Pearl and May are 2, young, carefree girls living in Shanghai, the Paris of Asia, in 1937. That is until their father gambles away their savings and sells the girls to be brides to Americans who have traveled to China for Chinese brides.
As the war expands, Pearl and May's lives are turned upside down and they must do everything they can to survive. The story follows them from Shanghai to the United States over the course of about 20 years.
I loved the story of Pearl and May, even though it was heartbreaking to see them go through the trials and tribulations that they went through, even after coming to the US. I'm looking forward to the follow up book, Dreams of Joy.
Sunday, February 18, 2018
Sunday, February 4, 2018
The A List by Zoey Dean - 3 Stars
Anna is tired of her perfect life in New York City, so she jets off to live with her dad in Beverly Hills. Anna has a whirlwind first 24-hours in the city, attending the wedding of a Hollywood movie star, hitting an elite New Year's Eve party, and meeting a guy who may just be Mr. Perfect. But when Anna has a run in with Hollywood's teenage A-list, things quickly turn upside down.
Anna was somewhat of a likable character, but the book was typical teen fluff. I wasn't expecting much from it, since, after all it is a YA romance book. Not sure if I'll pick up the next one just to see what happens to Anna.
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven - 4 Stars
Meet Theodore Finch, a boy who thinks constantly about suicide, but always find something, even something small that always stops him.
Meet Violet Market, a girl who thinks about nothing but the future and getting out of the small Indiana town she lives in after the death of her sister.
When the 2 meet on the edge of the bell tower at school, both of their lives change. It's unclear as to who saves who, but the two quickly become friends. Violet learns that there's more out there than what she's looking at and Finch learns that he can be himself around Violet, no matter how weird.
A story of 2 unlikely friends who changes each other's worlds forever.
This book was a bit slow starting out for me. It really didn't pick up until about half way through. But once it picked up, it really moved. I enjoyed the story.
Meet Violet Market, a girl who thinks about nothing but the future and getting out of the small Indiana town she lives in after the death of her sister.
When the 2 meet on the edge of the bell tower at school, both of their lives change. It's unclear as to who saves who, but the two quickly become friends. Violet learns that there's more out there than what she's looking at and Finch learns that he can be himself around Violet, no matter how weird.
A story of 2 unlikely friends who changes each other's worlds forever.
This book was a bit slow starting out for me. It really didn't pick up until about half way through. But once it picked up, it really moved. I enjoyed the story.
Saturday, January 20, 2018
Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich - 5 Stars
Stephanie is a bounty hunter for cousin Vinnie. Problem is that she's not that good at it and she always gets herself in a bind. In #15 of the series, Stephanie is out to find who decapitated a BBQ mogul who was in town for a cooking contest. Her sidekick, Lula witnessed the murder and now the culprits are after her. Throw in a mix of Grandma Mazur and things are even more hilarious.
The Stephanie Plum books are always a quick fun read. I love the predicaments that Stephanie manages to get herself in to.
The Stephanie Plum books are always a quick fun read. I love the predicaments that Stephanie manages to get herself in to.
Sunday, January 14, 2018
How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather - 4 Stars
Amazon describes it as the Salem Witch trials meets Mean Girls. When Samantha moves to Salem, strange things start happening and people are blaming her. Being the descendant of Cotton Mather, a man who was responsible for the hangings centuries ago, people do not welcome her with open arms. To top it off, the descendants of those witches have it out for her as well.
On top of that, Samantha comes in contact with a spirit who wants her to go away, being that she moved in to his old home. Samantha doesn't know what to think of all this, but knows that there is a cycle that she must break before more people die.
This was a fun read that was a bit spooky at times. There's another one by Mather that I think I may check out and see what kind of twist she puts on that historical event.
Sunday, January 7, 2018
Final Girls by Riely Sager - 3 Stars
Quincy, Lisa, and Samantha are all what the press calls a "Final Girl". All of them have survived a horror movie style killing spree. Lisa survived a sorority massacre while Samantha survived the "sack man" killing while working the night shift at her local hotel. Quincy, the newest final girl survived a night of killing in a cabin in the woods.
Quincy has finally put her life back together, thanks to xanax and her caring boyfriend, Jeff. But when the first final girl, Lisa, is found dead in her bathtub and Sam shows up on her doorstep, things start to go awry. Why, after all these years, does Sam seek her out? Why is Sam so intent on her remembering what exactly happened at Pine Cottage all those years ago?
This book took about 3/4 of the way to really pick up. I was really pushing myself to get through it. The end did have a twist that I wasn't expecting. I was thinking through the whole middle part of the book that I had it all figured out, but was surprised at the end that I didn't. Other than that, it probably would have gotten a 2-star rating from me. :(
Quincy has finally put her life back together, thanks to xanax and her caring boyfriend, Jeff. But when the first final girl, Lisa, is found dead in her bathtub and Sam shows up on her doorstep, things start to go awry. Why, after all these years, does Sam seek her out? Why is Sam so intent on her remembering what exactly happened at Pine Cottage all those years ago?
This book took about 3/4 of the way to really pick up. I was really pushing myself to get through it. The end did have a twist that I wasn't expecting. I was thinking through the whole middle part of the book that I had it all figured out, but was surprised at the end that I didn't. Other than that, it probably would have gotten a 2-star rating from me. :(
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
The Red Hat Club by Haywood Smith - 5 Stars
Georgia, SuSu, Teeny, Diane, and Linda have all been best friends since high school...30 plus years. They meet weekly at a local restaurant wearing, of course, their red hats to gossip and catch up with one another.
When the group finds out that Diane's husband is cheating on her, they hatch a plan to bust his no good behind.
Love, laughter, and friendship prevail as the story tells the history of each one of the women from the 60's through the present.
I thought this was such a fun read. It reminded me of my 35 year friendship with my best friend and what we'd be getting up to if we lived close to one another. I read it for the decathlon and am happy with the choice. I plan on reading book #2 and can't wait to see what the girls get up to in it.
When the group finds out that Diane's husband is cheating on her, they hatch a plan to bust his no good behind.
Love, laughter, and friendship prevail as the story tells the history of each one of the women from the 60's through the present.
I thought this was such a fun read. It reminded me of my 35 year friendship with my best friend and what we'd be getting up to if we lived close to one another. I read it for the decathlon and am happy with the choice. I plan on reading book #2 and can't wait to see what the girls get up to in it.
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