What a fun engaging and interesting novel!  My family is a big fan of the Decoded tv show with Brad Meltzer and this book was the perfect companion to go back and relive those episodes with even more details.  We always enjoyed learning about an event in history that we thought we were familiar with, but then Brad Meltzer just turned it upside down, giving us a whole new perspective.  This book is the perfect gift for that history buff in your family or a non-fiction fan.  Honestly, it is just a great all around engaging novel that I think everyone would enjoy.

I received this book courtesy of Workman Publishing Company through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

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The Christmas season is always so full of special traditions and reading a Richard Paul Evans book has become one of my most treasured staples of the season.  

Living in New York and working in the book publishing world, Noel Post has left her painful childhood behind her and has no plans to ever return to her childhood home in Utah.  Then she receives a phone call from her dying father, asking her to come home one last time, but she doesn't arrive in time to say goodbye.  Noel suffers further life changing news while she is in Utah, and decides to take some time to regroup and learn more about the bookstore she inherited from her father.  She begins to receive anonymous letters offering advice and guidance for her future.  Who is writing these letters and how are they so insightful?

The Noel Letters is a novel full of hope, which I think we could all use right now.  If reading Richard Paul Evans is not one of your holiday traditions, now is the time to add this to your Christmas list.  

I received this book courtesy of Gallery Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

There is something so splendid about picking up a Sophie Kinsella book.  You know that it will be the perfect mix of laugh out loud funny and realistic yet endearing romance.  When I start reading, I know I'm in for a treat.  Love Your Life was just the book I needed during this stressful time in our lives.  

Ava has recently booked a stay at a writers retreat in Italy in hopes of finally taking time to finish her novel.  The attendees aren't allowed to give their real names or any personal information to the other attendees so that they may only focus on their work.  While not on the lookout for romance, Ava does meet "Dutch".  Their romance blossoms in this unique bubble of the writers retreat, but doesn't give them much opportunity to learn about what their lives are like back home.  When they return home, Ava and Matt a/k/a "Dutch" have a lot to learn about each other.  As you might imagine, that is just the beginning of all the fun in store for you when reading Love Your Life.

I truly enjoyed this novel so much and appreciated the break from reality to just dive into Ava's world.  It isn't often enough that I read a book that is laugh out loud funny and I love Sophie Kinsella for providing me those moments.  Love Your Life is a really fun and rewarding read.  

I received this book courtesy of Dial Press Random House Publishing Group through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

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Lisa Jewell has quickly become my "go to" author for all things suspenseful, dark and twisty.  The Invisible Girl was another perfect installment in that collection.

The story centers around three main characters: Cate Four, a physiotherapist whose husband Roan Fours is a child psychologist; Owen Pick, a mid thirties college professor who recently lost his job due to some sexual misconduct allegations and lives with his aunt across the street from the Fours; and Saffrye Maddox, a former patient of Roan Fours, who has been following and watching Dr. Fours in hopes of re-establishing that relationship.  All of these separate, yet connected, lives converge when young Saffrye goes missing and accusations are made.  

This story kept me guessing and trying to uncover the truth behind it all.  The pacing is always spot on with Lisa Jewell's stories and I really enjoy how she develops the plot and characters.  A really terrific book that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

I received this book courtesy of Atria Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.    

Thirteen year old Pia Lange has many wishes.  She wishes her father were back from the war.  She wishes they were living somewhere other than in the overcrowded Shunk Alley area of Philadelphia.  She wishes she didn't experience physical pain every time most people touched her.  She wishes her German heritage was something she could be proud of, instead of something she has to try to hide.  When the Spanish flu epidemic arrives in Philadelphia, all those wishes suddenly don't seem to matter anymore.  Suddenly, Pia is fighting for her own survival while also caring for her infant twin brothers in a city ravaged by disease.

Bernice Groves has seen her life shattered by the epidemic.  Her own infant son succumbed to the flu and all Bernice can think of is how she can join him as her life means nothing without him in it.  Then Bernice sees Pia leaving the apartment without her brothers.  She makes a decision at that moment that will have far reaching consequences for not only her own life, but many others.  

The Orphan Collector was well researched and vividly written so you could truly envision what the characters experienced.  As I was reading, I had to frequently remind myself that I was reading a historical fiction novel and not a novel set in present day.  So many things were eerily familiar from the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic with what we are currently experiencing during this COVID-19 pandemic.  At times, that made for interesting and compelling reading and honestly at other times, it was overload for me.    

Bernice Groves is truly one of the most evil characters I can remember reading about, even more so than some characters in horror or murder mystery novels.  The author did an excellent job of creating a character that not only do you want to hate, but one that you simply detest.  I couldn't help but be shocked at some of the actions she takes during the novel.  

I received this book courtesy of Kensington Publishing Corp. in exchange for an honest review.  

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Being a huge Jodi Picoult fan, as in I own all the books she's written, I was so excited to learn about her newest novel The Book of Two Ways.  When I found out it had connections with Egyptology, it heightened my anticipation to read it, because I find Egyptian history and archaeology interesting as well.  Unfortunately, I didn't connect with The Book of Two Ways and was left very disappointed.  

The book opens very dramatically.  Dawn Edelstein is one of only a few survivors of a plane crash.  In those moments right before the crash, the first person who enters her mind is Wyatt, the man she had a romantic relationship with over 15 years ago while working together in Egypt. Surprisingly, it is not her husband and teenage daughter at home in Boston that enter her mind first.  Told in two story lines, the book explores Dawn's travels to Egypt to track down Wyatt and her life in Boston where she serves as a death doula and is married to Brian, her physicist husband.  

Even though I have an interest in Egyptology, the book felt almost too academic and bogged down at points.  That combined with trying to understand all the quantum physics topics covered made for heavy reading.  Then also trying to cope with the topics of life and death for the terminally ill clients Dawn serves, and the body issues her teenage daughter is dealing with, made for a very difficult read.  I always appreciate how Jodi Picoult handles controversial subjects and makes you see different sides to issues, but this just felt like too many topics for one book.  Dawn was not a character that I could relate to or even really wanted to read about.  Her moral compass seems to skate both sides of issues, depending on which side serves her best at that moment, and those qualities didn't seem to match up with someone who has a career of helping people through the death process.  As the final stinger for me, the ending completely frustrated me. It was like reading a Choose Your Own Adventure novel and then you pick your ending, but when you turn to page 99 to see what happens, that page is missing.

Of course, I will always read Jodi Picoult's books and while this novel was not to my taste, I appreciate her work as a writer and will continue to buy her books.

I received this novel courtesy of Ballantine Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

I was so eager to read The Exiles to learn more about this time period in Australian history and to be lead on this journey by such a talented author.  The Exiles met all my high hopes and expectations.

Evangeline has recently lost her father and must make her way in the world by taking a job as a governess in London.  Having been sheltered for many years by her father, her naivety is soon taken advantage of and a now pregnant Evangeline is sent to Newgate Prison and eventually exiled to the Van Diemen's Land, a penal colony in Australia.  While traveling overseas on the repurposed slave ship Medea, Evangeline meets young Hazel, who is very shrewd and street smart.  The two develop an unlikely bond and it is one that will change their lives forever.  

We also have the opportunity to meet Mathinna, an Aboriginal orphan who is taken in by the Governor of Van Diemen's Land and his wife so that she might, essentially, become more like the rest of "polite society".  Her perspective is so important to the novel and brings a unique quality to the narrative.  

I very much enjoyed this novel for so many reasons. I felt it was fresh and unique.  I was aware of some of the Australian history, but this novel caused me to examine what I knew in a new way and also introduced me to many things I was not aware of regarding that time period.  I would definitely recommend this novel to historical fiction fans and I also believe it would make a wonderful book club selection.  

I received this book courtesy of Custom House through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.  

I started reading this book, I immediately began talking to my co-workers and family about it from literally page 1.  It got me right then and there.  I simply  love Fredrik Backman's writing and the amazingly unique yet realistic characters he creates.  He finds a way to say things that are so insightful and at the same time, completely relatable.  

As the author said, this story is about many things.  And it really is.  For me, it was about the human experience and how important our relationships with each other can be.  I don't want to give away any special moments from this story, so I will just say you need to read this book.  I was over half way through the book when a certain plot twist happens that I in no way saw coming and I had to go back to the first chapter to see how I missed it.  I loved that!

Anxious People touches on so many important topics: suicide, guilt, grief, belonging, family, desperation, love, and a world of others.  I hope that you enjoy this book as much as I did.  It was a glowing five star read for me and a novel that I see myself reading again just to experience it once more.  

I received this book courtesy of Atria Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

Several years ago, I read the Divergent series with my teenage son and found myself really drawn into the series.  I'm not typically a reader of sci-fi or futuristic novels, but Chosen Ones caught my attention from the very first chapter.  I'm not sure how the author manages to create these characters that I come to care about so quickly.  They are flawed and maybe not even people you would want to spend time with in real life, but I find myself rapidly turning pages to see what their future holds.  

The Chosen Ones is about five heroes that saved the world from the Dark One ten years ago when they were mere teenagers. Their whole lives have been defined by that journey and now we meet them 10 years later as they are still trying to figure out who they are.  The Chosen Ones - Sloan, Matt, Ines, Albie and Esther - have gathered again to celebrate the anniversary of the Dark One's defeat, when tragedy befalls one of their own.  This is the catalyst for an event that changes their lives forever.  The descriptions of the scenes and settings in this book are so well written that I could easily envision a movie adaptation.  I also really liked how the letters and memos were included. I felt that added another layer to the story.  I hope that the author revisits these characters and develops the series further because I wasn't quite ready to let them go.  

I received this book courtesy of John Joseph Adams/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

Buttonwood, Alabama is home to a very special buttonwood tree and also two women who've led very different lives.  Blue Bishop has lived in Buttonwood all her life and her family's reputation has followed her every day in every way. Blue longs for a new beginning, but can't part from her sister or Marlo and Moe, who have been substitute parents for her.  Sarah Grace also would like a fresh start, but for different reasons.  Sarah Grace finds herself in a loveless marriage and wishes she had never walked away from her true love and high school sweetheart Shep, who also just happens to be back in town.  If Sarah Grace could only be her real self and open up her secrets to her family, would she find some peace in her life?  Blue and Sarah Grace have been distant acquaintances all their lives but then Blue finds a baby in the woods with a button from the Buttonwood Tree that says give this baby to Blue Bishop. Blue has longed to adopt a baby for some time, but Sarah Grace's demanding mother has decided the baby is the perfect solution to Sarah Grace's marriage problems.  Who should have the baby and more importantly, where did the baby come from?  

This magical novel is so vividly written that you can visualize the Buttonwood Tree and each colorful character as well.  I wanted to curl up and read a good book in Marlo and Moe's bookstore.  I also wanted to read one of Blue's picture books and see her illustrations.  When a book is so well written that you want to meet the characters and see where they live, I take that as a good sign.  I also liked the twist at the end and was taken by surprise in how that played out.  I hope you enjoy reading South of the Buttonwood Tree as much as I did.  Five stars!

I received this book courtesy of Forge Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.