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Alison Pink (7 KP) rated Delirium in Books

Jan 15, 2018  
Delirium
Delirium
Lauren Oliver | 2011 | Children, Dystopia, Romance
8
7.8 (19 Ratings)
Book Rating
I have to admit that I'd heard so many good things about this book that I was thrilled to finally get started on it. I have to say though, that I was not hooked right from page one like I thought I'd be. It took me several chapters to really get into the story & the characters. BUT once I did, I was hooked! I can't wait to see what happens to Lena & Alex!!!!!
Delirium tells the story of love being a sickness, a disease, something that the US government has found a cure for. Society cures people at the age of 18 after they've gone through an interview process & then been matched with their mate & told what they will do & how many children they can have.
Lena's mother was infected & the cure was adminstered to her with no effect. Lena lives terrfied that she will be like her mother & therefore counts down the days until she can be cured. And then,quite by accident, she meets Alex. And as they say the rest is history!
There isn't much more I can say without giving too much away. The story sucks you in & sweeps you away. I was laughing & crying & hoping against hope that Lena would somehow avoid the cure. Did she? I don't know & that's the part that SUCKS! Gotta wait til the next book is released. ARGH!!!
  
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Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Save Me in Books

May 10, 2018  
SM
Save Me
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Rose McKenna is a mom of two. One day while she is volunteering as Lunch Mom, there is a loud explosion and the entire cafeteria is engulfed in fire. Her daughter, Melly, has gone to the bathroom, but she also has two students in front of her, who are going to need her help as well. What is she to do, and does she sacrifice the life of one to save another.

In Save Me, Rose has a lot of tough decisions to make. She has encountered a lot in her life and this cafeteria explosion, just adds to the mountains of secrets she has bottled inside of her. In a quest to find out how this explosion happened and be an advocate for her daughter, she is taking on a journey, no mother could ever expect.

I really enjoyed this book, mainly because as a mother I can relate. I felt a bit for Rose, being scolded by other parents because of the actions she took, and having to deal with a daughter who is being bullied in a town they just moved to. I felt that Rose could have shared a lot more with her husband during the course of her actions.

This is a thrilling novel, that had me near tears at a few different points. I would recommend this book to all mothers.
  
Goodnight Nobody
Goodnight Nobody
Jennifer Weiner | 2006 | Fiction & Poetry
6
7.3 (6 Ratings)
Book Rating
Sometimes flashbacks are useful, helpful even, and contribute to the story. I find myself having a lot of "Ah-ha!" moments when presented with a flashback scenario in a book. Not the case here. They bored me. I came thisclose to skipping ahead to the present-day chapters. But I didn't.

Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the story, it dragged a bit in those parts, they could have been shorter and more condensed. The story was in most parts about the balance between being a woman and being a mother. Which, maybe since I'm not a mother, I didn't connect as much, and at times felt like screaming "Get it together lady!" Obviously we all know that these "supermoms" are never whom they appear to be on the outside. Everyone has their issues.

There are some good twists and turns of this story of a woman named Kate, former writer/investigator turned stay at home "surburban supermom wannabe" who uses her past to help "find" her future when a mystery presents itself. Who better than Kate to solve the crime?! There is wit and charm in the writing as we all know and love from Jennifer Weiner, and the plot is well-developed, but the story didn't grab me all the way throughout, with an ending that just wasn't very convincing.
  
TT
The Trelayne Inheritance
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
At first I wasn't too impressed with this book, it seemed simple and the scenes at the ball and immediately after almost turned me off it. I don't know if it was how I was feeling at the time (I was a little out of it :P), but it just seemed surreal to me. Luckily, that passed and I really enjoyed the rest of the book. It was fast-paced and had some original ideas in it. There was enjoyable banter between Angel and Max, who suited each other (imho), and I absolutely loved Shelly! Although what color are her eyes, green or grey? I don't know if the did that author purposely or not, although I think not since nothing is explained about it. I did wish Ms. Shannon had gone more into Angel's background, like who is her father? A human, I would presume, but who knows? How exactly did she become a vampire? How (or why) was her mother able to give birth to her? I'm a little iffy about Max having loved Angel's mother, too, since apparently Angel's a spitting image of her. Though that's just my personal preference not to have something like that in a book dealing with vampires. I did suspect who turned out to be the "Beefsteak Killer," but I enjoyed the story nonetheless and would definitely get more from this author.
  
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Dianne Robbins (1738 KP) created a post

May 26, 2019  
Renia's Diary: A Holocaust Journal by Renia Spiegel.

I read about this diary, the history of its author and poet, and an excerpt of the diary in Smithsonian Magazine earlier this year. I'm so excited that I get to read an advanced copy. It isn't released to the public until September 2019.

This is the first time it has been translated into English. It covers 2 years in the life of a 16-year-old Jewish girl living in Poland before and during the German occupation. In it, she records her life, falling in love, and life in a Jewish ghetto, before she was cruelly executed.

She had given the diary to her boyfriend for safekeeping. He recorded the events of her death at the hands of the Nazis. He gave the diary to a friend before he was sent away to a concentration camp and it was returned to him after the war when he was living in the United States. He eventually gave it to her mother in the early 1950s.

Renia's sister, Elizabeth, was unaware of its existence until after her mother passed away in 1969. Elizabeth put it in a safety deposit box for many years because she couldn't bear to read it. However, knowing the significance of it, she eventually had it published and includes her remarks and memories of the events in an epilogue.
     
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Teardrop (Teardrop Trilogy, #1)
Lauren Kate | 2013 | Fiction & Poetry
10
8.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Forgot to post this last month
I chose to read this book because it's by my favorite author. I ended up loving it and it's now one of my favorite series. If you loved her book Fallen you will love this one as well. The book begins slowly as Fallen does but if you keep reading you will not regret it.

Spoilers below
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Growing up Eureka's mother told her to never cry and she ended up dying in a freak accident at the start of the book. This left Eureka puzzled and alone in the world until the boy who saved her in the accident came along who is named Ander. Her mother left her three inheritance a locket, thunderstone and book which end up making better sense later in the story. When Eureka, her best friend Brooks, her sister and brother go to the beach one day something weird happens to Brooks after the strange wave which leads to him acting weird which later on in the book Eureka discovers her best friend has been processed by someone from the sunken island of Atlantis. The person who processed him Eureka will end up having to go head to head with in the next book. She also discovered there's something special in her bloodline about tears. If you'd like to know more read the book.
  
Unfiltered: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me
Unfiltered: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me
Lily Collins | 2017 | Biography
8
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Unfiltered is Lily Collins’ honest, heartfelt letter to her fans, inspired by all of the times that they shared their stories with her and her desire to show that no one is alone.

A lot of her stories stem from her past relationships and how she learned from them. She discusses self-worth, battling addictions, and being strong enough to do what is best for you. It is genuine and likely resonates with a lot of people.

 Her relationships with her parents are detailed, from her best friend bond with her mother to her more distant one with her father. Personally, I relate to her stories about her mother because mine is also my best friend - despite the fact that we don’t always get along. I know, just as Lily knows, that our mothers will always be there for us no matter what.

She even includes some letters that you can use to express how you feel to someone else, tell yourself that you are worth it, or tailor to suit what you want to say.

I have always loved Lily Collins (it doesn’t hurt that she played Clary and we share a birthday) so I was highly anticipating reading this book. It’s a pretty short book, so it won’t take very long to read but it has a few really poignant moments.
  
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Sue (5 KP) rated The Coroner in Books

Aug 13, 2018  
TC
The Coroner
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Emily Hartford seems to be doing well for herself with a promising surgical career in Chicago and having been recently engaged to a third-year surgical resident. Her world is turned upside down when she receives a call telling her that her estranged medical examiner father has suffered a major heart attack and she must come home.

Upon arrival at her hometown of Freeport, which she fled over 12 years ago after the mysterious death of her mother, Emily is pulled into an investigation. With her ME father unable to assist, Sheriff Nick Larson (Em’s old high school flame) asks her help in finding out if the sudden unexplained death of a Senator’s teen daughter was an accident or murder.

This book is engaging with several different stories going on at once. The first story is the mystery of the Senator’s daughter who was an equestrian, good student, and all around loved individual. How and why was she killed? The second story is about the relationship between Emily and her father. They once were so close, but with the mysterious accident her mother suffered leaving her dead, daughter and father have a rocky relationship. The third story is of Emily and trying to find out what she really wants in life.

The is a true mystery-suspense drama with a very surprising ending.
  
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justmissash (21 KP) rated Victoria in Books

Aug 23, 2018  
Victoria
Victoria
Daisy Goodwin | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
10
9.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
For every girl, like myself, who once wished to be a princess or queen someday, this book is wonderful.
It starts as Alexandrina is looking towards her 18th birthday. Not to celebrate it but hoping that the present king will live long enough so she can be queen. Her mother and mothers possible lover are scheming together. They call her Drina and she hates it. She loves and wishes to be called Victoria. Her uncle, the king, finally passes after she turns 18 and she is crowned Queen. The story follows her challenges, fears, and triumphs as closely and intimately as possible. The story is honest and heartwarming and inspiring. She rises with grace and class to lead her country for a long time and surpasses the expectations of her mother and those around her. I loved the story and just how it was written. I feel like I know her now and I feel connected because of her feelings and emotions. I have not been on the threshold of becoming a queen but I do know what it feels like when others think they know best or have I'll intentions and want to release you from the chance to prove your greatness.
I received this book for free from SheSpeaks, but the opinions here are my own.
  
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justmissash (21 KP) rated Victoria in Books

Jun 23, 2019  
Victoria
Victoria
Daisy Goodwin | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
10
9.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
For every girl, like myself, who once wished to be a princess or queen someday, this book is wonderful.
It starts as Alexandrina is looking towards her 18th birthday. Not to celebrate it but hoping that the present king will live long enough so she can be queen. Her mother and mothers possible lover are scheming together. They call her Drina and she hates it. She loves and wishes to be called Victoria. Her uncle, the king, finally passes after she turns 18 and she is crowned Queen. The story follows her challenges, fears, and triumphs as closely and intimately as possible. The story is honest and heartwarming and inspiring. She rises with grace and class to lead her country for a long time and surpasses the expectations of her mother and those around her. I loved the story and just how it was written. I feel like I know her now and I feel connected because of her feelings and emotions. I have not been on the threshold of becoming a queen but I do know what it feels like when others think they know best or have I'll intentions and want to release you from the chance to prove your greatness.
I received this book for free from SheSpeaks, but the opinions here are my own.