BOOK REVIEW: Woman No. 17 by Edan Lepucki

A sinister, sexy noir about art, motherhood, and the intensity of female friendships, set in the posh hills above Los Angeles, from the New York Times bestselling author of California.

High in the Hollywood Hills, writer Lady Daniels has decided to take a break from her husband. She’s going to need a hand with her young son if she’s ever going to finish her memoir. In comes S., a magnetic young artist, who will live in the secluded guest house out back, care for Lady’s young toddler son, and keep a watchful eye on her older, teenage, one. S. performs her day job beautifully, quickly drawing the entire family into her orbit, and becoming a confidante for Lady. But as the summer wears on, S.’s connection to Lady’s older son takes a disturbing, and possibly destructive, turn. Lady and S. will move closer to one another as they both threaten to harm the things they hold most dear. Darkly comic, twisty and tense, this mesmerizing new novel defies expectation and proves Edan Lepucki to be one of the most talented and exciting voices of her generation.

This book has me a bit tied up in knots.  It as a lot darker than I expected, which is saying a lot, but it wasn't bleak.  I wasn't sure what I should expect honestly, but it riveted my attention when I saw it available on Blogging for Books so I snagged it.  I'm really glad I did, however it didn't quite live up to the expectation.

Written in the voice of the two main characters, Lady and S, the book jars between their two stories.  It didn't transition all that seamlessly.  So many times I was lost as well as their stories blended together and it was hard to remember which story belonged to whom.  Lady has loved and lost and blames her mother.  Her oldest son is diagnosed with selective mute-ism and while he is not technically an adult she's not quite ready to cut that cord.  She hires the nanny for her youngest son, not quite a preschooler.  S is a recent college graduate trying to reinvent herself.  She's an artist, sort of, and has chosen to take on a project that honestly, I guess I'm too old to understand.  She is trying to recreate who her mother was, before she had a child.  Or even when S was just a child.  She's obviously got her own Mommy issues as well.  The supporting cast does an excellent job of helping these two women tell their stories, and possibly change the direction of their lives.  Not always in for the positive.

The characters are so well developed that I grew to care about them, even the supporting cast.  The story flowed well that even with the Minions of Mayhem interrupting at every turn it wasn't a difficult book to read. Just difficult to keep their stories straight.  Though it did tend to drag at times.  It's not going to sit on the favorite shelf any time soon but I do think that it has a lot of potential and it is definitely worth a reread.  In the right library, it would be a well loved book.

WARNING: This book does have some language and some sexual content.  It is not for every reader.  Just sayin'.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Blogging for Books.  I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.  I was not required to write a positive review. 

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About Elan Lepucki 

Edan Lepucki is the New York Times bestselling author of California, as well as the novella If You're Not Yet Like Me. Her next novel, Woman No. 17, will be published by Hogarth/Crown in May of 2017.

She is a graduate of Oberlin College and the Iowa Writers' Workshop, and her short fiction and nonfiction have been published in McSweeney's, Narrative Magazine, the Los Angeles Times, and the New York Times. She is a staff writer for The Millions and the founder of Writing Workshops Los Angeles.

She likes cooking, reading and filling out forms.

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BOOK REVIEW: Here and Gone by Haylen Beck

Here and Gone is a gripping, wonderfully tense suspense thriller about a mother's desperate fight to recover her stolen children from corrupt authorities.. It begins with a woman fleeing through Arizona with her kids in tow, trying to escape an abusive marriage. When she's pulled over by an unsettling local sheriff, things soon go awry and she is taken into custody. Only when she gets to the station, her kids are gone. And then the cops start saying they never saw any kids with her, that if they're gone than she must have done something with them... Meanwhile, halfway across the country a man hears the frenzied news reports about the missing kids, which are eerily similar to events in his own past. As the clock ticks down on the search for the lost children, he too is drawn into the desperate fight for their return.

Heavens to Betsy I wanted to love this book.  I needed to love this book.  With the description it came with, I mean it was right up my alley right?  Yes...and no.  I could almost hear 'Hotel California' playing softly on the radio as Audra and her children are making their way across the back roads of Arizona in the heat of a summer afternoon.  A sleazy feeling sheriff, a flimsy excuse to pull someone over and a random search through the belongings just to 'help them out'?  All reeked of stupidity and a touch of despair (on the part of the officer).  And Audra's desperation, as well, to protect herself, her children, and get where they were headed without being tracked from what they were running from.  But it all goes sideways, and makes national news, when according to law enforcement there were no children when she was pulled over.  It's sketchy at best but it's what makes news.  That and of course who is going to believe a former addict running from a life and potential legal issues back in New York over decorated law enforcement that also happens to be former military?  Yeah, Mom is a loser here.

This book hit the right notes but in the wrong key.  The plot was intense, the story raced in all the right places and crept along where it should have.  The descriptions pulled you in to the location, mostly.  The characters, while developed and strong were just missing something.  I missed a connection, a sparkle, I don't know how to describe it.  I mean I loved and rooted for the right people at the right times and despised the right people at the right times and even felt ambivalent where I should have.  But it just wasn't 'there' for me.  It was good, engaging but somehow missed the step to amazing.  That and of course some things I really wanted to know, deserved to know, where wrapped up off screen and I am left with a hole of what happens with Danny.  And I'm truly sorry for that because again, I need to love this book.

And I did love it.  I loved the twists and turns of the story line.  I loved the strength of Sean, the desperation of Audra, the sleaziness of Whiteside, and the hardened tenderness of Collins.  Yes even Collins tugged at my heart a tad.  The story itself, pulled me in, kept me engaged and had me rolling through every twist and turn.  Through every sweat soaked, heart wrenching moment.  I wanted to love this book, I needed to love this book.  I liked it a whole lot but the love fell just a moment short. I'd completely read this author again.  I want to read this author again. 

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Blogging for Books.  I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.  I was not required to write a positive review. 

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About Haylen Beck

Haylen Beck is the pen name of internationally prize-winning crime writer Stuart Neville. Writing under his own name, Stuart won the LA Times Book Prize for his debut novel and received critical acclaim for his Serena Flanagan detective series set in Belfast. His Haylen Beck novels are set in the US and inspired by his love of American crime writing.

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BOOK REVIEW: June by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore

Twenty-five-year-old Cassie Danvers is holed up in her family’s crumbling mansion in rural St. Jude, Ohio, mourning the loss of the woman who raised her—her grandmother, June. But a knock on the door forces her out of isolation. Cassie has been named the sole heir to legendary matinee idol Jack Montgomery's vast fortune. How did Jack Montgomery know her name? Could he have crossed paths with her grandmother all those years ago? What other shocking secrets could June’s once-stately mansion hold?

Soon Jack’s famous daughters come knocking, determined to wrestle Cassie away from the inheritance they feel is their due. Together, they all come to discover the true reasons for June’s silence about that long-ago summer, when Hollywood came to town, and June and Jack’s lives were forever altered by murder, blackmail, and betrayal.

As this page-turner shifts deftly between the past and present, Cassie and her guests will be forced to reexamine their legacies, their definition of family, and what it truly means to love someone, steadfastly, across the ages.

I've honestly sat here, for what feels like ages, trying to figure out how to write this review.  It's not that it's a hard book to review, though it is so much more complex than you can begin to summarize.  It's not that it's a less than glowing review, I honestly can't find one actual negative about this book.  It's not... you know I think that's my hangup.  I'm so used to always starting with my synopsis of the book, what I took away as vital to the story.  I just can't do that here.  This story is involved, and engaging, and no 'summary' can begin to do that justice.  If I can't summarize where do I begin?   How do you make Cassie, and Tate, and Hank (girl - go figure) and Nick into a summary?  How do you blend June (the month) 1955 and June (again, the month) 2015 and Hollywood (in both timelines) and small town middle America Ohio (again both decades) and summarize that?  There is love and intrigue and even the mystery which sneaks up on you in just the perfect way that you don't feel stupid that you missed it but don't feel shocked that it happened.  Seriously, this book has wormed it's delightful way onto my favorites book shelf.  And that it was a 'oh why not' choice from Blogging for Books tells me that I know I'm going to have to 'oh why not' entirely more often.

See, now this paragraph is hard too.  This is normally where I share with you things that I believe could or should be better.  I got nothing.  Perhaps I'm viewing this book through rose colored glasses, perhaps I was so drawn in by the story that I truly read for pleasure and completely glossed any critical reading observations or drawbacks that may be present in this book.  Do you feel like this review, so far, is really just a walk through about how I review?  I do.  But seriously, I got nothing!  So let's move to the good paragraph, you know where I tell you all the good stuff.

But then I get down here and realize that once again, how do you take all the good stuff and not create a whole new novel to review a novel?  I'll start with bare essentials.  Characters - developed, engaging and completely bond-able.  Even the characters I was intended not to like, or just couldn't stand did their job but drawing me to their personalities.  Plot - engaged.  Even transition being the two timelines was seamless and enhanced each part of the story instead of creating a distraction.  I was so drawn in that I forgot to read critically (remember?).  Story-line - amazing.  The story line took the perfect plot and married the amazing characters into something that was difficult to put down, drew me into their worlds and made me regret that I pushed through it so fast.  I needed more and as any amazing (favorite shelved) books should do, you mourn the finishing of the story.  I'm so glad I 'oh why not'-ed this book and I want more from this author.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Blogging for Books.  I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.  I was not required to write a positive review.

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About Miranda Beverly-Whittemore

I write novels. So far, each one has been about searching for one’s place in the world, which, when I think about it, is what I’ve been doing for most of my life.

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BOOK REVIEW: When God Made You by Matthew Paul Turner

YOU, you... God thinks about you.
God was thinking of you long before your debut.
From early on, children are looking to discover their place in the world and longing to understand how their personalities, traits, and talents fit in. The assurance that they are deeply loved and a unique creation in our big universe is certain to help them spread their wings and fly.
Through playful, charming rhyme and vivid, fantastical illustrations, When God Made You inspires young readers to learn about their own special gifts and how they fit into God's divine plan as they grow, explore, and begin to create for themselves.
'Cause when God made YOU, somehow God knew
That the world needed someone exactly like you!

I was so excited to be able to get this book for review from Blogging for Books to be able to review.  A friend of mine had recently gotten it for her family and had such great things to say about it.  The first thing that stands out to me before even reading the words is the illustrations.  Oh my gravy but are the so whimsical and inviting.  They complement the words so well while also engaging you into a second story all their own.  The words were just as inviting and encouraging, the rhyming was spot on though the repeated You at the beginning of some pages were a bit awkward.  Not overly awkward but just 'off' if that makes sense.  From the Meme perspective this is a complete win and one that I hope grows with us through the years.  

However, we all know that even when the grownups like the book that doesn't always translate to the little ones so I went to them for opinions as well.  With four Minnions of Mischief to chose from I went to the middle two this time.  Squirt (2) doesn't quite have the attention span to get through a book this size though she seemed to like to try to grab the pictures off the pages.  Munchkin at 8 (almost 9) thought about it and decided to pass on the review part as this is truly below his reading level.  So MooMoo (6) and Goobie (4) were more than willing guinea pigs.

MooMoo had trouble expressing what she thought about the book.  She had trouble settling into the story and following along while also trying to read independently at the same time.  She seemed to be drawn into the story the pictures told more than the words and to me that is a great marker of the story within the story.   She didn't really have an idea of whether she loved/liked the story or not but did express that she liked the parts where the girl was drawing and making things.  I think from the six year old perspective it's a bit of a mixed review.  When she read her part of this review she's like but I like the book.

Goobie had a lot of trouble settling in to the book as well.  He was too busy trying to convince me that he should be Munchkin and his brother Goobie.  Somehow, I think he totally missed the point of the story :)  He was taken into the pictures and as we got into the book the pages with less words and (to me anyway) more impact to the words he became more engaged.  He officially gave it an I liked it review.

I have to wonder if it was just poor timing for reading this gem with my Minnions of Mischief.  Though I have to agree, after reading it multiple times now, that perhaps the first part is a bit too wordy with the poetry for this age group and became more successful as the story developed and there was less to get through allowing more to focus on.the message.  It does however, allow for repeated conversations about individuality and how God chose us, before we were born, to be who we are.  In my house being a weirdo is a complement.  This book helps, in our own zany way, to reinforce that.  

As stated above, I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Blogging for Books.  I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.  I was not required to write a positive review.

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About Matthew Paul Turner

Matthew Paul Turner knows all about career transitions. As the former editor of CCM magazine, Christian entertainment's premiere publication, Matthew got his auspicious start stuffing envelopes after graduating from Belmont University. He is the author of several books, including the Christian pop culture tour-de-force, The Chrsitian Culture Survival Guide (Relevant Books). Matthew and his wife, Jessica, reside in Nashville, Tennessee.

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About David Catrow

David Catrow's favorite subject in school was math. Why? Well, Mr. Hirsch's class was where Catrow did some of his best drawings! Catrow's zany illustrations have illuminated over 30 books for kids, and his editorial cartoons are syndicated in more than 900 newspapers in the U.S. and Canada. Not bad for someone who started out as a pre-med major at Kent State and later worked as a paramedic for ten years. During this time Catrow also worked as a freelance artist for the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Akron Beacon-Journal. Art finally emerged as his definitive career, and he's never stopped since.

This amusing illustrator and his wife, Deborah, live in Ohio and have two children. When asked what would be the one thing he would like to learn to do, Catrow replied that he'd like to learn to catch a Frisbee with his teeth! It's this same offbeat sense of humor that truly colors his art. There's no doubt that Catrow's work has brought chuckles, smiles and even smirks to the young and old.

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BOOK REVIEW: Road Food by Jane and Michael Stern

First published in 1977, the original Roadfood became an instant classic. James Beard said, "This is a book that you should carry with you, no matter where you are going in these United States. It's a treasure house of information."
The 40th anniversary edition of Roadfood includes 1,000 of America's best local eateries along highways and back roads, with nearly 200 new listings, as well as a brand new design.
Filled with enticing alternatives for chain-weary-travelers, Roadfood provides descriptions of and directions to (complete with regional maps) the best lobster shacks on the East Coast; the ultimate barbecue joints down South; the most indulgent steak houses in the Midwest; and dozens of top-notch diners, hotdog stands, ice-cream parlors, and uniquely regional finds in between. Each entry delves into the folkways of a restaurant's locale as well as the dining experience itself, and each is written in the Sterns' entertaining and colorful style. A cornucopia for road warriors and armchair epicures alike, Roadfood is a road map to some of the tastiest treasures in the United States.

I was so excited to be getting this book.  Living in Southwest Missouri and so close to Branson (a major tourist destination) I figured I might have the chance to discover or even rediscover a local-ish place (Think Leong's Asian Diner - Goggle it). On this front I was disappointed.  Upon opening the book for the first time, it was of course to scour the Missouri listings.  All St. Louis and Kansas City area, with a side step to Columbia.  So much of the state, with it's own amazing history and hidden gems of dining are forgotten, or worse ignored.  I'm going with forgotten for my own piece of mind.  Kansas City or St. Louis are not particularly areas I am going to foray to just for foodie road-trip.  They are more a drive around than drive into, unless I'm there for legitimate reasons.  Crestfallen, but not broken, I checked the states near me for other local ideas.  The only other close location was Chicken Mary's in Pittsburg, Kansas.  Been to both Mary's and Annie's and they are both pretty spectacular.  In the book they mention Annie's with their description of Mary's and I can attest that both serve amazing fried chicken along with typical southern style comfort sides.  Wasn't quite enough to cure my heartbreak but must push through.

Let's start with what I didn't like about the layout of this book.  There's only one thing so it's easy.  Within each region, it's broken down by state.  (Like this, more later.) However the restaurants are then listed alphabetically within the state.  Which means, Illinois for example, you have to go through all the listings to find the restaurant choices for you if you happen in be in Springfield (see what I did there?).  I feel like it would be easier to utilize the listings if they were grouped georaphically instead of alphabetically within each state section.  Perhaps alphabetically by city or something?  Ok, that's really it.  Negative is out of the way.

What I liked.  While some of the regional breakdowns I slightly disagree with I liked that each region had a map of each state with locations marked, usually with major roadways marked as well for ease of locating the restaurant.  I liked that each state, within the region, was dedicated it's own section in order to help narrow down your searches.  But then places like Chicken Mary's in Kansas, which is right on the Missouri/Kansas border was separated from someone who could just make a quick hop across the state line.  This is not a dislike however as when you are dealing with state-lines there's really no way to prevent this.   The descriptions of each location and the menu offerings were amazing.  I don't even eat hamburgers but some of the descriptions made me think I wanted one.  Each location also included contact information which is super helpful for someone who may be planning a foodie road trip to these areas.  A quick perusal of the website, a phone call if in doubt about anything and oh wait they are closed on Tuesday? let's wait and go this time frame instead.  I would highly recommend this book for anyone who tends to drive on their vacations, likes to road trip or is just a general foodie who likes to explore new locations as well. 

I was lucky to be able to receive this book from Blogging for Books for review.  I was not required to post a positive review and all thoughts regarding this book are my own. 
  
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About Jane and Michael Stern

For any food lover who’s ever heard the call of the open road, Jane and Michael Stern have been trusted, trailblazing guides for over 40 years. After meeting at Yale, where they came to study art, they began a collaboration that has yielded over forty books, including the good-eats guide Roadfood, The Lexicon of Real American Food, cookbooks Square Meals and American Gourmet, and pop-culture best-sellers Elvis World, The Encyclopedia of Bad Taste, and Way Out West.

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BOOK REVIEW: Grace and the Preacher by Kim Vogel Sawyer

The Kansas community of Fairland anticipates the arrival of their new minister and in recent months, late in 1882, postmistress Grace Cristler has communicated with Reverend Dille via letters, answering his questions about the little town, and developing affection for the man who pens thoughtful missives.

Theophil Garrison grew up under the loving influence of his saintly grandmother, but was roped into his cousins’ train-robbing plan. When they fail and are apprehended, Theo fled the scene, evading jail time. Now an angry cousin is out to avenge Theo's duplicity, and he’s on the run. He encounters a fatally ill traveler--a minister. Seeing a way to keep hidden, Theo trades identities with the man, dons his fine black suit, carries a Bible, and prays that he'll be accepted as Rufus Dille.

Once in Fairland, if Theo's true identity is uncovered, what will be left of the world he has built for himself, Grace, and those in the town who have come to love and accept him?

Before we even talk about the story I have to ask..where the gravy is Cooperville, Missouri!?!  The book gives me enough to go on that it is right in my neck of the woods.  An hour stage ride from Springfield and somewhere south of Stockton.  (Straight from the book in a round about way.)  Not on Google nor on any map I can find. The Mother person, who is so deep into genealogy that I feel like I grew up in the Sheppard Room at the Springfield Greene County Library and/or cemeteries, would know if it had ever been a town right?  Wrong!  I'm totally OK with a fictitious town but it did send me on a slight goose chase for a bit.  And since I'm wound up in the geography of Cooperville I need to delve into another roundabout the book brought me.  Theo is traveling on horseback from Cooperville to his birthplace in Birds Nest, Iowa (I didn't go hunting for that one, I'm only partly somewhat familiar with a small area of Iowa that I used to visit friends in) to escape his cousin.  He stopped in Stockton (I used to drive there like 3 days a week) and had passed Warrensburg (yup, know that one too...don't drink the water!).  He is trying to decide where to go and what to do for supplies on the road at this point.  And he talks about going 'westerly' to Marshall.  I had to stop, second guess myself by grabbing a map, and prove myself right.  Unless he was on the St. Louis side of the state (and based on dropped locations he isn't) Marshall would be east for him, not west.  OK, I've digressed enough for one little slip up in geography.  Let's move on shall we?

While I honestly and truly enjoyed this book I do have to nitpick for a moment.  And explain why it's only a 4 star review on Goodreads and Amazon.  And no, it's not over geography!  The pace was a little slow.  I found myself wanting to tell Theo and Grace just to spit it out already.  Stop wallowing in your mess and find a way.  Stop hiding from what is really going on and deal with it.  Stop but for the love of gravy hurry up.  I know, a bit of a multi sided conundrum.  We all knew what 'needed' to happen.  We didn't know where it would eventually lead but we knew it had to happen.  But both of them stayed mired in their own thoughts, their own fears, their own bubble and not reaching out with the details.  Both characters were beyond blessed with the influence of Mrs. Kirby.  Aunt Bess was an amazing resource of faith, hope, love, and guidance for Grace and Theo.  But even with her, they stumbled over truly sharing their turmoil.  The truth is, like most people, I ruminate over my own insecurities and fears before actually dealing with them.  I recognize that in these characters and I want to tell them to buck up when I won't tell myself that.  My only other real issue was over describing.  That is a huge pet peeve of mine in books and in life.  Probably, something I do myself if I was more self aware.  Telling me you ate amazing stew is perfect, please don't go back and describe the meat and potatoes and carrots floating in a flavorful broth.  Too much.  Moving on.

I loved this book.  I loved the characters and how very well developed they were as people.  I loved how faith was so interwoven into the story and didn't feel 'forced' like I find in other Christian books.  I loved watching each character shine in their own truth from Aunt Bess who was solid in her faith and understanding of herself, even when it hurt. Uncle Philemon who knew what he thought was right and then really put his faith on the line to figure out if it was his desire or God's.  Theo, poor sideways Theo.  Raised by a loving Granny who taught him about Christ and love and the Bible but then sent to live with the antithesis of this after her passing.  Now on the run from his cousins, who have promised retribution over what they believe he cost them in life, he finds a way to come into his own as a person, man, and Christian.  Watching him grow and blossom, through his own fears and even wayward choices during this revelation made my heart feel good.  Can't forget Grace.  Sweet, loving, somewhat backward Grace.  With the attention of Aunt Bess, the love of Uncle Philemon and a little faith in herself she truly grows from a Christian woman to a woman of Christ.  Trust me, there is totally a difference.  Lastly, I can't leave out Earl.  Part of me feels like I should have started with Earl.  A man on a mission...vengeance.  In his determination to extract the revenge he promised his cousin Theo before heading off to prison, Earl finds himself on a trek of discovery.  I truly believe that had he not had the experiences he had, the sidetracks and derails of his journey, then he would never have had the opportunity to become the man he was capable of being.  I think Earl is the perfect example of the idea that everyone you meet is for a reason.  A reason to learn, to grow, to discover yourself and your place in the world.  Not one of us would have become who we are today without the people (both positive and negative) we have crossed paths with.  Earl is a shining example of this.  

Kim Vogel Sawyer is an author I want to read more of.  This book, despite my occasional frustration that may or may not have ended in me yelling at the characters, touched my heart and fed my soul.  I am so grateful that Blogging for Books provided me the opportunity to read this book free for review.  Without that opportunity I wouldn't be able to share it with you.  And yes, it was free.  But all thoughts opinions and star ratings are my own. 

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About Kim Vogel Sawyer

Award-winning, bestselling author Kim Vogel Sawyer wears many hats. As a wife, mother, grandmother, song-singer, cat-petter, and active participant in her church’s music and women’s ministries, her life is happily full. But her passion lies in penning stories that share the hope we can all possess when we place our lives in God’s capable hands. She and her retired military hubby live on the beautiful plains of Kansas, the setting for many of Kim’s books. In her free time, she enjoys quilting, traveling with “The Hubs,” and spoiling her quiverful of granddarlings..

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