Book Review: "We Are the Brennans" by Tracey Lange

In Tracey Lange's upcoming debut novel, We Are the Brennans, a secret threatens to tear a family apart, even five years later.

When Sunday Brennan wakes up in an Los Angeles hospital after a drunk-driving accident, she’s both surprised and unsurprised to find her older brother Denny at her bedside. He convinces her to come back with him to the Long Island town—and the house—where she grew up.

Sunday left suddenly for Los Angeles five years ago without any explanation to anyone—not her family or her long-time boyfriend—so her return stirs up a lot of questions and emotions. And as she settles back into her family, she realizes that they’re struggling just as badly as she has been all these years, and it's not too long before she falls into the all-too-familiar role of caretaker. But she really doesn't seem to mind.

When she discovers that some financial decisions Denny has made threaten the survival of the family’s bar business and the family home, Sunday knows her help is needed more than ever. And that help means revealing the secret that sent her running away five years ago—but revealing the truth will have real ramifications, too.

I don’t know what it is about family drama and secrets that draws me in, but it’s definitely a genre that appeals to me. We Are the Brennans was such a compelling, engaging story, and I was really hooked on these characters. It's hard to believe this is a debut novel!

Celadon Books provided me with a complimentary advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!

We Are the Brennans publishes 8/3.

Book Review: "Infinite Country" by Patricia Engel

If you're looking for a powerful, relevant story about immigration and its effects on a Colombian family, look no further than Patricia Engel's Infinite Country.

“And maybe there is no nation or citizenry; they’re just territories mapped in place of family, in place of love, the infinite country.”

Talia was sent to a juvenile facility in the Colombian mountains after committing a sudden act of violence in retribution for horrible animal cruelty. (Was what she did more extreme than what the person did? She doesn't think so.) She doesn’t feel she belongs there and is desperate to get home to her father in Bogota.

One night she and some of the other teenage girls escape from the facility. Talia must make it home so she can catch a flight and finally be reunited with her mother and siblings, who have been living in America. If she gets caught or somehow doesn’t make it home in time, she might miss her chance to ever get to America.

Infinite Country is the story of two generations. It follows Mauro and Elena, Talia’s parents, as they fall in love as teenagers in Colombia and try to build a life together in America, only to be thwarted by immigration issues. It traces their path as they are forced to make a decision that splits the family.

The book juxtaposes their story with Talia’s, as she tries to get home. She wonders whether leaving her father for America is the right decision, or whether she should stay with the parent who knows her. It’s an all-too-familiar struggle faced by families.

I thought Infinite Country was gorgeously written and it brimmed with emotion. I didn’t necessarily agree with all of the storytelling choices Engel made—all of a sudden the narration in the book switches to two other people that hadn’t yet had a role in the story. But it’s a minor thing, really, amidst the beauty of her writing.

So grateful to have read this with a friend of mine on Bookstagram. Thanks for the discussion and for encouraging me to read this!

Book Review: "The Restarting Point" by Marci Bolden

Everyone needs help and support to start over, even strong people. This is the core message of Marci Bolden's new novel, The Restarting Point.

Jade has always been a driven person determined to succeed. That spirit has made her a successful marketing executive, and when she was faced with a serious cancer diagnosis, her strength and determination helped her beat it.

Now it’s time to relax a little before getting back to the grind. When her husband asks where she wants to go on vacation she chooses idyllic Chammont Point, where she has memories of their earlier days from when their children were young. When he can’t make the trip because of a conflict, she goes herself, only to find herself injured after a freak accident. Returning home to nurse her wounds, she discovers the real reason her husband couldn’t join her on vacation—and now she’s really entering a new phase of her life.

For someone who’s always fought hard for what she wants, she’s not sure what comes next. But with the support of an unlikely crew of people—who become friends—she’s ready to take the next steps in her life, even if she has no idea what they are.

This was a fun, poignant read that really drew me in! Even if we all can't identify specifically with the things Jade went through in the book, many of us have experienced a time in our lives when we've been knocked for a loop by circumstances. Essentially we have two choices: let circumstances destroy us, or fight back. That's what was so meaningful about the book.

Storygram Tours and the author provided me with a complimentary advance copy of b>The Restarting Point in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!

Book Review: "The Magic Fish" by Trung Le Nguyen

Trung Le Nguyen's The Magic Fish is a poignant, beautiful graphic novel about finding the right words to tell your story.

Tién knows he is gay, but he’s not ready for everyone to know it yet until he tells his parents. The thing is, his parents are Vietnamese refugees and they don’t speak English very well. He worries he might not be able to find the right Vietnamese words to tell his parents who he really is. And if he does, will they accept him or will he disappoint them?

One way that Tién communicates with his mother is through their shared love of fairytales. Through stories handed down from generation to generation, sometimes the words are easier to find—and expressions of love and acceptance are truly understood.

This was a really special story, full of emotion and beauty and identity. It was a terrific mix of fairytale and reality, and it definitely made me think about how much more difficult it could be for people from other cultures to find the words to tell their truths. I'm so glad I read this!

Book Review: "The Mandevilles' Marvelous Marvels" by J.E. Miller

As the characters quickly learn in J.E. Miller's The Mandevilles' Marvelous Marvels, a job with a circus might not be all that it seems...

Janie has always been a bit of a vagabond, moving from place to place, doing odd jobs to make ends meet, and then moving on. When she meets Andrew she recognizes a kindred spirit, and after a while they start to make plans to travel city by city until they get to their ultimate destination—Fimaldi Hunu.

“Fimaldi Hunu was a huge place that had everything, the best of all worlds. It had city life, full of opportunity, ever changing and progressing.”

While on a train, Janie meets a man who is traveling to audition for a circus, The Mandevilles’ Marvelous Marvels. Apparently this show is quite renowned in the circus world, both for its spectacle and its mysterious owners. When Janie and Andrew hear that the circus travels all over the place, they decide to audition—he as a drummer with a gimmick, she as an aerialist.

After some good auditions (and with a little outside help), they land spots in the circus. They’re quickly taken in by the spectacle of it all and the camaraderie of their fellow performers, but there’s already things that make them—or at least Janie—feel uneasy. And when they stop in a strange city, the addition of a bizarre final act sets everyone on edge—and sets chaos in motion.

With, The Mandevilles' Marvelous Marvels, Miller has created a story that is part fantasy and part mystery. Her descriptions are so vivid and so fascinating that this is one story begging for a tv/movie adaptation. There are so many characters I can't wait to learn more about. And this is just the first part of a series—she definitely leaves you hanging and waiting for part 2!!

Thanks to the author for providing me with a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review!! She’s got me hooked!!

Book Review: "Under the Southern Sky" by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Under the Southern Sky, the newest book by Kristy Woodson Harvey, is emotional, thought-provoking, romantic, and so, so, good!!

“I found out my marriage was over the day my ‘Modern Love’ piece appeared in the New York Times.”

Even though her life has come crashing down around her, Amelia is still focused on her work as an investigative journalist. While researching a story at a fertility clinic she discovers that frozen embryos belonging to her childhood friend Parker and his late wife Greer have been labeled “abandoned.” She takes it upon herself to deliver this news to Parker.

Three years after his wife’s death, Parker is still dealing with his grief and definitely isn’t ready to move on with his life. When he learns about the embryos, it sparks a desire to become a father and bring a piece of Greer back into the world, so he decides to hire a surrogate and asks Amelia to help him with the process.

As they both try to navigate through emotional issues and figure out the next step in each of their lives, Amelia and Parker begin to lean on each other more and more. But life—and emotions—are complicated ones, and each has secrets they’ve kept hidden away. Sometimes happiness means stepping outside of your comfort zone and taking chances, which is harder to do when you've been hurt.

Set against a gorgeous North Carolina waterfront backdrop, full of family drama, poignancy, love, laughter, and sadness, Under the Southern Sky was such a fantastic book. I felt these characters in my heart and was so invested in their story.

I loved Harvey's last book, Feels Like Falling, but this one really blew me away!!

Book Review: "The Plot" by Jean Hanff Korelitz

People told me that Jean Hanff Korelitz's upcoming thriller, The Plot, was great...and they were right!!

Jacob Finch Bonner had always dreamed of being a writer. His first novel even made the “New & Noteworthy” section of the New York Times Book Review. But that didn’t translate into success, and after his second book barely made a blip, he can’t seem to get anything else published, or even find any inspiration to keep writing.

He’s been relegated to teaching in a crappy MFA program and hoping he’ll find ideas. One semester his most arrogant student, Evan Parker, tells Jacob he doesn’t need his help, because he has the perfect plot for a book—a book that is sure to be a total sensation. Jacob doesn’t believe a word Evan says...until Evan tells him the plot of his book.

Almost three years later, Jacob’s trajectory continues downward. While lamenting his life he realizes that he never saw the fanfare he expected once Evan’s book was released. Was it not as good as Evan thought? After some research, he finds that Evan died shortly after leaving the MFA program.

If Evan died and the book was never published...what else could Jake do? And Evan was right—the publication of Jake’s newest novel takes him to heights he’d always dreamed of. He’s riding high: a movie adaptation in the works, the book in people’s hands everywhere he looks. And then one day he gets an email: “You are a thief.”

As more emails arrive, Jake is desperate to figure out who is sending them. If Evan died, who knew about his book idea? Will Jake be able to stop his world from crashing down?

I was addicted to The Plot from the first page and could not go to bed until I finished. Korelitz created such a thought-provoking book and a twisty thriller that honestly kept me guessing. This was so good!!

Celadon Books provided me with a complimentary advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!!

The Plot publishes 5/11!!