Tag Archives: book review

Eleanor & Park

Posted on by
7

Author:  Rainbow Rowell    eleanor
Publisher:  St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Young Adult
Source:  Purchased

 

 

 

Goodreads:  Two misfits.

One extraordinary love.

Eleanor… Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough…Eleanor.

Park… He knows she’ll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There’s a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises…Park.

Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.

Ope’s Opinion:  I believe this awesome story could have been told just as effectively without all the foul language.  The story felt real, the characters felt alive.  

Having been a new girl at a new school, I could feel Eleanor’s pain in the beginning of the book.  She was a strong young woman.  I really liked the way she was written.  I think most people could relate to her.

It was great to read about a leading male character that isn’t ruggedly handsome.  Park was an average guy.  I liked him.  I liked how he was gentle and tender with Eleanor.

I also liked how awkward things were with them at times – it made their relationship seem normal.  I liked how they started out as friends.  Their relationship was slow and progressive.

This would have been five chairs in my view, but the language makes me hesitate to recommend it to some of my friends.

Rating: Four Chairs – I like this book so much I know several friends to share it with.
de9fc-4chairs

The Promise

Posted on by
2

Author:  Robyn Carr                                             promise       
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Source:  Little Bird Publicity

 

Note:  This will be available to buy tomorrow.
June 24th!

 

 

Goodreads:  #1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr returns to Thunder Point with an uplifting story about overcoming loss and finding unexpected love

Scott Grant has a bustling family practice in the small Oregon community of Thunder Point. The town and its people have embraced the widowed doctor and father of two, his children are thriving, and Scott knows it’s time to move on from his loss. But as the town’s only doctor, the dating scene is awkward. That is, until a stunning physician’s assistant applies for a job at his clinic.

Peyton Lacoumette considers herself entirely out of the dating scene. She’s already been burned by a man with kids, and she’s come to Thunder Point determined not to repeat past mistakes. When Scott offers her a job, at a much lower salary than she’s used to, Peyton is surprisingly eager to accept…at least for now. She’s willing to stay for a three-month trial period while she explores other options.

Scott and Peyton know the arrangement is temporary—it isn’t enough time to build a real relationship, never mind anything with lasting commitment. But love can blossom faster than you think when the timing is right, and this short visit just might hold the promise of forever.

Ope’s Opinion:  Reading this book is kind of like going home to visit and see how things have changed.  This is the fifth in the Thunder Point series.  Robyn Carr has done an awesome job of weaving the new comers to Thunder Point with the previous characters.

I like how Peyton was always trying to learn from her past decisions and mistakes.  It made her a little cautious in her relationships.  Scott and Peyton having their careers in common helped Peyton trust Scott.   I really liked Peyton’s family.  They were down to earth.  They were her anchor – her stability.  It was fun to see such a great family portrayed in this book.

It was great to see Ted and his family situation explored in depth, even though they do not live in Thunder Point.

I really liked how this book ended.  It took place back at Peyton’s safe place  (no more details – don’t want to spoil it ).

Rating:  Four Chairs – I like this book so much I know several friends to share it with.
de9fc-4chairs

The Matchmaker

Posted on by
Reply

Author:  Elin Hilderbrand
Publisher:  Little, Brown and Company                matchmaker
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Source: A friend

 

Note:  Available to buy tomorrow.  June 10.

Goodreads:  A touching new novel from Elin Hilderbrand in which a dying woman sets out to find love for those closest to her – before it’s too late

Dabney Kimball Beech, the 48-year-old fifth generation Nantucketer, has had a lifelong gift of matchmaking (52 couples still together to her credit). But when Dabney discovers she is dying of pancreatic cancer, she sets out to find matches for a few people very close to home: her husband, celebrated economist John Boxmiller Beech; her lover journalist Clendenin Hughes; and her daughter, Agnes, who is engaged to be married to the wrong man.

As time slips away from Dabney, she is determined to find matches for those she loves most – but at what cost to her own relationships? THE MATCHMAKER is the heartbreaking new novel from Elin Hilderbrand about losing and finding love, even as you’re running out of time.

Ope’s Opinion:  Elin Hilderbrand did it again.  She wrote a book so good you will remember the characters long after you have finished the read.  This book is all about the characters and their relationships to each other.

I really liked the way HIlderbrand wove the people Dabney matched together with what was going on in the present time of Dabney’s life.  It worked so well to give history in a refreshing way.

The end of the book gave you a feeling of everything being wrapped up.

I am ready for Elin Hilderbrand’s next book.  She does  not disappoint!

Rating: Five Chairs – This book is so good it will be passed on and on and on….
6c8a1-5chairs

Distant Shores

Posted on by
Reply

Author:  Kristin Hannah           distant shores
Publisher:  Ballantine Books
Genre:  Chick Lit
Source: Purchased

 

 

Goodreads:  Elizabeth and Jackson Shore married young, raised two daughters, and weathered the storms of youth as they built a family. From a distance, their lives look picture perfect. But after the girls leave home, Jack and Elizabeth quietly drift apart. When Jack accepts a wonderful new job, Elizabeth puts her own needs aside to follow him across the country. Then tragedy turns Elizabeth’s world upside down. In the aftermath, she questions everything about her life—her choices, her marriage, even her long-forgotten dreams. In a daring move that shocks her husband, friends, and daughters, she lets go of the woman she has become—and reaches out for the woman she wants to be.

Ope’s Opinion:  This book started out very depressing with neither Elizabeth or Jackson being happy with their marriage, themselves or their careers.  The story moved slow and didn’t really improve.  

Jackson is a jerk and Elizabeth has no back bone.  It always disappointments me when a woman is not written strong enough to stand up for herself.  I don’t agree with just throwing a marriage away, but I don’t think Elizabeth should have just taken Jackson back without more work on both their parts.

I was disappointed Elizabeth did not find her “passion”.  She did not get back to her painting or find something new to fulfill herself.

Overall, I was just disappointed in this book.

Rating:  Two Chairs – I may have one friend who might like to read this book.
e3de1-2chairs

 

 

The One & Only

Posted on by
Reply

the one and only

 

Author: Emily Giffin
Publisher:  Ballantine Books
Genre:  Women’s Fiction
Source:  BookSparks

Goodreads:   In her eagerly awaited new novel, beloved New York Times bestselling author Emily Giffin returns with an extraordinary story of love and loyalty—and an unconventional heroine struggling to reconcile both.

Thirty-three-year-old Shea Rigsby has spent her entire life in Walker, Texas—a small college town that lives and dies by football, a passion she unabashedly shares. Raised alongside her best friend, Lucy, the daughter of Walker’s legendary head coach, Clive Carr, Shea was too devoted to her hometown team to leave. Instead she stayed in Walker for college, even taking a job in the university athletic department after graduation, where she has remained for more than a decade.

But when an unexpected tragedy strikes the tight-knit Walker community, Shea’s comfortable world is upended, and she begins to wonder if the life she’s chosen is really enough for her. As she finally gives up her safety net to set out on an unexpected path, Shea discovers unsettling truths about the people and things she has always trusted most—and is forced to confront her deepest desires, fears, and secrets.

Thoughtful, funny, and brilliantly observed, The One & Only is a luminous novel about finding your passion, following your heart, and, most of all, believing in something bigger than yourself . . . the one and only thing that truly makes life worth living.

Ope’s Opinion:  I have heard this book compared to Friday Night Lights.  I agree with this!  If you liked the show, football, and Texas, you will probably want to read this story.  It took me a while to get into this book – there was a lot of back ground you need to understand the relationships between the people and football to enjoy the rest of the story.

The friendship between Lucy and Shea was strong and wonderful.  It was great to see one friend who wanted the family and kids, while another was more into the career, yet they remained close friends their whole lives.

The romance relationships in this book were not my favorite.  I think Shea was smart enough to get out of a bad relationship, but I didn’t really care for the relationship she end up in.  I would have liked the ending to have been different.

Rating: Four Chairs – I like this book so much I know several friends to share it with.
de9fc-4chairs

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

Posted on by
Reply

Author:  Jenny Han                              boys
Publisher:  Simon & Schuster
Genre: Contemporary Young Adult
Source: Purchased

 

 

 

Goodreads:  To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister’s ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.

Ope’s Opinion:  This book was such a good read!  I love the relationship between the sisters.  They loved each other, but they also struggled to get along.

Learning who you are, who you like and who you can trust is all part of growing up.  In this book you saw Lara Jean and sisters go through all that without the advantage of having a mother to guide them.

At the end, I wanted more… a sequel, an update, something to show us where all three girls are now.

Rating:  Four Chairs – I like this book so much I know several friends to share it with.
de9fc-4chairs

Keep Quiet

Posted on by
1

Author:  Lisa Scottoline                  keep
Publisher:  St. Martin’s Press
Genre:  Mystery
Source: St.Martin’s Press

 

 

 

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:  Keep Quiet is a fast paced, intense read.  I was literally sitting on the edge of the couch flipping pages as quickly as I could read.  This story will make you think about your split second decisions, how far will you go to protect your child and what does hiding the truth do to you?

The Buckman family feel real.  They have flaws, don’t always get along and need to communicate better.  You want to see them heal and unite, but it seems like there is too much to overcome.  

There was a constant dilemma going on – wanting the truth to come out and protecting the characters.  It made you keep reading to the very end.  There were several turns you won’t see coming. At certain points, I found myself holding my breath to see what was going to happen next!

What an amazing read – Lisa Scottoline does it again!

Rating: Five Chairs – This book is so good it will be passed on and on and on….
705de-5chairs

Best Friends, Occasional Enemies

Posted on by
3

Author: Lisa Scottoline
             Francesca Serritella            friends
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Non Fiction
Source: Purchased

 

 

Goodreads:  

In Best Friends, Occasional Enemies, New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline and her daughter, Francesca Serritella, are the best of friends—99.9% of the time. They’re number one on each other’s speed dial and they tell each other everything—well, almost everything. They share shoes and clothes—except one very special green jacket, which almost caused a catfight.In other words, they’re just like every mother and daughter in the world. Best friends and occasional enemies. Now they’re dishing about it all: their lives, their relationship, and their carb count.

Lisa on Being a Mom: Motherhood has no expiration date. Francesca lives in the city, and I worry about her all the time. My daughter moved out, so why am I still lactating?

Francesca on Being a Daughter: My mother is always right. Just ask her.

Ope’s Opinion:  I did enjoy Lisa’s and Francessca’s sense of humor.  Mothers and daughters writing style are very similar.  I have two daughters and I am about Lisa’s age, so I could really relate to her.  There are some things that are universal to certain ages!

I have enjoyed so many of Lisa Scottoline’s books, it was nice to hear about her life with her mother and daughter.  It was interesting to hear her daughters perspective too.  It made me wonder about my daughters perspective on things I have done or said.

I am more a fiction reader, but this was a nice change of reading.

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

 

 

 

 

Lola and the Boy Next Door

Posted on by
Reply

Author:  Stephanie Perkins          lola
Publisher:  Speak
Genre:  Young Adult
Source:  Purchased

 

 

 

Goodreads:  Lola Nolan is a budding costume designer, and for her, the more outrageous, sparkly, and fun the outfit, the better. And everything is pretty perfect in her life (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the negihborhood. When Cricket, a gifted inventor, steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Ope’s Opinion:  Lola is a quirky character with a lot going on in her life.  It was interesting to watch her relationships grow and change.  Anna and St. Clair are a part of this story.  It was nice to see them again.   I loved Anna and could relate to her.  Lola was hard to relate to.

I would be interested in hearing more about Lindsey and Charlie.  I like that Lindsey put her education before a boyfriend.  I also thought it was great that she wanted to be friends with Charlie, then see what happens. I would prefer Lindsey or Anna as role models to Lola’s example.

Stephanie Perkins knows how to write a story that makes you want to keep reading and reading.  I am looking forward to reading Isla and the Happily Ever After.

Rating:  Four Chairs – I like this book so much I know several friends to share it with.
de9fc-4chairs

Pressed Pennies

Posted on by
2

Author: Steven Manchester             pressed pennies
Publisher:  Story Plant
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Source:  Story Plant

 

 

 

Goodreads:  

Rick and Abby grew up together, became best friends, and ultimately fell in love. Circumstance tore them apart in their early teens, though, and they went on to lives less idyllic than they dreamed about in those early days. Rick has had a very successful career, but his marriage flat-lined. Abby has a magical daughter, Paige, but Paige’s father nearly destroyed Abby’s spirit.

 

Now fate has thrown Rick and Abby together again. In their early thirties, they are more world-weary than they were as kids. But their relationship still shimmers, and they’re hungry to make up for lost time. However, Paige, now nine, is not nearly as enthusiastic. She’s very protective of the life she’s made with her mother and not open to the duo becoming a trio. Meanwhile, Rick has very little experience dealing with kids and doesn’t know how to handle Paige. This leaves Abby caught between the two people who matter the most to her. What happens when the life you’ve dreamed of remains just inches from your grasp?

 

PRESSED PENNIES is a nuanced, intensely romantic, deeply heartfelt story of love it its many incarnations, relationships in their many guises, and family in its many meanings. It is the most accomplished and moving novel yet from a truly great storyteller of the heart.

Ope’s Opinion: Pressed Pennies is a slow paced, sweet story to savor.  The end of the story was predictable, but there were some twists and curves along the way.  It was a good story to read.

The characters felt like someone you might know.  They had flaws that made them relatable.  Even if you have not been divorced, you can see how it effects all those around  it.  This story shows a mothers need to put her child above all else.

Steven Manchester wrote another awesome story worth the read.

Rating:  Four Chairs – I like this book so much I know several friends to share it with.
de9fc-4chairs