Review: The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin

Posted on December 28, 2017 by Jenn

I received this book for free from Publisher (egalley) in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: The Immortalists by Chloe BenjaminThe Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin
Published by Penguin on January 9, 2018
Genres: Family Life, Fiction, Literary
Pages: 352
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher (egalley)
It's the late 1960s in New York City's Lower East Side.  The Gold children- Simon, Klara, Daniel & Varya learn of a psychic who can predict the exact date of one's death.  Ever curious, the siblings sneak away to learn their fate.  What they learn will forever alter the paths their lives take.

I’ve been in a desperate book funk for the last several months.  My life has been crazy hectic, and I found it difficult to become invested enough in a novel for it to keep my attention.  That all changed when I picked up this book.

It’s not always an easy read, but one that forces you to reflect upon your own life and what you would do if you knew the very day you were going to die. Whether you were destined a long life or a short, would that change how you lived your life? If you were “promised” a long life would you cherish your days any more than if you learned you only had a few short years to live?

For the Gold children, their fate was altered the moment they learned this information.  The key question is, however, was the psychic’s prophecy true, or did the decisions they make lead them down a path they would have not ventured without this information?

All in all, this is a truly deep and introspective read. I received it as a recommendation after requesting a “lasting” book, one that would reside within my soul for some time even after reading it.  This completely and totally rings true for this title.  Highly, highly recommended.

 

Posted in General Fiction, Review, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

I’m Still Here!

Posted on December 15, 2017 by Jenn

It’s been a while since I posted! I haven’t fallen off the face of the earth, although sometimes it feels like I have!

Over a year ago my husband lost his job as a government contractor. Politics, and the status of the job market has made it challenging to find employment.  So, I’ve been working hard, both at my full-time job and my LuLaRoe business, to help support our family.

That doesn’t leave me much time to read, though I’m making it a priority to “reward” myself with that again.  I’m about to embark on my busy travel time of year, which means quite a few flights and quite a bit of reading time.

 

So, thank you for your patience and understanding!  Fill me in on the books I’ve missed in the last several months!

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2017 #ThankfullyReading Weekend Wrap-Up Post

Posted on November 26, 2017 by Jenn

ThankfullyReading

 

Another year of Thankfully Reading Weekend has come to an end. I didn’t get nearly as much reading done as I would have hoped  That’s not going to stop me from getting more reading in now that I’m home!

For those of you interested in doing a wrap-up post, I’ve included a link-up below.

Don’t forget, challenges are still up:

What Makes a Good Reading Menu?
What Book Are You Most Thankful For?
Small Business Saturday Indie Bookstore Challenge

Thank you again to all who participated. Get those last few hours of reading in!!

Posted in Thankfully Reading Weekend | 2 Comments

2017 #ThankfullyReading Weekend: Day Four (Small Business Saturday)

Posted on November 25, 2017 by Jenn

 

ThankfullyReading

It’s Day Four of Thankfully Reading Weekend! Can you believe how quickly the time has flown by?

Today, I encourage you to take a small break from reading to participate in Small Business Saturday.  Have a local independent bookstore? Pay them a visit and let them know how much you appreciate them!

Since we’re on the road today, we made sure to visit our favorite independent bookstore, One More Page Books in Arlington, VA earlier in the month! I’m sure we’ll be planning a visit in the next few weeks as well!

Today’s challenge is easy! Did you visit your local indie today? Share a pic of your purchases!  Include the post with pic or list of books you picked up in the link up  below!


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2017 #ThankfullyReading Weekend: Day Three

Posted on November 24, 2017 by Jenn

ThankfullyReading

 

Happy Day After Thankgiving! How did everyone do yesterday? Full stomachs, plenty of reading time…sounds like bliss to me! I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to a day of reading, avoiding the retail madness! I admit do doing a little online pre-Black Friday shopping last night. It was too difficult to resist! I may visit a few stores today (hello, Half Price Books!) but nothing major!

For today’s challenge, I invite you to write about the book you are most thankful for this year. Is it a book written by one of your favorite authors or one you just happened to come upon? Tell us about it!  Include a link to your post below (or if you don’t have a blog, tell us about the book in the comments.


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2017 Thankfully Reading Weekend: Day Two!

Posted on November 23, 2017 by Jenn

ThankfullyReading

 

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

For today’s challenge, let’s talk about a “reading menu.” What makes a good menu to you?  What are your favorite genres, favorite books? Any tactics authors use that drives you crazy (like cliffhangers!?).

Feel free to answer in the comments or below! I’ve also added a Mr. Linky for those updating on their blogs!

 


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2017 Thankfully Reading Weekend Kick-Off!

Posted on November 22, 2017 by Jenn

ThankfullyReading

 

It’s time!!

This is the official kick off post for Thankfully Reading!  Instead of braving the crowds and shopping this weekend, we’re spending our time curled up with a book!

Feel free to link up your kick-off post below, as well as any update posts you have. Don’t have a blog? Don’t worry! You can keep us updated on your progress in the comments below, on Instagram  or Twitter (use #thankfullyreading or make sure you tag me so I can see it!) Haven’t signed up yet to participate? Not to worry! There is still plenty of time!

If you don’t know what to post, here are some ideas. But remember there are no rules; feel free to post as little/as much as you like!

  • How will/did you celebrate Thanksgiving?
  • What’s in your TBR pile for the weekend?
  • How much time do you think you’ll have for reading?
  • What book are you starting out with?
  • Are you reading print, ebooks, or audio? Maybe a bit each?
  • What books will you be talking about during Thanksgiving dinner? Be sure to keep track of any recommendations you receive and share when you have the time.If you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, don’t worry, this is a weekend for everyone throughout the world.
  • Pictures and/or vlogs are a great thing to add to your kick-off posts!

Throughout the weekend, feel free to post about your progress or even get some reviews up. Be sure to come back and link up your posts. Then take a break and check out everyone else’s posts. We’re looking forward to seeing how everyone else is celebrating Thankfully Reading Weekend.

Oh and don’t forget that some of your fellow readers will be on Twitter. You can search for Thankfully Reading Weekend tweets and hook up with others by using the hashtag #thankfullyreading.

On Sunday afternoon, we’ll post another link-up for your wrap-up post. Tell us how your Thankfully Reading Weekend went. You could give mini-reviews of your books, tell us how many books and which books you read, number of pages, number of hours, and so on. This is a rule-free, contest-free event, so you can wrap up the weekend however you’d like.

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Thankfully Reading Weekend Begins Tomorrow!

Posted on November 21, 2017 by Jenn

ThankfullyReading

 

Thankfully Reading Weekend starts tomorrow!! I’m so excited!  We’re heading to my parents for Thanksgiving; the road trip allows for several hours of quality reading!

What books do you have selected for your Thankfully Reading Weekend?  Post in comments below, or in a post of your own.  You can also use Twitter or Instagram, just use the hashtag #thankfullyreading!

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2017 Thankfully Reading Weekend!

Posted on November 14, 2017 by Jenn

ThankfullyReading

 

Thanksgiving is just right around the corner. With that comes the dreaded Black Friday (well, now lately, it’s Black Thursday, too!).

I’m pleased to announce that I will once again be hosting Thankfully Reading Weekend, November 22-26th! Yes, that’s a long weekend, but I figure people have time off for the holidays and, therefore, time to read! Want to avoid the crowds & shopping on Black Friday? Plan on spending a nice, quiet holiday at home? Join us!

Just what is this Thankfully Reading Weekend I speak of?  Here are the details:

There are no rules to the weekend, we’re simply hoping to devote a good amount of time to reading, and perhaps meeting some of our reading challenges and goals for the year. We thought it’d be fun if we cheered each other on a bit. If you think you can join in, grab the button  and add your sign up post to the link-up below. If you don’t have a blog, you can sign up the comments or sign up using a link to your Twitter account or Facebook page!

Want to host a challenge? Email me directly at jennsbookshelf@gmail.com.

We’ll also be checking in on Twitter and Instagram using hashtag #thankfullyreading. Join in for the weekend or for only a single day. No rules, no pressure!

Stay tuned; more details to come!


Posted in Thankfully Reading Weekend | 4 Comments

Review: Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak

Posted on November 2, 2017 by Jenn

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: Seven Days of Us by Francesca HornakSeven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak
Published by Penguin on October 17, 2017
Genres: Contemporary Women, Family Life, Fiction, General, Humorous
Pages: 368
Format: eARC
Source: the publisher
This is the first Christmas in years that the entire Birch family will be under one roof.  This is a rare occasion for Emma and Andrew, to have both their grown daughters in one place. Olivia, a doctor, is usually in some foreign fighting some epidemic, but this year she'll be home.  It's not by choice, however.  She's just returned from treating the horrific Haag epidemic and is under forced quarantine for a week.  Her family is encouraged to do the same, so they've reunited at Weyfield Hall, the family's country estate.

For the next week, the Birch family is on lock-down, permitted from making physical contact with anyone outside the home. The weak WiFi signal exacerbates their feelings of isolation.  Each are focusing on their own struggles, but due to the isolation are unable to enjoy any sort of privacy in order to deal with them.  Andrew and Emma both have secrets that will turn the family's world upside down.  Youngest daughter Phoebe is fixated on her upcoming wedding, writhing in jealousy and irritation at Olivia's presence.

Without a reprieve from the quarantine, it's no surprise that the secrets rise to the surface, making this the most memorable Christmas in Birch family history.

Told in alternating viewpoints, this title is one of the most engaging and heartwarming books I’ve read in some time; the perfect book to read around the holidays.  Sure, many of us kid about the drama of family holidays and the insanity that ensues, but in many cases they are memorable reunions.  In the case of the Birch family, they have quite a bit of latent issues that must be resolved in order to deal with the secrets that are revealed.

Hornak does an outstanding job of developing her characters.  As each chapter is devoted to one of the family members, from their point of view, we get a realistic and accurate glimpse of their character and personality.  Hornak alternates between humor and drama (some pretty tear-jerking scenes, I might add), picking up on the genuine feel of this family.

This isn’t a novel about a perfect family that has some challenges they overcome in just a matter of days, but one in which a truly dysfunctional family must come to terms with secrets that come to light that will ultimately change their future, their family dynamic, their outlook on life.  To me, this is the more realistic story. Captivating, humorous, witty.  A truly engaging read.  Highly recommended!

Posted in General Fiction, Review | 1 Comment