Showing posts with label David Baldacci. Show all posts
Showing posts with label David Baldacci. Show all posts

November 17, 2020

New Release Tuesday!! Nov. 17, 2020




Happy Tuesday my bookish friends.  It's been a while I know, but life has just been turned upside down for me.  I hope you all are doing well and you are reading some good books.  If not, here's a few new ones that are coming out today!  

WHAT I'M ADDING TO MY TBR:

 

A Promised Land by Barack Obama
In the stirring, highly anticipated first volume of his presidential memoirs, Barack Obama tells the story of his improbable odyssey from young man searching for his identity to leader of the free world, describing in strikingly personal detail both his political education and the landmark moments of the first term of his historic presidency—a time of dramatic transformation and turmoil.
Obama takes readers on a compelling journey from his earliest political aspirations to the pivotal Iowa caucus victory that demonstrated the power of grassroots activism to the watershed night of November 4, 2008, when he was elected 44th president of the United States, becoming the first African American to hold the nation’s highest office.
Reflecting on the presidency, he offers a unique and thoughtful exploration of both the awesome reach and the limits of presidential power, as well as singular insights into the dynamics of U.S. partisan politics and international diplomacy. Obama brings readers inside the Oval Office and the White House Situation Room, and to Moscow, Cairo, Beijing, and points beyond. We are privy to his thoughts as he assembles his cabinet, wrestles with a global financial crisis, takes the measure of Vladimir Putin, overcomes seemingly insurmountable odds to secure passage of the Affordable Care Act, clashes with generals about U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, tackles Wall Street reform, responds to the devastating Deepwater Horizon blowout, and authorizes Operation Neptune’s Spear, which leads to the death of Osama bin Laden.
A Promised Land is extraordinarily intimate and introspective—the story of one man’s bet with history, the faith of a community organizer tested on the world stage. Obama is candid about the balancing act of running for office as a Black American, bearing the expectations of a generation buoyed by messages of “hope and change,” and meeting the moral challenges of high-stakes decision-making. He is frank about the forces that opposed him at home and abroad, open about how living in the White House affected his wife and daughters, and unafraid to reveal self-doubt and disappointment. Yet he never wavers from his belief that inside the great, ongoing American experiment, progress is always possible.
This beautifully written and powerful book captures Barack Obama’s conviction that democracy is not a gift from on high but something founded on empathy and common understanding and built together, day by day.


Pretending by Holly Bourne
April is kind, pretty and relatively normal—yet she can’t seem to get past date five. Every time she thinks she’s found someone to trust, they reveal themselves to be awful, leaving her heartbroken. And angry. Until she realizes that men aren’t looking for real women—they’re looking for Gretel.
Gretel is perfect—beautiful but low-maintenance, sweet but never clingy, sexy but not too easy. She’s your regular, everyday Manic-Pixie-Dream-Girl-Next-Door with no problems.
When April starts pretending to be Gretel, dating becomes much more fun—especially once she reels in the unsuspecting Joshua. Finally, April is the one in control. It’s refreshing. Exhilarating, even. But as she and Joshua grow closer, and the pressure of keeping her painful past a secret begins to build, how long will she be able to keep on pretending?

The Lady Upstairs by Halley Sutton
Jo's job is blackmailing the most lecherous men in Los Angeles--handsy Hollywood producers, adulterous actors, corrupt cops. Sure, she likes the money she's making, which comes in handy for the debt she is paying off, but it's also a chance to take back power for the women of the city. Eager to prove herself to her coworker Lou and their enigmatic boss, known only as the Lady Upstairs, Jo takes on bigger and riskier jobs.
When one of her targets is murdered, both the Lady Upstairs and the LAPD have Jo in their sights. Desperate to escape the consequences of her failed job, she decides to take on just one more sting--bringing down a rising political star. It's her biggest con yet--and she will do it behind the Lady's back, freeing both herself and Lou. But Jo soon learns that Lou and the Lady have secrets of their own, and that no woman is safe when there is a life-changing payout on the line.
A delicious debut thriller crackling with wit and an unforgettable feminist voice, The Lady Upstairs is a chilling and endlessly surprising take on female revenge.

Daylight by David Baldacci (Atlee Pine #3)
For many long years, Atlee Pine was tormented by uncertainty after her twin sister, Mercy, was abducted at the age of six and never seen again. Now, just as Atlee is pressured to end her investigation into Mercy's disappearance, she finally gets her most promising breakthrough yet: the identity of her sister's kidnapper, Ito Vincenzo.
With time running out, Atlee and her assistant Carol Blum race to Vincenzo's last known location in Trenton, New Jersey -- and unknowingly stumble straight into John Puller's case, blowing his arrest during a drug ring investigation involving a military installation.
Stunningly, Pine and Puller's joint investigation uncovers a connection between Vincenzo's family and a breathtaking scheme that strikes at the very heart of global democracy. Peeling back the layers of deceit, lies and cover-ups, Atlee finally discovers the truth about what happened to Mercy. And that truth will shock Pine to her very core.

Super Fake Love Song by David Yoon
When Sunny Dae--self-proclaimed total nerd--meets Cirrus Soh, he can't believe how cool and confident she is. So when Cirrus mistakes Sunny's older brother Gray's bedroom--with its electric guitars and rock posters--for Sunny's own, he sort of, kind of, accidentally winds up telling her he's the front man of a rock band.
Before he knows it, Sunny is knee-deep in the lie: He ropes his best friends into his scheme, begging them to form a fake band with him, and starts wearing Gray's rock-and-roll castoffs. But no way can he trick this amazing girl into thinking he's cool, right? Just when Sunny is about to come clean, Cirrus asks to see them play sometime. Gulp.
Now there's only one thing to do: Fake it till you make it.
Sunny goes all in on the lie, and pretty soon, the strangest things start happening. People are noticing him in the hallways, and he's going to football games and parties for the first time. He's feeling more confident in every aspect of his life, and especially with Cirrus, who's started to become not just his dream girl but also the real deal. Sunny is falling in love. He's having fun. He's even becoming a rocker, for real.
But it's only a matter of time before Sunny's house of cards starts tumbling down. As his lies begin to catch up with him, Sunny Dae is forced to wonder whether it was all worth it--and if it's possible to ever truly change.

Fine by AmyLea Murphy
Ever since, her younger sister, Katie, has drifted through life, wracked with guilt, grief, and anger over Anna's unsolved disappearance. But when her own future reaches a breaking point, Katie takes the investigation into her own hands. She searches for answers in her sister's missing person's file and discovers that some questions aren't so easily answered.
Through police memos, interrogations, and excerpts from Anna's diary, Katie breaks down the carefully crafted façade Anna left behind and uncovers the dark truths of her life in the months before she vanished.

The Flipside by James Bailey
To coin a phrase, Josh is suffering a quarter-life crisis. He just broke up with his long-term girlfriend, lost his job, and moved back home with his parents (shudder). Welcome to rock bottom in Bristol. As Josh starts questioning all his life choices, he has a mad thought: Maybe he would just be better flipping a coin. After all, careful planning has landed him homeless, jobless, and single.
What starts as a joke soon becomes serious and Josh decides to start putting his faith in the capriciousness of currency. He doesn’t have anything to lose.
But when the chance of a lifetime and the girl of his dreams are on the line, will the coin guide him to a rich love life or leave him flat broke?

OTHER BOOKS RELEASING TODAY:





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May 9, 2020

Audio Book Review: One Good Deed by David Baldacci




One Good Deed by David Baldacci
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Published: July 2019
One Good Deed


Aloysius Archer has just been released from prison for a crime he didn't commit. When he has to do his probation in Poca City, he's in for a lot more than he bargained for. Rules, a job, women, the list is endless. When the guy he took a job from ends up dead, Archer is the number one suspect. He'll do whatever he can not to go back to prison an innocent man. Set in 1949, Archer is a veteran of World War II and he is just trying to find his way in this world. Will Poca City be a stepping stone or a stopping point?

I really enjoy listening to David Baldacci's books. Even though historical fiction isn't one of my favorite genres, this book drew me in from the beginning. I had to see what was going to happen with Archer and how he was going to get himself out of the situations he got in to.

Women is what always seems to get Archer in trouble and Poca City has a couple of women who will leave him on his toes.


View all my reviews

To learn more about this book or to order a copy, click the book cover below:


   
 
 
 


February 13, 2020

January Readin' Roundup!



Books I Read in January!!

2020 started off really great.  I was able to read 8 books in January.  All of them were pretty good and I would recommend them all.  My favorite of the month was A Love Hate Thing by Whitney Grandison and my least favorite was The 13-Minute Murder by James Patterson.   Here is my take on all of the books I read in January.  Click on the book covers below to order the book and the title, to read my full review.   Please share with me your favorite books of January. 

Husband Material by Emily Belden
4 Stars
For the past five years Charlotte Rosen has been living her life, trying to develop a dating app and living with a roommate. When her dead husband's ashes show up on her front door step, she's not sure what to do with them or her life. As she tries to make decisions about the ashes as well as her life, secrets come to the surface that she would never expect. Did she know her husband as well as she thought she did? Will she be able to move on with her life with the ashes or will it bring everything to a screeching halt?




The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger
4 Stars
The city of Crystal, Colorado is an affluent community in the state of Colorado. When a new public school for gifted students is slated to open just in time for the upcoming school year, close friends will put everything on the line to ensure that their children make the cut. Because out of the 100,000 students who are eligible to apply, only 1000 will gain entrance to the school. Who is smart enough to make the cut and what lengths will the parents and guardians go through to make sure their child is part of the elite who make it into the school.



A Love Hate Thing by Whitney Grandison
5 Stars
When Tyson Trice reappears in Nandy Smith's life 10 years after she had last seen him, she knew right away, he wasn't that same seven year old boy she used to play with. Trice is coming to live with the Smith's after the tragic death of his parents. He is angry and hurting and this is the last place he wants to be. But will he be able to come out of his funk and find the friendship he once had with Nandy? Will he be able to step away from his old life and try to build a new one with these people who are nothing like him?



The 13-Minute Murder by James Patterson
3 Stars
This book was actually three different stories in one.
The first is Dead Man Running:
This book featured Dr. Randall Beck who is a psychiatrist who is also dying of brain cancer. Most of his patients are dealing with some type of traumatic event that he is helping them work through. When a new client shows up at his office and then is gunned down right after the appointment, Dr. Beck has lots of questions, but he's not getting the answers. In order to get the answers, he will have to risk his own life and the life of others in order to find out what is going on.

Next Was 113 Minutes:
When Molly Rourke gets the call that her son has had an overdose at school, the first thing she does is call her brothers because she knows she can't handle this news on her own. They spend the next few months trying to figure out who was behind his death and getting their revenge. There are a lot of surprises in this story.

Finally 13-Minute Murder:
Michael Ryan is given a job to kill a coed in the middle of Harvard. When the job is done, he is determined to find out who ordered the hit. His partner doesn't want to say, but when Ryan uncovers the truth, it's almost too good to be true. He can execute the perfect murder in 13 minutes, but it may take more than that to bring down all the players involved in this.




Tweet Cute by Emma Lord
4 Stars
It's Pepper and Jack's senior year. Pepper is trying to stay on top of her grades and be captain of the swim team. Jack is living in the shadows of his twin brother, Ethan, while helping his family with their deli. Each of their families owns a restaurant, but Pepper's family has gone national. The Twitter battle between the two restaurants will fall into the hands of these young adults. But even though they know each other from school, they don't know that the other is on the other side of the battle. What will happen when it's all laid out on the table?




The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows
4 Stars
Juliet Ashton has just published her first book in 1946 and her publisher is eager for her to start on the next one. Her book was a great relief during war time. But she's having trouble coming up with a subject that is interesting to her and will keep her readers entertained. When she receives a letter from a man name Dawsey who found her in a book he had by Charles Lamb, they begin a correspondence. When Dawsey tells her about his book club, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society Juliet is intrigued and wants to learn more about the group. Each member writes her a letter to explain how they became a part of the group. Juliet is so enthralled by their stories, she feels she has to go to Guernsey so she can write a book about this group. Told through a series of letters, telegrams, and packages we learn about Juliet's journey from London to Guernsey.



The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
3 Stars
Hiram Walker was born into slavery. He doesn't remember much about his mother except that she was taken from him at a very young age. Hiram was born with special gifts, that he discovers when his life is in danger. Will he have to continue to live a life of slavery, or will he find a way out of his situation and find out what happened to his mother.





The Guilty by David Baldacci
4 Stars
Will Robie has just completed a mission when he finds out that his father has been arrested for murder. Instead of stopping his work then and there, he decides to go on the next mission available, but he is is not successful. Is it because of the details of the previous mission or because of the news that he received that he is unable to complete the mission. Ordered to take some time off, he heads back to Cantrell, Mississippi to find out what is really going on with his father. But when you haven't been back to a place without any word in nearly 20 years, it's not so easy to find the answers you're looking for. Is Will able to find out who is really to blame for the murder and will he be able to mend the relationship with his father.



So there you have it.  Here's what I'm looking forward to in February: