In this uplifting novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Story of Arthur Truluv, good friends discover that the things we fear revealing to others can be the very things that bring us closer together.
When a group of friends in Mason, Missouri, decide to start a monthly supper club, they get more than they bargained for. The plan for congenial evenings—talking, laughing, and sharing recipes, homemade food, and wine—abruptly changes course one night when one of the women reveals something startlingly intimate. The supper club then becomes Confession Club, and the women gather weekly to share not only dinners, but embarrassing misdeeds, deep insecurities, and long-held regrets.
They invite Iris Winters and Maddy Harris to join, and their timing couldn’t be better. Iris is conflicted about her feelings for a charming but troubled man, and Maddy has come back home from New York to escape a problem too big to handle alone. The club offers exactly the kind of support they need to help them make some difficult decisions. The Confession Club is charming, heartwarming, and inspiring. And as in the previous books that take place in Mason, readers will find friendship, community, and kindness on full display.
My Review
In this third book of the Mason trilogy, we see Maddy as a young mother with a inquisitive and growing child. The relationships that were formed in the first two books are still thriving. I love these characters as they each have a very distinct personality. I really felt that this was a great end to the trilogy even though the second book left me a bit disappointed. If you read this as a whole series, I think it does come back together nicely.
America’s most prominent Latino chef shares the story behind his food, his family, and his professional journey
Before Chef Aaron Sanchez rose to fame on shows like MasterChef and Chopped, he was a restless Mexican-American son, raised by a fiercely determined and talented woman who was a successful chef and restaurateur in her own right—she is credited with bringing Mexican cuisine to the New York City dining scene. In many ways, Sanchez, who lost his father at a young age, was destined to follow in his mother Zarela’s footsteps. He spent nights as a child in his family’s dining room surrounded by some of the most influential chefs and restaurateurs in New York. At 16, needing direction, he was sent by his mother to work for renowned chef Paul Prudhomme in New Orleans.
In this memoir, Sanchez delves into his formative years with remarkable candor, injecting his story with adrenaline and revealing how he fell in love with cooking and started a career in the fast-paced culinary world. Sanchez shares the invaluable lessons he learned from his upbringing and his training—both inside and outside the kitchen—and offers an intimate look into the chaotic and untraditional life of a professional chef and television personality. This memoir is Sanchez’s highly personal account of a fatherless Latino kid whose talent and passion took him to the top of his profession.
My Review
I enjoy watching Aaron Sanchez on tv and have for years. I appreciate that he is a Latino Chef that has brought his culture and background into his food. I truly believe that you incorporate your surroundings and feelings into your food and that you can tell when a chef really has a passion for what they do.
Aaron was very honest in this memoir when he discusses his struggles with depression. I applaud his truthfulness when telling the reader that he still speaks with a therapist on a weekly basis and is taking medication. The people that work in food industry usually show a harder side of themselves but as Aaron explains, it is a lonely profession.
This book also has some of Aaron’s recipes throughout. I think that was a great touch. Overall, I gave this book 3 crowns.
I received this E-ARC from the publishers through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Seventeen-year-old Ruby Brooks has never had a boyfriend. After moving to small-town La Luna, New Mexico following her mother’s untimely death, boys aren’t even on her radar. Ruby just wants to forget the last horrible year and blend in. But when she discovers an ancient pueblo ruin in the forest behind her house, and meets Ezra, a bitter recluse whose once-perfect face was destroyed in an accident he won’t talk about; Angel, La Luna’s handsome sheriff’s deputy, and Leo, a stranger who only appears near the ruin, Ruby finds herself teetering between love, mystery, and other worlds. What happened to Ezra’s face? And why is she so attracted to the one boy in town everyone despises? As Ruby unravels her own connections to both Ezra and the pueblo ruin, she’ll learn surfaces are deceiving. Especially in the heart of New Mexico, where spirits and legends aren’t always just campfire stories.
Set against a Northern New Mexico backdrop, Between Wild and Ruin is a young adult coming-of-age story that captures the wild and whimsical pulse of New Mexico through the eyes of teens Ruby Brooks, Angel Ruiz, and Ezra Lucero. The first book in the Wild and Ruin series, Between Wild and Ruin explores the time-tested credo ‘never judge a book by its cover’ through a paranormal lens, weaving Puebloan and Hispanic folklore and Southwest cultural narratives into tightly written, high-concept fiction ‘brimming with mystery, intrigue,’ and as Kirkus Reviews puts it, an “intriguing historical drama and an over-the top quadrangle romance.” AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY Praise for BETWEEN WILD & RUIN
“What could be a corny premise turns into an exhilarating, fun ride in Edelson’s adept hands. Her characters are smartly drawn, and readers will easily identify with Ruby, a strong yet insecure young artist on the verge of adulthood, who is still recovering from her tragic past . . . Fans of Twilight and modern fairy tales will fall in love with Ruby and root for her eventual romance.” — Blue Ink Review (Starred Review)
“Between Wild and Ruin is a stunning story of legends, romance, and destiny with themes of starting over, small towns, beauty, and community . . . Edelson perfectly breathes new life in mythology by honoring the oral tradition of a small community and the ruins that bring to life Ruby’s destiny.” — Manhattan Book Review
“Highly recommended to mature teens through new adult and adult audiences, this is a story that lingers in the mind long after its final revelation.” — Midwest Book Review
“A great addition to young adult urban fantasy.” — Seattle Book Review
“Descriptions of the New Mexico landscape are rich and atmospheric, arousing the senses with references to the scent of smoke and juniper, the predatory roar of mountain lions, and the brilliant dazzle of stars in the desert sky . . . The writing conveys a sense of timelessness, making it easy to believe Ruby’s sense that the land is spirit-haunted and that Leo, the handsome young man she encounters near the ruins, is somehow connected to it all.” — Clarion Forward
“An intriguing historical tale and an over-the-top love-quadrangle romance.” — Kirkus Reviews
“The paranormal aspects of the tale are credible and richly steeped in traditional lore, and the plot is finely crafted . . . Between Wild and Ruin is most highly recommended.” — Reader’s Favorite (5-Star Review)
My Review
I liked this story very much. It started off a bit slow but picked up and kept my interest. Ruby is a young girl that has experienced some hardships in her life and mixed with a move and meeting new friends, she is in for a wild ride. In a town that is rich with folklore and mystery, Ruby finds herself trying to distinguish between what is real and what isn’t.
Along the way, this is a story of what makes a family, trust and friendship and the lore of the unknown. Fair warning, this story ends on a bit of a cliff hanger and I need to know what happens next.
I gave this book 3.5 crowns.
PHOTO CONTENT FROM SHOSHANNA BETTENCOURT
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jennifer G. Edelson is a writer, trained artist, former attorney, pizza lover, and hard-core Bollywood fan. She has a BFA in Sculpture and a J.D. in law and has taught both creative writing and legal research and writing at several fine institutions, including the University of Minnesota. Originally a California native, she currently resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico with her husband, kids, and dog, Hubble after surviving years in the Minnesota tundra. Other than writing, Jennifer loves hiking, traveling, Albert Camus, Dr. Seuss, dark chocolate, coffee, exploring mysterious places, and meeting new people—if you’re human (or otherwise), odds are she’ll probably love you.
The national bestselling author of Breaking Wild delivers a riveting and haunting thriller about a woman who fears that the greatest threat to her survival could be the man she loves… On a conservation study in northern Alberta, field technician Marian Engström finds her true calling: training rescue dogs to help track endangered or threatened wildlife. Under the tutelage of experienced handler Tate Mathias, Marian feels her future opening up before her.
But after Tate is killed in a bear attack, Marian finds herself questioning the man she thought she loved. Growing inconsistencies start to surface, possibly linking Tate to the murders of four women over six years. Working with a retired forensic profiler who was never able to close the cases, Marian relives her relationship with Tate, desperately hoping to clear his name as a serial killer. And as she circles ever closer to the truth, evil stalks her every move…
From the lush and breathtaking Rocky Mountains to the vast deserts of Utah, The Last Woman in the Forest chronicles the experiences of a woman whose faith in the nature of man is about to be tested.
Recognition
March 2019 LibraryReads selection
My Review
I listened to this book on audio and thoroughly enjoyed it. I found it very interesting how the author incorporated some factual information about the processes and tracking of wildlife. The characters were very well thought out and sincere.
My heart hurt for Marian and Nick. I liked there usually friendship. This was a fun read. I gave it 4 crowns.
I received this E-ARC from the Publishers through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
About the Author:IONA GREY is the author of the award winning Letters to the Lost. She has a degree in English Literature and Language from Manchester University, an obsession with history and an enduring fascination with the lives of women in the twentieth century. She lives in rural Cheshire with her husband and three daughters.
About the Book: An unforgettable historical about true love found and lost and the secrets we keep from one another from an award-winning author.
Selina Lennox is a Bright Young Thing. Her life is a whirl of parties and drinking, pursued by the press and staying on just the right side of scandal, all while running from the life her parents would choose for her.
Lawrence Weston is a penniless painter who stumbles into Selina’s orbit one night and can never let her go even while knowing someone of her stature could never end up with someone of his. Except Selina falls hard for Lawrence, envisioning a life of true happiness. But when tragedy strikes, Selina finds herself choosing what’s safe over what’s right.
Spanning two decades and a seismic shift in British history as World War II approaches, Iona Grey’s The Glittering Hour is an epic novel of passion, heartache and loss.
Footprints were scattered about like fallen leaves. She looked down into the ravine, and once more her lungs filled with fear. A body, blackened and motionless lay splayed out in the bushes.
Detective Megan Carpenter is no stranger to evil. Escaping the horrors of her old life, she’s vowed never to let anyone hurt her or those she loves ever again. Joining the small police force in Jefferson County’s Port Townsend, Megan is determined to get every victim of a crime the justice they deserve.
So when Ruth Turner walks into the Sheriff’s office claiming her sister Ida Watson has been missing for over a month, Megan’s instincts tell her that she needs to do more than just file a report.
Arriving at a secluded farmhouse in the hills above Snow Creek, she finds Ida’s teenage children alone and frightened.
Then a few days later, close to the Watsons’ home, the blackened body of a woman is discovered in an abandoned pickup truck.
Megan must unravel the disturbing secrets of the isolated Snow Creek community if she is to catch the killer.
But Megan has dark secrets of her own too…
Hidden in the back of her closet is a box of tapes containing every single recording of her therapy sessions with Doctor Albright over thirteen years ago. As Megan begins to play the tapes, she’s taken straight back to her terrifying childhood, back to the time she was a kid called Rylee, fighting to survive.
Can Megan finally confront the past she’s spent years trying to block out and will listening to her own painful story help her solve the complex case she is now entangled in?
From the Number One New York Times and Amazon Charts bestselling author, comes an absolutely heart-stopping and completely unputdownable crime series, introducing Detective Megan Carpenter.
“Gregg Olsen’s Envy is a riveting page-turner that I could not put down. Like Jay Asher’s Thirteen Reasons Why, Envyexplores a serious topic–cyberbullying–in a fantastic, well-crafted story. Can’t wait for the next Empty Coffinnovel!” ―Nancy Holder, New York Timesbestselling author of the Wicked saga, Dear Bully contributor
“Gregg Olsen’s Envy offers an interesting view on the devastating effects bullying can have, not only on the individuals involved from both sides, but on the community at large.” ―Bree Despain, author of The Dark Divine trilogy
“Sure to spice up your reading repertoire!” ―GirlsLife.com
“Olsen’s characters jump to life and his plots are so intricate you never see the killer coming….a definite hit!” ―RT Book Reviews
“Dark and addictive…” ―Jordan Dane, critically acclaimed author of In the Arms of Stone Angels
“Olsen writes with authority, drawing inspiration from actual headlines and crime…” ―Publishers Weekly
“WICKEDLY CLEVER! TWISTED.” ―Lisa Gardner
“OLSEN WRITES RAPID-FIRE PAGE-TURNERS.” ―The Seattle Times
“GRABS YOU BY THE THROAT.” ―Kay Hooper
My Review
This was an interesting read. The families that are surrounding the murders live very secluded, cult-like lives. The men are the patriarchs and appear to exhibit total control over their families. I did feel like there was a disconnect between the groups of characters but the story picked up and became a quick read. I enjoyed learning a bit about the detective as it is the first in the series. I was mad at the major cliff hanger at the end. That was brutal!
About the Author
Throughout his career, Gregg Olsen has demonstrated an ability to create a detailed narrative that offers readers fascinating insights into the lives of people caught in extraordinary circumstances.
A New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author, Olsen has written nine nonfiction books, nine novels, a novella, and contributed a short story to a collection edited by Lee Child.
The award-winning author has been a guest on dozens of national and local television shows, including educational programs for the History Channel, Learning Channel, and Discovery Channel. He has also appeared on Dateline NBC, William Shatner’s Aftermath, Deadly Women on Investigation Discovery, Good Morning America, The Early Show, The Today Show, FOX News, CNN, Anderson Cooper 360, MSNBC, Entertainment Tonight, CBS 48 Hours, Oxygen’s Snapped, Court TV’s Crier Live, Inside Edition, Extra, Access Hollywood, and A&E’s Biography.
In addition to television and radio appearances, he has been featured in Redbook, USA Today, People,Salon magazine, Seattle Times, Los Angeles Times and the New York Post.
The Deep Dark was named Idaho Book of the Year by the ILA and Starvation Heights was honored by Washington’s Secretary of State for the book’s contribution to Washington state history and culture. His Young Adult novel, Envy, was the official selection of Washington for the National Book Festival.
Olsen, a Seattle native, lives in Olalla, Washington with his wife, twin daughters, three chickens, Milo (an obedience school dropout cocker spaniel) and Suri (a mini dachshund so spoiled she wears a sweater).
SYNOPSIS A poignant exploration of family and the ties that bind, perfect for fans of Far From the Tree, from New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Hand.
Today Melly had us writing letters to our babies…
Cassandra McMurtrey has the best parents a girl could ask for. They’ve given Cass a life she wouldn’t trade for the world. She has everything she needs—except maybe the one thing she wants. Like, to know who she is. Where she came from. Questions her adoptive parents can’t answer, no matter how much they love her.
But eighteen years ago, someone wrote Cass a series of letters. And they may just hold the answers Cass has been searching for.
Alternating between Cass’s search for answers and letters from the pregnant teen who gave her up for adoption, this voice-driven narrative is the perfect read for fans of Nina LaCour and Jandy Nelson.
“The novel’s great strength is the emotional depth of its characters and the complexity of their relationships. A heartfelt and hopeful story about coming of age as an adoptee.” ―School Library Journal
“Hand explores adoption’s multiple dimensions with great insight and sensitivity. Inclusive and illustrative: an engaging lesson in timeless family values.” ―Kirkus Reviews
“Cynthia Hand is the master of pulling at your heartstrings. The How & the Why tells both sides of an adoption story with love, compassion, and care. You’ll be reaching for your tissue box with this one — if you can stop turning pages long enough, that is.” ―Brigid Kemmerer, New York Times Bestselling Author of Letters to the Lost
“Beautifully rendered and superbly shaped. Hand has crafted an absorbing novel that focuses on family, friendship, teen pregnancy, adoption, personal choices, and serious health issues. Give this exquisite novel to readers seeking an emotionally intricate story.” ―Booklist (starred review)
My Review
This was a fabulous, heart-string pulling, honest look at the lives of all of the people involved in the adoption process. Even though the story itself was fiction, the author herself was adopted at six weeks old and lived with some of the same questions that the main character Cass had. I loved how each character in this story had an important role to play and how significant they were.
This was my first read from Cynthia Hand but it won’t be my last. I highly recommend to anyone of any age, sex, religion or ethnicity to pick this up. I gave this book 5 crowns.
PHOTO CONTENT FROM CYNTHIA HAND
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Cynthia Hand is the New York Times bestselling author of several books for teens, including the UNEARTHLY trilogy, THE LAST TIME WE SAY GOODBYE, MY LADY JANE and MY PLAIN JANE (with fellow authors Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows), THE AFTERLIFE OF HOLLY CHASE, and the upcoming novel THE HOW AND THE WHY (Fall 2019). Before turning to writing for young adults, she studied literary fiction and earned both an M.F.A. and a Ph.D. in fiction writing. She currently resides in Boise, Idaho, with a husband who’s addicted to typewriters, two kids, two cats, one crazy dog, and a entourage of imaginary friends.
