Sunday Post (12) / It's Monday What Are You Reading

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. It's Monday, What Are You Reading is a fun weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey where we share what we've read and reviewed over the past week and what we plan to read next. I will also be sharing my It's Monday post on Twitter #IMWAYR.

I had a relatively quiet week. The weather warmed up to the 90s for the first time this summer and there were even a few sunny days along with all the rain. We did have a tornado warning while I was at work so we had to get all the library patrons to go down to the basement and we hung out there for half an hour till the all clear. We had a couple of those last year too but never any tornadoes or damage. My parents had some stormy weather that uprooted one of their apple trees (a small one) and their creek flooded but there was no damage to their house thankfully and the water receded quickly.

So the summer reading program is over and I feel kind of blah at the moment. I have some things to catch up on but I kind of miss planning programs. Next month is the back to school clothing swap for kids and I want to give away a couple of backpacks filled with school supplies. I am trying to decide if I want to go with cheaper character backpacks (one for a boy and one for a girl) that I think would be more popular with the kids or more expensive ones from L.L. Bean that have a lifetime warranty that parents would go for. I was looking at the local school supply lists and I was surprised at how much the kids have to bring now not just for themselves but to share with the classroom. Each kid has to buy their own set of headphones too. We used old fashioned headphones that belonged to the school in the good old days!

This coming weekend I will be going to visit my sister and finally meet my furry niece Jordy. I have to go shopping for a onesie and a dog toy in the meantime (she has a scratch that she keeps biting so the vet wants my sister to put her in a shirt).

 

I have a new onesie today. It says little sister. I wonder when I won't have to wear a onesie anymore..

A photo posted by Raji Parker and Jordy (@raji_parker.and.jordy) on Jul 10, 2015 at 6:17pm PDT

 

Last week on the blog:

The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (review)

Daughter of Deep Silence by Carrie Ryan (review)

Books read:

Until Friday Night by Abbi Glines

This is the first book by Glines that I've read. I believe she writes primarily New Adult fiction but this is a novel for teens. It kind of reminded me of All Lined Up by Cora Carmack. I really liked it (not too heavy on the football stuff) and plan to read the next book in the series.

Joyride by Anna Banks

Joyride features a forbidden interracial romance and the issue of illegal immigration but it was surprisingly lighthearted at times too especially with the pranks that Arden plays. I thought it was pretty good.

Who Do You Love by Jennifer Weiner

The concept of this one reminded me a little of One Day (the film--I haven't read the book) but with a happier ending. It covers years in the life of Andrew and Rachel from the time they first meet in a hospital as little kids to their adult years.

Ms. Marvel Vol. 1: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson

Kamala Khan is a Pakistani American teen who gets superpowers and becomes the new Ms. Marvel while also trying to please her traditional Muslim parents. I liked this graphic novel and not just because it features diversity in its superhero.

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin

This is a selection for my afternoon book discussion group. The two main characters were once friends as kids until an incident destroyed their friendship. Larry was accused of murdering a girl in his class when they went on a date and she disappeared. They never found a body so he wasn't charged but the town considers him guilty and treats him as such. In present day, Silas is investigating the disappearance of another girl while the town is all too ready to believe Larry is involved. Then Larry is found shot. I ended up liking this book though it took a while to get into. The writing style is very descriptive and atmospheric and the narrative jumps back and forth in time.

Currently reading:

A School for Brides by Patrice Kindl

This is a companion novel to Keeping the Castle but it can be read as a standalone. The main characters are students at a finishing school for girls aimed at getting them married off but the problem is that there aren't any marriageable men in the area.The book has a lighthearted tone and I like it so far.

What I might read next:

Home to Woefield by Susan Juby

This is the book my evening book group is reading for July. I thought it would be a fun book but I read a little of it and find the protagonist annoying. Oh, boy. Hopefully it will get better.

Ana of California by Andi Teran

I hope to read this soon. I have read some really positive reviews. I do know that it isn't a direct retelling of Anne of Green Gables and that it is a little darker so I'll keep that in mind when I read.

Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee

I have heard mixed things about this book but I am going to read it with an open mind. From what I've read about it, this isn't a sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird but rather her original version of the story that the publisher told her to rework and write about the young Scout. That could explain the differences I've heard about in characters and things that happened.

The Kiss of Deception by Mary Pearson (reread)

I loved this book when I first read it but never wrote a review. Shame on me! Now the sequel has been released and I want to reread this before I pick up The Heart of Betrayal.

The Other Daughter by Lauren Willig

This sounds different from Willig's other books and I like the time period it's set in. I am not always a fan of revenge novels but I am going to give this a try.

New books received:

Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee (library book)

Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine (library book)

The Heart of Betrayal by Mary Pearson (library book)

Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography by Laura Ingalls Wilder (library book)

The Bollywood Bride by Sonali Dev (for review)

Who Do You Love by Jennifer Weiner (for review)

Review: Daughter of Deep Silence

Daughter of Deep Silence

By Carrie Ryan

Published: May 26, 2015

I’m the daughter of murdered parents.
I’m the friend of a dead girl.
I’m the lover of my enemy.
And I will have my revenge.
 
In the wake of the devastating destruction of the luxury yacht Persephone, just three souls remain to tell its story—and two of them are lying. Only Frances Mace knows the terrifying truth, and she’ll stop at nothing to avenge the murders of everyone she held dear. Even if it means taking down the boy she loves and possibly losing herself in the process.
 
Sharp and incisive, Daughter of Deep Silence by bestselling author Carrie Ryan is a deliciously smart revenge thriller that examines perceptions of identity, love, and the lengths to which one girl is willing to go when she thinks she has nothing to lose.

My review:

Fourteen-year-old Frances barely survives the brutal attack on the Persephone with her friend Libby. The girls make it off the boat and into a life raft where they are adrift for days. By the time Frances is rescued, Libby has died. Frances is relieved to find out that Grey Wells, the boy she had a shipboard romance with, also survived along with his dad, Senator Wells. She is shocked however when they claim it was a rogue wave that destroyed the ship. Frances feels frightened and betrayed and most of all angry. If the Senator hadn't lied, the Coast Guard wouldn't have called off their search for survivors and Libby may have been alive too. Their lies also suggest that they were involved somehow with the attack. With both her parents dead and fear that the attackers may come after her, Frances agrees to live with Cecil, Libby's kind and wealthy father, and pretend to be Libby so he can protect her. 

Four years later, a polished and elegant "Libby" returns to Caldwell Island, where the real Libby grew up and Grey and his family have a house on the beach. Frances/Libby is intent on carrying out revenge and finding out just who attacked the Persephone and why Senator Wells lied about it. What she didn't count on was the presence of Shepherd, the boy the real Libby loved, and her own feelings for Grey. She also didn't realize that her quest for vengeance would put a target on her own back.

I struggled with liking Frances after she transformed into Libby. She is a girl who was deeply traumatized by what happened and then on top of that she assumed someone else's identity. She kept telling herself that her old identity was weak and trying to subdue that part of herself. I think she blamed herself for some of what happened, maybe even for falling for Grey. Being Libby allowed her to feel strong but eventually she realized the truth-she was a survivor but Libby gave up. I also thought she was kind of heartless in her pursuit of vengeance and even her treatment of Shepherd. She wasn't like the real Libby or the old Frances.

The romance between  the younger Frances and Grey didn't really work for me. They were very young when they met and fell for each other. They only knew each other for a few days before the attack happened. When they meet again as older teens they are instantly drawn to each other though Frances/Libby does her best to ignore those feelings. She uses his attraction as part of her plan but she also starts to care for him again even while she investigates him and prepares to take down his family. 

Daughter of Deep Silence is a suspenseful novel that reminded me of the TV show Revenge. I read the book on the edge of my seat anxious to find out the truth and what would happen to Frances. This is also a book that requires readers to suspend their disbelief a number of times. It took me some time to figure out why Frances would be safer by posing as Libby but I decided it must be because Frances wouldn't have the protection of a family and Libby had a wealthy and powerful dad who could pay for her to go to boarding school in Switzerland or a security detail if necessary. There was also something at the end of the book that didn't quite make sense to me regarding the attack on the Persephone and who was behind it.

What I appreciated about the novel was the mystery/suspense element. It is not without its flaws but it is an entertaining story. By the end I was hoping Frances would find a way to be happy and the novel ends with some hope of that happening. I think readers who enjoy suspenseful stories and TV shows like Revenge or Pretty Little Liars will enjoy this in spite of its flaws.

Review: The Fixer

The Fixer

By Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Published: July 7, 2015

When sixteen-year-old Tess Kendrick is sent to live with her older sister, Ivy, she has no idea that the infamous Ivy Kendrick is Washington D.C.'s #1 "fixer," known for making politicians' scandals go away for a price. No sooner does Tess enroll at Hardwicke Academy than she unwittingly follows in her sister's footsteps and becomes D.C.'s premier high school fixer, solving problems for elite teens.

Secrets pile up as each sister lives a double life. . . . until their worlds come crashing together and Tess finds herself in the middle of a conspiracy with one of her classmates and a client of Ivy's. Suddenly, there is much more on the line than good grades, money, or politics, and the price for this fix might be more than Tess is willing to pay.

Perfect for fans of Pretty Little Liars and Heist Society, readers will be clamoring for more in this exciting new series.

My review:

Jennifer Lynn Barnes is one of my favorite YA authors and so is Ally Carter. The book description says it is perfect for fans of Ally Carter's Heist Society but it reminded me more of her Gallagher Girls series and All Fall Down, the first book in her new series about the kids of ambassadors and diplomats.  I have only seen one episode of  the TV series Scandal but this book reminded me of the show which may be popular with teens too. 

Tess's sister Ivy is kind of like Olivia Pope, the protagonist of Scandal, as she takes care of secrets and averts crises among Washington's political elite. Ivy's work is eye opening for Tess as the two sisters have been estranged for years ever since Ivy invited Tess to live with her when Tess was just 13 but then retracted the offer and stopped returning phone calls. This leads to major friction when Tess is forced to move in with Ivy after their grandfather's dementia becomes apparent.

I felt sorry for Tess. She has had a rough life after the death of their parents and Ivy's seeming abandonment. Her grandfather was the one bright spot though in recent years Tess has had to take over more and more of the chores as well as hiding her grandfather's condition from others. Her bad relationship with Ivy is not helped by Ivy's remoteness when Tess moves to Washington or all the secrecy. Tess has to learn to navigate minefields at her new school as well as at home where politicians might drop by at any time. Tess does make a few friends at school like Vivvie, whose dad is the President's physician, and Asher, a flirty troublemaker. Unfortunately things become complicated when Vivvie comes to Tess for help about her dad. Soon Tess finds herself in over her head investigating a possible murder with connections to the White House but her issues with Ivy keep her from going to her older sister for help. 

I liked the exploration of Tess's relationship issues with her sister and how Ivy became more "human" through sharing her own missteps. I also appreciated that this book doesn't have any romance though if there were sequels, there is a possible candidate for a love interest for Tess. She also has some good friends in Vivvie, Asher and Henry. They made a pretty good team even though they did get in over their heads during the investigation. 

It takes a little while to get to the suspenseful part of the book but then the story just takes off. I was surprised by the villain's identity. It was unexpected and maybe a little disappointing. There were some other surprises in store as well. In the end I thought Tess was pretty brave and I liked how she took ownership of her mistakes. The story is entertaining but also offers some depth with its characters.

I certainly wouldn't mind if the author turned this into a series. It is less graphically violent than her Naturals series and I think readers who like Ally Carter's books and Robin Benway's teen spy novels (Also Known As, Going Rogue) would like it although The Fixer doesn't have as much humor. If you like books with smart teens working together to solve crime, add this to your TBR list!


Note: I received an ARC for review purposes courtesy of the publisher and Netgalley 

Sunday Post (11) / It's Monday, What Are You Reading

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. It's Monday, What Are You Reading is a fun weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey where we share what we've read and reviewed over the past week and what we plan to read next. I will also be sharing my It's Monday post on Twitter #IMWAYR.

I was kind of sad to see fall merchandise on display at the store already! It seems like as soon as we pass the 4th of July, we start to get ready for fall. My mom usually groans over the back to school ads (she's a teacher). I am not ready to let go of summer especially considering that we haven't even had any hot days yet (mostly in the 70s with a few days in the 80s) and too much rain. We still have plenty of summer left and I intend to enjoy it! I will be visiting my sister in a couple of weekends to meet her new addition (my furry niece Jordy, a Sheepadoodle puppy) and also going to Canada for a couple of weeks next month.

Jordy (she is 2 months and 14 weeks old)

Isn't she adorable?

Yesterday was our big Comic Con event at my library (coincidentally at the same time as San Diego Comic Con). It was a big hit and based on the responses on our survey we will definitely be having another one in the future. Because we are in small town Ohio we didn't have any big name celebrities or authors but we did invite local comic book writers, artists, authors and a costume designer who used to work on Broadway and made costumes for Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Kevin Kline (our library director's wife). She shared a really cool story of meeting Kevin Kline as well as tips for people making their own costumes. The children's department had a Superhero Training Camp outside and face painting and the teen librarian had some very popular crafts. My favorite part of the day was seeing everyone dressed up in costume (even adults) for the Cosplay costume contest. I only wore a Hobbit t-shirt but next time I want to dress up more. One of my coworkers made his own Thor costume which was a big hit especially with the kids.

Today I plan to just relax. I need to get caught up on some review writing too. I like to write reviews while the book is still fresh in my mind but that doesn't always happen!

Last week on the blog:

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh (review)

Flame Tree Road by Shona Patel (review)

Books read:

The Rearranged Life by Annika Sharma

I liked this new adult novel though I didn't quite love it. There was a lot of telling rather than showing in the writing style and a couple of other more minor flaws. I liked the main character Nithya and her love for her family. I found her easy to relate to. 

Rome in Love by Anita Hughes

I was excited about this book because it is inspired by Roman Holiday and it is set in Rome. The main character Amelia is an actress in a contemporary remake of the Audrey Hepburn film. My favorite part of the book is the letters that Audrey Hepburn wrote while making the film. I found that part of the story fascinating with the tidbits about Audrey, Gregory Peck and the film itself. Unfortunately Amelia's story wasn't as good. I liked her well enough as well as her new friend Sophia, a real princess in hiding, but Amelia's love interest and romance were not on par with the Gregory Peck-Audrey Hepburn relationship from the film. I couldn't buy into Amelia's romance with Philip at all. I thought he was a jerk.

Second Chance Summer by Jill Shalvis

This is the first book in a new series set in Colorado about the Kincaid family. Aidan Kincaid and Lily Danville have a past history. They were good friends as teens and their relationship started to turn into a romance when tragedy struck and Lily left town leaving both of them with broken hearts and misunderstandings. I liked this love story though there wasn't anything original. Sometimes it is nice to stick with a predictable formula :)

Currently reading:

Until Friday Night by Abbi Glines

This is the first novel by Abbi Glines that I've read. I believe she usually writes New Adult or contemporary romance for adults but this is a teen novel and so far I like it. It reminds me of Katie McGarry's books.

What I might read next:

A School for Brides by Patrice Kindl

A School for Brides is a companion novel to Keeping the Castle. Both are set in Regency England with a humorous writing style. A School for Brides is about the Winthrop Hopkins Female Academy which is dedicated to preparing young women for marriage. Unfortunately the school is in a town without eligible young men. I was delighted by Keeping the Castle so hopefully this will be just as enjoyable.

Circling the Sun by Paula McClain

Circling the Sun is the story of real life aviatrix Beryl Markham. I have read other historical fiction novels where Markham is a minor character but I don't know much about her life so I am excited to read this.

Joyride by Anna Banks

I liked the sound of this story about a young teen whose parents were deported back to Mexico and the popular quarterback who befriends her against his family's wishes. 

A Million Miles Away by Lara Avery

I was going to read this earlier but I had just finished a book about lying characters and I wanted to take a break from that before I pick this up. I'm a little nervous that I won't like Kelsey because she tells some pretty big lies (her twin sister Michelle died but she isn't able to tell her boyfriend who is stationed in Afghanistan and allows him to think she is Michelle when they Skype).  While I understand why she did it I am not sure I will be able to put up with it for a whole book.

Ana of California by Andi Teran

I am beyond excited about this book! It is a contemporary take on Anne of Green Gables.

New books received:

Until Friday Night by Abbi Glines (for review)

Ana of California by Andi Teran (library)

Joyride by Anna Banks (library)

Ms. Marvel: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson (library)

Second Chance Summer by Jill Shalvis (purchased)

Review: Flame Tree Road

Flame Tree Road 

By Shona Patel

Published: June 30, 2015

From the acclaimed author of Teatime for the Firefly comes the story of a man with dreams of changing the world, who finds himself changed by love 

1870s India. In a tiny village where society is ruled by a caste system and women are defined solely by marriage, young Biren Roy dreams of forging a new destiny. When his mother suffers the fate of widowhood—shunned by her loved ones and forced to live in solitary penance—Biren devotes his life to effecting change. 

Biren's passionate spirit blossoms as wildly as the blazing flame trees of his homeland. With a law degree, he goes to work for the government to pioneer academic equality for girls. But in a place governed by age-old conventions, progress comes at a price, and soon Biren becomes a stranger among his own countrymen. 

Just when his vision for the future begins to look hopeless, he meets Maya, the independent-minded daughter of a local educator, and his soul is reignited. It is in her love that Biren finally finds his home, and in her heart that he finds the hope for a new world.

My review:

I read and loved Teatime for the Firefly, which features an elderly Biren, but Flame Tree Road can be read as a standalone and I recommend readers to read it first before Teatime for the Firefly so there won't be spoilers for Biren's story. 

Biren is the eldest son of Shamol and Shibani Roy. His father Shamol had planned to be a teacher and loved learning but unfortunately Shamol's older brother suffered an accident and Shamol had to return home and get a job in the jute mill to support the family. Shamol instills a love of learning in Biren and Biren's younger brother Nitin. He also teaches the boys to be caring and considerate and think outside the traditional view especially when it came to the plight of widows, who are traditionally outcast from society. Biren is angered by the injustice he sees and decides at an early age that he wants to grow up and be a lawyer so he can fight for the rights of widows and the oppressed. This desire only grows stronger when his own mother becomes a widow.

Biren's journey takes him from his village in India to a boarding school in Calcutta and then to Cambridge. The whole time, his mother and his goals are never far from his thoughts. I found Biren to be an admirable young man. He is very smart, hardworking and very kind. He could have had a comfy life in England but he chose to return home to make a difference. Unfortunately he has to go up against centuries of tradition and bureaucracy to effect any kind of change. 

Biren has two love interests in the novel. Estelle Lovelace is a young woman that Biren meets when he temporarily rents a room on her family's estate. She is an outspoken advocate for women's rights in a time when women in England could go to college but still didn't have the right to vote. She is drawn to Biren and he likes her but his dream is to return to India. It is Maya who captures Biren's heart from the moment he sees her. Her father is a respected teacher who has started a school for girls similar to what Biren wishes to do. Maya is a bright light in Biren's life. I thought her character was similar to Shibani and even though their relationship started with instant attraction there is also a great deal of respect between them.

The book is beautifully written with some wonderful descriptions of the country, customs and practices and food. There are also really likable characters to root for and the story is engrossing. I liked this book even more than Tea Time for the Firefly.  I did think the story lost some of its steam for awhile after Biren and Maya met. I wanted the book to focus more on Biren making his dreams come true but that didn't quite happen. Instead the story became more of a family drama. It was still really good with emotional moments and character growth but not quite what I thought it would be. This is a minor issue however especially since there is a "sequel" that shows the outcome of Biren's dream. I thought Flame Tree Road was fantastic and may be one of my favorites of 2015. I'd recommend this to fans of literary fiction set in other countries. Readers who have enjoyed the writing of Jhumpa Lahiri, Michael Ondaatje, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Nadia Hashimi and Khaled Hosseini should give this author a try.

Note: I received an ARC for review purposes courtesy of Netgalley and the publisher

Waiting on Wednesday (161)

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly meme to discuss upcoming books we can't wait to get our hands on. Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week, I'm waiting on:

Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell

Release date: August 25, 2015

Nicolette’s awful stepsisters call her “Mechanica” to demean her, but the nickname fits: she learned to be an inventor at her mother’s knee. Her mom is gone now, though, and the Steps have turned her into a servant in her own home. 

But on her sixteenth birthday, Nicolette discovers a secret workshop in the cellar and begins to dare to imagine a new life for herself. Could the mysterious books and tools hidden there—and the mechanical menagerie, led by a tiny metal horse named Jules—be the key to escaping her dreary existence? With a technological exposition and royal ball on the horizon, the timing might just be perfect for Nicolette to earn her freedom at last.

Gorgeous prose and themes of social justice and family shine in this richly imagined Cinderella retelling about an indomitable inventor who finds her prince . . . but realizes she doesn't want a fairy tale happy ending after all.

I love fairy tales retold and while I know this book has drawn comparisons with Cinder, I have a feeling it will be original enough that I will like it.

Review: The Wrath and the Dawn

The Wrath and the Dawn

By Renee Ahdieh

Published: May 12, 2015

A sumptuous and epically told love story inspired by A Thousand and One Nights

Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi's wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend.

She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all.

My review:

I wanted to read this book because it is inspired by A Thousand and One Nights, a story I've always found fascinating. The Wrath and the Dawn is probably my most anticipated debut of 2015 and unlike some of the other books that ended up disappointing me, for the most part I was really pleased with this.

Shahrzad volunteers to be Khalid's bride with the intention of finding a way to kill him. He has been marrying and killing girls one after the other including Shazi's best friend, Shiva. Shazi's choice devastates her father and sister and Tariq, the boy she's cared for since childhood. As she tries to survive inside the palace walls and find a way to stop Khalid, her father and Tariq pursue dangerous paths to eliminate Khalid's rule. When Khalid turns out to not be the monster she expected it becomes harder and harder for Shazi to stay the course especially when she falls in love with him.

Shahrzad is a brave and intelligent heroine though she is rather quick to fall for a man she holds responsible for the death of her friend and many others even though he does have his reasons. At first it seemed that there would be a love triangle but Shahrzad makes her choice clear by the end of the book. While the romance wasn't always easy to buy into (kind of hard to overlook the dead girls like the proverbial elephant in the room), Khaled gains some sympathy as the book progresses. He becomes less of a monster in the eyes of the reader as his secrets are revealed but he is not the ideal hero. Thankfully there are other things besides romance going on in the novel. 

The Wrath and the Dawn has an interesting setting with historical and cultural details, elements of mythology and fairy tale and magic. The descriptions are sumptuous, especially the food and the clothing. The magic in the book involves blood sacrifice and so far is only shown occasionally but will likely have an even bigger part to play in the sequel. Shahrzad tells a few tales but not as many as I'd have liked. One of her tales is that of Bluebeard and it nicely ties in with her own situation of being married to Khalid. There are other fairy tale nods to Aladdin especially with Shazi sharing some of his story as well as the tale of a genie and a magic rug. 

Overall I thought this was a great debut. It was suspenseful with political intrigue and light fantasy elements. I cared about Shazi, wanting to know what would happen to her. The book ends on a cliffhanger of sorts so I can't wait to find out what happens next.

Sunday Post (10) / It's Monday, What Are You Reading

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. It's Monday, What Are You Reading is a fun weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey where we share what we've read and reviewed over the past week and what we plan to read next. I will also be sharing my It's Monday post on Twitter #IMWAYR.

Last week I was in Canada for my aunt and uncle's 50th wedding anniversary party. It was a really nice night with about 250 people in attendance to celebrate. My cousins put together a fun video presentation with lots of old pictures and their children played the piano and danced. There was also a really cool classical Indian dance performance (bharatanatyam) by one of my second cousins. Unfortunately the camera on my phone decided to freeze up so I didn't get any pictures. (The picture above is of my aunt and uncle at a wedding three years ago).

This past weekend I went to see my parents for the 4th of July. When I was a kid we used to sit outside on the lawn and watch the fireworks with a bowl of popcorn or light sparklers and other smaller fireworks. We didn't watch the fireworks this year but it was still a nice weekend. I grilled burgers and we had a black raspberry pie I brought from an Amish bakery (our favorite kind of pie). We reminisced about the old days and my mom and I tried making homemade marshmallows. They turned out okay but not as good as we'd hoped. I think it needs some practice! Mom and I also spent hours (we were up till nearly midnight!) looking at sarees online. My sister bought her outfit for the party from Utsav Fashion and I've heard they do a really good job and their prices are very affordable. It was fun looking at all the many designs and colors.

Last two weeks on my blog:

The Idea of Love by Patti Callahan Henry (review)

Emmy and Oliver by Robin Benway (review)

Top Ten Books I've Read So Far in 2015 (post)

Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Beth K. Vogt (review)

Books read:

Lois Lane: Fallout by Gwenda Bond

This was a fun mystery featuring comic book heroine Lois Lane as a teenager in Metropolis. In addition to Lois, Perry White has a small role and Lois has an Internet friendship with a young man she knows only by his screen name "Smallville Guy".

The Guest Cottage by Nancy Thayer

The Guest Cottage was a nice beach read kind of book. A woman whose marriage is on the rocks takes her kids to a cottage for the summer only to find out that it has also been rented to a widower and his young son. I liked the book but had a few issues with the romance. 

Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

I bought this on a whim when it was on sale and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the story. I've heard it is one of those books that people either love or hate. I was interested in the setting and Meira's struggles. The villain is also pretty creepy. 

The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat by Edward Kelsey Moore

I adored this audio book both for the narration and the characters. My book group members really liked the story and characters too. Our favorite character was Odette, a no-nonsense kind of woman who reminded me of Minny Jackson from The Help. Even the not so likable characters had good qualities (mostly). It was just a funny and touching book.

The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

I am currently working on my review of this one. I love Jennifer Lynn Barnes's books and while this wasn't as good as The Naturals, I still enjoyed it. I've only seen one episode of Scandal but this book reminded me of the show but for teens. The main character's sister Ivy is pretty much like Olivia Pope.

When the Moon is Low by Nadia Hashimi

The Pearl That Broke Its Shell is one of my favorite books. Her second novel is really good but not quite as good as the first. The story is about a woman who is widowed when her husband is killed by the Taliban. She decides to take her kids and flee to safety to England but along the way she and her son get separated. It is riveting reading but I thought the earlier parts of the book (through the mother Fereiba's eyes) were much stronger than the narrative through her son Saleem's point of view. I had trouble connecting with him though I understand that the author had to tell the tale that way to give readers an insider's view of refugee camps and conditions.

Currently reading:

The Rearranged Life by Annika Sharma

This new adult novel is about Nithya, a young Indian woman raised in the U.S., and her struggles to be true to her family and culture as well as to her own dreams. Her parents expect her to have an arranged marriage but she doesn't count on falling in love with one of her non-Indian classmates. I like the book so far and the way the author portrays the culture and Nithya's internal conflict. 

What I might read next:

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

Rome in Love by Anita Hughes 

A Million Miles Away by Lara Avery

New books received:

The Rearranged Life by Annika Sharma (library book)

Rome in Love by Anita Hughes (review book)

Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch (review book)

The Secrets She Keeps by Deb Caletti (review book)

A Million Miles Away by Lara Avery (review book)

Mrs. Roosevelt's Confidant by Susan Elia MacNeal (review book)