Review: My Sunshine Away 6

ondbookshelfMarch 9, 20156 Comments

My Sunshine Away

My Sunshine Away unfolds in a Baton Rouge neighborhood best known for cookouts on sweltering summer afternoons, cauldrons of spicy crawfish, and passionate football fandom. But in the summer of 1989, when fifteen-year-old Lindy Simpson—free spirit, track star, and belle of the block—experiences a horrible crime late one evening near her home, it becomes apparent that this idyllic stretch of Southern suburbia has a dark side, too.

In My Sunshine Away, M.O. Walsh brilliantly juxtaposes the enchantment of a charmed childhood with the gripping story of a violent crime, unraveling families, and consuming adolescent love. Acutely wise and deeply honest, it is an astonishing and page-turning debut about the meaning of family, the power of memory, and our ability to forgive.

~ Goodreads

My review..........3 stars

It pains me to say this because so many people are raving about this book, but I can only say that I liked it. It is one of those books that was good enough to keep me reading to the end, but one that will probably not resonate down the road. It wasn't because of the writing, which was very good, but because of the characters, particularly the story's narrator. The narrator is a teenage boy who is obsessed with this girl who gets raped in their quiet neighborhood. And when I say obsessed, I mean creepy (to me) obsessed. Having never been a teenage boy, or having a teenage boy, I'm sure I'm missing the point, but his behavior (from the spying in trees, changing his appearance, the excessive drinking and carousing), made me not care for him at all. I did enjoy trying to figure out who had committed the crime, as the story is told over a long period of time, where each potential candidate is introduced. This is a debut novel, and I look forward to reading another one by this author. While I didn't enjoy the characters, I did like his writing, and hope that I will relate better to the next novel.

I'm one of the few who hasn't really warmed to this one, so you may want to pick it up and form your own opinions on it.

Short and Sweet YA Reviews 2

ondbookshelfMarch 5, 2015March 5, 20152 Comments

I tend to read young adult fiction in between some of my other books. I find it to be a nice change of pace. The books tend to be a bit shorter, and I am more apt to venture into some genres that I wouldn't necessarily read. I'm going to give a short review of the books I've read so far in 2015. All book titles are linked to Goodreads, if you would like a more detailed synopsis of the books.

Dash & Lilly's Book of Dares

I read this at the end of 2014. The story takes place over the holidays, so it was the perfect time to read this one. It was very cute, I loved the fact that it revolves around a bookstore. My review.........3 stars

The Selection

First in a trilogy. Points given for the gorgeous covers! I would describe this as The Hunger Games (minus the violence) meets The Bachelor. While I'm not a huge Bachelor fan, and this would (I believe) be considered a dystopian novel, I loved it!! My review..........5 stars

The Elite

This one, while good, was my least favorite of the trilogy. A lot of time was spent with the main character deciding which guy she wanted, and I got bored. It picked up at the end, which was a good omen for book three. My review.........4 stars

All The Bright Places

Don't hate me for this, but I could not get into the characters in this book at all. So many glowing reviews for this one, but I was just meh. I didn't really care what happened to them. This one fell flat. My review.........2 stars

The One

This one fell somewhere in between the first book and the second book. I really liked the way the author resolved the love triangle, let's just say she didn't take the easy way out and eliminate one of them. Mixed emotions at the end. My review...........4.5 stars

All These Things I've Done

Great book. Kind of a dystopian, family sage, mafioso mash-up, that was really well written. Kept me engaged the whole way through! This is the first in a series, I'm going to have to seek out the others. My review.........4 stars

If You Come Softly

My first book by National Book Award winner Woodson. I thought the writing was wonderful, the story was just ok. The book was really short, and I think this may have hindered my fully attaching to the characters. My review..........3 stars

Review: The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy 2

ondbookshelfMarch 3, 2015February 25, 20152 Comments

The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy (Harold Fry #2)

by Rachel Joyce

When Queenie Hennessy discovers that Harold Fry is walking the length of England to save her, and all she has to do is wait, she is shocked. Her note had explained she was dying. How can she wait?

A new volunteer at the hospice suggests that Queenie should write again; only this time she must tell Harold everything. In confessing to secrets she has hidden for twenty years, she will find atonement for the past. As the volunteer points out, 'Even though you've done your travelling, you're starting a new journey too.'

Queenie thought her first letter would be the end of the story. She was wrong. It was the beginning.

~ Goodreads

My review.............4 stars

I was a huge fan of the companion novel to this book, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. While I would not say that you have to read Harold's story before Queenie's, I do think that it would be beneficial, and it would shed more light and understanding to this one. While I loved Queenie and her journey while she waits for Harold's concurrent journey, I loved the short snippets we got from the hospice home where Queenie is living. The day to day goings on were what I looked forward to, as much as Queenie's continuing story about her prior life with Harold. Rachel Joyce is a wonderful writer, these are not the only two books I have read from her, and I look forward to many more! The only thing I did not like about the book was the ending! Of course by reading Harold's novel, I knew part of it, but without giving out spoilers, I was intrigued, but at the same time kind of disappointed with Queenie's letters. It was an interesting twist, but left me wanting more closure.

I would absolutely recommend this book, but if you want the full experience, be sure to pick up a copy of Harold Fry's book to go with it. Thanks to the publisher who provided me an advance copy of this book (via NetGalley).

Review: The Nightingale 7

ondbookshelfFebruary 24, 20157 Comments

The Nightingale

by Kristin Hannah

In love we find out who we want to be.
In war we find out who we are.

FRANCE, 1939

In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn’t believe that the Nazis will invade France...but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When France is overrun, Vianne is forced to take an enemy into her house, and suddenly her every move is watched; her life and her child’s life is at constant risk. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates around her, she must make one terrible choice after another.

Vianne’s sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious eighteen-year-old girl, searching for purpose with all the reckless passion of youth. While thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terrors of war, she meets the compelling and mysterious Gäetan, a partisan who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within France, and she falls in love as only the young can...completely. When he betrays her, Isabelle races headlong into danger and joins the Resistance, never looking back or giving a thought to the real--and deadly--consequences.

With courage, grace and powerful insight, bestselling author Kristin Hannah takes her talented pen to the epic panorama of WWII and illuminates an intimate part of history seldom seen: the women’s war. The Nightingale tells the stories of two sisters, separated by years and experience, by ideals, passion and circumstance, each embarking on her own dangerous path toward survival, love, and freedom in German-occupied, war-torn France--a heartbreakingly beautiful novel that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the durability of women. It is a novel for everyone, a novel for a lifetime.

~ Goodreads

My review.............4.5 stars

Wow, what an amazing read! I've read a few books by Kristin Hannah in the past, but this one was different than others. Ms. Hannah delves into historical fiction, and does she ever deliver! This is set during WWII in France, and focuses on the role the women played in the war effort. Unlike All The Light We Cannot See (which I did not enjoy), this one was what I'd been waiting for. So many things to like about this book, starting with the characters. I thought all of the characters were well drawn out, even those that we did not follow throughout the course of the book. Even though I was more drawn to Vianne and her story, it was Isabelle's story that provided the tension and kept me turning pages. I loved that there was the hint of romance, but the author never went there, which (for me) was huge plus. In my opinion the story would have lost some lustre if romance had become a focus. I'm not going to lie and tell you this is a pleasing read, it is dark and gritty with all the images of war ravaging throughout. The end was such an incredible climax to the story. Your heart goes out to these characters, I was not without tissues on several occasions. The only reason this did not rate 5 stars was because I felt it was a little slow to take off (which is bound to happen when setting up historical novels), and thought it was maybe a tad too long in the middle. Very minor things.

If you have any interest in this time period, or even in women's roles in historical fiction, you must pick this up! Many kudos to Kristin Hannah for her research and engrossing story! It's one I won't soon forget. Thanks to my Indie bookstore, I had the pleasure of attending an author event with Ms. Hannah, where she spoke about her research and the impetus for writing this novel. It was a wonderful event!

Review: The Martian 8

ondbookshelfFebruary 18, 20158 Comments

The Martian

by Andy Weir

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first men to walk on the surface of Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first man to die there.

It started with the dust storm that holed his suit and nearly killed him, and that forced his crew to leave him behind, sure he was already dead. Now he's stranded millions of miles from the nearest human being, with no way to even signal Earth that he's alive--and even if he could get word out, his food would be gone years before a rescue mission could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to get him first.

But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills--and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit--he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. But will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

My review...........5 stars!!

This is a sci-fi book people......and I freaking LOVED it!! It is probably important to mention a couple things about me that may have influenced my love of this book. I have always been a science geek, and I was an 11 year old girl (following every aspect) when we landed a man on the moon. The space program has always held a huge interest for me. Then again, I've read a lot of reviews for this book, and not one of them has been anything but positive. We can't all be space geeks right?

The book is written primarily as journal entries from Mark Watney. There are also chapters within the story that detail what is going on at mission control, once they realize Mark is stranded on Mars. The main character is one of the best characters to ever be written. He is smart, industrious, genuine,funny (laugh out loud funny in several places). It was amazing to me that the author would create scenarios, and have the knowledge of how to get Mark out of them. The whole idea of him trying to solve his food issue was fascinating!

I could not put this book down. I had to see Mark through all of his crises. This would make such a great movie, I hope it is optioned for one. Get this book, you won't be sorry!

Review: Whistling Past the Graveyard 2

ondbookshelfFebruary 16, 2015February 16, 20152 Comments

Whistling Past the Graveyard

by Susan Crandall

The summer of 1963 begins like any other for nine-year-old Starla Claudelle. Born to teenage parents in Mississippi, Starla is being raised by a strict paternal grandmother, Mamie, whose worst fear is that Starla will turn out like her mother. Starla hasn’t seen her momma since she was three, but is convinced that her mother will keep her promise to take Starla and her daddy to Nashville, where her mother hopes to become a famous singer—and that one day her family will be whole and perfect.

When Starla is grounded on the Fourth of July, she sneaks out to see the parade. After getting caught, Starla’s fear that Mamie will make good on her threats and send her to reform school cause her to panic and run away from home. Once out in the country, Starla is offered a ride by a black woman, Eula, who is traveling with a white baby. She happily accepts a ride, with the ultimate goal of reaching her mother in Nashville.

As the two unlikely companions make their long and sometimes dangerous journey, Starla’s eyes are opened to the harsh realities of 1963 southern segregation. Through talks with Eula, reconnecting with her parents, and encountering a series of surprising misadventures, Starla learns to let go of long-held dreams and realizes family is forged from those who will sacrifice all for you, no matter if bound by blood or by the heart.

My review............3 stars

Such a feel good kind of story! That is not to say that there wasn't some tension and sadness along the way, but in the end you come away with a sigh of satisfaction. The title refers to the act of keeping your head up and carrying on when you encounter trouble in your life. The narrator of this book is what makes the story! She is adorable, sassy, smart, precocious, and a kid I'd love to get to know. I thought the author did a good job with all of the characters. The segregation and racial tension was very well portrayed without it being an "in your face" part of the plot. It's the kind of book where you are rooting for the characters through all of their adventures.

I gave it three stars simply because it's the kind of book that probably won't resonate with me down the road, except to remember that I liked it. That still makes it a book worth reading, it's a worthy one. And I dare you not to fall in love with little Starla.

A Whirlwind of Author Events 8

ondbookshelfFebruary 12, 2015February 12, 20158 Comments

I've recently attended four author events in eight days!! I feel so lucky to live in an area that has some wonderful Indie bookstores that schedule great authors to come talk about their books! I love being able to listen to these authors talk about how these books came to be, and to get a feel for the authors themselves. It is interesting how much their personalities sometimes spill over into their writing. This was quite a diverse group, two debut authors, one relative newbie, and one with over 20 books to her name. Here is the lineup:

Monday February 2, 2015

Natalie Baszile with her debut novel Queen Sugar.

Natalie spoke to us on the night that it was revealed that her book was being picked up by Oprah to become a series on OWN TV! Needless to say she was pretty excited, as were we!

Friday February 6, 2015

Kristin Hannah with her 23rd book The Nightingale.

Wonderful presentation about her research and reason for writing this book. Great Q&A session with insight into lots of her previous books as well as this one. So personable and friendly!

Saturday February 7, 2015

Kim Wright with her 2nd book The Unexpected Waltz.

This event was at a new to me bookstore about 40 minutes from my house. Can we talk about how beautiful this place is? That fireplace in the "signing room" was so lovely! Even though it was a bit of a drive, I would go back to future events for certain. Kim's book is one that I am in a discussion group on Goodreads for. During the course of the discussion I found out that she would be close enough to me to go and hear her talk. Great lady who writes about middle aged women (yay). Very funny story about how her next book The Canterbury Sisters came to be!

Tuesday February 10, 2015

Charles Belfoure with his debut novel The Paris Architect.

New author of a book that sounds fascinating. This author is an architect (still) who decided to start a second career in writing fiction. He's looking forward to his writing career taking off so he can quit his stressful day job! He talked about the idea for this book, and gave us lots of info about his second novel (due out in the fall) which sounds equally as interesting as the first.

Whew! I think I'm done with events for a while, now I need to sit back and read all these, and the dozens of other books on my shelves 🙂

Review: The Girl On The Train 4

ondbookshelfFebruary 11, 20154 Comments

The Girl on the Train

by Paula Hawkins

Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. “Jess and Jason,” she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.

And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?

A compulsively readable, emotionally immersive, Hitchcockian thriller that draws comparisons to Gone Girl, The Silent Wife, or Before I Go to Sleep, this is an electrifying debut embraced by readers across markets and categories.

My review.............4 stars

So unless you are living under a rock, you've probably seen or heard something about this book. The fact that it's being compared to Gone Girl really bugs me (most of us who read a lot are tired of it ok?). It's a psychological thriller, and I guess publishers think this new comparison is going to sell more books. I get it, but I'm over it. But I digress.........

This was a great read. Very engaging, you are immediately caught up in Rachel's world, and soon caught up in the plot (to the tune of "what the heck is going on here?"). It's definitely a book that keeps you turning pages to find out what is going to happen. I did figure out the whoodunit well before the end (and I'm not a big mystery reader/crime solver). I've read some reviews where that bothered people, but it didn't me. I was happy that I figured it out (for once). What kept me from giving this 5 stars is that there wasn't really a likable character at all. Even though I was rooting for Rachel to get it together, she kept frustrating me with her behavior throughout the book. I really needed someone to love and feel sorry for, and none of the characters brought that to me.

Overall a fast paced, interesting, and intriguing book. I flew through it, and it left me very satisfied at the end.