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The Guardians
7.5
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22 years ago Quincy Miller was sentenced to life without parole. He was accused of killing Keith...
Make Your Home Among Strangers
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A New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice, winner of the International Latino Book Award for Best...
The Second Empress: A Novel of Napoleon's Court
8.0
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After the bloody French Revolution, Emperor Napoleon’s power is absolute. When Marie-Louise, the...
Murder by Munchhausen Trilogy Set
7.5
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A Cyber Crime Thriller Series: Notorious serial killers digitally resurrected to live & hunt again...
Science Fiction sci-fi scifi sci fi thriller police procedural
ClareR (5879 KP) rated Amazing Grace Adams in Books
Feb 27, 2023
Grace Adams has had enough, and frankly I don’t blame her. She’s gone from being “Polyglot of the Year”, to the mother of a 16 year old who won’t speak to her, and her husband (Ben) has just served her with divorce papers. She feels like she’s losing her mind.
As she rushes to get her daughters very expensive and very tiny birthday cake to her ex’s house (where she’s living), she abandons her car in a traffic jam and decides to walk there - and it’s a very hot day.
The story alternates between the present day, and the events leading up to when she met Ben and back to the present day. Within these flashbacks are the reasons why Grace is struggling with her life. None of these events are helped by the fact that she’s clearly not medically in a good place. Peri-menopause has a large part to play in her interactions with others, and how she’s coping at work and home. And other factors are revealed along the way.
Grace isn’t having an easy time of it, and all those things that could go wrong, have. I seriously felt like dragging her along to the chemist, forcing her to wait for her prescription (she has got one!), and slapping that HRT patch on for her myself! Not a solution, but a big help!
It’s so good to see more women being represented in literature in their mid to late forties now. And talking about the fun and games that is the perimenopause! Grace’s complete loss of self-confidence could be put down to it - although all the things going on with her daughter and husband could also be contributing factors!
I rather liked Grace, and I did a silent cheer every time she stood up to someone who deserved it! There are some really funny bits in amongst the more sombre parts.
This book is well worth a read!!
As she rushes to get her daughters very expensive and very tiny birthday cake to her ex’s house (where she’s living), she abandons her car in a traffic jam and decides to walk there - and it’s a very hot day.
The story alternates between the present day, and the events leading up to when she met Ben and back to the present day. Within these flashbacks are the reasons why Grace is struggling with her life. None of these events are helped by the fact that she’s clearly not medically in a good place. Peri-menopause has a large part to play in her interactions with others, and how she’s coping at work and home. And other factors are revealed along the way.
Grace isn’t having an easy time of it, and all those things that could go wrong, have. I seriously felt like dragging her along to the chemist, forcing her to wait for her prescription (she has got one!), and slapping that HRT patch on for her myself! Not a solution, but a big help!
It’s so good to see more women being represented in literature in their mid to late forties now. And talking about the fun and games that is the perimenopause! Grace’s complete loss of self-confidence could be put down to it - although all the things going on with her daughter and husband could also be contributing factors!
I rather liked Grace, and I did a silent cheer every time she stood up to someone who deserved it! There are some really funny bits in amongst the more sombre parts.
This book is well worth a read!!
Nanny Negotiations (The Brotherhood: Legacy #1)
8.0
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Will a bi-reawakening be what this single father needs to heal his wounded heart? Looks like a job...
Contemporary MM Romance
Rachel King (13 KP) rated In Praise of Stay-at-Home Moms in Books
Feb 11, 2019
As a stay-at-home mom myself, partly by choice and partly by default, I didn't realize how much I needed the lift this book provided until I finished it. While SAHMs are gaining in support, thanks to the wonders of the internet, the effects of the feminist movement are hard to undo, and I still find myself feeling bad for not "running the hamster wheel."
This book is really about praising and uplifting SAHMs in every way, from giving advice on how to transition from working outside the home to becoming a SAHM, how to deal with naysayers, the impact of being a SAHM on the marriage, the children, and the woman herself, and the struggles that a SAHM goes through. Nearly every page features quotes from SAHMs who have contacted Dr. Laura with their opinions, experiences, questions, and wisdom, and these women all have unique living situations to fit any mother's lifestyle, even the ones who have been through a divorce because the husband does not support the idea of the woman becoming a SAHM. Dr. Laura dispels many notions and myths that run rampant about the type of woman that decides to be a SAHM, and what would make her choose such a lifestyle. Many of the women she quotes have college degrees or left great careers to become a SAHM. Others go on to degrees and careers once the children have grown and "fled the nest." Some of the best parts of the book were the stories that SAHMs related about the wonderful perks and unforgettable moments of being a SAHM, such as being able to cook healthy meals from scratch for their family and not missing all of those important milestones with their children.
This book helped me to change my perspective on my role in my family's life, as the heart of the home, to focus on the good things of what I have committed to, and to appreciate my husband and children, not as sandbags on my own personal improvement, but as buoys to lift me up and save me from my own destructive self-involvement.
This book is really about praising and uplifting SAHMs in every way, from giving advice on how to transition from working outside the home to becoming a SAHM, how to deal with naysayers, the impact of being a SAHM on the marriage, the children, and the woman herself, and the struggles that a SAHM goes through. Nearly every page features quotes from SAHMs who have contacted Dr. Laura with their opinions, experiences, questions, and wisdom, and these women all have unique living situations to fit any mother's lifestyle, even the ones who have been through a divorce because the husband does not support the idea of the woman becoming a SAHM. Dr. Laura dispels many notions and myths that run rampant about the type of woman that decides to be a SAHM, and what would make her choose such a lifestyle. Many of the women she quotes have college degrees or left great careers to become a SAHM. Others go on to degrees and careers once the children have grown and "fled the nest." Some of the best parts of the book were the stories that SAHMs related about the wonderful perks and unforgettable moments of being a SAHM, such as being able to cook healthy meals from scratch for their family and not missing all of those important milestones with their children.
This book helped me to change my perspective on my role in my family's life, as the heart of the home, to focus on the good things of what I have committed to, and to appreciate my husband and children, not as sandbags on my own personal improvement, but as buoys to lift me up and save me from my own destructive self-involvement.
Bookapotamus (289 KP) rated The Intermission in Books
Jun 7, 2018 (Updated Jun 8, 2018)
Interesting and Quick Read
This was such an interesting concept and I found myself wondering... if everyone was required to have an "Intermission" before having a baby, it might actually not be a bad thing! You hear so much about people thinking children will bring couples back together after a relationship begins to stale, when sometimes it's the wedge that eventually drives them apart ... hence skyrocketing divorce rates? It seems that people are finally waking up and realizing that just because its a social norm, does NOT mean you HAVE to get married, and it certainly doesn't mean that just because you DO get married, that the required next step is having children. Some people just shouldn't have them. No judgement - just reality.
OK rant over. :) Cass and Jonathan seem like a total power couple that shines like the golden twosome they emit on the outside. On the inside there seems to be some cracks in that gold, and we learn that the tarnish of that shine is just beginning. The seven year itch is creeping like a bad rash, and before they embark on the journey to become parents, Cass wants a break. Jonathan is dumbfounded at the idea and resents Cass's decision, but the Intermission is on.
The character development here is pretty good. We learn a lot of who these two are, where the come from, their insecurities, and their secrets as we go back and forth between the two during their split, on separate coasts and in equally separate mindsets. I found myself reading easily, and quickly, and eager to find out if the split has staying power, or if these two can find each other again.
Some of the decisions and paths these two take are pretty random and questionable, but any outsider looking in on a relationship that isn't their own, is always set up to be judgemental, "I would NEVER do that!" I certainly found myself thinking that quite often but hey, this story isn't about me!
Overall, I really liked the story, the concept and the characters were interesting and it was written pretty well.
OK rant over. :) Cass and Jonathan seem like a total power couple that shines like the golden twosome they emit on the outside. On the inside there seems to be some cracks in that gold, and we learn that the tarnish of that shine is just beginning. The seven year itch is creeping like a bad rash, and before they embark on the journey to become parents, Cass wants a break. Jonathan is dumbfounded at the idea and resents Cass's decision, but the Intermission is on.
The character development here is pretty good. We learn a lot of who these two are, where the come from, their insecurities, and their secrets as we go back and forth between the two during their split, on separate coasts and in equally separate mindsets. I found myself reading easily, and quickly, and eager to find out if the split has staying power, or if these two can find each other again.
Some of the decisions and paths these two take are pretty random and questionable, but any outsider looking in on a relationship that isn't their own, is always set up to be judgemental, "I would NEVER do that!" I certainly found myself thinking that quite often but hey, this story isn't about me!
Overall, I really liked the story, the concept and the characters were interesting and it was written pretty well.
Nicole Hadley (380 KP) rated Birds in the Air in Books
Jun 18, 2018
Birds in the Air by Frances O'Roark Dowell is a wonderful story. I loved the book from the first page to the last page. The book involves a woman whose family moves to a small town in the mountains. Her husband and daughter settle in quickly with job and school, but Emma needs something to do. Finding an old quilt in an attic trunk is the catalyst for searching out the local quilt shop. She is not a quilter to start with, but that quickly changes. Through a series of events, she ends up learning to quilt as well as becoming the publicist for the local guild's quilt show. Some of the members do not agree that an outside should have such an important role. Conflict with another guild member creates a disaster for the quilt show, and help comes from an unlikely source. The story is interesting and told in an easy to read style, and I found it difficult to put down. I also like that Emma is happily married, as many of these series begin with a divorce so the woman can find her own way. I like that a married woman can also find her own way while having a family and a committed relationship.
There are several reasons I loved this book.
First, the characters. The characters are realistic and true to life. Second, I could related to the life styles characterized by several of the characters. Third, I like how Frances uses quilting terms through out the book. Fourth, I like that the author brought the conflict of "quilt divas" to the story which brings to like the quilting industry that not everyone is kind at all times. The author brings past quilting history and highlights how functions in a community both in the past and in current times. I love how the author makes community building such a central theme in the story. Lastly, fifth, the authors deals with quilting controversy within the story and it makes the story appear that much more realistic.
I received this book from Milton Falls Media, Inc. via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
There are several reasons I loved this book.
First, the characters. The characters are realistic and true to life. Second, I could related to the life styles characterized by several of the characters. Third, I like how Frances uses quilting terms through out the book. Fourth, I like that the author brought the conflict of "quilt divas" to the story which brings to like the quilting industry that not everyone is kind at all times. The author brings past quilting history and highlights how functions in a community both in the past and in current times. I love how the author makes community building such a central theme in the story. Lastly, fifth, the authors deals with quilting controversy within the story and it makes the story appear that much more realistic.
I received this book from Milton Falls Media, Inc. via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Musical Mayhem (Totally Twins, #1) in Books
Dec 14, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
Musical Mayhem</i> is the first book in the <i>Totally Twins</i> series aimed at ten-year-old girls. Subtitled <i>The Fabulous Diary of Persephone Pinchgut</i>, the series is about the life of identical sisters from one twin’s point of view. Portia and Persephone may look the same, share friends and borrow each other’s clothes, but inside they are polar opposites. Starting a diary is the only way Persephone can have something that is entirely her own, where she can write about how she really feels.
The main storyline revolves around the upcoming end of term musical at the twins’ school. Persephone only joined the drama class at Portia’s insistence, whereas in reality she is a shy girl with absolutely no singing ability. Persephone writes about her dread of the auditions and the hurtful teasing from her perfect sister.
Many young girls (and boys), like the author herself, wish at some point to have a twin. Portia and Persephone may have a special connection that other siblings do not, but as this diary reveals, having a twin is not all sunshine and rainbows. Persephone also writes about her parents’ divorce, her alternate therapy obsessed Mum and her hopes and dreams for the future. There are many things for young girls to relate to.
Illustrator Serena Geddes completes the book with her simple drawings. <i>Musical Mayhem</i> is not a children’s’ picture book; it is a step between child and teenager novels. For an adult reader the storyline is uninspiring, however a child of ten would enjoy the characters, humour and the issues expressed.
<i>Totally Twins: Musical Mayhem</i> is a great start to a unique series of short books for girls. It is something that junior school children will love to collect to build up their own personal library. The book jackets are attractive and will look great when all together as a set. If you are looking for a present for a young girl, I recommend considering this book.
Musical Mayhem</i> is the first book in the <i>Totally Twins</i> series aimed at ten-year-old girls. Subtitled <i>The Fabulous Diary of Persephone Pinchgut</i>, the series is about the life of identical sisters from one twin’s point of view. Portia and Persephone may look the same, share friends and borrow each other’s clothes, but inside they are polar opposites. Starting a diary is the only way Persephone can have something that is entirely her own, where she can write about how she really feels.
The main storyline revolves around the upcoming end of term musical at the twins’ school. Persephone only joined the drama class at Portia’s insistence, whereas in reality she is a shy girl with absolutely no singing ability. Persephone writes about her dread of the auditions and the hurtful teasing from her perfect sister.
Many young girls (and boys), like the author herself, wish at some point to have a twin. Portia and Persephone may have a special connection that other siblings do not, but as this diary reveals, having a twin is not all sunshine and rainbows. Persephone also writes about her parents’ divorce, her alternate therapy obsessed Mum and her hopes and dreams for the future. There are many things for young girls to relate to.
Illustrator Serena Geddes completes the book with her simple drawings. <i>Musical Mayhem</i> is not a children’s’ picture book; it is a step between child and teenager novels. For an adult reader the storyline is uninspiring, however a child of ten would enjoy the characters, humour and the issues expressed.
<i>Totally Twins: Musical Mayhem</i> is a great start to a unique series of short books for girls. It is something that junior school children will love to collect to build up their own personal library. The book jackets are attractive and will look great when all together as a set. If you are looking for a present for a young girl, I recommend considering this book.