Review: Chai Tea Sunday by Heather Clark

Chai Tea Sunday by Heather Clark 

Publisher: ECW Press 

Pages: 298 

Format: eARC 

Buy the Book: Amazon 

Goodreads:  With a rewarding career as a teacher, a near flawless husband, and the perfect house in the suburbs, 33-year-old Nicky Fowler thought her whole life was mapped out. When she and her husband experience fertility issues that lead to a devastating tragedy, their marriage crumbles and Nicky is left with the inability to cope with her ever-changed life. Desperate to flee from her current situation, she accepts a volunteer teaching position at an orphanage in Kenya, but finds that her new life is more difficult than she was expecting; drought has forced the country into famine and violence is everywhere. When she learns that the orphanage director takes her hatred for the world out on the orphans, Nicky seeks the aid of her host mother, Mama Bu. Over cups of chai tea, Mama Bu offers perspective and Nicky realizes she must not only teach the orphans, she needs to save them. This is a journey that explores the resilience of the heart, and the determination for finding good in the world.




Kritters Thoughts:  A heartwrenching story that went to a place that I did not expect.  From page one the reader falls in love with Nicky, a young married woman who is trying all the possible ways to conceive a child with her husband.  With a twist of fate she is pregnant and tragedy strikes.  When it has become unbearable to pick up the pieces she takes herself across the globe to Kenya to work in an orphanage as a teacher.  A story that begins with a couple trying to have a child and ends with a woman who is surrounded by many children who need the basics.  


I fell in love with the realness of Nicky.  I felt her turmoil and as weird as it may sound I enjoyed her slow recovery, life didn't get peachy keen over night.  Speaking of character development - the characters that she encountered in Kenya felt real and authentic, even though I have never been there, I feel like I could imagine the lifestyle.  This story had depth with her recovering from her tragedy to finding out how the Kenyans operate and how she would have to mold herself to fit into this new culture.  


A piece of women's fiction that I would recommend to all kinds of readers.  A story with heart and soul that any reader can easily get drawn into and may not escape until the last sentence ends.  As I always say, I will not divulge any spoilers because this one is worth every page!     


Rating:  absolutely loved it and want a sequel


Ebook Challenge 2012: 20 out of 25  


Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from NetGalley.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Wordless Wednesday

This is my pup and my sweet niece as they eat "treats" together.

Review: What the Dog Ate by Jackie Bouchard

What the Dog Ate by Jackie Bouchard 

Pages: 272 

Format: ebook

Buy the Book: Amazon  

Goodreads:  When Maggie Baxter, a practical, rule-following accountant, finds out what her chocolate Lab ate, her world turns upside down. Maggie thought she had the rest of her life meticulously planned out, but now she needs to figure out Plan B. With her dog, Kona, as her guru, Maggie embarks on a funny, heartwarming quest in search of tail-wagging joy.




Kritters Thoughts:  The reader finds Maggie as she is learning through a vet visit that her husband has been cheating on her behind her back and from there the story unravels (good unraveling).  Through Kona her dog, Maggie comes to find out the truth about her marriage.  I think this is only where the story begins, it went further than I ever thought it would be and I was pleasantly surprised with each chapter!  


The one thing that always kept sticking out with me was the ability for the author to avoid the "woo is me" divorced woman attitude and instead have her question her job and ultimately her life in a positive light.  I didn't find Maggie to be whiny or down in the dumps, she hit some speed bumps, but wasn't overwhelmed by her grief, it didn't completely stop her.


The cast of characters was unique.  The different personalities that surrounded Maggie were entertaining, but gave the story a great human element.  I appreciated each character's role and can not imagine the book without each one of them showing up when Maggie needed them to.  Of course, I could have thrown a shoe at her estranged husband - Dave, written well, but what a jerk.


As a pup owner, I loved the emphasis on dogs and their abilities to help a person heal.  The author used the dog at the right times to show unconditional love, this could be a great book to give to someone to encourage them in times of trouble to get a pup!




Rating:  perfect beach read


Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from the author.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own. 

It's Monday, What are you Reading? (73)

What a good reading week!  I had some great books and some great reviews.  With this holiday weekend, I was able to relax and read.  It is Monday morning and I am planning on spending my entire day by the pool with a book in hand!


What was your holiday weekend like?  Did you get a moment to read?


A meme hosted by Sheila at BookJourney. 

Finished this past week:
The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty
Between You and Me by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus
Ragdoll Redeemed by Dawn Novotny
The Cottage at Glass Beach by Heather Barbieri
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett


Currently Reading:
One Breathe Away by Heather Gudenkauf
The Sixes by Kate White


Next off the TBR pile:

Clean Break by David Klein

A Whole New Blog

As I plan a wedding, maintain this blog and keep a full time job, I thought why not join the review crew at Book Trib and start a blog over there too, RIGHT!  I am already counting hours to see if I can add one or two each week, who is with me!


So it is true, as of Monday, I am blogging over at Book Trib.  It will not be as much as this one because I must sleep a little daily or at least that is what the boy says!  At this point my goal is to post a review there once a week.  I am hoping after the personal life settles down to up the ante to twice a week.  


So on Wednesdays, when I usually stay wordless here at Kritters Ramblings with pictures, I will be posting a review over at Book Trib - check it out and let me know what you think!

Review: The Cottage at Glass Beach by Heather Barbieri

The Cottage at Glass Beach by Heather Barbieri 

Publisher: HarperCollins

Pages: 320 

Format: book 

Buy the Book: Amazon 

Goodreads:  Married to the youngest attorney general in Massachusetts state history, forty-year-old Nora Cunningham is a picture perfect political wife and doting mother. But her carefully constructed life falls to pieces when she -along with the rest of the world - learns of her husband Malcolm's infidelity.

Humiliated, hurt, hounded by the press, Nora packs up her daughters, Annie, seven, and Ella, twelve, and takes refuge with her maternal aunt on Burke's Island, a craggy spit of land off the coast of Maine. Settled by Irish immigrants, the island is a place where superstition and magic are carried on the ocean winds, and wishes and dreams wash ashore with the changing tides.
Just as she begins to regain her balance, her young daughters embark on a reckless odyssey of their own, a journey that will force Nora to find the courage to chart her own course-and finally face the truth about her marriage, her mother, and her past.





Kritters Thoughts:  Centered around Nora, a woman who has just been devastated by her husband's affair that has gone public, she decides to go back to the last place where she felt safe.  With the help of her aunt, she starts to put back the pieces and find a new direction to take for her life.  


From the start I fell in love with the complexity of Nora, she was running from a bad situation, but ended up in the past that wasn't filled with true happy memories either.  Her girls were portrayed in just the right way as a little distraction from the story at hand, but in the end became a very central focus.  Then there was her Aunt Maire and who couldn't fall in love with a woman who was trying to help her niece pull it together and start a new path.


The one thing I wished for was more interaction in the beginning via phone with Nora's cheating husband.  There were just a few phone calls and I wish we heard a little more of what was going on with him.


I loved this book and thought the story had heart and soul, but wasn't too over the top, it was just right.  With the setting at the beach, this may be a great addition for your beach bag this summer!


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from TLC Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own. 

Other Tour Stops:

Tuesday, May 15th: 2 Kids and Tired

Wednesday, May 16th: Seaside Book Nook

Thursday, May 17th: Sarah Says Read

Friday, May 18th: My Two Blessings

Monday, May 21st: Savvy Verse & Wit

Wednesday, May 23rd: All Grown Up?

Thursday, May 24th: Paperback Princess

Friday, May 25th: Kritters Ramblings

Tuesday, May 29th: Bookstack

Wednesday, May 30th: A Cozy Reader’s Corner

Thursday, May 31st: My Bookshelf

Monday, June 4th: Life In Review

Tuesday, June 5th: Drey’s Library

Wednesday, June 6th: Good Girl Gone Redneck

Thursday, June 7th: Peeking Between the Pages

Monday, June 11th: Tiramisu Mom

Tuesday, June 12th: Wandering Thoughts of a Scientific Housewife

Friday, June 15th: Luxury Reading

Review: State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett 

Publisher: HarperCollins

Pages: 384 

Format: book 

Buy the Book: Amazon 

Goodreads:  A provocative novel of morality and miracles, science and sacrifice set in the Amazon rainforest--a gripping adventure story and a profound look at the difficult choices we make in the name of discovery and love.




Kritters Thoughts: Quite a different book than I normally read, but I was intrigued as I had never read a book by Ann Patchett.  Marina is our main character and within the first chapter she finds out that a good friend and colleague has died while on a mission for their pharmaceutical company.  She is challenged by her boss and the deceased's wife to go find out the details and get the dish on what is happening in the Amazon.  Never to say no to a mission, Marina sets out to find Dr. Swenson, a former mentor and find out what exactly is happening in the Amazon.


At first, I wasn't falling in love with the story, I just wasn't sure if this would be my kind of book, but once she set sail for the Amazon, the book really started to pick up for me.  Patchett takes her time to describe the surroundings, so the reader is easily able to find themselves swept into the Amazon - I could see what the characters were seeing.    


I would call this an Indiana Jones adventure book for a female audience.  It had all the feel of an adventure with two females at the lead.  If you are a fan of science, mystery and intrigue, this Ann Patchett book would be worth picking up for your summer reading.




Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from TLC Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own. 

Review: The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty

The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty

Publisher: Riverheard Books

Pages: 384

Format: ARC 

Buy the Book: Amazon 

Goodreads:  A captivating novel about the woman who chaperoned an irreverent Louise Brooks to New York City in 1922, and the summer that would change them both. Only a few years before becoming a famous actress and an icon for her generation, a fifteen-year-old Louise Brooks leaves Wichita to make it big in New York. Much to her annoyance, she is accompanied by a thirty-six-year-old chaperone who is neither mother nor friend. Cora Carlisle is a complicated but traditional woman with her own reasons for making the trip. She has no idea what she's in for: Young Louise, already stunningly beautiful and sporting her famous blunt bangs and black bob, is known for her arrogance and her lack of respect for convention. Ultimately, the five weeks they spend together will change their lives forever. For Cora, New York holds the promise of discovery that might prove an answer to the question at the center of her being, and even as she does her best to watch over Louise in a strange and bustling city, she embarks on her own mission. And while what she finds isn't what she anticipated, it liberates her in a way she could not have imagined. Over the course of the summer, Cora's eyes are opened to the promise of the twentieth century and a new understanding of the possibilities for being fully alive.




Kritters Thoughts:  A glimpse into the past and a look at New York City before the depression through two completely different eyes.  There is Cora who has been asked to be a chaperone, but this trip to New York City is more than the task at hand, it will take her back in time to a past that she has been trying to figure out.  Louise is a young ingenue who wants to become a celebrity in theatre and film, her big break takes her from Wichita, Kansas to New York City.  


I absolutely adored being able to see the change in times in both of these women's eyes.  Although the book is told through Cora's eyes, the reader is given enough information to understand what Louise is thinking with how the world is evolving around her.  The change in hemline is more than a fashion trend, it is also a change in the culture of women and how they will perceive themselves differently.  I loved the strong female characters who were trying to figure out how they would fit within the changing times.  


A historical fiction that didn't feel dated, which is my kind of read!  I would recommend this book to the reader who is a little weary about historical fiction, an entertaining story that could take place at anytime.


Rating:  definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row


Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from TLC Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own. 

The Chaperone PERSONALIZED Giveaway

Thanks to my friends at Penguin, I am able to giveaway a personalized signed copy of The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty.  I will be headed to a cocktail party at BEA - promise to share all the details when I get back!

Review: Long Gone by Alafair Burke

Long Gone by Alafair Burke

Publisher: Harper 

Pages: 368 

Format: book 

Buy the Book: Amazon  

Goodreads:  After a layoff and months of struggling, Alice Humphrey finally lands her dream job managing a new art gallery in Manhattan's trendy Meatpacking District. According to Drew Campbell, the well-suited corporate representative who hires her, the gallery is a passion project for its anonymous, wealthy, and eccentric owner.

Everything is perfect until the morning Alice arrives at work to find the gallery gone--the space stripped bare as if it had never been there--and Drew Campbell's dead body on the floor. Overnight, Alice's dream job has vanished, and she finds herself at the center of a police investigation, with the evidence mounting against her. To prove her innocence and uncover the truth, Alice must undertake a dangerous search for answers that entangles her in a dark, high-tech criminal conspiracy and forces her to unearth long-hidden secrets involving her own family . . . secrets that could cost Alice her life.

Kritters Thoughts:  A true suspense thriller that had me sucked into it from the first page to the last punctuation.  The story centers around Alice Humphrey who is the daughter of a famous director in New York City, she has been unemployed and is trying to find her own path out from underneath the family name.  Along comes an opportunity that may seem a little shady but is also too good to pass up and with it will come the biggest unraveling of family drama that will end up changing everything she thought she knew about herself and her family.


At first with each chapter there was an introduction of an aspect of the story and at times it was hard to keep it all straight until they eventually started tying together, it got easier as I went along.  Because there were a few stories developing at the same time, I was able to see the drama unfold from different angles - this element gave the story some depth to which it couldn't if the author only presented Alice's story from the beginning.  


I absolutely loved where the book ended up and was surprised until the very end.  I would recommend this book to readers who love a little suspense to keep them hooked to the book.  


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel


Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from TLC Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own. 

It's Monday, What are you Reading? (72)

How could this week have gone from crazy to ridiculousness?  With something every night, a car making weird noises and my work computer on the fritz this week was beyond nuts.  So getting books completed - I can't even believe it.  How was your week?  Did you have another crazy one?


A meme hosted by Sheila at BookJourney. 

Finished this past week:
What the Dog Ate by Jackie Bouchard
Long Gone by Alafair Burke
Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

Currently Reading:
The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty
Next off the TBR pile:
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett