Satisfaction by Andee Reilly

What They Say....When 22-year-old Ginny Martin discovers her husband has been cheating on her, she strikes back. 

Buying tickets to every concert on the Rolling Stones North American tour, this devastated suburban housewife packs up the car and takes to the road. 

Following the Rolling Stones from Los Angeles to Oklahoma City, Ginny experiences freedom for the first time, while coping with the insecurities and limiting beliefs that had kept this small town girl’s life far too small. 

Bree Cooper is a nomad, a free-spirited drifter, and a mother who abandoned responsibility – and her young daughter – years before. 

When Ginny meets Bree at a roadside diner, they impulsively make the decision to throw their lot in together. In each other they find a friendship that they both had longed for. 

Bree also gives Ginny a chance to have a mother-figure who inspires independence and encourages confidence, while Ginny gives Bree a chance to get parenting right on the second try.

What I Say....So this was a cute summer read.  Enjoyable to float around in the pool and read about two women running away from their responsibilities and following the Rolling Stones on tour.

Ginny is the oldest 22 year old I've ever heard of.  She acts like she has been living the old married life for a hundred years.  Her obsession with the Rolling Stones bordered on weird.  I'm all about being a fan (hello, Bono!), but trying to tie every event of her life into lyrics or Stones trivia seemed more than a bit odd.

Bree is just one of those women who have never wanted to be married or have kids.  One thing that I didn't like was how the book tried to justify Bree's lack of a relationship with her daughter be her daughter's fault.  Her daughter was probably a cold, uptight girl because her mother walked out on her and then never felt obligated to have any regular contact.  

So I really didn't like either of the main characters, but I still liked the book.  It was a quick, fun book.

Current Goodreads rating 3.08

The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler

What They Say.....I came across this book at auction as part of a larger lot I purchased on speculation. The damage renders it useless to me, but a name inside it led me to believe it might be of interest to you or your family....

Simon Watson, a young librarian, lives alone in a house that is slowly crumbling toward the Long Island Sound. His parents are long dead. His mother, a circus mermaid who made her living by holding her breath, drowned in the very water his house overlooks. His younger sister, Enola, ran off to join the circus six years ago.

One June day, an old book arrives on Simon's doorstep. Fragile and water damaged, the book is a log from the owner of a traveling carnival in the 1700s, who reports strange and magical things-including the drowning death of a circus mermaid. Since then, generations of "mermaids" in Simon's family have drowned-always on July 24, which is only weeks away.

As his friend Alice looks on with alarm, Simon becomes increasingly worried about his sister. Could there be a curse on Simon's family? What does it have to do with the book, and can he stop it in time to save Enola? 

The Book of Speculation is Erika Swyler's gorgeous and moving debut, a wondrous novel about the power of books, family, and magic.

What I Say.....First off let me say, that I definitely enjoyed this book.  It was a great story, full of magic, mermaids, and curses.  In the beginning, it almost put me in mind of A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness.

But at times it was hard to read, the overall feel of the book was super depressive.  I understand that the tone was supposed to be dark, but a little pick up in the tempo towards the middle would have made the story that much more enjoyable.

The romance between Simon and Alice seemed more a product of physical proximity than a real romance.  It felt awkward and forced.  

What did work was the storyline, and the way everyone's families intersected.  The mystery was solved and the curse was broken.  But I had figured out where the curse was anchored long before Simon seemed to.

I will definitely watch for this author in the future.  This was her first novel and I can't wait to see her  pacing improve to match her storytelling skills.

Current Goodreads rating....3.67

Summer by Summer by Heather Burch

What They Say.....When Summer took a job as a nanny for a couple vacationing in Belize, she imagined it would be a fresh start before starting college in the fall. And while she adores her charge, Josh, she can’t say the same for her employers’ oldest son, Bray. He’s cocky, inconsiderate, and makes her feel she’s a chore he has to put up with. In short, he’s everything she dislikes in a guy.

Bray had a plan for the summer: party, hang out with friends, and forget all the responsibilities waiting for him back home. But every time he’s forced to be around Summer, her dour, serious mood sets him off. Not to mention she has a habit of picking up on what he already knows is wrong with him.

Then the two find themselves on a dive trip gone wrong, stranded on a remote island. As they focus on survival, their differences melt away, and they find being together may be what both needed all along. 

What I Say.....I usually like YA, especially summer romances.  I had high hopes for this book.

But as I got into it, I found that this was more like Christian YA.  Not that there is anything wrong with that, and YA as a rule isn't too racy, but the self righteousness of Summer got old pretty quickly.

The book description of Summer as "dour, serious" was incredibly accurate.  She was like the judgey Christian neighbor that loves to tell you how to live your life.  

But of course, this is what bad boy Bray needs to change his life.  

The storyline was pretty good, but Summer bugged me so much that I couldn't even enjoy it.

It doesn't look like most people agreed with me because the Current Goodreads rating is 3.76.

Thanks to Booksparks for the review copy of this book.

Pretty Baby by Mary Kubica

What They Say.....She sees the teenage girl on the train platform, standing in the pouring rain, clutching an infant in her arms. She boards a train and is whisked away. But she can't get the girl out of her head...

Heidi Wood has always been a charitable woman: she works for a nonprofit, takes in stray cats. Still, her husband and daughter are horrified when Heidi returns home one day with a young woman named Willow and her four-month-old baby in tow. Disheveled and apparently homeless, this girl could be a criminal—or worse. But despite her family's objections, Heidi invites Willow and the baby to take refuge in their home.

Heidi spends the next few days helping Willow get back on her feet, but as clues into Willow's past begin to surface, Heidi is forced to decide how far she's willing to go to help a stranger. What starts as an act of kindness quickly spirals into a story far more twisted than anyone could have anticipated. 

What I Say....This was the best book that I've read in a while.  

Lately, I've been feeling like reading/blogging has been work, when I got into it as a hobby.  I've been forcing myself to finish books that I normally would have not even started - partially because I've usually requested them, so I feel guilty.  Then I force myself to read it, even though I'm doing it while grumbling to myself.

So Pretty Baby was a nice surprise!  It brought me back to why I blog in the first place.  I never would have chosen this otherwise, but now I want to read The Good Girl because this one was that good.

I love when a book has a bit of a complicated storyline, but it actually all pulls together and everyone's story is wrapped up, and IT MAKES SENSE!

The story starts out with Heidi looking like a saint among us, the woman who cares so much about a homeless teen that she brings her and her baby into her home.  But man, do things start to take a turn for the weird fast.

I don't want to give any spoilers, but you have to read this book.  It will hook you from the start!

Current Goodreads Rating 3.97

Weekly Book Haul....August 16, 2015

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer, Showcase Sunday is hosted by Books, Biscuits and Tea, Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews, The Sunday Salon is a new facebook group I've joined and Monday Mailbox is hosted by Marcia to be Continued.

I had such great intentions of blogging all week.  But this week just got away from me.  I'm so focused on getting certain books read by a certain deadline so I can blog actually makes me not want to read or blog.  So I've decided to start this week off by reading something I want to, rather than what I feel like I have to.

NetGalley

Preschooler by Anna Lefler....Behind the toddler-proof gate of Santa Monica’s

exclusive Garden of Happiness, it’s the grown-ups who are getting schooled.

When new preschool parent Justine discovers that the man who broke her heart back in grad school is a dad in her daughter’s class, she tells herself she’s immune to the superficial charms of the ex she calls “the crapwizard.” But when his presence opens a time tunnel of potent memories from her life before motherhood, she must find a way to defuse her old attraction to him before it undermines her marriage.

Then there’s Ruben, rookie stay-at-home dad and standup comic who quits his day job to pursue his TV-writing dream on his wife’s condition that he take her place among the “power mommies” on the school committees.

And ruling the sand box with an iron fist is Margaret, whose ongoing divorce from her dentist-turned-New Age-surfer husband forces her to rely on her dubious people skills in order to keep the school that has become the cornerstone of her identity.

When the new school year kicks off with a flight-risk rabbit named Ozone, a school secretary in desperate need of a social filter, and some double-barreled committee recruiting tactics, it’s not all juice and cookies for Justine, Ruben, and Margaret as they struggle to play nice.

Awake by Natasha Preston.....Of course, the dress was white. This is what

I’m supposed to die in, I thought. Not many people knew what their last outfit would be. 
I pulled it over my head. It fit me perfectly. It had long, loose fitting sleeves, a modest neckline, and waves of material on the skirt. I hated it.
There were no shoes, and I was afraid I’d have to run through the forest barefoot but there weren’t a lot of options. Besides, I’d run barefoot over a bed of nails to get away.
“Scarlett, are you ready?” he called.
I looked in the mirror and took a deep breath. Time to fight for my life.

Scarlett Garner doesn’t remember anything before the age of four—until a car accident changes everything. She starts to remember pieces of a past that frighten her. A past her parents hid from her…and a secret that could get her killed.

Edelweiss

In Certain Circles by Elizabeth Harrower.......Zoe Howard is seventeen

when her brother, Russell, introduces her to Stephen Quayle. Aloof and harsh, Stephen is unlike anyone she has ever met, ‘a weird, irascible character out of some dense Russian novel’. His sister, Anna, is shy and thoughtful, ‘a little orphan’.

Zoe and Russell, Stephen and Anna: they may come from different social worlds but all four will spend their lives moving in and out of each other’s shadow.

Set amid the lush gardens and grand stone houses that line the north side of Sydney Harbour, In Certain Circles is an intense psychological drama about family and love, tyranny and freedom.

Completed in 1971, five years after Elizabeth Harrower's The Watch Tower appeared to great acclaim, and published for the first time in 2014, this long-lost novel is the work of a major writer.

BookSparks

Satisfaction by Andee Reilly....When 22-year-old Ginny Martin discovers her

husband has been cheating on her, she strikes back. Buying tickets to every concert on the Rolling Stones North American tour, this devastated suburban housewife packs up the car and takes to the road. Following the Rolling Stones from Los Angeles to Oklahoma City, Ginny experiences freedom for the first time, while coping with the insecurities and limiting beliefs that had kept this small town girl’s life far too small. Bree Cooper is a nomad, a free-spirited drifter, and a mother who abandoned responsibility – and her young daughter – years before. When Ginny meets Bree at a roadside diner, they impulsively make the decision to throw their lot in together. In each other they find a friendship that they both had longed for. Bree also gives Ginny a chance to have a mother-figure who inspires independence and encourages confidence, while Ginny gives Bree a chance to get parenting right on the second try.

Anchored by Brigette Quinn....How do you stay anchored when you’re

attracted to your co-anchor? 

Barbara King’s dream is to become the next Barbara Walters. But for now, she’s anchoring at the fledgling Phoenix news channel, covering car chases and interviewing drunken showbiz has-beens. If she can just out-fox the conniving anchors at her cable channel and move up to its prime-time line-up, she’ll be able to fly the coop and ascend to a real news network. 

Enter Jack Stone, Barbara’s dynamic, witty—and did she mention sexy?—new co-anchor. Another potential competitor, Jack’s attitude is chilly toward Barbara at first, but it’s not long before a genuine friendship forms. Soon they find themselves finishing each other’s sentences, discovering all they have in common and, ultimately, attempting to ignore how wildly attracted they are to each other. Meanwhile, on the set, under television’s bright lights, they sit just inches apart, their chemistry even apparent to the quirky cast of characters in the gossiping newsroom. 

Will Barbara give in to her attraction to Jack and betray her husband, Ben, her sweet-souled moral compass? When a life-altering news event propels the Phoenix to the #1 news channel in the nation, will Barbara sell her soul to become a prime time star? 

How do you stay true to yourself when you’re being seduced by stardom—and your co-star? 

In the Mail

Cleopatra's Shadows by Emily  Holleman.....Before Caesar and the carpet,

before Antony and Actium, before Octavian and the asp, there was Arsinoe.

Abandoned by her beloved Cleopatra and an indifferent father, young Arsinoe must fight for her survival in the bloodthirsty royal court when her half-sister Berenice seizes Egypt's throne. Even as the quick-witted girl wins Berenice's favor, a new specter haunts her days-dark dreams that have a habit of coming true.

To survive, she escapes the palace for the war-torn streets of Alexandria. Meanwhile, Berenice confronts her own demons as she fights to maintain power. When their deposed father Ptolemy marches on the city with a Roman army, both daughters must decide where their allegiances truly lie, and Arsinoe grapples with the truth, that the only way to survive her dynasty is to rule it.