Book Review

Review: Luck, Love & Lemon Pie by Amy E Reichert

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27274359Totally gutted over this novel. I read Reichert’s first novel in less than 24 hours and absolutely loved it! I went running to the computer to find more by her! When I was approved for this novel I think I actually did a happy dance!!!

I didn’t stay dancing for long. I sometimes actually like “chick lit”…okay, so maybe this will be the only time I admit to that….

butttttttt….this novel is one of the reasons I will rarely admit it. You have a middle-aged lady who is all but ignored by her husband and children. She gets drunks, basically decides to ignore her family and seeks to “find herself” by doing exactly what has made her feel so unworthy to begin with. Not spending time with her husband, not spending time with her children and ignoring their wants and needs.

No one is saying that you need to devote yourself 100% to others and ignore yourself. However, I feel no sympathy for someone who complains about how they feel unappreciated and then proceeds to go off and “unappreciate” their own loved ones and justifies it as it’s about time she did something for herself.

I don’t think you need another man outside of your husband to make you feel attractive. I don’t think your husband should only find you attractive once someone else does.

I think there is a happy medium and that author took the easy way out and went to the extreme.

Sorry, I absolutely loved her first book…and I will keep her on my radar for the future, but there wasn’t really anything I found to like in this novel. Women often sell themselves short in real life..and then go to the extreme to correct that…This novel is a perfect example of how to do just that…

Until next time…

Urania xx

ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review

Buy it now Luck, Love & Lemon Pie by Amy E Reichert

Review: A Bee in Her Bonnet by Jennifer Beckstrand 

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Book two in The Honeybee Sisters series is a fun read! Poppy has always been headstrong, hard-working, and no-nonsense. She displays a tough exterior that hides any emotion that men might construe as weak. So heaven help Luke when he puts his foot in his mouth, being chauvinistic without even realizing it. Poppy wishes Luke would stop trying to “rescue” her … and when he finally looks at her as an equal, it changes everything. 

I adore Beckstrand’s Amish tales. They are well-written, entertaining, and often educational for this Englischer!  Beckstrand writes Poppy’s beautiful story with heart and authenticity. I appreciate the relationships she has with her sisters and aunt… and Luke. The best part about getting to know Poppy was watching her realize that asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, and that accepting help is sometimes the best way to start a new friendship. 

-calliope

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Review: My American Duchess by Eloisa James

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25817386This was my first Elosia James book…although I’ve been meaning to read her for years and have even purchased half a dozen or more of her books over the years (you have to love those Kindle book sales). I am glad I finally read one of her books. I really did enjoy this book. It was a charming fluffy book that entertained me and I didn’t have to strain to follow along. Some days, that’s really all you can want or need from a book. No it didn’t change my life, but it certainly made my day a happier place…

If I had one complaint it was only that the male character, Trent, fancied himself ready to propose less than 10 minutes after meeting the lovely Merry. I just always question how long a relationship will last in the long run when it is based on a start like that…

For me it’s the little things that make a book…and the eccentric Aunt and the adorable dogs…well….that did it for me…

Until next time…

Urania xx

ARC provided by Edelweiss for an honest review

Buy it now My American Duchess by Eloisa James

Review: Anything But Love by Abigail Strom

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In this well-written romance the male lead seems to be the center of the story in the beginning … which makes sense, because the heroine has felt invisible for so long. Ben sees Jessica at a wedding and gives her a shoulder to cry on. Jessica melts inside, but maintains a cool facade – something she’s had to learn to do to deal with family problems. But as Ben continues to show Jessica he cares, a little bit of trust builds, and the possibility of healing and happiness comes to the forefront. Whether the timing is right or the friendship will be enough is another story. 

I’m a frequent reader of light and easy romances, so even though Strom is new to me, this book was right up my alley. I was pleasantly surprised to see so much focus on Ben at the beginning. It totally worked. As Jessica opened up, so the story began to center more on her. My absolute favorite parts of this book were Strom’s use of fancy vocabulary… not so much that it stopped me in my tracks, not so fancy that I had to look up anything, but intelligent use of precise words that many wouldn’t expect in a “fluffy” romance. 

This book pulled me in so hard that I was all of a sudden at 81% after midnight… and stayed up to finish it without hesitation!  I was impressed with the characters, the story, and the writing, and now I need to click on some more Abigail Strom for my kindle. 

-calliope

P.S. There’s a happily ever after for more than one couple in this book!

Buy ANYTHING BUT LOVE
 

Review: Daughters of the Bride by Susan Mallery

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What a lovely story about a mom and her three daughters. Susan Mallery writes four very different love stories in Daughters of the Bride. Awkward Courtney grows up and grows into herself even while the world isn’t watching. A certain music producer is, though, and he has no qualms about telling her. Distant Sienna seems cold until she realizes she’s surrounding herself with the wrong men. Supermom Rachel forgets who she really is until the love of her life helps her remember. 

The three women help their mom plan her wedding, and through the process they begin to know and love themselves more. 

Daughters of the Bride was a feel-good family story on the surface, but Mallery brought her signature spice to one of the couples’ romance. In the family relationships and in the romantic ones, love abounded. 

-calliope

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Review: Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes

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6411016

Shame and honor clash where the courage of a steadfast man is motley like the magpie. But such a man may yet make merry, for Heaven and Hell have equal part in him.” – Wolfram von Eschenback “Parzival

This quote at the beginning sums this novel up nicely.

I think it’s a book that people should read. I think it’s important. Doesn’t matter if you agree with war and politics or you don’t. This book is important.

As I read it, all I could think of was how people often forget that despite the politics and the cause of war…well at the end of the day, the people who fight war…well…it’s often just unsure and untested young people.

You have commanders giving orders based on information that they’ve been told. This information is being gave to them by men that don’t wish to displease him. They might not outright lie, but they certainly don’t give 100% accurate information either….Who wants to be the bearer of bad news to a commanding officer? At the end of the day, the men out on missions are pushed harder than many can endure…harder than any can endure…and the bottom line is, casualties can be offset and justified by the bottom line of damage and killings you’ve done to the enemy. When it’s all said and done, war too is just a numbers game.

My heart broke many times during this reading…and honestly, all I could think of is, “these men are only kids!!!!!!!” I don’t mean to take away from their service. There should be no way my statement could ever do that. However, think back to when you were 18. 19. 20. Now imagine watching your brothers in arm dying…or sometimes, worse, not dying soon enough…and knowing its your job to prevent it…that your decision, or hesitation, or non hesitation could cause it. Imagine knowing that the order from above will get you and your brothers killed, but it’s an order and it’s your job to make sure those orders are carried through. Imagine experiencing all of this, when in reality all you fucking want is to be back home in your lover’s arms…

As wonderful as the book was, I just can’t imagine! I can’t imagine what these young men were going through. We often get pissed at politicians for decisions they make. We often get mad at military situations…right or wrong…well that isn’t for me to decide…sure, I have my opinions, same as everyone else…but what I took from this book is that everyone dehumanizes during the event. People often forget the boys that are just out there doing as they are told. They look to congress, or the president or to the leaders of other countries…they make it an “event” or a “situation” or a “military action”. They don’t face the reality that it’s dirty, gut wrenching, diseased, no time to think reality for men that might not even be of legal age to drink. These are the men that are fighting….not some politician behind a desk…or a faceless entity. These men are brothers, sons, husbands, fathers and friends. They are not just numbers at the bottom of a count sheet…no matter how much the public and the politicians try to make it so…

Until next time…

Urania xx

Buy it now Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes

Review: House Revenge by Mike Lawson 

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This was a pretty entertaining read. Though it’s the eleventh in a series, I had no trouble keeping track of characters and their occupations, good guys vs bad guys, and the relationships among them all.

House Revenge takes the reader through Boston politics, from commercial land development to dirty congressmen to cops on the take to connections with Mexican drug cartels, all through the eyes of Joe DeMarco. Joe is a right hand man taking direction from politicians, but trouble arises when he doesn’t think through his approach.  

In House Revenge, at the request of those more powerful than he, Joe tries to help an old lady stay in her apartment. Her building is getting torn down to make way for bigger and better – and more profitable – enterprises. Joe doesn’t intend to get too involved, but we all know where the path of good intentions leads. By the middle of the book, Joe is halfway there. 

I liked the peek into DC and Boston politics, the interactions with Boston Police, and the local references. Though some of Joe’s “solutions” seemed pretty far-fetched, I’ve got to give him credit for getting as far as he did in a world where one hand washes the other, and quid pro quo is the status quo.

-calliope 

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Review: End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe

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13414676This is a really nice book. I can’t fault the writer at all. However, I have to say it was gut wrenching for me. Schwalbe and his mother had a very special bond. Hell, from what I grasp, she had a special bond with everyone she knew. She seemed like she was a truly amazing person.

The part that was really hard for me was the dedication Schwalbe had for his mum. No, it wasn’t a bad thing. It was an amazing thing. When my father died, I can’t lie, I was, perhaps more devastated by my lack of involvement in his final days. That is so very hard to write. To admit to. Sure, I can blame circumstances. Being in a different country, blah blah blah, but that doesn’t ease the guilt one feels. Then to read a book where Schwalbe went to such great lengths….well it was very hard. Yes, he was lucky. His mum was lucky. We can all say, well, he had a job that allowed him to be by his mother’s side so often. That’s all. He could afford to spend 5 hours a day with her when she was having treatments. He could call her a dozen times a day. Reality is more simple than that though. He made it happen. Amazing sacrifices he made to make sure his mother was surrounded by love in her final years…

I’m jealous of his dedication. Of his courage. His sacrifice. Of those hours, days, weeks, months, and years he had with his mum at the end. Reading this book made my gut clinch with my own guilt…I miss my dad…I wish I had been the kind of daughter to him that was like the son Schwalbe was to his mum…I wish I had that opportunity…

There’s nothing else to say really…

Until next time…

Urania xx

Buy it now End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe

Review: The Pursuit by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg

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I am addicted to these Fox and O’Hare novels. Federal agent O’Hare and genius criminal/informant Fox work together to catch super bad guys across the globe. Working so closely together, they’ve managed to peek into each other’s personal lives… and even fall in Like. 

The Pursuit gives the reader a double whammy. The pair finish a case in the beginning chapters and quickly land a new case… One they can’t even put on the books. One that sends them to Belgium and the Paris underground. It’s a con. Maybe the biggest con they’ve ever pulled. And their lives depend on them making zero mistakes. 

Part comedy, part MacGyver, and part Ocean’s Eleven, The Pursuit is the perfect light read to get me laughing and holding tight to the edge of my seat in the same chapter. I’ll read them as fast as Goldberg and Evanovich can write them. 

-calliope 

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Review: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

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6493208I really found this book interesting. It also brings up some questions. I mean I can see both sides. I can understand why the family was somewhat confused. At times angry with what was done with their mother’s cells. At the end of the day, I guess what happened wasn’t done intentionally.

I found the epilogue at the end the most interesting of all. That’s where all the real ethical questions come into play. If you read this book and decide it’s not for you part way though, well, I encourage you to just skip to that part and read it.

Here’s my thoughts…of course, it would only be in a perfect world that my thoughts could come to life…so there is that….

There’s no doubt that things like this should continue on. The things that have been accomplished because of Henrietta Lacks cells are just mind-blowing. I mean, honestly, it’s just amazing. Things like this have always went on, but the public just isn’t aware of it.

The scientists that used her cells did so with no intention of making a profit. At some point was profit made? Sure, you bet your arse it was. That’s where it needs to stop. It’s also noted that a few different researchers with different cells are not limiting any research and refusing to allow others to do their research. This is wrong. If a patient can’t control the rights or make profits off of their cells, why should a company or pharmaceutical company do so? I’m afraid that as time goes on, more pharmaceutical companies will control more of these things. They will not give samples, that cost them nothing, to further research. Instead they will control it and only let them out to the highest bidder…or not at all…simply to protect their own interests…and this is where the world will suffer.

If we expect the people who give these samples to receive no recognition or profit, then by damned, companies shouldn’t either. Companies should not be withholding samples to scientists for further research…..Once you allow them to control these samples you are allowing them to delay vital information that could provide cures for many diseases. Of course, cures means less profit for these companies, so it’s really in their best interest to regulate what is released. This, IMHO, is a recipe for disaster.

Bottom line, I really encourage you to read this book. Yes, the book is slanted towards Henrietta Lacks’ family. However, that doesn’t change the fact that many people have no idea of what happens when they give a sample of blood. Of that tumor cell that was removed from them during surgery. Of placentas that are delivered with their children. It’s just mind-boggling.

Until next time…

Urania xx

Buy it now The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot