The Lost for Words Bookshop

 

The Lost for Words Bookshop is a compelling, irresistible, and heart-rending novel, perfect for fans of The Storied Life of AJ Fikry and The Little Paris Bookshop.

Loveday Cardew prefers books to people. If you look carefully, you might glimpse the first lines of the novels she loves most tattooed on her skin. But there are some things Loveday will never, ever show you. Into her hiding place - the bookstore where she works - come a poet, a lover, and three suspicious deliveries. Someone has found out about her mysterious past. Will Loveday survive her own heartbreaking secrets?

This book was an absolute joy to read!  It really took me by surprise because I had heard it compared to AJ Fikry and Eleanor Oliphant, which are big book shoes to fill in my opinion.  But it is completely deserving of both of those comparisons, yet stands perfectly on its own.  The story is told so beautifully in the present day, with visits to the past to help us understand Loveday.  I found Loveday to be a lovable, complex character that I truly felt honored to read her life story.  The supporting characters were well developed and all played important parts in Loveday's journey.  Stephanie Butland will now be on my list of authors to seek out when looking for my next read.  If you are looking to for a book that gives you a character to root for and learn from, please give this book a chance.  I don't think you will be sorry!  

     * I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review *

 

The Last Year of the War

Elise Sontag is a typical Iowa fourteen-year-old in 1943--aware of the war but distanced from its reach. Then her father, a legal U.S. resident for nearly two decades, is suddenly arrested on suspicion of being a Nazi sympathizer. The family is sent to an internment camp in Texas, where, behind the armed guards and barbed wire, Elise feels stripped of everything beloved and familiar, including her own identity.

The only thing that makes the camp bearable is meeting fellow internee Mariko Inoue, a Japanese-American teen from Los Angeles, whose friendship empowers Elise to believe the life she knew before the war will again be hers. Together in the desert wilderness, Elise and Mariko hold tight the dream of being young American women with a future beyond the fences.

I am a big fan of books by Susan Meissner, so it was no surprise that I enjoyed this one as well.  Although, for me, A Fall of Marigolds, is her absolute best book!  This novel took me a little longer to read and once I realized that was going to be the case, I settled in and really dug into the story.  I discovered so much about internment camps in the United States during WWII, which I am embarrassed to say I don't remember ever hearing or learning about.  I felt so sad and lonely for the main character, Elise, in the early years of her life.  I can't imagine the fear she must have experienced, arriving in Germany that first day.  I will tell you that the first part of the story seemed a little slow and the last part felt too fast, but it all evened out and I didn't really care because I had to know what happened.  There is a dual perspective timeline in the story, but it is heavily told in the past, which worked, but I still would have liked more about Elise when she was older.  All in all, this was a solid read for me. For a WWII book to teach me something new, after all the books I've read centered during that time, it was completely worth it!

      * I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review *

It's Always the Husband

Kate, Aubrey, and Jenny. They first met as college roommates and soon became inseparable, even though they are as different as three women can be. Twenty years later, one of them is standing at the edge of a bridge . . and someone else is urging her to jump.

How did things come to this?

As the novel cuts back and forth between their college years and their adult years, you see the exact reasons why these women love and hate each other—but can feelings that strong lead to murder? Or will everyone assume, as is often the case, that it’s always the husband?

Wow - this book was an unexpected hit for me!  I went in completely blind, just knowing that it had mixed reviews.  I think that was the best way to do it, because while reading other reviews when I finished, some readers felt disappointed or misdirected from the synopsis.  I, on the other hand, really enjoyed the heck out of this one.  My only reason for 4 stars instead of 5, was two-fold.  First, it dragged on a bit too much at about the 30-40%.  Secondly, I didn't think bringing the character of Owen into the storyline with Kate, other than to be the sheriff, was necessary.  I thought the writing flowed nicely and it always hooked me to want to read another chapter.  If you are hesitant about this one, I'd encourage you to go in blind and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did!

* I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review *

The Path of Life

What is the path of life? Perhaps the path is clear, or it may be uncertain and filled with hardships, abundant blessings, or both. No matter what their paths have been, The Path of Life will help readers discover and learn how to follow God's path for their lives.

The paths of the Bible and the ones in our world have several things in common. A path always has a destination (often water, food, or shelter). Someone or something has gone before and created the path. We are never the first ones to walk a path. Most paths have been there for a long time; they are tested, tried, and established. Each path has a purpose, a plan, and a destination.

Readers will learn how to navigate God's plan for their lives. The Bible contains many references to "the path." When readers understand what the Bible says about paths, they are more equipped to navigate their own paths. Lisa Robertson is passionate about walking alongside women to uncover the mysteries, symbolism, and truths about the path of life.

This book was interesting.  I really enjoyed some chapters, while others didn't connect with me.  There were several chapters that I took something away that I could apply to my life.  Others, I just felt a little lost.  I wasn't sure how everything really applied to the idea of "The Path of Life".  But with all that being said, I would recommend this book because I really did enjoy most of it.  That can often happen in these types of books, because every person is at a different stage in life.  My favorite chapters were those that dealt directly with parenting.  I would read those chapters again just to remind myself.  Overall, a well-written book, with a great message!

    

   * I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review *

The Library of Lost and Found

Librarian Martha Storm has always found it easier to connect with books than people—though not for lack of trying. She keeps careful lists of how to help others in her superhero-themed notebook. And yet, sometimes it feels like she’s invisible.

All of that changes when a book of fairy tales arrives on her doorstep. Inside, Martha finds a dedication written to her by her best friend—her grandmother Zelda—who died under mysterious circumstances years earlier. When Martha discovers a clue within the book that her grandmother may still be alive, she becomes determined to discover the truth. As she delves deeper into Zelda’s past, she unwittingly reveals a family secret that will change her life forever.

Filled with Phaedra Patrick’s signature charm and vivid characters, The Library of Lost and Found is a heartwarming and poignant tale of how one woman must take control of her destiny to write her own happy ending.

I always feel kind of bad when I write a review for a book I didn't like, but I have to give an honest review.  This book started soooo slow for me.  I almost gave up, but then towards the middle it picked up enough that I became interested in where the story was going.  But then the last part because a slog again and I just powered through in order to finish.  If you pick this up, like I did, because you expect a story about libraries and books, you'll be disappointed.  This is a story that's been told several times in different ways and I just didn't like this one.  The only parts I enjoyed were the stories that Martha had written as a child, but it wasn't enough for me to really care about the characters.  Some books just aren't the right books for certain people, and I think this was just not the right book for me.    

 * I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review *

 

My Lovely Wife

Dexter meets Mr. and Mrs. Smith in this wildly compulsive debut thriller about a couple whose fifteen-year marriage has finally gotten too interesting...

Our love story is simple. I met a gorgeous woman. We fell in love. We had kids. We moved to the suburbs. We told each other our biggest dreams, and our darkest secrets. And then we got bored.

We look like a normal couple. We're your neighbors, the parents of your kid's friend, the acquaintances you keep meaning to get dinner with.

We all have secrets to keeping a marriage alive.

Ours just happens to be getting away with murder.

I went into this book with a little trepidation because it was getting a lot of buzz on Instagram and I just didn't think it could live up to the hype.  Boy, was I wrong!  I was mesmerized from the first page.  I have to admit that I've never seen Dexter or Mr. and Mrs. Smith so I didn't really know what exactly to expect in this novel from those comparisons.  In my opinion, this is a book you should go into completely blind and enjoy the ride.  I picked this up while on a beach trip and I probably ignored my husband and kids more than I should have to try and "just read one more chapter".  If you are looking for a thriller that isn't super dark and graphic, but is different than others out there right now, pick this one up soon!       

 * I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review *