Book Review: "Days of Wonder" by Caroline Leavitt

Ever since I stumbled upon her heartbreaking yet hopeful novel Pictures of You a number of years ago, Caroline Leavitt has been an author whose books I eagerly anticipate. Her books are often quite emotional but never maudlin, and they definitely are thought-provoking.

Ella was raised by Helen, a devoted single mother who always told her daughter it was them against the world. Yet when she met her boyfriend Jude, Ella fell completely—both of them did, in that all-consuming kind of love that often occurs in the teenage years. Jude began spending so much time in their home that Helen considered the three of them a type of family.

One bewildering night, Ella is accused of trying to murder Jude’s father. She was 15 years old and sentenced to 25 years in prison. She doesn’t understand what happened and can’t figure out why Jude hasn’t come to visit her. When she finds out she is pregnant shortly after arriving in prison, she is left with no choice but to give the baby up for adoption.

After serving only six years of her sentence, Ella is released. She knows she has a chance at a fresh start, but at the same time, she can’t let go of her past, and is determined to find her daughter. With only an address to go on, she decides to move to Ann Arbor to just get a glimpse of the girl, but of course, that doesn’t satisfy her.

Ella keeps her true identity and her past a secret from everyone she meets. She doesn’t know whom to trust and lives in a state of constant fear that she’ll be exposed and her secrets will be revealed. And when it happens in the most surprising of ways, both Ella and Helen must find a way forward.

This is a powerful book, one that would be perfect for discussion by a book club. It’s a story of family, sacrifice, love, hope, guilt, secrets, and fear, and in Leavitt’s hands, it’s definitely hard to put down.

Book Review: "An Exaltation of Larks" by Suanne Laqueur

This was one of my favorite books of the last decade, but when I was given the opportunity to receive a free copy of the book from Red Clover Digital and Suanne Laqueur, I wanted to reshare my review.

To borrow from a language spoken periodically in this book, Madre de Dios, este libro! (Mother of God, this book!)

"Second chances are given or made."

In 1973, 11-year-old Alejandro Penda is living in Chile in the midst of a military coup. Both of his parents are arrested, and Alejo doesn't know if he'll ever see them again. With the help of family friends, he escapes to America, to live with his uncle in the upstate New York town of Guelisten. Although the trauma of what he lived through, and his grief over his parents, is tremendously difficult for him, he finds himself becoming very close to the Larks, a large, active, warm family that is friends with his uncle.

Alex becomes best friends with Roger Lark, and he and the Larks' oldest daughter, Valerie, have a love/hate relationship which turns into infatuation when Valerie returns home from college. But although she and Alex are drawn to each other, they give each other the freedom to live their own lives for a while, with Val becoming a successful costume designer in New York, and Alex studying veterinary medicine in Colorado.

Javier Landes had a tumultuous childhood growing up in Queens. When a bout of teenage experimentation is discovered, he loses his family and is forced to make his own way. Through a chance meeting with an older woman, Jav becomes a successful male escort—he's always in demand, highly skilled, and well-versed to meet the needs of his clients. But the only thing that is missing is a love of his own, although he isn't sure exactly what he wants.

Alex and Val first meet Jav in New York City when they're in their 20s. These meetings leave indelible impressions on all three, and their interactions take on different dimensions and intensities before they go their separate ways. Through the years each experiences their own set of tragedies and challenges—Val and Alex together as a married couple, while Jav tries to find his way and his heart's true path.

Years later the three are reunited when Jav comes to Guelisten, after being named the guardian of his orphaned nephew. The three become inseparable, more like family than friends, and together they weather some difficult challenges, and learn some tough truths about one another. But it's the secrets they keep from one another, the feelings they try to keep hidden, the needs each person has that threaten to untie their bonds and unmoor them forever.

An Exaltation of Larks absolutely blew me away. This is a 500-page book and I literally stayed up until 1:30 a.m. because I desperately needed to finish it. This is a story about friends that become family as well as the often-blurred lines between friendship and love. It's a story about how we can never completely outrun the traumas we face, and some times our struggles are more difficult than others, yet life is worth living to the fullest, surrounded by those you love. This is also a book about the challenges of parenthood, the trust that is so key to the success of long-term relationships, and what it is like to feel like you keep missing your chance at happiness.

I absolutely loved these characters, every single one of them. Suanne Laqueur has such love and respect for them as well that she fleshed them out so skillfully and gave them so much complexity that I found myself feeling the same way about them that the other characters did. Yes, there are one or two coincidences that made me roll my eyes a tiny bit, but they didn't detract from the beauty of Laqueur's storytelling or the emotions she made me feel.

There are a few incidences of animals getting injured or dying, due to political unrest and accidents. Those scenes may be difficult for some to read or may make some avoid the book altogether, but I skimmed them and didn't miss anything.

This book, along with the two others in this series (A Charm of Finches and A Scarcity of Condors), are some of the best books I've read in years.

Book Review: "The Whispered Word" by Ellery Adams

The Whispered Word brings a welcome return to Miracle Springs, North Carolina and this memorable cast of characters!!

Not only do I salute Ellery Adams for a terrific follow-up in this cozy series, but thanks to her for fighting for the Oxford comma this time. The Secret, Book, and Scone Society returns!!

When Nora, owner of Miracle Books, finds a young woman asleep in her store, she and her friends don’t know what to make of her—she’s wearing ill-fitting clothes and a hospital bracelet. Nora knows all too well what it’s like to be running from something, so while the thought of sharing her space with a stranger doesn’t thrill her, she wants the woman to know she’s not alone.

This woman, who says her name is Abilene, is clearly hiding something. Nora and her friends know that you have to be ready to trust others when you share your story. But when a customer of Nora’s dies in what is assumed to be a suicide, they discover a connection to Abilene that leaves them wondering whether to worry she might be next—or if she’s hiding something sinister.

When another death occurs, once again, Nora, Hester, June, and Estella try to figure it all out before disaster strikes even closer to home. And once again they’ll demonstrate the value of books, baked goods, and the trust of friendship in helping get through tough times.

There are so many things I love about this series—the setting, the way Adams lets her characters’ vulnerabilities come through, the way she recognizes that you are never miraculously free from all of your demons. It’s such a terrific series. I’ll admit I shied away from cozy mysteries for far too long because I thought they’d be too cutesy, but if more are like this, sign me up!!

Book Review: "Goodnight Beautiful" by Aimee Molloy

What did I just read? After finishing Aimee Molloy's Goodnight Beautiful, I'm left wondering if my health insurance will cover fixing my whiplash from all the twists and turns in this book!

Sam and Annie didn’t date long before they got married, and shortly thereafter they decided to leave New York City and move back to Chestnut Hill, Sam’s small hometown upstate.

Life is slow now—especially for Annie, since she doesn’t have a job or any friends in town. Sam’s days are full as his therapy practice is going like gangbusters. (He’s so handsome, one woman joked she needed to get a personality disorder so she could be one of his patients.)

One day in a little-used room in the house, it’s discovered that all of Sam’s sessions can be heard, word-for-word, through an air vent. This is an interesting discovery and one that’s hard to turn away from. When a young French woman begins sessions with Sam, things start to get a little risky. Then one night during a bad storm, Sam disappears.

I’ll leave it at that. Aimee Molloy throws some wild twists into the plot that kept me guessing—and at times made me re-read certain portions to be sure I understood what was happening. I don’t surprise easily but she really kept the tension and the pace up.

Goodnight Beautiful is a book I've seen lots of people raving about, and now I see why! It was really wild. Not everyone loves it, but this came at a perfect time for me.

Book Review: "The Houseplant: A Short Story" by Jeremy Ray

The Houseplant is a surprisingly heartwarming story about the most unlikely of subjects. (Yes, the title is literally what the story is about.)

Do you have plants in your house? If so, do your plants have names and do you talk to them? I have one small plant, Mr. Indestructo, so named because he puts up with my periodic neglect and thrives anyway. (And he’s a good listener when I break into an impromptu karaoke session.)

Jeremy Ray’s terrific story is narrated by George, a fern who was brought home against his will by Brenda. After he struggled through her initial missteps at caring for him, eventually he and Brenda built a solid relationship of companionship and trust, and she was always bragging to friends about George’s ability to thrive.

But in a split second, everything changes and George’s life is turned upside down. Can things go back to how they were before, or will George have to suffer the consequences?

I seriously loved this story. I never thought I’d get attached to a story narrated by a houseplant but Jeremy Ray created such a terrific character! I gave Mr. Indestructo a little more water after I finished the story.

The author provided me with a complimentary advance copy of the story in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available! For details on how to win a signed, first-print edition of The Houseplant, visit @jeremyraystories on Instagram.

The story publishes 12/14.

Book Review: "Breathless" by Jennifer Niven

Jennifer Niven's latest YA novel, Breathless, is emotional and enjoyable. It's a story about love, trust, family, and friendship.

“I imagine a room or maybe an entire planet where all the love goes to live once we’re done with it. Like a kind of junkyard. Little remnants of love scattered everywhere. People picking through, collecting the strongest, biggest pieces, and trying to make something of them again. Isn’t this what we do every time we meet someone new or fall for someone new or start loving someone new? Pick up the old battered bits of ourselves and try again?“

Claudine is getting ready to graduate from high school. She and her best friend Saz have a major road trip planned over the summer before they head to separate colleges in the fall.

But the next thing she knows, Claude’s life has been upended, and she and her mother are headed to a remote island in Georgia for five weeks. The road trip is off, Claude’s trust has been shattered, and she’s angry, as she realizes how easy it is for people to lie about what they promise.

When she meets Jeremiah Crew, the last thing she wants is to have feelings for a boy, but it isn’t long before both fall for each other. Miah is cocky and confident, yet he has secrets he doesn’t want to talk about, but he sees Claude for exactly who she is. (And he's the only one.) They know this is only a summer thing, but how do you prepare and protect your heart for that?

Jennifer Niven wrote All the Bright Places, which was one of my favorite books of the last decade, so I love the way she can wring emotion and beauty from simple stories. Of course, her characters speak a little more eruditely than typical teenagers, but their behaviors are fairly genuine.

I really enjoyed this and I stayed up very late to finish it. And I might have shed a tear or two while I was reading...

Book Review: "I'd Give Anything" by Marisa de los Santos

If you enjoy a particular author's work yet you haven't read anything by them in a long while, when you finally pick up another one of their books, it feels like coming home. That's the way I felt when I read Marisa de los Santos' new book, I'd Give Anything. Her first few books—Love Walked In and Belong to Me—really blew me away, and I still consider them among my favorites, yet for some reason I lost track of her over the last several years.

When I saw I'd Give Anything on a friend's Bookstagram feed, I knew I had to read it. And once again, I was reminded why I love de los Santos' storytelling so much. She writes of love and friendship and how one often complicates the other, she writes of family, secrets, desire, guilt, all real human emotions, and does it so well.

In 1997, Ginny, Gray, Kirsten, and CJ are inseparable best friends in high school. Her friends, even a burgeoning relationship with Gray, are her haven from a mercurial, brittle mother most interested in her family's reputation and the battles her mother has with her older brother, Trevor, her ally and compatriot. The four friends have that typical teenage certainty that they'll be part of each other's lives forever.

One night, tragedy strikes, and it changes all four of their lives. Shortly afterward, Ginny overhears a declaration that rocks her to her core, spoken by the one person she trusts more than any other. She cannot believe what she heard, but she knows she must keep it a secret. Her subsequent silence and depression causes her to lose the people she cares about most—her best friends. But it's a sacrifice she knows she must live with.

Twenty years later, Ginny is living in her hometown, in a safe marriage, and is the mother of a 15-year-old daughter, Avery. Their seemingly placid, "normal" life falls apart one day when her husband is embroiled in a scandal that causes him to lose his job. At that point, Ginny realizes she's spent so much of her life doing what is safe, what is right, instead of what makes her happy, and it's time that stops.

Although she did reconcile with Kirsten when they were in college, she hasn't spoken to Gray or CJ since high school. When they are all brought together one night, she must confront the secret she has carried alone for all these years. But one secret is tied to so many others, and she has to make a decision whether to take the safe route once again or follow her heart, and finally unburden herself of the guilt and sorrow she has carried for so long. Hopefully she can help her old friends to do the same.

The story shifts back and forth between 1997 and 2017 for a while, and then stays in 2017, and is narrated by Ginny and Avery. Make no mistake, there is a lot of drama happening here, but I was so hooked on these characters and their story that it didn't matter to me. (Plus, I love melodrama.) There were a lot of times where I wondered how I would react if placed in a similar situation, and that endeared me to the book even more.

Friendships are intense relationships, sometimes even more so than romantic ones. Even though the characters aren't always sympathetic, I loved their story and, of course, loved the way de los Santos told it. And I'll definitely be picking up the books of hers I missed, too!

Book Review: "Wild at Heart" by K.A. Tucker

Ah, there's nothing quite like the feeling when the sequel of a book you loved is just as good as its predecessor!

Calla and Josh, the couple at the core of K.A. Tucker’s excellent The Simple Wild (one of my favorite books from last year), are back. After returning home to her sheltered life in Toronto, full of the creature comforts she missed while in Alaska, Calla realizes she’s miserable without Josh. The burly bush pilot feels the same way about her, and comes to Canada to tell her he’d do anything to be with her, even if it meant having to leave Alaska.

Recognizing Josh is only happy when he’s flying, and despite his promise, the fact is, Alaska is his home, she decides to make a life with him there, and start a charter airline company. Their love is intense, but is it strong enough to survive not just the elements, but the time alone Calla must endure, the doubts about their relationship, and Calla’s uncertainty about whether this is the life for her? They buy a log cabin in the woods and Calla works hard to make it a home, but is it the home she wants?

"Am I happy here? I’m happy with Jonah. I love him in a way I didn’t think existed—wholly and resolutely. But am I happy here, in my life? Or have I been fooling myself into thinking that one morning I’ll wake up and things that feel foreign and temporary will finally feel like home?"

Wild at Heart is really a great romance, full of emotion and steaminess and some memorable characters, just like the first book. (Although I missed Agnes and Mabel not being a large part of this book.) The book explores issues of doubt, trust, grief, friendship, self-esteem, communication, and passion, set against the magically mercurial backdrop of Alaska.

While you might be able to read Wild at Heart without having read The Simple Wild, I wouldn't recommend it. First of all, you'll miss all of the backstory, which will help you understand what makes these characters tick, but more importantly, it's a pretty terrific book on its own!

Loved this so much!! I’m honored to have been part of the blog tour for this book. Thanks to Social Butterfly PR, NetGalley, and K.A. Tucker for an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review!

Book Review: "After the Flood" by Kassandra Montag

"When I think of those days, of losing the people I've loved, I think of how my loneliness deepened, like being lowered into a well, water rising around me as I clawed at the stone walls, reaching for sunlight. How you get used to being at the bottom of a well. How you wouldn't recognize a rope if it was thrown down to you."

This book was utterly amazing. Beautifully written, bleak, tremendously poignant, and full of lyrical imagery and memorable characters, it is hard to believe that After the Flood is Kassandra Montag's debut novel. But the more you read, the more you become fully immersed in this story you realize that debut novel or not, this is one of those books you'll think about and talk about for years to come.

Just over a century from now, our world has been taken over by massive flooding which obliterated much of the landscape, leaving only mountains and random pieces of land scattered through our world, with whole cities left underwater. Myra and her young daughter Pearl live off their small boat, fishing and salvaging to make ends meet, finding people to trade with in the few outposts that are left. It's a bleak existence and Myra always exercises an abundance of caution, because the floods left many lawless people in their wake.

For seven years, Myra has mourned her older daughter, Row, every single day. Row was taken from Myra by her husband just before a massive flood hit their home in Nebraska. Myra had wanted to wait until her grandfather finished building the boat they would use to keep them safe; Myra's husband was afraid and impatient, so he took Row and never came back. Myra knows the chances that Row is still alive are very slim, and she should just focus all of her energy on keeping Pearl safe and happy, but she can't stop dreaming of the moment when she might have both of her girls together for the first time.

"The world will break you, but it's when you break yourself that you feel you really can't heal."

When Myra hears that Row (or at least someone resembling her) was spotted recently at a settlement near Greenland, she is desperate to risk everything to bring about a potential reunion with her daughter. She connects with Daniel, a troubled yet kind man with secrets and regrets of his own, and then they have to find another ship on which to make the perilous journey. When they meet Abran and his crew, she knows she has to hide her real reasons for wanting to travel so far, but she has no choice but to deceive them in order to rescue her daughter.

But there is no guarantee the ship will make it all the way there, because along the way they must battle the elements, bands of raiders bent on revenge for earlier slights, and the uncertainty of whom among them should be trusted. What will they find when they arrive at this colony? Will there be disease, killers, a lack of resources, or, perhaps worst of all, no trace of humanity?

After the Flood certainly is bleak and I kept waiting for things to completely fall apart, yet there certainly is an element of hope in the book as well—hope that Myra will be able to find Row, hope that the ship will make it where it needs to go relatively unscathed, hope that they can perhaps build a new community when they arrive. I honestly couldn't get enough of this story.

This reminded me a lot of Cormac McCarthy's The Road in its exquisite telling of how far a parent would go for their children, but Montag's imagery, her language, and her weaving of present and past made the story unique at the same time. The pacing may seem a little slow at times but it worked well for me.

Simply put, this book is worth all the hype it will get. I won't be able to put it out of my mind anytime soon.

Book Review: "The Magnificent Mrs. Mayhew" by Milly Johnson

When was the last time you couldn't get enough of a book and wanted to devour it in one sitting, yet when you were finished, you were sad? That happened for me with Milly Johnson's newest book, The Magnificent Mrs. Mayhew. I wasn't familiar with Johnson's writing, but apparently she's known as "the Queen of Feel-Good Fiction" in the UK, and boy, they're not kidding!

Sophie Mayhew was raised to believe that a woman's purpose is to serve her husband, that the best thing she can do as a wife is to be a supportive and valuable spouse. And that's exactly what she has done for the last 14 years for her husband. John F. Mayhew is immensely handsome, politically shrewd, and ruthlessly ambitious, and with his glamorous, intelligent wife "Sophie the Trophy" by his side, he's one step away from becoming prime minister.

Sophie remembers when her relationship with John was full of passion rather than photo opportunities, spontaneity rather than scheduled appearances and carefully scripted remarks. But this is the role she agreed to, so even if she has had to sacrifice the things that bring her joy, even if her husband and her own family don't appreciate her for anything more than being the dutiful wife, she knows she is key to her husband's success. Even if the public and the media scrutinize her every move, her every outfit, her every expression, John is destined for greatness. That should be enough for her.

Then one day, scandal breaks. Sophie hears the allegations and is sad and angry, but not totally surprised. John's PR specialist assures them the scandal will go away quickly once Sophie lets the world know she stands faithfully by her man. Yet for some reason, Sophie can't bring herself to recite her prepared remarks and toe the line she always has. Instead, the words that spill out are spontaneous—and certainly not what John or his team wants anyone to hear. When everyone begins closing ranks around her to mitigate the damage, Sophie decides to flee to a small town on the coast where she spent the best summer of her life as a teenager.

"Sophie the Trophy was hardly known for being her own woman. If anything, she was the enemy of strong women. She existed in the shadow of her husband, she was good enough to work for him but not good enough to be given a wage for it. She bowed to his will, and for her pains he humiliated her in the worst way possible while lecturing the British public on keeping their own houses in order."

Sophie changes her appearance and assumes a new name, and hopes to keep a low profile. But she is shocked at how friendly the townspeople are, and how quickly they are to provide her food, supplies, smiles, simply because they recognize a person in need of help. For the first time in years, she starts to feel appreciated for her personality and her gifts, not scrutinized and criticized at every turn. And she realizes how horribly she's been mistreated, not only by her husband, but by her own family.

As she befriends Tracey, the owner of the local pub, and her brother, Elliott, the vicar, she comes to terms with the sacrifices she has made in her life. She doesn't know if she's ready to give up everything, or if she still loves her husband, but she knows that she feels freer and happier. As her feelings become more complicated, she knows she can't stay forever, but she doesn't know if she can step back into her old role, or if she's willing to give up everything she's known in order to really be herself.

"Kindness was not a weakness, it was an essential part of being a human being, a gift to be bestowed upon others, a strength."

Nothing that happens in The Magnificent Mrs. Mayhew is surprising; you've certainly seen this story before. But Johnson has created characters that you'll want to root for and characters you'll loathe, and I for one couldn't get enough of this book. Watching Sophie blossom on her own and realize she could have a life where she could make her own decisions and do what makes her happy for once was heartwarming, and I loved her interactions with Tracey, Elliott, Luke, and others.

If you like "feel-good fiction" then be sure to pick up a copy of The Magnificent Mrs. Mayhew. I read the entire book in a matter of hours, and now I'm missing the characters!

I was fortunate to be part of the blog tour for this book. Thanks to Gallery Books, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for giving me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review! See a Spotlight/Excerpt from the book at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2019/07/spotlightexcerpt-magnificent-mrs-mayhew.html.

Book Review: "Washington Black" by Esi Edugyan

"How was it possible, thought I, that we lived in such nightmare and all the while a world of men continued just over the horizon, men such as these, in ships moving in any direction the wind might lead them?"

George Washington ("Wash") Black is an 11-year-old slave growing up on a sugar plantation in Barbados in 1830. He has felt the cruelty of his master and his overseers, and seen the violence with which other slaves are treated. But when the master dies, there is little time to rejoice, as the new master appears to be equally, if not more, twisted and sadistic.

Wash is surprised and frightened when he is pulled from the fields to become the manservant to the master's eccentric brother. Christopher Wilde, or Titch, as Wash calls him, is a man of science, a man desperate to study the natural world around him and make brilliant discoveries. Titch treats Wash as his research assistant, and under Titch's tutelage, Wash's talent for nature drawing begins to flourish.

Titch's greatest dream is to soar through the skies in the Cloud-Cutter, a balloon-like contraption he has designed. No one, Wash included, believes it will ever be able to leave the ground or travel far, yet Titch is determined to make sure it is ready for the right conditions. And when a man dies, and Wash is the leading suspect, Titch and Wash know they must disappear far from Barbados—and they hope the Cloud-Cutter will help them get on their way.

The two make their way across the Atlantic, traveling up the east coast of the U.S., up into Canada and eventually, to a remote outpost in the Arctic. All the while they live in fear that the bounty hunter searching for Wash will find them, but they fail to understand that black men are treated the same way no matter where they are.

"It had happened so gradually, but these months with Titch had schooled me to believe I could leave all misery behind, I could cast off all violence, outrun a vicious death. I had even begun thinking I'd been born for a higher purpose, to draw the earth's bounty, and to invent; I had imagined my existence a true and rightful part of the natural order. How wrong-headed it had all been. I was a black boy, only—I had no future before me, and little grace or mercy behind me. I was nothing, I would die nothing, hunted hastily down and slaughtered."

When Titch and Wash are separated, Wash realizes for the first time that he is the only person he can count on to save himself and change his life's circumstances. His journey takes him through Canada, to England, Amsterdam, and the windswept deserts of Morocco. Amazingly, he learns the lessons it takes men their entire lives to learn (if that), lessons about betrayal, love, identity, independence, and self-worth.

Washington Black is a tremendously thought-provoking look at a boy who becomes a man as most of the world looks at him as less than that. Wash knows he is more than people believe he is, yet proving that to them—and himself—causes more emotional pain, and puts him at great risk. He is a tremendously fascinating character, one it will be very hard to forget.

Esi Edugyan is a magnificent storyteller, and in addition to the suspenseful, emotional, powerful parts of her story, she does a fantastic job with imagery as well, as her characters travel across the world. This book is a meditation on what freedom truly is, and how we are just as responsible for freeing ourselves as those whom have kept us captive. It is a story that will make you think, it will make you angry at times, and in the end, it will make you feel.

I've never read anything of Edugyan's before, but I was tremendously impressed with her talent. This isn't necessarily a fast-paced book although it never felt slow. I just immersed myself in Wash's incredible journey.

Book Review: "Where the Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens

It seemed like everyone had read this one already and couldn't stop raving about it. For some reason, despite all the hype, I just wasn't sure about this one—I thought it was going to be like the Jodie Foster movie Nell, about a feral girl alone in the woods who speaks her own language and somehow gets all tangled up in the real world.

While there is a little bit of the girl-against-the-world thing, I needn't have worried. This book is heartfelt, warm, and endearing, and utterly deserving of the praise and love being heaped on it. It is definitely a story that will live in my mind for a long time.

In the 1950s, Kya is a young girl growing up in a ramshackle cottage in the marshes off the North Carolina coast. She is the youngest of five children, the daughter of a wounded WWII veteran prone to drinking and violence perpetrated on his wife and children. One day when Kya was six years old, her mother left, followed by each one of her siblings. Left to fend for herself, she learns early that she is the only one she can count on, and turns to the gulls and other marsh creatures for companionship, until she befriends a couple who runs the gas and tackle shop where she refuels her boat.

"Her most poignant memories were unknown dates of family members disappearing down the lane. The last of a white scarf trailing through the leaves. A pile of socks left on a floor mattress."

As Kya grows older, rumors swirl in town about the "Marsh Girl," and it becomes a show of bravery to run through the marsh, tag her house, and run freely home. But Kya is so much more than the little girl once ridiculed on her one day of school. She is sensitive, inquisitive, intelligent, and passionate about the marsh and the creatures that inhabit it. When she meets a young man willing to open more of that world up to her, she can't get enough, although it leads to the vulnerability of opening her heart as well.

"'It ain't just that. I wadn't aware that words could hold so much. I didn't know a sentence could be so full."

When Kya finds someone that she believes loves her for who she is, she is fearful about leaving the marsh but willing to do so for love. Yet once again, she learns she is the only one she can truly depend on. And in 1969, when Chase Andrews, once the town's football hero and the son of a prominent business owner, is found dead, the townspeople suspect Kya, as they have never believed her more than "marsh trash" even though she has proven herself capable of so much more.

"For years I longed to be with people. I really believed that someone would stay with me, that I would actually have friends and a family. Be part of a group. But no one stayed. Not you or one member of my family. Now I've finally learned how to deal with that and how to protect myself."

Where the Crawdads Sing is a love letter to nature, but it is also a beautiful story about what you can accomplish when people believe in you and instill you with that confidence. At the same time, it's a story which causes us to examine our prejudices against those who are different from us, how readily we want to believe the worst about people we don't even know. It's also a story about the beauty of human relationships, and how much they give us, even through the simplest of interactions.

Delia Owens has created an amazing, thought-provoking book. Her use of imagery is so lyrical, almost poetic, that you can see the marsh, the gulls, the feathers, in your mind's eye. As great as that is, her characters are incredibly special. Even the characters who seem the least complex have surprising moments, but characters like Tate, Jumpin', Jodie, and of course, Kya, are simply amazing.

There is a simple beauty to this book and so much heart. Read this and you, too, will be thinking about these characters for a long time afterward.

Book Review: "An Exaltation of Larks" by Suanne Laqueur

To borrow from a language spoken periodically in this book, Madre de Dios, este libro! (Mother of God, this book!)

"Second chances are given or made."

In 1973, 11-year-old Alejandro Penda is living in Chile in the midst of a military coup. Both of his parents are arrested, and Alejo doesn't know if he'll ever see them again. With the help of family friends, he escapes to America, to live with his uncle in the upstate New York town of Guelisten. Although the trauma of what he lived through, and his grief over his parents, is tremendously difficult for him, he finds himself becoming very close to the Larks, a large, active, warm family that is friends with his uncle.

Alex becomes best friends with Roger Lark, and he and the Larks' oldest daughter, Valerie, have a love/hate relationship which turns into infatuation when Valerie returns home from college. But although she and Alex are drawn to each other, they give each other the freedom to live their own lives for a while, with Val becoming a successful costume designer in New York, and Alex studying veterinary medicine in Colorado.

Javier Landes had a tumultuous childhood growing up in Queens. When a bout of teenage experimentation is discovered, he loses his family and is forced to make his own way. Through a chance meeting with an older woman, Jav becomes a successful male escort—he's always in demand, highly skilled, and well-versed to meet the needs of his clients. But the only thing that is missing is a love of his own, although he isn't sure exactly what he wants.

Alex and Val first meet Jav in New York City when they're in their 20s. These meetings leave indelible impressions on all three, and their interactions take on different dimensions and intensities before they go their separate ways. Through the years each experiences their own set of tragedies and challenges—Val and Alex together as a married couple, while Jav tries to find his way and his heart's true path.

Years later the three are reunited when Jav comes to Guelisten, after being named the guardian of his orphaned nephew. The three become inseparable, more like family than friends, and together they weather some difficult challenges, and learn some tough truths about one another. But it's the secrets they keep from one another, the feelings they try to keep hidden, the needs each person has that threaten to untie their bonds and unmoor them forever.

An Exaltation of Larks absolutely blew me away. This is a 500-page book and I literally stayed up until 1:30 a.m. because I desperately needed to finish it. This is a story about friends that become family as well as the often-blurred lines between friendship and love. It's a story about how we can never completely outrun the traumas we face, and some times our struggles are more difficult than others, yet life is worth living to the fullest, surrounded by those you love. This is also a book about the challenges of parenthood, the trust that is so key to the success of long-term relationships, and what it is like to feel like you keep missing your chance at happiness.

I absolutely loved these characters, every single one of them. Suanne Laqueur has such love and respect for them as well that she fleshed them out so skillfully and gave them so much complexity that I found myself feeling the same way about them that the other characters did. Yes, there are one or two coincidences that made me roll my eyes a tiny bit, but they didn't detract from the beauty of Laqueur's storytelling or the emotions she made me feel.

There are a few incidences of animals getting injured or dying, due to political unrest and accidents. Those scenes may be difficult for some to read or may make some avoid the book altogether, but I skimmed them and didn't miss anything.

This is a big, gorgeous story that would make an amazing movie, but it is one heck of a book. I'll certainly be ready very soon to read the sequel, A Charm of Finches, because I already miss these characters and I just finished the book less than 24 hours ago. In short, I fell in love with this book. All in.

The author provided me a copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!

Book Review: "Evidence of the Affair" by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Dear Mr. David Mayer,

My name is Carrie Allsop. Please accept my apologies for contacting you out of the blue. I am writing to ask a quite humbling favor. I recently found some love letters in my husband's briefcase that I believe to be from your wife, Janet...

With those words, this potent short story by Taylor Jenkins Reid begins. It's December 1976, and Carrie Allsop has taken every last ounce of courage to write the man whose wife she believes is having an affair with her husband. She asks him if he has seen any letters her husband wrote to his wife, and if he has, she asks him to send them to her. She offers to do the same if he'd like to see his wife's letters, but Carrie imagines his first reaction to her letter will be shock.

"It is funny the crazy things our brains make up to save us from the truth. I have had fantasies that Ken is writing a screenplay and that he had the letters for research. Isn't that wild?"

David is, as Carrie surmised, shocked by the news she has sent him and is hurt by his wife's betrayal, but isn't really surprised, as their marriage had been strained for some time. As he tries to recover from the blow, he realizes that the only person he can rely on is Carrie, and the two begin to build a friendship based on such an awkward common bond.

As their friendship grows, they struggle with what to do. Should they confront their spouses, which could lead to the end of their marriages? Is that what they want? Do they want to start life anew, or do they want one more try at recapturing the magic they once had with their spouse? Both Carrie and David aren't sure what they want, and they aren't sure at first what their spouses' next steps will be either.

"I've always been struck by the idea that you can't be all that happy something has returned if it doesn't go away in the first place. But what if the thing goes away and never comes back?"

Reid holds your attention from start to finish, and throws in a bit of a twist for good measure. It's amazing how satisfying, how powerful, how poignant a story like this can be, and while I felt like she took you on a complete journey in a short number of pages, I'd still love to see what came next for these characters.

I read Reid's The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo a week or two ago, and it will undoubtedly be on my list of the best books I read this year. Once again, she proves she is an expert storyteller, and I can't wait to jump in and devour more of her fiction, because I love the way she writes.

Some may not love short stories, but this epistolary story feels more like a conversation than anything else. It won't take you long to read it, but definitely read it.

Book Review: "Sweet Little Lies" by Caz Frear

"Some fears can never be shared. Some fears are so cataclysmic that to share them would be tantamount to suicide."

When Cat was eight years old, Maryanne Doyle, a pretty teenager from the Irish town where Cat's family was on holiday, disappeared. Cat and her older sister were both reasonably obsessed with Maryanne, as was nearly every male in town.

While no one could figure out where Maryanne could have gone, Cat knew one thing: her father told a lie when he said he didn't know anything about Maryanne or her disappearance. And their relationship was never the same after that day.

Eighteen years later, Cat is a Detective Constable with London's Metropolitan Police Force. Still a little on edge after the troubling end to her last case, she is quickly thrown into a new case, this one dealing with the murder of a young wife named Alice Lapaine. Cat and her colleague believe Alice's husband is the prime suspect in her murder once more and more information is uncovered about their relationship, but all that changes when the police department receives a phone call which links Alice to Maryanne Doyle.

Cat doesn't know what to do. When she starts putting the facts together, including the fact that Alice's body was found not far from the pub her father runs, she wonders if the suspicions she's had about her father all these years really were warranted. Could her father really have been responsible for Maryanne's disappearance? Could he have harmed Alice, too? If she divulges her connections to Maryanne, she'll be taken off the case, and the more that she gets involved, the more she puts her job at risk. But the more she tries to get to the bottom of her father's involvement, the more danger she's in of ruining their relationship—and her relationship with the rest of her family—for good.

The deeper the police force digs into the cases, the more twists and secrets they uncover. Cat wants to help solve the cases and bring the killers to justice, but at the same time, she's afraid of what she might find out.

Sweet Little Lies is a great read—tremendously compelling, full of many twists and turns that keep you guessing, even though I had a few suspicions that proved warranted. Cat is a fascinating character, desperate for approval, craving love and stability, and yet unwavering when she believes someone has done something wrong. (She's not quite as vigilant about her own transgressions, but hey, she's human.)

I thought the book started a little slowly, but once it picked up steam I couldn't get enough of it. Caz Frear is a terrific storyteller, and it's hard to believe this is her first book. I saw this listed somewhere with the subtitle "Cat Kinsella, #1," so I'm hoping another book with Cat is in the works.

There are so many mysteries and crime novels out there, but Sweet Little Lies is definitely worth adding to your list. Plus, if you're a Fleetwood Mac fan, not being able to get the song "Lies" out of your head while you read might be an added bonus!!

Book Review: "Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win" by Jo Piazza

"Only let the world see half of your ambition. Half of the world can't handle seeing it all."

That was a piece of advice given to Charlotte Walsh by her mentor, a former governor, U.S. Senator, and Ambassador to the United Nations, when she encouraged Charlotte to run for the U.S. Senate in her home state of Pennsylvania.

It doesn't matter that Charlotte got out of her hometown—and away from the East Coast—as quickly as she could, and that she hasn't been home for years. Charlotte and her mentor believe she has what it takes to make a difference in the lives of Pennsylvanians, not to mention shake up politics as usual in the Keystone State.

So Charlotte, who in the meantime had become a high-powered Silicon Valley executive, moves back to her downtrodden hometown with her husband Max (who graduated from high school a few years before her) and their three young daughters. It's quite a shift for all of them—it reopens old family wounds and causes some strain in Charlotte and Max's marriage, as he has to put his own career ambitions on hold in order to become the girls' primary caregiver. But it will all be worth it once Charlotte is elected to the Senate.

Charlotte has great ideas, and truly desires to make a difference in the lives of her fellow Pennsylvanians, especially women, who have been particularly mistreated and disillusioned following the last presidential election. The Democrats rarely even run anyone against Charlotte's challenger, a long-time incumbent who represents the type of dirty, old-school politics that she doesn't want to get mired in.

"Charlotte was sick to death of being told to feel sorry for the working-class white man. Being a mediocre white guy doesn't mean you deserve to be crowned a king, get a job, or get laid. The cavalry is not coming for you. Of course, she could never utter these thoughts out loud to anyone."

It doesn't take long for her to realize the challenges a female political candidate faces, even in this day and age, especially when she is running against a man. Charlotte has to get accustomed to her clothing and shoe choices to be documented, has to remember to come across as strong but not threatening, forceful but not angry. Although she vowed to run an honest, clean campaign, she finds herself having to tailor her message to whatever group she is speaking, even if that strikes her as pandering and opportunistic.

When she is given information about a secret involving her opponent's family, one which might allow her to take a comfortable lead, she has to decide whether her principles are more important than potential victory. And when her opponent's campaign uncovers a secret which has potential not only to affect the race but her marriage, Charlotte has to remember why she decided to run for the Senate in the first place, and how much she is willing to sacrifice.

Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win couldn't be any more timely for the world we're living in right now. Even after the 2016 election, Charlotte had to lose her idealism relative to politics, particularly female political candidates, and the inequities they face versus their male counterparts. Why is it okay for her opponent to have been married multiple times but her marriage has to be perfect? Why does it matter what shoes she wears to a campaign appearance, or even just a trip to the grocery store? These are questions which may seem all too familiar for some.

I thought this was a terrific, utterly compelling book. It's not necessarily surprising, especially if you pay attention to the political world, but it doesn't matter, because Jo Piazza is a great storyteller. The characters and the scenarios they find themselves in may seem familiar, but Piazza adds her own twists and turns, and she makes you wonder exactly what will happen come Election Day. (This is a question many in the U.S. are asking themselves about now.)

While Charlotte's character is a Democrat, the story is more about her campaign and her life as it is affected by the campaign, and it doesn't spend a ton of time getting too political. So if you've been trying to avoid that subject for a while, this is still a fun book you won't be able to put down.

Book Review: "The Man Who Came Uptown" by George Pelecanos

I know I ask this of certain authors from time to time, but why isn't George Pelecanos a star?

In addition to being the author of some pretty terrific crime novels, he's been a writer on television shows like The Wire and Treme, and co-created the series The Deuce. I've often heard about his books becoming movies, but nothing ever seems to come to fruition, and I just don't understand it. This man should be a household name. His books should be seen in people's hands wherever they read in public.

With his newest book, The Man Who Came Uptown, Pelecanos shows that he is a master at creating characters who are more comfortable veering from the straight and narrow, but often have the best of intentions, and he flexes his suspense and action muscles like nobody's business. But at the same time, he shows off a more introspective side, as this book is also a tribute to the love of books and the transformational power of reading.

Michael Hudson is a young man in prison, determined to serve his time without making any enemies or causing trouble. The bright light during his sentence is his interaction with Anna, the prison librarian, who introduces him and his fellow inmates to books and authors they might never have read or even heard of otherwise. Michael, in particular, is tremendously appreciative of Anna's attention and her book recommendations, as she is opening his eyes and his mind to the beauty and power of words and images.

When Michael's sentence is overturned thanks to the manipulations of a private investigator, he is ready to start again. He knows he made some foolish mistakes, but he wants a new life—he wants to find a job, make something of himself, take care of his mother, and find time to read. Even though the Washington, DC he knew before he went to prison has started to change, with gentrification and newer stores, restaurants, and houses popping up everywhere, it still feels like home to him, and with a book in his hand, he feels even more secure.

When the man who saw to his release from prison comes to collect the debt Michael owes him, Michael knows he has a choice. But what path is the right one: doing what is necessary to square your obligations like a man, or running the risk of having to go back to prison again, and destroying everything he has started to build? As the crooked private investigator gets more and more enmeshed in trouble, Michael isn't sure whether honor is worth the risk.

I'll admit, when I started reading this I expected another of Pelecanos' crime novels, so I didn't understand why it was taking so long to get to the action and suspense, why he was laying out so much of the story. But when I realized what he was doing, I let myself enjoy the beauty of his writing and his characters (something I always do when reading his books, although my pulse is usually pounding at the same time), and thought about just how important reading has been to me all my life.

When the criminal elements of the plot kick in, Pelecanos goes at them full throttle, and you don't realize just how much you've gotten invested in these characters, so you're hoping the age-old battle fought by the man trying to start his life anew won't end the same way here. This book isn't one of his most explosive, and that's totally fine, as long as you know to expect that.

Pelecanos is one of those authors that needs to be read. Whether you're a fan of crime writing, suspense, beautiful storytelling, or like to read about Washington, DC in the 1970s and 1980s, you can find one of his books to match your desire. And don't miss this one—especially if you're like me, and your life has been changed by reading.

NetGalley and Mulholland Books provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!

Book Review: "An Anonymous Girl" by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

The next time you consider signing up for a research study, you might want to think twice—and you will after reading this book!

You're Invited: Seeking women aged 18 to 32 to participate in a study on ethics and morality conducted by a preeminent NYC psychiatrist. Generous compensation. Anonymity guaranteed. Call for more details.

Jess is a makeup artist who came to New York dreaming of a career in the theater. She has a lot of secrets she's kept hidden, which has led her to become totally self-reliant, although money is one of the biggest sources of anxiety she has to deal with. When she overhears a client thinking about not showing up for a research study she was supposed to participate in—and it pays $500—Jess decides there's nothing wrong with pretending to fill in for the young woman, since $500 would really help with this month's rent.

Jess figures all she'll need to do is answer some questions, collect her money, and leave. She wasn't expecting the questions to be difficult, like Could you tell a lie without feeling guilt? Describe a time in your life when you cheated, or Have you ever deeply hurt someone you care about? But more than that, she wasn't expecting the psychiatrist conducting the study—whom she never met—to give feedback on her answers, and encourage her to be more honest and more in-depth.

As the sessions continue, and the payoff increases, Jess can't help but wonder what the study really is all about. While she is utterly unsettled when the psychiatrist, whom she finds out is the renowned Dr. Lydia Shields, asks whether Jess would be willing to expand her participation in the study. But when Jess learns that the compensation would be significantly higher, there's no way she can turn Dr. Shields' request down.

Expanding her participation in the study is definitely not what she expected. Dr. Shields starts to tell Jess where to go, how to dress, and whom to meet—and in some cases, that entails striking up a conversation with a specific man. Jess begins feeling uncomfortable, and wonders exactly what Dr. Shields wants to accomplish. More and more, she questions whether she can trust the doctor—and then Jess discovers a disturbing coincidence that she needs to hide from her, or the doctor could destroy her life.

An Anonymous Girl is a pretty wild book, full of twists and turns. You wonder how you might react in the same situation, but at the same time I found myself shaking my head in disbelief at times that Jess could be so clueless. There were definitely some surprises thrown in, but ultimately I had my ideas about how the plot would unfold. I just kept hoping that things wouldn't go completely awry, and I was pleased they didn't.

Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, whose last book, The Wife Between Us, contained some shockers but didn't quite click for me, definitely kicked it up with An Anonymous Girl. I didn't love some of the characters (and I wondered whether some of this stuff could and does really happen) but the pacing of the book was terrific, and I was hooked from start to finish. I was also glad that the twists they threw in fit with the plot rather than just be included to confuse and shock.

I know this book will be everywhere when it's released in January, because it's the type of book you can't put down, and it definitely will keep you wondering what comes next. Hendricks and Pekkanen mesh well together, and I can't wait for their next book.

NetGalley and St. Martin's Press provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!

Book Review: "Don't Believe It" by Charlie Donlea

Looking for your next beach read? I think I've found it for you: Charlie Donlea's Don't Believe It. A unique storytelling style, full of twists and turns and surprises, this one will keep even the most jaded of thriller readers guessing at least a little bit.

Ten years ago, medical student Grace Sebold and her boyfriend Julian Crist were in St. Lucia, celebrating the wedding of two of Grace's closest friends. After being apart for most of their relationship, Grace and Julian were finally going to be in the same place, as they were both matched to the same residency program. But one night, Julian was murdered, and Grace was the prime suspect.

There was both physical and circumstantial evidence pointing to Grace as Julian's murderer, and it didn't take long for a jury in St. Lucia to convict her. Grace has spent 10 years in jail, pursuing every avenue to get the verdict overturned, all to no avail. But then her pleas pique the curiosity of Sidney Ryan, an up-and-coming documentary filmmaker whose previous work helped exonerate three criminals.

Even though Sidney remembered watching Grace's trial as it unfolded in the media and there seemed to be a preponderance of evidence, she feels there's more to Grace's pleas of innocence than simply wanting out of jail. The documentary she begins producing, The Girl of Sugar Beach, promises to explore the murder from all angles, and within a few weeks, after some eye-opening discoveries, it becomes the most watched documentary in television history.

Every week, the world is held in thrall by the documentary. As Sidney starts uncovering mishandled evidence, additional suspects, and what amounted to a conspiracy to convict Grace quickly all those years ago, she also finds some anomalies she can't quite explain. While the success of The Girl of Sugar Beach will allow Sidney to dictate the path of her career, she has to make a crucial decision: does she pursue ratings, or the truth? Will pursuing the former obscure the latter, and could it result in Julian's killer going (or continuing to go) free?

You can get more of a plot synopsis on Goodreads, Amazon, and other sites, but I'm going to stop now. I went into Don't Believe It almost completely blind to what the book was about, and I feel that was a pretty terrific decision.

This book grabbed me from the very first page. I had suspicions about would happen (I'm one of those thriller readers who suspects every character in a book), but Donlea kept flipping the script little by little, so I wasn't sure exactly what to expect. Even as new characters were being introduced, I wondered what the outcome would be, and while I don't know that I was completely satisfied, I like the premise that was hinted at.

I have never read any of Donlea's previous books, so I was really impressed with his storytelling. He took you into to the production of the documentary, and you watched information unfold as Sidney and her crew did. The narration shifted between the past and the present, between a few different characters—sometimes you're not even sure who is narrating.

I will say that there were a few plot threads that were introduced that didn't get explored, and I don't know if Donlea was purposely throwing in some red herrings to confuse the reader or if they just didn't get picked up. That was a little frustrating for me, because there were a few points I didn't understand.

Beyond that, I devoured Don't Believe It pretty quickly. I anticipate seeing lots of people doing the same this summer, whether on the beach, on the plane, or elsewhere. It's definitely a thriller worth diving into!

NetGalley and Kensington Books provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!

Book Review: "Leave No Trace" by Mindy Mejia

Ten years ago Josiah Blackthorn took his nine-year-old son Lucas camping in the Boundary Waters, an area of northern Minnesota full of forests and ice-cold lakes. One day it appeared their campsite was ravaged by bears or other creatures, and the two were never heard from again. Once media interest died down, the Blackthorns were all but forgotten.

Until a night 10 years later, when now-19-year-old Lucas Blackthorn was apprehended trying to rob an outfitter store. He became aggressive and violent, and was uncommunicative, so he was sent to the local psychiatric hospital for observation. Both the doctors and law enforcement want to know what happened to Lucas' father, but he refuses to talk—to everyone except Maya Stark, the new, young assistant speech therapist, who seems to engender reactions from the once-lost no-longer-a-boy.

While at first her interactions with Lucas are mainly keeping him from hurting her and others, Maya begins to build what she belies is a genuine connection with him. She can't explain why he feels like he can trust only her, and she can't quite determine where she crossed the line from acting in a professional capacity to wanting him to be able to find his father, without having to go through law enforcement. She knows he doesn't need speech therapy; what he needs is a protector, an ally, and despite warnings from her supervisor and her father, she's determined to be that ally.

The thing is, Maya has issues of her own. Her mother abandoned their family when she was a teenager, and she's spent a number of years blaming herself, as if she wasn't enough or right for her mother. And that's not the only secret Maya is hiding.

"What lies beneath us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."

Will Maya do the right thing, if she can figure out what that is? Will her single-minded determination to help Lucas put her in danger? Will helping him get her the answers she has been seeking to her own questions, or will her decisions end in disaster?

In Leave No Trace, Mindy Mejia has given us a taut, compelling exploration of the pull of family and the need to be understood. I devoured this book, and while there were certain twists I expected, she threw in some surprises here and there. I found these characters fascinating and even a little unique, and while certainly I questioned Maya's judgment, I could see how past events in her life could lead her to make the choices she did.

Sure, not everything in this book is realistic. But you could see why the characters were compelled to do what they did, and how certain events unfolded. The coincidences and other things didn't bother me. I was hooked from start to finish.

I really enjoyed Mejia's last book, Everything You Want Me to Be (see my review), and with Leave No Trace she proves she's capable of something completely different. She's definitely an author I'll continue to watch with great anticipation, because no matter the genre, she's immensely talented!

NetGalley and Atria Books provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!