Summer Secrets

A compelling story of a woman
struggling with addiction
and seeking forgiveness"
--Booklist

To an outsider it would appear that Cat Coombs is living a glamorous life as a journalist.  But she has a problem.  She feels like she doesn't fit in, and since she was a teen has been turning to alcohol to make her feel like he belongs.

Cat is an alcoholic.

One morning she feels she has had enough, and tells her mother she wants/needs help.

That is when her mother drops a bombshell on her that will change her life forever, in more ways than one.

Summer Secrets by Jane Green takes place in London, where Cat lives, and during summers in Nantucket.

While everyone in Summer Secrets loves the American island, it also harbors many secrets.

This novel follows Cat from her 20s, as a party girl, to her 40s, as a divorced mom of one, still trying to find her place in life.  There are flashback to her teens and childhood, and even a flashback or two before she was born.

This novel centers around Cat's alcoholism, and how it effects her life.  How she battles it and how it continues to affect her life even once she is sober.

This novel is also about family, and about love. It is about the bonds of family, about love found and lost.  Its about distrust and grudges, but it is also about friendship and forgiveness.

 I did enjoy this novel and finished it in just a few days.

There were a couple of jumps in time that threw me off.  There were parts of Cat's life I would like to have seen more detail of, but I guess that wasn't what this book was really about.

I would like to see a second book with the characters who LIVE in Nantucket as the central characters.  I think that would be interesting.

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You can purchase Summer Secrets by Jane Green at Amazon in hardcover, paperback, kindle and audio versions.


Don't have a Kindle?  Download the Free Kindle App available on most devices.
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365 Inspirational Quotes - Review

Available on Amazon as a paperback
or a kindle book.

This 5x7 collection of quotes is a hefty little paperback book, and it should be since it is packed with 366 quotes. (The cover says 365, but they did include one for Feb. 29th, making it 366)  It is over an inch thick.

The title, 365 Inspirational Quotes: A Year of Daily Wisdom from Great Thinkers, Books, Humorists, and More   promises inspirational quotes, and it starts off with a bang on Jan. 1. "This is where it all begins.  Everything starts here, today."

I have not read all of the quotes in this book, but I did read through January to catch up.  I have opened a page here and a page there as well (because you KNOW I had to go see what my birthday quote would be)

Not all of them are "inspirational" to me for example, January 3rd was "If life is a bowl of cherries, what's inside of it?"  I don't see inspiration in that one (because there is nothing but pits in a cherry, so life is the pits? but I guess they must have all inspired the collector to some degree.

The book itself is fun to flip through though.  The quotes are not just black font on white pages.  They have different fonts, different colors.  Each month has its own main color (red, purple, green, blue, orange)

The only negative thing I have to say about this book involves the cover.  It feels waxy and is somewhat unpleasant to hold in my hands for a long time.

Other than that, this book gives you what it promises on the front, 365 (366) quotes to (hopefully) inspire you.

(I received this book free in exchange for my honest review)

Instant Happy Journal Review

 The Instant Happy Journal came into my life at a very inopportune time.

It arrived on January 7th, shorty after our elderly cat had been mauled to death in the street by a stray dog.

So, when I un-boxed my "Instant Happy Journal" I felt a bit of life's cruel irony, and set it aside for several days without even cracking the cover.

When enough time had passed I picked up the small book (its just short of being a 5x7 tome).

A page at the front of the journal says the book's mission is "to help you to live your happiest life"

The creator, Karen Salmansohn, calls her prompts "happiness prompters" and they are a mixture of motivational quotes, thought provoking questions, philosophical thoughts and more.  They are meant to inspire you to focus on where the most joy can be found in your life.

The book is colorful.  Many of the pages have a colored border.  Red, orange, blue, green, stripes, polkadots.  Each page is a colorful splash of joy in itself.  At the top of each page is a date line for you to fill in the date you answer the question.  (we all know the frustration of buying a 365 journal with pre-printed dates, forcing you to start at the front, on January 1st and work straight to the back.)

Under the date line is the prompt of the  day.  It might be a simple question such as "What made you laugh today?"  Or, it could be the results of a scientific study, followed by a prompt or related question.  There are prompts that are simple quotes and no more such as "Before a brilliant person does something great they must be willing to look foolish in the crowd." And there are even prompts asking you to draw/doodle something.

Under each prompt is a few lines for you to answer the prompt.  Depending on how long the prompt is you might have 8 to 12 lines to answer it on.

There is also an attached ribbon bookmark.  It will help you keep up with where you left off if you work front to back, or mark the spot of the prompt you'd like to answer next.

If you are a wordy writer, such as myself, you might want to pair your Instant Happy Journal with a second lined journal or notebook to answer your prompts in.  Such as this bright and happy (and customizable) pocket journal from zazzle.

Happy White Daisies Pattern Journal by LisaMarieDesign
Browse Flower pattern Journals

If you use your Instant Happy Journal consistently for 365 days and can see it helping you.  I don't think there is a such thing as "Instant" happiness, but the prompts inside this journal will help you learn how to look at the brighter side of things

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You can purchase Instant Happy Journal: 365 Days of Inspiration, Gratitude, and Joy, from Amazon.

 
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If you like to read, come talk about books with us at the facebook group Lets Talk About Books.

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I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

They All Fall Down

Girls will do anything to be on this list.
Even Die.

There is a tradition at Vienna High that has reached its thirtieth year.  It is"The List."

Each year "The Hottie List" comes out, and this year Kenzie Summerall is shocked to find that she is on the list.  She is number 5.

Her best friend, Holly, is excited.  She says being on the list will change her life, and that they will BOTH be more popular.

This year things are a little different though.  This year the girls on the list all seem to be having accidents.  Even Kenzie, who manages to survive a few close calls.

But one by one the girls on the list are dying, in order.  And Kenzie is NUMBER FIVE!

While the rest of the List Sisters are sure that there is a curse on the list, Kenzie doesn't beleive in curses.  She starts her own investigation, despite the other girls telling her that will only lead to her death happening even quicker.

Who really creates this list?  What is its real purpose?  Can Kenzie stop the deaths before it is her turn?

They All Fall Down is a Teen thriller, and was quite a page turner.

While some of the elements of the story are cliche (Such as Kenzie suddently having to choose between two guys who had never spoken to her before The List came out) it was still a good story.

The ending was a surprise that I had never seen coming, and once I hit the climax I could not put the book down until I finished it.

I give this one 5 out of 5 stars.
I recommend this one to anyone who likes to read YA fiction, YA thrillers, or stories about girls suddenly rising in popularity.

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You can purchase They All Fall Down from Amazon, in hardcover or kindle.

Don't have a Kindle?  Download the Free Kindle App available on most devices.

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If you like to read, come talk about books with us at the facebook group Lets Talk About Books.

Seeders by A. J. Colucci - Novel Review

Isabelle finds out that her father, the reclusive biologist George Brookes has died, and she is mentioned in his will.  But she has to visit his remote Canadian island in order to attend the reading of the will.

Not only does she go, against the will of her overbearing husband, but she takes her two sons, and a random teenage girl along.

Once ariving she finds out she's not the only one on the island.

For a couple of weeks she will be staying on the island with an old lover of her father's  as well as one of his students.

Jules Beeches, also a plant scientist, finds out that Dr. Brookes had been making great strides in plant biological study.  In fact, he might have found a way to COMMUNICATE with plants.

Jules become obsessed with the journal George Brookes left behind, while Isabelle is beginning to think that there might be something much more sinister on the island and the teenagers run around doing the things that teenagers do on isolated islands in horror novels.

My Thoughts

(possible spoilers, proceed with caution)

The cover of Seeders promised the book to be "Gripping and Brilliantly original." (Douglas Preston)

I did find it gripping, other than when Jules would go into scientific talk.  But I didn't find it that original.

As far as seemingly intelligent hostile plants go I think I prefer Scott Smith's "The Ruins" and it even at times brought to mind Shyamalan's movie The Happening.

As the boat left our little group on the spooky deserted island, I was thinking, "Well, Scooby and Shaggy should show up any moment."

I was disapointed in our protaganist.  For a supposedly smart woman she went though much of the novel acting very stupid.  I kept expecting some kind of growth from her, but there really was none.

The secondary characters of Ginny and Monica were pointless.  Well, not entirely pointless.  Monica (a teenage girl that Isabelle's husband had invited to live with them after her prostitute mother was arrested) had to come along or else the elder son would not have anyone to fall in love with.

However, while being somewhat generic in plot, I was still brought into the story.  I kept reading it, thinking that the island plants might somehow "cure" Isabelle's youngest son, who LOVED plants and seemed to be autistic (though his mental problems came after he fell out of a tree when he was younger.)

I also wanted to find out the truth.  Was George Brookes a drug addled mad scientist.  Did he really find a way to communicated with plants?  What is up with all the fungus on the island?

So, I did rate this novel 4 out of 5 stars because I was fully entertained when reading it, though I did see some plot twists coming from miles away.

I would recommend this novel for anyone wanting an entertaining read, but not for someone who is looking for a novel in the intelligence range of Crichton.

You can purchase Seeders  from Amazon, inhardcover or kindle, or you can listen to it FREE with audible.

Don't have a Kindle?  Download the Free Kindle App available on most devices.
Don't have Audible?  Try Audible Now and Get Two Free Audiobooks
About the Author

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If you like to read, come talk about books with us at the facebook group Lets Talk About Books.

The Marauders by Tom Cooper

The Louisiana town of Jeanette has been devastated by a oil spill.  The shrimpers in particular are having a rough time.  Not even the locals want to eat the tained shrimp.

Brady Grimes, who grew up in the town, has returned to try to gloss over the situation for BP.

Wes Trench, who only wants his own shrimp boat, finds himself teaming up with Gus Lindquist in search of a lost treasure.

The treasure hunt brings them unknowingly too close to the hidden dope fields of Reginald and Victor Toup, twin drug lords who are not above killing to protect their territory.

Then there is Cosgrove and Hanson who are looking for the Toup's magical Marajauna for themselves.

As you can tell there are A LOT of characters in this novel, though Wes is probably the most central character, as the story begins and ends with them.

This novel changes POV throughout the whole book, bouncing from character to character and back again.  I don't really like this style of writing.  

Of all the characters, the BP middle man seemed to serve no point to further the plot.

I was more interested in Lindquist and his search for Jean Lafitte's treasure than any of the other stories in this novel.  It was his search that kept me reading through the whole thing.

I would give this novel 3 out of 5 stars.  I didn't hate it, but I doubt I'll read it again.

This is the authors first novel, but Tom Cooper has been published in dozens of literary magazines and journals, most recently in Oxford American, Mid-American Review, Gulf Coast, Boulevard, and Willow Springs. His stories have been nominated four times for the Pushcart Prize. He lives in New Orleans.

You can purchase The Marauders: A Novel from Amazon, in paperback, hardcover or kindle, or you can listen to it FREE with audible.

Don't have a Kindle?  Download the Free Kindle App available on most devices.
Don't have Audible?  Try Audible Now and Get Two Free Audiobooks
About the Author

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If you like to read, come talk about books with us at the facebook group Lets Talk About Books.

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I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Library Haul (1/2/16)

We went to the library today!

Between my husband and myself we managed to leave with 38 items.  Some were mine, some were his, some were for the kids.

I'll share what I took out for me and the boys.

1. Where's the Dragon 

2.  Albert the Fix It Man

3.  Teachers Pets

4.  The Three Triceratops Tuff 

1.  Growing Vegetable Soup (a board book)
2.  Olivia: A Special Day with Dad

3. The Perfect Clubhouse (my 6 year old picked this one out)
4.  Happy Valentine's Day Curious George

Now, for what I grabbed:

This book called "Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People" was sitting on the end of an aisle just screaming out at me.  Because .. well .. Crafts for poor people.

The rest of what I grabbed today:

1.  They All Fall Down
2.  Timbuktu

3.  What Can(t) Wait

4. Summer Secrets

5.  This Isn't the Sort of thing that happens to someone like you.

6.  Seeders

So those, along with my christmas books (The Walking Dead Descent, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Go Set a Watchman) will be my reading material for the first few weeks of the new year.

Come check back for my reviews of each book as I finish them.