You Don't Know Me by Sara Foster Release Date 3/31/20

4 Stars for You Don't Know Me by Sara Foster!

Happy Release Day to You Don't Know Me!

This was the first book I've read by Sara Foster so I wasn't aware how strong her descriptions and character development are. A bit slow for me in the middle, but the end was like a grand finale fireworks presentation, saving all the gusto and bang for the last bit of the book.

In the face of tragedy, suspense, and mystery, a profound love story exists. Pulled together by pasts peppered with secrets, doubts, and guilt, Noah and Alice fall in love when they are both escaping on vacation from their "normal," lives. When vacation is over and they must return to what they walked away from, everything they know and believe to be true will be tested.

This book kept me guessing until the very end. I felt very attached to Noah and wanted him to be the good guy when the final page was turned.

A great distraction, intense, and worthy of a great recommendation from me, thank you @Netgalley @blackstonepublishing and @sarafosterauthor for a great read before the rest of the world gets their hands on it. #booksforcorona #bookstoescape #bookstoread #4stars #bookreview #bookblog #sendmebooks #booklover #booknerd #bookedlunch #stayuplatetoread #releaseday #suspenseful #pageturner #lookinabook #blackstonepublishing #netgalley



Book Review: The Way Life Should Be by Christina Baker Kline

5 STARS for The Way Life Should Be by Christina Baker Kline!

I picked this treasure up at my favorite local used bookstore prior to all of the shutting down of my favorite places. I needed something a little different than my usual doom, gloom, suspense. This book was EXACTLY what I needed right now.

It's about a young woman who leaves home basically for a guy (although she never wanted to admit this) she meets online. Of course, he turns out to be a complete flop but she doesn't realize that until she has already packed her boxes and moved out of the home she shared with her dad, stepmother, and grandmother.

Angela feels stuck in Maine after losing her job. The disappointments continue as she leaves, "MaineCatch." She starts working at a warm, cozy, little coffee shop in Maine and develops so many great relationships, that she begins to find out who she really is. Weaving recipes, advice, and the "gift," from her Italian grandmother for cooking, Christina Baker Kline creates a cast of characters in a dreamy setting that seems safe, untouched, and warm.

This book (and the fantastic recipes) was a retreat for me. So much so, that I ordered used copies of all her other books online in one sitting. The descriptions of the scenery with their quirky characters made me feel like I was smack dab in the middle of this story with Angela. I smelled the fresh baked goodies and the garlic and onions being sauteed for dinner.

Such a gem! I highly recommend this one for an easy, lighthearted escape from reality. I feel like I left a part of my heart in Maine and I'm looking forward to reading Christina's other books when they arrive. @bakerkline

#5stars #bookreview #bookblogger #readgoodbooks #thewaylifeshouldbe #perfecttitle #bookstagram #readersofinsta #instabook #nerdlife #stayhomeandread #stayhome #keepreading #escapewithabook #bookschangelives #loveawriter #loveareader #lovetoread #bibliophile



Book Review: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel Released in 2014

5 STARS for Station Eleven!

    I read Station Eleven for my neighborhood book club. It was recommended by a member of the club over a month ago and available from our library as a book club kit. At the time the decision was made to read it, the COVID-19 outbreak was just becoming a concern in the United States, as we were seeing what it was doing to China and I believe at this point, had only a few confirmed cases in the US.

   Additionally, at the time the book was selected to be read, toilet paper was still widely available, as were paper towels, bread, and rice. Libraries were still open and had normal hours, as were grocery stores. All of our children were still going to school, able to go to the playground. Field trips were planned and paid for, and national parks were open for adventures and dreaming. Also when this book was selected, date night was something that included options to go see a movie, barhop, or have dinner away from home. Now, bars and restaurants are closed and only at this time offering take-out or delivery options. Movie theaters are empty. There are talks of curfews and "shelter in place," as well as limitations on visiting with friends and family. Currently, no one should be in groups of more than ten people and NO ONE can visit a nursing home or assisted living facility. No one.

  Probably for reasons similar to why I gave Handmaid's Tale and The Testaments both 5 stars, Station Eleven follows right behind with a chilling and unreal account that 30 days ago, none of us could have really thought would be possible in the US.

  When I finished the last page, I just sat. Numb. How could I review this book? How was this written with such clarity and almost prophetic significance? Where did Emily Mandel come up with this? Was it a dream that she woke up and feverishly felt she had to get down on paper? Was it a fear? Had she read something about the Spanish Flu and was inspired and driven to tell a story about how our present world could turn upside down if something similar were to attack the world?

  I found one of the most beautiful things that Emily uses is her gift of drawing life and death so intricately with her words. She describes such destruction with bleak depth about things such as imploding structures and burnt out old buildings and then turns right around and will describe the flowers growing out of the cracks in the concrete. She does that time and again. My book is marked up from one end to the other and I found this element so beautiful throughout the book.

  When the Georgia Flu strikes, airplanes are grounded, the internet is non-existent. Power is lost. Very few are able to remember the hum of the air-conditioner, the coldness of the refrigerator, what happens when you flip the light switch when walking into a room. Few remember TV shows, magazines, and warm or cold water coming out of the faucet. Because all of the workers making all of those technological advances function became sick, could no longer work.

  I had literally 30 pages left and it took me a very long time to finish those 30 pages because I wasn't confident that the tides were going to turn, that the book would end nicely. That I would be relieved, hopeful, or feel humanity is not destined to walk down this same path due to some of the same circumstances outlined in this book. Some of which are very real and palpable right now. But, I did finish it. And, highly recommend it regardless of which side of the doomsday prepping scale you find yourself on.

#COVID19 #awesomebook #lessonslearned #beautifullywritten #amazed #bookofthetimes #timelybook #howdidshewritethis #5stars #bookreview #bookblog #sendmemorebooks #readtolive #readgoodbooks #suspenseful #different #mustread

Book Review: Unfollow Me by Charlotte Duckworth Release Date 3/10/20

5 Stars for Unfollow Me by Charlotte Duckworth!

Violet is a mom like so many we follow. She posts on youtube, instagram, and has fans everywhere who tune in to feel better about their lives, shortcomings, and to feel like they aren't in the mommy trenches alone. When all of Violet's social media accounts get deleted, it causes a fan frenzy and no one knows what is going on with Violet and why she disappeared.

Unfollow Me takes you on a journey of 2 Violet's biggest fans and her husband. Did they have anything to do with what seems like Violet's disappearance?

Lily and Yvonne are easy to relate to and could be any one of your friends. Mysterious behavior and past circumstances will have you guessing how all of the pieces will fit together at the end. And, what about the husband and his past? You are going to swear you know these people!

Charlotte did an amazing job crafting believable and real characters and the way the book is written, you'll feel like you're catching up with Lily and Yvonne over coffee, gossiping about what has happened to Violet.

Thank you to @Netgalley and @CrookedLanebooks for the chance to read this one before everyone else. @charduck, this was excellent! So many women are going to be sucked in immediately at the characters they would swear are their friends. Happy Book Release to you!!

#unfollowme #notreally #bookreviews #5stars #socialmediabook #vloglife #mommytrenches #sendmebooks #loveabook #nerdalert #readinglikeitsmyjob #maybeoneday #crookedlanebooks #netgalley #bibliophile #readgoodbooks #trustmyreviews #suspense #stopthespreadofcorona #stayhomeandread

Book Review: Please See Us by Caitlin Mullen Release Date 3/3/2020

5 Stars for Please See Us!
My 5 star book spree continues!!

I had to find time to myself today to finish this book. I couldn't take the interruptions any longer. So, I did what any bookworm like myself would do on a sunny day in NC. I found 2 trees and hid in the hammock for a few hours.

Please See Us is Caitlin Mullen's first book and I think I can speak for the collective "we," when I say those of us who have been lucky enough to read Please See Us are already waiting for her next book.

Atlantic City has had it's ups and downs over the years as business comes and goes with the casinos. Entire groups of people work to support the tourists that come and go from the casinos. One girl is coming of age in the thick of it. Raised by her aunt, trying to save up any money she can get, Clara discovers that reading tarot cards is not her only ability.

When a man walks in and asks for Clara's help with his missing niece, she cannot stop seeing visions and from then on, Caitlin Mullen walks us through the lives of the missing women and the ways their lives turn upside down before ending up in the marsh. Which women will be next? Who will believe her? Will she be next?

Gripping, nail-biting, and smelly, Caitlin does an impeccable job linking all of the characters in a way that seems logical and so easy to believe. You'll be so immersed with this book, you will itch and your skin crawl as you rush to the end, hoping the girls are seen before another one ends up in the line. 

This book comes out in 2 days. If you're looking for something a bit different with a few unexpected twists that you won't be able to put down, this book is the one for you!

Thank you to @GalleryBooks and @Simonschuster for providing me with an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  @bonnieandglyde @caitlin_e_mullen #PleaseSeeUs #atlanticcity #marshgirls #scary #casinolife #tarotcards #thriller #5stars #springread