The Invisibles

Author: Jesse J. Holland
Genre: Non-fiction
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2017 (reprint)
Pages: 240
Rating: Do Not Recommend

Synopsis: Slavery Inside The White House and How It Helped Shape America is the first book to tell the story of the executive mansion’s most unexpected residents, the African American slaves who lived with the U.S. presidents who owned them. Interest in African Americans and the White House are at an all-time high due to the historic presidency of Barack Obama, and the soon-to-be-opened Smithsonian National Museum of African American Culture and History.

The Invisibles chronicles the African American presence inside the White House from its beginnings in 1782 until 1862, when President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation that granted slaves their freedom. During these years, slaves were the only African Americans to whom the most powerful men in the United States were exposed on a daily, and familiar, basis.

By reading about these relationships, readers will better understand some of the views that various presidents held about class and race in American society, and how these slaves contributed not only to the life and comforts of the presidents they served, but to America as a whole.

Review: This was not so much about the slaves building or living in The White House, but rather, which Presidents owned slaves, and their attitudes and feelings about slavery in general. It wasn't a bad read and there were chapters that were informative and interesting, but it wasn't what I was expecting. 

I gave this a Do Not Recommend rating because the synopsis is misleading, and The Residence was better reading.

The Residence

Author: Kate Andersen Brower
Genre: Non-fiction
Publisher: HarperCollins Publisher, 2016
Pages: 336
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: A remarkable history with elements of both In the President’s Secret Service and The Butler, The Residence offers an intimate account of the service staff of the White House, from the Kennedys to the Obamas.

America’s First Families are unknowable in many ways. No one has insight into their true character like the people who serve their meals and make their beds every day. Full of stories and details by turns dramatic, humorous, and heartwarming, The Residence reveals daily life in the White House as it is really lived through the voices of the maids, butlers, cooks, florists, doormen, engineers, and others who tend to the needs of the President and First Family.

These dedicated professionals maintain the six-floor mansion’s 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, 28 fireplaces, three elevators, and eight staircases, and prepare everything from hors d’oeuvres for intimate gatherings to meals served at elaborate state dinners. Over the course of the day, they gather in the lower level’s basement kitchen to share stories, trade secrets, forge lifelong friendships, and sometimes even fall in love.

Combining incredible first-person anecdotes from extensive interviews with scores of White House staff members—many speaking for the first time—with archival research, Kate Andersen Brower tells their story. She reveals the intimacy between the First Family and the people who serve them, as well as tension that has shaken the staff over the decades. From the housekeeper and engineer who fell in love while serving President Reagan to Jackie Kennedy’s private moment of grief with a beloved staffer after her husband’s assassination to the tumultuous days surrounding President Nixon’s resignation and President Clinton’s impeachment battle, The Residence is full of surprising and moving details that illuminate day-to-day life at the White House.

Review: For a journalist, I expected better writing or at least better organized writing, but the tales and insight into what goes on behind the scenes was thoroughly fascinating. 

Day-to-day operations at The White House sound rather Downton Abbey, which my husband and I have recently binge-watched.

I loved this book, and what a fun way to end another great year of reading.

The Happiest Mommy You Know

Author: Genevieve Shaw Brown

Genre: Non-fiction

Publisher: Touchstone, 2017

Pages: 240

Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: ABC News reporter (and mom to three) Genevieve Shaw Brown reveals the deceptively simple golden rule for maternal happiness and how today’s busy moms can live better, healthier lives.

ABC News reporter Genevieve Shaw Brown was hell-bent on raising her kids to like vegetables and eat more than chicken nuggets for dinner. She woke up at five a.m. every morning to prepare perfectly portioned meals of turkey meatballs along with veggies, couscous, mashed cauliflower, and sliced fruit for her small children.

While eating lukewarm mac-n-cheese out of a brown paper box and feeling sluggish and tired most of the time, she realized that she had never considered eating what she made for her kids. After that, Brown put herself on the “Baby Diet”: she ate the healthy food her kids ate, minimized snacking, and created a more regimented meal plan. She felt better, lost those stubborn pounds, and prepared a short segment on her new diet for Good Morning America that went viral.

After that, she began thinking further: what happens when you treat yourself the way you instinctively treat your children? From sleep training to exercising to making time for friends, Brown shares her own stories, expert advice, and innovative hacks to address the common issues mothers face while teaching women how to care for themselves with the same love and attention they give their children and families every day. The Happiest Mommy You Know is the life-changing and incredibly positive approach to the challenges of modern parenting—and gives parents permission to finally treat themselves better.

Review: This book didn't have any earth-shattering messages. In fact, it's a lot of things I've figured out over 10 years of parenting. It was worth the validation though.

Sometimes moms have to be a little selfish to maintain our own sanity and that's okay.I particularly liked the chapter about family and couple vacations. Travel is a huge part of our life and something both Sal and I value, and even our 2 year old has been in 18 different states and has toured the White House.

The Death of an Heir

Author: Philip Jett

Genre: Fiction, Biography

Publisher: St. Martin's Press, 2017

Pages: 320

Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: The Death of an Heir is Philip Jett's chilling true account of the Coors family’s gilded American dream that turned into a nightmare when a meticulously plotted kidnapping went horribly wrong.

In the 1950s and 60s, the Coors dynasty reigned over Golden, Colorado, seemingly invincible. When rumblings about labor unions threatened to destabilize the family's brewery, Adolph Coors, Jr., the septuagenarian president of the company, drew a hard line, refusing to budge. They had worked hard for what they had, and no one had a right to take it from them. What they'd soon realize was that they had more to lose than they could have imagined.

On the morning of Tuesday, February 9, 1960, Adolph “Ad” Coors III, the 44-year-old CEO of the multimillion dollar Colorado beer empire, stepped into his car and headed for the brewery twelve miles away. At a bridge he stopped to help a man in a yellow Mercury sedan. On the back seat lay handcuffs and leg irons. The glove box held a ransom note ready to be mailed. His coat pocket shielded a loaded pistol.

What happened next set off the largest U.S. manhunt since the Lindbergh kidnapping. State and local authorities, along with the FBI personally spearheaded by its director J. Edgar Hoover, burst into action attempting to locate Ad and his kidnapper. The dragnet spanned a continent. All the while, Ad’s grief-stricken wife and children waited, tormented by the unrelenting silence. The Death of an Heir reveals the true story behind the tragic murder of Colorado’s favorite son.

Review: This was like reading a novel about the Titanic. You know that ultimately the ship sinks, but you keep hoping for a different outcome. This was the same. You know Adolph Coors was murdered, but you keep holding out for a different ending.

I'm not sure what attracted me to this novel in the first place, but I saw it sitting on a library shelf and decided to read it.

This novel was a slow-starter, but it quickly picked up. If it sounds interesting to you, give it a try. I liked it.

Lipstick in Afghanistan

Author: Roberta Gately
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Gallery Books, 2010
Pages: 304
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: Roberta Gately’s lyrical and authentic debut novel—inspired by her own experiences as a nurse in third world war zones—is one woman’s moving story of offering help and finding hope in the last place she expected.

Gripped by haunting magazine images of starving refugees, Elsa has dreamed of becoming a nurse since she was a teenager. Of leaving her humble working-class Boston neighborhood to help people whose lives are far more difficult than her own. No one in her family has ever escaped poverty, but Elsa has a secret weapon: a tube of lipstick she found in her older sister’s bureau. Wearing it never fails to raise her spirits and cement her determination. With lipstick on, she can do anything—even travel alone to war-torn Afghanistan in the wake of 9/11.

But violent nights as an ER nurse in South Boston could not prepare Elsa for the devastation she witnesses at the small medical clinic she runs in Bamiyan. As she struggles to prove herself to the Afghan doctors and local villagers, she begins a forbidden romance with her only confidant, a charming Special Forces soldier. Then, a tube of lipstick she finds in the aftermath of a tragic bus bombing leads her to another life-changing friendship. In her neighbor Parween, Elsa finds a kindred spirit, fiery and generous. Together, the two women risk their lives to save friends and family from the worst excesses of the Taliban. But when the war waging around them threatens their own survival, Elsa discovers her only hope is to unveil the warrior within. Roberta Gately’s raw, intimate novel is an unforgettable tribute to the power of friendship and a poignant reminder of the tragic cost of war.

Review: I really enjoyed this novel, although in my head I kept thinking it was a memoir and not a work of fiction drawn on the author's real life experiences. It received mixed reviews on Goodreads, and I'm in the camp of those who liked it.

Little House in the Big Woods

Author: Laura Ingalls Wilder
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Harper Trophy, 1931
Pages: 238
Rating: Highly Recommend

Synopsis: Based on the real-life adventures of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House in the Big Woods is the first book in the award-winning Little House series, which has captivated generations of readers. This edition features the classic black-and-white artwork from Garth Williams.

Little House in the Big Woods takes place in 1871 and introduces us to four-year-old Laura, who lives in a log cabin on the edge of the Big Woods of Wisconsin. She shares the cabin with her Pa, her Ma, her sisters Mary and Carrie, and their lovable dog, Jack.

Pioneer life isn’t easy for the Ingalls family, since they must grow or catch all their own food as they get ready for the cold winter. But they make the best of every tough situation. They celebrate Christmas with homemade toys and treats, do their spring planting, bring in the harvest in the fall, and make their first trip into town. And every night, safe and warm in their little house, the sound of Pa’s fiddle lulls Laura and her sisters into sleep.

The nine books in the timeless Little House series tell the story of Laura’s real childhood as an American pioneer, and are cherished by readers of all generations. They offer a unique glimpse into life on the American frontier, and tell the heartwarming, unforgettable story of a loving family.

Review: An American classic and must-read. This book has stood the test of time like few others.

My mom first introduced me to Laura and this series when I was 7 or 8. She read the books aloud to my sister and I, one of each side of her on the living room couch. Now, I'm reading this series to my own daughters. It's imperative they fall in love with the Ingalls and Wilder families.

If you search this blog, you'll see that I have read quite a few books about LIW and I also wrote a paper on her in high school. Now that my daughters are older, I've mentioned to my husband that I'd like to see some of the Little House sites around the United States. He is receptive to the idea, so we'll see what we can do.

Little House in the Big Woods isn't my favorite book in the series. Laura never intended to make her life story a series and this book was to be one and done. Her writing style develops over the remaining books and it becomes clear that she knew additional books would be coming with each publication.

In case you're wondering, I think my favorite book is Little Town on the Prairie or By the Shores of Silver Lake. After I finish reading this series to my daughters, I'll make a definitive decision.

Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk

Author: Kathleen Rooney
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: St. Martin's Press, 2017
Pages: 304 / 8 discs / 9 hours
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: She took 1930s New York by storm, working her way up writing copy for R.H. Macy’s to become the highest paid advertising woman in the country. It was a job that, she says, “in some ways saved my life, and in other ways ruined it.”

Now it’s the last night of 1984 and Lillian, 85 years old but just as sharp and savvy as ever, is on her way to a party. It’s chilly enough out for her mink coat and Manhattan is grittier now—her son keeps warning her about a subway vigilante on the prowl—but the quick-tongued poetess has never been one to scare easily. On a walk that takes her over 10 miles around the city, she meets bartenders, bodega clerks, security guards, criminals, children, parents, and parents-to-be, while reviewing a life of excitement and adversity, passion and heartbreak, illuminating all the ways New York has changed—and has not.

A love letter to city life in all its guts and grandeur, Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney paints a portrait of a remarkable woman across the canvas of a changing America: from the Jazz Age to the onset of the AIDS epidemic; the Great Depression to the birth of hip-hop.

Lillian figures she might as well take her time. For now, after all, the night is still young.

Review: I started the print version of this book and then somehow misplaced it and had to buy a book I no longer had in possession from the library. I had liked the few chapters I had managed to read, but didn't want to run the risk of losing another copy so I borrowed the audio book.

What. a. treat.

The author's writing style is almost lyrical and the narrator, Xe Sands, was perfect for the role. I enjoyed this audio book so much.

Alex and Eliza

Author: Melissa de la Cruz
Genre: Young Adult / Fiction
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group, 2017
Pages: 368
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: 1777. Albany, New York. 

 
As battle cries of the American Revolution echo in the distance, servants flutter about preparing for one of New York society’s biggest events: the Schuylers’ grand ball. 

Descended from two of the oldest and most distinguished bloodlines in New York, the Schuylers are proud to be one of their fledgling country’s founding families, and even prouder still of their three daughters—Angelica, with her razor-sharp wit; Peggy, with her dazzling looks; and Eliza, whose beauty and charm rival those of both her sisters, though she’d rather be aiding the colonists’ cause than dressing up for some silly ball.

Still, Eliza can barely contain her excitement when she hears of the arrival of one Alexander Hamilton, a mysterious, rakish young colonel and General George Washington’s right-hand man. Though Alex has arrived as the bearer of bad news for the Schuylers, he can’t believe his luck—as an orphan, and a bastard one at that—to be in such esteemed company. And when Alex and Eliza meet that fateful night, so begins an epic love story that would forever change the course of American history.

Review: This is a young adult novel, which the publisher states is children 12-17. I'd suggest 14 and up myself, but there's no content or language that would make it objectionable for a 12 year old to read if they wanted to.

I read this a fan of historical fiction and American History in general, not as a fan of the musical Hamilton (which I have not seen. . .yet). I liked it for the historical context. However, as fiction it took the author a long time to get from Point A to Point B, which was frustrating since we know how it ends - Alex and Eliza get married. I wasn't sure if this was a recommend or do not recommend for those reasons.

Note: This is the first book in a series, and I liked it well enough to give the second book, Love and War a try.

The Stolen Marriage

Author: Diane Chamberlain
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: St. Martin's Press, 2017
Pages: 384
Rating: Highly Recommend

Synopsis: It is 1944. Pregnant, alone, and riddled with guilt, twenty-three-year-old Tess DeMello abruptly gives up her budding career as a nurse and ends her engagement to the love of her life, unable to live a lie. Instead, she turns to the baby’s father for help and agrees to marry him, moving to the small, rural town of Hickory, North Carolina. Tess’s new husband, Henry Kraft, is a secretive man who often stays out all night, hides money from his new wife, and shows her no affection. Tess quickly realizes she’s trapped in a strange and loveless marriage with no way out.

The people of Hickory love and respect Henry but see Tess as an outsider, treating her with suspicion and disdain. When one of the town’s golden girls dies in a terrible accident, everyone holds Tess responsible. But Henry keeps his secrets even closer now, though it seems that everyone knows something about him that Tess does not.

When a sudden polio epidemic strikes Hickory, the townspeople band together to build a polio hospital. Tess knows she is needed and defies Henry’s wishes to begin working at there. Through this work, she begins to find purpose and meaning. Yet at home, Henry’s actions grow more alarming by the day. As Tess works to save the lives of her patients, can she untangle the truth behind her husband’s mysterious behavior and find the love—and the life—she was meant to have?

Review: I've read several Diane Chamberlain novels over the last few years, and she never disappoints. My favorite was Necessary Lies, but this is right up there.

I didn't love the ending which is why I rate this at "only" 4.5 stars. Read it, you won't regret it.

Diane Chamberlain novels:
Necessary Lies
Summer's Child
Reflection

Caroline, Little House Revisited

Author: Sarah Miller
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2017
Pages: 384
Rating: Do Not Recommend

Synopsis: In this novel authorized by the Little House Heritage Trust, Sarah Miller vividly recreates the beauty, hardship, and joys of the frontier in a dazzling work of historical fiction, a captivating story that illuminates one courageous, resilient, and loving pioneer woman as never before—Caroline Ingalls, "Ma" in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s beloved Little House books.

In the frigid days of February, 1870, Caroline Ingalls and her family leave the familiar comforts of the Big Woods of Wisconsin and the warm bosom of her family, for a new life in Kansas Indian Territory. Packing what they can carry in their wagon, Caroline, her husband Charles, and their little girls, Mary and Laura, head west to settle in a beautiful, unpredictable land full of promise and peril.

The pioneer life is a hard one, especially for a pregnant woman with no friends or kin to turn to for comfort or help. The burden of work must be shouldered alone, sickness tended without the aid of doctors, and babies birthed without the accustomed hands of mothers or sisters. But Caroline’s new world is also full of tender joys. In adapting to this strange new place and transforming a rough log house built by Charles’ hands into a home, Caroline must draw on untapped wells of strength she does not know she possesses.

For more than eighty years, generations of readers have been enchanted by the adventures of the American frontier’s most famous child, Laura Ingalls Wilder, in the Little House books. Now, that familiar story is retold in this captivating tale of family, fidelity, hardship, love, and survival that vividly re-imagines our past.

Review: I was so excited and had such high hopes for this book, and I was disappointed on every level. The synopsis above details a book that could have been, should have been, but in reality states everything that it is not.

This is not a book about Caroline. It's a book about being a pregnant settler who ultimately delivers on the prairie.

There was no depth. Ma came across as joyless, regimented, and one-dimensional. There was too much focus on her pregnancy and sexuality. Very weird approach, and it just didn't work. This isn't the side of Ma, or at least not the only side of Ma, that readers want to know more about. Yes, it would have been unimaginably difficult to be pregnant and traveling by covered wagon. It would be awkward to have an unknown woman assisting at at child's birth. I think all women in 2017 can be grateful that we now have Kotex and Always available. Anyone who's given birth understands how painful and inconvenient letdowns of milk are. Caroline and Charles' love scene was unnecessary. Not tasteless per se, but wholly unnecessary. It also didn't feel a natural part of this book, but rather included because "sex sells."

Sadly, these underwhelming themes are what I'll remember about this book, if I remember anything. Some books should just not be published.

Wonder

Author: R.J. Palacio
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Random House, 2012
Pages: 320
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: August Pullman was born with a facial difference that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid--but his new classmates can't get past Auggie's extraordinary face. Wonder, a #1 New York Times bestseller, begins from Auggie's point of view, but soon switches to include his classmates, his sister, her boyfriend, and others. These perspectives converge in a portrait of one community's struggle with empathy, compassion, and acceptance.

In a world where bullying among young people is an epidemic, this is a refreshing new narrative full of heart and hope. R.J. Palacio has called her debut novel "a meditation on kindness" --indeed, every reader will come away with a greater appreciation for the simple courage of friendship. Auggie is a hero to root for, who proves that you can't blend in when you were born to stand out.

Review: I really enjoyed this book, but it did affect my mood. I found much of it to be sad and distressing, and I felt empathy, not only toward Auggie, but toward others in his life. I listened to it on my commute and couldn't figure out why my heart felt so heavy walking into work, and then I realized it was my choice of "reading" material. By the time I realized the impact, Wonder was having, I was too far into it to quit. I'm not sure reading the book would have made the same impact. For this one, audio is the way to go.

This was written for a juvenile audience, but the message is relevant for both children and adults. I could see this becoming required reading for middle school students.

Lately, I've noticed this is a hot book and I'm glad I can say I jumped on the bandwagon.

Secrets of the Lost Summer

Author: Carla Neggers

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: MIRA, 2012

Pages: 352

Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: A wave of hope carries Olivia Frost back to her small New England hometown nestled in the beautiful Swift River Valley. She's transforming a historic home into an idyllic getaway. Picturesque and perfect, if only the absentee owner will fix up the eyesore next door.

Dylan McCaffrey's ramshackle house is an inheritance he never counted on. It also holds the key to a generations-old lost treasure he can't resist…any more than he can resist his new neighbor. Against this breathtaking landscape, Dylan and Olivia pursue long-buried secrets and discover a mystery wrapped in a love story…past and present.

Review: I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did, and I find myself surprised to be giving it a "recommend" rating. While Dylan and Olivia's story was predictable, Grace's twist kept me going.

There are quirks that made me roll my eyes, but the story is there. Quirks such as referring to men as "swashbucklers" or "swashbuckling" and the term "treasure hunter." It's just so fantastical and rather silly.

Other reviewed books by Carla Neggers:

Red Clover Inn

The Paris of Appalachia

Author: Brian O'Neill
Genre: Non-fiction
Publisher: Carnegie Mellon University Press, 2009
Pages: 152
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: This isn't so much a history of Pittsburgh as it is a biography. Sometimes we're so afraid of what others think, we're afraid to declare who we are. This city is not midwestern. It's not East Coast. It's just Pittsburgh, and there's no place like it. That's both its blessing and its curse.

Review: I don't know how much this book will appeal to readers with no ties to Pittsburgh, but I liked it. I also thought the author was spot on with some of his assessments of the area. Not native myself, I appreciate all my adopted city has to offer, but I am well aware of its flaws too. 

The last few chapters were the most compelling because O'Neill delves into why Pittsburgh has failed to grow and economic challenges of the area.

Red Clover Inn

Author: Carla Neggers

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: MIRA, 2017

Pages: 384

Rating: Do Not Recommend

Synopsis: Marine archaeologist Charlotte Bennett is no stranger to risk, but her dives into sunken wreckage are always meticulously planned. However, being the maid of honor in her cousin Samantha's English wedding gives her a new perspective on her life as a nomad who's given up on romance altogether. Though an encounter with roguish wedding guest Greg Rawlings leaves her unsettled, the other people she meets make a trip to the tranquil town of Knights Bridge, Massachusetts, enticing. Acting on impulse, Charlotte offers to house-sit at Red Clover Inn while Sam and Justin Sloan are away on their honeymoon.

The quaint inn isn't open to the public yet and Charlotte will have quiet time to plan her next project. It might also give her a chance to see how her cousin found love and a sense of family. But the peace is immediately disrupted when Greg shows up at the inn. The Diplomatic Security Service agent lives a dangerous life, and he, too, wants to clear his head before his next assignment. Juggling work, raising his two teenage children and nursing a wounded heart has left him jaded, and the last thing he expects is to find himself falling for the willful Charlotte. As the attraction between them flares, Charlotte realizes she might be in too deep. And each of them must decide if they can put love first before it's too late.

Review: Disclaimer: I didn't realize this was part of a series until I was too far into the book to quit it.

This book started out strong, but as the book progressed the more frustrated I became with it.There are a lot of characters, and they just don't add anything to the plot. This may be a symptom of having not read the series from the beginning. Maybe for readers who have, these seemingly minor characters' lives and business are important too.

Nothing about this novel makes me want to go back and read the prior six books, but I've already requested the first book in the series so maybe I'll give it a go just because.

Other reviewed books by Carla Neggers:

Secrets of the Lost Summer

Maybe in Another Life

Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Washington Square Press, 2015

Pages: 352

Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: From the acclaimed author of Forever, Interrupted and After I Do comes a breathtaking new novel about a young woman whose fate hinges on the choice she makes after bumping into an old flame; in alternating chapters, we see two possible scenarios unfold—with stunningly different results.

At the age of twenty-nine, Hannah Martin still has no idea what she wants to do with her life. She has lived in six different cities and held countless meaningless jobs since graduating college. On the heels of leaving yet another city, Hannah moves back to her hometown of Los Angeles and takes up residence in her best friend Gabby’s guestroom. Shortly after getting back to town, Hannah goes out to a bar one night with Gabby and meets up with her high school boyfriend, Ethan.

Just after midnight, Gabby asks Hannah if she’s ready to go. A moment later, Ethan offers to give her a ride later if she wants to stay. Hannah hesitates. What happens if she leaves with Gabby? What happens if she leaves with Ethan?

In concurrent story lines, Hannah lives out the effects of each decision. Quickly, these parallel universes develop into radically different stories with large-scale consequences for Hannah, as well as the people around her. As the two alternate realities run their course, Maybe in Another Life raises questions about fate and true love: Is anything meant to be? How much in our life is determined by chance? And perhaps, most compellingly: Is there such a thing as a soul mate?

Hannah believes there is. And, in both worlds, she believes she’s found him.

Review: It's rare for me to wake up early to finish a novel first thing in the morning. It's just not my style. But, for this one that's exactly what I did.

This was the first novel I've read by this author, and I liked it. I really did. However, in a perfect world the ending would converge leaving Hannah in the same spot, regardless of the choices she made, thus proving that you end up exactly where you're supposed to be. Without this convergence, it feels like the author wrote two separate novels and the reader gets to choose which ending they prefer. It's like a Choose Your Own Adventure for the 1980s preteens who grew up reading that series, but now they're adults.

I will seek out another Jenkins Reid novel to read. I really did like it.

Other Taylor Jenkins Reid Novels:
Daisy Jones and The Six
Malibu Rising
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Sixteenth Summer

Author: Michelle Dalton

Genre: Juvenile Fiction

Publisher: Simon Pulse, 2011

Pages: 304

Rating: Do Not Recommend

Synopsis: Anna is dreading another tourist-filled summer on Dune Island that follows the same routine: beach, ice cream, friends, repeat. That is, until she locks eyes with Will, the gorgeous and sweet guy visiting from New York. Soon, her summer is filled with flirtatious fun as Anna falls head over heels in love. But with every perfect afternoon, sweet kiss, and walk on the beach, Anna can’t ignore that the days are quickly growing shorter, and Will has to leave at the end of August. Anna’s never felt anything like this before, but when forever isn’t even a possibility, one summer doesn’t feel worth the promise of her heart breaking….

Review: I should have been able to fly through this book, but ugh, this was painful. There was a time though, as a teenager, that I would have eaten this up. Now though, it seemed repetitive with exceedingly slow progression. I'm sure my age and life experiences play into those sentiments.

How did I end up reading a juvenile fiction novel you ask? Well, I took my son to the library the afternoon of my 40th birthday and needed a book to read while he played at the train table. I thought it might be amusing the read a book with "sixteen" in the title when I'm 24 years beyond that because I don't see how it's possible. The years have flown. 

It won't be long before my daughters graduate to these books, and despite my criticism of the writing, it was age appropriate for the 12 and up set. I would have no issue with them reading this. No language, no sex or graphic romance scenes. . .

A Distant Melody

Author: Sarah Sundin
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group, 2010
Pages: 430
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: Never pretty enough to please her gorgeous mother, Allie will do anything to gain her approval--even marry a man she doesn't love. Lt. Walter Novak--fearless in the cockpit but hopeless with women--takes his last furlough at home in California before being shipped overseas. Walt and Allie meet at a wedding and their love of music draws them together, prompting them to begin a correspondence that will change their lives. As letters fly between Walt's muddy bomber base in England and Allie's mansion in an orange grove, their friendship binds them together. But can they untangle the secrets, commitments, and expectations that keep them apart? 

A Distant Melody is the first book in the WINGS OF GLORY series, which follows the three Novak brothers, B-17 bomber pilots with the US Eighth Air Force stationed in England during World War II.

Review: Predictable but sweet. 

Where this stands out from other historical romance novels is the amount of detail about missions and life for WWII airman. The author's grandfather had flown with the Air Force in England and she was able to weave some of the details of his experiences into this novel.

The Breakdown

Author: B. A. Paris

Genre: Thriller

Publisher: St. Martin's Press, 2017

Pages: 336

Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: If you can’t trust yourself, who can you trust?

Cass is having a hard time since the night she saw the car in the woods, on the winding rural road, in the middle of a downpour, with the woman sitting inside—the woman who was killed. She’s been trying to put the crime out of her mind; what could she have done, really? It’s a dangerous road to be on in the middle of a storm. Her husband would be furious if he knew she’d broken her promise not to take that shortcut home. And she probably would only have been hurt herself if she’d stopped.

But since then, she’s been forgetting every little thing: where she left the car, if she took her pills, the alarm code, why she ordered a pram when she doesn’t have a baby.

The only thing she can’t forget is that woman, the woman she might have saved, and the terrible nagging guilt.

Or the silent calls she’s receiving, or the feeling that someone’s watching her…

You won't be able to put down B. A. Paris's The Breakdown, the next chilling, propulsive novel from the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Behind Closed Doors.

Review: I was looking forward to reading this book for so long, and I hate to say it was disappointing, but it kind of was. I would have liked it more had it been published before Behind Closed Doors, reviewed here.

This was good fiction, but not so much psychological thriller since I had all but guessed who had done it along with some other details. Yes, it's good reading. No, it won't be the best thriller you've ever read. . .unless this is your first one.

The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane

Author: Lisa See

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio, 2017

Pages: 9 Discs

Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: Li-yan and her family align their lives around the seasons and the farming of tea. There is ritual and routine, and it has been ever thus for generations. Then one day a jeep appears at the village gate—the first automobile any of them have seen—and a stranger arrives.

In this remote Yunnan village, the stranger finds the rare tea he has been seeking and a reticent Akha people. In her biggest seller, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, See introduced the Yao people to her readers. Here she shares the customs of another Chinese ethnic minority, the Akha, whose world will soon change. Li-yan, one of the few educated girls on her mountain, translates for the stranger and is among the first to reject the rules that have shaped her existence. When she has a baby outside of wedlock, rather than stand by tradition, she wraps her daughter in a blanket, with a tea cake hidden in her swaddling, and abandons her in the nearest city.

After mother and daughter have gone their separate ways, Li-yan slowly emerges from the security and insularity of her village to encounter modern life while Haley grows up a privileged and well-loved California girl. Despite Haley’s happy home life, she wonders about her origins; and Li-yan longs for her lost daughter. They both search for and find answers in the tea that has shaped their family’s destiny for generations.

A powerful story about a family, separated by circumstances, culture, and distance, Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane paints an unforgettable portrait of a little known region and its people and celebrates the bond that connects mothers and daughters.

Review: After trying to read the print book and not being able to get into the story, I decided to give the audio version a try. I'm so glad I didn't let this one pass me by.

Lisa See brings, what I see as a mysterious culture, to life in a wonderful family saga.

Maybe circumstances and events are a little too convenient for those of us grounded in the real world, but it IS fiction. See certainly has an ability to transport readers, and listening to this book highlighted her beautiful writing style.

Other Lisa See Novels Reviewed:

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan