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Category: Books

Three Wishes

Posted on September 4, 2015September 4, 2015 by Andi
I’m on my 4th Liane Moriarty book, and I think “Three Wishes” might be my favorite so far. This one had all the twists and turns of a book by her, but with a little more humor. Here’s a bit about the book:
 
Lyn, Cat, and Gemma Kettle, beautiful thirty-three-year-old triplets, seem to attract attention everywhere they go. Together, laughter, drama, and mayhem seem to follow them. But apart, each is dealing with her own share of ups and downs. Lyn has organized her life into one big checklist, Cat has just learned a startling secret about her marriage, and Gemma, who bolts every time a relationship hits the six-month mark, holds out hope for lasting love. In this wise, witty, and hilarious novel, we follow the Kettle sisters through their tumultuous thirty-third year as they deal with sibling rivalry and secrets, revelations and relationships, unfaithful husbands and unthinkable decisions, and the fabulous, frustrating life of forever being part of a trio.

I read this book right after “What Alice Forgot” And it was much funnier. This was the book our book club had picked (I may have begged to read it because I really wanted to read another one of her books). I kept loving and hating each of th remain characters throughout the book. But maybe that just means they were good characters and more like real people.

So far I think this may have been my favorite of her books. It was a little more lighthearted and I loved the ending of this one. I loved the way it started, too. It was so creative. And I loved that each of the sisters really figured out who they were by the end of the book.

Overall, I might suggest this one first if you haven’t read any of her books. It gives you a feel for her writing without pulling on so many heartstrings at the same time. But honestly, I doubt you will regret reading any of her books.

Happy reading!

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What Alice Forgot

Posted on September 3, 2015September 3, 2015 by Andi
Yesterday I told you about the most recent book by my current favorite author. Well, Liane Moriarty is a close second right now. “What Alice Forgot” was the first one of her books that I read. It took me a little bit to get into, but once I finished it, I promptly put all her other books on hold at the library and have been reading them as soo as they become available. Here's a little about the book:
 

Alice Love is twenty-nine, crazy about her husband, and pregnant with her first child.

So imagine Alice’s surprise when she comes to on the floor of a gym (a gym! She HATES the gym) and is whisked off to the hospital where she discovers the honeymoon is truly over — she’s getting divorced, she has three kids, and she’s actually 39 years old. Alice must reconstruct the events of a lost decade, and find out whether it’s possible to reconstruct her life at the same time. She has to figure out why her sister hardly talks to her, and how is it that she’s become one of those super skinny moms with really expensive clothes. Ultimately, Alice must discover whether forgetting is a blessing or a curse, and whether it’s possible to start over…

I had a lot going on when I first started reading this book so it took me a while to get into it. But once I did, I was hooked. I love Liane's writing style. She's a very a visual writer and you feel like you are right there. I will admit that I was angry through a lot of the book. I was actually kind of angry with the characters up until the prologue. The story was great and Alice learned a lot about herself (and her family and friends) while she lost her memory. I was so hopeful during the book and the characters just kept letting me down.

But like I said, the ending redeemed the whole book and started my rampage for her books. I am now on my 4th book of hers and I am loving it already! There's something about the way she tells the story from so many different angles that is so intriguing. Other authors have done this before, it's not new, but the way she executes it….so good!

If you've never read one of her books, I highly recommend you go read one. And you have been warned…you will probably continue on and read them all. 🙂

Happy reading!

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Heart-Shaped Hack

Posted on September 2, 2015September 2, 2015 by Andi
It should come as no surprise that I am a huge fan of author Tracey Garvis Graves. I’ve read all her books and this one is definitely one of my favorites of hers. Here’s a little about the book:
 
When Kate Watts abandoned her law career to open a food pantry in Northeast Minneapolis, she never dreamed it would be this difficult. Facing the heartbreaking prospect of turning hungry people away, she is grateful for the anonymous donations that begin appearing at the end of each month. Determined to identify and thank her secret benefactor, she launches a plan and catches Ian —a charismatic hacker with a Robin Hood complex—in the act.

Ian intrigues Kate in a way no man ever has. But after learning he’s snooped around on her personal computer, she demands retribution. Impressed with her tolerance and captivated by her spirit, he complies and begins to slowly charm his way past her defenses. Time spent with Ian is never boring, and Kate soon finds herself falling for the mysterious hacker.

But Ian has enemies and they’re growing restless. In the hacking world, exploiting a target’s weakness is paramount, and no price is too high to stop an attack. And when Kate learns exactly how much Ian has paid, she’ll discover just how strong her love is for the man who has hacked his way into her heart.

The first thing I loved about this book was the cover. I just think it’s so simple and so perfect for the book. Kate and Ian are quite the duo. They have a fun and playful chemistry and keep each other on their toes. I laughed out loud so many times in this book. Their banter is hilarious and I can just imagine her facial expressions when he says some of his smart-ass comments. But you can tell they are perfect for each other from the beginning.

I also loved that this took place in Minneapolis. I recognized the area where the characters lived and places they visited. It was just nice to read a book placed back in Minnesota. I was transported back to the frigid winters and could imagine I was there. 🙂

When the real drama happens in the book, I had a (correct) hunch what the outcome would be, but it didn’t make me want to stop reading and I wasn’t bored at all throughout the book. I am not a fast reader and I don’t have a lot of time during the day to read, but I carried my kindle around with me everywhere and didn’t want to stop reading. I finished it in a few days (which is really fast for me)!

I am so excited that this is only the first of the books in their story. Mostly because Tracey should never stop writing books. They are fun to read, you can’t put them down and you feel like the characters are real people you could run into on the street.

I follow Tracey on Facebook and she is having an online gathering tomorrow evening to discuss the book. I don’t know if I can make it since it’s before the kids go to bed, but I’ll grab a glass of wine and see if I can catch some of it. I love that in this virtual world we live in, we can have contact so easily with people we admire and would otherwise never interact with. And I love that she does this with her readers. She is always asking for input and truly wants to know what her readers think. I also love knowing that these big names are really just normal people. If you get a chance to tune it, I am sure you won’t regret it.

This was a longer review than I normally do, but I can’t stop raving about her. Her books just make me happy and I will continue to pre-order, read and re-read everything she writes.

Happy reading friends!

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The 5th Wave

Posted on August 24, 2015August 24, 2015 by Andi

A couple months back I read “The 5th Wave” for book club. I started into it while I was on the plane headed to my friends' wedding. That was a terrible idea. First, here's a little about the book:

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

In the first chapters of the book, planes drop out of the sky, people are dying left and right and I was not sure I could keep reading, seeing as I was on a plane and away from my family and all. I did stick it out, though and even considered reading the next two in the series. It was a good book with a new twist on the alien invasion stories I have seen or read. There was a lot of action and an interesting plot.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and if you are into sci-fi books/genres and young adult series, I think you would like this book. I have the other books in the series on my list to read some day, but I have taken a break from them for now. Please let me know if you read the whole series and what you think of it!

Happy reading!

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Cherish

Posted on August 22, 2015August 22, 2015 by Andi

I'm definitely a huge fan of author Tracey Garvis-Graves after reading her book “On the Island” a while back, I have made it a point to read all of her other books. “Cherish” is a novella to her book “Covet” that I read about a year ago.

Here's a bit about the book:

Fans of Covet by New York Times bestselling author Tracey Garvis Graves will be delighted by this novella-length sequel.

When Daniel Rush wakes up in the hospital after suffering a gunshot wound to the head, the last person he expects to see at his bedside is his ex-wife Jessica. Their marriage disintegrated after the death of their infant son Gabriel, and Daniel gave Jessie what he thought she wanted: the freedom to start over with someone else. But Daniel never updated his emergency contact information, and Jessie is the one who receives the call with the devastating news.

Daniel was Jessie’s one true love. Together since college, Jessie had dreams of raising a family with Daniel, and growing old together. When Gabriel died, Jessie buried those dreams with her beloved son and shut everyone out, including Daniel.

Daniel faces months of grueling rehabilitation and he’s going to need some help. Jessie is the last person anyone expects to volunteer, but this is her one chance to make amends, giving her and Daniel a shot at getting things right this time.

The road to recovery will be long and arduous. But with Jessie leading the way, Daniel just might be able to get his old life back.

Daniel knows how to covet. But can Jessie help him remember how to cherish?

*Please note that this is a novella-length sequel. Reading Covet before Cherish is highly recommended in order to enhance your reading pleasure.

I really love her novellas because it ties up a bunch of loose ends from the previous book. She does a great job of making you feel invested in the characters and eager to see how their stories continue.

If you haven't read one of her books yet, I highly recommend you do so. They are reasonably priced on Kindle. And her newest book comes out Monday, “Heart-Shaped Hack” and is set in Minneapolis.

There are more reviews to come. I'm behind in writing about the books I've read recently.

Happy reading, friends.

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The Devil in the White City

Posted on July 3, 2015July 3, 2015 by Andi

I havent read many books lately. Well, I haven’t finished many books lately. But I really want to get back to reading more because I am happier when I do. I started another book club with some friends after I moved and we meet virtually. It’s really fun and has kept me reading something other than perusing Facebook all day.

A couple months ago, our pick was The Devil in the White City. It was an interesting book. Here’s a little about it:

Author Erik Larson imbues the incredible events surrounding the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair with such drama that readers may find themselves checking the book’s categorization to be sure that ‘The Devil in the White City’ is not, in fact, a highly imaginative novel. Larson tells the stories of two men: Daniel H. Burnham, the architect responsible for the fair’s construction, and H.H. Holmes, a serial killer masquerading as a charming doctor.

Burnham’s challenge was immense. In a short period of time, he was forced to overcome the death of his partner and numerous other obstacles to construct the famous “White City” around which the fair was built. His efforts to complete the project, and the fair’s incredible success, are skillfully related along with entertaining appearances by such notables as Buffalo Bill Cody, Susan B. Anthony, Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison.

The activities of the sinister Dr. Holmes, who is believed to be responsible for scores of murders around the time of the fair, are equally remarkable. He devised and erected the World’s Fair Hotel, complete with crematorium and gas chamber, near the fairgrounds and used the event as well as his own charismatic personality to lure victims.

I’ll admit, when I started reading, I expected a lot more about the murders and crazy antics. Then when half (or more) of the book was actually dedicated to the history behind it all, I skimmed that and skipped to the chapters about the crazy guy.

Overall, it was interesting, but I didn’t enjoy all the history. It’s just not my thing. I think the title was a little misleading because I expected it to be all about the devil in the city. I did like that a lot of the story was based on facts. That always makes something like this a bit creepier.

Have you read any books recently that you had high hopes for and it just didn’t live up to what you expected?

Happy reading!

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Even More Favorite Kids Books

Posted on April 29, 2015April 29, 2015 by Andi
I’ve come across some more cute kids books recently that I thought I should share. If you want a reminder of the ones I have picked before, they are here and here. These are some of my favorites and ones my kids love.
 
The first are these Poke-a-Dot books. This alphabet one is so cute! The girls love poking the dots (they make a similar noise to popping bubble wrap) and finding the pictures to match the letters.
This ocean themed one is a cute, repetitive (but not annoying) book with fun pictures…and a whole lot of poking. It keeps Dannie busy for ages!
A friend told me about this book while we were hanging out at a bookstore. It was one of their favorites and has become a highly requested book around here. It’s short, but fun and a little silly.
A great (teacher) friend gave me this interactive book years ago. I recently sent it to our niece for her birthday. The kids have to press the dots and something happens to them on the following page. It’s fun to watch the wheels turn in their little heads.
I had heard about this picture-less book all over the place and got it for the kids with a gift card. What a great purchase! The first time we read it, neither of them got it. I had to explain and make them listen. Now they both know what comes next and laugh throughout the book. It’s a fun one for kids because the reader has to say funny things, and if you really act like the book is in control, fun will be had by all!
These next two came highly recommended from another friend. She bought one for Maddie’s birthday, and we got the other. I love the stories in them both and the pictures are so adorable. Yay for engineers!
I just love all the stuff this little architect builds!
We got Silly Tilly from a Scholastic order from Maddie’s school. It’s got fun pictures and a very silly goose. There’s lots of fun rhyming and the girls think Tilly is quite amusing.
Maddie has been asking a lot about recycling. I found this one through Scholastic as well. I like it because it has a good story about recycling and the different ways it can be done. The kids help clean up a dirty space and learn what can and cannot be recycled. There’s also more detail you can read at times for older kids.
So these are some of our current favorite kids books. What are some of your current favorites?
 
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Larger Than Life & Where There’s Smoke

Posted on October 29, 2014October 29, 2014 by Andi

A while back, a friend told me to download Larger Than Life when it was free on Amazon because she knew I liked Jodi Picoult. I recently finished reading it and found out it was a prequel to one of her new books, Leaving Time. Then I found out there was another short story about some backstory to “Leaving Time” called Where There’s Smoke and thought I should read that, too since it was free. Here’s a little about them:

Larger Than Life:

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A researcher studying memory in elephants, Alice is fascinated by the bonds between mother and calf—the mother’s powerful protective instincts and her newborn’s unwavering loyalty. Living on a game reserve in Botswana, Alice is able to view the animals in their natural habitat—while following an important rule: She must only observe and never interfere. Then she finds an orphaned young elephant in the bush and cannot bear to leave the helpless baby behind. Thinking back on her own childhood, and on her shifting relationship with her mother, Alice risks her career to care for the calf. Yet what she comes to understand is the depth of a parent’s love.

Where There’s Smoke:

Where-Theres-Smoke

Even as a child, Serenity Jones knew she possessed unusual psychic gifts. Now, decades later, she’s an acclaimed medium and host of her own widely viewed TV show, where she delivers messages to the living from loved ones who have passed. Lately, though, her efforts to boost ratings and garner fame have compromised her clairvoyant instincts. When Serenity books a young war widow to appear as a guest, the episode quickly unravels, stirring up a troubling controversy. And as she tries to undo the damage—to both her reputation and her show—Serenity finds that pride comes at a high price.

Both were really good stories and I couldn’t put them down. I read the second one before bed thinking I would just start it. I always get engrossed in Picoult’s books. I liked having a bit of a backstory to one of her novels. I know I am going to have to read that one now since I read these two books.

They were both really short, so if you’re looking for a fast read and like Jodi Picoult, I definitely think you should read them. And if you have already read “Leaving Time”, let me know what you thought of it!

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Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

Posted on October 28, 2014 by Andi

mountain

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon was the pick for my book club this month. We chose it because our city does a program called “OneBook, OneRosemount” where the pick a book for all ages and then have the author come speak. They only do this once every other year. Here is a bit about the book:

In the valley of Fruitless mountain, a young girl named Minli lives in a ramshackle hut with her parents. In the evenings, her father regales her with old folktales of the Jade Dragon and the Old Man on the Moon, who knows the answers to all of life’s questions. Inspired by these stories, Minli sets off on an extraordinary journey to find the Old Man on the Moon to ask him how she can change her family’s fortune. She encounters an assorted cast of characters and magical creatures along the way, including a dragon who accompanies her on her quest for the ultimate answer.

Overall it was a cute story. It was written for about 6th grade, so it wasn’t a challenging read. But it was a good story with a good message. I didn’t go to hear the author speak, but a friend of mine said she had heard her before and she was inspirational and interesting to listen to.

I’m not really going to recommend this because it was a book for such young readers, but if you have kids, this might be a good book to read along with them. I know a friend of mine had planned to do that with her daughter.

Happy reading!

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Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)

Posted on September 26, 2014September 25, 2014 by Andi

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This was our September book for book club. (We haven’t met to discuss the book yet. We meet on Monday.) First, I’ll give you the synopsis, then I’ll tell you my thoughts.

Mindy Kaling has lived many lives: the obedient child of immigrant professionals, a timid chubster afraid of her own bike, a Ben Affleck–impersonating Off-Broadway performer and playwright, and, finally, a comedy writer and actress prone to starting fights with her friends and coworkers with the sentence “Can I just say one last thing about this, and then I swear I’ll shut up about it?”

Perhaps you want to know what Mindy thinks makes a great best friend (someone who will fill your prescription in the middle of the night), or what makes a great guy (one who is aware of all elderly people in any room at any time and acts accordingly), or what is the perfect amount of fame (so famous you can never get convicted of murder in a court of law), or how to maintain a trim figure (you will not find that information in these pages). If so, you’ve come to the right book, mostly!

In Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, Mindy invites readers on a tour of her life and her unscientific observations on romance, friendship, and Hollywood, with several conveniently placed stopping points for you to run errands and make phone calls. Mindy Kaling really is just a Girl Next Door—not so much literally anywhere in the continental United States, but definitely if you live in India or Sri Lanka.

Ok, now on to my thoughts. First, I loved “The Office,” but Mindy’s character was my least favorite. I always found her annoying. I know that she is not the same person in real life, but my perception of her was tainted. I have even tried watching her new show “The Mindy Project”, but found that to be equally as awful as her Office character. So I went into this book not liking her all that much.

On top of that, I have read a couple of choppy books lately. I don’t like that there isn’t much of a story or purpose to the book other than a big fat brain dump. It seems like there are way too many people out there who want to write a book about their lives/thoughts. Just not really what I am into right now.

I don’t seem care for books in the humor/comedy genre either. I must have a strange sense of humor or something, but I just don’t usually find them all that funny. I must be weird or something. Other people love them or laugh hysterically at them. I tend to roll my eyes. Weird, I know.

Also, I’ve been having a hard time being really excited about a book. I think I need to read a few mindless books (or Game of Thrones because Chuck keeps telling me I should read those).

Overall, I didn’t care for the book. That being said, I may not have given it a fair chance considering I went into it not wanting to read it and not being a huge fan of hers. Other people I have talked to have liked the book and thought it was funny. So, if you like her, her shows or comedy/humor books, you may enjoy this one. It just really wasn’t for me.

Happy reading!

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minihays

Dannie had an amazing trip to Wolf Ridge with scho Dannie had an amazing trip to Wolf Ridge with school. She was supposed to be there all week, but I picked her up about halfway through the trip because her and Maddie had a hockey tournament in Canada.
We completed this fun book puzzle recently. Maddie We completed this fun book puzzle recently. Maddie spotted some fun book characters in the puzzle I hadn’t noticed. 🧩❤️
I took a beautiful, long walk around the arboretum I took a beautiful, long walk around the arboretum recently to see the tulips and get some fresh air. It was the perfect morning. 🌷
Celebrated these two last week for meeting (and ex Celebrated these two last week for meeting (and exceeding) their reading goals for the year and earning awards and a pancake breakfast. This book loving mom is very proud! 📚❤️
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This had been on my list for a long time and I kep This had been on my list for a long time and I kept pushing it back because I wasn’t in the mood. It was a relatively short listen (which I listened to on a recent car/day trip. I wasn’t sure if it was going to translate well, but it was really good. The premise is you can travel to another time, but you must return “before the coffee gets cold”. It had some wonderful “rules” that had to be followed and made you think about when in time you might travel back to.

This book has others in the series and it is definitely worth a read or listen if you’ve ever thought about time travel and what you might do differently. 

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Read this one if you’ve ever wanted just a few more minutes with someone.
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🎧📚(74) #minihaysreads2023 #book #books #bookreader #booklover #audiobook #listentobooks #bookstagram #read #booknerd #bibliophile #MayReads #MayBooks #bookaddict #bookworm #ilovetoread #ilovebooks #BeforeTheCoffeeGetsCold #ToshihazuKawaguchi
If you’ve been around a while, you probably know If you’ve been around a while, you probably know I like STEM books. I’m also a sucker for robots. I got this one for my space-loving daughter because she loves Mars. This was based on rovers that went to mars. I loved that it was geared toward kids, but had facts and stuff mixed in. I loved that they gave the rover (Res) feelings and a personality. The main programmer of Res was a female as well. It was a wonderful book and so well done. I’m excited to recommend this to people or give it as a gift! 

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Read this one if you enjoy STEM, space, robots and excitement.
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I was waiting for a friend to get to soccer practi I was waiting for a friend to get to soccer practice so we could go on a walk. I always have my kindle handy.
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Leaves! Our big oak tree is starting to fill in! 💚
The swim platform and bench went in on Sunday. Our The swim platform and bench went in on Sunday. Our youngest helped a bit. There’s one more section to the right after the lifts go in. Can’t put it in now or the lift guys couldn’t get to the lifts. So close now!!
Had to get a 3rd kid kayak this year because, well Had to get a 3rd kid kayak this year because, well, three kids…and two wasn’t enough. 😁
Saturday I helped a little, but Chuck got the majo Saturday I helped a little, but Chuck got the majority of the dock in. There’s one heavy part a neighbor is going to help with and another piece that can’t go in until the lifts are in. But yay!! 🎉
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