Welcome back to the FINAL POST of 2019! What? You thought the BOOK BIRTHDAY review was my last one of the year? Okay, well in all fairness, I DID say it might be, but I had designs of trying to get LAST last post of the year together and BOOM, here it is.
Now a lot of fellow bloggers are doing year end BEST OF posts, which I totally applaud, but mine is a bit different. It's not a best, worst, or something in-between sort of post....more a hey-these-are-other-titles-I-read-and-haven't-had-a-chance-to-review-properly sorta post to close out the year and start the next with a clean slate. So it's dual purpose...you help me clean off my "need to review" list/pile, and I help you start 2020 off with a brand spanking FULL WISH LIST to start checking out (LOL). Sound good? Great. Let's DO THIS! In no particular order, except maybe a division or two for similar genres, here are my close out titles that I've read and are of note for 2019...
Alright, so we all know how much I adore this author's work, right? Right! So, when this one came around for a read, I was stoked! Now, I have to admit something, I did not like our Mr. Knightley at first. Nope. In fact, I couldn't imagine what was going to happen to allow him to even be partially good enough for our kindhearted Emma, but love is a mysterious thing and colder hearts have been unfrozen by its touch. Once the blinders come off, once he sees her for who she really is and not who he perceived her to be, we see the man that was hidden behind the walls for the first time...or perhaps it's better said her reemerges as she saw him (once upon a time) when he didn't even see it in himself. Another great read to add to my growing list of titles penned by this author that will always have a spot on my shelf.
This was an unusual one....especially considering the outcome...but it was, well...I'd say FUN. How many times can you say that about an abduction? It's a case of mistaken identity, or rather misplaced blame, where a vendetta of sorts is set to be carried out on the wrong rake. Is Baron Thornhill worthy of that moniker? Surely...but not everything is always as it seems. I found it rather delightful as I watched things play out, and while I held my breath a time or two, not knowing if she'd be outed, what his decision would be, and hoping against hope for a particular pairing to come to pass, I was definitely not left disappointed.
A Perfect Match by Sabrina Jeffries
I loved the deception carried off by the sisters on their own brother, no less, and how it wasn't nearly as complete a ruse as they thought when it came to the Colonel. He could tell in a moment that the young beauty he thought he was smitten with wasn't actually the one for him, and while his desire to be a pigheaded man, I mean...his desire to rebuild his estate was great and he'd do right by the lady helping him do it, his heart would not be quieted. THANK GOODNESS! I mean, her sister was a lovely lady, but Cass was definitely my favorite and it was time for her to have her story...and one that while unexpected was much deserved!
One Wicked Night by Mary Jo Putney
If I had to pick a least favorite, this was it, but only because of the pet napping! (LOL!) Seriously though, it was nice to see a "mature" (for the time period, I suppose) woman taking on the ton in her own time and finding love once again on her on terms. Well, okay, more like deliriously falling into it after being caught in a bada** snowstorm and nearly dying, but hey...semantics!
One Christmas Eve
by
Shannon Stacey 9781488059766 Carina Press (Review copy)
Zoe and Preston are a real treat for all those readers that LOVE a good bookish romance! She runs a slightly saucy bookstore; he's come to town to help people get their affairs in order. They may sound like oil and water, but once things get churned up, the mix is downright DELIGHTFUL! The banter and whit, the battle plans she puts into play utilizing her window display, and the favorite book with marked passage passed between them...let's just say, a definite choice to spice up your cold winter nights!
Austin and Sonya seem worlds apart at first glance, but at heart they are one and the same. Both are struggling with the past. Both are grappling to keep a handle on their present, Both have their sites set on a future more steady and prosperous. The thing is...sometimes the best laid plans go SERIOUSLY awry, and in this case, that's the best thing for them both! What Austin's father (and his former fiancée because yeah...I'm not counting her blameless in this!) did to their family was unforgivable. What Sonya's mother's relations did to them was beyond excusable. While it wasn't all done to them on an individual level, they have hearts, which they've promptly buried (understandably so), so yeah, the pain is still there. The resentment, the anger, the desire for payback...all swim in a pool of unhealthy WANT just waiting to be set free...but sometimes the soul recognizes another soul and a connection is forged that is strong enough to carry them both through the fires of earthly heck they've been given and rise above. This is that story....filled with harsh realities, unrepentant evil, and yet, so much love at long last. If you're a Contemporary Romance fan, this one's for you!
Initially, I had a hard time staying in this one...it didn't seem to have much actually HAPPENING, but then I caught the subtle undercurrents of what was transpiring and started enjoying the dance. A few things I pondered during my time between the pages...1) will he indeed prove himself, 2) will she find security despite the desperate times she is facing, 3) will the merry widows three let them be! The answers to all these and more were certainly more than adequate and provided for a book that in the end I found rather delightful.
Honest to goodness, this was not the story I thought I was walking into when I first started reading....and I think that's why it was bothering me for a while as I read. There were all these secrets being alluded to, but unrevealed, one in particular that seemed to start them all, and if it didn't come out sooner rather than later, I thought I might throw my first book. Hey, I'm being honest! It kept circling round and round the hidden truth without lifting the curtain it was behind. Eventually about two thirds in, it happened...and from there my outlook on everything changed. The losses felt so deeply among this family, the divisions that were the fallout of misunderstandings and assumptions...they all changed their lives so drastically, and filled them with so much hurt and resentment. It certainly speaks to clearing to the air and speaking your heart in lieu of getting lost between the what ifs and might have beens.
What a remarkable story, or rather stories, and with so many messages to take with you long after the final page turn. Sophia has a hard past, and Ginny is having a tough present...their eventual meeting and friendship feels inevitable, almost fated...and I couldn't wait to see how they would help each other rebuild. I truly enjoyed my time between the pages...and honestly, felt the better for it. The perfect addition to a lazy summer afternoon/weekend when you want to indulge your love of the written word as well as immerse yourself in a heart rendering story.
The Daughter's Tale
by
Armando Lucas Correa 9781501187933 Atria Books
(Self purchase)
This was a heartbreaking and moving tale of a history lost, love that knows no bounds, and the strength/resilience of the human spirit. I was quite beside myself when I finished reading it and then every time I tried to write something about it, I just fell back into that place of both light and dark when you know you've read something remarkable and yet can't quite put it to words. There's a section about a fourth of the way in where our leading lady is being asked what it feels like to be her, and the description she gave of her experiences, touched my soul. I mean, I know the times and situations were GREATLY different, but I really FELT THOSE WORDS to my core from my own hardships with Hurricane Michael. DO NOT miss this one!
Sophie and Shehadie's story is not new, but it's a new take on things. It's your typical Young Adult book filled with angst, struggles against "the man", and feelings blooming up left and right...but it also isn't as it deals with prejudice, hate crimes, and racial divisions from the not so white painted lines. That's right. In this story, the Lebanese community has the leading voice, whereas the mixed bloodlines of "New Guy" leave him the un-trusted minority. The thing about it is, it also shows how one voice can help enact change. One voice can save a soul. One voice can help uncover the courage of a community currently lost under a blanket of fear and past insecurities. So yeah, it's pretty powerful stuff, and a definite must read for those looking for strong examples of walking against the crowd in the name of GOOD and what's RIGHT.
Among the Fallen
by
Virginia Francis Schwartz 9780823441020 Holiday House (Review copy)
I actually had a bit of a hard time getting into this one as Orpha is very much lost and her history is very slowly revealed, but once things take an upswing towards healing, it was golden. The hardships that these girls faced, the way their tormentors were allowed to get away with the most horrid of acts, the guilt that followed her every where she went...it was hard enough to read, let alone understand how she could bare it. It will certainly make you thankful for the advancements we've made in society and women's rights...and yet, it may very well have you looking at those very issues closer in our time and place to see if we've REALLY come as far as we think...
Okay, think Buffy for a new generation utilizing an old school teenage (mostly) money making "scheme". It's actually pretty kick-butt once things get started and there is definitely some actual butt kicking to be done, both of those from our world and those not-so-much. Curious to see where the series goes from here, especially with how things were left!
Unusual, and heartbreaking...I can't say enough. This book really gets loss in its many forms. Whether it's a person, place, or LIFE in general, the processing of the loss, from the catastrophic to the infinitesimal, is different for everyone. Here, Tiger is so very lost, and blames the state of their (her and her mom's) relationship on her teenage outburst. While Lala is definitely a soothing balm and Cake is trying to help, life is just a big heaping bowl of darkness with nary a chance of dawn. It was so hard to see her world just crumble at every turn...I was literally brought to silent tears (I was in the library). The end doesn't make it turn into a sunshine and rainbows story, but it DOES matter. Give it a read. If you've ever truly known loss, you'll find yourself in here. If you haven't, count your lucky stars and gain an understanding of the world others have had to navigate.
Clyde is ONE. BAD. BEAR. No, really...he's bad to the bone, and there's nothing you can do about it. He mouths off to moths (who aren't ACTUALLY moths), hurls his grandmother in the pond (she's a turtle; she'll be fine), threatens to do bodily harm with pine cones...and then gets promptly shown what for with a pine cone by a butterfly (hence that "not a moth" comment from earlier). Yes, Clyde is one bad bear, but what we take away from this "charming" story of unusual friendship, wanting to be the baddest of the bad, and getting out of small town life to conquer the big bad city, is that being the biggest, meanest, baddest creature in the land is all relative. You can claim the title as long as you want, but there's always gonna be someone bigger, and badder that eventually comes along to knock you off your throne...best to have a few good friends by your side to lighten the fall... or not. I mean, this IS Clyde we're talking about and he was beaten up by a BUTTERFLY for crying out loud! A great pick for fans of the author's HAPPY BUNNY creation.
Catwad and Blurmp are back and...better than ever? Well, I guess that depends on your opinion of the duo, but if you've got an open mind, love snark by the ton, and can handle the innocence of Blurmp without mailing him off to abu dhabi, these guys are totally for you! Once again, they are toted for the younger set, and I'm not saying they won't find them funny, but older readers will be rolling in the aisles. No, really! Take SMART for example...where Blurmp is ONLY writing a book...or SALAD which will totally make you rethink your New Year's eating related resolutions! It's clever, witty, colorful, and fun...and I can't wait to see what they do next!
Nightmares!
by
Jason Segel & Kirsten Miller
Illustrated by
Karl Kwasny 9780385744256 Delacorte Books for Young Readers (Self purchase)
This story was so VERY CURIOUS and yet so much fun (if you can call running for your life, trying to save your family, and facing your worst fears fun, that is). I was curious about the "powerful witch" he kept focusing on, and while there were a lot of similarities between her and you-know-who, I couldn't believe it was one in the same. Was it? Oh, well...I can't spoil THAT for you. Also, Charlie's "darkness" was something both otherworldly and of this world, a conundrum I did not expect, but appreciated. Who knew nightmares could have a purpose other than torture or scaring you half to death! Definitely a fun concept, and I can't wait to check out more of the series. My only catch point, the rather abrupt ending and the use of "stepmonster" after all that transpired.
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...and that's a wrap!
Hope you enjoyed my thoughts and selections...and I hope you added some to your future reading list for 2020! Have a happy (and safe) New Year's Eve everyone...see you back here next year...and happy reading!
Just saw this post!! Thanks so much for the book shout out, Gina, and a very Happy New Year to you! Hope you 2020 will bring only good things your way... xox
Just saw this post!!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the book shout out, Gina, and a very Happy New Year to you! Hope you 2020 will bring only good things your way...
xox