Brownies and Broomsticks by Bailey Cates

Brownies and Broomsticks by Bailey Cates
4 Stars

Katie is unhappy with her Ohio bakery job. When she finds out her aunt and uncle are opening a bakery in Savannah, Georgia, she jumps at the chance to assist them. Her aunt Lucy quickly takes her under her wing and Katie notices aunt Lucy adding mysterious herbs to her baking. When a murder happens in front of the bakery, Katie's uncle Ben becomes the main suspect. Katie soon takes on the mission of clearing his name and finding out who the real killer is. Katie soon learns more about herself than she thought she ever would.

This was a really cute cozy mystery. It was light and an easy read. I'll definitely be reading the next one in the series. If you enjoy witchcraft and cozies, I would recommend this one.

The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain

Riley is just a baby when her older sister commits suicide. Riley and her brother grow up in a family devastated by this loss. But now, years later, while sorting through her father's affairs after he passes away, Riley learns that Lisa is still alive. But why does everyone think she committed suicide? And what secrets are still out there? Riley will soon find her life upside down when long kept secrets are revealed.

I loved this book. It is told through Riley's viewpoint as well as Lisa's. It does flash back between present and past, but the story is woven together very well to where you don't get confused. I found myself wanting to keep reading and reading to find out what was going to happen next. I did figure out one of the twists, but still, over all it was an excellent read.

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

Cecilia accidentally finds a letter her husband wrote to her only to be opened in the event of his death. Cecilia now has the decision of opening it and possibly revealing a deep dark secret, or leaving the letter alone. What Cecilia doesn't know is that this secret affects more than just her and their family. What will the consequences be if she opens the letter?

This is the 2nd book I've read by Moriarty and I actually preferred Big Little Lies over this one. While the story line was good, I felt like it really didn't get going until about 3/4 of the way through the book. I was really expecting more of a shocker towards the end, so I was a bit disappointed.

Sold by Patricia McCormick

Lakshmi is a 13 year old girl living with her mother and step father in Nepal. They are very poor, but Lakshmi enjoys life. When a hurricane washes away the rest of their crops, she must get a job to help the family. Under the impression that she is going to be a maid in the big city, Lakshmi finds herself the victim of a sex trade ring. She has been sold in to prostitution.

This was a sad story but all too often a reality. I was disappointed that there were some errors in the book as far as misused or missing punctuation and some misspelled words. I don't know if it just happened to be my library kindle copy or what. I also thought that the chapters could have been better organized. But over all, it was a decent story.

Enchanted, Inc by Shanna Swendson

Enchanted, Inc. by Shanna Swendson
4 Stars

Katie Chandler has been living in New York City for a while now and beginning to think the weird things she sees are normal for NYC. She is, after all, from small town Texas, where things like people with wings just aren't the norm. Katie is fed up with her job and her evil boss when she gets a job offer from a magical company. Katie soon finds out that all those weird things are actually real. She finds out that she is an asset to the company since she cannot be influenced by magic. But Katie soon finds she is a target when she is asked to help prevent an old employee from developing evil spells.

This was a fun, fluffy read. The story flowed really well and kept me interested. I'll be interested to see what other types of magical mischief Katie gets in to in the rest of the series.

The Submission by Amy Waldman

The Submission by Amy Waldman
4 Stars

With the 9/11 terrorist attacks still fresh in everyone's mind, a jury is formed to vote on memorial designs. Among the jury members is Claire, who lost her husband during the attack, finds herself at the center of the controversy. When it is revealed that the winner of the design contest is a man named Mohammad, an American born citizen, the jury quickly changes their mind. What follows is an outpouring of not only disgust but support as well. The jury finds itself trying to decide if they keep the design or choose another one. The story follows several view points to include Mohammad, Claire, one of the jury leaders, and a Muslim woman who lost her husband during the attack.

This was a good, thought provoking book. I enjoyed the different view points throughout the story.

Unsouled by Neal Shusterman

Picking up where the 2nd book left off, Connor and Lev are AWOLs that are on the run from those who want to Unwind them. But this time they are searching for the woman who started it all and the one person that can help them bring down those who are in favor of unwinding. Cam, the rewound boy, is also out to destroy those who created him. On the run from parts pirates and the government, Connor and Lev cross paths with unexpected people and wonder if they will ever bring down Proactive Citizenry.

I rounded this one up to 4 stars, although there were a few spots where I struggled with wanting to finish. The ending did leave you hanging, though, so I will probably pick up the next in the series.