The Perfect Family by Shalini Boland

 

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘📘📘
Genre - Psychological Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Thriller
Format - Paperback
Length - 282 Pages

*Amazon Blurb*

‘Mummy, she’s gone…’ 

Gemma Ballantine is getting ready for work one morning when her eldest child comes running down the stairs, saying the words every mother dreads. 

 The front door is open. And her six-year-old daughter has disappeared. Frantic with fear, Gemma starts a nail-biting search for her little girl. 

After what feels like forever, her mother-in-law Diane finds Katie wandering lost a few streets away. Relieved to have her youngest child back in her arms, breathing in the sweet scent of her hair, Gemma thinks the nightmare is over. 

But then her perfect family starts to fall apart. And she realises it’s only just beginning…

 

*My Review* 

 

This book was twisting throughout the whole thing. Is Gemma really just having the worst luck or is someone out to get her.....and if so, who and WHY? There really is no such thing as the perfect family. I did NOT see the ending coming and those are the ones that I love the most.

I Am Watching You by Teresa Driscoll

 

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘📘
Genre - Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Murder Thriller, Mysteries
Format - Paperback
Length - 299 Pages

*Amazon Blurb*

What would it take to make you intervene?

When Ella Longfield overhears two attractive young men flirting with teenage girls on a train, she thinks nothing of it―until she realises they are fresh out of prison and her maternal instinct is put on high alert. But just as she’s decided to call for help, something stops her. The next day, she wakes up to the news that one of the girls―beautiful, green-eyed Anna Ballard―has disappeared.
A year later, Anna is still missing. Ella is wracked with guilt over what she failed to do, and she’s not the only one who can’t forget. Someone is sending her threatening letters―letters that make her fear for her life.
Then an anniversary appeal reveals that Anna’s friends and family might have something to hide. Anna’s best friend, Sarah, hasn’t been telling the whole truth about what really happened that night―and her parents have been keeping secrets of their own.
Someone knows where Anna is―and they’re not telling. But they are watching Ella.

 

*My Review* 

 

I did NOT see the ending coming!!! Although the book was slow and not all that suspenseful, I would've never guessed the ending. In a way it made me think in the beginning...would I have said anything? Honestly, I don't think I would have, or many other people. Mind your business is just how things are. I didn't really care for the main character, Ella. I mean bad things happen to good people all the time. Even if she had spoken up, teenagers will do what they want and I don't think it would've changed anything....except then there wouldn't have been a book.
Regardless, Ella becomes obsessed with the disappearance of Anna which makes her a bit creepy. The only reason I rated the book as high as I did is because of the ending.

The Friends We Keep by Susan Mallory

 

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘📘
Genre - Fiction, Women's Friendship, Women's Domestic Life
Format - Paperback
Length - 416 Pages

*Amazon Blurb*

After five years as a stay-at-home mom, Gabby Schaefer can't wait to return to work. Oh, to use the bathroom in peace! No twins clamoring at the door, no husband barging in, no stepdaughter throwing a tantrum. But when her plans are derailed by some shocking news and her husband's crushing expectations, Gabby must fight for the right to have a life of her own. 

Getting pregnant is easy for Hayley Batchelor. Staying pregnant is the hard part. Her husband is worried about the expensive fertility treatments and frantic about the threat to her health. But to Hayley, a woman who was born to be a mom should risk everything to fulfill her destiny—no matter how high the cost. 

Nicole Lord is still shell-shocked by a divorce that wasn't as painful as it should've been. Other than the son they share, her ex-husband left barely a ripple in her life. A great new guy tempts her to believe maybe the second time's the charm…but how can she trust herself to recognize true love? 

 As their bonds of friendship deepen against the beautiful backdrop of Mischief Bay, Gabby, Hayley and Nicole will rely on good food, good wine and especially each other to navigate life's toughest changes.

 

*My Review* 

 

No matter your group of friends, I'm sure you will find a Gabby, Hayley and Nicole in it. I
couldn't believe how connected I felt to one f the characters. It was almost like Susan was writing about me and not some fictional character.
The book bounces back and forth between each friend and their situation. It is very easy to follow and it helps see that, though your friends (even best friends) may seem fine on the outside, there could be things going on that you're not aware of.

 Why Libraries?

Frank J Basloe Library

Back in the day....what a way to start any story, right? But in this case it's true. If you are as old as I am, or older, then you remember how important libraries were when we needed to look up information especially for school projects. We didn't have computers or cell phones to be able to look up something at any moment.
Libraries are also great for the communities because they offer many programs....did you know that? So many people aren't aware of what libraries offer these days. Some things they offer are free resources, they help connect communities and offer a quite place to do work or just to disconnect from the craziness of the world. My library even has a book club (that I am happy to be in charge of) that bring people together in reading books that you may not normally have read. 

Frank J Basloe Library

For readers it is a major money saver. I would love to be able to support authors by buying their books, but I simply can't afford to spend and average of $20 a book. So far this year I have read 15 (not including kids books that I read with my daughter). That would've cost me $300 so far!!!! I don't know about you, but I can't afford that. Now don't get me wrong and think that I never buy books either. I do have some favorite authors that I like to have in my personal library and if I read a book that is awesome, I may purchase it so that I can reread it at a later date. Also, physical copies are great to have if you like to attend book signings or to give as gifts.

The pictures you see here are of my library. We are in the process of a huge renovation. So far we have completed complete Phase 1 (there are pictures of the renovation process on their site). 

 

The library also has the Friends of the Library Book Sale. It is a way to help raise money to support the library. We had a beautiful sign donated by A & P Master Images and were finally put up last week. 

 

If you are local to the area, we are always looking for "friends" to help out. Click here for more information.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Available on Amazon

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘
Genre - Fiction, Holocaust, Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Foster Home
Format - Paperback
Length - 608 Pages

*Amazon Blurb*

When Death has a story to tell, you listen.
It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.
Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement.

 

*My Review* 

 

Another book club book and also another one that was hard to get thru. Not only was this book extremely long, but in my opinion it was extremely boring too. I felt like it wasn't going anywhere at all. There was no suspense, no excitement.....nothing. The only thing that I wanted to know is what happened to the Jewish man.

I also decided to force my poor husband to watch the movie with me. I generally don't watch movies of the books I've read because, let's face it, books are better. I had heard from a couple different people that the movie was better than the book in this case. I agree and disagree at the same time. I feel that the movie gave the book a bit more desire to finish, but it also missed some parts that I feel were very necessary in understanding things.

The Orphan Collector by Ellen Marie Wiseman

Available on Amazon

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘📘📘
Genre - Fiction, World War, Historical Fiction, Coming of Age
Format - Paperback
Length - 304 Pages

*Amazon Blurb*

In the fall of 1918, thirteen-year-old German immigrant Pia Lange longs to be far from Philadelphia’s overcrowded slums and the anti-immigrant sentiment that compelled her father to enlist in the U.S. Army. But as her city celebrates the end of war, an even more urgent threat arrives: the Spanish flu. Funeral crepe and quarantine signs appear on doors as victims drop dead in the streets and desperate survivors wear white masks to ward off illness. When food runs out in the cramped tenement she calls home, Pia must venture alone into the quarantined city in search of supplies, leaving her baby brothers behind. 

Bernice Groves has become lost in grief and bitterness since her baby died from the Spanish flu. Watching Pia leave her brothers alone, Bernice makes a shocking, life-altering decision. It becomes her sinister mission to tear families apart when they’re at their most vulnerable, planning to transform the city’s orphans and immigrant children into what she feels are “true Americans.” 

Waking in a makeshift hospital days after collapsing in the street, Pia is frantic to return home. Instead, she is taken to St. Vincent’s Orphan Asylum – the first step in a long and arduous journey. As Bernice plots to keep the truth hidden at any cost in the months and years that follow, Pia must confront her own shame and fear, risking everything to see justice – and love – triumph at last. Powerful, harrowing, and ultimately exultant, The Orphan Collector is a story of love, resilience, and the lengths we will go to protect those who need us most.

 

*My Review* 

 

Another book that was read for my book club and finally a book that I can get excited about reviewing!

I think it's hard to write reviews when you get stuck in a rut and read a lot of books you don't enjoy. Ellen Marie Wiseman was the author who got my love of reading started as an adult with her book What She Left Behind.

The name of the book, The Orphan Collector, gave me a different view of what I thought the book would be about. I'm not saying it was bad at all, since I really enjoyed this one. I was simply thinking of it in a different light I guess you could say. I can't imagine being anyone who lived during a war. The unimaginable things that they witness or are a part of is just too much to think about. I feel so helpless for them. It's no different for me reading a boo even though it's fiction. A great book makes you feel for the characters and I couldn't have felt more sympathetic for poor Pia. Imagine your whole family being taken from you and no one will listen and help you!!

Of course a good book has to have it's villain, right? Bernice couldn't have fit this position any better. Reading from her point of view made me want to reach into the book and beat her. The things she did are beyond horrible.

How The Witch Stole Chistmas by Dakota Cassidy

 

Available on Amazon

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘
Genre - Fiction, Christmas, Supernatural Thriller, Women Sleuth Mysteries
Format - Audiobook
Length - 4 Hours 47 Minutes

*Amazon Blurb*

It's Christmas, and I, ex-witch Stevie Cartwright, declare this my favorite time of year. I love the decorations! The food! The Hallmark Channel holiday specials! This year promises to be better than ever because for the first time in a very long time, I'm going to have more than just Cheez Whiz, Triscuits, and the wish to be surrounded by family and friends. My carefully planned holiday bonanza includes all the usual suspects: my bat familiar, Belfry; my dog, Whiskey; my ever-present ghostly spy friends, dashing Brit Winterbottom and stalwart Russian Arkady; and my parents. However, nothing comes easy for this amateur sleuth, not even a neighborhood decorating contest. You know, the one I've been painstakingly prepping for for months? Something goes horribly awry with my Christmas display (think bikini-clad carolers, pink flamingos, and real, live turkeys) to start. But the worst? The dead body of the famous Chef Pascal Le June in my nativity scene! It becomes clear someone's trying to ruin my Christmas, and that someone must pay. But when Belfry goes missing and the danger takes on a paranormal edge, I find I have more to lose than ever before.

 

*My Review* 

I wanted something short to listed to just before Christmas (yes another reminder of how far behind I am with reviews) and this one was just that length. Although I didn't think the book was "amazing" or anything like that, I did think it was cute and enjoyed listening to it. I'll admit there were a lot of characters and I was not able to keep them straight which did cause a bit of confusion here and there, but for the most part it was ok and just what I was looking for to pass the time while doing all those crazy chores just before the holiday.

Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak

 

Available on Amazon

Rating (1-5) - 📘
Genre - Fiction, Sisters Fiction, Christmas
Format - Hardcover
Length - 368 pages

*Amazon Blurb*

It's Christmas, and for the first time in years the entire Birch family will be under one roof. Even Emma and Andrew's elder daughter—who is usually off saving the world—will be joining them at Weyfield Hall. But Olivia, a doctor, is only coming home because she has to. She's just returned from treating an epidemic abroad and has been told she must stay in quarantine for a week...and so too should her family.
For the next seven days, the Birches are locked down, cut off from the rest of humanity, and forced into each other's orbits. Younger, unabashedly frivolous daughter Phoebe is fixated on her upcoming wedding, while Olivia deals with the culture shock of first-world problems.
As Andrew sequesters himself in his study writing scathing restaurant reviews and remembering his glory days as a war correspondent, Emma hides a secret that will turn the whole family upside down.
In close proximity, not much can stay hidden for long, and as revelations and long-held tensions come to light, nothing is more shocking than the unexpected guest who's about to arrive....

 

*My Review* 

 

This was read for my book group for Christmas (yes I realize I'm really far behind in my reviews). We wanted something light to read and thought that it would be perfect since we have all been dealing with an epidemic and having to quarantine for far too long. I mean how lucky are these people compared to what we have dealt with? They knew they were going to be quarantined so they were able to get what they needed in advance or make arrangements for deliveries. They also knew it was only going to be 1 week....how far are we into this?

Now when I think about being stuck with family for a week I picture people having to share rooms, or there not being enough space for everyone to have their own. This is definitely NOT the case for the Birch family.

How many of you know someone who was supposed to be in "quarantine" and they stayed home....for the most part, but really just did their own thing too. Ya, that's how this was. I really thought this book was going to be a lot better than it was. The characters weren't likeable, in my opinion anyways. No one in my book club cared for this book.

The President Is Missing by James Patterson and Bill Clinton

Available on Amazon

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘
Genre - Fiction, Political Fiction, International Mystery, Mystery
Format - Audio book
Length - 12 hours 55 minutes

*Amazon Blurb*

The White House is the home of the president of the United States, the most guarded, monitored, closely watched person in the world. So how could a US president vanish without a trace? And why would he choose to do so?
An unprecedented collaboration between President Bill Clinton and the world's best-selling novelist, James Patterson, The President Is Missing is a breathtaking story from the pinnacle of power. Full of what it truly feels like to be the person in the Oval Office - the mind-boggling pressure, the heartbreaking decisions, the exhilarating opportunities, the soul-wrenching power - this is the thriller of the decade, confronting the darkest threats that face the world today, with the highest stakes conceivable.

*My Review* 

 

Not trying to spoil the book, but I will say that it wasn't nearly as thrilling as I thought it was going to be. It definitely was not what I was expecting at all. The president doesn't just up and vanish without a trace....not really anyways. 

 

There were a ton of characters, which I never enjoy because it's too hard to keep them all straight. This one not only has multiple "good guys", but also multiple "bad guys". Just all too much for me. 

Why do you read?

 

Why do you read? I read to escape, to take my mind off of the real world. These days can easily become stressful with everything going on and the feeling of not being able to control anything. With reading I can control what I read which means I can travel to any place in the world. 

Some people read because they have too. Maybe it's part of your job. Editors and proofreaders have to read. So do teachers. Even kids have to read for school, though if you ask my almost 7 year old it's not fun. I am hoping she will come to enjoy reading as much as I do.

I wish I could read faster since there are so many books I want to be able to read before my time comes. I also know that no matter how fast I can read, I'll never be able to read all the books I want.

Frightfully Ever After by Nick DeWolf

 

Available on Amazon

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘📘
Genre - Format - E-book

*Amazon Blurb*

"Do you know what the difference is between a fairy godmother and a witch?"
"What?"
"Not a goddamn thing."
Fairies and dragons are real, and live alongside giants, goblins and trolls. Fairy godmothers exist. The woodsman, that one from the story books? Yeah, he’s real too. They’re all out there, living in the world, right under your nose.
But they’re not alone. There’s another side to the coin. Witches are real. Monsters are real. Things that slither through shadows and bite at your skin are real.
The big bad wolf is very real.
And poor Anastasia – she was born with magical royal blood. She should have been a princess, but grew up under the thumb of a vicious crime boss. She’s lived a life of pain, fear, and violence. In a desperate attempt to get away, she will find herself surrounded by all those things she thought never existed.
Good, bad, and evil.
FRIGHTFULLY EVER AFTER is a slow burn urban fantasy with guns, horror, sex, and monsters. People get hurt. People get killed. People get eaten. And only the toughest get to live Happily Ever After.

*My Review* 

 

Nick DeWolf is an author I never would have normally picked up to read as I tend to stay within my suspense genre. However, that's the good thing about being a blogger and having a Facebook group. You get to meet authors you normally wouldn't have. I previously read one of Nick's books, Villains Never Die and enjoyed it so I figured why not read another one by him. I'll admit this book took me foooorever to read. It was an ebook and they always take much longer to read that a physical book which is why I always ask for a psychical copy for requested reviews.

This book is like a typical fairy tale, if fairy tales weren't all princess, sparkles and happy endings. I'm not saying this one didn't have a happy ending, but I'm not saying it does either. As much as I enjoyed the book I did find the conversations between Gayle and Mary a bit annoying sometimes. They seemed to make a lot sounds that actual words in certain parts. I think Ana is probably my favorite "princess" ever. There's no crown, frilly dresses, castle or any of that other dreamy princess stuff you normally have in books. 

A 4 book rating is pretty good since, like I have said before, I don't normally read fantasy. If you do (or even if you don't), you should definitely check this out.

Reading a Book Vs. Writing a Review

 

Reading -

I love to read, when I get the chance. With Covid many of us have had to make changes in our normal daily lives. I was turned into a home-schooling teacher and let me tell you something, having one child at home with no other kids to play with is not all it's cracked up to be. Guess who gets to do morning routine, school, after school and all the other in-between stuff? Yup, I do. I love my child, don't get me wrong, but I really miss that little bit of time that I got while waiting for her after I got out of work to pick her up from school. Now the only me time I get is the few hours I work at the library. Yes, I consider my working hours my me time. It's the only chance I get to have conversations with adults and read while it's slow. I can't even read much after my daughter goes to bed since that is the only time I get to spend with my husband. So I try to squeeze in reading any chance I get. Between school, child care, household chores and my online businesses it doesn't leave much.

I really would like to get stranded on a deserted island for about 1 week with nothing but a stack of book and yummy treats.

Reviews -

I finished a book, yay!! Now what? Well normally I'd like to jump right in to writing a review while everything is fresh in my mind. Unfortunately, I am usually finishing while at work, in bed before or sometimes while I am simply not home. Basically it's not convenient for me to start my review at that time. However, I usually have another book within reach and just start that one. Then I kind of forget that I have a review to write. I tell myself that I will take a little bit of my reading time to get it done, but then I don't have much reading time to take away from. 

Also, writing a review is much harder than just telling someone about the book in person. Going back to my post about blogs, I don't visit book review blogs very often because I don't have time to read long reviews. I keep my reviews short....sometimes a lot shorter than I probably should, but I don't want to give too much away. Did I like the book or didn't I. Why or why not. I feel like if I start explaining everything that the book looses it's mystery. I don't want to say anything that might give away the "who done it" so I don't say much at all. Since I don't have much time to read to begin with, I also don't want to spend what little time I do have reading a review about a book that I might or might not read. If I am going to read it, then I don't need to have read a review about it telling me everything that is going to happen.

Summary -

What are your thoughts on book reviews? Do you read them? Do you prefer them short and to the point or a bit more in depth? I'd love to know.

The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel

 

 

Available on Amazon

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘📘📘
Genre - Fiction,
Format - Audio book
Length - 10 hours 41 minutes

*Amazon Blurb*

“Roanoke girls never last long around here. In the end, we either run or we die.” 

After her mother's suicide, fifteen year-old Lane Roanoke came to live with her grandparents and fireball cousin, Allegra, on their vast estate in rural Kansas. Lane knew little of her mother's mysterious family, but she quickly embraced life as one of the rich and beautiful Roanoke girls. But when she discovered the dark truth at the heart of the family, she ran…fast and far away. 

Eleven years later, Lane is adrift in Los Angeles when her grandfather calls to tell her Allegra has gone missing. Did she run too? Or something worse? Unable to resist his pleas, Lane returns to help search, and to ease her guilt at having left Allegra behind. Her homecoming may mean a second chance with the boyfriend whose heart she broke that long ago summer. But it also means facing the devastating secret that made her flee, one she may not be strong enough to run from again. 

As it weaves between Lane’s first Roanoke summer and her return, The Roanoke Girls shocks and tantalizes, twisting its way through revelation after mesmerizing revelation, exploring the secrets families keep and the fierce and terrible love that both binds them together and rips them apart.

*My Review* 

 

If you like crazy, messed up families with huge secrets, then this books is perfect for you. I did get annoyed a times with the characters, but isn't that part of what makes a good book good? Lane  is the center of most of my frustration. Pull yourself together and act your age.

I can't really say much of what happened (the Amazon blub does a good job at that), but I remember the ending of the book made me sit there and ask...."seriously" what did I just listen to.

Blog Posts

 

 

Are you a blogger? Do you follow blogs?

 

When it comes to blogs, do you actually read them? I follow a few, but I'll admit I don't visit them often. Honestly, I tend to forget about them...unless I see a post on Facebook (or sometimes from an email). So who else can be honest? Do you visit the blogs you follow? Do you read or interact with blog posts?

 

I try to stop by the blogs I follow when I do remember. I know that simply looking at an email I receive doesn't count as a view on their traffic report. Today there are soooo many different blogs that the little guys & girls (like myself) are lost easily, or never found at all.

I wonder if this post will even be seen or responded to. Here's an idea -

 If you are seeing this post, comment something to let me know you are there. If you have a blog of your own, share it in the comments. 

Then give other blogs that have commented a follow. Let's try to help each other get seen.

The Immortals Series by Alyson Noel

 

Available on Amazon

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘
Genre - Young Adult, Paranormal Romance, Science Fiction

*Amazon Blurb* (from the 1st book)

After a horrible accident claimed the lives of her family, sixteen-year-old Ever Bloom can see people's auras, hear their thoughts, and know someone's entire life story by touching them. Going out of her way to avoid human contact and suppress her abilities, she has been branded a freak at her new high school―but everything changes when she meets Damen Auguste.

Damen is gorgeous, exotic and wealthy. He's the only one who can silence the noise and random energy in her head―wielding a magic so intense, it's as though he can peer straight into her soul. As Ever is drawn deeper into his enticing world of secrets and mystery, she's left with more questions than answers. And she has no idea just who he really is―or what he is. The only thing she knows to be true is that she's falling deeply and helplessly in love with him.

*My Review* 

 

I normally wouldn't review a whole series at once, but I feel that it's the only proper way to do this series. I will also start off with a major SPOILER ALERT disclaimer because reviewing more than one book obviously will give away things in earlier books.

SPOILER ALERT

 (continue at your own risk)

Ok, so I had the first 3 in this series sitting around for a while and decided I wanted to some easy reading and generally young adult is perfect for that. Book 1 Evermore: The Immortals did not disappoint. It was an extremely fast read and I found myself diving into book 2 (Blue Moon) as soon as I was finished. My book 3 (Shadowland), however I was getting over the whole story-line already. I mean the girl names were a bit of a struggle to get over to begin with....Ever, Haven, Honor.... just weird for me. Then of course there's Damen the other main character of the story. He who is thousands of years old, but can't wait until Ever has finished high school to "turn" her. And no this isn't a vampire book. I will actually leave that one for your to find out on your own. Regardless, you now have one of these Twilight types of situations where the characters will forever be a teenager. I would never want to live forever as a teenager, no thank you.

 

Back to the story.... many things do happen during books 4-6 (Dark Flame, Night Star and Everlasting), but it all really boils down to just one thing.....sex! Yup, that's all it's about. Right from the beginning Ever and Damon are kept from "hooking up" due to a spell that is put upon them. Um hello, she's just 16 (in this life) and they have eternity to live, but all that Ever is worried about is them being together. Seriously? I really thought there would be more going on in the other books, besides that one main situation, but there really wasn't. 

 

I don't think I'd have read past book 2 if my OCD to finish any series I start hadn't been so overwhelming. I simply read as fast and as often I could to finish them. Maybe I'd have enjoyed them better if I were a young adult, but I'm not and so we'll never know.

Sorry for the confusion......

 

I want to apologize for all the back and forth about the books that are for sale. With so many books so post I am trying to find the easiest and best way to post them all. The Books For Sale page just wasn't cooperating with the html for some reason and so that has been removed. I had also tried adding a shop to the Facebook page and many of the books were not getting approved. Why, well because Facebook does what it wants I guess. I would have loved to be able to open a physical bookshop, but it's just not something that is going to happen anytime soon.

The final answer about what to do came down to creating a group on Facebook - 

Read N’ Reviews Virtual Bookstore

If you'd don't have Facebook (say whaaat) and want to get a list of books available please reach out to me and I'll see what I can do to get you one.

Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover (Gallagher Girls #3) by Ally Carter

Available on Amazon

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘
Genre - Young Adult, Fiction
Format - Audio book
Length - 7 hrs 20 min

*Amazon Blurb*

When Cammie Morgan arrives at her friend Macey's five star hotel for the Democratic National Convention - where Macey's father is about to receive the vice presidential nomination - she thinks she's in for an exciting end to her summer break. But if you're a Gallagher Girl, "exciting" and "deadly" are never far apart. Things quickly go south when Macey is summoned to the hotel roof to shoot a PR piece with the presidential candidate's son. But instead of cameras, attackers descend from a helicopter and swarm the girls, commanding, "Grab her." After a narrow escape, Cammie and Macey find themselves at a top secret hideout owned by the Gallagher Academy...and thus begins Cammie's junior year at spy school. Cammie doesn't need her genius IQ to see that the kidnapping attempt has changed everything, especially now that Macey is a major celebrity, and the school has been besieged by news crews. More disturbing, Cammie can't shake the suspicion that her mom and Mr. Solomon know more about the attack than they're letting on. After all, why weren't the attackers surprised to find themselves in combat with two teenage girls who handled themselves like seasoned pros? But these suspicions won't stop Cammie from jumping at the chance to join Bex and Liz as Macey's private security team on the campaign trail. Before long, the girls are using their espionage skills at every turn, as Cammie gets closer and closer to the shocking truth...

*My Review* 

 

Here's to another book that I started without realizing it was part of a series. I think I have learned my lesson this time, or at least I hope so. I had a hard time following along. There are a lot of characters, which had I read the previous books, I'm sure I would have been able to keep up.

There was so much going on that I wasn't sure who the main character was, is it Macey or is it Cammie? Is Macey acting different that usual (again the previous books probably would've helped here)? I was really just lost the entire time, but like always, I persevered in finishing, honestly in hopes that I'd eventually figure it all out.

If you're someone who likes to start at the beginning of a series and read all of it (unlike me, haha) here is the full Gallagher Girls series, available on Amazon.

Work in progress

The Books For Sale page is still a work in progress. Many of the links have chosen to not work which will require me to go in and manually fix each one. In the meantime, I have added many books and am working on getting the prices listed for each. If you are interested in one that has a broken button or no button at all just send an email.

I will also try and get some more book reviews up. I've still got quite a few to catch up on including on for The Orphan Collector by Ellen Marie Wiseman!

James Patterson Books

 I am still working on the Books For Sale page, but I am working on it and I do have these James Patterson books to add as well. If you are interested in a book that isn't on the page yet, simply comment or send an email to request that book.

I also have a lot of Dean Koontz, John Grisham and Stephen King books that will be going up.

Book Sale - Downsizing

 

 I am going to bring back my Books 4 Sale page. I have a LOT more books than I have room and my family will be moving soon. That mean that I need to downsize right away. I will try to add them as quickly as possible. Shipping will only be available within the US due to shipping fees. My collection includes as lot of Stephen King, Dean Koontz and John Grisham. If you are looking for a specific book from one of those authors, feel free to send me an email at TinasReadNReviews@gmail.com

The Girl I Used to Be by April Henry

Available on Amazon

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘
Genre - Orphans & Foster Homes Fiction, Mystery & Detective, Thrillers & Suspense, Young Adult
Format - Audio-book
Length - 5 hours and 57 minutes


*Amazon Blurb*

Olivia was only three years old when her mother was killed and everyone suspected her father of murder. But his whereabouts remained a mystery. Fast forward fourteen years. New evidence now proves Olivia's father was actually murdered on the same fateful day her mother died. That means there's a killer still at large. Now Olivia is determined to uncover who that might be. But can she do that before the killer tracks her down first?

*My Review* 

 

Imagine living your life believing that your father killed your mother and left you behind for anyone to take care of. What a horrible thought. What's worse is when you find out that it's all a lie and both of your parents were murdered. Would you ever be able to forgive yourself for all the terrible thoughts you had about your dad for so long? Would finding their killer be enough to set your mind at peace?

It's hard to believe what Olivia has been through and then gets herself stuck in a similar situation and almost finds herself dead too. But will she be able to find and bring the murderer to justice? 

I did enjoy this book. It moved along quickly and was very easy to follow.

The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate

Available on Amazon

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘
Genre - Women's Domestic Life Fiction, Mother and Children Fiction
Format - Hardcover
Length - 400 pages


*Amazon Blurb*

Louisiana, 1875: In the tumultuous era of Reconstruction, three young women set off as unwilling companions on a perilous quest: Hannie, a freed slave; Lavinia, the pampered heir to a now destitute plantation; and Juneau Jane, Lavinia’s Creole half sister. Each carries private wounds and powerful secrets as they head for Texas, following roads rife with vigilantes and soldiers still fighting a war lost a decade before. For Lavinia and Juneau Jane, the journey is one of stolen inheritance and financial desperation, but for Hannie, torn from her mother and siblings before slavery’s end, the pilgrimage west reignites an agonizing question: Could her long-lost family still be out there? Beyond the swamps lie the limitless frontiers of Texas and, improbably, hope.

Louisiana, 1987: For first-year teacher Benedetta Silva, a subsidized job at a poor rural school seems like the ticket to canceling her hefty student debt—until she lands in a tiny, out-of-step Mississippi River town. Augustine, Louisiana, is suspicious of new ideas and new people, and Benny can scarcely comprehend the lives of her poverty-stricken students. But amid the gnarled live oaks and run-down plantation homes lie the century-old history of three young women, a long-ago journey, and a hidden book that could change everything.

*My Review* 

 

After reading and loving Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate, I was really looking forward to this one. The books goes back and forth between 1875 (with the main character being Hannie) and 1987 (with the main character being Benedetta). I enjoyed the current chapters much more that the ones set in 1875. At first they both started out really interesting, but then the things that kept happening in 1875 just seemed to be way to much a coincidence and just lost my attention. The 1987 chapters, though somewhat predictable, were very interesting to see how someone can piece things together about what seems like another world.

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

Available on Amazon

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘
Genre - Women Sleuth Mystery, Psychological Thriller
Format - Audio-book
Length - 9 hours an 34 minutes


*Amazon Blurb*

Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, reporter Camille Preaker faces a troubling assignment: she must return to her tiny hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls. For years, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed in her old bedroom in her family's Victorian mansion, Camille finds herself identifying with the young victims—a bit too strongly. Dogged by her own demons, she must unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past if she wants to get the story—and survive this homecoming.

*My Review* 

 

It seems more often than not, the main character in a book irritate me. Camille's mother made me get so angry at Camille for not speaking up to her mom. She is a horrible woman and treats her daughter awful. I wasn't able to figure out the "who done it" as quickly in this book as some I've read. I thought I had it, then something would happen to make me second guess myself. 

Camille was also not very likeable especially when it comes to her old boyfriend. I can't tell you how many times I did an eye roll at her.

2021 - New Year New You?

 

It's finally 2021 and honestly, after the year we just dealt with, I am not holding out much hope for this one. So many people have had to deal with turning their lives upside down to deal with our current "normal". For me that meant homeschooling my 6 year old daughter which hasn't left any of that "me" time to read, write reviews or anything else. 

 

I'm not one who sets New Year's Resolutions. I am, instead, going to try and set some goals. I am going to have separate lists for my goals. I will have work goals, personal goals and my reading goals. My 1st goal for reading is to get caught up on all the reviews that I need to write......well this should be fun.

What about you? Do you set a resolution or have a key word/phrase that you try to live by for the year? Comment below and let me know.

Her Every Fear by Peter Swanson

Available on Amazon

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘
Genre - Kidnapping Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Murder Thriller
Format - Paperback
Length - 432 pages


*Amazon Blurb*

The danger isn’t all in your head . . . 

Growing up, Kate Priddy was always a bit neurotic, experiencing momentary bouts of anxiety that exploded into full blown panic attacks after an ex-boyfriend kidnapped her and nearly ended her life. When Corbin Dell, a distant cousin in Boston, suggests the two temporarily swap apartments, Kate, an art student in London, agrees, hoping that time away in a new place will help her overcome the recent wreckage of her life. 

But soon after her arrival at Corbin’s grand apartment on Beacon Hill, Kate makes a shocking discovery: his next-door neighbor, a young woman named Audrey Marshall, has been murdered. When the police question her about Corbin, a shaken Kate has few answers, and many questions of her own—curiosity that intensifies when she meets Alan Cherney, a handsome, quiet tenant who lives across the courtyard, in the apartment facing Audrey’s. Alan saw Corbin surreptitiously come and go from Audrey’s place, yet he’s denied knowing her. Then, Kate runs into a tearful man claiming to be the dead woman’s old boyfriend, who insists Corbin did the deed the night that he left for London. 

When she reaches out to her cousin, he proclaims his innocence and calms her nerves . . . until she comes across disturbing objects hidden in the apartment—and accidently learns that Corbin is not where he says he is. Could Corbin be a killer? And what about Alan? Kate finds herself drawn to this appealing man who seems so sincere, yet she isn’t sure. Jetlagged and emotionally unstable, her imagination full of dark images caused by the terror of her past, Kate can barely trust herself . . . So how could she take the chance on a stranger she’s just met?
Yet the danger Kate imagines isn’t nearly as twisted and deadly as what’s about to happen. When her every fear becomes very real. 

And much, much closer than she thinks.

*My Review* 

 

I was really too into this one. I know that Kate is supposed to be neurotic, but she really just kind of annoyed me with how involved she got with things and then seemed to take everything into her own hands. For me there wasn't much suspense as I felt I was able to figure things out quite quickly.