Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Recipe for A Perfect Wife by Karma Brown

 
An old house, an old cookbook, notes in the cookbook that reveal the life of Nellie, and Alice who has some secrets of her own is what the reader finds in this lovely read.

We meet Alice who was fired from her job because of something she leaked and we learn of a box she finds that is filled with books, magazines, and a cookbook that inspires Alice to try some of the recipes.

Along with the cookbook, Alice finds notes about the life of a woman, Nellie, who lived during the 1950’s.

The cookbook helped Alice pass her days since she no longer was working and really didn’t like her new home.
 
Nellie who owned the books was a stay-at-home wife from the 1950's who wasn’t happy and whose husband was a domestic abuser.

The stories of Nellie and Alice are told in alternating chapters as Alice finds similarities in their lives and meets the next door neighbor whose mother knew Nellie. 

Alice was a bit unlikable, but her husband was sweet.
 
Alice’s neighbor found old letters in her basement written by Nellie to her mother and brought them to Alice.  Could these old letters trigger an idea for the book Alice was supposed to be writing? 

RECIPE FOR A PERFECT WIFE is an endearing and nostalgic trip back in time with the letters taking us back to the 1950’s and influencing Alice’s present-day life.

Women’s fiction fans, readers who enjoy a dual time line and a story line that keeps you wanting more will enjoy RECIPE FOR A PERFECT WIFE.  

A truly, enjoyable, makes-you-feel-good read.  

Loved it.  5/5

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

Monday, December 30, 2019

Good Girls Lie by J. T. Ellison


We are greeted on the opening page with a girl hanging from the entrance gate to The Goode School for privileged girls, and it all begins.

And then we meet Ash as she arrives for her first year here all the way from England to the United States.

Ash arrives with secrets and lies that are not revealed but are intriguing enough to make you extremely curious.

GOOD GIRLS LIE has a sinister, Gothic feel, and the school has rule after rule.  Ash doesn't know if she can stay here, and she has only been there one day.

Every day is a struggle trying to fit in and learning how to deal with everything that happened back home and at the school both present and past.

The girls are catty and manipulative.  Comments are made by the characters about what someone is going to do, but you never know who is talking.  This definitely keeps up the intrigue and suspense.

As the new school year continues, things get worse and another girl is dead.

GOOD GIRLS LIE is filled with drama, cruel girls, administrators that look the other way, lies, deceit, secrets, betrayal, surprises, and an ending and ending twist you won't see coming.

 
You won’t want to put it down because it is filled with edge-of-your-seat tension, is chilling, and pretty creepy.  5/5

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


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

 PHOTO CREDIT:  Krista Lee Photography

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 20 novels, and the EMMY-award winning co-host of A WORD ON WORDS, Nashville's premier literary show. 

With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim, prestigious awards, and has been published in 26 countries. Ellison lives in Nashville with her husband and twin kittens.

TOUR DATES:



BUY LINKS:
 



Sunday, December 29, 2019

Books Read in December

They all were quite good.

My favorites were:

THE VINEYARDS OF CHAMPAGNE
THE WAYS WE SAID GOODBYE
BIG LIES IN A SMALL TOWN
RECIPE FOR A PERFECT WIFE

What did YOU read in December?

This Week


HAPPY NEW YEAR WEEK!!

Hope you can stop by.


Saturday, December 28, 2019

My Year in Reading

What did YOUR year look like?
 
Happy Reading in 2020!!
 
Courtesy of Goodreads.
 

Friday, December 27, 2019

Book With Library in the Title

Can you name any additional books with LIBRARY in the title? 
Both of these books were very good.


Thursday, December 26, 2019

Books with BOOKSHOP in the Title

Who can resist a book with the word BOOKSHOP in the title?

What other books have YOU read with BOOKSHOP in the title?

Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Monday, December 23, 2019

FEATURING: THE LOST ART OF MIXING by Erica Bauermeister

Food, family, relationships, recipes....a wonderful combination, and a marvelously wonderful book.


THE LOST ART OF MIXING makes you feel cozy inside and out. 

FULL REVIEW HERE

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

FEATURING: SOLOMON'S OAK by Joanne Mapson


Solomon's Oak told the life stories of the three main characters who definitely fit and worked well together even though the connection was through their misfortunes. 
 
The book was a cozy read for me...family life, real-life situations, talents we all have hiding inside and waiting to emerge, and just plain heartfelt warmth in the book.

Enjoy the book....I definitely did.  
 
Solomon’s Oak was very touching….it will make you smile, it will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and it will restore your faith in mankind’s goodness.

FULL REVIEW HERE  



Sunday, December 15, 2019

FEATURING: A MATTER OF CHANCE by Julie Maloney

Had the kidnapping of Vinni actually been planned? Were Rudy and Hilda watching and planning each time Maddy and Vinni were at the beach?

Mystery fans as well as suspense fans will enjoy A MATTER OF CHANCE. 

There are a few sensitive topics addressed, but this book is a marvelous, moving read that will fill you with terror as well as love.  5/5

FULL REVIEW HERE

Friday, December 13, 2019

A BEAUTIFUL EXPLANATION OF SEVEN LOCKS BY THE AUTHOR


I read and reviewed SEVEN LOCKS and shared a feature earlier, but I was somewhat confused about the title and its true meaning and also the meaning of the book itself.  

I wrote to the author, and she graciously agreed to allow me to use her comments made on my review as a separate post so that others  would not miss her true meaning.

POST IS HERE  




Thursday, December 12, 2019

The German House by Annette Hess

https://www.amazon.com/German-House-Annette-Hess/dp/0008359865/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+german+house&qid=1572479558&sr=8-1

It is 1963 in Germany where the Frankfurt trials are ready to get underway.

We meet Eva who works there as a translator and has a fiancée who doesn’t want her to work after they are married.  Eva isn't sure it will work out.

When Eva attended the opening of the trials, she was horrified at what the defendants had done and were accused of as well as wondered why her parents would never say one thing about the war which made her wonder what part they had played in it. 

We follow Eva in her personal life and in her job as a translator for the Polish witnesses who were testifying against the Germans.  Eva was determined to have justice served.

Her personal story told a lot about the type of person she was, but it was difficult for her as well as me to hear the German defendants strongly deny they did anything and pleaded not guilty.

I really liked Eva's parents and loved hearing about the restaurant they owned but they were hiding something.

Her sister who was a nurse was a bit on the odd side and did things at the hospital that weren’t good just to make herself look good.  Her personal life wasn’t much better.

Eva’s little brother Stefan was a typical, sweet kid.

Eva’s fiancée wasn’t someone I cared for, but he had secrets too.

Ms. Hess has a writing style that will pull you in and have you completely absorbed in the book.  Her research is impeccable.

THE GERMAN HOUSE is a book that historical fiction fans will devour.


You do not want to miss reading this book...it is an impressive, powerful, thought-provoking read.  5/5

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

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

FEATURING: The Island House by Posie Graeme-Evans


A FAVORITE!!

Singy and Freya are living parallel lives on the Scottish Island of Findnar, but during different times in history. 

Don’t miss this exceptional read that brought past and present together in an unforgettable tale of love, loss, hidden treasures, and discovery. 

REVIEW HERE 


Tuesday, December 10, 2019

A Bookshop in Berlin by Francoise Frenkel


Françoise Frenkel always loved books, libraries, and especially bookstores.

Her dream was to open a bookstore, but would her dream about opening a French bookstore in Berlin in 1920 be a good idea?

She was successful until 1935 when the police started showing up and confiscating books from her shelves and newspapers because they had been blacklisted.

Besides scrutinizing her books, they questioned her travels.  This was just the beginning of her hardships and ordeals.

A BOOKSHOP IN BERLIN tells the story of Francoise Frenkel's life and her love of books, her bookshop, and France.  We follow her as she lives through occupied France and endures what the European people had to deal with. Unthinkable, unpleasant misery and situations plagued her and all people during this time.
 

A BOOKSHOP IN BERLIN is a treasure for historical fiction fans as well as book lovers.

I normally do not read memoirs, but A BOOKSHOP IN BERLIN is very well done and educational.

You were easily put into Francoise’s situations and her emotions were yours.  5/5

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

Sunday, December 8, 2019

This Week at Silver's Reviews - 12/8 - 12/14





Ho ho hope to see you this week!!

Happy Reading!!

Books With "GAME" in the Title


THE MASTER OF THE GAME was very suspenseful and excellent.

I enjoyed THE ANGEL’S GAME but LOVED his book SHADOW OF THE WIND.


THE LYING GAME was good, but the girls made me nervous with their choices.

 
Have YOU read any?

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Books With "O" As The First Letter of the Title

All of these books are SO good and reviewed on my blog. 

Please share your “O” books.

Friday, December 6, 2019

Red Spines



Have you read any of these books with RED spines?

SHOW those RED spines.  ðŸ˜Š