Category Archives: Book Opinion

The Wednesday Sisters

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Author:  Meg Waite Clayton
Publisher: Ballentine Books
Pages:  320
Genre:  Historical Fiction

Source:  My Daughter

Goodreads:   Friendship, loyalty, and love lie at the heart of Meg Waite Clayton’s beautifully written, poignant, and sweeping novel of five women who, over the course of four decades, come to redefine what it means to be family.

For thirty-five years, Frankie, Linda, Kath, Brett, and Ally have met every Wednesday at the park near their homes in Palo Alto, California. Defined when they first meet by what their husbands do, the young homemakers and mothers are far removed from the Summer of Love that has enveloped most of the Bay Area in 1967. These “Wednesday Sisters” seem to have little in common: Frankie is a timid transplant from Chicago, brutally blunt Linda is a remarkable athlete, Kath is a Kentucky debutante, quiet Ally has a secret, and quirky, ultra-intelligent Brett wears little white gloves with her miniskirts. But they are bonded by a shared love of both literature–Fitzgerald, Eliot, Austen, du Maurier, Plath, and Dickens–and the Miss America Pageant, which they watch together every year.

As the years roll on and their children grow, the quintet forms a writers circle to express their hopes and dreams through poems, stories, and, eventually, books. Along the way, they experience history in the making: Vietnam, the race for the moon, and a women’s movement that challenges everything they have ever thought about themselves, while at the same time supporting one another through changes in their personal lives brought on by infidelity, longing, illness, failure, and success.

Humorous and moving, The Wednesday Sisters is a literary feast for book lovers that earns a place among those popular works that honor the joyful, mysterious, unbreakable bonds between friends.

 
Ope’s Opinion:  When you read my review, you should take into consideration that I am not a fan of historical fiction in general.  My daughter Kristi of Kritters Ramblings  gave this book an awesome review, so read her thoughts as well as mine.
 
                                       I did like the friendship the five women had.   I also thought it was kept in the time period accurately.  I just got lost in all the details that Meg put into the story.
 
                                       I found the idea of five women all writing to be unlikely.  It felt like the ones who did want to be writers were pushing the others into writing.  I wanted to see each woman’s interest supported, not just the writers.  
 
                                   It did show me that friendships don’t seem to change.  No matter the time period (historical or present time) we need our friendships – they meet the same need now as they did in the past.
 
Rating:  Two Chairs – I may have one friend who might like this book.
 
 

The Rockin’ Chair

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Author:  Steven Manchester                                                 6d8c5-rockingchair
Publisher: Story Plant
Pages: 272
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction
Source:  Steven Manchester

Goodreads:  Memories are the ultimate contradiction. They can warm us on our coldest days or they can freeze a loved one out of our lives forever. The McCarthy family has a trove of warm memories. Of innocent first kisses. Of sumptuous family meals. Of wondrous lessons learned at the foot of a rocking chair. But they also have had their share of icy ones. Of words that can never be unsaid. Of choices that can never be unmade. Of actions that can never be undone.

Following the death of his beloved wife, John McCarthy Grandpa John calls his family back home. It is time for them to face the memories they have made, both warm and cold. Only then can they move beyond them and into the future.

A rich portrait of a family at a crossroad, THE ROCKIN’ CHAIR is Steven Manchester’s most heartfelt and emotionally engaging novel to date. If family matters to you, it is a story you must read.

 
 
Ope’s Opinion:  The beginning of the book drew me in when Steve was writing about Alice.  I could see her confusion.  It was a great place to start the story.  The story was of a family, each with issues that needed to be dealt with.  In that way, this could have been anyone’s story – very relatable.  
 
                                     The rocking chair itself was such an awesome symbol of this family.  It was a solid family with flaws. The rocking chair was always there – just like John was always there for this family.  
 
                                    I think one of the main lessons in this book is telling people what you are thinking and feeling.  If you do, it will cause so much less misunderstandings and hurt feelings.  
 
                                   This is my third book by Steven Manchester and I would read another one in a heart beat.    
 
                                         
 
 
 
Rating:  Three Chairs – I like the book enough to suggest it to a friend or two.
 
                 FTC – Disclosure of Material Connection: 
      I received one copy of this book free of charge from
                 Steven Manchester. 
            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.
                                                       

 

Kelsey Green, Reading Queen

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 Emma’s Shelf 



Author:  Claudia Mills
Publisher:  Farrar, Straus and Giroux ( BYR )              

Pages:  128
Genre: Junior Fiction
Source:  Claudia Mills

Goodreads:  Kelsey Kline is the best reader in the third grade–well, maybe tied for best with know-it-all Simon Ellis. When the principal Mr. Boone announces  a school-wide reading contest, complete with a pizza party for the winning class and a special certificate for the top readers in each grade, she knows she’s just the person to lead Mrs. Molina’s third graders to victory. But how can they win when her classmate Cody Harmon doesn’t want to read anything, and even Kelsey’s best friends Annika and Izzy don’t live up to her expectations? And could Simon possibly be reading all of those books that he claims he is, or is he lying to steal Kelsey’s rightful spot at the top?


Ope’s Opinion:  What a wonderful book!  I like how each friend has a strength to help them figure out if Simon is cheating.  I love the way Kelsey loves to read through every other activity.

                                        The reading contest reminded me of when my daughters used to do the library reading program during the summers. They would want to read more then their friends and get all the prizes the library had for each mile stone.  Anything that encourages children to read is wonderful in my world!

                                   I also liked that one child ( Cody ) struggled with reading and Kelsey helped him out.

                                   I am looking forward to Annika Riz, Math Whiz and Izzy Barr, Running Star!  Keep writing.

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





              FTC – Disclosure of Material Connection: 
      I received one copy of this book free of charge from
            Claudia Mills. 
            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.
                                                       

Zero Tolerance

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 Emma’s Shelf


Author:  Claudia Mills
Publisher:  Farrar, Straus and Giroux ( BYR )                      

Pages:  240
Genre:  Middle Grade
Source:  Claudia Mills

Goodreads:  Seventh-grader Sierra Shepard has always been the perfect student, so when she sees that she accidentally brought her mother’s lunch bag to school, including a paring knife, she immediately turns in the knife at the school office. Much to her surprise, her beloved principal places her in in-school suspension and sets a hearing for her expulsion, citing the school’s ironclad no weapons policy. While there, Sierra spends time with Luke, a boy who’s known as a troublemaker, and discovers that he’s not the person she assumed he would be–and that the lines between good and bad aren’t as clear as she once thought. Claudia Mills brings another compelling school story to life with Zero Tolerance.


Ope’s Opinion:  First I would like to you to know what an awesome person  Claudia Mills is.  I sent her a request to read this book and she was generous enough to send me two of her books!  I am beginning to read books for my granddaughter and Claudia was very open to my idea.  

                                     This book was very well written.  It is definitely from a seventh grade girls perspective.  It was a very fast, enjoyable book. I thought the length of the chapters was perfect for a middle grade reader.  

                                 The characters were interesting and relatable.  I think a sequel to know where Sierra is now would be fun!  I am planning on putting this on Emma’s shelf until she is ready for me to read to it to her or for her to read herself.

                              As an adult this book kept my attention and made me want to read right to last page.


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


                 FTC – Disclosure of Material Connection: 
      I received one copy of this book free of charge from
                                 Claudia Mills. 
            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.
                                                       

Forever, Interrupted

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Author:  Taylor Jenkins Reid 
Publisher:  Washington Square Press              

Pages:  352
Genre:  Women’s Fiction
Source:  Edelweiss

Goodreads:    “Have you ever heard of supernovas? They shine brighter than anything else in the sky and then fade out really quickly, a short burst of extraordinary energy. I like to think you and Ben were like that . . . in that short time, you had more passion than some people have in a lifetime.”

Elsie Porter is an average twentysomething and yet what happens to her is anything but ordinary. On a rainy New Year’s Day, she heads out to pick up a pizza for one. She isn’t expecting to see anyone else in the shop, much less the adorable and charming Ben Ross. Their chemistry is instant and electric. Ben cannot even wait twenty-four hours before asking to see her again. Within weeks, the two are head over heels in love. By May, they’ve eloped.

Only nine days later, Ben is out riding his bike when he is hit by a truck and killed on impact. Elsie hears the sirens outside her apartment, but by the time she gets downstairs, he has already been whisked off to the emergency room. At the hospital, she must face Susan, the mother-in-law she has never met—and who doesn’t even know Elsie exists.

Interweaving Elsie and Ben’s charmed romance with Elsie and Susan’s healing process, Forever, Interrupted will remind you that there’s more than one way to find a happy ending.



Ope’s Opinion:  This book would have been given Five Chairs had there not been so much foul language.   The story was awesome!!  I read this book in two days and I am usually a slow reader – that tells you how fast this book grabbed me and kept me fixed on it.

                                         Switching from past to present in the book really worked.  It showed the progress of the relationships and helped you understand why each character was reacting the way they were.

                                       I don’t know how realistic this story is, but Taylor made me fall in love with the characters and root for them.  I liked them so much I didn’t care if all of it seemed so realistic.  It was great to see Susan and Elsie relationship develop.  I thought it was believable that they started out being very wary of each other and eventually turned to each other to heal.

                                       I highly recommend this book.  As a matter of fact I want to buy a copy for my daughter to read.  Just know there is a lot of unnecessary foul language in this book.  I wish the author had used more creativity to find other words in place of the foul language.

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

                 FTC – Disclosure of Material Connection: 
      I received one copy of this book free of charge from
         Edelweiss. 
            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.
                                                       


Big Girl Panties

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Author:  Stephanie Evanovich
Publisher:  William Morrow                                      

Pages:  336                              
Genre:  Women’s Fiction
Source: Tracy Diamond ( Harper Collins )

Goodreads:   They say that big girls don’t cry. But when the chips are down and the dip is gone, what can you do? Pull up your BIG GIRL PANTIES and change your life.

Holly Brennan didn’t expect to be a widow at thirty-two. She also didn’t expect to be so big. Through her husband Bruce’s diagnosis and death, food was the one thing she could always count on. Now, those extra pounds make flying coach more than a little mortifying-especially since she’s sitting next to Adonis himself, aka Logan Montgomery, a personal trainer to the country’s most famous pro athletes.

Though Holly doesn’t make the grade on his first-impression meter, Logan finds himself intrigued by her sharp wit and keen insight-a welcome change from the beautiful bubble-headed dolls he usually dates-and impulsively offers to get her back in shape. Ready to make at least one positive change in her life, Holly agrees.

To Logan’s (and her own) surprise, Holly turns out to be a natural in the gym. Throwing herself into exercise, the red head with the blazing wit and welcoming smile slims down into a bonafide looker with killer curves-and a new kind of hunger. Soon, the easy intimacy and playful banter of their training sessions lead Logan and Holly into the bedroom where they share their most intense and steamy workouts yet.

But can a man whose whole life depends on looks commit himself to a woman who doesn’t fit his image? Now that Holly’s turning other men’s heads, does she even need Logan anymore? Are they a couple built to last . . . or is this sizzling affair going to burn out fast?



Ope’s Opinion:  When I started this book, I thought it would be a really sweet love story.  And there is a really sweet love story in this book, but there is so much sex you loose the love story in it.  

                                      The way Logan and Holly met and the beginning of their relationship is priceless.  I really enjoyed it.  I loved the way Holly taught Logan what a real woman is like.  I also liked how she saw herself disappearing into what he wanted and was strong enough to stop it.  It was great to see Logan mature through the course of the story.

                                      Chase and Amanda were weird and useless characters.  Their sex life had little or nothing to do with the rest of the story and detracted from the read.  Other then being there for Holly and Logan to talk to the characters were not likable or realistic.

                                       The “f” word was used too often and not needed.  I wish the creative side of writing had been used and the author could have come up with another word.

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



                 FTC – Disclosure of Material Connection: 
      I received one copy of this book free of charge from
                Tracy Diamond ( Harper Collins ). 
            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.
                                                       

All My Restless Life to Live

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Author:  Dee DeTarsio                                    

Publisher: Dee DeTasio
Pages:  306
Genre:  Women’s Fiction
Source:  BookSparks

Amazon:  All My Restless Life to Live Life is a soap opera, especially for Elle Miller, who writes for one. (Ellen dropped the “n” in her name in hopes of finding a better ending for herself.) When her laptop crashes, she borrows her recently deceased dad’s computer and gets way more than she bargained for. 

Elle unravels mysterious communications from his computer, while her mom decides to give Internet dating a try. As Elle tries to save her career at I’d Rather Be Loved with a storyline featuring a trip through Atlantis, she takes a trip to the Emmys, and finds herself in the middle of a romance between a real doctor and a hunk who just plays one on TV. Friends, family, and clues from “the other side” all help Elle figure out the difference between living the good life and living a good life. 

Fans of Marian Keyes and Jennifer Weiner will delight in Dee DeTarsio’s sparkling prose and lively dialogue as she takes readers into the heart of women’s lives. Filled with friendship, love, loss, betrayal, and challenges that force her characters to find their place in the universe, Dee’s novels give us that hopefully-ever-after we’re searching for. 



Ope’s Opinion:  This was a quick easy read.  I did have some trouble in the beginning getting into it.  It seemed a little wordy at times. 

                       I liked that Elle and Quez talked to each other – the opposite of soap operas where people lie or hide everything.  

                        I am not usually into people talking after they die, but the way the author did this was better than most.  

                        I did like how the book weaved both the soap opera story and the “real life” story together.  It worked.

                        I have not read Dee DeTarsio before – I may try another.



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

                 FTC – Disclosure of Material Connection: 
      I received one copy of this book free of charge from
          Book Sparks. 
            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.
                                                       



The New Crown

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Author:  Jason Sandberg
Publisher:  Jason Sandberg                          

Pages: 29
Genre:  Children’s
Source:  Jason Sandberg

Amazon:  Julietta the Carpenter can build almost anything using wood, metal or fabric. Her skills are put to the test when she runs afoul of her corrupt King. This new fairy tale introduces a resourceful heroine to the boys and girls of today.





Ope’s Opinion:  My review comes with help from my granddaughter.  I read to her and see how long she is interested and if she ask me to read it again.  So to be honest I have to give half the review credit to Emma!  

                      Emma was anxious to read the new book on the computer this morning.  She liked it, but I think a few of the words were over her head ( She is almost four years old ).  She did giggle at the ending! You’ll have to buy it to see what the ending is – no spoilers here!   When we were done, she asked for the dinosaur book ( Candy and the Cankersaur ), so at this point that is the hit at my house.  

                     I think The Crown is a little older then she is right now, but I think it is a really good book.
                     


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



            FTC – Disclosure of Material Connection: 

      I received one copy of this book free of charge from

          Jason Sandberg. 

            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.
                                                       

Beautiful Day

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Author:  Elin Hilderbrand
Publisher:  Reagan Arthur Books                                                    

Pages:  416
Genre:  Women’s Fiction
Source: Little Brown and Company

Released Today!  Go buy it!

Goodreads:  A summer wedding stirs up trouble on both sides of the family in this new novel from bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand.
The Carmichaels and Grahams have gathered on Nantucket for a wedding. Plans are being made according to the wishes of the bride’s late mother, who left behind The Notebook: specific instructions for every detail of her youngest daughter’s future nuptials. Everything should be falling into place for the beautiful event–but in reality, things are far from perfect.

While the couple-to-be are quite happy, their loved ones find their own lives crumbling. In the days leading up to the wedding, love will be questioned, scandals will arise, and hearts will be broken and healed. Elin Hilderbrand takes readers on a touching journey in BEAUTIFUL DAY–into the heart of marriage, what it means to be faithful, and how we choose to honor our commitments.



Ope’s Opinion:  This story is awesome.  Being a mother of two daughters – wedding days are very special.  I can’t imagine not being there for those monumental times.  I think Beth leaving a notebook for her daughter for her wedding day was a brilliant idea.  Watching the day unfold was fun to follow.  

                                      I enjoyed the perspective of the sister and father.  I just wish I had more from the bride herself.  There were many characters, but it was written in such a way that it was not overwhelming. I thought it might be hard to keep track of who was who and who was related to whom, but some how Hilderbrand wrote it so I kept everyone straight. 

                                    My only little complaint was that in the middle of the story, it seemed to be full of detailed descriptions of peoples clothes, and places that didn’t add to the rest of the story.  

                                   If you are a Hilderbrand fan, you will like this one.  If you haven’t read Elin Hilderbrand before – you need to start now!


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

                 FTC – Disclosure of Material Connection: 
      I received one copy of this book free of charge from
                        Little Brown and Company. 
            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.
                                                       



Piece of My Heart

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Author: Lynn Madelenna Menna
Publisher: Merit Press
Pages: 239
Genre:  Young Adult
Source:  Edelweiss                                                            

Goodreads:   Still in high school, Marisol Reyes gets the chance of a lifetime to be a real singer, and she leaps at it. After all, this is the dream she held on to, all the days and nights she spent growing up on means streets of East Harlem. Marisol never gave in–no matter what her boyfriend or her best friend had to say. Who cares if only one in a hundred pretty, talented girls make it? She will be the one. In her rush to fame, Marisol tramples on the heart of her loyal best friend, and Julian, the boy she loves. But will it be worth it?

One night at a private gig in the Hamptons, the little Latino girl with the big voice from East Harlem gets a severe reality check. A famous rapper who claims to be interested in her talents turns out to be interested in something else, threatening not only Marisol’s dreams but her body and soul. Will the realities of the gritty New York music scene put out the stars in Marisol’s eyes forever?



Ope’s Opinion:  If you know a young adult who is interested in the music industry – I would highly recommend them reading this book.  Marisol is a good example of how a young lady should handle herself.  She isn’t perfect, but she has a good head on her shoulders.

                                       Some times the characters seemed self centered, but I had to remind myself they are just out of high school and that is typical.  So in that aspect I think the author hit it dead on.  Friendships and boyfriend/girlfriend relationships were depicted as I honestly think they are.

                                      I was pleased to see there was little to no foul language in this book – pet peeve of mine, especially when books are written for young adults.

                                        Some young adult books are good for adults, as well as teens – this is not one of those.  I do think teens would enjoy this book.


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

                 FTC – Disclosure of Material Connection: 
      I received one copy of this book free of charge from Edelwiess. 
            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.