Two Sisters by Mary Hogan

Two Sisters by Mary Hogan is a book about sisters, family, and the secrets that are entwined in them throughout a lifetime. This debut novel takes the reader on an inside look at how secrets can change families.

Book Description

“One family, two sisters, a lifetime of secrets . . .

The third child in a family that wanted only two, Muriel Sullivant has always been an outsider. Short, dark-haired, and round, she worships her beautiful blond sister, Pia, and envies the close bond she shares with their mother, Lidia. Growing up in their shadow, Muriel believes that if she keeps all their secrets—and she knows plenty, outsiders always do—they will love her, too.

But that was a long time ago. Now an adult, Muriel has accepted the disappointments in her life. With her fourth-floor walk-up apartment and entry-level New York City job, she never will measure up to Pia and her wealthy husband, their daughter, and their suburban Connecticut dream home. Muriel would like nothing better than to avoid her judgmental family altogether. One thing she does quite well.

Until the day Pia shows up to visit and share devastating news that Muriel knows she cannot tell—a secret that will force her to come to terms with the past and help her see her life and her family in unexpected new ways.

Two Sisters is a powerful and poignant debut novel about two sisters—opposites in every way—as well as their mother and the secrets and lies that define them all.” – Two Sisters

My Thoughts

Two Sisters is not a happy go lucky type of novel by any means. It is a sad story with characters that pull at your heart. It is written well, and keeps the attention of the reader to continue reading. The mother is narcissistic, the father isn’t really there, and the three siblings have a really messed up relationship with one another. The youngest child, Muriel, wasn’t wanted, and feels unwanted in the family, but continues to yearn for more and has a longing to be wanted by all of them, keeping their deepest darkest secrets.

The secrets that were kept in this highly dysfunctional family were big (and no, I won’t tell them here – read the book for that!). However, I would have liked to see how it played out with the family more than it did.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. It was at times a bit lengthy in areas where it didn’t need to be, but I can overlook that. The novel is also more about the family as a whole, and not just the “two sisters” as the title would suggest. I don’t mind that at all though, because to see how their relationship was, you had to see how they were in the family as a whole.

* Thank you to the publisher of Two Sisters, William Morrow, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Happily Ever After by Elizabeth Maxwell

Happily Ever After by Elizabeth Maxwell is novel about a woman who doesn’t have the best luck in love, but is an erotic novelist. She is a middle-aged single mom, that you wouldn’t exactly expect to write such steamy romances, but there is more to Sadie than meets the eye. If you are looking for a fun and entertaining book that is more than you would originally expect, this is a book you’ll want to read!

Book Description

“At forty-six, Sadie Fuller’s life isn’t exactly romantic. She’s an everyday mom in many ways—a little overweight, over-committed and struggling to raise an eleven-year-old girl as a single parent. But Sadie has a secret—while the rest of suburbia sleeps, she makes a living writing erotica under the pseudonym K. T. Briggs. Though her own sex life is nothing worth noting, she’s fabulous at creating steamy fantasies with perfectly waxed, incredibly fit, scantily clad characters.

But everything changes when she encounters a strangely familiar man during a routine visit to Target. Is Sadie losing her mind, or has her latest hunky character wandered out of her manuscript and into reality? As Sadie tries to negotiate this bizarre new world, her eyes begin to open to romantic possibilities in places she never dreamed of looking . . . places where “happily ever after” might not be so far-fetched after all.” – Happily Ever After

My Thoughts

Happily Ever After is a fun read that would be perfect to read on a weekend getaway, or just relaxing at home with a glass of wine. It is the type of book that keeps you reading because the characters and the story both go so well together that it feels like you are a part of the story.

The author did an excellent job with creating the main character, Sadie Fuller, a single mother, 46 years old, and an erotic novelist. She is witty, charming, and definitely has laugh out loud moments. While writing her current manuscript, she encounters a man (very handsome man) who claims his name is the main character of the book she is writing. How ironic is that? Her world suddenly seems full of possibilities, more precisely, romantic possibilities, and the line between fantasy and reality becomes blurred (in the best way possible, of course).

Overall, I enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good novel about life, love, and pursing dreams.

* Thank you to the publisher of Happily Ever After, Touchstone, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Boy Who Died and Came Back by Robert Moss

The Boy Who Died and Came Back by Robert Moss takes the reader on a journey that blasts through the normal sense of reality, and goes across different dimensions of the multiverse. Truly a remarkable read that I couldn’t put down!

Book Description

“Join Robert Moss for an unforgettable journey that will expand your sense of reality and confirm that there is life beyond death and in other dimensions of the multiverse. Moss describes how he lived a whole life in another world when he died at age nine in a Melbourne hospital and how he died and came back again, in another sense, in a crisis of spiritual emergence during midlife. As he shares his adventures in walking between the worlds, we begin to understand that all times — past, future, and parallel — may be accessible now. Moss presents nine keys for living consciously at the center of the multidimensional universe, embracing synchronicity, entertaining our creative spirits, and communicating with a higher Self.” – The Boy Who Died and Came Back

My Thoughts

The Boy Who Died and Came Back is the story of Robert Moss and his experiences during his near death experiences. Having traveled the realms of other areas from a very young age, when he had his first experience with dying and coming back, Moss is an excellent resource for reading more about such experiences.

I can’t give a review of this book the justice it is due because I haven’t experienced these realms. However, reading this book about the author’s experiences is the next best thing, and one which I highly encourage everyone to read. This is a brilliant read that I definitely recommend to everyone in this realm and beyond.

* Thank you to the publisher of The Boy Who Died and Came Back, New World Library for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Coincidence by J.W. Ironmonger

Coincidence by J.W. Ironmonger is a cleverly written novel about how fate and coincidences come together in life. What chances and paths we take in our life lead us to our destiny? Can we ever really make sense of it all? Probably not, but it is a fun ride with the characters in this novel!

Book Description

“What determines the course of our lives? Chance . . . or destiny?

On Midsummer's Day, 1982, three-year-old Azalea Ives is found alone at a seaside fairground.

One year later, her mother's body washes up on a beach—her link to Azalea unnoticed.

On Midsummer's Day, 1992, her adoptive parents are killed in a Ugandan rebel uprising; Azalea is narrowly rescued by a figure from her past.

Terrified that she, too, will meet her fate on Midsummer's Day, Azalea approaches Thomas Post, an expert in debunking coincidences. Azalea's past, he insists, is random—but as Midsummer's Day approaches, he worries that she may bring fate upon herself.” – Coincidence

My Thoughts

Coincidence follows the life of Azalea, and how significant events happen to her and her family members on Midsummer’s Day. Abandoned on a Midsummer’s Day, her mother’s body is found on the same day (one year later), and then her parents that adopted her, were killed on the same day (ten years after she was found). Coincidence? Azalea thinks it is more than that, and begins to think that her fate with death will come for her on Midsummer’s Day, too.

Azalea meets a man, Thomas Post, who is rational and does not believe in these coincidences as anything other than that. The romance between the two doesn’t seem to shake Azalea’s feelings about her fate, and Thomas starts to think that she might be inching closer to that fate based on her thoughts and actions of it.

Overall, this is an interesting novel that makes the reader think about fate, coincidence, and the bigger picture. I enjoyed reading it, and think that if you also like books with meaning behind it, this would be a good one for you to read, too.

* Thank you to the publisher of Coincidence, Harper Perennial, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Bride Says Maybe by Cathy Maxwell

The Bride Says Maybe by Cathy Maxwell is the second book in the “Brides of Wishmore” trilogy, this one focusing on Lady Tara Davidson. After scandals and love lost, can she ever truly be happy, and also help out her family in the process?

Book Description

“New York Times bestselling author Cathy Maxwell returns with a delicious new series, The Brides of Wishmore

What happens when a bride says maybe?

She'd once been the toast of London, but now scandal has brought her down. Still, pretty, petted Lady Tara Davidson can't believe her new fate. She had wanted to marry for love . . . but her profligate father has promised her hand to none other than Breccan Campbell, the "Beast of Aberfeldy" and laird of the valley's most despised clan! Well, Tara may have to marry him, but Breccan can't make her love him—can he?

What happens when the groom insists?

Breccan Campbell is nobody's fool. He knows that Tara is trouble. Yet he's determined to reform the Campbell name even if it means forging an alliance with the arrogant beauty. There's no doubt that Tara is a challenge, and Breccan loves nothing more. For he's vowed to thoroughly seduce Tara—and make her his in more than name alone.” – The Bride Says Maybe

My Thoughts

The Bride Says Maybe is another well written and captivating read by Cathy Maxwell. I didn’t necessarily like the main character of this book when she was introduced in “The Bride Says No.”  However, in this book, she is more likeable, which makes for reading it a fun and breezy read. Lady Tara Davidson has more depth, and is much more than we previously read into her character than in the first novel in the series. The character of Breccan is fun and really challenges Lady Tara, which makes for an intriguing read of romance from a seemingly unlikely pair.

Overall, I enjoyed reading the second book in the trilogy, and definitely recommend it to anyone who loves a good romance novel. I can’t wait to read the third in the trilogy!

* Thank you to the publisher of The Bride Says Maybe, Avon, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

So, Strep Throat is Worse Than I Remembered…

I just finished up my 3^rd semester of nursing school, not getting too sick at all throughout a semester which threw me in with sick kids, many different hospitals, schools, etc. No, my body (gladly) waited until after finals to throw strep throat at me. How thoughtful, huh? Actually, all kidding aside, I am very glad I didn’t get it during the actual semester because it is horrible!

Okay, so most of us remember that we had strep throat as a kid, right? I had it once or twice. I didn’t really remember what it felt like though, and didn’t think much about it as an adult. I bet you are probably thinking the same.

At first, it mildly hurt to swallow. More of an annoyance really. Cough drops seemed to work. I didn’t cough much, but it sort of numbed it. I was getting tired a bit easy, but I figured that was just because it was the end of the semester.

Then, the next day, I woke up with a big white spot in the back of my throat. It really, really, hurt to swallow anything now. Hot stuff, cold stuff, room temperature, food, cough drops, etc. It all freaking hurt… and it hurt bad! I was also extremely exhausted, felt weak, had a fever, felt nauseous, my ear hurt, pretty much, I just felt terrible.

Strep throat is awful. If you have any of these signs of having it, get to a doctor to see if you need antibiotics, because you do not want this to linger any longer than it has to. As a future nurse, I’ll also be much more empathetic to people who have strep throat because I can actually remember just how much it hurts now. 

Have you had strep throat? Do you remember what it felt like? 

Get It Done by Sam Bennett

Get It Done by Sam Bennett is a book for procrastinators and anyone who wants to get things done. If you find that you are putting things off and not doing what you really want to do, or have to do, this is definitely a book you will want to read!

Book Description

“Creative people tend to see the world a little differently than everyone else. But that doesn’t mean they can’t zero in on their goals, get focused, get organized, and not only accomplish what they want to achieve but earn money doing it. In Get It Done, a beloved teacher and successful writer, actor, and comedian helps you get a handle on your own particular — even peculiar — creative process and harness your energies in positive, productive, and income-generating ways. Sam Bennett’s innovative exercises, inspiring true success stories, and bonus online components will shift your thinking and prompt the kind of insights that turn underperforming geniuses into accomplished artists.” – Get It Done

My Thoughts

Get It Done is a brilliant self-help book that really helps creative types focus in on getting the projects they want to do done. Many things can block you from accomplishing your goals, and with the exercises and insight from this book, you can get the motivation and insight into yourself to actually do it.

As someone who considers herself both creative and organized (most of the time), I am also sometimes a procrastinator, especially when it comes to the creative things I want to do. Sure, I can get my nursing school homework finished way before time, and study with enough time to make good grades, but when it comes to writing that book I started years ago, or a painting I’ve wanted to do, I just don’t do it. Instead, I do things like re-organized my closet, sort my bookcases, or some other random thing I don’t really need to be doing. If you can relate, this is definitely a book you need to read to help get you back to doing those creative things you actually want to start, or finish.

This is an excellent book that I highly recommend to anyone looking to do anything creative. If you think you don’t have the time to do it, then I recommend this book to you even more!

* Thank you to the publisher of Get It Done, New World Library, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Moving Target by J.A. Jance

Moving Target by J.A. Jance is another excellent thriller in the series about Ali Reynolds, a police academy trained former reporter. Pick up with this book, or start at the beginning, and read the latest addition to the series. Either way, you’ll be in for a good read!

Book Description

“In this instant New York Times bestseller and high-stakes thriller Ali Reynolds spans continents to solve a cold case murder and to figure out who wants a young juvenile offender dead.

EVEN GHOSTS CAN’T HIDE FOREVER.

Lance Tucker, an incarcerated juvenile offender doing time for expertly hacking into the San Leandro School District’s computer system, is set on fire and severely burned one night while hanging Christmas decorations in a lockup rec room. The police say that he did it to himself, but B. Simpson, Ali Reynolds’s fiancé and the man who helped put Lance in jail, feels obligated to get to the bottom of what really happened. 

Lance is famous in the hacker world for developing GHOST, computer software that allows users to surf any part of the web completely undetected. And that kind of digital camouflage is seductive to criminal minds who will stop at nothing to get their hands on this revolutionary—and dangerous—technology. 

Meanwhile, in England, Ali investigates the decades-old murder of Leland Brooks’s father, which Leland himself was once suspected of committing. With Ali otherwise occupied and Lance receiving cryptic threats in the hospital, B. turns to Sister Anselm—a Taser-carrying nun and Ali’s close friend—for help protecting the boy. With unsolved crimes on both sides of the Atlantic, Ali, B., and Sister Anselm are united by their search for answers—though being thousands of miles away may not be far enough to keep Ali from being drawn into the deadly line of fire.” – Moving Target

My Thoughts

Moving Target focuses on two cases, so it is almost like getting two books in one. There is a cold case that involves Leland Brook’s family in England. There is also another case going on in Texas which involves a teen hacker that was set on fire. Somewhere around the middle of the book, these two cases which seemed to not be related at all, appear to be more connected than you may have ever thought.

This book in the series also helps flesh out some of the side characters more, which I quite like because it allows readers to get to know more of the characters, and thus, enjoy reading the series that much more. I really liked reading more about Ali’s friend, the taser carrying nun, Sister Anselm.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel by J.A. Jance and definitely recommend it to anyone who has read books in this series, or just enjoys a good thriller.

* Thank you to the publisher of Moving Target, Touchstone, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

20 and Something by David H Kim

20 and Something by David H Kim is a book written “for emerging adults and anyone wondering about those millennials.” If you are looking for information on what this age group thinks about a variety of topics, check this book out.

Book Description

“Twentysomethings today are redefining what this decade means and what making a positive contribution to society looks like. One reality is today's economy - you may find yourself a recent college graduate with no job prospects. As such, many twentysomethings are shifting away from career, to calling, looking for ways to impact the world. Or maybe for you, a career or job is what you do in order to support the more meaningful work you love, like photography, music, brewing, or traveling.

Likely you have found a tribe of like-minded people who are taking the journey with you, asking yourselves big questions like what to do with life, what does it mean, why should I settle down with a spouse and house so soon? These questions have huge ramifications for all aspects of society. Twentysomethings need new ways of thinking about institutions and finding rootedness in a transient culture, while at the same time institutions need new ways of thinking about and incorporating twentysomethings. Join David H. Kim, the executive director of the Center for Faith and Work at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, as he walks through the uniqueness of this transformative decade.” – 20 and Something

My Thoughts

20 and Something is aimed to show that the millenials aren’t lazy, and how people in this generation can use this time of their life to figure it out and have the time of their life. However, it is mostly focused on statistics about what this age group thinks. As someone who is in the age group, nothing came as a shock to me. Nor does it make me feel like it helped me any from having read it, sadly.

Overall, it is good for statistics and what you want to do with that. However, statistics can be written to show what the researcher wants as well, so read into it how you will. It is a very short book that makes for a quick read. I wouldn’t read it again, and wouldn’t recommend others to read it unless you are into reading statistics.

* Thank you to the publisher of 20 and Something, Zondervan, for providing me with a copy of this book for review as part of Thomas Nelson’s Book Look Blogger program. All opinions expressed are my own.

Vintage by Susan Gloss

Vintage is the debut novel by Susan Gloss who uses her own experience to create a charmingly crafted novel about a vintage shop. If you enjoy all things vintage, and learning more about the stories of cherished items from the past, this is definitely a book that will captivate you for an enjoyable weekend read this summer.

Book Description

“At Hourglass Vintage in Madison, Wisconsin, every item in the boutique has a story to tell . . . and so do the women whose lives the store touches.

Yellow Samsonite suitcase with ivory, quilted lining, 1950s

A small-town girl with a flair for fashion, Violet Turner had always dreamed of owning a shop like Hourglass Vintage. But while she values the personal history behind each beautiful item she sells, Violet is running from her own past. Faced with the possibility of losing the store to an unscrupulous developer, she realizes that despite her usual self-reliance she cannot save it alone.

Taffeta tea-length wedding gown with scooped neckline and cap sleeves, 1952

Eighteen-year-old April Morgan is nearly five months along in an unplanned pregnancy when her hasty engagement is broken. When she returns the perfect vintage wedding dress to Violet's shop, she discovers a world of new possibilities, and an unexpected sisterhood with women who won't let her give up on her dreams.

Orange silk sari with gold paisley design, 1968

Betrayed by her husband, Amithi Singh begins selling off her vibrant Indian dresses, remnants of a life she's determined to leave behind her. After decades of housekeeping and parenting a daughter who rejects her traditional ways, she fears her best days are behind her . . . until she discovers an outlet for her creativity and skills with a needle and thread.

An engaging story that beautifully captures the essence of friendship and style, Vintage is a charming tale of possibility, of finding renewal, love, and hope when we least expect it.” – Vintage

My Thoughts

Vintage is a story that is able to really show how women can work together and form a powerful female friendship that inspires and empowers one another. Stories like this are fun, and something that I think women should read more of. Life is not about competition, we should empower one another and be there for one another. This author captures that spirit in this book, and it is something I definitely can recommend to others to read, too.

The main character in this book is Violet Turner. She owns Hourglass Vintage, which is a vintage shop in Madison, Wisconsin. All of the items in the shop have their own unique story waiting to be told and hopefully sold to customers. The two other main women in the story, Amithi and April are fixtures for showing this female friendship, and helpful when Violet may lose the shop to developers wanting to turn the building into condos.

Overall, I found this to be a great read, and think it is a worthy book to read for a weekend this summer.

* Thank you to the publisher of Vintage, William Morrow, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.