Linda
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC! I love Karen McManus. She is one of the few young adult mystery writers out there and her books do not disappoint. While I didn't love this one as much as her others, I still enjoyed it. A story of 3 siblings written off by their mother years ago for something they did. While they haven't seen their mother for years, they receive an invitation from her, inviting her grandchildren to come work for her during the summer. What happens next is a spiral of secrets, some of which were just too unbelievable for me. Still a worthy read, just not where I would have gone with this plot!
I absolutely loved this series by Hilderbrand! She never disappoints and I enjoyed this trilogy even more than most. Part 3 so I'm sad to see it end but thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy. This trilogy follows two families brought together by an affair and a tragedy. Filled with secrets, family drama and summer on the island, highly recommended for any Hilderbrand fans and/or anyone who enjoys a beach read. Also, thanks for the Kenny Chesney references ❤️
This book was decent. Lots of advice on how to appreciate the day-to-day little things in life. I listened to it while in Tennessee and there's an entire chapter devoted to the great outdoors and how a change of scenery can make us more grateful and I'd have to agree. I also enjoyed the chapter on food and hope to apply some of those principles going forward. I also hope to remember that even in the worst times to look for the one thing to be grateful for.
I received an ARC of this book my NetGalley. I really enjoyed this YA romance about Aubrey and Webster who became fast best friends and then through a series of unfortunate event, fast enemies. They spend their entire junior year hating each other. By their senior year they are nearly strangers when another series of events forces them to spend time together and discover how they truly feel ❤️
I don't even know where to start with this book. Betty is a young girl growing up in Southern Ohio with several siblings. Born to a white mother and a Cherokee father, Betty is the sixth of eight siblings. They live in poverty and Betty, who looks the most like her father, is teased relentlessly by children at school. By the age of 8, she has witnessed so much devastation that I couldn't help but cry for her. Tiffany McDaniel really knows how to write a family saga that draws you in. I thought I was reading nonfiction because this novel and all the horrific things that happen within it are sadly believable in Southern Appalachia. This story broke my heart, I felt so bad for Betty but she was also resilient and never gave up. After seeing so much that a child should not, she rises above it all. A must read but have your tissues ready!! ❤️
Another good read from Lisa Jewell. A family saga involving an entire neighborhood of characters. When a girl goes missing, the list of suspects is long but only one man stands out and is immediately arrested and questioned. But is he the culprit? Or could it be her therapist? Or someone else entirely? This one kept me guessing until the end. I had no idea who was responsible. The ending also surprised me in a good way and I thoroughly enjoyed this one.
Oh my goodness!!!! I wasn't sure I'd like this retelling and after seeing how long it was (25 hours) for the audio, I almost passed it up. But WOW am I glad I gave it a try. The narrator did a fantastic job and I fell in love with this series all over again. A really great read for any Twilight fan. I'm so glad Stephenie Meyer decided to finally publish this one! ♥️
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley. What really hooked me in was the cover. How beautiful ❤️ The book itself was also different from many young adult books I've read. I felt badly for the main character as his story is quite heartbreaking. This book deals with a lot (loss, mental illness, life of a teenager, disappointments, etc)
I almost gave up on this one, but in the end I'm glad I read it. A lot of characters thrown at you all at once and it was slow to start. But then it picks up and turns out to be a pretty decent read. Then the author throws in some twists that just aren't so believable. Overall, glad I read this one, it had its moments.
THIS BOOK! Best I've read all year, hands down. I don't even know where to start. What's not to love about a book about the afterlife being a library? The main character, Nora decides to end her life after a serious of depressing events. She wakes up in the Midnight Library where her old school librarian Mrs. Elm guides her through other parallel lives she can choose in place of her “core” life. For every regret Nora has, she can change that regret and try a new life. After going through several lives, she finds she isn't happy with any of them, none of them are perfect. But she also realizes that no life is perfect, all lives are full of regrets, and eventually, she must choose between living an imperfect life, or giving up. What an amazing story and now I can't wait to read the rest of Matt Haig's titles!!
This book was... interesting and just okay. Secrets from complete strangers, some were rather disturbing, others so incredibly sad, and a few were encouraging. I enjoyed listening to most of their secrets but then there was one chapter that was completely political and not really a story at all so I was really confused, it just didn't fit with the rest of the book.
I just love this author. While his books are heartbreaking, there's also always a bit of hope in them to keep me reading. David Joy is an incredible storyteller and finds a way to always depict the Appalachia we all know and love. Just like the characters in his latest novel, we have all experienced some form of heartache because of the drug epidemic that's taken over our small towns but most of us have not given up hope that things will be better someday. His novels are so relatable to my own home town. The similarities and the tragedy/hope that he brings to a story will keep me reading every time.
I really enjoyed this story of a grandmother and granddaughter who decide to switch lives for a few months. Eileen and Leena both need a change of scenery and hence form a plan to swap places for a few months. Eileen is almost 80 and single and decides to try the online dating world while Leena cares for her grandmothers home and responsibilities, while also making a mends with her own mother. In the end, they both find happiness in the most unexpected ways.
I listened to this book while working on and finishing a puzzle. What an amazing audio! As I was listening, I thought, that narrator sounds like Susan Sarandon and you know what? It IS her! So many people narrated this book, some famous, some not. Well worth listening to as an audio book for this reason alone! I enjoyed the story, although sometimes I was a bit confused as it's not always easy to follow. It's about Abe Lincoln's son's death and the author imagines him in the bardo (afterlife) stuck between worlds where he meets several odd characters who help him (and themselves) get where they need to be.
I absolutely adored this novel. These two cracked me up. Fighting like cats and dogs throughout the first half of the book, trying to see if one can make the other give up and split but refusing to end their relationship. Then something happens midway, and they find each other again and it is absolutely adorable. The author did an amazing job with Naomi and Nicholas. I was rooting for them the entire time and I'm so happy theirs is a happy ending.
