Review: Hausfrau by Jill Alexander Essbaum

Posted on March 18, 2015 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: Hausfrau by Jill Alexander EssbaumHausfrau by Jill Alexander Essbaum
Published by Random House on March 17, 2015
Pages: 336
Format: eARC
Source: the publisher
American Anna Benz lives with her Swiss husband and three children in Zürich.  She has quite the lofty life but, as an American, she feels alone. Her husband works hard and provides a comfortable existence for Anna and their children, but their marriage lacks any sort of emotional connection. To ease her loneliness, she enrolls in German language classes...and a multitude of sordid sexual affairs that she enters with alarming ease. Ending the relationships, however, is quite difficult and soon finds herself losing control of the web of lies she's weaved around her.  Her life becomes of spiral lacking any control and Anna soon learns, through devastating consequences, that she can never go back to the life she once had.

I first heard about this title on Twitter (imagine that) after a number of bookish people were chatting about this stunning up and coming title. Well, of course I had to read it.  I knew the premise but was in no way prepared for how this book moved me.

Anna’s character is a hard one to like. She has sex. A lot of it. With complete strangers.  Yet at the same time, you can’t help but feel sympathy for her and her situation. An American in a foreign country, with only an emotionally distant husband and overbearing mother-in-law as the only adults you socialize with regularly.  While I wouldn’t recommend the method she takes to gain an emotional connection, I could understand her desperation.

I found myself yelling at Anna as I tore through the pages. She’s an intelligent woman…who makes some pretty bad decisions. The author crafts Anna so brilliantly, capturing the two sides of Anna’s existence with expert precision. As I indicated, I knew about the basic premise of this title going in, yet I couldn’t even fathom how deep it would go psychologically.  The emotional emptiness and isolation Anna feels is quite devastating. I can’t even imagine moving to a completely different country without having a circle of friends and family. Yet Anna is thrust into this existence and expected to carry on as the perfect mother and wife. While that’s the facade she’s built up on the surface, it’s certainly not the true existence she leads. Unfortunately, it takes a truly devastating incident to wake her up and reckon with the choices she’s made.

I’m intentionally being quite vague with a large portion of my analysis. It is my opinion that readers should go into a book with as few preconceived notions as possible. If you are one of those people…skip the next paragraph.

I read this book during a business trip. I was on a pretty long flight, buckled into my seat comfortably and prepared to immerse myself in Hausfrau. By the end of the flight, I was a sobbing mess. Never could I have imagined the emotional toll this book would take on me. First, I couldn’t stand Anna’s character. I wanted to yell at her, to shake some sense into her. I think this strong emotional reaction actually made me bond with her, in a way. So when she was dealt the devastating blow, so did I. I sobbed. On a plane. No hiding it. And for days following, I couldn’t bear to pick up another book. I felt as though Anna was a real person, a friend of mine experiencing an unfathomable loss.

(Ok, it’s safe to read now!)
Hausfrau is a title, now that it has been released, that everyone will be talking about. I’m not going to compare it to other titles who have received the same acclaim, for it honestly stands on its own like no other.  I read this book three months ago and I still can’t stop thinking about it. My emotional reaction still lingers and I don’t believe it will fade for some time.

So, knowing what you know now, I do encourage you to pick up this moving, compelling, brilliant (enter all the adjectives here) novel. You won’t soon forget it. And after you do read it, come back and tell me about your experience. This is certainly a book worth talking about!  Highly, highly recommended.

I so adored this title that it was my March recommendation for Readerly (formerly Bloggers Recommend):

Readerly

Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Review: The Precious One by Marisa De Los Santos

Posted on March 16, 2015 by Jenn

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

Review: The Precious One by Marisa De Los SantosThe Precious One Published by William Morrow on March 24, 2015
Pages: 368
Format: eARC
Eustacia “Taisy” Cleary's relationship with her father is far from typical. Wilson Cleary, though a brilliant professor, could stand to learn a few lessons on how to be a loving father. Seventeen years ago, he left Taisy, her mother and brother, Marcus, for Caroline, a talented sculptor.  In those seventeen years, Taisy has only seen her father once.  So when he invites Taisy and Marcus to visit for an extended period of time, Taisy can't help but question his motives.

It wasn't just Wilson's cold and uncaring relationship that caused a riff in this father/daughter relationship.  He forced Taisy to end a relationship with her first love, Ben Ransom.  Why would he want to reunite with her now? Under the guise of ghost-writing his memoir, Taisy reluctantly returns to the home that was once her own, to meet her half sister, Willow, who now has possession of her childhood room. This reunion could be disastrous, yet for some reason Taisy can't say no.

Told in alternating voices, The Precious One follows Taisy and Willow through a journey of love of family, of self-actualization and secrets.  Though their voices are drastically different – Taisy’s is more strong and determined while Willow’s is young and naive – they have a shared desire to have the nurturing connection that is part of a typical family.  With Wilson as their emotionally controlling father, however, each have had their own share of struggles and difficulties in relationships.  Taisy has never gotten over her one true love, and Willow finds herself entering an inappropriate relationship because she doesn’t have, in Wilson, the typical male role model.  Home-schooled most of her life, she doesn’t have a history of healthy peer relationships to help guide her on her journey to maturity and adulthood. Unable to discern between romantic love and simple affection, she puts herself at risk for harm and abuse.

Taisy, on the other hand, is desperate to learn more about her father’s upbringing, certain that it will bring to life the motives and situations that caused him to be so sheltered and guarded, emotionally. She intentionally investigates the part of his life she was forbidden to write about.

As Taisy and Willow go on their own individual journeys of self-discovery, they are simultaneously battling out the relationship with one another. Both full of preconceived notions and perceptions,  it is the new relationship forged by this battle that is their salvation.

While I found the sister relationship  to be heartwarming and endearing, I felt overall this novel to be too perfect, too cut and dry.  The male characters were either good or evil, set in stone from the beginning with little shift in characterization.  The saving grace was the evolution that Taisy and Willow’s relationship underwent. Their characters embarked upon a remarkable change, shedding all the misconceptions and bitterness that once wore their relationship down.

Honestly, there were times where I didn’t know where the novel was going. Tangents led me to believe it was going one way, only to find it going in a completely opposite direction. Additionally, I felt more depth could have gone into Wilson’s history. Perhaps I would have felt more connected or interested in his character had there been more. Or, perhaps this was the intent, to craft a character that is a mere shell of a human being.

So, while I would not recommend this book for the plot or the storyline, I would highly recommend it for the remarkably crafted and evolved female characters and the powerful, emotional journey they embark upon.  If you are looking for novel to lift your spirits, this is the one for you. If you are looking for something deeper, more profound, you are better off looking elsewhere.

Posted in General Fiction, Review | Leave a comment

Review: What Stands in a Storm: Three Days in the Worst Superstorm to Hit the South’s Tornado Alley by Kim Cross

Posted on March 12, 2015 by Jenn

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

Review: What Stands in a Storm: Three Days in the Worst Superstorm to Hit the South’s Tornado Alley by Kim CrossWhat Stands in a Storm Published by Atria on March 10, 2015
Genres: Non-Fiction
Pages: 320
Format: ARC
Across Alabama, people followed the black mass growing on their screen. In solid brick houses and double-wide trailers, in college dorm rooms and government projects, in church basements corporate offices, and living rooms, people watched it unfolding, live. Through the unblinking eye of the rooftop camera, the people of Tuscaloosa saw death come into town.

 

In late April, 2011, over 300 tornadoes tore through twenty-one states.  Over 300 people were killed,  property damaged peaked at over $10 billion.  In What Stands in a Storm, Cross captures the series of events that led up to this superstorm, following the eyewitnesses through the storm into the resulting devastating aftermath.

The lasting impact wasn't the storm damage, although severe enough to be seen from space. Instead, it was the fortitude of those who survived, a group of ordinary people that came together to recover, rebuild and heal following this history breaking storm.

I grew up in the  Midwest. I’m quite familiar with tornadoes and the deafening sounds of the alarms meant to warn citizens of the impending danger. We had hundreds of tornado drills in school, every child familiar with the term “duck and cover.” It was a part of our everyday lives; our instincts would force us into action at the sound of that alarm. Yet fortunately, I never had to face a devastation like the one that ravaged Alabama in 2011.

Cross combines personal testimonies from a variety of individuals, from run of mill citizens to storm chasers and professional meteorologists to craft  a richly detailed, emotional narrative of this tragic day in history.  Her passion and dedication to this story is clear in her writing. I found myself turning page after page, refusing to take a break from this captivating account. Additionally, she provides scientific explanation for the behavior of storms, reaching back decades to trace the history and evolution of storm tracking. While this may seem boring to some, the fact that it is combined with personal, heartwarming experiences makes adds the impact to this truly moving read.

While I was originally dismayed to see that no photographic evidence was included, I soon discovered that Cross’ brilliant writing is so detailed that the images become alive in ones mind as they read through each and every account. This book has done what Twister did for movie-goers: it has provided an experience I won’t soon forget! Highly, highly recommended.

Posted in Non-Fiction, Review | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Review: Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman

Posted on March 10, 2015 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: Shadow Scale by Rachel HartmanShadow Scale by Rachel Hartman
Series: Seraphina
Also in this series: Seraphina
Also by this author: Seraphina
on March 10, 2015
Genres: Fantasy, YA
Pages: 608
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
War has broken out between the humans and dragons, making Seraphina's struggle even more tremendous. Half-human, half-dragon, Seraphina has battled with keeping her identity hidden for her own safety. Now, that demand is even stronger.  The only way to put an end to the battle is to find others like her, beings known as the ityasaari, for they all share a connection that may bring an end to the ages-long battle. Seraphina embarks on an epic battle to unite a group that, once together, will use their powerful magic to bring an end to the fighting.  Unfortunately, many obstacles stand in her way, including a ityasaari with the ability to read and control minds, even Seraphina's.  With the fate of the world in her hands, Seraphina must not only embrace her new identity, but use those talents kept long-hidden in an effort to put an end to this deadly and terrifying war.

I can’t tell you how nervous I was, given the opportunity to read the follow-up to a book I cherished so greatly. Would it live up to its predecessor? Could I possibly love it as much?  I don’t know why I had any doubt, for Shadow Scale not only lived up to, but exceeded all of my expectations.  In the previous novel, the reader is an observer on Seraphina’s journey to discover and understand her identity.  In this second novel, Seraphina continues this journey of discovery, forced to not only come to terms but also celebrate her talent within.

This second volume is a truly epic story. The world Hartman creates is impressive, immediately immersing the reader in a vast world made up of creatures that surpass one’s imagination.  Additionally, the supporting characters introduced in the first book return, each developing and evolving before the readers’ eyes.

The pacing of this novel is a bit slower than the previous. Much like the journey Seraphina and her cohorts embark upon, the journey the reader takes is intense as well. This isn’t a novel that you rush through, like any other epic you must follow the highs and lows in order to get to the intense moments of action and intensity.  That’s not to say that it is full of unnecessary prose; Hartman uses the ebbs in action to flesh out and build upon the characters.

While this is a young adult novel, this is certainly a book that can be read by adults (as well as those on the high-end of the middle grade scale).  Seraphina’s struggle with her identity is something that readers of all ages will embrace and understand.  When I say this is a coming-of-age novel, I don’t want it to seem to be a cliche; the journey Seraphina embarks upon is incredibly daunting and dangerous. Teens struggling with their own identities (especially those of mixed race like my own boys) will find similarities in the struggles Seraphina faces. Speaking from my own children’s reading experience, this specific sort of identity struggle is not often embraced.  So, in addition to being a truly tremendous reading experience, this novel is unique in its ability to show the struggle of understanding and celebrating a heritage that isn’t always cut-and-dry and obvious.

Bottom line: if you haven’t had the opportunity take part in this brilliant journey, I do encourage you to do so. Start at the beginning, with Seraphina, and follow Seraphina on this journey of self-discovery and acceptance. Highly, highly recommended.

Posted in Review, YA | 4 Comments

7th Anniversary Special: Looking Forward

Posted on March 9, 2015 by Jenn

blogiversary

Yesterday, Jenn’s Bookshelves celebrated it’s 7th birthday. Wow, the time has flown by! As with anything, there have been some hits & misses, some successes and failures.  Each year, I’ve come up with a different way to celebrate.  Let’s look back, shall we?

Pros & Cons of Blogging
Things I Wish I Knew as a New Blogger
Writers for the Red Cross (unfortunately no longer in existence)
Your Questions Have Been Answered (two parts!)

This year, I’m hoping to provide support to new/-ish bloggers through two recent ventures.  First, a series I created called A Day in the Life of a Book Reviewer.  In these posts, I share advice/expertise in a number of issues.

 

Secondly, I’m pleased to be one of the veteran bloggers involved in the Book Blogger Buddy System:

BBBS header

The Book Blogger Buddy System 2.0 is a Q&A forum, where you can submit questions about any and all aspects of book blogging—critical, technical, social, ethical—and get thoughtful, knowledgeable answers and advice. We’re envisioning it as a place where newer bloggers can find guidance from blogging vets—but new things can happen to established bloggers too, and we’re also here to talk about those.

The Book Blogger Buddy System also has a mentoring program aspect:

Would you like to share your hard-earned experience to help a new book blogger get off to a strong start? Do you have questions that a more experienced blogger might be able to answer? Would you like having a go-to person for bouncing blogging ideas, trading feedback, and giving the occasional reality check? We’d like to help you find that person! Just answer a few questions on our Book Blogger Buddy System Match-Up Form, and we’ll get to work on it.

 

The extremely talented team of veterans making up the Book Blogger Buddy System team include myself and these four extremely talented women:
Teresa. Shelf Love

 

I’m really excited to see where this new venture takes us!

 

So, back to the celebration!  What’s a party without gifts?  Today, I’m pleased to offer my followers a $40 gift certificate to my favorite bookish gift site, GoneReading!  Here’s a bit about GoneReading, if you aren’t familiar:

We don’t sell books.  Rather, we sell products that enhance your reading life.  From functional reading accessories to bookish home décor, GoneReading improves the quality of your reading experience and surrounds you with delightful bookish-ness you won’t find elsewhere.

Unlike other shopping sites, GoneReading was founded specifically to spread the magic of reading in the developing world.  That’s why we’ve pledged 100% of after-tax profits to fund reading related charities, especially the work of our good friends at READ Global and Ethiopia Reads.

You name it, they’ve got it! My personal favorites are the Bamboo Bathtub Caddy (with wine glass holder!), the “Books to Check Out” book journal and, of course, the Book Rest Lamp!

To enter, in the comments below, share the best blogging advice you’ve received. Share the knowledge! If you aren’t a blogger, share the best reading advice/recommendation you’ve received.  I will select & contact the winner by email next Monday, March 16!  Good luck to all who enter!

Posted in Bookish Chatter | 17 Comments

Review: Miramont’s Ghost by Elizabeth Hall

Posted on March 5, 2015 by Jenn

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

Review: Miramont’s Ghost by Elizabeth HallMiramont's Ghost by Elizabeth Hall
on February 1, 2015
Genres: Paranormal, Thriller
Pages: 334
Format: Paperback
Source: Publisher
Adrienne Beauvier is clairvoyant. Ever since she was able to speak, she would share stories of her visions with her grandfather and her nursemaid. Unfortunately, not many others were so accommodating and treated her gift like a disease, hoping to silence the secrets she might uncover.

Her most formidable enemy was her Aunt Marie. So determined to keep her niece silent, Marie takes Adrienne from her home in France to Miramont Castle in America. There, Adrienne is a prisoner. Her own family believing she is dead, she is presented as a servant with a propensity to tell wild stories. Rather than silencing her visions, however, the setting seems to bring them on with more strength and clarity. The secrets they unleash are far darker and more traumatic than she could have ever imagined. She struggles with the desire to know the truth with the determination to be freed of her aunt's imprisonment.

Always intrigued with a premise of a mysterious, gothic setting, I was delighted when given the opportunity to participate in the tour for this book.  Unfortunately, that delight quickly wavered.

While the characters and storyline did capture my attention initially, it wasn’t sustained. The jacket copy tells of a dark and mysterious castle riddled with secrets, yet a large part of this novel takes place in France. It isn’t until after over 200 pages that Adrienne is whisked away by her aunt to America.  Up until this point, I was quite enamored by the storyline.  While the flow of the novel lacked flow, I was still engrossed with the “big secret” that Adrienne was apparently going to reveal.  So I waited.

As the novel’s setting shifts to America halfway through, the book takes on a completely different identity. Honestly, it’s as if two completely different books were weaved together into one, unsuccessfully. Suddenly, I lost all interest and respect in the novel.  As a fan of horror and thrillers, I can handle the dark stuff if it is appropriate and handled well. Yet, in this case, the first half of the novel is quite…chaste…and suddenly in the second half the reader is first dealt with a graphic scene involving rape/incest followed by a flashback to a sexual encounter.  Now, I’m no prude. If appropriate, I can read and handle most anything.  I was warned about these scenes in advance, but for the reader going in completely unprepared, it would be quite a shock.

So, at this point, I simply lost interest in the book and could not finish. I stopped less than 100 pages from the end, certain there would be nothing that could redeem this novel enough to regain my interest.  Had it continued the way of the first half, even with the uneven storyline lacking any cohesiveness….I could have gotten over it and completed the novel.  Yet to me, the graphic scenes that were added were completely unnecessary and added nothing to the novel.  They just didn’t make sense, instead thrown in to create some odd and twisted explanation for the family’s dark secret.

So, obviously, I can’t really recommend this title based on my own personal experience.  All that said, I could be wrong.

Any other readers have a different experience in reading this title? I’d love to hear your feedback! Interested in reading what others thought of this title? Check out the official TLC Book Tours tour page.

Posted in Review | Leave a comment

On Finding a Family Comic Book Store (Or, What Not to Do to Customers)

Posted on March 3, 2015 by Jenn

When reviewing my blog goals for this year, I noticed that I don’t blog about the comic books/graphic novels I read.  I’ve been a fan for years, recently more so than normal.  As a matter of fact, I read more comics than my husband (a staunch and ardent Marvel fan) which is a fact that continues to startle him.  Our boys are comic/graphic novel fans as well.  Therefore, I opted to create a (hopefully) regular feature about our family of comic book lovers! I may come up with a catchier name…but we’re going with this for now:

NurturingComic

 

This first post will deal with finding a family-friendly bookstore, specifically things you want to avoid!  My family has had our fair share of bad experiences. Why go through them on your own if we can warn you in advance?

When the lease on our favorite comic book store ended and they were forced to close, I was devastated. The shop was just 15 minutes from our home, a real treat and convenience.  We’re a family of comic book readers (well, readers in general) so finding a store we could call our own is very important.

Now that our schedule has calmed down a bit, I decided it was time to shop around for our “new” family comic book store.  One might think this is an easy task.  It’s quite the opposite actually.  As we visited each store, I kept a list of store characteristics/attributes that would make it a perfect fit for our family.   I spent so much time thinking and planning that I realized this would make a perfect blog post.

I’m not going to specifically mention the stores we mentioned (yet!), but following are the not-so-nice things I experienced in the afternoon we spent “shopping” comic book stores:

1. No Girls Allowed

family guy - no girls allowed photo: family guy no girls allowed familyguy.gif

 

This, by far, is the most prevalent and pervasive issue. While things have changed as of late, there are still many comic book stores that can’t comprehend that women would read comics. In our most recent experience, I went into a store with my nine-year-old-son.  I went promptly to the wall of new issues. The creepy, skivvy comic store owner proceed to say “Those are primarily adult comics. You’ll find comics for him over here.”  I responded, stating that I was looking for myself (thank you very much!). I intended to find the issues I was looking for, but instead got irritated and walked out the door. This isn’t the comic book store for us.

Meanwhile, my husband was parking the car. Before he had a chance to walk in, my son and I both shaking our heads in disgust.

What to look for: When entering a comic book store, women and men should be treated the same. Don’t assume a woman is there by force, or only because she’s shopping for someone else. Women read comics, too! If you aren’t happy with the way you are treated, ladies, don’t stand for it. Walk out, speak up!

2. Don’t Touch the Comics!

Imagine a comic book store in which you couldn’t pick up an issue and flip through it to see if it was something you’d be interested in reading? Yep, it exists.  This happened while trying out a comic book store in a local shopping mall.  My husband picked up an issue and didn’t turn two pages before he was met with “Sir….sir…you can’t read the comic unless you buy it.”  Really? Really!? He put the it down and we walked out the door.  Not the comic book store for us.

What to Look for: A display of comics that allow you to peruse issues before you buy.  I’m not saying that you should be given the ability to read an entire series, but I am of the mind that you should be able to browse before you buy.

3.  No Kids Allowed

Same store as above.  The front of the store is full of kid-geared merchandise.  Fantastic, right? Not so much.  My boys are 15 and 9.  They are well-behaved, respectful children. So when they are followed around a store by a salesperson who feels the need to fix and straighten everything they touch, they are offended. I understand the want/need to keep a shop neat and tidy, the comics free of damage or wear. It’s not our fault that you opened up a comic book store right next to an ice cream shop.  My children are respectful of books and know how to treat them properly.

Second example: skivvy comic book store mentioned above. There was a kids section.  On a shelf higher for me to reach. Oh, and a spinner with like 2 issues. Lesson learned: not the comic book store for us.

What to Look For:  A store with a dedicated corner/area for children to browse, ideally not right next to the graphic/explicit series.  Additionally, generally you can tell how a store feels about children by how they greet you when you walk in the door.

In coming weeks, I will share the names of the comic book stores we have adopted as our own. I’m thrilled to find a place were we can be ourselves (nerdy, comic book geeks) and connect with other readers just like us.

Do you have any do’s/don’ts in finding a comic book store, family or no?

Stay tuned for more posts in this series.  I hope to feature some of the titles we’ve embraced individually and as a family, as well as get some suggestions from you!

Posted in A Family of Comic Lovers | 3 Comments

Month in Review: February 2015

Posted on March 1, 2015 by Jenn

amonthinreview

I must say I am glad for this month to be over. Traveling for work, a very sick cat and more made February a very trying month. With all this, I didn’t get much reading done. Or, I should say, I didn’t get much reading finished. Perhaps it was everything I had on my mind, I found myself putting aside and not finishing more books than typical.  That said, I still had a few books I did enjoy. Here is a wrap up of February:

Five books reviewed.  Favorites? The first two books read this month, The Damned and Crazy Love You.  Both books represent everything I love in a book. Uber creepy thrillerish goodness!

So many books I’m looking forward to in March! My book previews:

Spring Book Preview: March 2015, Part I
Spring Book Preview: March 2015, Part II
Spring Book Preview: March 2015, Part III
Spring Book Preview: March 2015, Part IV
Spring Book Preview: March 2015, Part V 

I continued my series ‘A Day in the Life of a Book Reviewer:’

A Day in the Life of a Book Reviewer: Scheduling Book Reviews
A Day in the Life of a Book Reviewer: Bullying in Blogging

I shared my book club’s favorite books of 2014 (outside of book club):Book Club Discussion: Favorites of 2014

Upcoming: watch out for a new endeavor I’m thrilled to be taking part in. Yes, I’m being quite vague…with reason!  How was your reading month?

Posted in Month in Review | 4 Comments

Review: Finding Jake by Bryan Reardon

Posted on February 26, 2015 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: Finding Jake by Bryan ReardonFinding Jake by Bryan Reardon
Published by William Morrow on February 24, 2015
Pages: 272
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
When Simon Connolly and his wife made the decision to start a family, it was quickly determined that Simon would take the non-traditional route and stay home with the children.  Now Jake and Laney are in high school, they don't need the constant supervision. Yet Simon is aware of the statistics and realizes that by playing an active role in his children's day-to-day lives, they are more likely to have a successful, and safe, upbringing.

Simon thinks he has a plan for everything, until the unthinkable happens. A shooting at his children's school sends Simon and his wife into a tumultuous downward spiral.  When Jake is the only student unaccounted for, Simon begins to question everything in Jake's upbringing: did he have enough friends? Was he social? Were they too strict? Not strict enough?  Within a matter of moments, the Connolly's seemingly perfect life is torn to shreds.

In this incredibly engrossing  psychological thriller, one family is forced to confront and evaluate their lives as they know it, to examine choices made and the potential consequences.  As parents, how well do we know their children? Their friends?  What are they capable of?

While devastating at moments, Finding Jake is ultimately the tale of parents’ undying and unwavering love and trust for their child.  The courage this one family had to exhibit to survive in a town in which lifelong friends became instant enemies, their lives and very future threatened by what is to come. Yet through the thick and thin of it all, their strong bond never faltered.

I have this bad luck lately of reading books in public that send me on an emotional journey riddled with loud, nasty sobbing. While this book evoked a similar response, by the end my sobs of sadness and anxiety eventually evolved into sobs of happiness.  I truly felt for this family, immediately putting myself into their position.  How would I deal with a similar situation? Could I?

Without a doubt this is a book that will grab hold of your heartstrings, specifically if you are a parent to a teen. As a parent of a teen myself, this book made me remember that being an active and needed part of their lives doesn’t falter or decrease as they get older.  More often than not, they need you more as they get into their teen years.  A strong family bond and connection filled with trust and love will truly pay off in the end.

This is a book that has truly had a lasting impact on my life. It has reminded me of the importance of keeping an open and honest level of communication with my children, despite how difficult that may be at times. Every little moment matters and should be savored.

Highly, highly recommended.

Posted in Mystery/Suspense, Review | Tagged | 3 Comments

Spring Book Preview: March 2015, Part V

Posted on February 25, 2015 by Jenn

Finally! This is the last post in what seemed to be an endless list of March releases I’m anticipating! This list includes those books published a the very tail-end of the month, March 31st:

Behind Closed Doors by Elizabeth Haynes

Ten years ago, 13-year-old Scarlett Rainsford vanished while on a family holiday to Greece. Was she abducted, or did she run away from the family that, at best, would be described as dysfunctional? Lou Smith worked on the case as a police constable, and failing to find any trace of Scarlett was always one of the biggest regrets of her career. So no one is more surprised than Lou to learn that, during a Special Branch warrant on a brothel in Briarstone, Scarlett has been found.

But Lou and her Major Crime team are already working at full stretch: 19 year old Ian Palmer has been found badly beaten after a night out in Briarstone town centre; a few days later, one of the town’s entrepreneurs, bar owner Carl McVey, has been found half-buried in woodland, robbed of his Rolex and his cash. While Lou tries to establish the links between the two cases, DS Sam Hollands works with Special Branch to try and gain as much intelligence from Scarlett as possible. Where has she been all this time? How did she end up back in her home town? And why do her family seem less than enthusiastic about seeing her again?

Only Scarlett’s younger sister, Juliette—who has spent ten years blaming herself for Scarlett’s abduction—seems pleased to have her back, despite the Rainsfords’ desperate attempts to shield the emotionally fragile Juliette from any external stress. Meanwhile Lou is experiencing another side of sibling rivalry, as her relationship with Senior Analyst Jason is threatened by the temptations presented by his charismatic older brother, Mike.

When a brutal assault and homicide are linked to the McVey murder, Lou’s cases collide and she begins to suspect that the violence may be linked to the trafficking organisations operating in the area. As the pressure for a result mounts, it seems that only Scarlett holds the key to the criminal group orchestrating the violence—and, like everyone else, Scarlett has secrets to keep.

At the Water’s Edge by Sara Gruen:

After embarrassing themselves at the social event of the year in high society Philadelphia on New Year’s Eve of 1942, Maddie and Ellis Hyde are cut off financially by Ellis’s father, a former army Colonel who is already embarrassed by his son’s inability to serve in WWII due to his being colorblind. To Maddie’s horror, Ellis decides that the only way to regain his father’s favor is to succeed in a venture his father attempted and very publicly failed at: he will hunt the famous Loch Ness monster and when he finds it he will restore his father’s name and return to his father’s good graces (and pocketbook). Joined by their friend Hank, a wealthy socialite, the three make their way to Scotland in the midst of war. Each day the two men go off to hunt the monster, while another monster, Hitler, is devastating Europe. And Maddie, now alone in a foreign country, must begin to figure out who she is and what she wants. The novel tells of Maddie’s social awakening: to the harsh realities of life, to the beauties of nature, to a connection with forces larger than herself, to female friendship, and finally, to love.

Normal by Graeme Cameron: 

“The truth is I hurt people. It’s what I do. It’s all I do. It’s all I’ve ever done.”

He lives in your community, in a nice house with a well-tended garden. He shops in your grocery store, bumping shoulders with you and apologizing with a smile. He drives beside you on the highway, politely waving you into the lane ahead of him.

What you don’t know is that he has an elaborate cage built into a secret basement under his garage. And the food that he’s carefully shopping for is to feed a young woman he’s holding there against her will—one in a string of many, unaware of the fate that awaits her.

This is how it’s been for a long time. It’s normal…and it works. Perfectly.

Then he meets the checkout girl from the 24-hour grocery. And now the plan, the hunts, the room…the others. He doesn’t need any of them anymore. He needs only her. But just as he decides to go straight, the police start to close in. He might be able to cover his tracks, except for one small problem—he still has someone trapped in his garage.

Discovering his humanity couldn’t have come at a worse time.

The World Before Us by by Aislinn Hunter:

Deep in the woods of northern England, somewhere between a dilapidated estate and an abandoned Victorian asylum, fifteen-year-old Jane Standen lived through a nightmare. She was babysitting a sweet young girl named Lily, and in one fleeting moment during their outdoor adventure, she lost her. The little girl was never found, leaving her family and Jane devastated.

Twenty years later, Jane is an archivist at a small London museum that is about to close for lack of funding. As a final research project—an endeavor inspired in part by her painful past—Jane surveys the archives for information related to another missing person: a woman who disappeared some 125 years ago in the same woods where Lily was lost. As Jane pieces moments in history together, a compelling portrait of a fascinating group of people starts to unfurl. Inexplicably tied to the mysterious disappearance of long ago, Jane finds tender details of their lives at the country estate and in the asylum that are linked to her own presently heartbroken world, and their story from all those years ago may now help Jane find a way to move on.

In riveting, beautiful prose, The World Before Us explores the powerful notion that history is a closely connected part of us—kept alive by the resonance of our daily choices—reminding us of the possibility that we are less alone today than we might think.

 

Well, there you have it. Each & every March release I’m anticipated. Miss the previous posts? Check them out here:

Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV

What did I miss (is that even possible)? Which titles are you looking forward to most?

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