January - the beginning of a year and a decade

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I am so thankful that January started off on a really good reading moment for the year and the new decade. 2019 was hard for me and for my reading life, so it is even better to start the new year with a great list of books completed.

1. Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner
2. When You See Me by Lisa Gardner
3. The Life You've Imagined by Kristina Riggle
4. Hope Out Loud by Kristina Riggle
5. The Other Gloria by LA Villafane
6. Happily Ever After by Trista Sutter (audiobook)
7. The Antidote for Everything by Kimmery Martin
8. An Everyday Hero by Laura Trentham
9. Been There, Married That by Gigi Levangie Grazer
10. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
11. Heather, the Totality by Matthew Weiner
12. The Natural Apothecary: Apple Cider Vinegar by Dr. Penny Stanway
13. Wingspan by Chris Bohjalian
14. Lost Tomorrows by Matt Coyle
15. Intermittent Fasting for Women by Lori Russell
16. Courting Mr. Lincoln by Louis Bayard
17. The Valedictorian of Being Dead by Heather B Armstrong (audiobook)
18. Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford
19. Love Rehab by Jo Piazza
20. No Honor Among Thieves by JA Jance
21. Batter Up by Robyn Neeley
22. The Secret Life or Mrs. London by Rebecca Rosenberg
23. The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins
24. The Body Politic by Brian Platzer
25. The Girl in White Gloves by Kerri Maher

Total pages read, clicked and flipped: 6,732

Where having I been Reading?:

Pennsylvania
Georgia
Michigan (2)
Bakersfield, CA
Charleston, SC
Tennessee
Colorado
Los Angeles, CA
Kentucky
New York City, NY (2)
Santa Barbara, CA
Springfield, IL
Utah
Arizona
New Jersey
New York
Hawaii
Jamaica
Monaco

Review: The Third to Die by Allison Brennan

The Third to Die

by Allison Brennan

Publisher: Mira

Pages: 400

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  An edgy female police detective…An ambitious FBI special agent. 

Together they are at the heart of the ticking-clock investigation for a psychopathic serial killer. The bond they forge in this crucible sets the stage for high-stakes suspense.

Detective Kara Quinn, on leave from the LAPD, is on an early morning jog in her hometown of Liberty Lake when she comes upon the body of a young nurse. The manner of death shows a pattern of highly controlled rage. Meanwhile in DC, FBI special agent Mathias Costa is staffing his newly minted Mobile Response Team. Word reaches Matt that the Liberty Lake murder fits the profile of the compulsive Triple Killer. It will be the first case for the MRT. This time they have a chance to stop this zealous if elusive killer before he strikes again. But only if they can figure out who he is and where he is hiding before he disappears for another three years. The stakes are higher than ever before, because if they fail, one of their own will be next…

Kritters Thoughts:  The first in a new series from Allison Brennan and I knew going into this book that I was already a fan of the author, so I had high expectations and this book met them!

Detective Kara Quinn is on vacation, but even on vacation she gets herself mixed up into a little bit of drama when she jogs across a dead body!  In comes in a mobile FBI team and things got interesting real quick!  Special Agent Mathias Costa is the new lead on this mobile FBI team and they are meant to go a place where the local police may need some extra help when a large case happens in their area.  I loved watching the interaction between the FBI team and the local police and how much it takes for them to successfully work together.  

The case contained in this book was so intriguing.  This may sound weird, but I love a book when you get a few chapters that are told from the killer's perspective.  It seems weird to like it, but it just seems so interesting to see their thought process behind what they are doing.  This one seemed extra and to get inside his mind was so fascinating.  I do tend to roll my eyes when the author alludes to a hard childhood that makes the killer a killer and such was the case in this book, but I was able to gloss over it for a good story.

I can't wait for book two in this series to come.  I am ready to see where this one goes.


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2019 Challenge: 67 out of 100


Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from HarperCollins.  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: Wife After Wife by Olivia Hayfield

Wife After Wife

by Olivia Hayfield

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 432

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  A wickedly entertaining and utterly absorbing modern take on the life and marriages of Henry VIII...if he were a twenty-first-century womanizing media mogul rather than the king of England.

Master of the universe Harry Rose is head of the Rose Corporation, number eighteen on the Forbes rich list, and recently married to wife number six. But in 2018, his perfect world is about to come crashing to the ground. His business is in the spotlight--and not in a good way--and his love life is under scrutiny. Because behind a glittering curtain of lavish parties, gorgeous homes, and a media empire is a tale worthy of any tabloid.

And Harry has a lot to account for. 


Kritters Thoughts:  A book that chronicles the life of Harry Rose from a young man to a titan in an industry and the wives that came in and out of his life.  Harry Rose could be compared to King Henry VIII and the women are cleverly renamed!  

Taking King Henry VIII into the 80s is such a great concept.  I loved how easily it was to take the ways of a King and convert them into a modern day and do just a few updates.  There were a few things that made me shake my head but those were few and far in between.  I also loved the nods to the past - with the name of a pub or a plaque honoring things from the past.

This book was a cross between a historical fiction reimagining and a #MeTOO work of art.  I only knew the random bits of stories about King Henry VIII, so parts of this book may have flown right over my head, but without that knowledge the book was still an interesting read.  I wouldn't mind reading this book again after reading some more historical fiction about his life and see what more I could pick up on.  The bits I did, made me chuckle!

I would love for Olivia Hayfield to do more of these from prominent figures from the past - I would love it even more if it were a character that I knew more about.  


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

Ebook 2019 Challenge: 64 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Berkley.  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 Hollows by Jess Montgomery

The Hollows

by Jess Montgomery

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Pages: 352

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Ohio, 1926: For many years, the underground railroad track in Moonvale Tunnel has been used as a short cut through the Appalachian hills. When an elderly woman is killed walking along the tracks, the brakeman tells tales of seeing a ghostly female figure dressed all in white.

Newly elected Sheriff Lily Ross is called on to the case to dispel the myths, but Lily does not believe that an old woman would wander out of the hills onto the tracks. In a county where everyone knows everyone, how can someone have disappeared, when nobody knew they were missing? As ghost stories and rumors settle into the consciousness of Moonvale Hollow, Lily tries to search for any real clues to the woman’s identity.

With the help of her friend Marvena Whitcomb, Lily follows the woman’s trail to The Hollows—an asylum is northern Antioch County—and they begin to expose secrets long-hidden by time and the mountains. 

Kritters Thoughts:  The second in the series and this is one of those series that I completely recommend starting at the beginning as you will lose out on some of the character development if you skip ahead.

This book takes on a different social justice issue of the first one, it deals with racial injustices and the struggle of integration.  In the same small mining town as the first book, there is a murder and there could be racial biases towards the murder and other things going on in the town.  At the same time Lily Ross their female sheriff is dealing with an impending election and wondering if she still has the support of her town to be the sheriff.  

I liked this book, but didn't love it as much as book one.  For me this one didn't read as smoothly and the plot wasn't as interesting as the first book.  I think I just enjoyed learning about the politics behind starting a union and how that affects a town. With less of a focus on the mining in this book, I missed reading about what made this town function.  

I would still read another book set in this town as I did fall in love with Lily Ross and the ladies that surrounded her in this book and I love that she shares the narration with another character in each book, but I hope that I enjoy the focus of the next book more than this one.  

Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from TLC 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 Widows by Jess Montgomery

The Widows

by Jess Montgomery

Publisher: Minotaur

Pages: 336

Format: ebook

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Kinship, Ohio, 1924: When Lily Ross learns that her husband, Daniel Ross, the town’s widely respected sheriff, is killed while transporting a prisoner, she is devastated and vows to avenge his death.

Hours after his funeral, a stranger appears at her door. Marvena Whitcomb, a coal miner’s widow, is unaware that Daniel has died, and begs to speak with him about her missing daughter.

From miles away but worlds apart, Lily and Marvena’s lives collide as they realize that Daniel was not the man that either of them believed him to be—and that his murder is far more complex than either of them could have imagined.

Kritters Thoughts:  The first in a series where you should definitely start at the beginning, with this one.  Lily Ross is married to the local sheriff and when he is found dead under interesting circumstances she finds herself filling in for him and becoming the first sheriff in Ohio.  She ends up investigating his death while also finding her in the middle of local drama as there are trouble in the mines and the wish to unionize.  

I absolutely loved this book.  I knew before I started the inspiration by the book and I think that made it an even better read for me.  Knowing that the author stumbled upon a few facts about the first female sheriff in Ohio and that is where this book started made the read that more interesting.  Lily Ross was such an interesting character to follow throughout the story.  

And with Marvena Whitcomb by her side as a widow of a coal miner who supported and helped with the unionizing movement, I loved reading chapters from her perspective also.  Marvena felt like a character that I had heard from before in a previous book that I had read about coal mining and the women who support their men in this extreme job.  

I loved the ups and downs of the story and the ease of reading.  The story just flew by in the best way possible! 


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2019 Challenge: 64 out of 100

Review: Jackie O On the Couch by Alma Bond

Jackie O On the Couch

by Alma Bond

Publisher: Bancroft Press

Pages: 288

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Jackie O: On the Couch is the story of Jackie Kennedy Onassis as she might have written it.

This is not just another biography. For the first time, Jackie O: On the Couch highlights Jackie's life from her own perspective, as imagined by author Dr. Alma Bond, a psychoanalyst and long-time student of Jackie lore.

The facts are all historically correct, as are the ideas, the Washington intrigue and politics, and the examination of the role of women in society and in the White House. Jackie speaks of her need to record her story truthfully-to replace the hodgepodge of lies published during her lifetime. Speaking as an older woman, she ponders how her points of view have changed from those she held when she was young.

The book delves into her childhood and explores how and why Jackie became the person she was. It also explores the Kennedys, and how John F. Kennedy's background affected his marriage. Jackie's deep love for Jack, his early inattentiveness, their difficulties together, his outrageous womanizing, happy times at the White House, and the tragedy of his assassination-all are viewed through Jackie's eyes.

Jackie writes of her need for Aristotle Onassis, debunking the notion that she married him purely for his money, and traces the joyful early years of the marriage through to its dramatic collapse and Ari's difficult death.

A different Jackie emerges into the world of publishing. Her new persona allows her to establish her very best relationship with the stout and adoring Maurice Tempelsman, until non-Hodgkins lymphoma takes her life in 1994, at age 64.

Kritters Thoughts:  Jackie Kennedy could possibly be my favorite person in history ever.  The ups and downs that she lived through and the moments where she was a part of history and the moments where she was on the sidelines of history - she just is a woman I admire in so many ways.

I saw this book for review on Netgalley and I couldn't wait to read it, so I am glad I set aside the time and read it - in one sitting!

Edited with names and things as header of chapters, the book went chronologically through Jackie's life from her childhood to years before JFK, through JFK and beyond.  I was really only aware of the JFK years, so I appreciated the book having years before and after and that being just a portion of the story.  

Told through Jackie's point of view and in her voice, I kept having to remind myself that it was a fiction book based in a certain amount of fact.  I kept wanting to think that this was her story and all truth!

There are more in this On the Couch series, so I may have to try the next one.


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

It's Monday, What are you Reading?

It was a crazy week at work and two book clubs and some extra spin classes, so I am proud of the reading I accomplished, small victories!

A meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 

Finished this past week:

The Valedictorian of Being Dead by Heather B Armstrong
No Honor Among Thieves by JA Jance
Love Rehab by Jo Piazza
Batter Up by Robyn Neeley
The Secret Life of Mrs. London by Rebecca Rosenberg
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford
The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins

Currently Reading:

Own It by Sallie Krawcheck
The Body Politic by Brian Platzer

Next on the TBR pile:

The Girl in White Gloves by Kerri Maher

Review: The Vineyards of Champagne by Juliet Blackwell

The Vineyards of Champagne

by Juliet Blackwell

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 384

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Deep within the labyrinth of caves that lie below the lush, rolling vineyards of the Champagne region, an underground city of women and children hums with life. Forced to take shelter from the unrelenting onslaught of German shellfire above, the bravest among them venture out to pluck sweet grapes for the harvest. But wine is not the only secret preserved in the cool, dark cellars...

In present day, Rosalyn travels to Champagne to select vintages for her Napa-based employer. Rosalyn doesn't much care for champagne--or France, for that matter. Since the untimely death of her young husband, Rosalyn finds it a challenge to enjoy anything at all. But as she reads through a precious cache of WWI letters and retraces the lives lived in the limestone tunnels, Rosalyn will unravel a mystery hidden for decades...and find a way to savor her own life again, inspired by the hope and defiance of the women who toiled to bring in the grape harvest during the war.

Kritters Thoughts:  This book should be right up my alley.  A present day storyline with a historical storyline weaving through with letters throughout, but for me it didn't completely work and I will explain why.  

Rosalyn is the main character in the present storyline and she lost her husband to cancer a few years ago and has still kind of been stuck in a rut until her boss sends her to Champagne, France to experience new things and possibly become a better asset to his company.  While on the flight there she meets an interesting woman who has historical letters that she is trying to piece together and when they land in France they will meet back up and go on an adventure.

I liked the characters in this book, that wasn't the problem.  The problem for me was I wanted more from the historical storyline.  There were chapters throughout the book, but I just wanted more!  I felt as though that storyline was lacking and I wanted to learn so much more about that time in France and the ins and outs of living underneath their land.  

I still love this author and will read future books, but for me this one isn't my favorite of her collection.  


Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Ebook 2019 Challenge: 63 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Berkley.  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 Way We All Became the Brady Bunch

The Way We All Became the Brady Bunch

by Kimberly Potts

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Pages: 288

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  There isn't a person in this country who hasn't heard of The Brady Bunch. Whether it's the show they watched growing up, or the one their parents did--whether adored, or great to poke fun at--The Brady Bunch is unarguably one of the most enduring and inspiring TV shows of our time. It's lived a dozen lives, from its original comedy debut and big-screen movies, to the Emmy-winning TV auteurs it has inspired--everyone from Vince Gilligan to Jill Soloway--and promises to live many more.

In The Way We All Became the Brady Bunch, TV and pop culture writer Kimberly Potts will draw upon her deep knowledge of and appreciation for The Brady Bunch and television and pop culture history, as well as her contacts, connections, and experience, to provide an industry insider narrative of The Brady Bunch. With fresh interviews, The Way We All Became the Brady Bunch will examine the show's lasting effects on its audience and take readers behind-the-scenes and into the lives of our most beloved characters, all to document why The Brady Bunch was one of the most groundbreaking shows of its time--and why it remains to this day, unforgettable.

Kritters Thoughts:  I am a part of the generation that enjoyed The Brady Bunch through syndication and also enjoyed some of the extra spin offs and reunions in real time.  I was such a fan of this happy family who could solve problems in one episode and they were dealing with issues that me and my peers were dealing with - I loved it.  

I loved a book dedicated to the ins and outs of The Brady Bunch.  There were so many things I learned - both positive and negative.  I was so sad to learn about Robert Reed's disinterest in the show and his attitude to the creative team; it will taint my future viewing of him in the show.  I did love to read about how the entire team really made sure it was a great experience for all the kids working on the show.  I was glad to see that they put the kids first a lot.  

What I loved most about the book was that it was almost the culmination of a bunch of memoirs and other sources all in one book.  The chapters were sort of themed, so I liked that each chapter was about one thing or another from the conception of the idea of the show to behind the scenes antics.  Readers could almost read this and skip all the individual memoirs.  

I would love this author to do some other books on some other pop culture things from the past.  


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 Grand Central Publishing.  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: Calli by Jessica Lee Anderson

Calli

by Jessica Lee Anderson

Publisher: Milkweed Editions

Pages: 198

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Fifteen-year-old Calli has just about everything she could want in life—two loving moms, a good-looking boyfriend, and a best friend who has always been there for support. An only child, Calli is excited when her parents announce that they want to be foster parents. Unfortunately, being a foster sister to Cherish is not at all what Calli expected. First Cherish steals Calli’s boyfriend, then begins to pit Calli’s moms against one another, and she even steals Calli’s iPod. Tired of being pushed around and determined to get even, Calli steals one of Cherish’s necklaces. But this plan for revenge goes horribly awry, and Cherish ends up in juvenile detention.

Isolating herself from her moms, her boyfriend, and even her best friend, Calli wrestles with her guilt and tries to figure out a way to undo the damage she’s caused. When her moms are asked to take on another foster child, Calli sees an opportunity to make amends for her past mistakes.

Kritters Thoughts:  A definite young adult book where I felt as though I wasn't quite the target audience.  Some young adult books can be read by adults and adults can get some enjoyment, but this one just wasn't it.  With simple language and simple characters, this book was just ok for me.  

Calli is a young woman who has two moms and definitely not the conventional home life.  Her biological father isn't in her life and her moms have recently decided to start fostering children, so she a girl move in who is the same age and it doesn't go well.  This relationship makes Calli question everything and even makes her change herself into someone that she doesn't like.  Calli learns lessons the hard way in this book.  

Although this book wasn't for me, I would say this book would be good for a younger audience who may need exposure to some real issues.  


Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

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.

Review: Everything My Mother Taught Me by Alice Hoffman

Everything My Mother Taught Me

by Alice Hoffman

Publisher: Amazon

Pages: 28

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  In this haunting short story of loyalty and betrayal, a young woman in early 1900s Massachusetts discovers that in navigating her treacherous coming-of-age, she must find her voice first.

For fatefully observant Adeline, growing up carries an ominous warning from her adulterous mother: don’t say a word. Adeline vows to never speak again. But that’s not her only secret. After her mother takes a housekeeping job at a lighthouse off the tip of Cape Ann, a local woman vanishes. The key to the mystery lies with Adeline, the silent witness.

Kritters Thoughts:  In early 1900s Massachusetts a woman doesn't have many options when her husband dies, so her and her daughter are shipped off to help the lighthouse keepers and their families.  From the minute her father dies, Adeline decides to stop speaking, but you can still make great change without a physical voice.

From the minute they land in the remote area where the lighthouses are Adeline watches her mother make havoc on these families and she is determined to stop her mother from causing extreme damage.  I loved watching this young girl make expert moves without a word spoken.  

With minimal pages, this book still made an impact.  The ending was just spot on!  Made me want a sequel so bad!  


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2019 Challenge: 49 out of 100

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.

Review: How Quickly She Disappears by Raymond Fleischmann

How Quickly She Disappears

by Raymond Fleischmann

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 320

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  It’s 1941 in small-town Alaska and Elisabeth Pfautz is alone. She’s living far from home, struggling through an unhappy marriage, and she spends her days tutoring her precocious young daughter. Elisabeth’s twin sister disappeared without a trace twenty years earlier, and Elisabeth’s life has never recovered. Cryptic visions of her sister haunt her dreams, and Elisabeth’s crushing loneliness grows more intense by the day. But through it all, she clings to one belief: That her sister is still alive, and that they’ll be reunited one day.

And that day may be coming soon. Elisabeth’s world is upended when Alfred Seidel — an enigmatic German bush pilot — arrives in town and murders a local man in cold blood. Sitting in his cell in the wake of his crime, Alfred refuses to speak to anyone except for Elisabeth. He has something to tell her: He knows exactly what happened to her long-missing sister, but he’ll reveal this truth only if Elisabeth fulfills three requests.

Increasingly isolated from her neighbors and imprisoned by the bitter cold and her own obsession, Elisabeth lets herself slip deeper into Alfred’s web. A tenuous friendship forms between them, even as Elisabeth struggles to understand Alfred’s game and what he’s after.

But if it means she’ll get answers, she’s willing to play by his rules. She’s ready to sacrifice whatever it takes to be reunited with her sister, even if it means putting herself — and her family — in mortal danger.

Kritters Thoughts:  Elizabeth Pfautz lives in the wilderness of Alaska and has isolated herself for one big reason, when she was 11 years old her twin went missing and there were no clues to be found, but Elizabeth always felt as if she was still alive.  Now as an adult she still feels the pull to find her twin and despite many people warning her, she still looks for clues for her twin all the time.  

For me this was not a book I enjoyed and I was completely surprised throughout the reading that I just wasn't enjoying it. The story felt like it wasn't moving anywhere and kept having those hints of "I will tell you the secret, but not yet" and I just wasn't enjoying the tease.  

Throughout the book there were chapters sprinkled in that take the second person point of view and for me these chapters were hard to read and distracting from the main story.  I understand that they were there to help take the story back in time to when Jacqueline was alive, but changing the tense for me wasn't the right way to do it.  

Usually I try to find a reader for every book that I review, but this one could be the one that will be hard for me to recommend as the plot was just too slow for me.  


Rating: not such a good idea

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Berkley.  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?

It was such a good week in reading, I am really enjoying the streak I have going in January!

A meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 

Finished this past week:

Wingspan by Chris Bohjalian
Lost Tomorrows by Matt Coyle
Intermittent Fasting for Women by Lori Russell
Courting Mr. Lincoln by Louis Bayard

Currently Reading:

The Valedictorian of Being Dead by Heather Armstrong
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford

Next on the TBR pile:

The Girl in White Gloves by Kerri Maher