictions about herself, her family, and her past. But her daughter soon learned that these narratives of triumph hid as much as they revealed. Nafisi’s father escaped into narratives of another kind, enchanting his children with the classic tales like the Shahnamah, the Persian Book of Kings. When her father started seeing other women, young Azar began to keep his secrets from her mother. Nafisi’s complicity in these childhood dramas ultimately led her to resist remaining silent about other personal, as well as political, cultural, and social, injustices.

Reaching back in time to reflect on other generations in the Nafisi family, Things I’ve Been Silent About is also a powerful historical portrait of a family that spans many periods of change leading up to the Islamic Revolution of 1978-79, which turned Azar Nafisi’s beloved Iran into a religious dictatorship. Writing of her mother’s historic term in Parliament, even while her father, once mayor of Tehran, was in jail, Nafisi explores the remarkable “coffee hours” her mother presided over, where at first women came together to gossip, to tell fortunes, and to give silent acknowledgment of things never spoken about, and which then evolved into gatherings where men and women would meet to openly discuss the unfolding revolution.

Things I’ve Been Silent About is, finally, a deeply personal reflection on women’s choices, and on how Azar Nafisi found the inspiration for a different kind of life. This unforgettable portrait of a woman, a family, and a troubled homeland is a stunning book that readers will embrace, a new triumph from an author who is a modern master of the memoir.

My Review:
This was a fascinating reflection on Nafisi's life that seemed to me to be more of a lack of the mother/daughter relationship that she missed out on.   I think it's even safe for me to say that as I started this book I found myself disliking the author because she only seemed to complain about her mother.  I decided to stick it out and after about 100 pages I found myself enjoying the book and by the time I turned the last page I loved it.

Azar had a good relationship with her father and even pitied him in a sense.  She knew her mother did not appreciate her father as a wife looks to a husband because she was always reminding her family about her missed opportunity with her first husband, Saifi.  After their marriage she learned of Saifi's illness so her mother spent her marriage with Saifi taking care of him until he passed away.  They obviously did not spend much quality time together as a married couple, but she seemed to believe in her mind that Saifi was the perfect spouse that she should have been able to spend her entire life with.

We learn of much turmoil between Azar and her mother.  Besides complaining to all, about the loss of her first husband, she also expresses her frustrations about not having been able to realize her fullest potential as an independent woman.  She considers herself a woman wasted because she decided to take care of her husband and children rather than going on to finish medical school.  It seems that she finally is able to gain some satisfaction in life when she is elected into Parliament.

Azar's father was a very interesting individual, but always seemed to have a sadness upon him, which seemed to be from having to live in Saifi's shadow.  To Azar's mother, he would never be as good of a person, or have as much to offer as Saifi did.  I think that when he found himself put in jail for reasons he would never fully understand he was able to reflect on his life and find what may be missing.  He found himself writing poetry and short stories during his incarceration to help pass the time.

We learn a lot about Iranian politics during the time period of this book, which I think may have explained why Azar's mother acted the way she did.  As her mother was growing up she slowly was given more rights as a woman, only to have those rights taken away later in life.  So let me tell you that if you can muddle through the beginning of this book, you will appreciate the life you have once you finish it.

I read this book with my book club and it turned out that I was the only one to actually finish it.  It was difficult to read, but I wonder if part of the reason that I found enjoyment from the pages was the difficult relationship that Azar had with her mother.  Personally, I did not have a good mother/daughter relationship with my mom until after I left home, and then she passed away about a year later.  I think this helped me to connect with the author in a way that the other gals in my group could not.  With themes of family obligations, civil rights, and independence I think this book has a lot to offer and makes a great discussion if everyone in your group can handle reading it.

My Rating: 4/5

Disclosure:  This book is from my personal collection and I read it as a book club selection.

You can check out more great book reviews over at Cym Lowell's Book Review Party Wednesday!

New Author Challenge 2010 Completed!

I was very excited to join this challenge again this year as it is one that I was able to complete last year, and luckily I did it again!  Thanks to Literary Escapism  for hosting this challenge once again.  I actually signed up to read 25 new authors, but so far I've surpassed that goal and read over 30!  I do plan to keep adding new authors that I read to this list for the remainder of the year.  If I have reviewed the book you should be able to click on the title to read my review if you are interested.  Here are the New authors I have read so far:

1. Gary Stelzer-The Cost of Dreams--Completed 1/10/2010
2. Beth Hoffman-Saving CeeCee Honeycutt--Completed 1/16/2010
3. Joshua Henkin-Matrimony--Completed 1/27/2010
4. Maureen Lindley-The Private Papers of Eastern Jewel--Completed 2/5/2010
5. Denise Austin-Denise's Daily Dozen--Completed 2/22/2010
6. Anita Amirrezvani-The Blood of Flowers--Completed 3/2/2010
7. Joshua Ferris-The Unnamed--Completed 3/14/2010
8. Todd Johnson-The Sweet By and By--Completed 3/28/2010
9. Jennifer Chiaverini-The Quilter's Apprentice--Completed 3/31/2010
10. Jennifer Weiner-Goodnight Nobody--Completed 4/13/2010
11. BJ Hoff-Where Grace Abides--Completed 4/20/2010
12. James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge-Worst Case--Completed 4/27/2010
13. Elizabeth Kostova-The Swan Thieves--Completed 5/17/2010
14. Dan Simmons-Black Hills--Completed 5/17/2010
15. Laleh Khadivi-The Age of Orphans--Completed 5/28/2010
16. Seth Grahame-Smith-Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter--Completed 6/2/2010
17. Brian Cohen-The Life O'Reilly--Completed 6/13/2010
18. Richard Morais-The Hundred-Foot Journey--Completed 6/30/2010
19. David Baldacci-Absolute Power--Completed 7/20/2010
20. Ellen Horan-31 Bond Street--Completed 7/22/2010
21. Joyce Maynard-Labor Day--Completed 7/26/2010
22. Katie Crouch-Men and Dogs--Completed 8/9/2010
23. Sherryl Woods-Home in Carolina--Completed 8/30/2010
24. Justin Kramon-Finny--Completed 9/13/2010
25. Justin Cronin-The Passage--Completed 9/19/2010
26. Margaret Atwood-The Handmaid's Tale--Completed 9/21/2010
27. Joshilyn  Jackson-Backseat Saints--Completed 9/24/2010
28. Azar Nafisi-Things I've Been Silent About--Completed 10/5/2010
29. Maria Angels Anglada-The Auschwitz Violin--Completed 10/12/2010
30. Elin Hilderbrand-The Island--Completed 10/28/2010
31. Kathleen Kent-The Heretic's Daughter--Completed 11/1/2010
32. Margaret Dilloway-How to be an American Housewife--Completed 11/8/2010
33. Larry Levin-Oogy--Completed 12/9/2010
34. Jessica Anya Blau-Drinking Closer to Home--Completed 12/11/2010
35. Holly LeCraw--The Swimming Pool--Completed 12/27/2010
36. Kristin Hannah--Comfort and Joy--Completed 12/28/2010

So those are the new authors that I discovered this year and I can't wait to join this challenge again in 2011!

Audiobook Review: Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson

Here is a summary of Backseat Saints from the Hachette website:

Rose Mae Lolley is a fierce and dirty girl, long-suppressed under flowery skirts and bow-trimmed ballet flats. As "Mrs. Ro Grandee" she's trapped in a marriage that's thick with love and sick with abuse. Her true self has been bound in the chains of marital bliss in rural Texas, letting "Ro" make eggs, iron shirts, and take her punches. She seems doomed to spend the rest of her life battered outside by her husband and inside by her former self, until fate throws her in the path of an airport gypsy---one who shares her past and knows her future. The tarot cards foretell that Rose's beautiful, abusive husband is going to kill her. Unless she kills him first.

Hot-blooded Rose Mae escapes from under Ro's perky compliance and emerges with a gun and a plan to beat the hand she's been dealt. Following messages that her long-missing mother has left hidden for her in graffiti and behind paintings, Rose and her dog Gretel set out from Amarillo, TX back to her hometown of Fruiton, AL, and then on to California, unearthing a host of family secrets as she goes. Running for her life, she realizes that she must face her past in order to overcome her fate---death by marriage---and become a girl who is strong enough to save herself from the one who loves her best.

BACKSEAT SAINTS will dazzle listeners with a fresh and heartwrenching portrayal of the lengths a mother will go to right the wrongs she's created, and how far a daughter will go to escape the demands of forgiveness. With the seed of a minor character from her popular best-seller, GODS IN ALABAMA, Jackson has built a whole new story full of her trademark sly wit, endearingly off-kilter characters, and utterly riveting plot twists.

My Review:
I loved listening to this story that was read by the author, Joshilyn Jackson, herself!  I think I could have listened to her voice all day and found when I popped the first disc in I was so engrossed in her voice that I found myself driving only 45 mph on the way home one evening.  Jackson did a great job of delivering such a serious storyline by managing to insert both humor and jaw-dropping fear within the same book.

We are introduced to Ro Grandee as an abused housewife whose life takes a drastic change after consulting with a gypsy in an airport one afternoon.  Ro realizes that she must kill her husband before he kills her.  When all goes wrong with the assassination attempt life at home changes as her husband seems to magically turn into the man that she fell in love with.  After being abused for so long, how long can this change of attitude last?

Ro finds herself on the road, first to flee from her abusive husband, then to find her mother that abandoned her years ago, but in the end it turns out to be a search for her true self.  As she battles demons from her past she learns a lot about herself and can finally reconcile with the cards that have been dealt to her in the game of life. 

I really enjoyed this audiobook and definitely plan on reading more of Jackson's work in the future.  With themes of emotional and physical abuse, forgiveness, and survival this book has a lot to offer and  I think it would also make a great book club selection.  As you can tell I really enjoyed this book so I definitely recommend it.

My Rating:  4/5

Disclosure:  This book was provided to me by Hachette in exchange for an honest review.

You can check out more great book reviews at Cym Lowell's Book Review Party Wednesday!

Review: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Here is a summary of The Handmaid's Tale from ReadingGroupGuides.com:

In the world of the near future, who will control women's bodies?

Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are only valued if their ovaries are viable.

Offred can remember the days before, when she lived and made love with her husband Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now....

Funny, unexpected, horrifying, and altogether convincing, The Handmaid's Tale is at once scathing satire, dire warning, and tour de force. 

My Review:
This was quite an amazing novel so first let me say 'Hats Off' to Atwood for creating this Gileadean society that should really scare just about any woman alive right now.   This book is a prime example of what can happen when an organization takes away privileges just a little bit at a time.  Notice that I say organization and not country, because these nut jobs that created Gilead basically took over the country and destroyed the Constitution that we are all familiar with. 

The purpose of the handmaids within this novel is to stimulate the population in a society that basically is not allowed to show any feelings whatsoever.  The handmaids are placed in a home of status and the act of creation is turned into a ceremony that is held not only between a man and woman, but also observers to verify that emotions did not come into play at all.  Yes, this is just weird! 

Offred is the handmaid that we are introduced to and we are given a glimpse of what her life was like both before and after the change in society.  I feel her fear as she goes to use her bank card one day and finds she cannot, as her boss comes into an office filled with women and tells them they can no longer work for him.  Rights are taken away one at a time and before you know it she is taken away to a center where they basically brainwash the women into becoming the handmaids.  

Once they have completed their training they are placed into homes and given a certain period of time to become pregnant.  And you don't want to know what happens to these women if they don't manage to become pregnant!  Living in a society that does not allow emotions can definitely cause turmoil and you can see the frustrations come to surface with all involved in this novel.  We have the handmaid who is given the task to only become pregnant and not allow any other light in her life.  The commander who has been given the handmaid is also looking for mental companionship and stimulation.  And let's not forget the wives who have to sit back and watch all of this with open arms.  Oh my, I just don't understand how this could be good for those involved!

Even though this was one of the oddest books I have ever read I really enjoyed it and it really made me think about our current society.  As we are forced to conform to certain beliefs we have rights taken away and all it takes is a little bit at a time.  This would make a great book club selection and I will probably suggest this one to my book club next time we are picking out titles.  With themes of civil rights, survival, loneliness, and mayhem this book makes for a lively discussion.

My Rating:  5/5

Disclosure:  I borrowed this book from the library to read for my own entertainment.

Review: The Passage by Justin Cronin

Here is a summary of The Passage from the Random House website:

“It happened fast. Thirty-two minutes for one world to die, another to be born.” 

First, the unthinkable: a security breach at a secret U.S. government facility unleashes the monstrous product of a chilling military experiment. Then, the unspeakable: a night of chaos and carnage gives way to sunrise on a nation, and ultimately a world, forever altered. All that remains for the stunned survivors is the long fight ahead and a future ruled by fear—of darkness, of death, of a fate far worse.

As civilization swiftly crumbles into a primal landscape of predators and prey, two people flee in search of sanctuary. FBI agent Brad Wolgast is a good man haunted by what he’s done in the line of duty. Six-year-old orphan Amy Harper Bellafonte is a refugee from the doomed scientific project that has triggered apocalypse. He is determined to protect her from the horror set loose by her captors. But for Amy, escaping the bloody fallout is only the beginning of a much longer odyssey—spanning miles and decades—towards the time and place where she must finish what should never have begun.

With The Passage, award-winning author Justin Cronin has written both a relentlessly suspenseful adventure and an epic chronicle of human endurance in the face of unprecedented catastrophe and unimaginable danger. Its inventive storytelling, masterful prose, and depth of human insight mark it as a crucial and transcendent work of modern fiction.

My Review:
Wow, let me start by saying this was quite an amazing novel and I can't wait until the next installment is released!  I am not one who usually reads science fiction or apocolyptic books but Cronin did such a good job of including these elements among others to make for a very engaging read!

As this epic novel opens Amy is being dragged around by her mother who is just living day to day without any plan for her or Amy's future.  She seems to finally realize that her lifestyle is only hindering Amy so she finds an opportunity to leave her in the care of some nuns that come across her path.  Even though Amy is only with the sisters for a short period of time one nun seems to feel a special obligation to Amy.  As the book goes on and destruction of the life we all know seems imminent many people seem to be put in Amy's life to serve as her protector.

You may be wondering why Amy would need a protector.  Well it so happens that the government was running a secret operation to create a special weapon to be used in war, but the experiment goes awry.  Who wouldn't expect problems to arise when you are taking human beings and turning them into your own strain of a vampire?  Although there are only a limited amount of lab subjects, they seem to gain the upper hand and take control of the situation.  Before you know it the country and possibly the world is in total chaos as the vampires seem to become the dominant race.

As the military realizes what is happening to the population they start to save people, mostly children, by sending them to newly created colonies that will eventually be self-sustainable.  This opens a new part of the book to us as it is about 90 years after the initial attack.  I really enjoyed this part of the book because we are introduced to new characters that have only lived a life within the walls of their colony.  They didn't know what life was like before-when you could walk safely outside or even lay on the grass on a clear night and view the stars.  They learn to live by their own rules and laws, which seem to be going well except for the fact that the batteries are running low so the lights that protect them throughout the evenings will eventually go out.  Who could possibly solve this problem?

A few of the members of this colony decide that they must embark on a journey for the well-being of everyone still alive.  Along the life-threatening way, they come across another colony of survivors and can't help but wonder exactly how many more humans are alive out there.  A young man named Peter turns out to be the leader of this group that finds themselves drawn to Colorado, not knowing what to expect when they get there.   Once they arrive they seem to discover what needs to be done to distinguish the problem with the vampires (which they actually call virals) but now to figure out how to actually get the job done.

From the beginning of the novel we know that Amy is special and her role is clearly visible by the end of the novel.  Peter is the big question mark for me though.  We watched Peter grow as a leader throughout this novel, but by the end it seems that he will have much more to offer in the next segment.  So, I ask...WHAT is Peter?  As much as I enjoyed this book I think it could have been shortened up a bit.  With themes of science fiction, end times, and survival this book will have you on the edge of your seat waiting for the next installment like I am!

My Rating: 4/5

Disclosure:  This book was provided to me by Random House in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Home in Carolina by Sherryl Woods

Here is a summary of Home in Carolina from Sherryl Woods' website:

There’s no place like home, especially if it’s Serenity, South Carolina. For Annie Sullivan, though, the homecoming is bittersweet. She’d always envisioned a life there with her childhood best friend, Tyler Townsend. But Ty’s betrayal has cost her the family and the future they’d once planned.

For Ty, losing Annie was heartbreaking. Still, he can’t imagine life without the three-year-old son whose mother left him for Ty to raise. Ty wants it all — Annie, his child and the future he’d dreamed about — and he’s back home in Serenity to fight for it. But getting Annie to forgive and forget may be the hardest challenge he’s ever faced. With the stakes so high, this is one game he can’t afford to lose.

My Review:
This is the 5th book in the Sweet Magnolia series but I think that Sherryl Woods did a good job of bringing us up to date on what happened in the previous books.   I'm confident that this book would fit into the romance genre, which I don't usually read, so please keep that in mind as you read my review.

Annie has moved back to her family home in Serenity after a bad break-up with her long time boyfriend Ty.  When Ty's baseball career turned professional things got a bit out of hand helping to cause the events leading up to the breakup between the couple.  Annie seems to be getting her life back on track and somewhat normal as she starts working in a spa that is owned by a couple of the Sweet Magnolias as a sports therapist.  Things are about to change for Annie when Ty returns to town recovering from a sports injury.

There is a lot of drama within the pages of this book, as just about every woman that is introduced had a dirty, rotten husband or boyfriend that cheated on her.  We learn that some were not able to get over their differences so there have been a couple of divorces in the past, while others were able to work through their challenges.  As the new generation of Sweet Magnolias emerges, they seem to bring their own marital woes with them. 

With Ty and Annie as the main characters of this book, the only question is whether they will be able to overcome the problems from the past and rekindle the love they once had.  If you are a Sherryl Woods fan I am not going to ruin this book for you by telling you the outcome.

My book club won copies of this book, which I find interesting because I really don't think that it made for a very interesting discussion.  I personally did not enjoy this book but I am curious to see what the other ladies thought of it.  I found many inconsistencies within the story itself that made me think that the author didn't know her characters very well.  I really do not enjoy writing negative reviews, but I feel this book could have been written much better if a bit more research went into it.  If you are looking for a general romance without much to offer intellectually then you may enjoy this book.

My Rating: 1/5

Disclosure:  I read this book as a book club selection from my personal collection.

Audiobook Review: Men and Dogs by Katie Crouch

Here is a summary of Men and Dogs by Katie Crouch from the Hachette website:

In April of 1985, Buzz Legare went fishing. The next day all that was found was his boat and his waiting, faithful dog.

Twenty years later, his daughter Hannah still finds hope in believing, alone among her family, that he's still alive somewhere. She has a smart husband, a thriving business, a beautiful home in San Francisco-and a huge hole in her troubled heart. True to her trademark talent for self-sabotage, she finds herself one starry night climbing up the fire escape in a desperate (and drunken) attempt to win back her own husband--and failing disastrously.

Slightly worse for the wear, Hannah returns to Charleston to salve her wounds. There, old loves, unrepented crimes, and family legends are stirred up from the dust. Hannah's brother Palmer, the stoic with a secret of his own, cannot dissuade her from a manic search to uncover clues to the past, and they will both face shocking discoveries that lead them to reconcile their very different notions of loyalty and blind faith.

As she did so memorably in her bestselling debut, Girls in Trucks, Katie Crouch has created another great voice--spiky, tender, and hilarious--in the screwball heroine Hannah Legare. Much like Julia Roberts in My Best Friend's Wedding, Hannah follows the misguided impulses of a heart that's in the right place.

My Review:
Men and Dogs was a pretty serious audiobook that brought us into the life of Hannah Legare when she basically hits rock bottom.  Hannah was married and had a very successful on-line business but somehow managed to lose it all by never fully accepting her father's absence in her life.

After a life-threatening accident Hannah finds herself back home in Charleston being nursed back to health by her family that she hasn't seen in years.  Upon arriving at her childhood home she starts to wonder once again about the disappearance of her father.  She has always believed that her father is still alive somewhere and throughout the novel new things come to light about her parents that help to give her a different and clearer perspective on her own life.

Hannah's brother Palmer was a very interesting character in this novel.  He was a local veterinarian that also happened to be gay.  Since his father's disappearance a piece of Palmer seems to be missing also, as he can't seem to maintain a long-term romantic relationship.  Where Hannah seems to lose control of her life in general, Palmer seems to be afraid of the implications of love.

I loved the journey that this book took me on, giving me insight into the lives that both Hannah and Palmer led.  We see how the decisions that they made when they were younger shaped them into the adults that they have become.  By not accepting the truth about their lives, they found themselves living in a way that wasn't really living at all, but just getting by.

I enjoyed listening to this audiobook and thought that Gabra Zackman did a good job narrating.  I've read several mixed reviews of this book so although you should know this book isn't for everyone, something about this one just connected with me.  With themes of loss, grieving, and acceptance I think this would also make a great book club selection.  I can even admit that with the serious content of this book it even made me laugh once and awhile.  This was my first book by Katie Crouch and I'm looking forward to reading more of her books in the future.

My Rating:  4/5

Disclosure:  This book was provided to me from Anna at Hachette in exchange for an honest review.

Blog Tour and Review: Finny by Justin Kramon

I am very grateful to Trish from TLC Book Tours for inviting me to be a part of this tour which turned out to be quite the adventure to follow this young girl through the ups and downs of her life.  Here is a summary of Finny from the Random House website:

Justin Kramon’s debut novel, Finny, is a sweeping, enchanting voyage, an insightful story about a young woman’s complicated path to adulthood.

We meet Finny Short as an observant, defiant fourteen-year-old who can’t make sense of her family’s unusual habits: Her mother offers guidance appropriate for a forty-year-old socialite; her father quotes Nietzsche over pancakes. Finny figures she’s stuck with this lonely lot until she meets Earl Henckel, a boy who comes from an even stranger place than she does. Unhappy with Finny’s budding romance with Earl, her parents ship her off to Thorndon boarding school. But mischief follows Finny as she befriends New York heiress Judith Turngate, a girl whose charm belies a disquieting reckless streak.

Finny’s relationships with Earl and Judith open her up to dizzying possibilities of love and loss and propel her into a remarkable adventure spanning twenty years and two continents. Justin Kramon has given us a wickedly funny odyssey with a moving and original love story at its core. Finny introduces us to an unforgettable heroine, a charmingly intricate world, and an uncommonly entertaining and gifted young novelist.

My Review:
I loved this book so much that I just worry that my review will not do it any justice.  Justin Kramon did such a wonderful job of showing us the life of young Finny and what I appreciated the most is that it wasn't a perfect life.  Finny had a pretty good life even though she made mistakes along the way, but I've always been a firm believer in how our mistakes can make us into stronger individuals.  I could definitely see the strength in Finny's character within this book.

Finny is introduced to us as a young girl that is full of spunk and ready to conquer the world.  She really didn't appreciate the family she had at that age, let's face it, how many of us really do, so when she ran into Earl one day she found herself opening up to both him and his single father.  She loved visiting with the Henckel family, watching their little quirks and oddities and listening to Mr. Henckel play the most beautiful piano music she had ever heard.  Little did she know that she was setting a foundation for a lifetime relationship with Earl that would be the most important and the most difficult that she would ever have.

Early on in their lives, Earl and Finny are separated by circumstances.  Finny is sent to boarding school at one point and then Earl moves to France to live with his mom.  One would think this relationship is doomed but they really tried to make things work by visiting each other, telephone calls and letters.  As they both have errors in judgement with their relationships as they find themselves growing into adults and making mistakes that may not be forgiven.

I felt that a window was created for me to watch the various stages of Finny's life.  After high school and college she struggled with her career choices and relationships.  Not only her relationship with men, but also the women that she has befriended throughout her life, from boarding school through her college years.  The friendships were not perfect either, which made the element of truth just that much more real to me.

The writing in this novel flowed so beautifully for me that I can tell you I didn't want to put it down at night.  The emotions that it evoked within me were amazing also-one night I was in stitches laughing, while the next evening I was in tears.  It was a book that saddened me as I was turning the last page because I really did not want to say goodbye to Finny and I still feel a bit of an emptiness now as I am writing this review.  With themes of love, endurance, family, and true friendship this book really has something in it for everyone.  I am thrilled that this is Justin Kramon's first novel because now I can't wait for what may come next.  If you are interested in finding out more about this author you can visit his website here.  If you can't tell, I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it!

My Rating:  5/5

Be sure to check out more great book reviews over at Cym Lowell's Book Review Party Wednesday!

Disclosure:  This book was provided to me by Trish from TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review and to participate in this blog tour.

Audiobook Review: Absolute Power by David Baldacci

Here is a summary of Absolute Power from the Hachette website:

Available for the first time Unabridged on CD in an all-new recording by Scott Brick, the first of the blockbuster thrillers by New York Times bestselling author David Baldacci. The book that will change the way you think about Washington - and power - forever.

In a heavily guarded mansion in a posh Virginia suburb, a man and a woman start to make love, trapping a burglar behind a secret wall. Then the passion turns deadly, and the witness is running into the night. Because what he has just seen is a brutal slaying involving the president of the United States.

Luther Whitney is the career break-in artist who's in the wrong place at the wrong time. Alan Richmond is the charming U.S. president with the power to commit any crime. And Jack Graham is the young attorney caught in a vortex between absolute truth and... ABSOLUTE POWER

My Review:
I had no idea what to expect when listening to this book, but before I knew it I was caught up in the political suspense that was bound to entrap Jack Graham.  I have a few friends that have read many Baldacci books and rave about them, so I decided to try the audioversion of this author.  Maybe some of you that listen to audiobooks have found what I did-that I enjoy listening to genres that I don't usually enjoy reading.  Suspense thrillers would be one of those genres that I don't enjoy reading but always find myself drawn to in the audio form.

A crime takes place in the beginning of this novel that involves the President, the Secret Service, and the Chief of Staff.  As the story unfolds these people will do anything and stop anyone that would jeapordize the presidency.  Since Luther Whitney somehow is the only witness to the unfortunate event he finds himself not sure who to confide in.  His daughter Kate is an attorney for the Commonwealth, but since their relationship has been strained for so long he wouldn't know where to begin explaining what happened.  Kate was engaged to a nice young man named Jack Graham who was also a lawyer.  Luther found a respect for Jack that gave him the courage to leave a trail for Jack to learn about the President's actions.

Before Luther and Kate are dropped back into Jack's life, everything seems to be going perfect for him.  He is engaged to Jennifer, who happens to be the daughter of one of the most powerful and wealthiest families in Washington.  When Jack sees his future father-in-law rubbing elbows with the President of the United States he somehow knows deep down that he will never fit into the same social circle that Jennifer is a part of.  When Jack starts to help Luther Whitney with his dilemma he finds himself drawn to the simple, but yet happy life that he led when he was with Kate.

We learn a lot about the many characters within this story.  The Secret Service men involved in the crime both seem to be good men, but victims of political circumstances.  Burton is the family man that has been married for over twenty years and has two kids at home.  When he finds himself having to take control of the situation he doesn't know how he can ever face his family again.  Collins is an agent who has put his life on the line before and will not hesitate to do it again.  He somehow loses sight of his goals as he becomes entwined in a passionate affair.

There were so many unpredictable twists and turns in this audiobook that I really was unsure of how it could possibly end.  If you are interested in listening to an action packed political thriller then this book would be a great choice for you!  I've also just started paying attention to who is narrating audiobooks, and I have heard many bloggers mention Scott Brick as being a fabulous reader.  Well you can add my name to that list of bloggers because while I was listening to this book I found his voice very engaging and WOW, does he build suspense!  Please keep in mind that this rating is for the audioversion.

My Rating:  5/5

Disclosure:  This audiobook was from my personal library and I listened to it for my own entertainment.

Audiobook Review: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

Here is a summary of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter from the Hachette website:

Indiana, 1818. Moonlight falls through the dense woods that surround a one-room cabin, where a nine-year-old Abraham Lincoln kneels at his suffering mother's bedside. She's been stricken with something the old-timers call "Milk Sickness."

"My baby boy..." she whispers before dying.

Only later will the grieving Abe learn that his mother's fatal affliction was actually the work of a vampire.

When the truth becomes known to young Lincoln, he writes in his journal, "henceforth my life shall be one of rigorous study and devotion. I shall become a master of mind and body. And this mastery shall have but one purpose..." Gifted with his legendary height, strength, and skill with an ax, Abe sets out on a path of vengeance that will lead him all the way to the White House.

While Abraham Lincoln is widely lauded for saving a Union and freeing millions of slaves, his valiant fight against the forces of the undead has remained in the shadows for hundreds of years. That is, until Seth Grahame-Smith stumbled upon The Secret Journal of Abraham Lincoln, and became the first living person to lay eyes on it in more than 140 years.

Using the journal as his guide and writing in the grand biographical style of Doris Kearns Goodwin and David McCullough, Seth has reconstructed the true life story of our greatest president for the first time-all while revealing the hidden history behind the Civil War and uncovering the role vampires played in the birth, growth, and near-death of our nation.

My Review:
After hearing so many good reviews of this book I decided to go ahead and give it a try with the audio version.  It really was full of interesting historical facts of Abraham Lincoln's life, including his climb up the political ladder, which ended in his Presidency.  It was very unfortunate that all of the women in Abe's life were taken from him (except for the woman he married), although history gives a more medical definition for the deaths of these women, this novel accounts these deaths to vampires.

As a young man Abe finds himself befriending a man named Henry, who he learns is actually a vampire.  Henry teaches Abe everything he knows about vampires, including how to hunt and kill them.  I don't think that Abe ever actually understood why Henry would take the time to teach him how to kill one of his own, but he follows Henry's lead in an attempt to seek vengeance on his mother's death. 

This book follows Lincoln's political career including when he was elected as a state legislator to the President of the United States.  Along his journey tales of vampire hunting are weaved within the storyline.  We are shown a close look at how slavery apalled Lincoln and within the novel he even blames the circumstance of slavery on the vampires.  Certain events that had taken place during the civil war were also attributed to the vampires within the pages of this book.

I did appreciate many of the facts that were included in this novel, but I must admit that I really was expecting more humor.  It was not humorous in any way and many parts were very graphic and grotesque.  Although this wasn't my favorite audiobook I did appreciate the historical elements the book had to offer.  This audiobook was narrated by Scott Holst.

My Rating: 3/5

Disclosure:  This was my own audiobook that I listened to for my own entertainment.

You can check out more great book reviews over at Cym Lowell's Book Review Party Wednesday.

Blog Tour and Review: Labor Day by Joyce Maynard

I must admit that I've had my eyes on this book since it first came out, and thanks to Trish from TLC Book Tours I've finally had the opportunity to read it!  Thanks so much Trish because I absolutely loved this book!

Here is a summary of Labor Day from the Harper Collins website:

With the end of summer closing in and a steamy Labor Day weekend looming in the town of Holton Mills, New Hampshire, lonely, friendless thirteen-year-old Henry spends most of his time watching television, reading, and daydreaming with only his emotionally fragile, long-divorced mother for company. But everything changes on the Thursday before the holiday weekend when a mysterious bleeding man named Frank asks Henry for a hand. Over the next five days, Henry will learn some of life's most valuable lessons, about the breathless pain of jealousy, the power of betrayal, and the importance of putting those we care about above ourselves—and that real love is worth waiting for. 

From acclaimed author Joyce Maynard comes a beautiful, poignant tale of love, sex, adolescence, and devastating treachery as seen through the eyes of a young teenager—and the man he later becomes. 

My Review:
I've always loved Labor Day weekend-being the weekend that we say goodbye to summer, so I think that was part of the attraction for me with this book.  This story takes us into the lives of a young boy and his divorced mom as it covers the events that take place over a Labor Day weekend many years ago.  Henry is an adult now and he is basically retelling how the series of events that took place that weekend many years ago changed and reshaped his life.

As a young boy Henry watched his mother change from a vibrant and loving woman to someone that was basically afraid to interact with people or leave her home.  When his father left and remarried, started a new family, things only became worse at home for Henry and his mother.  Here is an excerpt from page 31 that described what Henry was thinking about how his mother may have felt:
I could feel her loneliness and longing, before I had a name for it.  It had probably never been about my father really.  Looking at him now, it was hard to imagine he could ever have been worthy of her.  What she had loved was loving.

The Thursday before Labor Day everything changed for Henry and his mother when they walked into the hardware store.  They bumped into Frank, who appeared to be wounded and trying to hide.  Before you know it they are driving home with Frank in the car, offering to give him somewhere to rest for the weekend.  This is the part of the novel that I know many people did have a problem with, indicating that no-one would willingly invite a stranger into their home.  I do agree with this in most cases, but it is important to realize that at this point Adele, Henry's mother, was obviously mentally unstable and was not able to make rational decisions.

The atmosphere within Henry's home changes throughout the weekend as he sees a sense of normalcy slowly creeping back into their daily routines.  Rather than opening their usual can of Campbell's soup for dinner, Frank cooks them a meal of the best chili they have ever had.  Frank even teaches Henry the proper way to make a pie crust so they can make a homemade peach pie.  Henry gets a glimpse over this weekend of some regular family interaction and realizes how much he craves this lifestyle.  Here is an excerpt from page 106 that explains how Henry is excited to be able just have fun as a kid:
And the thought occurs to me that here is one of the best parts about his showing up.  I am not responsible for making her happy anymore.  That job can be his now.  This leaves me free for other things.  My own life, for instance.

I thought the writing in this book was wonderful and I just found myself loving the story.  As I was nearing the end I found myself flipping the pages to find out how many pages I had left because I didn't want it to end!  There are some parts of this book that some of you may not enjoy, as Henry is a thirteen year old boy during this time and there are physical changes happening to him that he is trying to learn to accept.  This didn't take away from my enjoyment of the novel as I found the writing beautiful.  I think this would make a great book club selection with themes of coming of age, acceptance, love, and secrets.

Since Labor Day is next month, I suggest that you pick up this book to read over that weekend-I might just read it again over that weekend because I enjoyed it so much.  Joyce Maynard will be joining Book Club Girl on Blog Talk Radio on August 30th at 7pm ET, and you can listen here.

My Rating:  5/5

Disclosure:  This book was provided to me by Harper Collins to participate in the TLC Book tour.

Blog Tour and Review: 31 Bond Street by Ellen Horan

Thanks so much to Lisa from TLC Book Tours for inviting me to be a part of this tour.  Here is a summary of 31 Bond Street from the Harper Collins website:

Who killed Dr. Harvey Burdell?

Though there are no witnesses and no clues, fingers point to Emma Cunningham, the refined, pale-skinned widow who managed Burdell’s house and his servants. Rumored to be a black-hearted gold digger with designs on the doctor’s name and fortune, Emma is immediately put under house arrest during a murder investigation. A swift conviction is sure to catapult flamboyant district attorney Abraham Oakey Hall into the mayor’s seat. But one formidable obstacle stands in his way: the defense attorney Henry Clinton. Committed to justice and the law, Clinton will aid the vulnerable widow in her desperate fight to save herself from the gallows.

Set in 1857 New York, this gripping mystery is also a richly detailed excavation of a lost age. Horan vividly re-creates a tumultuous era characterized by a sensationalist press, aggressive new wealth, a booming real-estate market, corruption, racial conflict, economic inequality between men and women, and the erosion of the old codes of behavior. A tale of murder, sex, greed, and politics, this spellbinding narrative transports readers to a time that eerily echoes our own.

My Review:
31 Bond Street is an intriguing mystery that opens after a murder has taken place.  Harvey Burdell is a New York dentist that is found by his young servant boy John, after he is brutally murdered.  We are given the events from the last year throughout this novel that give us clues as to how Harvey could have met his demise.

When the police and coroner arrive at the scene of the crime we are introduced to Emma Cunningham.  At first glance Emma appears to be the woman in charge of the Burdell household, making sure that daily operations run smoothly.  But after further investigation it appears that there may have been an intimate relationship between Burdell and Cunningham, possibly even a marriage?  Although I really did not like the character of Emma, by the end of the book I found her to be a strong woman that needed to do what was necessary to protect the interests of herself and her daughters.

I found the legal process and the investigation from this period of time to be the most interesting part of the book for me.  When the coroner arrived at the Burdell residence he basically took control of the crime scene and held Emma Cunningham prisoner in the home for weeks as he conducted his investigation.  Emma somehow was able to get a message out to a lawyer, and that is how we are introduced to Henry Clinton, who happens to be a lawyer working for a high-profile law firm in New York.  Henry finds himself putting everything on the line in order to represent Emma, in hopes that it will pay off for him in the future.

Besides being a dentist, we learn that Burdell had many other financial transactions in the works.  He purchased and sold land that wasn't necessarily on the up and up, which put him in the midst of transactions that turned out to be managed by politicians that are trying to put a hault to the progress being made by the underground railroads.  As the coroner is focusing on Emma Cunningham as a suspect, it seems that Burdell's illegal transactions may be overlooked.

This was an interesting story that was full of history about the law, politics, and the underground railroad.  It was also a good mystery as bits and pieces are revealed in a way that kept me from putting this book down.  I felt that I really didn't get a chance to know the characters well, so that was really the only downfall for me with this book, as I really enjoyed the writing.  So if you are looking for a good mystery with a glimpse of what the legal system was like during this time period I think you would really enjoy this book.  If you are intersted in finding out more about Ellen Horan or 31 Bond Street I suggest that you go to the 31 Bond Street website.  And while you are there you can check out the Cast the Movie contest that Ellen Horan is running until August 31st.

My Rating:  3/5

Disclosure:  This book was provided to me by Harper Collins in exchange for an honest review to participate in the TLC Blog tour.

Review: Where Grace Abides by BJ Hoff

Here is a summary of Where Grace Abides from the Harvest House Publisher's website:

Readers loved Rachel’s Secret, the first book in BJ Hoff’s wildly popular new series, The Riverhaven Years, and are eagerly awaiting the continuing story of young Amish widow, Rachel Brenneman, and Irish–American riverboat captain, Jeremiah Gant.

In Where Grace Abides, the compelling second book in the series, Hoff offers her readers an even closer look at the Amish community of Riverhaven and the people who live and love and work there. Secrets, treachery, and persecution are only a few of the challenges that test Rachel’s faith and her love for the forbidden “outsider,” while Gant’s own hopes and dreams are dealt a life–changing blow, rendering the vow he made to Rachel seemingly impossible to honor.

Many of the other characters first introduced in Rachel’s Secret now find their gentle, unassuming lives of faith jeopardized by a malicious outside influence. At the same time, those striving to help runaway slaves escape to freedom through the Underground Railroad face deception and the danger of discovery.

All the elements readers have come to expect from author BJ Hoff (romance, drama, great characters) join together in Where Grace Abides to fill the pages with a tender, endearing love story and a bold, inspiring journey of faith.

My Review:

This was the first book that I have read by Hoff and I was really looking forward to a glimpse into the Amish faith and lifestyle.  Even though I did not read the first book in the series, I felt like the author did a good job of filling you in as to what developed in the first installment. 

As the book opens we learn that Rachel has fallen in love with Jeremiah, who is not Amish himself so he is considered an outsider.  They have such a strong love for one another that Jeremiah and Rachel are both crushed when the Amish bishop will not allow him to convert to their religion so the two of them can be married and spend the rest of their lives together.  

What seems to sting Jeremiah is the fact that his good friend David has been given permission by the bishop to convert, which then allows him to marry Rachel's mother.  He struggles with thoughts that he should have acted differently for a more positive outcome.  Because of his close friendship with David, he finds himself in the company of Rachel quite often.  He knows from the look in her eyes that she is just as hurt by the bishop's decision.

There is a violent and shocking act that takes place within the novel that seems to be an act of vengeance against those that help to support the Underground Railroad.  I have always found stories of the Underground Railroad fascinating so I would have liked it if this part of the storyline was developed more.  

I always enjoy learning about other cultures so I did enjoy learning a little bit about the customs and traditions of the Amish people, but I really feel the author could have went a little more in-depth in this area.  The pining over the forbidden love between Rachel and Jeremiah was a bit too over the top for me.  I think the characters and the storyline could have been developed in a way that gave us a more vivid picture of the time period and the Amish lifestyle.

My Rating: 2/5

Disclosure:  This book was won from Book Movement and was read as a book club selection.

Audiobook Review: The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova

Here is a summary of The Swan Thieves from the Hachette website: 

Psychiatrist Andrew Marlow, devoted to his profession and the painting hobby he loves, has a solitary but ordered life. When renowned painter Robert Oliver attacks a canvas in the National Gallery of Art and becomes his patient, Marlow finds that order destroyed. Desperate to understand the secret that torments the genius, he embarks on a journey that leads him into the lives of the women closest to Oliver and a tragedy at the heart of French Impressionism. 

Kostova's masterful new novel travels from American cities to the coast of Normandy, from the late 19th century to the late 20th, from young love to last love. THE SWAN THIEVES is a story of obsession, history's losses, and the power of art to preserve human hope.

My Review:
This was quite the audiobook that had various narrators including Anne Heche, Treat Williams, and many more.   I admit that I do not have a big appreciation of art but was intrigued by this story because of the historical elements.  This book actually shares several tragic love stories with us, one from the past, a couple from the current day, and the most mysterious is the love that connects these two time periods.  Various chapters are narrated by different characters giving you a glimpse into each of the different lives and feelings.  I think that this method worked very well for this book and having different speakers narrating especially helped me follow the story easily.

Robert Oliver is thrust into Dr. Andrew Marlow's life when he is admitted into the mental health facility after attacking a painting in an art gallery.  Marlow cannot understand how such a gifted artist could attack someone elses artwork.  Since Robert will not speak with Marlow about the incident he decides to go on a quest to find out all that he can about the famous artist.  Not only is he introduced to the women that have loved Robert Oliver, but Dr. Marlow also is reminded of his own love of art that has been pushed to the back burner because of his career.

First Dr. Marlow is introduced to Oliver's wife Kate, who is also the mother of their two children.  Kate proceeds to tell Marlow the entire story of their lives together, from when she first laid eyes on Robert until she could not put up with him any longer.  As Robert barely holds on to teaching jobs at colleges, Kate holds the family together in her own way that becomes both physically and mentally draining.  When she realizes that his devotion lies elsewhere besides his family she decides to throw in the towel and send Robert on his way.  So as Robert leaves the arms of his devoted wife he finds himself in the embrace of one of his students from years ago.

There were many questions as to the woman that Robert was having an affair with, but once Dr. Marlow realizes that she does exist he finds her in an attempt to gain more knowledge about his patient.  Mary had also fallen in love with Robert, but like his wife, finds that she just cannot seem to keep his affections for long.  I found it very interesting how Marlow finds himself smitten with the women in Robert's life.  Both of these women helped him discover a more emotional side to himself.

I did enjoy how the mystery of Robert's incident unfolds, by hearing the story from different characters throughout the novel.  I find it interesting how this was a quest to uncover what exactly happened to the artist, but we never heard about the events from his personal perspective.  This was my main problem with the book as I feel it would have wrapped up much better by even having the final chapter narrated by Robert.  I don't always like neat and tidy endings, but I think because this was such a long book it would have helped my appreciation of the story.  If you enjoy books that have themes of art history and unattainable love this book may be for you.

My Rating:  3/5

Disclosure:  This audiobook is from my personal collection and I read it for my own enjoyment.

You can check out more great book reviews at Cym Lowell's Book Review Party Wednesday!

Blog Tour and Review: The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais

Here is a summary of The Hundred-Foot Journey from Richard Morais' website:

A middle-aged chef, Hassan Haji, recounts his life’s journey, from his family’s modest restaurant in Mumbai to his elegant restaurant in Paris where he has conquered the insular world of French haute cuisine. A tragedy at home in Mumbai pushes Hassan’s boisterous family into a picaresque journey across Europe, where they ultimately settle opposite a famous chef, Madam Mallory, in the remote French village of Lumière. After a series of hilarious cultural mishaps, the grand French chef discovers, much to her horror, that the young boy cooking in the cheap Indian restaurant across the way is a chef with natural talents far superior to her own. A culinary war ensues, full of plot twists, pitting Hassan’s Mumbai-toughened father against the imperious Madam Mallory, a battle royale that finally reveals to young Hassan his true destiny in life.



Full of eccentric characters, vivid settings, and delicious meals, Hassan’s charming tale lays bare the inner workings of the elite world of French haute cuisine. In the process, however, Hassan also discovers a truism that bedevils any man who has gone out into the world to make his mark: the true costs of rising to the top are only revealed later in life.

My Review:
This was such a fun story that brought you to many destinations including, India, London, and Paris.  We followed the life of a young Indian man named Hassan and watched him develop as a chef from cooking spicy indian food to authentic french cuisine.

I was captivated by the journey that young Hassan had to take in order to find his true calling in life.  Even as a young boy living not far from the slums in India, he found himself drawn to the markets where he could sample the various foods that were available.  When Hassan's mother is tragically killed he finds himself travelling with his family in search of a place that they could call home.

First they settle in London to stay with Hassan's mother's family.  This seemed the most confusing time for Hassan and the only thing that he seemed to be sure of was the food that he loved.  He lived a carefree and wreckless life in London, which eventually spurred their sudden departure and set them looking for a home once again.

After travelling for what seems like an eternity without a specific destination in sight, the stumble upon a french village called Lumiere that appears to have good possibilities for their homestead.  Before you know it they have purchased a huge home and start operating an Indian restauraunt on the main floor.  Many of the village citizens welcome the new family and restaurant into their community, except for Madame Mallory, who runs a famous french restaurant right across the street.  She becomes furious as she sees her regular patrons dining across the street to try something different.

Although Hassan is just a young man, his father decides to teach him what is needed for him to become the head chef in their indian restaurant.  He catches on quite quickly and enjoys cooking the meals from his home country, but for some reason he finds himself drawn to the cooking that is taking place across the street.  When Madame Mallory realizes that Hassan has a natural talent in the kitchen she takes it upon herself to teach him everything that she knows about french cooking.  After years of learning and cooking under the world famous Mallory, and some other help from her along the way, Hassan develops into a notable french chef himself. 

I enjoyed this story with the descriptions of the various foods, the different countries and cultures.  With themes of food, loss, anger, forgiveness, fulfilling one's destiny, starting over and moving on, this book really had a lot to offer.  I love cultural fiction and this one did not let me down!

My Rating:  4/5

If you are interested in reading more reviews of this book or even trying to win a copy for yourself, here is the complete list of tour stops:
7/5 & 7/6: http://www.devourerofbooks.com/
Review, guest post, and giveaway

7/6: http://www.myfriendamysblog.com/
Review and giveaway

7/7: http://www.zenleaf.blogspot.com/
Review

7/8: http://www.jo-jolovestoread.blogspot.com/
Review and giveaway

7/9: http://www.peekingbetweenthepages.blogspot.com/
Review and giveaway

7/10: http://www.bookloons.com/
Review and giveaway

7/10 & 7/11: http://www.litchick.typepad.com/
Review, guest post, and giveaway

7/11-13: http://www.chaoticcompendiums.com/

Disclosure:  This book was provided to me by InkWell Management in exchange for an honest review.