"And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer" REVIEW

"And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer" by Fredrik Backman

A novella published by Atria Books (Simon & Schuster)

Finished  11/28/16 -  5/5 stars

What an absolutely beautiful novella, so heartfelt and touching.  Based on the letter to the reader in the front of the book, I believe Mr. Backman is losing someone dear to Alzheimers himself which is why I believe there is so much compassion built into this short story.  He’s pouring part of himself into Ted and Noah, the son and grandson of the older gentlemen slowly slipping away.  I think this novella is a tribute to his loved one, but I’m sure many can relate to the emotions involved.

When I first went to read this, it was the end of the day and I was exhausted.  As impossible as it may seem for such a short book, I feel asleep while reading and thus was confused about what I had read.  When I picked it back up the next day, I started over and read it straight through.  I’m so glad I did.  This is a story that needs to be read in one setting.  You won’t want to put it down anyway, but to experience the full emotions meant to be felt, it should be read straight through.

I have now read three out of four of Mr. Backman’s books and have loved each and every one.  And am over the moon to hear there is a new one coming out this spring for me to enjoy as well.  He just might become my new favorite author.  He always manages to make me both laugh and cry all in one book.

Thank you to both Atria Books (Simon and Shuster) and Net Galley for a copy of this wonderful novella in return for an honest review.  I greatly appreciate it.



"The Zookeeper's Wife" REVIEW

"The Zookeeper's Wife" by Diane Ackerman
Published by W. W. Norton & Co


Finished 11/27/16  -  3/5 stars

I’ve been meaning to read this book for a while.  When I saw they had made it into a movie coming out this spring, I decided to move it to the top of my list.  I think it could be a good movie, but felt it was just an OK book.  I thought the author did a very good job with the nature and animal aspects of the book – the writing flowed with great descriptions during those parts.  When it came to the people’s actions and descriptions, it felt choppy – it made it difficult to bond or relate with any of the characters.  Truly, at times I thought maybe the book was co-written because the styles seemed so different depending on the subject matter being discussed.

"Yes Please" REVIEW

 "Yes Please" by Amy Poehler

(audio book)

Finished 11/25/16  - 3/5 stars

I listened to this audio book to lighten the mood during our political turmoil and keep me away from the CNN channel during my commute.  It worked :)  I haven't mastered the art of listening without my mind wandering so I don't feel I should review it.  I did enjoy it though.

Happy Thanksgiving (a day late)

"Chaos" by Patricia Cornwell REVIEW

“Chaos” by Patricia Cornwell

Published by HarperCollins

Finished 11/20/16 – 4/5 stars

I was a non-reader in school, probably because some of the books I would be forced to read  didn’t interest me at all.  I started reading the Kay Scarpetta series in my early 20s and truly loved them.  Patricia Cornwell is one of the authors that brought out my love of reading as a young adult – I read the 1^st 10 books in the series as soon as they were released.  She is the reason that while on road trips, if I’m not driving, I’ll keep an eye on the side of the road for dead bodies.  Sad, but true.  And every time I drive down 64 in VA on my way to/from the beach, I think of her as I drive by a certain rest area that was in one of her books.  As my love of reading grew, so did the variety of books I would read so unfortunately I haven’t been able to read all of the recent Dr Scarpetta cases.  That didn’t stop me from enjoying this most recent one.  I didn’t have all the background information as those who have read all the recent books, but that’s OK.  I loved it anyway.  I think people would enjoy it more if they’ve been reading some or all of the series, but it can also be a stand alone book.

In this case, a young bicyclist is found dead on the side of a trail in a city park.  The body, helmet, and bicycle locations don’t add up and neither do the injuries at first glance.  Was it an accident or was she attacked?  Earlier that same day, an odd 911 call is received complaining about Dr. Scarpetta plus Det Marino receives an odd phone call as well causing even more confusion.  And to add more anxiety to her day, her estranged sister is coming into town from Florida.  It’s a whirlwind of a day for Dr. Scarpetta.

Thank you to Sullivan and Partners for an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review.  And thank you to Patricia Cornwell for bringing out my love of reading 20+ years ago.  I might not have become the avid reader I am today if it weren’t for your novels.

If you want to read an excerpt to see if you’ll like it, go to the following website:

 http://www.patriciacornwell.com/chaos-excerpt-2/ 

If you want to just go ahead and buy it, here are some links to it:

Buy Links:

Amazon Hardcover: bit.ly/ChaosHardcover
Kindle: bit.ly/ChaosKindle
iBooks: bit.ly/ChaosiBooks
Nook: bit.ly/ChaosNook
B&N Hardcover: bit.ly/ChaosBN
GooglePlay: bit.ly/ChaosGoogleplay
Kobo: bit.ly/ChaosKobo
BAM: bit.ly/ChaosBAM
IndieBound: bit.ly/ChaosIndieBound

And if you want to connect with Ms. Cornwell, you can check out her website and/or follow her on social media (like I do):

Patricia Cornwell's Social Links:

Website: www.patriciacornwell.com 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patricia.cornwell/  

Twitter: https://twitter.com/1pcornwell

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/1pcornwell/ 

 

"Only Daughter" Review

“Only Daughter” by Anna Snoekstra

Published by MIRA Books

Finished 11/8/16 -  3.5 of 5 stars

A teenage girl disappears in 2004 without a trace.  In 2014 a girl who looks similar pretends to be her to get out of trouble with the police.  Can she really pull it off with the missing girl’s family and best friend?  And just what really happened ten years ago?  The chapters alternate between 2004 and 2014, narrated by the real Becky and the pretend Becky.  I enjoyed the story but found parts of the book to be a little farfetched.  I do like that the author kept the ending a secret until pretty much the end of the book though.

"Missing, Presumed" review

“Missing, Presumed” by Susie Steiner

Published by The Borough Press

Finished 10/23/16 - 3/5 stars

A young lady goes missing from her flat in England.  There are no firm leads, just initial guesses by the police as they try to link this disappearance to other people and events.  As the story goes on, you come to think you may know what happened to her, but you won’t figure out the why.  At least I didn’t – I thought that piece pretty much came out of left field when revealed.  You know of someone’s involvement, but not to what extent or why until they confess.

The story is told by a total of five characters…..truly, I think it could have been done with just two or three.  The main narrator is one of the lead police officers who brings her own storyline of finding herself and what she wants out of life.  She definitely has relationship issues, but she’s my favorite character in the book.

I only give this book 3 out of 5 stars because I was expecting a lot more suspense with this type of storyline.  It was not a page turner.  And I didn’t like the way the mystery piece was wrapped up in a bow towards the end.  I liked how the police officers story ended though.

“Big Stone Gap” by Adriana Trigiani

Published by Simon & Schuster

Finished 10/13/16 – 3/5 stars

 

I read this for my book club this month.  Yes, somehow none of had read it or watched the movie prior.  The majority of the ladies in my book club gave it a 3.5 rating but I’m sticking with a solid 3.  A couple members have continued on with the series and one has since watched the movie (saying it wasn’t all that good).  This is a “one and done” series for me though – I truly just thought it was OK.  I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t anything special and I don’t feel the need to find out what happens next to the characters.  Having said that, I do think this would be a good book to read when you are ready for something light and fluffy.  Whether it is because there is just too much going on in life, you need a relaxing book, or you need something to help you recover from reading something dark…..this would be a good pick.