Keep Holding On

Keep Holding On


Author: Susane Colasanti
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Pages: 224
Genre: young adult
Source: BEA
Goodreads:    Noelle’s life is all about survival. Even her best friend doesn’t know how much she gets bullied, or the ways her mom neglects her. Noelle’s kept so much about her life a secret for so long that when her longtime crush Julian Porter starts paying attention to her, she’s terrified. Surely it’s safer to stay hidden than to risk the pain of a broken heart. But when the antagonism of her classmates takes a dramatic turn, Noelle realizes it’s time to stand up for herself–and for the love that keeps her holding on.


Ope’s Opinion:  I received this book at BEA.  I was bullied in high school.  This book took me right back there.  All it takes is one person to let another person know they are included.  It was interesting to see the main character get the strength to stand up for herself when other people let her know she wasn’t alone.  It is so hard to let students know that after high school, another life starts.  One that doesn’t include all those people who may not have treated you the way you should have been.  It is hard to survive until you know yourself well enough to take other peoples opinions as your own.  Thanks for writing this book.  I hope it helps someone feeling alone.

Rating: Three Chairs – I like this book enough to suggest it to a friend or two, who might also share it.


FTC – Disclosure of Material Connection: 
 I received one copy of this book free of charge from BEA.  
I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book;
 rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

A Fatal Debt


A Fatal Debt
                          
                            
                                                  Author: John Grapper
                                      Publisher:  Random House
                                                  Pages: 288
                                      Source: BEA  ARC                                 
                                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                              




Goodreads:      This timely debut thriller by an award-winning Financial Times columnist is a gripping tale of lethal intrigue set in the high-stakes Wall Street world—where wealth and privilege are no match for jealousy and betrayal.
 
Ben Cowper, an attending psychiatrist at the prestigious New York–Episcopal Hospital, is stunned to learn the identity of the emergency patient he’s just been assigned to treat: Harry Shapiro, a Wall Street colossus and one of Episcopal’s most prominent donors. But a high-profile reversal of fortune has left the once powerful investment banker jobless, bitter, and possibly desperate—judging by the handgun his wife finds him clutching. In Ben’s expert opinion, Shapiro is a suicide waiting to happen. But when the headstrong financier balks at an extended stay in the hospital psych ward, Ben reluctantly releases him, bowing to political pressure from Episcopal’s chief administrator, who’s more concerned with the patient’s money than his mind.
 
Days later, the shocking news breaks: There’s been a shooting death in Harry Shapiro’s Hamptons mansion. But even more shocking is the identity of the victim. A tragedy sets in motion an explosive chain of events that turns Ben Cowper’s life upside-down.
 
As hard-nosed cops close in with harder questions, the hospital closes ranks to protect its own interests. But with colleagues freezing Ben out, innocent circumstances conspire to incriminate him. Hounded by a DA who’s out for blood, and haunted by the specter of a shattered career, Ben has no choice: He must delve into the hearts and minds of the people who know Harry best, uncover the secrets they’d rather die—or kill—to keep, and expose the truth behind a web of malice disguised as madness.



Ope’s Opinion:        If you aren’t sure if you want to read this book, do not stop before page 68!  That is the first curve!  
                                            Reading this book is like driving down a country road, there are a lot of twists and turns with great things to look at along the way.  You won’t get bored!  The further I got into the book, the harder it was to put it down ( even for dinner ).
                                          This book will appeal to male or female readers.       
                                           Read this book!



Rating: Five Chairs – This book is so good it will be passed on and on and on…..
FTC – Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one copy of this book free of charge from Random House.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Emma Embraces Books

Emma Embraces Books

I have such a love of books, I have tried to pass it along to my children and grandchild.  Books have always been a gift in our family.

Emma is my granddaughter.  We have surrounded her with books and we read to her on a daily basis.

Today, her choice is What’s Up, Duck?  A book of opposites by Tad Hills.  It is fun to watch her eyes light up as you read to her.  She is learning new things every day from her books.

Tigers in Red Weather by Liza Klaussmann

Tigers in Red Weather 

Author: Liza Klaussmann
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Pages: 368
Format:  ARC
Goodreads:  Summer seemed to arrive at that moment, with its mysterious mixture of salt, cold flesh and fuel.


 Nick and her cousin, Helena, have grown up sharing sultry summer heat, sunbleached boat docks, and midnight gin parties on Martha’s Vineyard in a glorious old family estate known as Tiger House. In the days following the end of the Second World War, the world seems to offer itself up, and the two women are on the cusp of their ‘real lives’: Helena is off to Hollywood and a new marriage, while Nick is heading for a reunion with her own young husband, Hughes, about to return from the war. 
     
Soon the gilt begins to crack. Helena’s husband is not the man he seemed to be, and Hughes has returned from the war distant, his inner light curtained over. On the brink of the 1960s, back at Tiger House, Nick and Helena–with their children, Daisy and Ed–try to recapture that sense of possibility. But when Daisy and Ed discover the victim of a brutal murder, the intrusion of violence causes everything to unravel. The members of the family spin out of their prescribed orbits, secrets come to light, and nothing about their lives will ever be the same.
   
 Brilliantly told from five points of view, with a magical elegance and suspenseful dark longing, Tigers in Red Weather is an unforgettable debut novel from a writer of extraordinary insight and accomplishment.



Ope’s Opinion: I received this book at BEA.  This book was intense.  The characters had a lot of flaws.  The story moved fast, but was in an odd sequence.  It went back and forth from present to past, but it was noted.   Each character had the chance to tell the story from their perspective.  


This is not my usual read.  The foul language in this book distracted me.    I don’t know too many people to pass it on to.  If you like complicated story lines, you may really enjoy this one.



Rating: Two Chairs – I may have one friend who might like this book.






FTC – Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of   charge from BEA.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.



A Month of Blogging

A Month of Blogging


If you had asked me a year ago at this time if I would ever blog, I would have given you a wide eyed look and shook my head  no.  Both of my daughters, Kristin of Kritters Ramblings  and Jennifer of The Underestimated Mom have been blogging for some time.  I encouraged them, but never pictured myself blogging. 
It has been a month of blogging now.  I have learned how to post, how to add links, how to add pictures ( which makes everything more interesting ) and how to talk “blog” language!  It has come easier then I expect, but only because my girls have guided me and given me immeasurable support.
Becoming a part of the blogging community has been fun.  I have met a few new people.   I am looking forward to BEA next year too and reconnect with people I met this past year.
My next celebration I hope will be at my first year of blogging.  At this point I am taking it one day or one week at a time.  I hope if you are contemplating blogging that you have as much help and support along the way.  

Charlotte’s Birthday



Charlotte’s Birthday
This is my grand fur baby’s third birthday!  Her parents are in Florida this week, so she is celebrating with me.  This is her first car seat – she is growing up!  This is her gift from her grandparents.

Charlotte’s mom left her a new toy and some birthday treats.  

My granddaughter Emma gave Charlotte her first dog treat for her birthday!

Charlotte devoured her treat!
Watch your fingers!!

Happy Birthday Charlotte!!

These Girls by Sarah Pekkanen

These Girls  by Sarah Pekkanen
Publisher:  Washington Square Press
Pages:  336
Format: Book
Goodreads:  In her third novel, internationally bestselling author Sarah Pekkanen examines the lives of three women working and living together in New York City and shows that family secrets may shape us all, but it’s the rich, complicated layers of friendship that can save us.


Cate, Renee, and Abby have come to New York for very different reasons, and in a bustling city of millions, they are linked together through circumstance and chance.

Cate has just been named the features editor of Gloss, a high-end lifestyle magazine. It’s a professional coup, but her new job comes with more complications than Cate ever anticipated.

Cate’s roommate Renee will do anything to nab the plum job of beauty editor at Gloss. But snide comments about Renee’s weight send her into an emotional tailspin. Soon she is taking black market diet pills—despite the racing heartbeat and trembling hands that signal she’s heading for real danger.

Then there’s Abby, whom they take in as a third roommate. Once a joyful graduate student working as a nanny part time, she abruptly fled a seemingly happy life in the D.C. suburbs. No one knows what shattered Abby—or why she left everything she once loved behind.

Pekkanen’s most compelling, true-to-life novel yet tells the story of three very different women as they navigate the complications of careers and love—and find the lifeline they need in each other.



Ope’s Opinion:  Sarah Pekkanen is an awesome writer.  She is also a wonderful person.  I met her at one of her book signings.  Then I saw her at another authors signing and she remembered me and took the time to talk to me about what I was reading  ( not just her books).  If you have not read one of her books – look into them.  She wrote Skipping a Beat and The Opposite of Me. 

In These Girls, she made all three girls come alive.  I cared about each one of the girls.  I wanted to know where they came from and what brought them to this point in their lives. It was great to see these girls defend each other and care about each other, even though they didn’t know each other for  a long time.   It was fun to read.   


Rating:  Four Chairs – I like this book so much I know several friends to share it with.