The Key to Everything

By: Paula Stokes
Published Year: 2017
Publisher: Paula Stokes

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion of this book.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): College senior Oakland Fuller has always believed in signs and soulmates, so when both a therapist and a fortuneteller say that her repeated relationship failures are due to unresolved feelings for her high school boyfriend, Seth, Oakland tries desperately to get back in touch with him. Problem: Seth isn’t responding to her online messages.

To rescue Oakland from a pathetic Christmas break of sitting in front of the computer, her best friend Morgan books the two of them on a guided excursion of Thailand. When the girls meet a pair of American soldiers in Bangkok, Oakland takes Morgan’s advice and engages in a little harmless holiday hooking up. Sergeant Tyson Banks is the perfect mix of sexy and fun. Two weeks with him might just turn out to be the best relationship Oakland has ever had.

Until the day she spots someone familiar across a crowded temple complex—it’s Seth! Somehow the boy she’s been trying to reconnect with is in Bangkok too. If that’s not a sign, then what is?

First Impressions

Travel? Lost lost? Friendship? I am in! The cover definitely piqued my interest, and the summary confirmed it. Any covers that look like they inspire travel hook me in. I had a feeling this was going to be a light book about love and learning and it totally drew me in.

What I thought

This book! <3

Oakland is in her senior year of college, looking forward to an unknown future of graduate school. Looking back, she realizes that her high school boyfriend (who she broke up with) might have been her soul mate after all. In order to distract her, her best friend Morgan books a 10 day tour to Thailand over winter break. There, they meet a few Army boys who start to distract them from their problems. Until Oakland spots Seth in a crowd.

I devoured this book! It was so much fun. I loved Oakland, Morgan, Tyson, and Jed. They were great and I enjoyed traveling with them. There are definitely some improbable storylines that you just have to squint your eyes at and ignore, but that didn’t bother me much. Morgan’s parents are rich, which was a decent enough explanation for them being able to just up and take a trip. And the romantic in me ignored the improbability of Seth ending up in Thailand in the same place at the same time as Oakland. If you’re able to also do this, I think you’ll enjoy this story a lot.

The relationships between all the characters was a lot of fun. It was pretty much the quintessential early 20s fast bonding relationship that I miss. In college, relationships just seem to develop so much quicker and easier than they do in the real world. Add to that the vacation element, it makes sense that these characters click so quickly.

I also appreciated the romantic in Oakland. She truly believes in soul mates and “The one” and that’s what ends up getting her in trouble. As a bit of a hopeless romantic myself, I connected with her and appreciated her dedication.

The one issue I had was when they chase after Seth in Thailand. While it lead to a fun adventure and worked out in the end, the fact that they just up and leave their tour in a foreign country to chase after a guy that she hasn’t talked to in 3 years and she doesn’t even know if he’ll still be there boggled my mind. It was the one storyline that just made me step back and go “really?”

I know that New Adult books have gotten a lot of slack as of late, but I feel like this one is done so well and is exactly what the genre stands for. It’s a story about 20-something year olds finding themselves and finding love. There aren’t a lot of books out for that age range and I connected so hard with this one! If I had read this in college, I would have been dying that my life wasn’t Oakland’s!

Everything about this book was fun. I flew through it and enjoyed every minute. Oakland, Tyson, Morgan, and Jed have great friendships and relationships. The angst is realistic, even if some of the storylines are not. If you love travel and romance, I would highly recommend reading this book. It could even be a good holiday read! Even though it’s not explicitly focused on the holidays, it occurs over Christmas, so any excuse right? I could see Hallmark turning this into a great Christmas movie for sure! I can’t wait to check out more of Stokes’ books.

A Bella Flora Christmas

By: Wendy Wax
Published Year: 2017
Publisher: Intermix
Pages: 87

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I received a copy of this novella in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): The ladies of Ten Beach Road are home for the holidays in this brand-new novella.

Although their lives have changed since their first desperate renovation of Bella Flora, friends Madeline, Avery, and Nicole have always been there for each other. Now they're returning to Bella Flora for Christmas—where Maddie’s daughter Kyra isn’t feeling particularly celebratory. 
 
Kyra was hoping for a peaceful holiday at Bella Flora—a last gathering before a wealthy, mystery tenant moves into the home she’s been forced to rent out. Instead, she must make a life altering decision by New Year’s -- a decision that becomes even more difficult when unexpected guests arrive at Ten Beach Road on Christmas Eve. Now Kyra, Maddie, Avery and Nikki will need to pull together to secure Bella Flora’s future, as well as their own.

Mini-Review

Since this is a mini story, I figured I would do a mini-review.

I have only read one of the Ten Beach Road novels, but I definitely enjoyed them. Bella Flora Christmas is a novella that takes place right before, on, and after Christmas. It is told from the perspective of Kyra, one of (if not the) youngest of the Bella Flora clan, as she decides whether or not to allow her son Dustin to act in his father’s movie.

I read Sunshine Beach in 2016, but didn’t have time to read the most recent one this summer. This book definitely resparked my interest in the Ten Beach Road novels. I liked getting to catch up with Kyra and be in her head as she made her final decision.

Like most novellas, this one isn’t necessary to read if you’re going to read the series, but it lets you see a little more into the lives and minds of the characters. If you like the Ten Beach Road stories and characters, it’s definitely fun to check in with them, especially during the holiday season.

Because it’s a novella, I’m not going to rate it. It’s not a book you can recommend, so I’d say if you like this series, check it out. It’s a quick read that will give you some insight into future stories.

Book Club November 2017- Little Fires Everywhere

By: Celeste Ng
Published Year: 2017
Publisher: Penguin Press
Pages: 352

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): In Shaker Heights, a placid, progressive suburb of Cleveland, everything is planned -- from the layout of the winding roads, to the colors of the houses, to the successful lives its residents will go on to lead. And no one embodies this spirit more than Elena Richardson, whose guiding principle is playing by the rules. 

Enter Mia Warren -- an enigmatic artist and single mother -- who arrives in this idyllic bubble with her teenaged daughter Pearl, and rents a house from the Richardsons. Soon Mia and Pearl become more than tenants: all four Richardson children are drawn to the mother-daughter pair. But Mia carries with her a mysterious past and a disregard for the status quo that threatens to upend this carefully ordered community. 

When old family friends of the Richardsons attempt to adopt a Chinese-American baby, a custody battle erupts that dramatically divides the town--and puts Mia and Elena on opposing sides. Suspicious of Mia and her motives, Elena is determined to uncover the secrets in Mia's past. But her obsession will come at unexpected and devastating costs.

What I thought

The summary of this one didn’t do much for me, so I was a bit iffy when it was the book club pick. I’m glad to say I was oh so wrong!

The Richardsons are a well-to-do family in a picture perfect suburb of Cleveland. Mr. Richardson is a lawyer, Mrs. Richardson is a journalist, and three of their four children are overachievers in the local high school. Mrs. Richardson owns a small property in the neighborhood that she rents out. When Mia and her daughter Pearl move in, she thinks they’re going to be the perfect tenants. But Mia has a past that hold secrets as well as a bit of a nosy nature.

The book was a bit slow to start with. I think there was a lot that needed to get set up as well as a lot of character building. It was a bit difficult because you are thrown right into the end of the story and then brought back to the beginning. However, the characters are built well and relatively quickly. My confusion subsided quickly and my interest rose.

Getting back to the characters, they have such a great development over time. From the beginning to the end they change so much and the characters you think you like at the beginning are not the ones you still like at the end.

The one other thing that threw me a bit with this book is I didn’t realize the time period that it occurred in until I was about 20% of the way through. As a heads up, it happens in (I believe) 1997/1998 (I can’t remember if it’s ever expressly stated). Pearl is 15/16 and she was born in 1982, so that’s my guess. It was fun to see all of the pop culture from that time period because that was when I grew up, so there’s always a bit of nostaligia.

The two main storylines also handle pretty large topics. The first storyline involves a family adopting a Chinese child, but then the birth mother comes back into the pictures. This divides not only the Richardsons, but the whole town. The second is the mysterious history of Mia and her daughter Pearl. I loved how entangled everyone and everything became. You didn’t know where one story started and where the next one ended.

Speaking of stories ending, that is the one thing I wasn’t crazy about. Maybe book club will help me out with this, but I definitely had some unanswered questions and that always drives me a little crazy.

What Book Club Thought

All but one of us really enjoyed it. Three book club members liked it a bit more than me, one liked it a bit less and then I was in the middle. It made for great discussion though! We not only talked about the writing and the character development (which some of us liked but some felt fell flat), but we had great discussions about the actual events that occurred. What would you do in Mia's situation? What would you do in Lexie's situation? Do you believe in the decision made about the adoption? 

It was definitely a great book to discuss and the decision we all came to was that while this won't be a book that jumps to the forefront when someone asks "Any good books lately?", if someone asked specifically about it, we would recommend checking it out. 

5 Books To Get You in the Holiday Mood

Halloween has come and gone which means it’s time for Thanksgiving! Which is followed quickly by Christmas and Chanukkah and all the wintery wonderfulness. Now, I know some people don’t like even considering Christmas related things until Thanksgiving is over, but if Hallmark is allowed to start their Christmas movies, then I can give some holiday book recommendations. So, here are five books I believe will help you get in the mood for the holiday season.

1.       The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well By: Meik Wiking- This is the perfect book if you’re ready to feel warm and cozy but don’t want anything specifically holiday related. It’s all about how to incorporate cozy into your life the way that the Danish do. Hygge is the perfect way to start your holiday season and I think this book is just what you need. Plus, it’s on sale! Review

2.       Winter Street (Winter #1) By: Elin Hilderbrand- This is a winter series with the fourth book having just come out this past October. The series follows the Quinn family and their lives throughout the holidays at Nantucket’s Winter Street Inn. There is a lot of family drama and complications, but in the end there is always that holiday spirit and love of family. I’ve enjoyed each of the first three books and will have a review for the fourth coming soon.

3.       What Light By: Jay Asher- If you’re more of a contemporary YA reader, this book will be right up your alley. Sierra’s family runs a Christmas tree farm in Oregon and every year they move their trees to sell in California. She spends that month at school with her friend Heather where she meets Caleb. It’s a very sweet and quick romantic read. Review

4.       My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday stories By: Various YA Authors- If you want a holiday story but you don’t want to commit, I’d recommend checking out these short stories. They are all so different from one another and that’s what will make this great for almost any reader. There are some fantasy Christmas stories and some that are romantic. While I wasn’t crazy about every story in this book, there were a lot that I really enjoyed. It was also fun to try new genres without having to commit!

5.       Christmas at Tiffany’s: A Novel By: Karen Swan- This book is a bit more of a commitment than the others and is a perfect choice if you want that slow burn story. Christmas at Tiffany’s follows Cassie through a year of her life after it implodes. She stays with each of her friends around the world and tries to figure out her life and who she is now.

Well, that’s all I’ve got for you! Do you have any holiday story recommendations? I always love reading books about the holidays this time of year to help get me in the mood.

Teammate: My Journey in Baseball and a World Series for the Ages

By: David Ross
Published Year: 2017
Publisher: Hachette Books
Pages: 272

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): An inspiring memoir from David Ross, the veteran catcher dubbed "Grandpa Rossy," who became the heart and soul of the Chicago Cubs 2016 World Series championship team.

In 2016 the Cubs snapped a 108-year curse, winning the World Series in a history-making, seven-game series against the Cleveland Indians. Of the many storylines to Chicago's fairytale season, one stood out: the late-career renaissance of David Ross, the 39-year-old catcher who had played back-up for 13 of his 15 pro seasons.

Beyond Ross's remarkably strong play, he became the ultimate positive force in the Cubs locker room, mentoring and motivating his fellow players, some of them nearly twenty years his junior. Thanks to Cubs Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo, "Grandpa Rossy" became a social media sensation. No one, however, could have predicted that Ross's home run in his final career at bat would help seal the Cubs championship. 

Now, in Teammate, Ross shares the inspiring story of his life in baseball, framed by the events of that unforgettable November night.

First Impressions

GRANDPA ROSSY IS WRITING A BOOK!??!?!?! I am in!

What I thought

This book was pretty much everything I needed/wanted it to be.

In case you have been living under a rock, the Cubs won the World Series in 2016, breaking a 108 year old curse. As a native Chicagoan and lifelong Cubs fan (I have been attempting to go to at least one game a year for the past 10 years or so), it was a life changing moment. I don’t think I can even describe how big of a deal this was in Chicago. It was such a rollercoaster, through every minute from the playoffs through the final minute of Game 7. Because this was such an event, I am itching to read every book that gives me insider information to this process.

Even if you’re not familiar with the Cubs, you are probably familiar with David Ross aka Grandpa Rossy. He has kind of taken the world by storm and he was even on Dancing With the Stars. 2016 was his final year in baseball and the boys promised him a yearlong retirement party. At the beginning of that retirement year, he mentions that someone told him he should write a book so he spent the year taking in the moment notes on his iPhone throughout the season.

This book shares a lot about Ross that I didn’t know. I had learned a bit about game 7 and the 2016 Cubs team through the book The Cubs Way (which I am obsessed with) so I had heard a few of the stories before regarding that. However, I didn’t know much about Ross or anything about his history before the Cubs other than that he played for the Red Sox and won a World Series with them.

David Ross is a genuine guy. It was so nice to read about him and his values and how he learned how to be the good person that he is/appears to be. I also appreciated how much he emphasizes the importance of being a good teammate. I think that, unfortunately, this is overlooked in sports these days and a lot of athletes consider only themselves and they put “me” before the team. Not only does he talk about how important it is to be a good teammate, but he explains what he believes makes a good teammate and how you can work towards that too.

I mean… come on. It’s a book by David Ross! How am I not going to love this? Besides that, I think this book is so much more. I want every child to read this book and be taught how important it is to be a good teammate and not be selfish. If you’re looking for a book about how the 2016 Cubs team came to be, this is not it. If that’s what you want, you’re looking for The Cubs Way. If you want a book about David Ross with some insider 2016 Cubs team information with a good message, you need this book.

Lady Be Good

By: Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Published Year: 2009
Publisher: Harper's Collins
Pages: 389

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Lady Emma Wells-Finch--the oh-so-proper headmistress of England's St. Gertrude's School for Girls--has come to Texas with just two weeks to ruin her reputation, the only way she can save herself from losing everything she holds dear. And when a gorgeous man who can't afford another scandal meets this hardheaded woman who's determined to cause one, anything can happen, even love.

First Impressions

Susan Elizabeth Phillips is one of my auto-read authors. I saw this book on sale at Barnes & Noble and it was one that I hadn’t read, so I picked it up. The cover caught my eye and the combination of that plus the author made this an easy purchase. I don’t even remember if I read the summary before purchasing other than to skim it to make sure I hadn’t read it before.

What I thought

I needed this book! I needed a light, fun book that would put a smile on my face and this was exactly that!

Lady Emma Wells-Finch is a head mistress at an all girls school in England and has come to Texas to do some research and also to find a way out of an unwanted engagement. Kenny Traveler is a pro golfer who has recently been suspended due to poor behavior. When Kenny is asked to help show Emma around Dallas, their personalities don’t initially mix but their chemistry does.

Phillips writes romance novels that remind me of Hallmark movies. Most of her main male characters are sports players and the women have strong personalities as well. My favorite romance novel trope is the hate to love romance. For some reason I am highly entertained by relationships that begin with the two main characters hating/disliking each other and then realizing that they love each other after all.

This book has a similar storyline in that Emma and Kenny aren’t the biggest fans of each other, but they don’t hate each other. In fact, they are immediately attracted to one another and personality wise, they can tolerate each other. Kenny isn’t about strong/bossy women and Emma is as bossy as they come. Emma is a good girl who has never done a bad thing in her life, but she wants to destroy her reputation to get out of a forced engagement. She sees that Kenny might be her best way to do this so she is more open to him than she would be if they met under normal circumstances.

Kenny and Emma are very fun together. One of the most important aspects of a good romance novel is the chemistry between the two main characters. If the characters aren’t good together then the reader won’t really care about their relationship and then as a result, the rest of the book. Kenny and Emma are definitely a pair that I was rooting for! They have enough in their own lives to make them complicated and interesting and not just flat.

Honestly, not too much to say/analyze about this book. The story is perfectly lovely and the writing is solid as with all Susan Elizabeth Phillips novels. If you are a fan of Hallmark movies, I recommend checking this book (or any of Phillips’ books) out. I loved reading it and will probably end up reading it again in the future since I own it!

We Were the Lucky Ones

By: Georgia Hunter
Published Year: 2017
Publisher: Viking
Pages: 417

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): An extraordinary, propulsive novel based on the true story of a family of Polish Jews who are separated at the start of the Second World War, determined to survive and to reunite.

It is the spring of 1939 and three generations of the Kurc family are doing their best to live normal lives, even as the shadow of war grows closer. The talk around the family Seder table is of new babies and budding romance, not of the increasing hardships threatening Jews in their hometown of Radom, Poland. But soon the horrors overtaking Europe will become inescapable and the Kurcs will be flung to the far corners of the world, each desperately trying to navigate his or her own path to safety. 

As one sibling is forced into exile, another attempts to flee the continent, while others struggle to escape certain death, either by working grueling hours on empty stomachs in the factories of the ghetto or by hiding as gentiles in plain sight. Driven by an unwavering will to survive and by the fear that they may never see one another again, the Kurcs must rely on hope, ingenuity, and inner strength to persevere. 

A novel of breathtaking sweep and scope that spans five continents and six years and transports readers from the jazz clubs of Paris to Krakow's most brutal prison to the ports of Northern Africa and the farthest reaches of the Siberian gulag, We Were the Lucky Ones demonstrates how in the face of the twentieth century's darkest moment, the human spirit can find a way to survive, and even triumph.

First Impressions

This book popped up on my radar based on the cover. I’m pretty sure it showed up on Goodreads, so obviously it made a good first impression! I was suckered in by the summary, as I definitely enjoy historical fiction set in the WW2 era. I debated saving this for a book club choice, but ultimately decided it would be more enjoyed by me than by the rest of my book club. When I had an urge to read something heavy/serious recently, I knew his was my choice.

What I thought

This book was so good!

Georgia Hunter, the author, discovered that her grandpa was a Holocaust survivor with a very unique story. After talking to family members and learning more, she decided to write a book about her family’s history and We Were the Lucky Ones was born. This book follows the Kurc family through the Holocaust. The majority of the Kurc’s lived in Poland when the war started, with Addy living in France. This story chronicles their journeys throughout the war and all of the struggles they faced.

Since the title itself is a bit of a spoiler, I don’t think I’m technically spoiling anything by saying that everyone survives. It was interesting to read a book about the Holocaust where the main characters didn’t end up dead. I am baffled that this entire family, truly, survived!

My favorite element of this story was that each family member had their own chapters. It was fascinating to read all of the different paths that Jews took during the war. Addy attempts to flee Europe, Genck gets sent to Siberia, Mila and their parents get stuck in the ghetto and I can’t even remember everyone else’s stories and names off the top of my head. I feel like a lot of Jewish WW2 stories follow running away, hiding, and being sent to camps. While I have no issue with this, as I think these are important stories to tell, I think it’s important to tell of the other paths too.

At times, it was a bit frustrating dealing with all of the different characters and story lines, but in the end it was worth it. Following the ups and downs of each family member made a lot of WW2 elements that are lesser known feel real. It helped remind me of everything that the Jewish people struggled with.

At the same time, I had no idea that Poland was so devastated by the war. So many stories that I’ve heard about have either been in Germany or American, with a few being in France, but I had not read any that took place in Poland. I think it is so important that these stories continue to be told and that we learn everyone’s history. It is the only way that we can learn from it, and considering the turmoil we are currently going through as a country, it is extremely important to remember now.

I truly enjoyed this book. For a heavy book, I whipped through it pretty quickly. This is not going to be a light book, but it is an easy read for a historical fiction. I highly recommend it, and if you have any book clubs that enjoy historical fiction I think this would be a great group read. The element that stopped me from rating it a full 5 stars is that I can’t see myself re-reading this book. I enjoyed it a lot and will definitely recommend it, but I think it’s a one time read kind of book.

Seven Days of Us

By: Francesca Hornak
Published Year: 2017
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 368

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I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): A warm, wry, sharply observed debut novel about what happens when a family is forced to spend a week together in quarantine over the holidays...

It’s Christmas, and for the first time in years the entire Birch family will be under one roof. Even Emma and Andrew’s elder daughter—who is usually off saving the world—will be joining them at Weyfield Hall, their aging country estate. But Olivia, a doctor, is only coming home because she has to. Having just returned from treating an epidemic abroad, she’s been told she must stay in quarantine for a week…and so too should her family.

For the next seven days, the Birches are locked down, cut off from the rest of humanity—and even decent Wi-Fi—and forced into each other’s orbits. Younger, unabashedly frivolous daughter Phoebe is fixated on her upcoming wedding, while Olivia deals with the culture shock of being immersed in first-world problems. 

As Andrew sequesters himself in his study writing scathing restaurant reviews and remembering his glory days as a war correspondent, Emma hides a secret that will turn the whole family upside down. 

In close proximity, not much can stay hidden for long, and as revelations and long-held tensions come to light, nothing is more shocking than the unexpected guest who’s about to arrive…

First Impressions

I don’t remember where I first heard about/saw this book, but I think it was in an article where the cover caught my eye. The summary sounded like the perfect book club book, so it jumped onto my radar right away. I don’t know if it’s the minimalism or the color, but the cover speaks to me!

What I thought

This book was exactly what I expected it to be, and I wish I could have saved it for a book club pick.

Olivia is coming home after 3 months of working in Liberia as a doctor on a contagious virus. As a result, she is required to spend a week in quarantine over Christmas. Her family, who she’s been successfully avoiding for years, is in on the quarantine with her over the holidays. Phoebe, her younger sister, Andrew, her dad, Emma, her mom, and Olivia all head out to their country home in hopes of making the quarantine feel more like a holiday. But when family, who hasn’t been together in quite a while, is forced to be closer than they have been in years, drama is guaranteed to occur.

I really liked the format of this book. It followed daily through the quarantine and rotated between each of the characters involved. I enjoyed being able to read the perspectives of each character in quarantine. I think when dealing with family stories, they are always richer when you get everyone involved.

The storyline with Phoebe and George (her fiancé) irritated me the most. Phoebe is a selfish and immature character and I could not care less about her and George. I did enjoy seeing the progress of Olivia and Phoebe’s relationship as well as the marriage of Andrew and Emma.

Family is complicated and this book showed those nuances perfectly. All of the relationships intertwined and each one had something that wasn’t perfect that they needed to work on. Without giving too much away, it was a perfect balance of ordinary family problems that are very relatable and a bit more abstract problems that make a book interesting.

There were some aspects that were predictable, but it didn’t bother me as much because they weren’t the main part of the book. I also appreciated that while this isn’t the type of book that is moving forward towards a plot point, like a mystery, it still moves at a good pace towards the end of quarantine.

The ending was not my favorite. There was a storyline towards the end that I wasn’t happy with and it did end up knocking it down a star or half star for me. It didn’t ruin the book for me in that I wouldn’t recommend it. In fact, I would still highly recommend it as a book club book. But it just ended on a bit of a blech note for me.

I enjoyed reading this book and seeing the family grow and connect over the course of 7 days. I liked the setting and each of the characters as well as their personal struggles. Like I mentioned, this book would be great as a book club book. There are some wonderful discussion points and I think that it would be a good crowd pleaser book. I look forward to checking out more by Hornak in the future.