This Month's Reads - July '14

Well...I've decided to cut back from my weekly reading post to once a month.  Last Friday of every month, I'll post the highlights from that month's reading.  All in my efforts to keep blogging fun and realistic for me.  So here's my favorites from July.

Blackberry Winter by Sarah Jio

Seattle, 1933. Single mother Vera Ray kisses her three-year-old son, Daniel, goodnight and departs to work the night-shift at a local hotel. She emerges to discover that a May-Day snow has blanketed the city, and that her son has vanished. Outside, she finds his beloved teddy bear lying face-down on an icy street, the snow covering up any trace of his tracks, or the perpetrator's.
Seattle, 2010. Seattle Herald reporter Claire Aldridge, assigned to cover the May 1 "blackberry winter" storm and its twin, learns of the unsolved abduction and vows to unearth the truth. In the process, she finds that she and Vera may be linked in unexpected ways...

Lovely. Interesting. Tragic. Well worth reading.




The Thieves of Manhattan by Adam Langer

The famously false memoirs of James Frey may be yesterday’s news, but as this funny riff reminds us, literary fakes are as old as literature itself. Ian Minot is an aspiring writer who labors over short stories that seem destined to remain unread. His beautiful Romanian girlfriend, Anya Petrescu, finds success more easily—and leaves Ian for Blade Markham, a bloviating ex-gangbanger whose “so-called memoir” is a best-seller. When Ian is approached by ex-editor Jed Roth, who wants Ian to publish Jed’s pulpy tale of book theft and murder as a memoir, then renounce it, it’s a chance for both of them to get revenge: Jed on his former employer, and Ian on the world. Although Langer may be too cute for some (he employs made-up slang in which a penis is a portnoy), he does an engaging job with the hall-of-mirrors plot. And if readers can predict that the book they’re reading is the one that Ian ends up writing, they’ll never guess the ending. Just when you want a surprising twist, Langer delivers several.

Okay, I loved this. How many books are you laughing and smiling about as you finish? I'm not even sure what to say about it, except that it was a delight...clever, snarky, and just...fun. Also thoroughly enjoyed the literary references (there's a glossary in the back to help you out on those you don't know or aren't obvious).
And now for my usual parental warning, so to speak: some language.



The Fortune Cafe by Julie Wright, Melanie Jacobson and Heather B. Moore

The Fortune Café 
A Tangerine Street Romance 
(a novel in three parts) 

Welcome to Tangerine Street 

Tangerine Street is a must-see tourist stop with a colorful mix of one-of-a-kind boutiques, unique restaurants, eclectic museums, quaint bookstores, and exclusive bed-and-breakfasts. The Fortune Café, situated in the middle of this charming collection of shops and cafés on Tangerine Street, is a Chinese restaurant unlike any other because, well, to be honest, the fortunes found in the cookies all come true… 

MIS-FORTUNE: Emma, a waitress at The Fortune Café will do anything to avoid opening a fortune cookie. Each fortune is rumored to somehow magically come true. Being a girl grounded in reality, she doesn’t have time for that kind of nonsense. But when trying to prevent a food fight at the café, Emma accidentally cracks open a fortune cookie: “Look around, love is trying to catch you.” If there is one thing that Harrison, her former best friend in high school is good at, it’s catching her unaware. 

LOVE, NOT LUCK: Lucy has always been lucky . . . until her parents meet her fiancé’s parents at a disastrous lunch at The Fortune Café, and she breaks her lucky jade necklace. Even worse, her fortune cookie reveals that “True love is for the brave, not the lucky.” How is she supposed to read that? She’s always considered it lucky how she met her fiancé. But after breaking her necklace, Lucy’s luck takes a dive. And when her fiancé dumps her, the only person she can turn to is Carter, the unluckiest guy she knows. 

TAKEOUT: Stella is content in her new life of taking over her mom’s jewelry shop. No more boyfriend to worry about, and as long as she stays busy, she doesn’t have to dwell on her non-existent love life. When Evan comes into the shop with his young daughter, Stella is charmed. But she is reluctant to complicate her straightforward life, so when she reads her fortune after ordering takeout from The Fortune Café, she completely ignores it. After all, how can a fortune as vague as “Do the thing you fear and love is certain,” apply to her?

Cute, fun, light-hearted reading.  Thoroughly enjoyed it.



While We Were Watching Downton Abbey by Wendy Wax

When the concierge of The Alexander, a historic Atlanta apartment building, invites his fellow residents to join him for weekly screenings of Downton Abbey, four very different people find themselves connecting with the addictive drama, and—even more unexpectedly—with each other…
Samantha Davis married young and for the wrong reason: the security of old Atlanta money—for herself and for her orphaned brother and sister. She never expected her marriage to be complicated by love and compromised by a shattering family betrayal.
Claire Walker is now an empty nester and struggling author who left her home in the suburbs for the old world charm of The Alexander, and for a new and productive life. But she soon wonders if clinging to old dreams can be more destructive than having no dreams at all.
And then there’s Brooke MacKenzie, a woman in constant battle with her faithless ex-husband. She’s just starting to realize that it’s time to take a deep breath and come to terms with the fact that her life is not the fairy tale she thought it would be.
For Samantha, Claire, Brooke—and Edward, who arranges the weekly gatherings—it will be a season of surprises as they forge a bond that will sustain them through some of life’s hardest moments—all of it reflected in the unfolding drama, comedy, and convergent lives of Downton Abbey.

Delightful.  An ode to friendships and how they can be found in surprising places.



Killing Ruby Rose by Jessie Humphries

In sunny Southern California, seventeen-year-old Ruby Rose is known for her killer looks and her killer SAT scores. But ever since her dad, an LAPD SWAT sergeant, died, she's also got a few killer secrets.

To cope, Ruby has been trying to stay focused on school (the top spot in her class is on the line) and spending time with friends (her Jimmy Choos and Manolo Blahniks are nothing if not loyal). But after six months of therapy and pathetic parenting by her mom, the District Attorney, Ruby decides to pick up where her dad left off and starts going after the bad guys herself.

When Ruby ends up killing a murderer to save his intended victim, she discovers that she's gone from being the huntress to the hunted. There's a sick mastermind at play, and he has Ruby in his sights. Ruby must discover who's using her to implement twisted justice before she ends up swapping Valentino red for prison orange.

With a gun named Smith, a talent for martial arts, and a boyfriend with eyes to die for, Ruby is ready to face the worst. And if a girl's forced to kill, won't the guilt sit more easily in a pair of Prada peep-toe pumps?

Loved this. Sassy irreverent heroine. Lots of snark and wit. Fun.  I'll continue on in the series.

This Week's Read 4/11

I actually read a book this week, people.  Things have been so chaotic around here with my cataclysmic month of disease....reading just hasn't happened.  But this week, I read a book!  Only one, since I'm throwing my sister's baby shower tomorrow (and with our cataclysmic month of disease, I was not on top of my game and have had to prepare everything in the space of one week!), but hopefully next week I'll be back to my normal reading habits!  (P.S. stay tuned for a post about the shower!)
Anyway!  The book!

Rebellious Heart by Jody Hedlund

I am a sucker for historical fiction with some romance, so when I saw this on the new arrivals display at our local library, I grabbed it.  And I REALLY enjoyed it.  Set in 1763 in Massachusetts, it follows a young woman and an young lawyer.  At the end of the book, I discovered it was loosely based on John and Abigail Adams courtship.  There isn't a lot recorded about that time in their lives, but the author took what there was and then made up the rest.  I've always been interested in that period of history, and especially in Abigail Adams, so it was fun to read the afterword (including what really happened and what she made up to fill in the blank spaces).  I liked this book so well, it's going on my Paperback Swap request wishlist!

This Week's Reads 3/14

Guess what, guys.  It's my birthday.  Yep.  It's today.  Somehow it seems to get less and less exciting every year.  Are you curious?  I'll indulge your curiosity.  31.  No turning back now, eh?  Most definitely in my 30's.  But that is an entirely different topic for another day.

So reading!  I read a lot this week.  I had sick kids who wanted Mommy with them at all times (like 2-3 foot radius...seriously), so I read in the interim moments between fetching snacks and pillows and tissues, etc.  Nothing too deep.  I did NOT have the brain power for that this week.  So lots of entertaining romances!  Here's a few:

Running Barefoot by Amy Harmon

You know those light romances that are a fun read, you're entertained, you finish, and then you never think of them again?  This was NOT one of them.  This is a love story that stays with you.  I loved this one.  It's complex and truly moving.  You should read it.  Really.  (The Kindle version is only $3.99!)






Taste Test by Kelly Fiore
Meh.  It was a Kindle Daily Deal, and it was about food.  So I bought it.  Wish I hadn't.  It's Young Adult fiction, and that definitely showed.  Lots of drama.  But hey, if that's your cuppa tea......







Hailey's Comments by Kristy Tate

This was a Kindle freebie, and despite its unfortunate cover, I really enjoyed it!  Part romance, part mystery.  Set on an island in Puget Sound, which appeals to me as I was born in Seattle.  A fun read.  And not totally forgettable, though not in the same league as Running Barefoot.

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This Week's Reads 3/7

Let me just tell you, I am exhausted.  I've spent the week removing the dirt from my old garden box (a big long one, 25 x 2 feet), raking through it by hand to remove all the weeds and grass roots that grew in when I basically abandoned it two years ago (I blame pregnancy and a newborn), and digging out the sod where my new garden boxes are going (two 4 X 6 foot boxes.  Same square footage, better configuration for my yard).  I still need to built a rough sieve from chicken wire and the wood from the old box to sift the dirt through as I fill the boxes up.  Lots of work.  Moral of the story:  don't let your garden boxes get horrifyingly overgrown.
ANY-way, my point is I didn't have a lot of reading time again this week.  Only one book to report on.


This House is Haunted by John Boyne

You know those books that upon reading the last page and closing, you said "Wow," out loud?  (Or maybe I just do that.)  This was one of those.  Spoiler alert: it's about a haunting.  ;)  It started out sounding a little Jane Eyre-ish...a governess heading off, almost on a whim, to an unknown and mysterious place.  The similarity mostly ended there however.  I really enjoyed this.  Captivating.  So interesting it may cause you to ignore your children.  And the ending!  Wow.  :)  Worth reading!

Top Reads of All Time - February

Let's just pretend, yet again, that this post went up on Friday like it was supposed to!




Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Sorry for the haters out there, but I loved this series.  I got into it a little late in the game...borrowed my little brother's books whenever I was home from college.  Loved it then, love it now.  Classic.







The Anatomist's Wife by Anna Lee Huber

The first of another terrific series.  SO good.  Mysterious and historical and a little bit romantic.  J'adore.

Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury
This is such a lovely book.  I like to read at the the beginning of the summer, just to prep myself to enjoy everything about the season...and to try to do it with the wonder of a kid.








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This Week's Reads 2/21

This was supposed to go up yesterday....oh well!  Let's just pretend the date on the post is actually the date it went up, shall we?
Another busy week, so I only read one book.


My Loving Vigil Keeping by Carla Kelly

This was a really emotional book for me.  And captivating.  Which is why I found myself at 5 o' clock in the morning sitting in my family, the world dark outside, sobbing my heart out.  (I suppose I should explain that I have insomnia issues and never sleep through the night...and I typically get up to have a snack, so I started reading at around 3 AM....)  Anyway, this is a good book.  It is set in a mining camp in central Utah in late 1899 and early 1900.  The tragic part of the story is that on May 1st 1900, that mining camp experienced what the worst disaster to that point in history: somewhere between 200 and 246 men and boys were killed.  The novel covers the months leading up to the mine disaster and a couple days immediately following.  I got attached to these characters, and then many of them died, leaving behind wives and children.  But what's more of course, is that this really happened.  So tragic.  But such a good read.

It is a LDS novel, but the cultural references aren't so many that it would be hard to understand if you aren't a Mormon.

Definitely worth reading.

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