Review: Leave Me by Gayle Forman

Leave Me by Gayle Forman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As a mother, there are many days that I dream about packing a bag and leaving town for a few days. But I can't do that, not without a plan and a few weeks notice. Maribeth Klein, on the other hand, does just that. She packs her bags, leaves her cell phone and laptop, and a note for her husband and off she goes. When she boards the train in New York, she's not sure where exactly she is headed, but she'll figure it out when she gets there. Two weeks post heart attack and emergency bypass surgery, she's not getting the help she needs at home and so she decides, just to pack it up and move it out and doesn't communicate with anyone for weeks. Not only does she leave behind her husband, but also their two children. Will she be able to get away and find herself again? Will she ever return home? And if she does, will things just go back to being the same way they were before.

Leave Me is a book all women who feel overworked and underappreciated will enjoy. I know I have threatened my family many times to run away from home, but I would never do it. For starters, I don't have the courage and I would feel extremely guilty about doing it. Luckily for Maribeth, she doesn't feel that way. This book was so hard to put down. I could feel myself in Maribeth's shoes. Enjoying the feeling of not having to worry about anyone but herself and getting things done for herself. As mother's we always put ourselves last in everything that we do. There have been many days that my dinner was cold when I ate it making sure that everyone else around the table was taken care of first, or I missed out on something because there was just enough for everyone else.

This is the second book I have read by Gayle Forman. Usually her books are targeted to a slightly younger audience, but she really hit this one on the head. I hope she has plans to continue to write for women like this.

A couple of my favorite lines from the book are:
The first line of the book, "Maribeth Klein was working late, waiting to sign off on the final page proofs of the December issue, when she had a heart attack."

And this line that reminded me of my husband: "My husband used to say that scars were like tattoos but with better stories."

Overall, this is one of the best books I have read this year and will be doing on my favorites list. I hope that every woman with a family will read this book and be able to appreciate the ability to run away.

I'm offering a giveaway of Behind Closed Doors. Enter here.

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Fall Books 2016

via GIPHY

IT'S FALL!!!

Time to find some good books to curl up with while I sip Pumpkin Spiced Lattes and eat pumpkin scones or donuts, or anything pumpkin really this time of year.  Here are a couple of books that I am definitely going to be reading this fall and a few that I have added to my TBR that I hope I will get a chance to read in the very near future.  

The first book I'm looking forward to is Serpents in the City by H.N. Wake.  This is the third in the Mac Ambrose series.  I have previously read A Spy Came Home the second book in the series and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm eager to find out what this former CIA Agent has in store for her this time around.


The next book I'll definitely be reading this fall is call Hunted by  this is the second book in her series with San Diego Homicide Detective Scarlett Fry.

Dominique L. Watson

Both of these ladies have graciously gifted me with these titles in exchange for my honest review.

Here is another book I am looking forward to reading this fall,  The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware.  I've been waiting to read this since it's release this summer.  I was supposed to read it this month with a friend, but I'm still waiting on my copy from the library.  


Another book I can't wait to get my hands on is Gayle Forman's latest called Leave Me.  Known for her YA novels this will be her first novel for adults. 


Next on my list is Swing Time by Zadie Smith.  I have had quite a few of her books on my reading list for a while and this one looks like it's going to be my first. 


And finally, my most anticipated read of the fall for me is Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly.  Normally, I'm not a big fan of non-fiction titles, but I think this will read more like a novel.  Just the description and subject matter makes me think of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.  I heard about the release for the movie before I knew it was a book.  Already have plans to read the book and see the movie when it is released.  


A few other titles on my list that I may or may not get to this fall are:

• The Mothers by Britt Bennett
• Faithful by Alice Hoffman
• A Boy Made of Blocks by Keith Stuart
• Here I Am by Jonathan Safran Foer
• The Wonder by Emma Donoghue

I hope you will share what you are planning to read this fall in the comments below. 

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Review--If I Stay by Gayle Forman

If I Stay by Gayle Forman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Mia is a typical 17 year old girl.  She has a great family, plays the cello, has good friends and an incredible boyfriend.   On a very non-typical day in her home of Oregon, a dusting of snow keeps the whole family home from work and school.  Her family decides to take a drive and visit some family and friends.  Unfortunately, on this journey, tragedy strikes.  Mia's family is involved in a car accident.  As Mia's life hangs in the balance, she reflects on all that has happened in her short time on earth and what would or could happen if she decided to stay.

I thought this was going to be a tear-jerker, but it wasn't so much.  The events that took place are sad for sure, but I didn't find myself crying like I thought I would.  Imagine if everyone in your immediate family is killed in a car accident and you are the only survivor.  What do you do?  You watch your whole family laying in pools of blood and then you watch yourself being operated on and see the looks in the eyes of your friends and family as they try to make sense of it all as well.  In the book, the movie Ghost is referenced, and this book does remind me a bit of that movie.  Patrick Swayze is dead though, and Mia is just trying to figure out if she should stay with the living, or go and be with her parents and her brother.   It's a hard decision to make and I'm not sure if it is one that I could make.  For me or for any other member of my family.  How can  you make the decision to let someone live or die?  How do you make that decision yourself?  Are we really able to make that decision?

My favorite part of this book, is looking back into Mia's life.   Getting an understanding of who she is and who her family was.  I love the fact that her family was so close and most of her life treated her like a little adult instead of a child.  They were encouraging and always there for her. Her boyfriend and her best friend were the same way.  They may not have always agreed on everything, but they were always understanding and willing to give a listening ear.   I'm not sure if the series follows Mia along the rest of her journey, but I would like to know what her decision was.


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