The Husband's Secret has it all: suspense, romance, intrigue and humor. The Husband's Secret is the story of three women: Cecelia, the perfect mom of three daughters with the perfect life (or is it); Tess, who thought she had the perfect marriage until her husband fell in love with her cousin; and Rachel, who can't get past her daughter's unsolved murder. Each woman has unique struggles, yet their stories become intertwined as they develop through the course of the book. I'm so glad our book club chose this book and I think we will have a wonderful discussion about the different characters, their motivations and rationales. I especially appreciated the ending of the book. It is always a good feeling to close a book and feel like you not only enjoyed the story but your time reading it was well spent. I look forward to reading other novels by Liane Moriarty. I would definitely recommend this book to other book clubs and anyone looking for a great read!
I developed a love of reading early in life. My mom taught me to read before I started school with a little book she wrote and illustrated just for me titled, "Jane's Red Ball." We always talked with each other about what we were reading and recommended books back and forth. My mom was my best friend and she passed away very unexpectedly in 2013. Often since that time, I think about how much I'd love to share a book with her and Leaving Time definitely topped that list.
To me, this book was a compelling story about mother/daughter relationships and the amazing nature of elephants and their social culture. Jodi Picoult is truly an amazing storyteller and always draws me in from the first page. She does a fantastic job writing characters that are diverse, yet authentic and identifiable. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well written story that will keep you interested and intrigued. I also believe it would be a wonderful book club choice. My favorite quote from the book: "If you think about someone you've loved and lost, you are already with them. The rest is just details.” To my Mom, I think about you all the time! I always look forward to reading a holiday novel by Richard Paul Evans and The Mistletoe Promise did not disappoint. It is a wonderful story about love, healing and redemption. Nicholas approaches Elise in the food court of their office building and makes a proposal. They would contract with each other to attend holiday functions together and have lunch together everyday but their commitment would end on Christmas Eve. I couldn't help but get caught up in Elise's journey with Nicholas. Mr. Evans does such a fabulous job describing scenes, I often felt I was experiencing the meals and holiday festivities myself. The Mistletoe Promise is an uplifting story for the holidays and it was a pleasure to gift this novel to friends for Christmas.
Let me start by saying, I'm a huge Taylor Stevens fan. I loved her three previous books The Informationist, The Innocent and The Doll, and Vanessa Michael Munroe is a dynamic literary character. Each book in the series just kept getting better and better. So, all that being said, it pains me to say, I was slightly disappointed in The Catch. I had a difficult time developing an interest in any of the characters in the book other than Munroe and it felt like the plot developed slowly. I will plan to read more books by Taylor Stevens and am looking forward to what else is in store for Vanessa Michael Munroe.
I thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Leveen's previous novel The Secrets of Mary Bowser so I naturally wanted to read her newest book. I initially wanted to re-read Romeo and Juliet before starting this book, but ran out of time to do so, as our book club meeting was coming up and this was the selection. I was slightly disappointed in this book, as I felt sections of the book developed slowly, and I couldn't really identify with any particular character. I'm looking forward to discussing this book with my fellow book club members to get their thoughts and opinions. One of the best things about book club is how we can all read the same book and take completely different things away from it.
This book has been on my to-read list for awhile. I kept hearing great things about Unbroken and with the movie adaptation coming out later this year, I was looking forward to reading it. The title of the book is very fitting and sums up what I took away from the book. The author's details and statistics about the fighting during World War II really gave me pause to think about how far our military has advanced since that time. We all truly owe a deep debt of gratitude to all those serving in our military, both past and present. I also appreciated the author incorporating Mr. Zamperini's family's struggle while he was missing. Unbroken is an important story that needed recording and I hope we all never forget the sacrifices our soldiers make for our benefit.
I always think one of the signs of a great book is when you are thinking about the characters even when you aren't reading the book. I would have read this book in one setting, if given the chance. I found myself waking up at night wondering what was going to happen to all the interesting characters in The Kitchen House. The story is told from alternating viewpoints of Lavinia, a 6 or 7 year old white indentured servant who is brought to Tall Oaks from Ireland and Belle, who runs the kitchen house for Tall Oaks. Lavinia is given to Belle to assist in the kitchen house and Lavinia quickly is taken in by the other house servants Mama Mae, Papa George, Dory, Ben and six year old twins Fanny and Beattie. The characters in this book are richly developed and their voices are very authentic. While the storyline isn't always pleasant to read, it brings continued awareness to the plight of slaves and all that they endured. I would recommend this book for anyone that enjoys historical fiction.
I have been a Lisa Gardner fan for many years and Love You More was yet another page turning mystery that kept me reading late into the night. Love You More introduces Tessa Leoni, a state trooper who appears to have murdered her husband and her six year old daughter Sophie is missing as well. D.D. Warren and Bobby Dodge are on the case. D.D. has just recently learned she is pregnant. She isn't sure how she feels about being a mother and it certainly seems out of character for her. With a six year old missing and possibly murdered, D.D. is determined to save her or at least have the case resolved as quickly as possible. Bobby and D.D. quickly realize that things with State Trooper Tessa Leoni aren't what they seem. This is fast paced mystery with many twists and turns. One good thing about the D.D. Warren series is that you wouldn't necessarily have to start with the first book in the series as they are each stand alone novels, in my opinion. I would recommend Lisa Gardner novels to anyone who enjoys a good mystery.
"Dollbaby" begins in 1964 introducing us to Liberty "Ibby" Bell, who has just tragically lost her father and is being left by her mother in New Orleans, a city Ibby has never visited before, to stay with a grandmother Ibby has never met before. Fannie is certainly not the typical grandmotherly type and has several skeletons in her closet. Ibby becomes close with Queenie and her daughter Dollbaby, who have run Fannie's household for many years. The story follows Ibby, Fannie, Queenie and Dollbaby through the Civil Rights movement as well as protests over the Vietnam War and the other highs and lows of everyday life.
The author does an excellent job of capturing the culture and ambiance of New Orleans. We visited New Orleans over the summer and "Dollbaby" brought back wonderful memories of the unique city. I appreciated the map noting various locations in New Orleans which are discussed in the novel. Dollbaby is Laura Lane McNeal's first novel and I definitely look forward to her next novel. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to book clubs. If you enjoyed The Help by Kathryn Stockett or Whistling Past the Graveyard by Susan Crandall or Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman, put this book on your "to-read" list. This book has been on my to-read list for awhile. The premise of the book was very intriguing to me: "A Modern Day Slave, an International Art Dealer and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together." It sounded like a very interesting combination of personalities and I was interested to see how their stories would develop. The first half of the book basically gives you the background on Denver Moore (the modern-day slave) and Ron Hall (the International Art Dealer). I found the details regarding sharecropping and life in Red River Parish, Louisiana fascinating. Without giving away too much of the story, this book definitely is an emotional journey and not a light hearted read. While portions of the story are heart wrenching, it is a touching story of friendship and how one person's life can touch so many others. I enjoyed visiting the book's website to see photos of Denver, Deborah and Ron, as well as some members of their families.
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