Friday, April 19, 2013

Review: The Best of Us by Sarah Pekkanen

The Best of Us by Sarah Pekkanen

Publisher: Washington Square Press
Pages: 352
Format: eARC 
Buy the Book: Amazon  

Goodreads:  Following a once-in-a-lifetime invitation, a group of old college friends leap at the chance to bring their husbands for a week’s vacation at a private villa in Jamaica to celebrate a former classmates' thirty-fifth birthday.

All four women are desperate for a break and this seems like a perfect opportunity. Tina is drowning under the demands of mothering four young children. Allie needs to escape from the shattering news about an illness that runs in her family. Savannah is carrying the secret of her husband’s infidelity. And, finally, there’s Pauline, who spares no expense to throw her husband an unforgettable birthday celebration, hoping it will gloss over the cracks that have already formed in their new marriage.

The week begins idyllically, filled with languorous days and late nights of drinking and laughter. But as a hurricane approaches the island, turmoil builds, forcing each woman to re-evaluate everything she’s known about the others—and herself.


Kritters Thoughts:  A group of friends from college are invited on all expense paid trip to Jamaica to celebrate a birthday, although some of the friends haven’t stayed in touch, so the trip is a little out of the blue.  Each of them are escaping issues at home to the paradise of Jamaica, except sometimes your problems can come with you on vacation.

Another book that needed a cheat sheet to make sure I had each couple put together correctly and the main issue that they were dealing with, but once the cheat sheet was made, I was good to go!  The couple I loved the most was Allie and Ryan, her fear that all her life things have come easy and at some point the chips have to fall really hit me.  My life hasn't been an uphill battle, some things have come my easily and some I have fought for, but in the end I usually end up right where I want to be and there is a fear that I could wake up and it all could be gone.  I am so glad she included this character and the struggle with waiting for a catastrophe   

Another Sarah Pekkanen book that had me up late at night reading and wanting a sequel to continue the stories of each of the characters.  Pekkanen's characters are full, deep and utterly human which I absolutely adore because sometimes I just want to read about people in a true situation.   

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2013 Challenge: 21 out of 50

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Edelweiss.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.


Thursday, April 18, 2013

Review: Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

Publisher: William Morrow 
Pages: 288 
Format: eARC 
Buy the Book: Amazon 

Goodreads:  Nearly eighteen, Molly Ayer knows she has one last chance. Just months from "aging out" of the child welfare system, and close to being kicked out of her foster home, a community service position helping an elderly woman clean out her home is the only thing keeping her out of juvie and worse.

Vivian Daly has lived a quiet life on the coast of Maine. But in her attic, hidden in trunks, are vestiges of a turbulent past. As she helps Vivian sort through her possessions and memories, Molly discovers that she and Vivian aren't as different as they seem to be. A young Irish immigrant orphaned in New York City, Vivian was put on a train to the Midwest with hundreds of other children whose destinies would be determined by luck and chance.

The closer Molly grows to Vivian, the more she discovers parallels to her own life. A Penobscot Indian, she, too, is an outsider being raised by strangers, and she, too, has unanswered questions about the past. As her emotional barriers begin to crumble, Molly discovers that she has the power to help Vivian find answers to mysteries that have haunted her for her entire life - answers that will ultimately free them both.



Kritters Thoughts:  Two stories parallel in this amazing book that focuses on foster care and the ways it has and has not changed in our country.  A young girl who is close to aging out of the system has yet to find a place to call home and just wants to feel at peace in one place.  The other story centers around an elderly woman who had to leave New York on an orphan train headed west in hopes of finding a family that would take her in and care for her.  They both were abused by families and the system and it was sad to see that we haven't figured out how to fix the situation; if there is a solution.

I absolutely adored how the author used the past and the present to show the foster care world and how no matter the time in history, a child without a home still feels the same feelings.  The way the author brought Molly into Vivian's home and then unfolded both of their stories was just magical.  I was worried that I would confuse their experiences, but not for a moment, these two people were so distinct but still had so many similarities.  

A piece of historical fiction, but easily wrapped in a current story, so I would recommend this book to readers who may not always enjoy the historical fiction genre, but are in need of a great book to read.

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2013 Challenge: 18 out of 50

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from TLC Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.


The tour schedule

Tuesday, April 2nd: Broken Teepee
Wednesday, April 3rd: A Bookish Affair
Thursday, April 4th: Bloggin’ ‘Bout Books
Monday, April 8th: Cerebral Girl in a Redneck World
Wednesday, April 10th: Peppermint PhD
Thursday, April 11th: Melody & Words
Monday, April 15th: Excellent Library
Tuesday, April 16th: The House of the Seven Tails
Wednesday, April 17th: missris
Thursday, April 18th: Kritters Ramblings
Monday, April 22nd: Tiffany’s Bookshelf
Tuesday, April 23rd: Book Chatter

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Review: Children of the Underground by Trevor Shane

Children of the Underground 
by Trevor Shane 

Publisher: NAL Trade
Pages: 379 
Format: book 
Buy the Book: Amazon  

Goodreads:  Even if you have choices, sometimes you only have one worth making. 

The war had been raging for as long as anyone could remember. The secret, endless war between two opposing sides—one good, one evil. Neither side knows which is which; it is kill or be killed in an invisible conflict where assassination is the weapon of choice.

When she was just seventeen, Maria was pulled into this secret war and they killed her lover and stole her child. Now they are telling her to go home. To ignore what she knows is going on in the shadows all around her. They told Maria to forget all she’d lost. The trouble is, some things simply can’t be forgotten.

Now, with a loose-cannon killer at her side, Maria is going to do whatever it takes to get back what belongs to her. And that means starting a war of her own…



Kritters Thoughts:  What a sequel!  Maria is now alone without her husband and her child has been taken away from her and taken to the other side.  She must find someone and depend on them to help her get back her child and find safety for the both of them.  

I read the first book in the Children of Paranoia awhile ago and loved it, so I was definitely excited and anxious to read the second one.  It picked up the story where the first one left off and the author recapped the first book with ease, so even though it had been awhile, I didn't feel like I was missing anything or at the same moment things were repeated again and again.

The one thing that I am hoping will be revealed in the next installment is more details and definition about the War.  I still feel a little out of the loop about the sides, it could be for a reason, but I definitely feel like I know the characters involved, but not all of the details.

This sequel not only lived up to the first one, but made me excited for the next one!  


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel (or the third in this series!)


Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Penguin Publishing.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.


Monday, April 15, 2013

Review: There Was an Old Woman by Hallie Ephron

There Was an Old Woman by Hallie Ephron 

Publisher: William Morrow 
Pages: 304 
Format: eARC 
Buy the Book: Amazon  

Goodreads:  "Don't let him in until I'm gone." That's what Mina Yetner's neighbor whispers to her just before the EMTs take her to the hospital. Mina writes down the message-at nearly ninety, she has to write down most things lest she forget-and calls Sandra's daughter Ginger, telling her that once again her mother needs help.

Evie Ferrante is dismayed when she gets the call from her sister: this time it's Evie's turn to see what their mother's done to herself. But when Evie arrives home-where she hasn't been in months-she's shocked by the state of her mother's house: it's in terrible disrepair, much worse than Ginger led her to believe. And as Evie cleans and organizes, she finds things that don't make sense: expensive liquor in the garage, pricier than their mother's usual brand, a new flat-screen television on the wall. Where was her mother getting all this money?

The blessing and curse of small neighborhoods is knowing everything about your neighbors, and Evie, suspicious and concerned about her mother, rekindles a relationship with Mina. Mina's been having episodes she can't explain lately, herself, and her nephew Brian is trying to convince her to move to a community that will provide her with some help. Though Mina's resistant, Evie isn't certain that isn't a bad idea. But before any decision is made about Mina, Evie needs her help figuring out what's been going on with her mother-and the more Evie digs into what her mother's been up to over the past few months, the more a bigger-and more sinister-story begins to unfold.



Kritters Thoughts:  A slow start, but a great finish to this thriller.  A young woman who has spent her professional life preserving moments from the past for others to enjoy for years to come, when she is ripped out of her normal routine to her hometown to take care of her suddenly ailing mother.  Along with an elderly neighbor who is quite a feisty one they uncover a plot that is ripping through their neighborhood and the real question is who is behind the plot.

Although I thought there was a slow start to this book, once the pieces started fitting together the book sped quickly to the end.  With quite an intense last 50 pages, I wish that the first part would have been just as intense, but it was still worth reading to get to the conclusion.

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2013 Challenge: 23 out of 50

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Partner in Crime Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

On the tour:



April 13 Showcase @ HottBooks
April 15 Review by Kristin @ Kritters Ramblings
April 16 Review by Melina @ Melina's Book Blog
April 17 Review by Frishawn @ WTF Are You Reading?
April 18 Review by Sandie @ Booksie’s Blog
April 19 Showcase @ Omnimystery
April 20 Review by Tammy @ The Self Taught Cook
April 21 Review by Linda @ Bookvisions
April 23 Review by Kathleen @ Celticlady's Reviews
April 24 Showcase @ CMash Reads
April 25 Review by @ Views from the Countryside
April 26 Review by Mason @ Thoughts in Progress
April 30 Review by Amy @ The Crafty Book Nerd
April 30 Review by Fenny @ HotchpotchBlog



Sunday, April 14, 2013

It's Monday, What are you Reading?


I feel like a broken record, it ended up bring a crazier week at work than I could have predicted and the packing continued at home.  That is until this weekend when some kind of crazy cold took me down, but with a cold was quite a bit of couch time with books!

A meme hosted by Sheila at BookJourney. 

Finished this past week:
Bella Summer Takes a Chance by Michele Gorman
Follow Her Home by Steph Cha
The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope by Rhonda Riley
Crumble by Fleur Philips
He's Gone by Deb Caletti

Currently Reading:
All the Summer Girls by Meg Donohue
Next on the TBR pile:
The Roots of the Olive Tree by Courtney Miller Santo

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Author Interview: Amy Hatvany

Yesterday, I was able to review Amy Hatvany's latest book - Heart Like Mine and today I get to share with you some questions she answered for our interview.  Heart Like Mine is the third book of Amy Hatvany's that I have read and I can honestly say I have loved each of them, this is one author I am definitely keeping my eye on!

1.  What do you find yourself rambling about?

Right now, I am rambling about my favorite new restaurant.  There is a place near my house that serves everything tapas-style (appetizer portions of really amazing, tasty food) and I seriously eat there a few times a week because it is so incredible.  Practically every conversation I have with someone is filled with me telling them how they have to go try it out!

2.  What books are on your nightstand right now?  What genres do you tend to read?

There are too many to list!  I just finished an advance copy of Taylor Jenkins Reid's upcoming debut novel, Forever, Interrupted, and it was wonderful.  Highly recommend!  I tend to read mainstream and literary fiction - I like real stories about the everyday struggles people face.

3.  If you could put your book into one person's hands, who would that be?

My bonus daughter, Anna, who inspired much of Ava's point of view in the book.  I love being her step-mom, but I would love her stamp of approval on how I portrayed the challenges of being part of a blended family.

4.  What is your favorite part of the writing process?

I love those rare moments when I'm typing away and my fingers can barely keep up with the thoughts in my head.  When I know exactly what's coming next, and this overwhelming rush of excitement pushes through me because I know what I'm getting down on the page is right and true to the story.  It's sort of difficult to explain, but it's the closest I've ever come to a runner's high.  It's my writer's high.  :)

5.  What is next on your plate?

Next is taking the synopsis I've written and turning it into a book!

Thank you so much to Amy Hatvany for answering my questions!

Friday, April 12, 2013

Review: Heart Like Mine by Amy Hatvany

Heart Like Mine by Amy Hatvany

Publisher: Washington Square Press 
Pages: 384 
Format: book 
Buy the Book: Amazon  

Goodreads:  Thirty-six-year-old Grace McAllister never longed for children. But when she meets Victor Hansen, a handsome, charismatic divorced restaurateur who is father to Max and Ava, Grace decides that, for the right man, she could learn to be an excellent part-time stepmom. After all, the kids live with their mother, Kelli. How hard could it be?

At thirteen, Ava Hansen is mature beyond her years. Since her parents’ divorce, she has been the one taking care of her emotionally unstable mother and her little brother—she pays the bills, does the laundry, and never complains because she loves her mama more than anyone. And while her father’s new girlfriend is nice enough, Ava still holds out hope that her parents will get back together and that they’ll be a family again.

But only days after Victor and Grace get engaged, Kelli dies suddenly under mysterious circumstances—and soon, Grace and Ava discover there was much more to Kelli’s life than either ever knew.



Kritters Thoughts:  Are you a woman who thought that children just weren't in your picture?  I am one of those women, so when I read the synopsis of this Amy Hatvany book, I was immediately drawn to Grace's story and could not wait to start this one.  Grace is a woman who falls in love with a man who has two children with his ex wife and as this won't spoil the book, the ex wife tragically dies and the children must move in full time to their dad's and Grace's new home.  

There are three voices that narrate this story - Grace, the ex-wife Kelli and the daughter Ava.  Each have their own distinct voice and part of the story to share, but I think it was genius to include Ava's voice and perspective.  Through Ava the reader is exposed to the moments before Kelli dies from a different view and then with her struggle to memorialize her mom, but her difficulty as she starts to like the new woman in her dad's life.

Grace quickly becomes my favorite character as I see myself in her in a lot of ways.  I put my career first above any maternal instincts.  I don't think I would be a great mom and purely due to my selfishness, and I am finally ok with admitting it because it isn't a flaw it is the truth.  I loved her struggle with loving this man, but finding herself in a different place than she ever imagined, it made me think.

Amy Hatvany is officially one of my favorite authors and I will read everything she writes! Each book has been unique, with the theme of women at the heart of the story tackling issues that everyday women do on a daily basis.

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Atria Books.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.


Thursday, April 11, 2013

Review: The Clover House by Henriette Lazaridis Power

The Clover House
by Henriette Lazaridis Power

Publisher: Ballantine Books 
Pages: 432 
Format: eARC 
Buy the Book: Amazon 

Goodreads:  A phone call from her cousin sends Calliope Notaris Brown from Boston to the Greek city of Patras to sort through an inheritance from her uncle. She arrives during the wild abandon of Carnival, when the world is turned upside down and things are not as they seem. Digging through the keepsakes her uncle has left, Callie stumbles upon clues to the wartime disappearance of the family's fortune and to the mystery of her estranged mother's chronic unhappiness. As she pieces together family secrets that stretch back to the Italian occupation of Greece during World War II, Callie's relationship with her fiancé, her mother, and her mother's two sisters will change irrevocably.


Kritters Thoughts:  Callie has recently lost her uncle with whom she was very close to and he has left her everything he has back in his home in Greece where her estranged mother and aunts and cousins live.  She must return to Greece during Carnival to sort through his things where she finds the stories that she grew up listening to from her mother, but for some reason what she finds doesn't mirror the details in the stories that she heard during her childhood.

I absolutely loved the set up for the book and then once Callie gets into Nestor's home, we have chapters told from her mother's perspective, so the reader gets the real and honest story from the past.  The story both present and past unfolded seamlessly as you found clues and then heard the real story.  Although it read slow, I definitely enjoyed learning about the history of Greece, something I am not familiar with at all.  

Definitely a big read, but I think it is so captivating since it was out of my comfort zone that I enjoyed the slow pace of it.  You want this book to last long with the descriptions of Carnival and towns in Greece; in contrast with a war in the past that is being dragged into the present.

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2013 Challenge: 15 out of 50

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from TLC Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Tour Schedule:

Monday, April 1st:  Speaking of Books
Tuesday, April 2nd:  Historical Tapestry – guest post “Why I Love…”
Wednesday, April 3rd:  Patricia’s Wisdom
Thursday, April 4th:  No More Grumpy Bookseller
Monday, April 8th:  West Metro Mommy
Tuesday, April 9th:  Knowing the Difference
Thursday, April 11th:  Kritter’s Ramblings
Monday, April 15th:  Diary of an Eccentric
Tuesday, April 16th:  Adventures of an Intrepid Reader
Tuesday, April 16th:  Historical Tapestry
Wednesday, April 17th:  Booktalk & More
Thursday, April 18th:  The Relentless Reader
Monday, April 22nd:  It’s a Crazy, Beautiful Life
Wednesday, April 24th:  Peppermint Ph.D.
Thursday, April 25th:  Tiffany’s Bookshelf
Tuesday, April 30th:  Bookfoolery
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