Don’t You Cry

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Author: Mary Kubica
Publisher: MIRA
Genre:  Mystery
Source: Emer of MIRA

Goodreads:  New York Times bestselling author of The Good Girl, Mary Kubica returns with an electrifying and addictive tale of deceit and obsession 

In downtown Chicago, a young woman named Esther Vaughan disappears from her apartment without a trace. A haunting letter addressed to My Dearest is found among her possessions, leaving her friend and roommate Quinn Collins to wonder where Esther is and whether or not she’s the person Quinn thought she knew.

Meanwhile, in a small Michigan harbor town an hour outside Chicago, a mysterious woman appears in the quiet coffee shop where eighteen-year-old Alex Gallo works as a dishwasher. He is immediately drawn to her charm and beauty, but what starts as an innocent crush quickly spirals into something far more dark and sinister than he ever expected.

As Quinn searches for answers about Esther, and Alex is drawn further under Pearl’s spell, master of suspense Mary Kubica takes readers on a taut and twisted thrill ride that builds to a stunning conclusion and shows that no matter how fast and far we run, the past always catches up with us in the end.

Ope’s Opinion:  This mystery is written from two points of view.  First is Quinn, her roommate is missing, the other view is from Alex, who confused me in the beginning.  Just hang in there, you’ll get his part of it later.

Although, this story started out moving slow, there were a lot of twists and turns ( as in any good mystery ).  All of this is vague because I don’t want to give anything away.  It is a quiet, tense book.

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BEA 2016 Begins!!

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This where it all begins!!

WElcome BEA 2016As you can see we are excited to begin our BEA experience this year!
Robyn Carr is here!!

BEAThis place is huge!!

MelissaMelissa De La Cruz has a book called
Something In Between.
It is one of my top picks this year!

BEA Week!!

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Can’t wait to see what BEA will like in Chicago!!
Kristin of Kritters Ramblings and I are looking forward
to many authors we have seen before and new ones
to add to our reading lists.

We are very interested in the difference between
a BEA in NYC and Chicago. 

I will be blogging this week to let you know
what all we enjoyed and got to see.
If you are here at BEA, let us know!

This Just In….

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 From Victoria Bylin
and Bethany House Publishers

someone like you

Published: May 3, 2016
Publisher:  Bethany House Publishers

Goodreads: Realistic Characters Shine in Bylin’s Latest Romance
Julia Dare is trying to run her own business, raise her young son, Max, and help her widowed mother. Her biggest worry, though, is keeping Max’s father from being a bad influence while still allowing the boy to spend time with his dad. When an account from her event-planning business sends her to Caliente Springs resort, she’s shocked to encounter Zeke Monroe, her college sweetheart.
Zeke is determined to keep Caliente Springs running despite financial trouble. When Julia walks back into his life, he’s surprised at the feelings she stirs up. As they work together on an important client’s wedding, the fate of the resort soon depends on their success. With Zeke and Julia both pushed to their limits, will their history put up walls between them or bring them together?

I have enjoyed one of Victoria Bylin’s books before,
so I am looking forward to this one!

Infinite in Between

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infiniteAuthor: Carolyn Mackler
Publisher: Harper Teen
Genre: Contemporary Young Adult
Source: BEA

Goodreads: The Breakfast Club meets Boyhood in this striking young adult novel from Printz Honor author Carolyn Mackler, which chronicles the lives of five teenagers through the thrills, heartbreaks, and joys of their four years in high school.

Zoe, Jake, Mia, Gregor, and Whitney meet at freshman orientation. At the end of that first day, they make a promise to reunite after graduation. But so much can happen in those in-between years. . . .

Zoe fears she will always be in her famous mother’s shadow. Jake struggles to find the right connections in friendship and in love. Mia keeps trying on new identities, looking for one that actually fits. Gregor thought he wanted to be more than just a band geek. And Whitney seems to have it all, until it’s all falling apart around her.

Carolyn Mackler skillfully brings the stories of these five disparate teens together to create a distinct and cohesive whole—a novel about how we can all affect one another’s lives in the most unexpected and amazing ways. Infinite in Between received four starred reviews, was listed on several best books of the year lists, and is perfect for fans of books by Jandy Nelson, Sara Zarr, and E. Lockhart.

Ope’s Opinion:

  • Fast read
  • Well developed characters – realistic / relatable characters
  • Fast paced story
  • Some foul language – not an over abundance
  • Some sexual content – not too detailed
  • Short chapters – some times too short
  • Realistic situations – what teens face

    I would definitely allow my teen to read this one, but I would want to have open discussions with them.  There are some deep subjects that are touched on, but no judgement is made.  It is a perfect opening for a dialogue with your student.

    I will be looking for another book by Carolyn Mackler to read.

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Nowhere But Here

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nowhere but here

Author: Katie McGarry
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Genre: Contemporary Young Adult
Source:  BEA

Goodreads:  An unforgettable new series from acclaimed author Katie McGarry about taking risks, opening your heart and ending up in a place you never imagined possible.

Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe neighborhood. Sure, she’s curious about her biological father—the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent—but that doesn’t mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns to an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both.

Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They’re the good guys. They protect people. They’re…family. And while Emily—the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club’s most respected member—is in town, he’s gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it’s his shot at his dream. What he doesn’t count on is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down.

No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home.

Ope’s Opinion:  If you like Katie McGarry you will like this one.  It is another one of her good girl meets bad boy and can’t get enough of him.  This one centered on bad boy (Oz) bikers, which her ( Emily – MC ) father is one of them.

The secrets were revealed so slowly that they lost their impact on me.  Of course for me the language was too much – I think you can get your point across without all the foul language.

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Coming Soon….

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…. On a Bookshelf near you!

In May I hope to read….

The Island House: A Novel

Publication Date: May 31, 2016
Publisher: Ballantine Books

Goodreads:  The charms of Nantucket tempt a woman to leave her established life in Kansas City—but with a piece of her heart, and a love interest, in each world, she discovers she must look within to choose the right path.

Every summer since college, twenty-nine-year-old Jenny has traded the familiarity of the Midwest for the allure of Nantucket. Now an established university professor in Kansas City, she finds herself caught between two lifestyles and two very different men. She chooses Nantucket and the glamorous life she associates with it, unaware that the summer will take an unexpected turn, and she will have to let her heart decide what it truly wants.

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

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

Spun

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spun

Author: Catherine McKenzie
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Source:  Kristin of Kritter’s Ramblings

Goodeads:  In this funny and touching novella, bestselling author Catherine McKenzie returns to the story of Amber Sheppard, It Girl and celebrity train wreck from McKenzie’s reader-favourite novel, Spin.

Life has been rough for starlet Amber since leaving rehab. She’s been two years sober, but no one seems to believe her — not the gossip media, not casting agents, and most certainly not her spotlight-loving parents. With her friendships ruined by betrayal and her career at a standstill, Amber’s just trying to get her life back on track. It doesn’t help that her former love, movie star Connor Parks, keeps trying to draw Amber back in, not just to their relationship but to his hard-partying ways. One fateful night, Amber breaks down and agrees to join him on board his private jet as it readies for take-off — a decision that will change her life forever and expose her to a whole new level of scrutiny and heartbreak.

Ope’s Opinion:  Hearing Amber’s point of view in this book after just finishing Spin, made it feel like one big book.  This was easy to get into because it really did feel like an extension of Spin. 

Amber showed how hard it really must be, to be in Hollywood, be well known while trying not to make mistakes.  I have always thought that life would be hard.

For such a small book, there was a lot in here.

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Spin

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spin

Author: Catherine McKenzie
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Source: Kristin of Kritters Ramblings

Goodreads: Kate’s To-Do List:

1. Go to rehab
2. Befriend/spy on “It Girl”
3. Write killer expose
4. Land dream job

Piece of cake!

When Kate Sandford lands an interview at her favorite music magazine, The Line, it’s the chance of a lifetime. So Kate goes out to celebrate—and shows up still drunk to the interview the next morning. It’s no surprise that she doesn’t get the job, but her performance has convinced the editors that she’d be perfect for an undercover assignment for their gossip rag. All Kate has to do is follow “It Girl” Amber Sheppard into rehab. If she can get the inside scoop—and complete the thirty-day program—they’ll reconsider her for the position at The Line. Kate takes the assignment, but when real friendships start to develop, she has to decide if what she has to gain is worth the price she’ll have to pay.

Ope’s Opinion:  There were times I wanted to shake Kate – this is the interview of a life time, at a job you have dreamed about, you are thirty years old (old enough to know better) and you get drunk!  Then I felt sorry for her, she needed help and didn’t even realize it.

Though the subject matter was heavy, Catherine McKenzie’s humor made the story flow for me.  She made me like Kate a bit more.  It was satisfying to see how Kate handled her ethical choice.

This book did read fast for me – a very slow reader.

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