Review: A Blind Guide to Normal by Beth Vrabel

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I loved loved loved A Blind Guide to Stinkville, and so there was no way I was going to miss out on the sequel, which proved to be very satisfying on many levels. (Both of these books are YA, by the way, for grades 5-7 I would guesstimate.)

First, I understand why many authors use alternating narrators, but frankly it just confuses me and makes the story choppy and less engaging. Beth Vrabel is so clever that she didn’t need to use alternating narrators, because she used Alice as the narrator for book one and Richie Ryder as the narrator for this book. Presto: The benefits of alternating narrators without the abrupt shifts every chapter! 

Second, and I’ve said this about Vrabel’s other books, I just love when the book reflects the personality of the narrator/protagonist. I was so annoyed with Richie Ryder and his jokes and stupid way he had with people. He really got under my skin! I didn’t want to keep reading at one point… and THEN I realized that it was Beth Vrabel’s awesome writing talent making me feel that way. It was like she was channeling Richie across dimensions. (Beth, do you tesser?!)

My most favorite facet of A Blind Guide to Normal wasn’t the fabulous karate competition or the yard horse or even Richie Ryder’s heartfelt friendships with quilting classmates and Alice and Jocelyn and Max. The best part of the book for me was the ending, where everyone figures out that fear is pretty much the ONLY thing that’s normal, and where Beth Vrabel again writes a book within a book. 

-calliope

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Review: Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

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28587957You won’t find any spoilers here…if you’re looking for that you can just move on by…ha!

Honestly, you won’t find much at all here…there simply aren’t words enough that I can say to make you understand how much I loved this novel.

What’s more, there are no words for just how much this book resonated with me. The truths that lie within, that we all know, but refuse to accept as truths…just because we know they are wrong…or we choose to believe that they have nothing to do with us and are in no way, shape, or form our fault.

I don’t want to say Picoult was brave in the writing of this novel. However, that’s just not true…it’s not how we should look at the writing of this novel. This was the right thing to do. The elephant in the room needs to be acknowledged….I hope that this novel is the start of things to come….

Equity…

Read this book…Recommend this book…Buy a copy of this book and give it to a stranger…But most of all….Discuss this book with as many people as you can…

Until next time…
Urania xx

ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review

Buy your copy nowSmall Great Things by Jodi Picoult

Review: Twelve Days of Christmas by Debbie Macomber

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A book about a blogger! With a meet-cute. And a smart, handsome, buff, broody guy in the same apartment building who likes Starbucks. Come on now, who isn’t signing up to be the girl in this girl-meets-boy?! 

THIS is my kind of Christmas chick lit. You’ve got your possibility of snow, your peppermint latte, some chicken soup, a job at Macy’s, struggles with a Christmas tree… I couldn’t have asked for even one more perfect scenario in this book. 

Twelve Days of Christmas is about, yes, falling in love, but more importantly, figuring out that the way to change a relationship is to become a better person, not try to change the other person. And telling the truth. That always helps. 

I really had so much fun reading this novel. Macomber put obvious effort into character development, authentic dialogue, and a natural trajectory for a growing romance. It’s chick lit, but it’s GOOD chick lit, complete with excellent writing, fun characters, and witty remarks. 

Enjoy! 

-calliope

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Review: The Weight of Zero by Karen Fortunati

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There’s something very refreshing about an author who prefaces their book with an explanation of exactly WHY their story is different from the others of the same genre.  That’s a rare find in today’s world.

Catherine knows that it’s coming.  As sure as the passage of time, she’s certain that eventually her debilitating depression/bipolar disorder will rear its ugly head again. And because she knows it’s unavoidable, she has an escape plan.  No way is she going to be caught unaware like the last time things went south.  So she finds comfort in a shoebox. It’s here that she’s stockpiling an arsenal of medication sure to take her away from the pain for good.  She doesn’t see what she’s planning as a selfish act.  In fact, it’s her sacrifice to everyone she loves.  Only when she’s out of their lives can they truly begin to live again.

But something happens as she’s just passively walking through life.  She starts to care again.  First in the form of Michael, her first boyfriend.  And then along comes Kristal, someone who’s dealing with just as much as she is.  Still, she’s bound and determined to follow through with her plan when, not if because she knows it’s inevitable, the darkness once again comes for her.

This book was so very good for too many reasons to list.  The characters are real, raw, and flawed.  Everyone has something they’re dealing with, even if it’s not apparent at first glance.  And Catherine’s journey is difficult.  It’s not all nice and neat and wrapped up in a pretty package by the last chapter.  Real life is very much like that, and to pretend otherwise is not fair.

~Thalia

Buy It Now:  The Weight of Zero

 

Review and Giveaway: The Bachelor Auction by Rachel VanDyken

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bach I always look forward to Rachel’s releases. When life gets to be a little too serious I can count on her to bring out the funny and make me smile. This newest book is no exception.

Blurb
Jane isn’t entirely sure that Cinderella got such a raw deal. Sure, she had a rough start, but didn’t she eventually land a prince and a happily-ever-after? Meanwhile, Jane is busy waiting on her demanding, entitled sisters, running her cleaning business, and . . . yep, not a prince in sight. Until a party and a broken shoe incident leave Jane wondering if princes—or at least, a certain deliciously hunky billionaire—maybe do exist.

Except Brock Wellington isn’t anyone’s dream guy. Hell, a prince would never agree to be auctioned off in marriage to the highest bidder. Or act like an arrogant jerk—even if it was just a façade. Now, as Brock is waiting for the auction chopping block, he figures it’s karmic retribution that he’s tempted by a sexy, sassy woman he can’t have. But while they can’t have a fairy-tale ending, maybe they can indulge in a little bit of fantasy . .

When I think of Cinderella, I definitely think of Jane. She gives and gives and never receives. This girl can never catch a break. She works tirelessly just to make ends meet, with zero help. I just kept waiting for her prince to come. At first I was irritated with her, for taking so much from her sisters and not giving it back to them, but then I knew there would be a breaking point. I just had to hold on and be patient.

Brock is a complex guy. He has a pain deep inside that he tries to hide. He’s afraid to say no, so he finds himself in a life that wasn’t of his choosing. And now he finds himself being auctioned off like a piece of art. But what he really wants is to take his Cinderella and live happily ever after.

The tension between Brock and Jane was off the charts. I was one very happy girl. And when you toss in Brock’s brothers, this book had everything I like. It had my emotions all over the place. I was happy, then angry, then I was swooning. So many feels. A great way to start this series. I can’t wait to read the brothers’ books.

~Melpomene

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Review: Three Amazing Things About You by Jill Mansell 

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What do you get when you cross a secret advice columnist with an extreme adventurer? A lot of heart. You also get three beautiful relationships, complex subplotting, kooky exes, and the kind of meet-cute nobody wishes for but everyone would be lucky to experience. 

Jill Mansell continues to impress me with her masterful weaving together of many complicated threads to make one gorgeous and substantial piece of art. Her characters are perfect for each other, whether in friendships, professional relationships, or budding romances. And the believable creativity in how the characters’ paths cross is nothing short of amazing. Even though there are a dozen or more characters, I kept track of them easily because Mansell writes them as real individuals, not as stereotypes or personas.  I enjoyed the effortless reading of this ostensibly “light” novel that really is substantive in covering controversial social issues and difficult family relationships. The many layers of plots are clearly defined, easy to understand, and richly developed.  

Three Amazing Things About You is right up there with Millie’s Fling and my other favorite Mansells.  So. Good. 

-calliope

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Review: The Amish Christmas Kitchen by Long, Baker, Beckstrand

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This book is a collection of three novellas that center around Amish kitchens at Christmas time. 

Baking Love on Ice Mountain introduced Clara, who managed to bake up a storm even while grieving … and moving on. I enjoyed this well-written story and the mountain setting, as well as the wisdom of the older people being passed down to the next generation. 

The Christmas Bakery on Huckleberry Hill is by one of my most favorite authors, Jennifer Beckstrand. Beckstrand didn’t disappoint, bringing her signature silly grandparent pair Anna and Felty to Katie’s life, ready to be matchmakers once again. I loved that they maintained a sense of humor even when the wrong boy was trying to court sweet Katie – for the wrong reasons… her triple chocolate cakes! 

The Special Christmas Cookie contained a fun twist on one of my favorite tropes – governess/nanny/tutor falls in love with guardian of a sweet child. Problem was, the writing was sloppy. Many repetitive paragraphs and pages should have been cleaned up during editing – especially when it came to telling (in addition to the already sufficient showing) how independent and strong Jonathan wanted to be. 

The three authors send a common message with these novellas: loneliness can be overcome by taking a step forward. Each novella had a character that suffered loneliness because he or she was afraid to reach out. Once they could extend themselves, they found a brighter, more joyful season waiting for them. 

And at the end of each novella, you’ll find a recipe waiting for YOU. 🙂

-calliope

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Review: The Confectioner’s Tale by Laura Madeleine

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What a lovely story! I keep saying I don’t like flashbacks in a story but I think I do like it if done well. Laura Madeleine does it well! I adored the story of the poor country boy falling in love with pastry and Mme Clermont. Author Madeleine painted 1910 patisserie life with just the right amount of romance and beauty, and juxtaposed it perfectly with the grit of railroads, brothels, and street thugs. 

Flash forward to 1988 where phD student Petra gets sidetracked trying to clear her grandfather’s name and unravel the great Clermont mystery… I just as much enjoyed Petra’s phone calls and literal legwork trying to figure out clues about her grandfather. I was psyched for Petra’s ride on the back of Alex’s motorbike, and glad to see that the romance of 1910 carried over to modern times. 

I think I would have been able to get more lost in the story if Madeleine had stuck with the 1910 matters, but it was gratifying to see how it all played out in the end – a type of closure I wouldn’t have been able to experience unless the 1988 story existed as well. 

Brava! 

-calliope

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Review: Dissolution (Matthew Shardlake #1) by CJ Sansom

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138685I don’t know if it’s because I now live in England (American) but I absolutely love these period novels. I’m in the middle of a couple different historical series that take place in England, so I figured I might as well add one more. I’m very glad I did! This was so interesting to me. In one of my other series I am learning about King Alfred and his devotion and obsession with religion. In this novel we have a very different setting. It’s only a half a century (Ha! ONLY) but Henry XIII is very much against religion. I found (and always have) the ways religion is used by men to further their own desires extremely fascinating. Even more so because there are so many people who honestly believe in religion and only have the best intentions…

This is one such story…The main character is a hunchbacked lawyer named Matthew Shardlake. He is a devout man and has, I believe, honourable intentions. He is sent by Thomas Cromwell and the King to investigate a murder at a monastery. Shardlake has believed he was fighting on the side of good. However, the more time he spends investigating the murder the more he starts to wrestle with his own moral dilemmas. There are so many things he starts to question about the way things are being handled by Cromwell, a man he has always admired.

As Shardlake sees the men and women of the monastery as individual people, he questions the side he is on. He starts to see the politics behind the religion and isn’t at all sure where he stands any more..

Shardlake has never had an easy life..he has be a social outcast, if only by his physical deformity..now he must face being an outcast, and perhaps worse, but questioning in his mind the activities of those above him..

It will interesting to see what happens next to Matthew…he is a hero that I find strongly drawn to…I really look forward to continuing on with this series…

Until next time…
Urania xx

Buy your copy now Dissolution by CJ Sansom

Review: The Sheriffs of Savage Wells by Sarah M. Eden

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01 aa What a fun book! This is not your usual damsel in distress story. Quite the opposite. This story is about a girl who believes a girl can do anything a man can do, and she’s out to prove it.

Cade O’Brien is done with the loud and crazy towns. He wants peace and quiet and a new start. So he sets off to Savage Wells in hopes of becoming their new sheriff. But what he doesn’t expect is a woman already doing the job, and quite well, if he must admit. This spit fire of a woman gets his blood boiling in more ways than one, so he needs to keep a clear head whenever she’s around.

Paisley Bell has been acting sheriff for quite some time now and she’s not happy that the town is determined to fill the position with a man, instead of her. But when Cade comes into town, she knows that her work is cut out for her. He knows what he’s doing, but he doesn’t know this town better than her. But she’s not giving up. She knows she can do this job just as good as anyone else.

I must admit, I fell in love with this town and all it’s quirky, but lovable characters. I wish I lived there. They care a great deal about each other. Watching Cade and Paisley both interact with them, made me smile. They knew how to help everyone in very unconventional ways. It made my heart squeeze.

Watching Cade and Paisley banter made me smile. He’s not used to a woman in this position, so he’s a little slow in accepting. They go at each other quite often and I found myself giggling. As with many relationships, once the bantering starts, it’s over. They’re sunk. They learn to help each other out and in the midst of that, they start to grow closer and soon find themselves completely smitten. When he calls her love, I swoon. Let me tell you, butterflies were fluttering in my belly. Such a sweet romance.

This story is another in the The Proper Romance family and I know you’ll love it just as much as I did.

~Melpomene

Buy The Sheriffs of Savage Wells HERE