The Legacy of Us by Kristin Contino has all the hallmarks of a story that I love; three generations of women, each telling their own story, with a little bit of a romance and mystery mixed in and getting to travel along with them to their interesting locales.

I enjoyed getting to know the three main characters Liz, her grandmother Ella and her great grandmother Gabriella.  I was concerned at the beginning of the story that it might be confusing to have both Ella and Gabriella, but the writing was so good that I didn't need to worry about that.  I was very impressed with the writing style since this was a debut novel.  Each character was well developed and relatable.  The pacing was excellent and I often was thinking about the main characters even when I wasn't reading the book.  Switching between characters, time and location, didn't prove a problem for the story and I truly loved reading this multi-layered book.

I hope that Ms. Contino has more books waiting and I will be definitely be adding them to my "to-read" list.  

I received this book from BookSparks as part of the FRC2015 in exchange for an honest review.   

​Just the Facts is the story of budding journalist Nora Plowright finding her way as a newspaper reporter in the 1970s. 
 
Honestly, I really struggled getting through this book.  If I had simply been reading it for my own reading pleasure, I would have quit.  That being said, at about 60% of the way through the book, the story did improve.  Overall, I was not able to relate to the main character and I found the writing very choppy.  Many times the storyline would veer off in one direction for no real reason or development to the plot.  The transitions also seemed jerky or non-existent. 
 
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I liked the concept of a book written about journalism in the 1970s and a woman’s role at that time, however Just the Facts did not live up to my expectations. 
 
I received this book from She Writes Press through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. 

Miracle Man has a very unique storyline and is quite different from anything else I have read for awhile.  Robert (Bobby) James Austin is a genius unlike anything the world has known before.  At the early age of 4, he is astounding all the experts with his intellect.  His foster parents agree to place him in a special government program with access to the best education.  Bobby’s life takes many twists and turns throughout the course of the novel and while the pacing of the story sometimes lags and then jumps forward, I wanted to keep reading to see what path Bobby would venture down.   I didn’t find the book highly suspenseful, but yet it did hold my interest. 

The author has created a likeable and complex character with Dr. Robert James Austin. Based on the ending of the book, it sounds like there will be a sequel.  This was our book club selection this month, so I will be looking forward to discussing it with our members and get their feedback.  

I was so looking forward to reading The Little Paris Bookshop but found it didn’t really live up to my expectations.  After reading the book description, I was expecting a story similar to The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, which I loved, but I didn't find The Little Paris Bookshop to my liking.  To me, The Little Paris Bookshop wasn’t so much a story about the love of books and how they have the ability to transform us, but was much more of a tragic love story and how that overshadowed many years of the main character's life.  I did not find the main character relatable and had much difficulty getting involved in the storyline.  The plot was very predictable and slow paced.   I did enjoy the concept of the Literary Apothecary and the small part of the book that highlighted the influence of literature on our lives, but there just wasn’t enough of that part to keep me interested. 

The Little Paris Bookshop is most likely one of those books that is either greatly loved or greatly disliked and unfortunately for me, I wasn’t one who greatly loved it. 

I received this book from Crown Publishing via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.  

The Mapmaker's Children offers a unique perspective of the Civil War and the Underground Railroad with a compelling modern day novel included.   

The Mapmaker's Children tells the story of Sarah Brown, daughter of abolitionist John Brown, and her journey to follow in her father’s footsteps while putting her own artistic stamp on the abolitionist movement.


The Mapmaker's Children also tells the present day story of Eden and her struggle for sanity and acceptance through years of infertility struggles.  Told in alternating chapters, both stories are equally compelling.  I always find it so inspiring to read about women finding their way through adversity, showing incredible strength, resilience and courage. 

The author does an excellent job of drawing you into both plots and truly making you care for both women.  The author also seamlessly weaves both stories together, almost without the reader realizing it.  The concept is also very well crafted and composed.  I greatly appreciated the author’s investigation into Sarah Brown’s life and especially enjoyed the details included at the end of the novel about her research. 

I would recommend The Mapmaker’s Children to fans of historical fiction, but since the story also includes a present day narrative, all those who enjoy a great book should enjoy this novel.  I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to reading much more by Sarah McCoy.  

Meteorologist Owen Martin has spent most of his adult life forecasting the weather in beautiful San Diego, however he longs to return to his childhood home in Martinville, Iowa.  A turn of events provides Owen with just that opportunity.  When he arrives, Owen quickly discovers change has been afoot in his charming hometown.  The town is divided between the Regulars (the hometown crowd) and the Roos (the gurus practicing Transcendental Meditation).  Owen finds himself caught in the middle when he falls for Trishna, one of the Roos and daughter of the meditating mayor.  Just as Owen is settling into his farmhouse, he learns the mayor may have other plans for the Martin family farm.  

I was very intrigued to learn that Rooville is based in part on actual happenings in the town of Fairfield, Iowa where the author grew up.  I was not aware that Oprah had even visited the town calling it "America's most unusual town."  Rooville has a diverse and eclectic cast of characters.  I enjoyed the growth and change of the main character Owen throughout the story.  As the owner of several dogs, I also found myself laughing at the portrayal of Stella, the English Bulldog.  I did find the ending of the book somewhat disappointing and unrealistic, however I did appreciate the resolution of the story.  

I received this book from BookSparks in exchange for an honest review.       

Vote for Remi is the perfect remedy to the upcoming election year.  Remi is a passionate American Government teacher for at-risk teens and suddenly finds herself running for President.  During the course of her class, Remi taught her students that anyone could run for president and now they have taken her to task to prove her concept.  Without Remi's knowledge or permission, her students declare her candidacy via social media and while Remi, at first, is completely against the idea, her students convince her otherwise.  Together they develop the Do Right party and Remi begins the journey of a lifetime.  

Vote for Remi is an interesting and timely book about the changing political scene.  Remi is the type of candidate everyone says they want for President and the book  highlights the struggles to run as a third party candidate as well as the media scrutiny that is an inevitable part of any political campaign.  I liked the concept of the book and found it both inspiring and heartwarming.  

I received this book from BookSparks as part of their summer reading challenge 2015 in exchange for an honest review.