Release Day! By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult ~ My Thoughts #ByAnyOtherName @jodipicoult

Happy Release Day!

Congratulation Jodi

on the recent release of

By Any Other Name!

 

By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult

Historical Fiction, 544 pages

Published August 20, 2024 by Ballantine Books

Two women, centuries apart — one of whom is the real author of Shakespeare's plays — are both forced to hide behind another name to make their voices heard.

In 1581, Emilia Bassano — like most young women of her day — is allowed no voice of her own. But as the Lord Chamberlain's mistress, she has access to all theater in England, and finds a way to bring her work to the stage secretly. And yet, creating some of the world's greatest dramatic masterpieces comes at great cost: by paying a man for the use of his name, she will write her own out of history.

In the present, playwright Melina Green has just written a new work inspired by the life of her Elizabethan ancestor Emilia Bassano. Although the challenges are different four hundred years later, the playing field is still not level for women in theater. Would Melina — like Emilia — be willing to forfeit her credit as author, just for a chance to see her work performed?

Told in intertwining narratives, this sweeping tale of ambition, courage, and desire asks what price each woman is willing to pay to see their work live on — even if it means they will be forgotten.

My thoughts about By Any Other Name ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First lines—"Many years after Melina graduated from the Bard College, the course she remembered the most was not a playwriting seminar or a theater intensive but an anthropology class."

By Any Other Name was an interesting read and nothing like I have ever read. I know when I start one of Jodi Picoult's books that I am going to be learning a lot about a subject I knew little to nothing about. This time it was all about Shakespeare and two women who were wrapped up in his works. 

This story is told in two time periods. One it set back in the 1500's around the hard life of Emilia Bassano. Her life was not at all easy and being a very talented writer, but a women, her work would not be recognized for its worth. Then in the present day, Melina Green, has written a screenplay centered on the life of Emilia but runs into roadblocks because she is a woman. Has nothing changed in all these years?

I enjoyed this story for the struggles of the two women even though I am not really much of a fan of Shakespeare. There is so much more to this story, focusing on the lives of these two amazing women. And once again, I came away from a Picoult book knowing so much more that I did before I started. 

I received a copy of By Any Other Name rom the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

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About the author

Picoult is the recipient of many awards, including the New England Bookseller Award for Fiction, the Alex Awards from the YALSA, a lifetime achievement award for mainstream fiction from the Romance Writers of America, the NH Literary Award for Outstanding Literary Merit and the Sarah Josepha Hale Award. She holds honorary doctor of letters degrees from Dartmouth College and the University of New Haven. She is a patron of the Carole Shields Prize for Fiction which is awarded to female fiction writers.

Jodi Picoult is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of 29 novels, including By Any Other Name, Mad Honey, Wish You Were Here, The Book of Two Ways, A Spark of Light, Small Great Things, Leaving Time, The Storyteller, Lone Wolf, Sing You Home, House Rules, Handle with Care, Change of Heart, and My Sister's Keeper, and, with daughter Samantha van Leer, two young adult novels, Between the Lines and Off the Page.

Picoult lives in New Hampshire with her husband. They have three children.

Connect with Jodi

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Goodreads

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Release Day! The Golden Doves Martha Hall Kelly ~ My Thoughts #TheGoldenDoves @marthahallkelly

Happy Release Day!

Congrats Martha

on the release today of

The Golden Doves!

The Golden Doves by Martha Hall Kelly

Historical Fiction, 528 pages

Published April 18, 2023 by Ballantine Books

Two former female spies, bound together by their past, risk everything to hunt down an infamous Nazi doctor in the aftermath of World War II—an extraordinary novel inspired by true events from the New York Times bestselling author of Lilac Girls.

American Josie Anderson and Parisian Arlette LaRue are thrilled to be working in the French resistance, stealing so many Nazi secrets that they become known as the Golden Doves, renowned across France and hunted by the Gestapo. Their courage will cost them everything. When they are finally arrested and taken to the Ravensbrück concentration camp, along with their loved ones, a reclusive Nazi doctor does unspeakable things to Josie’s mother, a celebrated Jewish singer who joined her daughter in Paris when the world seemed bright. And Arlette’s son is stolen from her, never to be seen again.

A decade later the Doves fall headlong into a dangerous dual mission: Josie is working for U.S. Army intelligence and accepts an assignment to hunt down the infamous doctor, while a mysterious man tells Arlette he may have found her son. The Golden Doves embark on a quest across Europe and ultimately to French Guiana, discovering a web of terrible secrets, and must put themselves in grave danger to finally secure justice and protect the ones they love.

Martha Hall Kelly has garnered acclaim for her stunning combination of empathy and research into the stories of women throughout history and for exploring the terrors of Ravensbrück. With The Golden Doves, she has crafted an unforgettable story about the fates of Nazi fugitives in the wake of World War II—and the unsung females spies who risked it all to bring them to justice.

My thoughts about The Golden Doves ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First lines—"I wake at dawn, facedown on the sofa, thinking I'm back in Block Ten."

Okay, I'll have to admit that I was a little intimidated by this book. Just the number of pages, 500+, had me cringe a bit. Before I started it, I didn't realize what that page count was So, that being said, it was the storyline that drew me to read The Golden Doves. Once I got into the story, the pages flew and I devoured it!

The Golden Doves is told in dual points of view and dual timelines. We get to know Josie and Arlette as they struggled and survived the war and then again 10 years later as they are dealing with the aftermath of what they went though. This made for an exciting and intriguing story that drew me in and kept my attention to the very end. 

Martha Hall Kelly has written several other historical fiction novels, which are very popular. The Golden Doves is the first book of hers that I have read but it won't be the last. I highly recommend this one for all historical fiction lovers. 

I received a copy of The Golden Doves from SparkPoint via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

About the author

Martha is still pinching herself after her debut novel Lilac Girls, about socialite Caroline Ferriday and her fight to help a group of concentration camp survivors, became an Instant NY Times bestseller in 2016 and went on to sell over two million copies. Once the paperback stayed on the NYT list for 54 weeks, and became published in fifty countries she wrote two more novels: Lost Roses about Caroline's mother, and Sunflower Sisters about her great grandmother, which also became Instant NY Times bestsellers. 

Her latest novel, The Golden Doves, which returns to WWII, arrives in bookstores April 18th, 2023. 

Martha grew up in Massachusetts and now splits her time between Connecticut and New York City. You'll find more info about the incredible, true stories behind all of her books at her website: http://www.marthahallkelly.com, on Instagram: @marthahakkkelly, Facebook.com/marthahallkelly, Twitter: @marthahallkelly and on her ever-changing Pinterest page. ~ Goodreads 

Connect with Martha

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram

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Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult & Jennifer Finney Boylan ~ My Thoughts #MadHoney @jodipicoult @JennyBoylan

Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult & Jennifer Finney Boylan

Fiction, Mystery Thriller, 464 pages

Published October 4, 2022 by Ballantine

A soul-stirring novel about what we choose to keep from our past, and what we choose to leave behind.

Olivia McAfee knows what it feels like to start over. Her picture-perfect life—living in Boston, married to a brilliant cardiothoracic surgeon, raising a beautiful son, Asher—was upended when her husband revealed a darker side. She never imagined she would end up back in her sleepy New Hampshire hometown, living in the house she grew up in, and taking over her father's beekeeping business.

Lily Campanello is familiar with do-overs, too. When she and her mom relocate to Adams, New Hampshire, for her final year of high school, they both hope it will be a fresh start.

And for just a short while, these new beginnings are exactly what Olivia and Lily need. Their paths cross when Asher falls for the new girl in school, and Lily can’t help but fall for him, too. With Ash, she feels happy for the first time. Yet at times, she wonders if she can she trust him completely . . .

Then one day, Olivia receives a phone call: Lily is dead, and Asher is being questioned by the police. Olivia is adamant that her son is innocent. But she would be lying if she didn’t acknowledge the flashes of his father’s temper in him, and as the case against him unfolds, she realizes he’s hidden more than he’s shared with her.

Mad Honey is a riveting novel of suspense, an unforgettable love story, and a moving and powerful exploration of the secrets we keep and the risks we take in order to become ourselves.

My thoughts about Mad Honey ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)

First line—"From the moment I knew I was having a baby, I wanted it to be a girl."

Jodi Picoult is one of those authors that I will just read, no matter what she publishes. So I basically went into this book not really knowing anything about it. Like all of her stories, there are lessons to be learned and I learned a lot about the lives and work of the honey bee. But then the story took a turn that I didn't see coming and I learned so much more about another topic that I know little about. 

Ms. Picoult's books always make me see facts of life around me that I need to better understand, all while wrapping it around a wonderful story with amazing characters. The teenage lives of Lily and Asher are full of fun, love, and teenage drama—times two. And then things take a turn for the worse, when Lilly ends up dead. Asher's life changes in a second! 

I found myself totally engrossed with the storyline and the lives of Lily and Asher, as well learning so much about bees on the side. There is plenty of drama, suspense, and love in Mad Honey to satisfy everyone. 

I highly recommend Mad Honey, for a story that will open reader's minds to so much that is going on the world, from bees to what some teenagers are dealing with today. 

I received a copy of Mad Honey from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

About the authors

Jodi Picoult is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty-eight novels, including Wish You Were Here, Small Great Things, Leaving Time, and My Sister’s Keeper, and, with daughter Samantha van Leer, two young adult novels, Between the Lines and Off the Page. Picoult lives in New Hampshire.

Mad Honey, her new novel co-authored with Jennifer Finney Boylan, is available in hardcover, ebook, and audio on October 4, 2022.

Connect with Jodi

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Jennifer Finney Boylan is the author of sixteen books, including Good Boy: My Life in Seven Dogs. Since 2008 she has been a contributing opinion writer for op/ed page of the New York Times; her column appears on alternate Wednesdays. A member of the board of trustees of PEN America, Jenny was also the chair of the board of GLAAD for many years. She is currently the Anna Quindlen Writer in Residence and Professor of English at Barnard College of Columbia University.

Jenny is a well known advocate for human rights. She has appeared five times on the Oprah Winfrey Show and has also been a guest or a commentator on Larry King Live, Good Morning America, and The Today Show. She is also a member of the faculty of the Breadloaf Writers' Conference of Middlebury College as well as Sirenland, in Positano, Italy.

She lives in Maine with her wife Deirdre. They have two children.

Connect with Jennifer

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Release Day! With Love from London by Sarah Jio ~ My Thoughts #WithLoveFromLondon

Happy Release Day!!

Congrats Sarah

on the release today of

With Love from London!!

With Love from London by Sarah Jio

Contemporary, Women's Saga, 240 pages

Published February 8, 2022 by Ballantine Books

A librarian inherits a bookshop from her estranged mother, leading her halfway across the world on a journey of self-discovery that transcends time and honors the unbreakable bonds of love and family.

When librarian Valentina Baker was a teenager, her mother, Eloise, unexpectedly fled to her native London, leaving Val and her father on their own. Now in her thirties and fresh out of a failed marriage, Val feels a nagging disenchantment with her life--and knows she is still heartbroken over her mother's abandonment.

In a bittersweet twist of fate, Val receives word that Eloise has passed away, leaving Val her Primrose Hill apartment and the deed to a bookshop Val never knew she'd owned. Though the news is devastating, Val finds herself more determined than ever to discover who her mother truly was. She jets across the Atlantic, departing Seattle for a new life in charming London.

Slowly but surely, Val begins to piece together Eloise's life in the UK, falling in love with her pastel-colored flat, cozy neighborhood, and tucked-away storefront. But when she discovers that The Book Garden is in danger of going under, Val must work with its eccentric staff to get it in working order. In the process, she learns more about Eloise than she ever thought possible. And as Val races to save the shop, Eloise's own story unfolds, leading both mother and daughter to unearth revelatory truths.

My thoughts about With Love from London ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First lines—"'There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind.' says the stranger sitting next to me on the airplane—a sixty-something woman with feathered bangs and a hair tie clinging so tightly on her left wrist that I've spent most of the flight worried it might turn into a medical emergency."

I have read and loved every single one of Sarah Jio's books. I have been a huge fan ever since her very first book and am always so excited when she has a new one out. Each and every one of them is a form of escape for me, with her wonderful settings and characters that I come to love. 

Well, With Love from London has now captured a special place in my book-loving heart, with a librarian as the main character and the setting, a bookstore in London. Sigh! 

I loved experiencing a new life right along with Valentina, as she learns about her mom's past and why she abandoned her daughter all those years ago. The route to her discoveries was all part of the fun, as Val comes to know and love all of her mom's somewhat eccentric friends. 

I'm not usually a re-reader of books, but this one just may be one that I savor again. There is just so much to love about it and I can't wait to enjoy it again. I highly recommend With Love from London, especially if you are a book-lover like me. 

I received a copy of With Love from London via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion of the book.

About the author

Sarah Jio is the New York Times bestselling author of WITH LOVE FROM LONDON, coming from Random House (Ballantine) 2/22, as well as seven other novels from Random House and Penguin Books, including, ALWAYS, ALL THE FLOWERS IN PARIS, THE VIOLETS OF MARCH, THE BUNGALOW, BLACKBERRY WINTER, THE LAST CAMELLIA, MORNING GLORY, GOODNIGHT JUNE, and THE LOOK OF LOVE. 

Sarah is a journalist who has contributed to The New York Times, Glamour, O, The Oprah Magazine, Glamour, SELF, Real Simple, Fitness, Marie Claire, and many others. She has appeared as a commentator on NPR’s Morning Edition. Her novels are translated into more than 25 languages. 

Sarah lives in Seattle with her husband, three boys, three step-children and two puppies. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Sarah

 Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

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New Release! Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult ~ My Thoughts #WishYouWereHere

Congrats Jodi

on the release of

Wish You Were Here!

Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult

Women's Domestic Life Fiction, 336 pages

Published November 30, 2021 by Ballantine Books

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author comes a deeply moving novel about the resilience of the human spirit in a moment of crisis.

Diana O’Toole is perfectly on track. She will be married by thirty, done having kids by thirty-five, and move out to the New York City suburbs, all while climbing the professional ladder in the cutthroat art auction world. She’s not engaged just yet, but she knows her boyfriend, Finn, a surgical resident, is about to propose on their romantic getaway to the Galápagos—days before her thirtieth birthday. Right on time.

But then a virus that felt worlds away has appeared in the city, and on the eve of their departure, Finn breaks the news: It’s all hands on deck at the hospital. He has to stay behind. You should still go, he assures her, since it would be a shame for all of their nonrefundable trip to go to waste. And so, reluctantly, she goes.

Almost immediately, Diana’s dream vacation goes awry. The whole island is now under quarantine, and she is stranded until the borders reopen. Completely isolated, she must venture beyond her comfort zone. Slowly, she carves out a connection with a local family when a teenager with a secret opens up to Diana, despite her father’s suspicion of outsiders.

Diana finds herself examining her relationships, her choices, and herself—and wondering if when she goes home, she too will have evolved into someone completely different.

My thoughts about Wish You Were Here ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First lines—"March 13, 2020. When I was six years old, I painted a corner of the sky."

Jodi Picoult is one of my automatic-read authors. I read each of her books as they come out. So basically, I had no idea what this story was about. Nope, didn't read the synopsis, just knew I would read it no matter what. I'm never disappointed in her stories. 

That being said, I had no idea I was going to be dumped back into the beginning of this whole pandemic, right when it started. Whoa, did I really want to go back to when all of our lives changed? 

After reading an interview that Jodi did, I understand why she wrote this book and am amazed at how quickly it all came together. She felt the need to capture life as we came to live it as a way to document what we were all going through. And as a way for us to remember and to better understand what was going on at the time, how people were struggling, suffering, and surviving. 

As per usual with Jodi's books, there's the twist that the reader is not expecting and the life lessons to be learned. In my opinion, this should be a must-read for everyone, to help us all better understand this whole pandemic world and to hopefully see the light at the end of the dark tunnel that is life right now. 

I received an ARC of Wish You Were Here vis NetGalley and this is my honest opinion of the book.

About the author

Jodi Picoult is the author of twenty-six novels, including the #1 New York Times bestsellers Small Great Things, A Spark of Light, Leaving Time, The Storyteller, Lone Wolf, Between the Lines, Sing You Home, House Rules, Handle with Care, Change of Heart, Nineteen Minutes, and My Sister’s Keeper. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband and three children. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Jodi

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The Soul of a Woman by Isabel Allende ~ My Thoughts #TheSoulOfAWoman

The Soul of a Woman by Isabel Allende

Feminism, Biography, 174 pages

Published March 2, 2021 by Ballantine Books

From the New York Times bestselling author of A Long Petal of the Sea comes a passionate and inspiring meditation on what it means to be a woman.

"When I say that I was a feminist in kindergarten, I am not exaggerating," begins Isabel Allende. As a child, she watched her mother, abandoned by her husband, provide for her three small children without "resources or voice." Isabel became a fierce and defiant little girl, determined to fight for the life her mother couldn't have.

As a young woman coming of age in the late 1960s, she rode the first wave of feminism. Among a tribe of like-minded female journalists, she for the first time felt comfortable in her own skin, as they wrote "with a knife between their teeth" about women's issues. She has seen what has been accomplished by the movement in the course of her lifetime. And over the course of three passionate marriages, she has learned how to grow as a woman while having a partner, when to step away, and the rewards of embracing one's sexuality.

So what do women want? To be safe, to be valued, to live in peace, to have their own resources, to be connected, to have control over their bodies and lives, and above all, to be loved. On all these fronts, there is much work to be done, and this book, Allende hopes, will "light the torch of our daughters and granddaughters with mine. They will have to live for us, as we lived for our mothers, and carry on with the work still left to be finished."

My thoughts about The Soul of a Woman ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First lines—"When I say that I was a feminist in kindergarten, even before the concept was known in my family, I am not exaggerating. I was born in 1942, so we're talking remote antiquity."

I've always enjoyed reading autobiographies. I enjoy getting an insight to the people I'm reading about as well as learning from the life lessons that they are sharing.  

The Soul of a Woman was a very interesting read and I learned a lot about the life of Allende as well as an in depth look and explanation of feminism from her point of view. Her life wasn't always easy but she was a strong girl who turned into a strong woman who stood up for herself and those around her.

There is a lot to learn from reading The Soul of a Woman, in particular how we need to strive to be the best that we can be and to always go for what we want in life. 

I received a copy of The Soul of a Woman from Goodreads and this is my honest opinion of the book.

About the author

Isabel Allende Llona is a Chilean-American novelist. Allende, who writes in the "magic realism" tradition, is considered one of the first successful women novelists in Latin America. She has written novels based in part on her own experiences, often focusing on the experiences of women, weaving myth and realism together. She has lectured and done extensive book tours and has taught literature at several US colleges. She currently resides in California with her husband. Allende adopted U.S. citizenship in 2003.

Connect with Isabel

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The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult ~ My Thoughts #TheBookOfTwoWays

The Book of Two Ways

The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult

Print & ebook, 416 pages

Published September 22nd 2020 by Ballantine

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Small Great Things and A Spark of Light comes a riveting novel about the choices that change the course of our lives.

Everything changes in a single moment for Dawn Edelstein. She's on a plane when the flight attendant makes an announcement: prepare for a crash landing. She braces herself as thoughts flash through her mind. The shocking thing is, the thoughts are not of her husband, but a man she last saw fifteen years ago: Wyatt Armstrong.

Dawn, miraculously, survives the crash, but so do all the doubts that have suddenly been raised. She has led a good life. Back in Boston, there is her husband, Brian, her beloved daughter, and her work as a death doula, where she helps ease the transition between life and death for patients in hospice.

But somewhere in Egypt is Wyatt Armstrong, who works as an archaeologist unearthing ancient burial sites, a job she once studied for, but was forced to abandon when life suddenly intervened. And now, when it seems that fate is offering her second chances, she is not as sure of the choice she once made.

After the crash landing, the airline ensures the survivors are seen by a doctor, then offers transportation wherever they want to go. The obvious option for Dawn is to continue down the path she is on and go home to her family. The other is to return to the archaeological site she left years before, reconnect with Wyatt and their unresolved history, and maybe even complete her research on The Book of Two Ways--the first known map of the afterlife.

As the story unfolds, Dawn's two possible futures unspool side by side, as do the secrets and doubts long buried beside them. Dawn must confront the questions she's never truly asked: What does a life well-lived look like? When we leave this earth, what do we leave behind? Do we make choices...or do our choices make us? And who would you be, if you hadn't turned out to be the person you are right now?

My thoughts about The Book of Two Ways ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First lines—"My calendar is full of dead people."

Picoult's books are sometimes hit-or-miss with me. I can't say I 'loved' The Book of Two Ways but I did really like the story-line. What was a miss for me was the detail that she went into about Egyptology—explaining all about the history of the dig sites, the hieroglyphics, and all those Egyptian people from the past. I understand that this is a deep interest for her, but I felt it really slowed the story down. 

Aside from all that detail, I really liked the story-line and the characters and cared about the situations that they found themselves in. I found myself skipping over the history lessons to spend more time with Dawn in her world. This book would be perfect anyone who has an interest in Egyptology and loves Picoult's stories—the best of both worlds!

I received a copy of The Book of Two Ways from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

About the author

Jodi Picoult is the author of twenty-six novels, including the #1 New York Times bestsellers Small Great Things, A Spark of Light, Leaving Time, The Storyteller, Lone Wolf, Between the Lines, Sing You Home, House Rules, Handle with Care, Change of Heart, Nineteen Minutes, and My Sister’s Keeper. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband and three children. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Jodi

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One Night at the Lake by Bethany Chase ~ My Thoughts #OneNightAtTheLake

One Night at the Lake by Bethany Chase
Print and e-book, 289 pages
Published June 18th 2019 by Ballantine Books

Past and present collide in an atmospheric mystery about two best friends and the man whose lake house means something different to them both--from "a great new voice in fiction" (Emily Giffin).

This is the moment that Leah Tessaro has been waiting for: her boyfriend, Ollie, is taking her and her best friend, June, to his family's lake house for a week of lazy summer bliss, boating and barbequing. Leah can feel in her bones that this vacation will be the moment he finally proposes. And she can't wait to share that joy with June, whose presence will make everything feel more real.

Seven years later, the moment June Kang has been dreading has finally arrived: her fiancé, Ollie, is taking her to his family's house on New York's Seneca Lake. But this is not an ordinary house, on an ordinary lake; it is haunted by June's long-buried memories of her lost friend, Leah, and by all that Leah meant to the man June loves more than anything.

Alternating between the two women's vibrant voices, one in the present and one trapped in the past, Seneca Lake explores a complex tangle of friendship, loyalty, and betrayal, all driving toward one question: what exactly happened to Leah on that hot summer night?

   

My thoughts about One Night at the Lake ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)

First line—"I dream about her all the time, you know. It's always the same dream."

Leah and June are best friends. Leah is hoping that Ollie will propose. Then seven years later Ollie is taking his fiancé, June, to his family's lake house for the weekend. It's the first time that June has been to the lake since the night that changed everything. Who is to blame for what happened? We find out about that weekend and what everyone is going through now by June's and Leah's alternating timelines and perspectives, as the tragedy of the past slowly unfolds.  

I actually read this book a while ago but I still think about it and what happened to these three people that one night on the lake. This is definitely a story that will stick with you, just like it did me.

I received a copy of One Night at the Lake from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

About the author

A native of Virginia's Blue Ridge mountains, Bethany Chase headed to Williams College for an English degree and somehow came out the other side an interior designer. The craftsmanship and creativity that surround her in the design world are a continual inspiration for her novels, which include USA Today Bestseller The One That Got Away, Results May Vary, and the forthcoming One Night at the Lake (June 2019). She lives with her husband and son in New Jersey. ~ Amazon

Connect with Bethany

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Release Day! The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate ~ My Thoughts #NetGalley #TheBookOfLostFriends

Happy Release Day!!

Congrats Lisa

on the release today of

The Book of Lost Friends!

The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate 
Paperback and e-book, 400 pages
Published April 7th 2020 by Ballantine Books

A new novel inspired by historical events: a story of three young women on a journey in search of family amidst the destruction of the post-Civil War South, and of a modern-day teacher who rediscovers their story and its connection to her own students' lives.

Lisa Wingate brings to life stories from actual "Lost Friends" advertisements that appeared in Southern newspapers after the Civil War, as freed slaves desperately searched for loved ones who had been sold off.

Louisiana, 1875 In the tumultuous aftermath of Reconstruction, three young women set off as unwilling companions on a perilous quest: Lavinia, the pampered heir to a now-destitute plantation; Juneau Jane, her illegitimate free-born Creole half-sister; and Hannie, Lavinia's former slave. Each carries private wounds and powerful secrets as they head for Texas, following dangerous roads rife with ruthless vigilantes and soldiers still fighting a war lost a decade before. For Lavinia and Juneau Jane, the journey is one of inheritance and financial desperation, but for Hannie, torn from her mother and eight siblings before slavery's end, the pilgrimage westward reignites an agonizing question: Could her long-lost family still be out there? Beyond the swamps lie the seemingly limitless frontiers of Texas and, improbably, hope.

Louisiana, 1987 For first-year teacher Benedetta Silva, a subsidized job at a poor rural school seems like the ticket to canceling her hefty student debt--until she lands in a tiny, out-of-step Mississippi River town. Augustine, Louisiana, seems suspicious of new ideas and new people, and Benny can scarcely comprehend the lives of her poverty-stricken students. But amid the gnarled oaks and run-down plantation homes lies the century-old history of three young women, a long-ago journey, and a hidden book that could change everything.

   

My thoughts about The Book of Lost Friends ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)

First line—"Prologue - A single ladybug lands featherweight on the teacher's finger, clings there, a living gemstone."

The Book of Lost Friends is a beautiful, yet heartbreaking story about a time in our history that is not talked about very much. As slaves were freed, they tirelessly searched for the family members who were torn from their lives. This book of lost friends was a way to get names out there to try to reconnect with them. Personally, this information was all new to me and not something I had learned about in my history classes.

Set in alternating timelines, over one hundred years apart, the reader follows the lives of Hannie, a former slave and Benedetta, a new teacher in a poor rural school. Lisa does an amazing job with the dual timelines and brings the story together at the end of the book in very creative and satisfying way. I love stories like this one, where two or more seemingly unrelated story-lines all come together in the end.

Just like with Before We Were Yours her previous book, The Book of Lost Friends, Lisa takes a piece of our little known history and brings it to our attention so that we don't forget. She is a wonderful writer and the story is beautifully written with words of wisdom all throughout. I love this line in particular—"Stories change people. History, real history, helps people understand each other, see each other from the inside out."

I am definitely a fan of anything Lisa writes. This was a fantastic read and I highly recommended it!  

I received a copy of The Book of Lost Friends via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion. 

About the author

Lisa Wingate is a former journalist, an inspirational speaker, and the bestselling author of more than thirty books. Her blockbuster Before We Were Yours was on the NYT best seller list for over one year. Her work has won or been nominated for many awards, including the Pat Conroy Southern Book Prize, the Oklahoma Book Award, the Utah Library Award, the Carol Award, the Christy Award, and the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award.

Lisa believes stories can change the world. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Lisa

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

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Release Day! All the Flowers in Paris by Sarah Jio ~ My Thoughts #AllTheFlowersInParis #NetGalley

Congrats Sarah

on the release today of

All the Flowers in Paris!

All the Flowers in Paris by Sarah Jio
Print & e-book, 240 pages
Published August 13th 2019 by Ballantine Books

Two women are connected across time by the city of Paris, a mysterious journal, and shocking secrets, sweeping from World War II to the present--for readers of Sarah's Key.

When Caroline wakes up in a Paris hospital with no memory of her past, she's confused to learn that she's lived a sad, reclusive life for years in a sprawling apartment on the Seine. Slowly regaining vague memories of a man and young child, she vows to piece her life back together--though she can't help but feel she may be in danger. A budding friendship with the chef of a charming nearby restaurant takes her mind off of her foggy past, as does a startling mystery from decades prior...

In Nazi-occupied Paris, young widow Celine lives a quiet life with her father, the local florist, and her daughter, Cosi. When a ruthless German officer discovers the family's Jewish ancestry, he blackmails Celine, forcing her to become his mistress in exchange for the others' safety. The trio plans an escape, but their mission goes horribly awry and Celine's beloved father and daughter are sent away to a cruel fate. Initially distraught, Celine fears the worst. Yet she soon discovers that Cosi has snuck away and followed her into captivity. More motivated than ever, Celine must now fight to hide and protect the person she loves most.

Parallel timelines intersect when Caroline discovers Celine's diary tucked away in a closet, and it is revealed that the walls of her apartment harbor dark secrets. With the help of a local student from the Sorbonne, she realizes that she may have more in common with Celine than she could ever imagine.

My thoughts about All the Flowers in Paris ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)

First line—"How could he?" 

I have been a huge fan of Sarah Jio's stories since the day I read her very first novel. Her words weave together such beautiful, heartwarming tales and this book did not disappoint.

Her stories always seem to have a magical feel to them and leave me with such good feelings. I loved the dual story-line in All the Flowers in Paris and I loved it when the two women's connection was revealed—because come on, you knew that was going to happen, right? 

Caroline and Celine both had troubled pasts and have hardships to get through in their present lives. Traveling back and forth between the two time periods gave me a rich understanding of the two women and demonstrated the strength of these two amazing women. 

I love opening a book by this amazing author and getting lost in one of her worlds. I get so excited when I learn that she has a new book out and I can't wait! If you have not read any of her books yet, I highly recommend that you pick one up. All the Flowers in Paris would be the perfect one to start with. 

I received a copy of All the Flowers in Paris via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion of the book.

About the author

Sarah Jio is the New York Times bestselling author of ALWAYS, published by Random House (Ballantine), as well as seven other novels from Penguin Books, including, THE VIOLETS OF MARCH, THE BUNGALOW, BLACKBERRY WINTER, THE LAST CAMELLIA, MORNING GLORY, GOODNIGHT JUNE, and THE LOOK OF LOVE.

Sarah is also a journalist who has contributed to The New York Times, Glamour, O, The Oprah Magazine, Glamour, SELF, Real Simple, Fitness, Marie Claire, and many others. She has appeared as a commentator on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Her novels are translated into more than 25 languages. Sarah lives in Seattle with her three young boys. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Sarah

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

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