Sunday, December 31, 2017

KISS 2017 GOODBYE with...The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand!

Hi there!
Welcome back to the ACTUAL REAL LIFE FINAL POST OF 2017 here at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

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I'm sorry, I just couldn't help myself!
One more review to get out there into the great big bloggy world as we kiss another year goodbye and welcome the next with open arms...and hopefully enough room on our shelves to house ALL THE AWESOMENESS that is to come.
*peeks at shelves*
Yeah, I might need to clean some out...or get another bookcase.  Yeah, that'd be MUCH easier.  ^-^

So, my FINAL SELECTION for the year 2017 is a Young Adult title that released October of this year and while it fits in favorably with the seasonal reading titles we gravitate towards this time of year, it would definitely work in the "off season" as well.  Don't believe me?  Well thanks...you don't even know what title I'm talking about yet!  I promise, I'll keep it short and to the point because I know you're all UBER busy with countdown, ball drops, and what not. So, let's get to the proper introduction to today's title on deck...



by
Cynthia Hand
9780062318503
Harper TEEN

About the book...
On Christmas Eve five years ago, seventeen-year-old Holly Chase was visited by three Ghosts who showed her how selfish and spoiled she’d become. They tried to convince her to mend her ways. She didn’t. And then she died.

Now she’s stuck working for the top-secret company Project Scrooge—as their latest Ghost of Christmas Past. So far, Holly’s afterlife has been miserable. But this year’s Scrooge is different. This year’s Scrooge might change everything…




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Sort of a unique mixture of A CHRISTMAS CAROL and IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE...with satisfying results.  Full disclosure, I did not see that ending coming! Took me by surprise much like that hammer on Lexington.  (Inside joke...sort of.) Was it good? Yes...but oh so curious because I could tell there was SOMETHING ELSE going on at times, but WHAT IT WAS was kept hush hush for certain.  Yep, Fort Knox could only hope to keep a secret as well.  I adored the crazy impulsive intro Holly, or excuse me...Victoria...makes of herself to a particular Scrooge...it was definitely cute and funny...and how the connection-that-shouldn't-be-there-but-is-now plays out, at least until it doesn't.  I was down in the mouth when it turned south, but suffice it to say that surprise ending saved me from falling to pieces.

So, in a nutshell...if you're a YA fan, have somewhat of a notion of the goings on in A Christmas Carol, and would love the chance to see it all in action, PICK UP THIS BOOK.
Sound good?  Good.

Now, go have a happy new year's eve...I'll see you next year! 



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Special thanks to the HarperCollins Publishing team for the copy for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title is available now, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.

Until next year, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!



Everything looks.... BETTER IN THE MORNING by Fern Ronay

HI there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

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Well, it's finally here.
NEW YEAR'S EVE 2017.

Here's hoping you have plans to ring in the new year filled with family, friends, and fun.  As for me, I'll be up...not necessarily by choice though.  I've got to work and despite the fact that we're closing an hour early (seriously, 10 PM as opposed to 11 PM... *grumble*), I'll probably still be getting the fur babies in order when the new year rolls in.  Cie la vie...we have to do what we have to do...but one thing we don't HAVE to do, but rather CHOOSE to do is READ and that my friends is a reason to celebrate all its own!

So, we're closing out the year with a look between the epages of a book that, well...let's just say the title works ironically well for my chosen date to post.  It's a Women's Fiction title filled with humor, life changes, choices, and new directions...and a little bit of romance too.  Ready or not, here comes 2017's final title in the spotlight...



by
Fern Ronay
9781940215648
Red Adept Publishing

About the book...
Veronica Buccino has a plan: marry John Del Monico and quit her soul-sucking job as a lawyer. And when he tells her he has big news, she’s certain he’ll pop the question. But instead of proposing, John informs her that he’s moving to London. Heartbroken, Veronica feels lost. Salvatore and Antoinette, her dead grandparents,begin to visit her dreams in an attempt to steer her in the right direction. At their suggestion, Veronica takes a news reporting class, which leads to a challenging freelance assignment covering a conspiracy trial. She also begins dating an unlikely suitor: creative Syd Blackman. Just when her love life and career are looking up, Veronica is tossed back to square one by an event that makes her question all her new choices.




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Veronica, Veronica, Veronica...
...what on earth are we going to do with you?

You have the brains and the schooling to do great things in the world of law, but not the gumption to follow through.  That's okay...many people start off on one path in life, but end up choosing another.  The thing is...THEY MAKE THE CHOICE.  You, my dear, are stuck in a proverbial rut and although you wish for escape, you only want it one way...with a ring on your finger from the man you love and a lifetime of bliss ahead.  *snicker*  Hey, I'm not laughing at you or your dream, just the fact that you think there is only one way to achieve it.

I know it was hard for you to have the rug pulled out from under you time and again, but you had a great support system in place.  With friends there through thick and thin (mostly), family you can call on whenever you need (though they appear through pennies), and those uber interesting stories you engrossed yourself within on that human interest site, you've got it made in the shade...well, okay, so not made, so much as the beginnings of something that could be amazing, and that my friend is just as valuable.  I loved the conversations you had with your grandparents in the "place but not a place".  I loved the way you would jump off virtual cliffs to satisfy the desires of those you love without so much as a notion of where you might end up.  The trust you placed in others wasn't always for the best, but it certainly showed us how to approach life with an open heart.

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All in all, it was a fun romp through life as it was and could be, if only we'd give it a chance.  Though not the ending I was rooting for (I must have missed the inclinations of a particular person because I seriously thought the love found would be with someone else...), it was a better ending than I thought I saw coming (holy heck if she ended up with that piece of work...). Should've listened to Grandma and Grandpa...knowing the future is no fun! Ultimately, it reminds us that we all have mistakes to make in order to be the person we were meant to be when we arrive at our final destination and reach our own HEAs.




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About the author...

Fern-Ronay

Fern Ronay is a lawyer who has lived in Manhattan, Chicago and now sunny Los Angeles with her husband, but she will always consider herself a Jersey girl. She is working on her next novel. She is also a host at the AfterBuzzTV network. 


SITE  |  TWITTER  |  FACEBOOK



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Special thanks to author Fern Ronay for the ebook for review. (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title is available now in "e" and "tree" formats, so click on over to your favorite online retailer to snag your copy today.

Until next time...HAPPY NEW YEAR...and happy reading!

Saturday, December 30, 2017

The SEVENTH THROUGH TWELFTH Post of BOOKMAS!

Season's greetings...
...and welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers!

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It's time for POST SEVEN THROUGH TWELVE of the TWELVE POSTS OF BOOKMAS.
What IS Bookmas, you ask?
Great question!

Bookmas is similar to Christmas, except it brings tidings of great reads, holiday gifting suggestions, and just about all the bookish fun you can imagine from across the genre spectrum. It's all in one place at one time (sorta) and ready to help you get out from under the yuletide stress, and get back to enjoying the season...one page at a time. 

Just why is it the "Twelve Posts" and not the twelve books? Simple...I have WAY TOO MANY titles for you to consider, peruse, and read all about to limit it to twelve titles. These posts are intended to highlight some great titles, give you ideas for your gifting this year, and help me clear up my "read-it-but-need-to-review-it" teetering stack. Triple focus...yes siree! ONE MORE QUESTION...why the span of days all in one and after the actual Christmas holiday?  In a word...work.  In a few, work went capital "C" crazy and thus, my free time was nonexistent, but don't cry for me Argentina, I still managed a little reading, just not so much blogging.  *sigh*  Anywho, ready or not, let's get this sled on the road as we unwrap today's featured titles....


Angels, Book 4
by
Debbie Macomber
9780062693907
William Morrow

This was a surprise arrival on my doorstep this holiday and one I intended to read from the moment I laid eyes on it.  You see, it was my first venture into this prolific author's work and I had heard such marvelous things about the Hallmark Channel movie version of the title, I simply had to check things out for myself...and boy was I glad I did!

The sum of its parts equals a touching story about how much we need one another to survive the trials and tribulations of this life, but also celebrate the moments that we should never take for granted.  It shows us how a single woman wronged in the past needs to let go of that hurt despite it coming from family.  It brings us a widowed single father bringing up two boys the best he can but unable to crawl out from beneath his grief.  It shares the memories of a long term marriage falling to pieces when they no longer seem to see eye to eye.  It shines a light on a busybody with a loose tongue that finds judging others through a place of faith (at least in her mind's eye) thoroughly satisfying without her ever taking a step to assist in sorting matters she knew nothing of.  I know, it sounds harrowing, nay depressing even, but trust me...that's merely laying the groundwork for Mrs. Miracle's...I mean, Mrs. Merkle's appearance.

A great reminder at this time of year and always that angels DO come in all shapes and sizes, and often times when we least expect it.



Little House Chapter Book #5
by
Laura Ingalls Wilder
9780062377142
HARPER

In this 'Little House' collection, we walk with Laura through a few Christmas' spent with family and friends.  We hear about the time that Christmas almost wasn't, if not for the fortuitous meeting of Mr. Edwards and Santa Claus.  We learn the secret to getting what you REALLY want for Christmas (wish wish wish with all your might and get your family in on it too!).  We even learn how small gestures of kindness and giving are returned tenfold in the blessings we ourselves receive.

It's a charming walk through Christmas on the prairie for longtime fans of the series as well as interlopers like myself.  ^-^




I Can Read series, Level 1
by
Syd Hoff
9780062643070
HARPER

From the mind who brought you Danny and the Dinosaur (whom we'll be visiting with momentarily), comes a story of Santa's reindeer that wasn't....a reindeer, that is.  Yes, my friends, here we have a story about Milton the Moose who just wanted to help Santa with his sleigh and experience the holiday in a way he never had before.  Did he get the chance or was he shunned like a certain well known "red-nosed" flying dynamo?  Let's just say that the big S.C. is all about giving people (and animals!) a chance...even when they've a bit of learning to do.

It's a heartwarming story that encourages kiddos (and beyond!) to reach for their dreams, and never let a little thing like being different stand in your way.





Danny and the Dinosaur:
by
Syd Hoff
9780062410467
HARPERFESTIVAL

Speaking of Syd Hoff's creations, here we have a charming holiday tale featuring none other than that prehistoric yet modern day duo!  This time around, Danny and the dinosaur are celebrating Christmas, but it's not something that's familiar to them both; after all, pre-decorated Christmas trees don't just grow wild on their own!  Danny takes his dino pal under his wing to holiday-up the museum and let the Christmas spirit shine through...but will it be enough to convince the director that their efforts were nice not naughty?  If the crowds spilling through the exhibits are any indication, I think he'll figure it out in a hurry.

A fun look at the holiday with a new perspective and with the included cards, poster, and stickers...readers can take the fun right off the page and into their living rooms!






by
Greg Pizzoli
9781484750315
Disney Hyperion

This delightful rendition of the holiday song we know, love, and struggle to sing because of the oh-so-many gifts their true love gave to them, puts a creative spin on the classic of old.  Here, the "true love" does indeed receive the wide range of gifts sung many times over, but with a twist.  You see, the receiver is a young elephant, the giver another young elephant, but it's all overseen by an adult pachyderm that is getting, shall we say, a little stressed out over the number of gifts flowing into their living room?  Yeah, that would be putting it lightly.  Good thing these two know the joy that sharing can bring because honestly, I'm not certain a peck of pears would have saved the day from dismay in many households. 

A wonderful way to countdown the days to the holiday or simply be reminded that one doesn't need the whole store gifted to them to enjoy the holiday, merely the gift giver's presence.





by
Susan Jeffers
9780062360205
HARPER

Dashing through the books,
With no time to really spare, 
Watching holidays pass,
With nary a moment to care!

That's pretty much what my holiday this year looked like but having the chance to enjoy works like this one allowed me to take a moment at least to remember the beauty of the season, the simple joy to be found in visiting another, and the many adventures to be found just outside our front door.  With beautifully crafted images to bring this classic carol to life (as well as add a few unexpected surprises!), there's fun to be had between these pages for all ages.




by
T.E. McMorrow
Illustrated by
James Ransome
9780061175985
HARPER

This was a DELIGHTFUL surprise to find on my doorstep this holiday.  I've enjoyed several versions of this wonderful holiday story over the years and it never fails to amaze me how they manage to come up with some new version that still captures the magic of the original, yet brings its own dose of holiday fun.  Take this one for example...it adds a jazzy flair to the story of old with a leading little lady trying to find her voice in a time when the rhythm was what you made of it.  Watching Marie become ensnared in the battle between the soldiers and the Rat King, seeing her dismay when it seemed like all was lost, and then triumphantly taking up for the little drummer boy nutcracker...why it weaved its own web of magic and wonder that'll capture hearts and minds for many seasons to come.







Special thanks to the HarperCollins Publishers and Disney Hyperion publicity teams for the copies for review. (THANKS!) For more information on these titles, the authors, or the publishers, feel free to click through the links provided above. We may be calling it a wrap on this BOOKMAS but that doesn't mean the fun stops here!  Be sure to check back for more bookish fun in the new year!


Happy holidays and happy reading!