Review: Dreams of Falling by Karen White

Dreams of Falling by Karen White
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Published: 2018

When Larkin left Georgetown, South Carolina, her plan was to go back there as little as possible. She has finally settled in to her life in New York City and the pull to the south grows less and less each day. Then Larkin gets a call that her mother is missing. She drops everything and goes back to Georgetown in her mind hoping she will only be gone a few days. When she returns home, things aren't as they once were. Will Larkin return to New York as soon as she can, or will her memories and secrets of the past keep her where she is supposed to be?

Thank yo to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I have read a few other books by Karen White and have enjoyed them. This one took a while for me to get into. When I first graduated high school, I wanted to get as far away from home as I could. I went 2000 miles away to Texas. I wasn't running away from my family as it seems Larkin is, but I wanted to be away from them to find myself.

Larkin has a very unusual family. She has her parents, Ivy and Mack and she has her biological grandparents who died long before she came along and 2 psuedo-grandmothers that helped to raise her. CeeCee and Bitty. These women were her grandmother's best friend and had raised her mother as well. Between Larkin, Ivy, and CeeCee 60 years of history is explored in this book. Decisions that were made and how they affected the outcome of everyone's lives.

If you enjoy a story about family secrets and finding yourself in your own backyard, then you will enjoy this book.

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Review: Gate 76 by Andrew Diamond

Gate 76 by Andrew Diamond
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Published: 2018


Freddy Ferguson is a private investigator. While walking through the San Francisco airport, a blonde woman catches his attention as she is being escorted on to a flight to Hawaii. She doesn't look very pleased with her escort, maybe this is why she catches Freddy's attention. There are other people in the airport as well that seem to be watching her and her escort to see if they are doing what they should. After she boards the plane and her "handlers" clear the area, she gets off the Hawaii flight and gets on another bound for Chicago. Shortly after take off, the Hawaii flight explodes in the air. Did this woman know the plane was going to blow up? Where did she go and do the people who were looking after her know? Now working with the airline to try and find who did this, Freddy finds corruption in the highest of places. Will he be able to find out what is going on and find the girl?

Thank you to NetGalley and Stolen Time Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

At first this book started out slow for me. I didn't like taking so much time flashing back to Freddy's life. I'm not sure how it tied in with his current situation. Over all the book was pretty good. I felt a very personal connection to the book with all the places mentioned in it in the Washington, D.C. area where I currently live and in Texas where I spent my college years driving all around the state.

Overall, the book was pretty good, redeeming itself towards the end, keeping me drawn in to find out what was going to happen in the end.


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Review: Pippa by Malynda Schlegel

Pippa by Malynda Schlegel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Published: 2018

Pippa Jones is 10 years old. She lives with her Mommy and Daddy. Everyone in the town of Pepper Rock talks about the Joneses, but Pippa doesn't care what the neighbors think. She loves her Daddy and thinks he is the best Daddy in the whole wide world. Her friends Vinny and Kenna don't think that he's that great, but they love hanging out with Pippa. There are terrible rumors about her Daddy that Pippa doesn't know about. As she gets older and things in her world begin to change, the one constant is Daddy and Pippa has decided she is never going to leave her Daddy no matter what anyone thinks.

Thank you to Malynda Schlegel for allowing me to read and review her book.

When I first heard about this book, I thought about Baby Teeth where the little girl is a little crazy when it comes to her Daddy as well. This book was quite different though. At first I wasn't sure which direction this book was going to go, but you have to read until the very end to find the twist.

Pippa only has two friends in town. She has a special relationship with them, that at first she is hesitant to establish because she doesn't want to upset her Daddy, but he seems fine with it. The relationship between Pippa and her parents is strange and that you can tell from the start, but you just don't know what direction it is going to. The ending isn't as dramatic as I would have expected, but the book as a whole was very hard to put down.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW:

What 'Cha Readin'?: Where is your favorite place to read?write?

Malynda: I'm a walker.  I like to pace around while I read. To write ... anywhere that is distraction free. I need absolute quiet around me, no movements from other people, or I can’t put words down.

WCR: Which character in Pippa do you identify with most?

M:  Probably Pippa. Fortunately, we have very different lives, but I understand her.

WCR: What is your favorite book or author?

M: That’s a hard one! I’m as moody a reader as I am a writer. So, I’m going to recommend a recent read that I really enjoyed – The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager 

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Review: Lies You Never Told Me

Lies You Never Told Me by Jennifer Donaldson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Published: 2018


As a teen high school has to be the hardest, yet most defining moments in your life. It's where you decide what your life is going to be like for the rest of your life. Whether you'll go to college, or find a a trade, or do absolutely nothing.

Two teens, Gabe & Elyse are trying to figure out life right now. Gabe is dating one of the most popular girls in school, although he's not too keen on the way he treats her and he's thinking about ending it. But what will that cost him in the long run? Elyse has just landed the lead for the school production of Romeo and Juliet. Always content to be a part of the background, will she be able to perform in the spotlight?

Both of these teens are trying to make it through these tumultuous high school years. But there are things that are holding them back from being their best. Will they allow these things to come to the surface, or will they boil inside of them until they can't handle it any longer?

Thank you to NetGalley & Penguin for the sneak peak of this book. I knew it wasn't going to be enough so I got the full book from the library.

The sneak peek takes you through the first 7 chapters of the book. It's so good though that you have to continue reading and find out what is going to happen next.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat. With things happening to Gabe and no way for him to explain it, to Elyse falling in love for the first time and discovering a lot of firsts with an unusual partner. How are these two alike, how are they different? With a twist at the end that I didn't see coming, this is a book you are going to want to read.



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Review: I Don't Know How She Does It

I Don't Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Published: 2001

I saw the movie for this book before I read it. When I saw the movie, I didn't realize it was a book. I wasn't reading as much back in those days. But I received the sequel, How Hard Can It Be? so I decided to read I Don't Know How She Does It. As a working mother I thought that I would be able to relate to Kate Reddy in this book. Even though I don't have a corporate job, trying to find enough hours in the day to fit in time to do for yourself, your job and your family seems nearly impossible. But I couldn't find the connection in this book. While the book as a whole was good, I didn't find myself invested in it. I wanted to know what was going to happen, but I didn't really care.

I think part of my issue is that I kept thinking the book was set in the United States and then having to transfer myself back to the UK. This is why you never watch the movie first. It gives you a false sense of hope. I don't know if I would have felt any differently about the book if I hadn't seen the movie, though.

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Audiobook Review: The Party by Robyn Harding

The Party by Robyn Harding
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Published: 2017

Being a teenager is hard. You believe that all the events that are taking place now are going to be the end all of your life, but it's just the beginning of life. For Hannah, she wants to be a part of the cool kids so bad, she decides to invite a couple to her modest 16th birthday party. Nothing extravagant, just a few teenage girls in the basement for pizza and sleepover, what could go wrong? But when an unfortunate accident leaves one girl badly injured, the whole school will be turned upside down.

Hannah and Ronnie had been friends when they were little. As they grew older, they grew apart. Now Ronnie is part of the popular crew at school and Hannah is dating a popular boy, but still has her more down to earth friends as well. When her two worlds come together at her birthday party, chaos ensues. Given the house rules, everyone at the birthday party breaks them. They drink, take drugs, invite boys over and Ronnie gets seriously injured. After the incident, Hannah is torn between wanting to retain her popularity and keeping her friendship with Ronnie.

What would you do if a child was seriously injured while in your care? What if their parents wanted to ruin you financially, no matter how the child felt about it?

For me, I wasn't sure whose side I was on in this book. I knew I was on the side of the kids. I was a young dumb kid at one point in my life, doing all the things these kids did at this sleepover. The kids understood that what they did was wrong and dumb and that they had to deal with the consequences of their actions. I don't think that I met any people who have turned on their friends the way the kids in this book do. If something happened to my child at a party, I don't know if I would try and get money out of the other family. I don't think I could do that. But I've never been in that situation.



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Audiobook Review: Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler

Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Published: 2016


Tess has just picked up her entire life in Ohio and decided to move to New York City. She has no plans, no job, but she knows she has to get away. When she arrives in New York, she already has a
place to live lined up, but she has to move quickly to find a job. She drops her resume at several coffee shops and restaurants and hopes for the best. When she come upon one of the best restaurants in the city. She's sure she won't have a shot with this place, but what is there to lose? She is pleasantly surprised when she is invited to train.

It took me a while to get through this book. Vacation was a big part of it and another part was that I just didn't find myself drawn to the story. I think those in the restaurant industry will appreciate this book. My husband, who isn't a reader, was intrigued by the story as I was listening to it once when he was in the car. The main reason I decided to pick up this book was because I was interested in the TV show on Starz after seeing the previews. I had to read the book first before I could watch the show.

So after a month, I finally got through the book. I'm not sure I would ever want to work at a restaurant after this. All the drinking, drugs and sex that goes on. It seems like everyone is sleeping with the everyone else and no one seems to care. I'm sure if I was younger this book would be more appealing to me.

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Review: Dumplin' by Julie Murphy

Dumplin' by Julie Murphy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Published: 2015

Willowdean Dickerson aka Dumplin' is a high school student who is trying to navigate her way through life after the death of her aunt, who was a big part of her life. She is also trying to find her way through a job with her crush, ups and downs with her best friend and pageant season. Will is fat, and she has not problem admitting that. But when one of the best looking guys in town is working with her and shows an interest, she's not sure how to take it. Why does he like her and how can they avoid everyone else thinking the same thing?

I could totally relate to Dumplin'. I remember high school fondly and crushes and everything. It's the worst and best time in a young girls life and its also the time that makes quite an impact on your life. Will loves the way that Bo uses her full first name. When he kisses her one night after work and continues to kiss her, she is confused about why he is showing an interest. He is well known in their small town and she's sure that if they are seen together, the whole town will be talking. But how can she avoid him?

To top it off, Dumplin's mom is in charge of the pageant and this is the last thing Dumplin' would ever do, but this year she decides to enter. Even though she thinks she has no chance of winning, why not? She inspires other unlikely contestants to join as well. This will definitely be the first for the Miss Teen Blue Bonnet Pageant. Will one of these unlikely girls be able to pull off the win?

This book is great for girls of all ages and sizes to read. It's an inspiration to go for what you believe in no matter what others think.

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Review: The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager

The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Published:  2018

Fifteen years ago, Emma Davis attended Camp Nightingale for the first time. She shared a cabin with three older girls, Vivian, Allison and Natalie and one night they snuck out of the cabin and never came back. This is something that has haunted Emma all this time. So much so that she has included these girls in all of her paintings since that time, hidden in the woods they disappeared into. Now, Emma has been invited back to camp which is reopening after fifteen years. She is determined to find out what happened to the girls so that she can move on with life. But will she be able to do that? Will the people who are responsible for the girls disappearance and maybe death, try to stop her?

I loved this book! I read The Final Girls earlier this year and loved that one as well. I couldn't wait to read this one. I will say at the beginning I felt the story started off a little slowly, taking us back and forth from present day to Camp Nightingale fifteen years ago. We learn more about Emma's youth and about the girls who disappeared, especially Vivian who Emma seemed most obsessed with.

Riley Sager will is another author I am now adding to my list of author's whose books I will read regardless of the description. I hope everything he writes turns out to be as big a hit as the previous two.

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