Monday, December 31, 2018

Half of What You Hear by Kristyn

 
Moving to her husband’s small home town was something Bess always wanted to do because of the lovely homes, and because she thought it would be good for the twins.

The move wasn’t without problems.  Two of a number of problems were that she would be across the street from her mother-in-law, and they would be taking over the inn that had been in the family for years.

Little did she know about the problems that would come up dealing with the residents. One of the residents who was quite famous because of an accident is Susannah Lake.  Susannah is someone that Bess is asked to interview. 


Susannah is a woman who moved back to this small town after many years, lives in a forty-room house, and is the talk of the town as well as a former girlfriend of Bess’s father-in-law.

Susannah is also a woman that you can’t really be sure if what she says is the truth.

The other residents were nosy, catty, and loved to gossip - the beauty of a small town, right? Everyone knows everyone’s secrets and pasts.

Poor Bess became the target of all the women....not what she expected when she moved to this quiet, small town. She thought everyone would be kind, but they all knew the history she and Cole shared and made sure they commented on it.  


The problem with commenting on their history was that Cole seemed to side with the people from when he was growing up instead of Bess....not a good thing.

HALF OF WHAT YOU HEAR addressed social issues as well as personal issues of fitting in.


There are secrets that the residents of Greyhill have kept for  many years, and as the mystery unravels, the book's interest picks up and ends up with a few surprises.  

There also are a few very unlikable residents. 4/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via Edelweiss as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sunday, December 30, 2018

My NEW Goodreads YEAR in REVIEW





Here is my updated Goodreads Year In Review.

I am guessing I INVITED HER IN is on each side because it was the last book I read?  Any idea?

The funny thing, though, is that it only appeared there once.  

It is now gone.  :)  I am glad I "caught" it.  :)

Go here to see the full page.


Favorite December Reads of 2018


Today’s Prompt:  Favorite December Reads of 2018

Thanks to these Instagrammers for this post prompt idea.  Stop by and visit them if you are on Instagram.
#OurYearinBooks18

@agnesnutter_witch

@fondofbooks1

@ilovebookshelves

@rainbowsandparachutes

All of my December books were VERY good.

Happy Reading in 2019!!
 

Saturday, December 29, 2018

Favorites of 2018

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I probably could put my entire year as favorites, but since even TEN is too difficult to choose, I am going to go with EIGHTEEN to round out 2018. 😊   

Thank you to all authors and publishers!! 

Have you read any of these?  

Any of them a favorite?

Happy Reading in 2019!!

Favorite Reads of November 2018


Today’s Prompt:  Favorite November Reads of 2018

Thanks to these Instagrammers for this post prompt idea.  Stop by and visit them if you are on Instagram.
#OurYearinBooks18

@agnesnutter_witch

@fondofbooks1

@ilovebookshelves

@rainbowsandparachutes

My absolute favorites were:

ANNELIES by David R. Gillham - review on 1/15

THE RED ADDRESS BOOK by Sofia Lundberg - review on 1/2

Enjoyable:

HALF OF WHAT YOU HEAR by Kristyn Kusek Lewis - review on 12/31


Friday, December 28, 2018

Books By Michelle Gable

I enjoy her books.

My favorite was A PARIS APARTMENT.


I actually haven’t read THE SUMMER I MET JACK.


Which ones have you read?
 

Book Blogger Hop - 12/28/2018


Question of the Week:

Did you get any books for Christmas? If so, name the titles. (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer

My Answer:
I did not get any books for Christmas, but I really didn't ask for any.  :)

If you wanted any titles, I hope you received them.

A belated Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!! 

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Watching You by Lisa Jewell

 
Just who is Tom Fitzwilliam?  Does anyone really know?

To the outside world he is a handsome, popular, successful man, but is he really all that?

Strange things always happen in the neighborhoods where Tom lives, and Melville Heights is no exception.  


There is spying in the neighborhood by his son, there are women in love with Tom, and there is a neighbor, Mrs. Tripp, who thinks Tom is the cause of numerous strange things happening to her and has remembered something about Tom that happened a few years ago.  

Could Mrs. Tripp be right about Tom and everyone else wrong thinking he is perfect?   She doesn't give up.

Tom’s son, Freddie, is definitely odd and frightening.

There are other characters that play some major roles such as Joey who is a suspect in a murder investigation that occurred in the neighborhood and who has a crush on Tom Fitzwilliam. 

WATCHING YOU is definitely a study in human nature with nosy neighbors being the focus.  It seemed that everyone was spying on someone with Freddie being the major one.

As the book continues, the mystery about who Tom really is and who the murdered person is at the beginning of the book are slowly revealed.

WATCHING YOU has a lot of unlikable and odd characters, but that is what made it good and typical Lisa Jewell. 

I was asking myself just who is anyone in this twisty, strange, but excellent thriller that had me wondering about all of the characters and what was happening.

If you enjoy Lisa Jewell’s books, you won’t want to miss reading WATCHING YOU.  


The ending revelations are GREAT!! 4/5

This book was given to me as an ARC by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.



Monday, December 24, 2018

Sophie Last Seen by Marlene Adelstein

 

Having a child disappear is a parent’s worst nightmare, and Jesse has been living the nightmare for six years.

Jesse lost Sophie at the local mall and goes back nearly every day to look for clues that might tell where she is.  She went a bit too far one day and was banned from the mall.

Jesse and her husband Cooper had divorced shortly after Sophie’s disappearance.  Cooper moved on, remarried, and isn’t as obsessed as Jesse.  Jesse lives in the house where Sophie grew up, and she doesn’t want to leave in case Sophie comes back.

Jesse’s obsession with finding her daughter turned into hoarding everything she found that she thought was a clue to her daughter’s disappearance.  She thought notes, shirts, grocery lists, pages from dictionaries, and bird trivia were signs from her daughter.

The reader follows Jesse through her days along with Sophie’s friend Star as they both can’t forget her and hope she will return.  Star sees Sophie as Sophie taunts her, and Jesse sees Sophie as she reads to her and talks to her.

SOPHIE LAST SEEN flows smoothly with some odd, but likable characters.   The book addresses many issues and is a book that will tug at your heartstrings.  The town of Canaan is a town that helps each other out in any crisis.

I enjoyed the book and also felt the pain Jesse was going through with her obsession of finding her daughter, with remembering her daughter and the secret about her, with her hoarding, and with the fact that she did need to move on and change her current life.  I kept hoping it would happen for her.


The tension and suspense ramped up as the book continued.

If you enjoy a bit of oddity, a fast-paced story line, a few ghosts, and characters that will stay with you, then SOPHIE LAST SEEN will be a book you will want to read. 5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A Month of Faves - 12/24/2018


Join hosts  GirlxoxoTraveling with T and Estella’s Revenge for their annual #AMonthofFaves blog event – a fun way to recap the year that was. 

They have every day of the event (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) planned out for the participants, so you can join in anytime. 

There will also be a link-up on all their blogs – put a link to your post so that they can stop by each and every post to leave comments, high fives, good vibes and well wishes. 

Stop by one of the host's blogs for the statements if you want to join in.

*********
It's DAY #10 - December 24
*********
MON. | Dec. 24 – #AMonthofFaves Challenges and Goals – Reading challenges, personal goals, resolutions – how did you do? What are your goals for this month, this season or next year. Check in here.
********* ***********
I have met and exceeded my Goodreads Challenge.

I always set it low so there is not stress.

********* ***********
My goal for December is to read my books I have set for January Reviews.

I am doing well with that.

Sunday, December 23, 2018

This Week!!

What’s happening in your week?

I HAD to pick 18 favorites of 2018!!

 ************
If you can't read the words on the graphic: 

1. A review of SOPHIE LAST SEEN by Marlene Adelstein...12/24.

2. A review of WATCHING YOU by Lisa Jewell...12/26

3.  ALL 18 FAVORITE books of 2018. 


Saturday, December 22, 2018

What Would You Say?


MY ANSWER: 

I would have to take a second look.

I see similar titles with similar colors on the spines and similar words in the title, but they are two totally different storylines. 
 ************
THE OTHER MOTHER - https://bit.ly/2Q1x0La

Should she really have done what she did? That seemed to be the only way to keep her baby.
  ************
THE OTHER WOMAN - https://bit.ly/2FXpOeC

I don’t have an evil step-mother, I have an evil mother-in-law.

Friday, December 21, 2018

Books By Sally Hepworth


I have read and enjoyed all of her books. 

I am looking forward to reading her newest. 

Have you read any or all of her books?

Book Blogger Hop - 12/21 - 12/27


Question of the Week:

Does your book club have a book exchange for the holidays or any other time during the year? If you don't belong to a book club, do you think that would be something fun to do?(submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver's Reviews)

My Answer:

When I belonged to a book club, we would do a book exchange at our Christmas Luncheon Meeting.

The book was wrapped up and only revealed when the person choosing that gift opened it.  It was fun to see all the different genres of books being exchanged.

I actually brought in a cookbook one time for the exchange.  That was a hit, and if I remember correctly, in the "stealing of a book stage" of our luncheon, someone stole it from the person who originally had it.  Not sure she got it back or not.  :)

The cookbook was MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA COOKBOOK.  I had actually bought one for myself too.

Thursday, December 20, 2018

Favorite October Reads of 2018


Today’s Prompt:  Favorite October Reads of 2018

Thanks to these Instagrammers for this post prompt idea.  Stop by and visit them if you are on Instagram.

#OurYearinBooks18
@agnesnutter_witch

@fondofbooks1

@ilovebookshelves

@rainbowsandparachutes

THE LIES WE TOLD by Camilla Way
https://bit.ly/2ArynJP

THE MIRROR SHOP by Nicholas Bundock
https://bit.ly/2RR5Nbf

THE FALLEN ARCHITECT by Charles Belfoure
https://bit.ly/2ONoWfx

THE GIRL FROM BERLIN by Ronald H. Balson
https://bit.ly/2y9Zg3d

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Favorite September Reads of 2018

Today’s Prompt:  Favorite September Reads of 2018

Thanks to these Instagrammers for this post prompt idea.  Stop by and visit them if you are on Instagram.
#OurYearinBooks18
@agnesnutter_witch

@fondofbooks1

@ilovebookshelves

@rainbowsandparachutes

LIES by T. M. Logan
https://bit.ly/2PxB0xT

THE GLASS OCEAN by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willis, Karen White
https://bit.ly/2zSzIse

WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT by Mary Kubrick
https://bit.ly/2Qp92Kb

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Favorite August Reads of 2018

Today’s Prompt:  Favorite August Reads of 2018

Thanks to these Instagrammers for this post prompt idea.  Stop by and visit them if you are on Instagram.
#OurYearinBooks18
@agnesnutter_witch

@fondofbooks1

@ilovebookshelves

@rainbowsandparachutes

SOLD ON A MONDAY by Kristina McMorris
https://bit.ly/2B0O0H4

THE OTHER WOMAN by Sandie Jones
https://bit.ly/2FXpOeC

THE DAISY CHILDREN by Sofia Grant
https://bit.ly/2UruJaR

THE MASTERPIECE by Fiona Davis
https://bit.ly/2B2XgdU

OUR HOUSE by Louise Candlish
https://bit.ly/2GaGTl6

TIFFANY BLUES by M. J. Rose
https://bit.ly/2EaX5Ac

Monday, December 17, 2018

Favorite July Books

Today’s Prompt:  Favorite Reads of July

Thanks for these Instagrammers for this post prompt idea.  Stop by and visit them if you are on Instagram.

#OurYearinBooks18
@agnesnutter_witch
@fondofbooks1
@ilovebookshelves
@rainbowsandparachutes

A NOISE DOWNSTAIRS by Linwood Barclay


WOMEN OF THE DUNES by Sarah Maine


THE SUBWAY GIRLS by Susie Orman Schnall


OUR HOUSE by Louise Candlish


THE DYING OF THE LIGHT by Robert Goolrick 

 

A Month of Faves - 12/17/2018


Join hosts  GirlxoxoTraveling with T and Estella’s Revenge for their annual #AMonthofFaves blog event – a fun way to recap the year that was. 

They have every day of the event (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) planned out for the participants, so you can join in anytime. 

There will also be a link-up on all their blogs – put a link to your post so that they can stop by each and every post to leave comments, high fives, good vibes and well wishes. 

Stop by one of the host's blogs for the statements if you want to join in.

*********
It's DAY #7 - December 17
*********
Mon. | Dec 17 – #AMonthofFaves Winter Reading – Your fave reads from last Winter, and /or seasonal reads you love, and 5 books on this year’s winter reading list.
********* 
Favorite Winter Reads of 2018 - January and February

I actually have posts about this, but it never hurts to repeat LOVED books again.  :)

A DANGEROUS CROSSING by Rachel Rhys


CARNEGIE’S MAID by Marie Benedict

*********
SUNBURN by Laura Lippman

https://bit.ly/2DOYlJ7

AFTER ANNA by Lisa Scottoline

https://bit.ly/2PXxO3y
************ 
Five Winter 2019 Reads 

NO EXIT by Taylor Adams

************
THE WARTIME SISTERS by Lynda Cohen Loigman
************
SOPHIE LAST SEEN by Marlene Adelstein

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I INVITED HER IN by Adele Parks

  ************ 
WOMAN 99 by Greer Macallister