It's Monday, What are you Reading?

Four novellas, a short one, two new adults and 3 full novels made for quite a full week!  It also helped having a snow day!

A meme hosted by Sheila at BookJourney. 

Finished this past week:

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi
Four Friends by Robyn Carr
Left by Tamar Ossowski
Fracture Me by Tahereh Mafi
Forgiving Lies by Molly McAdams
Deceiving Lies by Molly McAdams
Mind Games by Kiersten White
Anna and Fia by Kiersten White
Take a Chance on Me by Susan May Warren
It Had to Be You by Susan May Warren

Currently Reading:

The Memory Child by Steena Holmes

Next on the TBR pile:

Perfect Lies by Kiersten White

Happy Valentine's Day

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A Happy Valentine's Day to you!  I know some scoff at a day devoted to love and things, but no matter where you are in life it is a good idea to remember the love - whatever it looks like!

I recently read a great book that is perfect for a wintry Valentine's Day - Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins.  What a sweet YA and perfect even if you aren't a typical YA reader, like me!  I am planning on reading Lola and the Boy Next Door soon and will be purchasing Isla right when it comes out!  

I had the opportunity to go to a signing with my mom where she was on a panel at a library in sweet downtown Bethesda, MD and we had a LOVELY time!

Review: This Dark Road to Mercy

This Dark Road to Mercy

by Wiley Cash

Publisher: William Morrow

Pages: 240

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  When their mother dies unexpectedly, twelve-year-old Easter and her six-year-old sister Ruby are shuffled into the foster care system in Gastonia, North Carolina, a town not far from the Appalachian mountains. But just as they settle into their new life, their errant father, Wade, an ex-minor league baseball player whom they haven't seen in years, suddenly appears and wants to spend more time with them. Unfortunately, Wade has signed away legal rights to his daughters, and the only way he can get Easter and Ruby back is to steal them away in the middle of the night.

Brady Weller, the girls' court-appointed guardian, begins looking for Wade, and he quickly turns up unsettling information linking Wade to a recent armored car heist, one with a whopping $14.5 million missing. But Brady Weller isn't the only one hunting the desperate father. Robert Pruitt, a shady and mercurial man nursing a years-old vendetta, is also determined to find Wade and claim his due.


Kritters Thoughts:  My second book by Wiley Cash and this one was even better than the previous!  An expert in Southern fiction, Cash set this book near where I lived for four years in Gastonia, NC with perfectly crafted southern characters that felt true.  

Told through three points of view - one of the daughters - Easter, their court appointed guardian and ex cop - Brady, and the man hunting their father down for a reason - Pruitt.  The author did a fantastic job of moving the story forward through all three views and allowing each to have a completely distinct voice that added depth to the story.  the mystery of how each of these characters were connected and the backgrounds they each brought to the table was so interesting and kept me reading.  

A little dark, but the innocence of the girls brought the right amount of light into the book.  I am officially a Wiley Cash fan and would recommend both books, but loved this one more!  


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

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.

Review: Women From the Ankle Down by Rachelle Bergstein

Women From the Ankle Down

by Rachelle Bergstein

Publisher: Harper

Pages: 304

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  The tale begins in the rural village of Bonito, Italy, with a visionary young shoemaker named Salvatore Ferragamo and ends in New York City with a fictional socialite and trendsetter named Carrie Bradshaw. Along the way it stops in Hollywood, where Judy Garland first slipped on her ruby slippers; New Jersey, where Nancy Sinatra heard something special in a song about boots; and the streets of Manhattan, where a transit-worker strike propelled women to step into cutting-edge athletic shoes. Fashion aficionado Rachelle Bergstein shares the stories behind these historical moments, interweaving the design innovations and social changes that gave each one its lasting significance and appeal.

Bergstein shows how the story of shoes is the story of women, told from the ankle down. Beginning with the well-heeled suffragettes in the 1910s, women have fought for greater freedom and mobility, a struggle that exploded in the 1960s with the women's liberation movement and culminated in the new millennium with our devotion to personal choice. Featuring interviews with designers, historians, and cultural experts, and a cast of real-life characters, from Marilyn Monroe to Jane Fonda, from Gwen Stefani to Manolo Blahnik, Women from the Ankle Down is a lively, compelling look at the evolution of modern women and the fashion that reflects—and has shaped—their changing lives.

Kritters Thoughts:  A look through history and how events in history effect fashion and specifically footwear.  Starting at the beginning of how footwear really started becoming a way for women and men to show their personalities in the United States to how each war affected the fabrics that were used and even how to get shoes into the US from outside manufacturers.

The most interesting thing for me was the correlation between historical events, fashion and their affect on footwear.  Distinctly the flapper era where the hemlines went up and women would want showy shoes since you saw them compared to previous decades where shoes were hidden and were more for function.  The last few chapters spoke quite in depth about the music industry and how it has put a stamp on footwear and I enjoyed having those two things in one conversation.

There were a few moments in the book that I thought were more centered around fashion which includes footwear, but I thought footwear could have been highlighted more.  And there were also a few times where history was given without much connection to fashion or footwear.  These two points didn't ruin the book, but I would have skipped these time periods if there weren't any points to be made.

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


Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Harper.  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.

Review: The Contractors by Harry Hunsicker

The Contractors

by Harry Hunsicker

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Pages: 505

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Private military contractors. They?re not just for foreign wars anymore. Jon Cantrell, a disgraced ex-cop, works for one such company. He's a DEA agent paid on a commission basis, patrolling one of the busiest drug-hubs in the country: Dallas, Texas. When Cantrell confiscates the wrong shipment of drugs, he finds himself in possession of a star witness in a cartel trial that could destroy the largest criminal organization in the hemisphere. To turn a profit, all he has to do is deliver the witness to the US Attorney in a tiny town called Marfa on the other side of the state. An easy trip, except a group of competing DEA contractors and a corrupt Dallas cop want everybody involved dead. This heart-stopping thriller takes listeners deep into a strange underworld where the lines between government officials and mercenaries blur. In this complex network of drug traffickers, cartels, politicians, and police, no one's hands are clean.


Kritters Thoughts:  The main character is Jon Cantrell and he is a former Dallas police officer who came from a family of police officers, but he had a run in with some higher ups and has been out of a police uniform for awhile.  Instead he has been a contractor working job to job for the DEA in many different aspects, but this is definitely not anything consistent.  But is something consistent what he wants?

Most of the story is told from Jon Cantrell's perspectives, but there are a few chapters and moments that are told by others involved.  Thankfully the author did a great job of giving the reader enough information to know who was taking the lead on the story.  

The one thing that was really hard to get was who was on what team and if they were real DEA or contractors and if I trusted them at all - I just wanted a definite bad guy and good guy, but I have a feeling that was the heart of the story.  

I was definitely middle of the road on this book.  I think readers who enjoy a political thriller with some bloodshed and some mystery as to who is involved and to what extent, this one would be right up their alley.

Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more


Ebook 2014 Challenge: 4 out of 100

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.

It's Monday, What are you Reading?

With a quiet week at work, the husband working a lot this week and other than painting the kitchen - it was a good week/weekend of reading!  
A meme hosted by Sheila at BookJourney. 

Finished this past week:

Little Girl Lost by Brian McGilloway
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Vintage by Susan Gloss
Real Happy Family by Caeli Wolfson Widger
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi

Currently Reading:

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

Next on the TBR pile:

Fracture Me by Tahereh Mafi

Review: Queen of Hearts by Colleen Oakes

Queen of Hearts by Colleen Oakes

Publisher: SparkPress

Pages: 222

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  A Father’s Betrayal. A Kingdom with a Black Secret. A Princess Slowly Unraveling. 

As Princess of Wonderland Palace and the future Queen of Hearts, Dinah’s days are an endless monotony of tea, tarts, and a stream of vicious humiliations at the hands of her father, the King of Hearts. The only highlight of her days is visiting Wardley, her childhood best friend, the future Knave of Hearts — and the love of her life.

When an enchanting stranger arrives at the Palace, Dinah watches as everything she’s ever wanted threatens to crumble. As her coronation date approaches, a series of suspicious and bloody events suggests that something sinister stirs in the whimsical halls of Wonderland. It’s up to Dinah to unravel the mysteries that lurk both inside and under the Palace before she loses her own head to a clever and faceless foe.

Part epic fantasy, part twisted fairy tale, this dazzling saga will have readers shivering as Dinahs furious nature sweeps Wonderland up in the maelstrom of her wrath. 



Kritters Thoughts:  Dinah is a princess and has towed the line and is ready to help her father reign over their country.  Although she doesn't know much beyond the palace walls, she starts to learn about the things that are not so positive about her country.  She must decide what she would like her reign to look like and how to overcome the King her father has become.  

An adventure, a fairytale and a sweet story.  I loved seeing some characters that I have known since my childhood mixed with new and completely intertwined in a story - it was magical.  Dinah was a great character with a true story arch and a pretty great love interest!  I know that this is the first in a trilogy or series and I am excited to see where this story will go. 

Alice in Wonderland with a fantastic twist!  I don't normally read this genre, but I just may look out for them!

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel  (pretty sure there will be one!)

Ebook 2014 Challenge: 7 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Booksparks PR.  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.

Review: The Wedding Bees by Sarah-Kate Lynch

The Wedding Bees
by Sarah-Kate Lynch

Publisher: William Morrow

Pages: 352

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  When Sugar Wallace arrives in Manhattan with nothing but a beehive, a secret past and a taste for good manners, life starts to change for the dispirited occupants of 33 Flores Street.

But as love wings its way into their hearts and homes, it flies away from Sugar herself. That is, until a doorman without a door and a certain busy queen join forces in a sting to end all stings. It looks like love might be in the air once more ... but for how long?

Kritters Thoughts:  What a sweet and quirky book!  Sugar Wallace has moved year to year with her bees and has yet to set roots due to something that happened in her hometown of Charleston, it takes a bit into the book to find out what this thing is.  

I absolutely fell in love with Sugar and she kept me reading to find out what would happen next in her adventures.  I enjoyed her struggle with trying to keep a distance with people and learning to rely on others instead of completely on herself.  

I also loved how the author included little chapters from the perspective of the queen bee - it was a sweet addition as Sugar puts a lot of feelings into her bees and to read that they feel those feelings was sweet.

I thought this book was fantastic.  Although there is a little magic and out of reality in the part of the bees - it was perfect.

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

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.

Review: Etched on Me by Jenn Crowell

Etched on Me by Jenn Crowell 

Publisher: Washington Square Press

Pages: 336

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon Amazon 

Goodreads:  On the surface, sixteen-year-old Lesley Holloway is just another bright new student at Hawthorn Hill, a posh all-girls; prep school north of London. Little do her classmates know that she recently ran away from home, where her father had spent years sexually abusing her. Nor does anyone know that she's secretly cutting herself as a coping mechanism...until the day she goes too far and ends up in the hospital. 

Lesley spends the next two years in and out of psychiatric facilities, where she overcomes her traumatic memories and finds the support of a surrogate family. Eventually completing university and earning her degree, she is a social services success story;until she becomes unexpectedly pregnant in her early twenties. Despite the overwhelming odds she has overcome, the same team that saved her as an adolescent will now question whether Lesley is fit to be a mother. And so she embarks upon her biggest battle yet: the fight for her unborn daughter.

Kritters Thoughts:  A heart wrenching story that at times I had to remind myself that there was truth in it - a young woman with a checkered past has mostly overcome her demons only to be judged as she wants to raise her own unborn child.  She was able to find support in many different people and as she became pregnant they even more so rallied around her to help her be a single mom able to raise her own child.

Although the book spends quite a bit of time describing the horrible childhood and rough young adult years of this woman, when she becomes pregnant, there was not stopping to set it down!  There were so many moments that were hard to read and I felt as though I just wanted to cheer her on to find hope within herself, I was thankful that although she found ways to fight her demons, they were still there - it felt true.    

This book raised the debate about how to define someone as fit to be a parent and how do we judge if a person is healed enough to take care of their own children.  I hope that others will read this book and a dialogue begins to help define when someone is in the process of healing and able to take on the responsibilities of life.

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

Ebook 2014 Challenge: 6 out of 100

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.

Review: The Fixer by TE Woods

The Fixer by TE Woods

Publisher: CreateSpace

Pages: 280

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Never a doubt. Never a mistake. Always for justice. Never for revenge.She’s the person you hire when you need something fixed—permanently. With a strict set of criteria, she evaluates every request and chooses only a few. No more than one job per country, per year. She will only step in if it’s clear that justice will not be served any other way. Her jobs are completed with skill and precision, and never result in inquiry or police investigation. The Fixer is invisible—and quite deadly. . . .
 
In the office of a clinical psychologist in Olympia, Washington, a beautiful young woman is in terrible emotional pain. She puts up walls, tells lies, and seems to speak in riddles, but the doctor is determined to help her heal, despite the fact that she claims to have hurt many people. As their sessions escalate, the psychologist feels compelled to reach out to the police . . . but it might be too late.
 
In Seattle, a detective gets a call from his son. A dedicated journalist, he wants his father’s expertise as he looks into a suspicious death. Together they follow the trail of leads toward a stone-cold hired killer—only to find that death has been closer than either could have imagined.

Kritters Thoughts:  A female hitman who has nicknamed herself The Fixer and as you find out in the story she is out to redeem a horrible childhood that still scars her.  Unfortunately, her recent job has turned into a little more than her normal job and she is caught up in quite an affair!

The first five chapters were short and each had cliff hangers and I was nervous that thing wouldn't connect - thank goodness they did!  Although the short chapters continued through the book, I wished that the chapters had more flow to them to allow for an easier read.  

I couldn't believe who ended up being The Fixer - can't spoil, but it was quite the twist and I am not sure I liked it in the end.  The second half of the book redeemed it as it was interesting to watch the detective find the culprit as the readers already knew who dun it.

An interesting mystery/thriller that left me wishing it had a little more to it.

Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more


Ebook 2014 Challenge: 1 out of 100

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.

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Review: The Tenth Circle by Jon Land

The Tenth Circle by Jon Land

Publisher: Open Road Media

Pages: 536

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Blaine McCracken pulled off the impossible on a mission in Iran, but his work has just begun. Returning to the US, he faces another terrible threat in the form of Reverend Jeremiah Rule, whose hateful rhetoric has inflamed half the world, resulting in a series of devastating terrorist attacks. But Rule isn’t acting alone. A shadowy cabal is pulling his strings, unaware that they are creating a monster who will soon spin free of their control.

Finding himself a wanted man, McCracken must draw on skills and allies both old and new to get to the heart of a plot aimed at unleashing no less than the tenth circle of hell. A desperate chase takes him into the past, where the answers he needs are hidden amid two of history’s greatest puzzles: the lost colony of Roanoke and the Mary Celeste. As the clock ticks down to an unthinkable maelstrom, McCracken and his trusty sidekick, Johnny Wareagle, must save the United States from a war the country didn’t know it was fighting, and that it may well lose.

Kritters Thoughts:  A political thriller with a lot of locations, a lot of characters and a lot of short choppy chapters.  Blaine McCracken is the main character, but there was a large host of other characters that were vital to the story and without them all the pieces wouldn't connect, but it was awfully hard to keep them all straight and to remember what side of the equation they were on.  

With many characters all living in different locations, this book hopped country and states often.  From Iran to Washington, D.C., there were a lot of moving parts.  I wish that it had been easier to read.

As far as the chapters, I felt as though they were maybe edited a little choppy and if some had combined to keep the story moving forward, I could have been more hooked and flipping pages much quicker.

This was my first Jon Land book and my first Blaine McCracken book, so I am still debating about trying another.  

Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

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.

It's Monday, What are you Reading?

The first month of 2014 is behind us!  I am excited to start February, but nervous that I won't be able to keep up the reading with quite a few weekend plans lined up - we shall see!

A meme hosted by Sheila at BookJourney. 

Finished this past week:

Something New by Janis Thomas
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
The Accident by Chris Pavone
Fallen Beauty by Erika Robuck

Currently Reading:

Cinder by Marisa Meyer

Next on the TBR pile:

Little Girl Lost by Brian McGilloway

January - a new year

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January - a FANTASTIC start to 2014!  I don't know if I have ever read this many books in January, I am amazed!  I have no clue how it happened, but hopefully this is how my 2014 will be - a bunch of great books! 

1. The Best Man by Kristan Higgins
2. The Perfect Match by Kristan Higgins
3. The Fixer by TE Woods
4. The Taste of Apple Seeds by Katharine Hagena
5. The Tulip Eaters by Antoinette van Heugten
6. Disconnected by Jennifer Weiner
7. The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
8. The Contractors by Harry Hunsicker
9. After I'm Gone by Laura Lippman
10. Beyond Justice by Joshua Graham
11. Heart on a Shoestring by Marilyn Grey
12. Sisters in White by Melissa Foster
13. The Good Luck of Right Now by Matthew Quick
14. Etched on Me by Jenn Crowell
15. Queen of Hearts: The Crown by Colleen Oakes
16. Once Upon a Prince by Rachel Hauck
17. Princess Ever After by Rachel Hauck
18. The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty
19. Labor Day by Joyce Maynard
20. A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner
21.  The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro
22. Two Sisters by Mary Hogan
23. The Deepest Secret by Carla Buckley
24. Phoenix Island by John Dixon
25. Something New by Janis Thomas
26. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
27. The Accident by Chris Pavone

Total pages read, clicked, and flipped:  9,392

Where Have I Been Reading?:

Finger Lakes, NY (2)
Seattle, WA
Germany
Amsterdam
Brooklyn, NY
Charleston, SC
Dallas, TX
Baltimore, MD
Philadelphia, PA (2)
San Diego, CA
Bahamas
London
St. Simons, GA
Brighton, England
Sydney, Australia
New Hampshire
New York City, NY (2)
Columbus, OH
Southern California
Paris, France