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Author: ondbookshelf

Blogging my way through my extensive to be read pile of books.

About ondbookshelf

Blogging my way through my extensive to be read pile of books.

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Published on 2 Comments on The Lying Game
The Lying Game Book Cover The Lying Game
Ruth Ware
Fiction
Gallery/Scout Press
July 25, 2017
Advanced Reader Copy
320
Publisher

On a cool June morning, a woman is walking her dog in the idyllic coastal village of Salten along a tidal estuary known as the Reach. Before she can stop him, the dog charges into the water to retrieve what first appears to be a wayward stick, but to her horror, turns out to be something much more sinister... The next morning, three women in and around London—Fatima, Thea, and Isabel—receive the text they had always hoped would NEVER come, from the fourth in their formerly inseparable clique, Kate, that says only, “I need you.” The four girls were best friends at Salten, a second rate boarding school set near the cliffs of the English Channel. Each different in their own way, the four became inseparable and were notorious for playing the Lying Game, telling lies at every turn to both fellow boarders and faculty, with varying states of serious and flippant nature that were disturbing enough to ensure that everyone steered clear of them. The myriad and complicated rules of the game are strict: no lying to each other—ever. Bail on the lie when it becomes clear it is about to be found out. But their little game had consequences, and the girls were all expelled in their final year of school under mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of the school’s eccentric art teacher, Ambrose (who also happens to be Kate’s father). Atmospheric, twisty, and with just the right amount of chill that will keep you wrong-footed—which has now become Ruth Ware’s signature style—The Lying Game is sure to be her next big bestseller. Another unputdownable thriller from the Agatha Christie of our time.

My review:

This is the type of thriller that I like best. A slow burning tale with an emphasis not just on the tense or shocking plot twists, but on the characters. A story about four prep school friends who play a game that involves lying to win points. When something goes down and they are expelled from school, three of the four wander off to different places, until they are gathered back together years later, when one of their lies implodes. The story alternates between present time, and the events of the past, which bind these four together. There isn't any slam you over the head plot twist, I kind of figured out the who dunnit, but I was still glued to this one in anticipation of how it was all going to go down. I really took to these characters, even though some were not all that likeable, which is a credit to the author's writing style.

I thoroughly enjoyed this slow burning thriller, and as long as you are not looking for something jaw dropping in intensity, I think this one would be a great choice.

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Published on 2 Comments on The Breakdown
The Breakdown Book Cover The Breakdown
B. A. Paris
Fiction
St. Martin's Press
July 18, 2017
Advanced Reader Copy
336
Publisher via BEA

If you can't trust yourself, who can you trust? Cass is having a hard time since the night she saw the car in the woods, on the winding rural road, in the middle of a downpour, with the woman sitting inside--the woman who was killed. She's been trying to put the crime out of her mind; what could she have done, really? It's a dangerous road to be on in the middle of a storm. Her husband would be furious if he knew she'd broken her promise not to take that shortcut home. And she probably would only have been hurt herself if she'd stopped. But since then, she's been forgetting every little thing: where she left the car, if she took her pills, the alarm code, why she ordered a pram when she doesn't have a baby. The only thing she can't forget is that woman, the woman she might have saved, and the terrible nagging guilt. Or the silent calls she's receiving, or the feeling that someone's watching her... You won't be able to put down B. A. Paris's The Breakdown, the next chilling, propulsive novel from the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Behind Closed Doors"--

My review:

This was a page-turner of a novel that I devoured in 24 hours! Even though I had my suspicions about a certain character and their involvement, the why and how kept me engrossed well past my bedtime! And my suspicions, while partly correct, were still blown out of the water when more twists were revealed layer upon layer. I really felt empathy for the plight of the main protagonist Cass, as she grapples with her guilt over not stopping in a less than safe situation to help a person in need. The plot moves along at pretty warp like speed, and the writing, while not worthy of any literary awards, was sufficient to move the story forward and make you believe in Cass and her story. I did feel that the end got a bit fantastical, although I give the author credit for dotting all the i's and crossing all the t's with regard to explaining what the heck was going down!

A legit, can't put-downable book that will have you escaping reality and devouring its storyline. Put this on your list of books to keep you guessing and on your toes.

Published on Leave a comment on The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen
The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen Book Cover The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen
Hendrik Groen
Fiction
Grand Central Publishing
July 11, 2017
Hardcover
384
Publisher

Hendrik Groen may be old, but he is far from dead and isn't planning to be buried any time soon. Granted, his daily strolls are getting shorter because his legs are no longer willing and he has to visit his doctor more than he'd like. Technically speaking he is...elderly. But surely there is more to life at his age than weak tea and potted geraniums?

Hendrik sets out to write an exposé: a year in the life of his care home in Amsterdam, revealing all its ups and downs--not least his new endeavor the anarchic Old-But-Not-Dead Club. And when Eefje moves in--the woman Hendrik has always longed for--he polishes his shoes (and his teeth), grooms what's left of his hair and attempts to make something of the life he has left, with hilarious, tender and devastating consequences.

The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen will not only delight older readers with its wit and relevance, but will charm and inspire those who have years to go before their own expiry date.

My review:

I'm not always big on books being compared to other books (Gone Girl anyone? Ugh). When this came to me as a comparison to A Man Called Ove and The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, I was hesitant. I can see some similarities between these books, but Hendrik definitely stands on his own! Told in diary form, completely in Hendrik's voice, we hear about a year in the life of a man in an assisted living facility in the Netherlands. Groen is candid about the living conditions, his fellow "inmates" (as he calls them), the day to day boredom, as well as the occasional sparks of fun (largely created by him and his squad of Old But Not Dead club members). There is humor, there is friendship, there is mischief, there is sadness, there is compassion and there is certainly distain for the whiners and complainers amongst his fellow residents.  I absolutely fell in love with Hendrik, as well as several of the other residents. I've heard that there is another diary coming, and I can't wait to see what the characters continue to be up to while trying to remain positive and upbeat in their twilight years.

One of my favorite quotes (about his fellow inmates): "We lose some capacities as we age, but being a busybody isn't one of them."

An absolute must read for anyone who knows of someone in an assisted living facility (my father was in one for years, and my mother-in-law is currently a resident). I laughed until I cried at several points when he described something happening such as the assigned seating for meals, and the problem with all the mobility devices on elevators! I can only hope to be like Hendrik (or at least have someone like him as a friend) when I grow old.

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Published on 6 Comments on The Almost Sisters
The Almost Sisters Book Cover The Almost Sisters
Joshilyn Jackson
Fiction
William Morrow
July 11, 2017
Hardcover
352
Publisher via She Reads

With empathy, grace, humor, and piercing insight, the author of gods in Alabama pens a powerful, emotionally resonant novel of the South that confronts the truth about privilege, family, and the distinctions between perception and reality---the stories we tell ourselves about our origins and who we really are. Superheroes have always been Leia Birch Briggs’ weakness. One tequila-soaked night at a comics convention, the usually level-headed graphic novelist is swept off her barstool by a handsome and anonymous Batman. It turns out the caped crusader has left her with more than just a nice, fuzzy memory. She’s having a baby boy—an unexpected but not unhappy development in the thirty-eight year-old’s life. But before Leia can break the news of her impending single-motherhood (including the fact that her baby is biracial) to her conventional, Southern family, her step-sister Rachel’s marriage implodes. Worse, she learns her beloved ninety-year-old grandmother, Birchie, is losing her mind, and she’s been hiding her dementia with the help of Wattie, her best friend since girlhood. Leia returns to Alabama to put her grandmother’s affairs in order, clean out the big Victorian that has been in the Birch family for generations, and tell her family that she’s pregnant. Yet just when Leia thinks she’s got it all under control, she learns that illness is not the only thing Birchie’s been hiding. Tucked in the attic is a dangerous secret with roots that reach all the way back to the Civil War. Its exposure threatens the family’s freedom and future, and it will change everything about how Leia sees herself and her sister, her son and his missing father, and the world she thinks she knows.

My review:

I've read many of Joshilyn Jackson's books, and have really enjoyed them all. However, I think this is my favorite of the bunch! Jackson has a way of writing the south that is spot on, without being fake or like she is trying too hard. The premise for this novel made me giggle before I even started reading it (pregnant from a one night stand with Batman at a comic con......priceless idea for a novel!). But lest you think that this is a comedic novel, it is not. You may chuckle along the way, but there are also some serious and real time struggles going on with the various characters. There is her sister's marital troubles, her niece's coming of age trials, her grandmother's hidden senility, and that big secret looming in the trunk in the attic. Add to all that the issue of race, and the perception of the south vs. being brought up and living there. The writing was fabulous, the characters were ones that you cared about seeing through to the end, and the descriptive setting all came together to make for a wonderful read. The only thing that would have made this better is if I could have listened to it on audio, since the author narrates her books (and if you ever get the chance to listen to one of her titles, be sure to do so!).

I ate up this story of family, with all its built in drama (and humor). Ms. Jackson is one of the best southern writers out there, and this novel just solidifies that point.

This book was a summer selection for the SheReads blog network. Click the link to read more about them, and follow along on social media with #shereads for more reviews of all the books chosen this summer.

 

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Published on 4 Comments on Month in Review: Incoming vs. Outgoing June 2017

GULP......well, any of you reading who know that I went to BookExpo/BookCon know what this month is going to look like! No sense in hashing it over, let's just get into it 🙂

Books acquired at BookExpo/BookCon =  70 (2 of the books pictured were counted last month since I acquired them on 5/31)

Books sent from publishers = 2

Books purchased = 3

Books my husband purchased for my birthday from my wish list! = 19

Now for the books I read (which will never be enough this month!) = 19 (11 physical 8 audio)

As much as I don't want to do this........here goes:

Total books incoming = 94!!!!!
Total books outgoing = 19
Total this month = plus 75
Total at end of last month = plus 2

Grand total = plus 77

Looks like I've got my work cut out for me. I do read about 20 books per month, so if I never bought or received another book, I could get this down in about 4 months. Of course we all know how that is going to go down 🙂 🙂 🙂

How did your month go? Those of you I met at BookExpo, I bet you can relate!

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Published on 2 Comments on Every Last Lie
Every Last Lie Book Cover Every Last Lie
Mary Kubica
Fiction
Park Row Books
June 27, 2017
Advanced Reader Copy
336
Publisher via BookExpo

New York Times bestselling author of THE GOOD GIRL, Mary Kubica is back with another exhilarating thriller as a widow's pursuit of the truth leads her to the darkest corners of the psyche. "The bad man, Daddy. The bad man is after us." Clara Solberg's world shatters when her husband and their four-year-old daughter are in a car crash, killing Nick while Maisie is remarkably unharmed. The crash is ruled an accident...until the coming days, when Maisie starts having night terrors that make Clara question what really happened on that fateful afternoon. Tormented by grief and her obsession that Nick's death was far more than just an accident, Clara is plunged into a desperate hunt for the truth. Who would have wanted Nick dead? And, more important, why? Clara will stop at nothing to find out--and the truth is only the beginning of this twisted tale of secrets and deceit. Told in the alternating perspectives of Clara's investigation and Nick's last months leading up to the crash, master of suspense Mary Kubica weaves her most chilling thriller to date--one that explores the dark recesses of a mind plagued by grief and shows that some secrets might be better left buried.

My review:

4.5 stars

I've been a huge fan of Mary Kubica ever since reading her debut novel The Good Girl. While that book will always hold a special place for me (I still remember exactly where I was when I read the shocking ending!), this one is right up there in my adoration. I've decided that the thing that I love most about Kubica's books is that while they all contain a mystery, there is the underlying element of people going about their real lives, complete with their mundane tasks and problems. Her characters are so well drawn, you can see yourself meeting them at the grocery store or living in your neighborhood.  In this case, we have a new mother who has just lost her husband. This poor woman has to hold it together on virtually no sleep, caring for a newborn and a 4 year old, while trying to come to terms with the loss of her husband, whose death may be under mysterious circumstances. My heart went out to her, and I could totally see why she did the sort of manic things she did. Concurrent with Clara's story, we have the last months of her husband Nick's life before the fateful accident that took his life. This was almost a 5 star for me, but I did have a couple small issues that I wanted resolved a bit more than they were before the book ended. I've heard a couple people questioning the ending, but for me it was perfectly fitting in the context of the story, and I loved it. I even shed a few tears over the last line!

Once again, this author does not disappoint. Kubica remains high on my list of go to reads when I want a well crafted story, with wonderfully written characters and a mystery to be solved.

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Published on 1 Comment on Before Everything
Before Everything Book Cover Before Everything
Victoria Redel
Fiction
Viking
June 27, 2017
Advanced Reader Copy
288
Publisher via Penguin First to Read

Before Everything is a celebration of friendship and love between a group of women who have known each another since they were girls. They've faced everything together, from youthful sprees and scrapes to mid-life turning points. Now, as Anna, the group's trailblazer and brightest spark, enters hospice, they gather to do what they've always done--talk and laugh and help each other make choices and plans, this time in Anna's rural Massachusetts home. Helen, Anna's best friend and a celebrated painter, is about to remarry. The others face their own challenges--Caroline with her sister's mental health crisis; Molly with a teenage daughter's rebellion; Ming with her law practice--dilemmas with kids and work and love. Before Everything is as funny as it is bittersweet, as the friends revel in the hilarious mistakes they've seen each another through, the secrets kept, and adventures shared. But now all sense of time has shifted, and the pattern of their lives together takes on new meaning. The novel offers a brilliant, emotionally charged portrait, deftly conveying the sweep of time over everyday lives, and showing how even in difficult endings, gifts can unfold. Above all it is an ode to friendship, and to how one person shapes the journeys of those around her.

My review:

3.5 stars

An enjoyable story (perhaps not the best use of words since it's about a woman choosing to die), all about friendships and respecting those bonds. The protagonist is foregoing any more treatments for her rare form of cancer, and has chosen to live out her days enjoying the company of those she loves most. Four of her friends, who met in elementary school, show up at her home to spend quality time with her before she passes. There is an ongoing issue between those who want her to continue with her treatment, and those who want to respect her wishes. There is also the interesting aspect of what makes a long time friend? Do those who have known you for twenty years not count, just because you have friends older than that? We do get some background into these people's lives, although had the book been a bit longer, I would have liked a bit more to really flesh out some of the characters. Each of the women was dealing with issues in her life that her life long  friends can discuss and advise on. I appreciated the fact that while this book deals with a heavy subject matter, it wasn't depressing, and I felt closure upon its ending. My minor issue with this book was that some of the writing was too choppy. There were small segments of just a few sentences interspersed in the story that I felt were supposed to have meaning, but I didn't get it (like, what was with the dog parts?). I ended up feeling like I was missing some point that the author was trying to convey.

Overall a good story about friends, and the act of letting go of the bonds of friendship created over time, and through the trials of each of their lives.

I received this courtesy of the Penguin First to Read program. Click this link to find out more about them. All opinions are my own.

 

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Published on 2 Comments on The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo Book Cover The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Taylor Jenkins Reid
Fiction
Simon and Schuster
June 13, 2017
Hardcover
400
Publisher via BookExpo

“The epic adventures Evelyn creates over the course of a lifetime will leave every reader mesmerized. This wildly addictive journey of a reclusive Hollywood starlet and her tumultuous Tinseltown journey comes with unexpected twists and the most satisfying of drama.” —PopSugar From Taylor Jenkins Reid, “a genius when it comes to stories about life and love” (Redbook), comes an unforgettable and sweeping novel about one classic film actress’s relentless rise to the top—the risks she took, the loves she lost, and the long-held secrets the public could never imagine. Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one in the journalism community is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now? Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband, David, has left her, and her career has stagnated. Regardless of why Evelyn has chosen her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career. Summoned to Evelyn’s Upper East Side apartment, Monique listens as Evelyn unfurls her story: from making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the late 80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way. As Evelyn’s life unfolds—revealing a ruthless ambition, an unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love—Monique begins to feel a very a real connection to the actress. But as Evelyn’s story catches up with the present, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways. Written with Reid’s signature talent for “creating complex, likable characters” (Real Simple), this is a fascinating journey through the splendor of Old Hollywood into the harsh realities of the present day as two women struggle with what it means—and what it takes—to face the truth.

My review:

I feel like most of those people who are in the blog community (unless you are living under a rock!) have read, or at least know of, this book. But for those of my friends and family (and those rock dwellers :)) who read my blog, I have to tell you about the fabulousness (not a word, but I'm using it for her anyway) of Taylor Jenkins Reid, and specifically of this book! I've read all of Ms. Reid's prior novels, and really enjoyed them all, but I think she has hit it out of the park with this one! I don't want to give too much away, because I just want you to read it, but Evelyn Hugo is one of those written characters that just comes to life and jumps off the page. For me, the most interesting part about her, is that she's not particularly the most likeable person, yet I could not get enough of her and her life story! The premise of the book is that Evelyn, an aging star of the screen in old Hollywood, has decided that she wants to tell her life story, to get the facts out there. She brings in a young, unknown magazine journalist to take down her story. How did she end up with seven husbands? How did she rise to fame and fortune? Who was her one true love? As a side story, we see glimpses of the journalist's life as she spends more and more time penning Evelyn's story. The paths of their two lives do collide in a most surprising way toward the end of the book.

This is a fascinating glimpse into the glitz and glamour of the times, and a woman who made a name for herself, but at what costs? Trust me on this when I say, just read it!

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Published on 1 Comment on Month in Review: Incoming vs. Outgoing May 2017

My ongoing series to see if I can stay ahead of my tbr piles! I was doing pretty well this month until I attended Book Expo in NYC. I attended the Editor's buzz panel on May 31st, so I may as well count them this month ('cause you already know what kind of a disaster next month is going to be!). So, let's get to it........

Total Incoming books purchased by me = 13

Total from Penguin First to Read = 2 (The Sunshine Sisters and Touch)

Total sent from publishers = 5 (plus 5 from BookExpo) = 10

Total books read = 20 (12 books, 8 audiobooks)

Total Incoming = 25
Total Outgoing = 20

Final = minus 5
April final = plus 2
New total = minus 3

Looks like I'm in MAJOR trouble next month when the BookExpo (plus my birthday) books kick in!! But I'm going to keep on with the record keeping, and not let numbers get me down.

How was your month?

 

 

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Published on 2 Comments on The Summer House
The Summer House Book Cover The Summer House
Hannah McKinnon
Fiction
Atria
June 6, 2017
Advanced Reader Copy
336
Publisher

Flossy Merrill has managed to—somewhat begrudgingly—gather her three ungrateful grown children from their dysfunctional lives for a summer reunion at the family’s Rhode Island beach house. Clementine, her youngest child and a young mother of two small children, has caused Flossy the most worry after enduring a tragically life-altering year. But Samuel and his partner Evan are not far behind in their ability to alarm: their prospective adoption search has just taken a heart-wrenching turn. Only Paige, the eldest of the headstrong Merrill clan, is her usual self: arriving precisely on time with her well-adapted teens. Little does her family know that she, too, is facing personal struggles of her own.

No matter. With her family finally congregated under one seaside roof, Flossy is determined to steer her family back on course even as she prepares to reveal the fate of the summer house that everyone has thus far taken for granted: she’s selling it. The Merrill children are both shocked and outraged and each returns to memories of their childhoods at their once beloved summer house—the house where they have not only grown up, but from which they have grown away. With each lost in their respective heartaches, Clementine, Samuel, and Paige will be forced to reconsider what really matters before they all say goodbye to a house that not only defined their summers, but, ultimately, the ways in which they define themselves.

My review:

This was the first book I've read by Hannah McKinnon, although I've certainly seen her previous novels around, especially on most beach read lists. I went into it expecting a light, fluffy, chic-litish read, which I am totally game for during the summer. What I got was that, but a whole lot more! This was a well written family saga revolving around three children, all of whom have varying degrees of turmoil in their lives. They all gather at their childhood summer house, summoned by their mother for a week spent together (just like when they were kids), culminating in the birthday celebration for their father. It's an interesting study in how our childhood personalities grow with us, and are even more on display when extended families get together. Lest you be concerned that there isn't anything to this book but family drama, there is some great descriptions of summer beach life involving sand, surf, and food! I must admit to rolling my eyes at the obligatory love interest, but I was relieved by the way it pans out. This had light moments, funny moments (Flossie trying to get her mother's oyster recipe from the stubborn book club member!), serious drama, and the usual family squabbles all wrapped up in one package. I would also be remiss if I didn't mention that Merrill is my maiden name, so I thought it was pretty cool to see it in print.

A fantastic addition to your summer beach bag. This one incorporates family drama with family love, all in an idyllic beach setting. I was happy that I got the chance to read this one at my own summer house!