Skipping a Beat

Posted on by
Reply

Skipping a Beat

Author: Sarah Pekkanen
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Pages: 327
Format: Book

Goodreads:     Julia and Michael meet in high school in their small, poverty-stricken West Virginia hometown. Both products of difficult childhoods — Julia’s father is a compulsive gambler and Michael’s mother abandoned his family when he was a young boy – they find a sense of safety and mutual understanding in each other. Shortly after graduation they flee West Virginia to start afresh. Now thirty-somethings, they are living a rarified life in their multi-million-dollar,Washington D.C. home. From the outside it all looks perfect – Julia has become a highly sought-after party planner, while Michael has launched a wildly successful flavored water company that he sold for $70 million. 
But one day Michael stands up at the head of the table in his company’s boardroom — then silently crashes to the floor. More than four minutes later, a portable defibrillator manages to jump-start his heart. Yet what happened to Michael during those lost minutes forever changes him. Money is meaningless to him now – and he wants to give it all away to charity. A prenuptial agreement that Julia insisted upon back when Michael’s company was still struggling means she has no claim to his fortune, and now she must decide: should she walk away from the man she once adored, but who truthfully became a stranger to her long before his near-death experience – or should she give in to her husband’s pleas for a second chance and a promise of a poorer but happier life?



Ope’s Opinion: This was interesting to see how the change in the husband’s attitude and focus changed their whole marriage.  I have been married for a long time, we have changed and grown together.  It would be hard to see a partner change so much so fast.  

I felt like Sarah Pekkanen helped me see the point of view of both Michael and Julia after his brief death.  

I loved that this is not your usual story line.  It is very original.  It was interesting to follow it to the end.

I also liked that Michael and Julia’s marriage was portrayed as perfect to begin with.  It made it more realistic to me.  The closeness and distance in a marriage is normal.  Outside influences can push and pull at two people.  Watching Michael and Julia each deal with their differences made me want to keep reading.

You did it again Sarah!  Keep writing!

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





After Hello

Posted on by
2

Author:  Lisa Mangum
Publisher:  Shadow Mountain
Pages:  272
Genre:  Young Adult / Contemporary
Source:  BEA

Goodreads:    What if the first day of your relationship was the only day you had? 

Seventeen-year-old Sara is a seeker. She’s always on the lookout for the perfect moment to capture with her ever-present, point-and-shoot camera, especially on her first trip to New York City. 

Sam is a finder. He has a knack for finding what other people can’t—a first-edition book or the last two tickets to a sold-out Broadway show. In New York, there is always something interesting to find. 

When Sam and Sara’s paths cross, neither one of them is prepared for what they will find out about each other—and about themselves when they form an unlikely partnership in search of a seemingly elusive work of art. They have one day to find the impossible. Fate brought their talents together, but what happens when time runs out? Will love be able to overcome fate? This new novel from award-winning author Lisa Mangum explores what happens after hello.



Ope’s Opinion:  This book is very, very slow moving.  The situation is very unlikely.  I kept waiting for that grasping moment to pull me in and it never came.  I like the nonphysical relationship between the two characters.  It made their relationship more interesting.  I would suggest a young adult reader to read this book because the relationship is appropriate for the age.




Rating: Three Chairs – I like the 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.
                                                          

34 Pieces Of You

Posted on by
Reply

Author: Cameron Rodrigues
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 352
Genre: Young Adult
Source: BEA

Goodreads:     A dark and moving novel—reminiscent of Thirteen Reasons Why—about the mystery surrounding a teenage girl’s fatal overdose.There was something about Ellie…Something dangerous. Charismatic. Broken. Jake looked out for her. Sarah followed her lead. And Jess kept her distance—and kept watch.

     Now Ellie’s dead, and Jake, Sarah, and Jess are left to pick up the pieces. All they have are thirty-four clues she left behind. Thirty-four strips of paper hidden in a box beneath her bed. Thirty-four secrets of a brief and painful life.

     Jake, Sarah, and Jess all feel responsible for what happened to Ellie, and all three have secrets of their own. As they confront the past, they will discover not only the darkest truths about themselves, but also what Ellie herself had been hiding all along…



Ope’s Opinion:  This book was not what I thought it was going to be.  After I read the synopsis,  I thought this going to be a mystery.  To me this book  became  about a girl exploring her sexuality and not being able to deal with her feeling for another female.  This was definitely a dark novel.  The constant use of the “f” word added nothing to the story or the characters.



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.
                                                          

After the Wedding

Posted on by
2
This is my daughter and her new husband.
The wedding was  wonderful!
My “recovery” from  the wedding looks like this!

Just some time at the beach.

I decided an umbrella was necessary.

Rest and relax!

And read, read, read!

This is my idea of an awesome vacation after a wonderful time with family at the wedding.

One Breath Away

Posted on by
6

Author: Heather Gudenkauf
Publisher: Harlequin
Pages: 370
Genre: suspense
Source: BEA

Goodreads:       In her most emotionally charged novel to date, New York Times bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf explores the unspoken events that shape a community, the ties between parents and their children and how the fragile normalcy of our everyday life is so easily shattered.In the midst of a sudden spring snowstorm, an unknown man armed with a gun walks into an elementary school classroom. Outside the school, the town of Broken Branch watches and waits.

Officer Meg Barrett holds the responsibility for the town’s children in her hands. Will Thwaite, reluctantly entrusted with the care of his two grandchildren by the daughter who left home years earlier, stands by helplessly and wonders if he has failed his child again. Trapped in her classroom, Evelyn Oliver watches for an opportunity to rescue the children in her care. And thirteen-year-old Augie Baker, already struggling with the aftermath of a terrible accident that has brought her to Broken Branch, will risk her own safety to protect her little brother.

As tension mounts with each passing minute, the hidden fears and grudges of the small town are revealed as the people of Broken Branch race to uncover the identity of the stranger who holds their children hostage.



Ope’s Opinion:  One Breath Away kept me reading.  It was fast paced and intense.  Trying to imagine who the shooter is,  made me want to keep reading.  I wanted to figure it out.  The clues were there, but I didn’t get it until far into the book.  I loved that the gunman was part of the story from the beginning and not just someone we didn’t know.  
                        
                                    I am usually a slow reader.  This book was so captivating, I didn’t put it down much!  I did like that each chapter was short.  It made the story flow.  It made it easy to keep up with all the characters at the same time.

                                  Great book!  Highly recommend it.




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 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.
                                                          

How do you read a series?

Posted on by
2


 This is Karen Kingsbury’s series.  She is one of my
favorite contemporary Christian fiction writers.  This
series is on my next list of to-read books.

Another author who has a wonderful series, is Sally John.

My favorite way to read a series is to wait until all the books in the series are done.  Then I start with the first one and keep reading.  I love getting to know all the characters so deeply and watching them change and grow.

How do you read a series?  As each one comes out?  Do you reread the first one when the next one comes out?  Leave me a comment on how you read them.

Pushing the Limits

Posted on by
Reply

Author: Katie McGarry
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 384
Genre: Young Adult / Contemporary
Source: BEA

Goodreads:   No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with “freaky” scars on her arms. Even Echo can’t remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo’s world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.

Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she’ll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.



Ope’s Opinion: This book is like taking an amazing bike ride down a very long hill.  It is easy, continues to accelerate, and you never want it to end!  Pick up the book and go for the ride.  You will never forget it.

                                     Pushing the Limits is such a great book for anyone of any age.  The main characters are in high school, but the story is much more mature.  I started reading and I just didn’t want to do anything else.

                             Katie keep writing!



Note: The consistent use of the “f” word detracted from the story.  In my opinion that language was unnecessary to convey the attitude of the characters.


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 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.
                                                          

How Lucky You Are

Posted on by
10

Author: Kristyn Kusek Lewis
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Pages: 352
Genre: Women’s fiction / Contemporary
Source: Booksparks

Goodreads:   In the tradition of Emily Giffin and Marisa de los Santos, HOW LUCKY YOU ARE is an engaging and moving novel about three women struggling to keep their longstanding friendship alive. Waverly, who’s always been the group’s anchor, runs a cozy bakery but worries each month about her mounting debt. Kate is married to a man who’s on track to be the next governor of Virginia, but the larger questions brewing in their future are unsettling her. Stay-at-home mom Amy has a perfect life on paper, but as the horrific secret she’s keeping from her friends threatens to reveal itself, she panics. 

As life’s pressures build all around them, Waverly knows she has some big decisions to make. In doing so, she will discover that the lines between loyalty and betrayal can become blurred, happy endings aren’t always clear-cut, and sometimes you have to risk everything to gain the life you deserve.



Ope’s Opinion:  How open are you with your friends?  Do they really know you?  How deep is the relationship?  This book made me think about my friendships and other relationships – do I really open myself up to people?  When times are difficult you need to know someone is there for you.  These three women were superficial friends until each one needed the other to be there for them.  
                                       
                                        This book started with a dinner party to learn all the relationship.   Then you saw each one of the women grow and struggle.  You saw them develop their relationship with each other.  

                                        The story line was developed  so well.  I loved this book!  I will suggest it my friends – all of them, close and superficial.  I thought the pace of the book as amazing.  There were intense parts, then the story eased up, then intense again.  What a great book!  Read it.

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 BookSparks. 
      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.
                                                         

Family Traditions

Posted on by
Reply

Some one told me when my daughters were born to buy two bottles of wine.  One to toast when they were each born and one to toast when they were getting married.  Since my older daughter is getting married this Saturday, we took time this weekend to have a special dinner with her and her soon to be husband.  We opened the second bottle of wine and shared it.

This is how this family began thirty-two years ago.  

Then we added Kristin twenty-nine years ago.  She is so special and worth celebrating.

Kristin added John Paul to our family.  We are excited to have them live near enough to spend time and celebrate special occasion with us.

Now this is the four us celebrating Kristin’s birth and now their marriage.  Family is so important.

Wedding Week

Posted on by
2
This is the week my daughter gets married!  We are all excited.  The dress is picked out, the guests are ready to come, and all the details are planned.  We are looking forward to all the family we don’t see often enough.

When Kristin was little we gave her a precious moment Christmas ornament each year.  Now she is all grown up and ready to start her own traditions.  It has been an honor and a privilege to be her mom.

Since Kristin and I are book fan’s, we have been reading a few “wedding” books this summer.  Here are a few our favorites.

I believe Girls in White Dresses is  Kristin’s favorite.
 She has a signed copy on her shelf.

This is the book Kristin gave me when 
she let me know she was engaged.  


It is wonderful to share our love of books and to share this special time with her.