Author Archives: opesopinions

The Day the Crayons Quit

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Author:  Drew Daywalt, Oliver Jeffers           
Publisher: Philomel Books                        crayons
Genre: Children’s 
Source: The Brightly Team

 

 

Goodreads:  Poor Duncan just wants to color. But when he opens his box of crayons, he finds only letters, all saying the same thing: We quit!

Beige is tired of playing second fiddle to Brown. Blue needs a break from coloring all that water, while Pink just wants to be used. Green has no complaints, but Orange and Yellow are no longer speaking to each other.

What is Duncan to do? Debut author Drew Daywalt and New York Timesbestseller Oliver Jeffers create a colorful solution in this playful, imaginative story that will have children laughing and playing with their crayons in a whole new way.

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Emma’s Opinion:  This was fun to read!  I like all the crayons!!  The last page was my favorite page.

Emma’s Rating:  Five fingers – I want to read it again and again.  I want to take the book home with me.   hand

Ope’s Opinion:  From a grandparent perspective, I like the book.  It is very colorful.  I thought it was a little too much to read on each page to keep a young childs attention.  The crayons were a little whiny to me – I don’t think a child would notice that.

Ope’s Rating:  Four fingers for me. 

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The Girls of Mischief Bay

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Author: Susan Mallery
Publisher:  MIRA
Genre:  Contemporary Romance             girls
Source: Emer Flounders

 

 

Goodreads:  Nicole Lord wants to be a good wife, but there’s a difference between being supportive and supporting her husband, who quit his job to write a screenplay she’s never seen. He won’t even help take care of their son, leaving Nicole to run the house and work full-time at her Mischief Bay Pilates studio. Can she say enough is enough without losing the man she loves?

Sacrificing a personal life for her career is how Shannon Rigg rose to become vice president in her firm, but she wonders now whether she made the right choice. An exciting new relationship with a great guy convinces her that it might not be too late—until he drops a bombshell that has her questioning whether she can have it all. And if she can, does she want it?

Although Pam Eiland has a beautiful house and a husband she adores, she feels… restless. She wonders who a stay-at-home mom becomes after the kids are grown. Finding sexy new ways to surprise her husband brings the heat and the humor back to their marriage, but when unexpected change turns her life upside down, she’ll have to redefine herself. Again.

Through romance and heartbreak, laughter and tears, three very different women will discover that friends can become family, and that life is richer with sisters at your side.

Ope’s Opinion:  Susan Mallery writes such wonderful, relatable characters and weaves an awesome story.  There are three women in this story, you can identify with one of them or maybe all three!  

I felt like I could live at Mischief Bay and be friends with these women.  Pam is closest to my age and I have the most in common with her.  Her story is very close to my own.  Some of her story made my heart ache.

I really enjoyed the fact that these women were of different ages, interests and stages in life, yet they are friends and supported each other.  I am looking forward to going back to Mischief Bay and seeing these women as Susan Mallery continues this series.

Rating: 5 – This book is so good it will be passed on and on and on….

Keep the Ends Loose

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Author: Molly D. Campbell            keep
Publisher: The Story Plant
Genre: Fiction
Source: The Story Plant

 

 

Goodreads:  Miranda Heath is a quirky fifteen-year-old with cinematic dreams and a safe, predictable family. That is until she decides to pull at the loose end that is the estranged husband her aunt never divorced. What seemed like the best way to allow her aunt to get on with her life sets off a series of events that threaten to turn Mandy’s world upside down. Suddenly, she’s embarking on adventurous road trips, becoming the center of an increasingly unstable household, meeting surprising strangers, and seeing everyone she knows in new ways. Sometimes loose ends just want to stay loose. But what happens if they want to unravel completely?

Ope’s Opinion:  This story is definitely written from the perspective of a 15 year-old girl.  I felt like I was reading her diary.  

This book reminds me of my childhood, when my mom used to read me stories.  I felt like I was hearing a story, but I wasn’t ever drawn into the story enough to feel like I was a part of it.

The ending of the book wrapped things up.  It was a predictable ending.

 

Rating: Three Chairs – I like book enough to suggest it to a friend or two.
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How does a book cover influence you?

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I recently read an article from the Washington Post about book covers.  It fascinated me and made me stop to think… how much does the cover influence my decision to buy or read a book?

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Give me a book with a beach cover and I am drawn in every time!  What draws your eye to a book?  Are you more likely to pick up a  haunted cover?  Do you like the winter scenes?  Does it change depending on the time of the year?

I also noticed that a book may come out with different covers.  For example Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn has one cover for hard back and another for mass market.  Is there a different audience for different editions?gone girl

 

goneThe one on the left is the hard cover and the one on the right is the mass market.  Which one is more appealing to your eye?

 

 

 

 

Is the focus on the authors name or the title of the book more likely to get you to pick it up?

I am amazed at all that goes into the process of getting a book out there so we will buy it.  The cover, the synopsis, hardcover/ paperback, different print, the feel of the pages and so much more.

Please share your favorite book cover.
Tell me what attracted you to that book.

The Supreme Macaroni Company

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Author:  Andriana Trigiani
Publisher: Harper
Genre: Women’s Fiction                            macaroni
Source:  Kristin of Kritters Ramblings

 

 

 

Goodreads:  For over a hundred years, the Angelini Shoe Company in Greenwich Village has relied on the leather produced by Vechiarelli & Son in Tuscany. This historic business partnership provides the twist of fate for Valentine Roncalli, the school teacher turned shoemaker, to fall in love with Gianluca Vechiarelli, a tanner with a complex past . . . and a secret.

A piece of surprising news is revealed at The Feast of the Seven Fishes when Valentine and Gianluca join her extended family on a fateful Christmas Eve. Now faced with life altering choices, Valentine remembers the wise words that inspired her in the early days of her beloved Angelini Shoe Company: “A person who can build a pair of shoes can do just about anything.” The proud, passionate Valentine is going to fight for everything she wants and savor all she deserves — the bitter and the sweetness of life itself.

Romantic and poignant, told with humor and warmth, and bursting with a cast of endearing characters, The Supreme Macaroni Company is a sumptuous feast of delights: a portrait of a woman and the man she loves, her passion for craftsmanship, and the sacrifices it takes to build and sustain a family business while keeping love and laughter at the center of everything.

Ope’s Opinion:  This is the third and final book in the series about the Roncalli and Angelini family.  This book is about Gianluca and Valentines marriage, learning to live with one another, work and family.  

With all the details that Adriana Trigiani gave the reader in the first book, I would have thought the wedding in this book would have had more description.  The wedding felt rushed to me.

The ending surprised me.  I was not expecting where the author went with the story.  It made me think – don’t want to say too much – I don’t want to spoil it for anyone.

I have not read The Shoemaker’s Wife yet.  I will definitely do read it soon.

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

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Author:  Carla Neggers
Publisher: MIRA
Genre: Contemporary Fiction          echo
Source: Emer Flounders

 

 

 

Goodreads:  In snowy Swift River Valley, unexpected romance is just around the corner…

Heather Sloan has landed her dream job—the renovation of Vic Scarlatti’s stately 1912 country home overlooking the icy waters of Echo Lake in Knights Bridge, Massachusetts. It’s the perfect project for the family business, but for once, Heather is in charge.

Diplomatic Security Service agent Brody Hancock left Knights Bridge at eighteen, a few steps ahead of arrest and the wrath of Heather’s older brothers. Though Brody had never planned to return, Vic, a retired diplomat and friend, needs his help.

Staying at Vic’s guest house makes it impossible to avoid running into a Sloan at every turn—especially Heather. Seeing her again has affected Brody more than he wants to admit. But Heather is wary of Brody’s sudden interest in her, and she suspects there’s more to his homecoming than he’s letting on…

Set against the scenic backdrop of a New England winter, Echo Lake is a captivating tale of family, friends and the possibility of new love.

Ope’s Opinion: This is a quick, easy romantic read with a little mystery in it.  This is the fourth book in the Swift River Valley series. It is the first one I read.  I did not feel lost.  The author did a good job of introducing each character and letting you know how they are related to others.  I did feel like I might want to go back and read the other characters stories.

The first half of the book felt very repetitive.  I think I was told several times that Brody had a pumpkin incident with the Sloan brothers.  I never did hear that whole story.

The second half of the book was great!  I loved how strong and independent Heather Sloan was.  I liked that she fell in love, but continued with her life and her dreams.  She didn’t get swallowed up by Brody.

The story was predictable, but had a lot of fun along the way.  There was an adorable pup, a lot of Sloan brothers and Brody’s friends that all add a lot of enjoyable characters to Brody and Heathers story.

I would read Carla Neggers again.

Rating: Three Chairs – I like the book enough to suggest it to a friend or two.
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Brava, Valentine

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Author: Adriana Trigiani
Publisher: Harpers Collins Publishing          brava
Genre:  Women’s Fictions
Source: Kristin of Kritters Ramblings

 

 

Goodreads:  Adriana Trigiani’s bestselling novels are beloved by millions of readers around the world. From the Big Stone Gap series to Lucia, Lucia, each is a sumptuous treat as Trigiani tells hilarious and romantic stories that we want to return to again and again.

Very Valentine, an instant New York Times bestseller, introduced the contemporary family saga of the Roncalli and Angelini families, artisans of handcrafted wedding shoes in Greenwich Village since 1903.

As Brava, Valentine begins, snow falls like glitter over Tuscany at the wedding of her grandmother, Teodora, and longtime love, Dominic. Valentine’s dreams are dashed when Gram announces that Alfred, “the prince,” Valentine’s only brother and nemesis, has been named her partner at Angelini Shoes. Devastated, Valentine falls into the arms of Gianluca, a sexy Tuscan tanner who made his romantic intentions known on the Isle of Capri. Despite their passion for one another and Gianluca’s heartfelt letters, a long-distance relationship seems impossible.

As Valentine turns away from romance and devotes herself to her work, mentor and pattern cutter June Lawton guides her through her power struggle with Alfred, while best friend and confidante Gabriel Biondi moves into 166 Perry Street, transforming her home and point of view. Savvy financier Bret Fitzpatrick, Valentine’s first love and former fiancée who still carries a torch for her, encourages Valentine to exploit her full potential as a designer and a business woman with a plan that will bring her singular creations to the world.

A once-in-a-lifetime business opportunity takes Valentine from the winding streets of Greenwich Village to the sun-kissed cobblestones of Buenos Aires, where she finds a long-buried secret hidden deep within a family scandal. Once unearthed, the truth rocks the Roncallis and Valentine is determined to hold her family together. More so, she longs to create one of her own, but is torn between a past love that nurtured her, and a new one that promises to sustain her.

Ope’s Opinion:  This is the second book in the trilogy of the Roncalli and Angelini family.  The second book has wonderful descriptions so you can see what she is writing, but not as much as the first book.  I feel like the first book gave me all the background to set me up for this book.

Watching Valentine take over at the family company was very interesting.  There were a lot of challenges at the Angelini Shoe Company.  Valentine enjoyed the challenges at work, but wanted more in her life.  Her relationships are explored in this book. Her love interest is not the one I would have picked for her.

I enjoyed Valentines travels in this book.  I wanted to go with her!! – at times I felt like I was with her thanks for Trigiani’s writing.

Rating: Four Chairs – I like this book so much I know several friends to share it with.
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New Uses for Old Boyfriends

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Author: Beth Kendrick
Publisher: NAL Trade
Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction                 new uses
Source: Booksparks

 

 

 

Goodreads:  After growing up in privilege and marrying into money, Lila Alders has gotten used to the good life. But when her happily-ever-after implodes, Lila must return to Black Dog Bay, the tiny seaside town where she grew up. She’s desperate for a safe haven, but everything has changed over the past ten years. Her family’s fortune is gone—and her mother is in total denial. It’s up to Lila to take care of everything…but she can barely take care of herself.

The former golden girl of Black Dog Bay struggles to reinvent herself by opening a vintage clothing boutique. But even as Lila finds new purpose for outdated dresses and tries to reunite with her ex, she realizes that sometimes it’s too late for old dreams. She’s lost everything she thought she needed but found something—someone—she desperately wants. A boy she hardly noticed has grown up into a man she can’t forget…and a second chance has never felt so much like first love.

Ope’s Opinion:  It was fun to revisit Black Dog Bay.  Lila’s story was a fun, fresh read.  I couldn’t believe how fast I read it. I am a slow reader and I went through this book in no time.  

I really liked Lila and Daphne’s relationship.  They are what I think  a typical mother – daughter is really like.  They love each other, support each other, but don’t always agree or get along.  I enjoyed seeing an adult child and a mother relationship.  All the women (and there are a lot of them) in the book are strong independent people, good examples.

I like how Lila’s male relationships ended up.  I don’t want to spoil it, but it did have a few curves along the way to keep it interesting and it was very positive.

I would read another Beth Kendrick.  She writes such easy fun reads.

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

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Author:  Adriana Trigiani
Publisher: Harper
Genre:  Women’s Fiction              very
Source: Kristin of Kritters Ramblings

 

 

Goodreads:  Meet the Roncalli and Angelini families, a vibrant cast of colorful characters who navigate tricky family dynamics with hilarity and brio, from magical Manhattan to the picturesque hills of bella Italia. Very Valentine is the first novel in a trilogy and is sure to be the new favorite of Trigiani’s millions of fans around the world.

In this luscious, contemporary family saga, the Angelini Shoe Company, makers of exquisite wedding shoes sincFour e 1903, is one of the last family-owned businesses in Greenwich Village. The company is on the verge of financial collapse. It falls to thirty-three-year-old Valentine Roncalli, the talented and determined apprentice to her grandmother, the master artisan Teodora Angelini, to bring the family’s old-world craftsmanship into the twenty-first century and save the company from ruin.

While juggling a budding romance with dashing chef Roman Falconi, her duty to her family, and a design challenge presented by a prestigious department store, Valentine returns to Italy with her grandmother to learn new techniques and seek one-of-a-kind materials for building a pair of glorious shoes to beat their rivals. There, in Tuscany, Naples, and on the Isle of Capri, a family secret is revealed as Valentine discovers her artistic voice and much more, turning her life and the family business upside down in ways she never expected. Very Valentine is a sumptuous treat, a journey of dreams fulfilled, a celebration of love and loss filled with Trigiani’s trademark heart and humor.

Ope’s Opinion:  This is the first of a trilogy of the Roncalli and Angelini families.  Adriana Trigiani writes with such detail, I feel like I can see exactly what she is writing about.  Throughout the whole book I felt like I was right in the middle of this family.  It was fun to feel like I was a part of it, but looking from the outside.

If you love details and a lot of description, you will really enjoy this book.  There were times when I got lost in the description and forgot where I was in the story.

I am anxious to see where Adriana Trigiani takes the family in the next book.

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

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Author:  Georgia Bockoven
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks      things
Genre:  Women’s Fiction
Source:  Kristin of Kritters Ramblings

 

 

Goodreads:  To face the future, a woman must let go of the past. . . .

Returning to her childhood home in the golden hills of Northern California means regret and pain for Karla Esterbrook. Yet she can’t refuse when her ailing grandmother, Anna, asks her to help settle her affairs. After all, Anna raised Karla and her younger sisters after their parents’ death twenty years before. But from the beginning a powerful clash of wills separated Karla and her grandmother, leaving them both bitter and angry.

Little does Karla know that a very determined Anna will do everything in her power to bridge the chasm between them. But can the wounds of the past truly be healed? For Karla, opening her heart could lead to more hurt—or perhaps to reconciliation . . . and a love the likes of which she has never known. 

Ope’s Opinion: This is my February book off Kristin’s of Kritters Ramblings bookshelf.

If you haven’t read Georgia Bockoven before this would be a great place to start.  This story is very heartwarming.  When you start reading you will immediately have a connection with the characters.  

This story reminds me to enjoy and cherish my time with my girls.  Having traditions and making memories to pass down to the next generation is important. I did have a few tears while reading since I have lost my mom. This story is not morbid or even sad – it is more hopeful.

I will be reading more Georgia Bockoven’s books.

Rating: Five Chairs – This book is so good it will be passed on and on and on…..

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