Save Me

Author:  Kristyn Kusek Lewis
Publisher:  Grand Central Publishing               save me
Genre:  Women’s Fiction
Source:  Grand Central Publishing

 

 

 

Goodreads:  Daphne Mitchell has always believed in cause and effect, right and wrong, good and bad. The good: her dream job as a doctor; Owen, her childhood sweetheart and now husband; the beautiful farmhouse they’re restoring together. In fact, most of her life has been good–until the day Owen comes home early from work to tell her he’s fallen head over heels for someone else.

Unable to hate him, but also equally incapable of moving forward, Daphne’s life hangs in limbo until the day Owen’s new girlfriend sustains near-fatal injuries in a car accident. As Daphne becomes a pillar of support for the devastated Owen, and realizes that reconciliation may lie within her grasp, she has to find out whether forgiveness is possible and decide which path is the right one for her.

Ope’s Opinion:  This is a slow moving, deeply emotional book.  As you follow Daphne through her heartbreak, you can really feel her heaviness.  I like books that  are realistic, but at times this one is so realistic it is difficult to read.

It is hard to read about a marriage that has so many struggles.  Daphne has hard decisions to make.  Her family and friends don’t always agree, but they obviously love her and want what will be best for her.

I felt like Owen was lazy.  Marriage takes work.  It takes time and effort to put someone else first.   Owen just thought of himself and the short term happiness.

Kristyn Kusek Lewis wrote a very real look at one marriage.

Rating:  Three Chairs – I like the book enough to suggest it to a friend or two.
3 chairs

 

 

 

 

 

Gifts for your Avid Readers

If you don’t want to pick out a book for your avid reader, I have several gifts that your reader might really enjoy receiving.

Bookmarks are always a small way to say happy holidays.  Here are two examples. Find one that says something special for your reader.  They can cost from $2 to $10.

eat book mark

 

book mark

 

Bookends are another great gift for book lovers.

green m

This M is from Hobby Lobby.  It cost $15.00 – an affordable gift.

white M

This bookend is from Joann’s craft store.  This size was $4.00.  There are different sizes.  You can paint them to go with the shelving in any room.

Another item that works as a bookend is a paperweight.  This is from Barnes and Noble.  The cost is $14.95.
paper weight
My daughter bought me this bookend.
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Another avid book reader gift is a book light.  They run from $10 to $20 depending on what you choose.

booklight

 

When you just aren’t sure what else to get – a gift card to Barnes and Noble, Books a Million, or an independent book store is always appreciated. 

 

 Hope this helps your shopping!
Happy Holidays!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Books for Christian Fiction Readers

These are my suggestions if you want to
share the love of books for your christian fiction readers.

 

 

Take a Chance on Me                                take a chance
By: Susan May Warren
Cost: $12.01

 

 

Goodreads:  Darek Christiansen is almost a dream bachelor—oldest son in the large Christiansen clan, heir to their historic Evergreen Lake Resort, and doting father. But he’s also wounded and angry since the tragic death of his wife, Felicity. No woman in Deep Haven dares come near.

New assistant county attorney Ivy Madison simply doesn’t know any better when she bids on Darek at the charity auction. Nor does she know that when she crafted a plea bargain three years ago to keep Jensen Atwood out of jail and in Deep Haven fulfilling community service, she was releasing the man responsible for Felicity’s death. All Ivy knows is that the Christiansens feel like the family she’s always longed for. And once she gets past Darek’s tough exterior, she finds a man she could spend the rest of her life with. Which scares her almost as much as Darek learning of her involvement in his wife’s case.

Caught between new love and old grudges, Darek must decide if he can set aside the past for a future with Ivy—a future more and more at risk as an approaching wildfire threatens to wipe out the Christiansen resort and Deep Haven itself.

Ope’s Opinion:  She is an amazing writer.

 

Goodnight, Brian
By: Steven Manchester               goodnight
Cost: $13.89

 

Goodreads:  Fate was working against little Brian Mauretti. The food that was meant to nourish him was poisoning him instead, and the doctors said the damage was devastating and absolute. Fate had written off Brian. But fate didn’t count on a woman as determined as Brian’s grandmother, Angela DiMartino – who everyone knew as Mama. Loving her grandson with everything she had, Mama endeavored to battle fate. Fate had no idea what it was in for.

An emotional tale about the strength of family bonds, unconditional love, and the perseverance to do our best with the challenging gifts we receive, GOODNIGHT, BRIAN is an uplifting tribute to what happens when giving up is not an option.

Ope’s Opinion: This is an amazing family story.

 

 Hope this helps your shopping!
Happy Holidays!

 

Books for Readers of Women’s Fiction

These are my suggestions if you want to
share the love of books for women’s fiction readers.

 

Heart Like Mine            
By: Amy Hatvany                           heart
Cost: $ 12.77

 

Goodreads:  When a young mother dies under mysterious circumstances, those she leaves behind begin looking for answers in the past—and find a long-buried secret they could have never imagined.
Thirty-six-year-old Grace McAllister never longed for children. But when she meets Victor Hansen, a handsome, charismatic divorced restaurateur who is father to Max and Ava, Grace decides that, for the right man, she could learn to be an excellent part-time stepmom. After all, the kids live with their mother, Kelli. How hard could it be?

At thirteen, Ava Hansen is mature beyond her years. Since her parents’ divorce, she has been the one taking care of her emotionally unstable mother and her little brother—she pays the bills, does the laundry, and never complains because she loves her mama more than anyone. And while her father’s new girlfriend is nice enough, Ava still holds out hope that her parents will get back together and that they’ll be a family again.

But only days after Victor and Grace get engaged, Kelli dies suddenly under mysterious circumstances—and soon, Grace and Ava discover there was much more to Kelli’s life than either ever knew.

Narrated by Grace and Ava in the present with flashbacks into Kelli’s troubled past, Heart Like Mine is a poignant and hopeful portrait about womanhood, love, and the challenges of family life.

Ope’s Opinion:  This is a fast read.

 

Carly’s Gift
By: Georgia Bockoven                   carly's gift
Cost: $11.99

 

 

Goodreads:  From the author of Things Remembered and The Year Everything Changed comes a moving novel about love that lasts forever

What’s in the past is over and done with . . . or is it? 

Sixteen years ago Carly Hargrove made a decision that would irrevocably alter her life. With little comprehension of the life-long consequences of her actions, she trades her own future happiness to protect the man she’s loved since kindergarten, David Montgomery.

With an ocean separating them, Carly builds a life for herself without David. She’s the mother of three, lives in a beautiful house, and is married to a man who comes home every night—even if most of those nights he drinks too much. What more could she want?

Her answer arrives on a cold fall day when David shows up at her door. In town for his father’s funeral, he has come to see Carly one last time, hoping to rid himself of the anger that still consumes him.

Instead, he is drawn into a web of secrets that rekindles the fierce need he once felt to protect Carly. He becomes caught up in her life in a way he never could have imagined—a way that will bind him to her forever.

Ope’s Opinion:  Georgia Bockoven is a great writer.  

 

The Daughter She Used to Be
By: Rosalind Noonan                          daughter
Cost: $ 12.93

 

Goodreads: In this emotionally charged and riveting novel from the author of One September Morning and In a Heartbeat, one woman is torn between loyalty to her family’s ways and to her most profound convictions. . .

The daughter of a career cop, Bernadette Sullivan grew up with blue uniforms hanging in the laundry room and cops laughing around the dinner table. Her brother joined New York’s finest, her sisters married cops, and Bernie is an assistant District Attorney. Collaring criminals, putting them away—it’s what they do. And though lately Bernie feels a growing desire for a family of her own, she’s never questioned her choices. Then a shooter targets a local coffee shop, and tragedy strikes the Sullivan family.

Anger follows grief—and Bernie realizes that her father’s idea of retribution is very different from her own. All her life, she’s inhabited a clear-cut world of right and wrong, of morality and corruption. As Bernie struggles to protect the people she loves, she must also decide what it means to see justice served. And in her darkest hour, she will find out just what it means to be her father’s daughter.

Ope’s Opinion: A captivating read!

 

 Hope this helps your shopping!
Happy Holidays!

Books for Mystery Readers

These are my suggestions if you want to
share the love of books for your mystery readers.

 

Keep Quiet
By: Lisa Scottoline                  keep quiet
Cost: $16.78

 

Goodreads:  New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award winning author Lisa Scottoline is loved by millions of readers for her suspenseful novels about family and justice. Scottoline delivers once again with Keep Quiet, an emotionally gripping and complex story about one man’s split-second decision to protect his son – and the devastating consequences that follow.Jake Buckman’s relationship with his sixteen-year-old son Ryan is not an easy one, so at the urging of his loving wife, Pam, Jake goes alone to pick up Ryan at their suburban movie theater.  On the way home, Ryan asks to drive on a deserted road, and Jake sees it as a chance to make a connection. However, what starts as a father-son bonding opportunity instantly turns into a nightmare. Tragedy strikes, and with Ryan’s entire future hanging in the balance, Jake is forced to make a split-second decision that plunges them both into a world of guilt and lies. Without ever meaning to, Jake and Ryan find themselves living under the crushing weight of their secret, which threatens to tear their family to shreds and ruin them all. Powerful and dramatic, Keep Quiet will have readers and book clubs debating what it means to be a parent and how far you can, and should, go to protect those you love.

Ope’s Opinion:  This one took my breath away and kept me reading into the night.

 

Love You More
By: Lisa Gardner                love you more
Cost: $ 7.99

 

 

Goodreads:  WHO DO YOU LOVE?

One question, a split-second decision, and Brian Darby lies dead on the kitchen floor. His wife, state police trooper Tessa Leoni, claims to have shot him in self-defense, and bears the bruises to back up her tale. For veteran detective D. D. Warren it should be an open-and-shut case. But where is their six-year-old daughter?

AND HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO . . . 

As the homicide investigation ratchets into a frantic statewide search for a missing child, D. D. Warren must partner with former lover Bobby Dodge to break through the blue wall of police brotherhood, seeking to understand the inner workings of a trooper’s mind while also unearthing family secrets. Would a trained police officer truly shoot her own husband? And would a mother harm her own child?

. . . TO SAVE HER?

For Tessa Leoni, the worst has not yet happened. She is walking a tightrope, with nowhere to turn, no one to trust, as the clock ticks down to a terrifying deadline. She has one goal in sight, and she will use every ounce of her training, every trick at her disposal, to do what must be done. No sacrifice is too great, no action unthinkable. A mother knows who she loves. And all others will be made to pay.

Love you more . . 

Ope’s Opinion:  If you love unexpected twists – this one if for you!

 

After I’m Gone
By: Laura Lippman             after
Cost: $ 11.96

 

 

Goodreads:  The acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of The Most Dangerous ThingI’d Know You Anywhere, and What the Dead Knowreturns with an addictive story that explores how one man’s disappearance echoes through the lives of the five women he left behind—his wife, his daughters, and his mistress

Dead is dead. Missing is gone.

When Felix Brewer meets nineteen-year-old Bernadette “Bambi” Gottschalk at a Valentine’s Day dance in 1959, he charms her with wild promises, some of which he actually keeps. Thanks to his lucrative—if not all legal—businesses, she and their three little girls live in luxury. But on the Fourth of July in 1976, Bambi’s comfortable world implodes when Felix, facing prison, vanishes.

Though Bambi has no idea where her husband—or his money—might be, she suspects one woman does: his devoted young mistress, Julie. When Julie disappears ten years to the day after Felix went on the lam, everyone assumes she’s left to join her old lover—until her remains are discovered in a secluded park.

Now, twenty-six years later, Roberto “Sandy” Sanchez, a retired Baltimore detective working cold cases for some extra cash, is investigating her murder. What he discovers is a tangled web of bitterness, jealousy, resentment, greed, and longing stretching over five decades. And at its center is the man who, though long gone, has never been forgotten by the five women who loved him: the enigmatic Felix Brewer.

Felix Brewer left five women behind. Now there are four. Does at least one of them know the truth?

Ope’s Opinion: This one is full of family secrets.  

 

 Hope this helps your shopping!
Happy Holidays!

Books for Young Adult Readers

These are my suggestions if you want to
share the love of books for your young adult readers.

 

All I Need                                 Colasanti_AllINeed_PreSales.indd
By: Susane Colasanti
Cost: $9.99

 

 

Goodreads:  The last night of summer is only the beginning.

Skye wants to meet the boy who will change her life forever. Seth feels their instant connection the second he sees her. When Seth starts talking to Skye at the last beach party of the summer, it’s obvious to both of them that this is something real. But when Seth leaves for college before they exchange contact info, Skye wonders if he felt the same way she did—and if she will ever see him again. Even if they find their way back to each other, can they make a long-distance relationship work despite trust issues, ex drama, and some serious background differences?

Ope’s Opinion:  I thought this book had a great story for young adult readers.  

 

Anna and the French Kiss                         anna
By: Stephanie Perkins
Cost: $9.99

 

 

Goodreads:  Can Anna find love in the City of Light?
Anna is happy in Atlanta. She has a loyal best friend and a crush on her coworker at the movie theater, who is just starting to return her affection. So she’s less than thrilled when her father decides to send her to a boarding school in Paris for her senior year. But despite not speaking a word of French, Anna meets some cool new people, including the handsome Étienne St. Clair, who quickly becomes her best friend. Unfortunately, he’s taken —and Anna might be, too. Will a year of romantic near misses end with the French kiss she’s waiting for?

Ope’s Opinion:  This is the first book in a series of three books. The language and other content in this book is appropriate for young adult readers.

 

Breathe, Annie, Breathe         breathe
By: Miranda Kenneally
Cost: $13.21

 

Goodreads:  Annie hates running. No matter how far she jogs, she can’t escape the guilt that if she hadn’t broken up with Kyle, he might still be alive. So to honor his memory, she starts preparing for the marathon he intended to race.

But the training is even more grueling than Annie could have imagined. Despite her coaching, she’s at war with her body, her mind—and her heart. With every mile that athletic Jeremiah cheers her on, she grows more conflicted. She wants to run into his arms…and sprint in the opposite direction. For Annie, opening up to love again may be even more of a challenge than crossing the finish line.

Ope’s Opinion:  Annie in this book is a good example for young adult readers.

Since You’ve Been Gone
By: Morgan Matson          since
Cost: $ 14.09

 

Goodreads: The Pre-Sloane Emily didn’t go to parties, she barely talked to guys, she didn’t do anything crazy. Enter Sloane, social tornado and the best kind of best friend—the one who yanks you out of your shell.

But right before what should have been an epic summer, Sloane just… disappears. No note. No calls. No texts. No Sloane. There’s just a random to-do list. On it, thirteen Sloane-selected-definitely-bizarre-tasks that Emily would never try… unless they could lead back to her best friend.

Apple Picking at Night? Okay, easy enough.

Dance until Dawn? Sure. Why not?

Kiss a Stranger? Wait… what?

Getting through Sloane’s list would mean a lot of firsts. But Emily has this whole unexpected summer ahead of her, and the help of Frank Porter (totally unexpected) to check things off. Who knows what she’ll find?

Go Skinny Dipping? Um….

Ope’s Opinioin:  This author is amazing.  I like all she has written.

 

 Hope this helps your shopping!
Happy Holidays!

Books for Middle Grade Students

These are my suggestions if you want to
share the love of books for some middle grade students.

 

 

Nancy Clancy                          nancy clancy
By: Jane O’Connor
Cost: $8.99

 

 

Goodreads:  Join Nancy Clancy in New York Times bestselling team Jane O’Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser’s fourth Nancy Clancy chapter book about the past, present, and future! Nancy and her best friend, Bree, must go back in time to solve their latest mystery. While Nancy’s class learns about time capsules in school, another relic from the past pops up in the present. Nancy buys an old desk at a tag sale and soon finds out that someone left behind a key. In the perfect follow-up to Nancy Clancy, Super Sleuth;Nancy Clancy, Secret Admirer; and Nancy Clancy Sees the Future, Nancy and Bree set out to unlock the secret of the silver key in the hopes of finding some treasure along the way. But unlocking the mystery soon proves to be more difficult than they had thought, and when the answer isn’t what they had expected, Nancy and Bree learn there are some things that remain timeless forever.

Fans of Fancy Nancy will love joining Nancy Clancy in the latest edition to the chapter book series. The central theme of all the Nancy Clancy books shines through, showing the power of positive thinking and the will to never give up.

Ope’s Opinion: This series is great fun to have a student read themselves or to share the reading the time together.

 

Annika Riz, Math Whiz                      annika
By: Claudia MIlls
Cost: $13.21

 

 

Goodreads:  Annika Riz loves math more than anything. She’s trying to teach her dog, Prime, to count. She’s determined to beat fellow math whiz Simon Ellis in a Sudoku contest at the public library. She even sleeps under number-patterned sheets. But Annika’s best friends Kelsey and Izzy think math is boring. All they care about is the upcoming school carnival: their principal is going to be dunked in a dunking tank and their class is going to have a booth selling home-baked cookies. But then disaster foils the friends’ cookie-baking plans. Can math save the day?

Ope’s Opinion: This is  one of several books Claudia Mills wrote that a middle grade girl would really enjoy reading.  She writes strong female characters that are a good example for your student to follow.

 

 

My Life in Pink and Green       pink
By: Lisa Greenwald
Cost: $7.95

 

 

Goodreads:  Twelve-year-old Lucy Desberg is a natural problem solver. After the local homecoming queen shows up at her family’s struggling drugstore with a beauty disaster that Lucy helps to fix, Lucy has a long line of makeover customers for every school dance and bat mitzvah. But all the makeup tips in the world won’t help save the pharmacy. If only she could find a way to make the pharmacy the center of town again—a place where people want to spend time, like in the old days. Lucy dreams up a solution that could resuscitate the family business and help the environment, too. But will Lucy’s family stop fighting long enough to listen to a seventh-grader?

This book is a funny and sweet debut featuring an unforgettable narrator who knows what she wants, whether it’s great makeup, a killer business plan, or a better world.

Ope’s Opinion: Lisa Greenwald has three books in this series so far.  She has a good sense of humor – an enjoyable read.

 

Hope this helps your shopping!
Happy Holidays!

Coming Soon….

….  On a Bookshelf near you!

In December I hope to read…

save me

Publication Date:  December 30, 2014
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Goodreads: Daphne Mitchell has always believed in cause and effect, right and wrong, good and bad. The good: her dream job as a doctor; Owen, her childhood sweetheart and now husband; the beautiful farmhouse they’re restoring together. In fact, most of her life has been good–until the day Owen comes home early from work to tell her he’s fallen head over heels for someone else.

Unable to hate him, but also equally incapable of moving forward, Daphne’s life hangs in limbo until the day Owen’s new girlfriend sustains near-fatal injuries in a car accident. As Daphne becomes a pillar of support for the devastated Owen, and realizes that reconciliation may lie within her grasp, she has to find out whether forgiveness is possible and decide which path is the right one for her.

What is coming soon …. to a bookshelf near you?

Let me know – I am always looking for a good read!

Books for Young Children

These are my suggestions if you want to
share the love of books for some young children.

 

Number One Sam          sam
By: Greg Pizzoli
Cost: $12.79

 

Goodreads:  They’re off! Sam is the best race-car driver in history-he is number one at every race!

But when his best friend, Maggie, shows that she has racing talent of her own, Sam doesn’t know how to handle coming in second place. Will he learn what it truly means to be a winner?

Ope’s Opinion:  I thought this book had a good message about how important it is to  care about other people rather than being first.

 

Goodnight Ipad                           goodnight
By: Ann Dryod
Cost: $ 11.90

 

Goodreads:  In the bright buzzing room…it is time to power down. 

For parents and children alike, here is a modern bedtime story about bidding our gadgets goodnight. Don’t worry, though. They’ll be waiting for us, fully charged, in the morning.

Ope’s Opinion:  Goodnight Ipad has such a great story for children that parents ( or grandparents) will enjoy some underlying humor.  

 

Ten Little Ladybugs
By: Melanie Gerth, Laura Huliska-Beith       ladybugs
Cost: $7.88

 

 

 

Goodreads:  One by one, ten tactile bugs disappear. Where did they all go? Young ones will love finding out as they feel their way through the sturdy, colorful pages of this innovative book. The cute critters provide a hands-on learning experience and the rhyming text reinforces the counting concept. Interactive, educational, adorable — this magical countdown book adds up to a whole lot of fun.

Ope’s Opinion:  This is a nice alternative to ten little monkey’s.  It really helps with counting and has a nice rhyme to it.

 

 Hope this helps your shopping!
Happy Holidays!

 

 

 

Holiday Book Blogging

Since the holidays are coming, we are all getting busy.  Reading time will be hard to find – time for me to read and review and time for you to read a blog.  So I decided to do something a little different this year during most of the holiday season.  

 I am going to make suggestions for different readers in your life.  For example I will list books for young children, middle grade, etc.  I will include a synopsis, price and picture of the book.  I hope this will help with your shopping.  

Relax, enjoy your holidays and soon we will get back to the books after life gets quiet again.