Sunday Skim

 

Week of 2/20/2022:

Finished:

Currently Reading:

Looking Forward To:

The Other Black Girl fell short for me and it moved a bit slowly. I appreciate what the author was trying to do but I just wanted a straight up story on lack of diversity in publishing and the struggles of minorities. Has anyone else read it? What are your thoughts?

Google+

Julie's Review: Our American Friend

Author: Anna Pitoniak
Series: None
Publication Date:  February 15, 2022
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 316
Obtained: publisher via NetGalley
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction, Historical Fiction
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: Slow burn of a novel that is worth every minute
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: Tired of covering the grating dysfunction of Washington and the increasingly outrageous antics of President Henry Caine, White House correspondent Sofie Morse quits her job and plans to leave politics behind. But when she gets a call from the office of First Lady Lara Caine, asking Sofie to come in for a private meeting with Lara, her curiosity is piqued. Sofie, like the rest of the world, knows little about Lara—only that Lara was born in Soviet Russia, raised in Paris, and worked as a model before moving to America and marrying the notoriously brash future president. When Lara asks Sofie to write her official biography, and to finally fill in the gaps of her history, Sofie’s curiosity gets the better of her. She begins to spend more and more time in the White House, slowly developing a bond with Lara—and eventually a deep and surprising friendship with her. Even more surprising to Sofie is the fact that Lara is entirely candid about her mysterious past. The First Lady doesn’t hesitate to speak about her beloved father’s work as an undercover KGB officer in Paris—and how he wasn’t the only person in her family working undercover during the Cold War. As Lara’s story unfolds, Sofie can’t help but wonder why Lara is rehashing such sensitive information. Why to her? And why now? Suddenly Sofie is in the middle of a game of cat and mouse that could have explosive ramifications. ~amazon.com 

Review: Fantastic novel set during the Cold War and more recent political climate. Lara Caine is the wife of the divisive President but yet no one knows a lot about her; especially before her modeling days. Ms. Caine hires journalist Sofie Morse to write her biography. Sophie isn't really sure what to think about being called to write this book. Not only that but writing a biography is personal and takes getting close to your subject. As a journalist, Sophie has her doubts about how to handle this and still be partial. 

What Sophie learns is a background that she couldn't have even fathomed but it leaves her in quite the quandary.  I really liked Sophie and her moral code/ethics. I like her relationship with her sister, Jenna and her husband, Ben. They made her more down to earth and smoothed her edges. 

Lara Caine is an enigma. She definitely keeps her cards close to her chest but with good reason given her childhood and everything she went through. She had quite the upbringing in Paris with her dad, mom and sister, Natasha. 

Being a product of the Cold War, Our American Friend captured me from page 1. I wasn't sure what to expect with this novel, but it was exactly what I needed. The writing is fantastic, and these are characters that I won't soon forget. I can't recommend this enough. 

Google+

Sunday Skim

 

Week of 2/13/2022:

Finished:

Currently Reading:

Looking Forward To:

Run out and get Our American Friend because it's a tightly written, high stakes book about politics, family and loyalty. 

Google+

Sunday Skim

 

Week of 2/6/2022:

Finished:

Currently Reading:

Looking Forward To:

If you read any book this year make it Beautiful Little Fools. Ms. Cantor has done a phenomenal job reimaging The Great Gatsby from the female perspective. For those fans of The Hate You Give, This is My America is a must read. It makes me infuriated, sad and slightly hopeful for our country. 

Google+

Julie's Reviews: The Liz Taylor Ring

Author: Brenda Janowitz
Series: None
Publication Date:  February 1, 2022
Publisher: Graydon House
Pages: 384
Obtained: publisher via NetGalley
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction, Historical Fiction
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: Some mystery but mainly a story about family, love and forgiveness
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: In 1978, Lizzie Morgan and Ritchie Schneider embark on a whirlwind romance on the bright beaches and glamorous yachts of Long Island. Over the years, their relationship has its share of ups and downs, including a nine-month hiatus that ends with a stunning eleven-carat ring—one that looks just like the diamond Richard Burton gifted Liz Taylor after their own separation. Like the famous couple, despite the drama that would unfold throughout the Schneiders’ marriage, the ring would be there as a symbol of their love…until it wasn't. Decades later, when the lost ring unexpectedly resurfaces, the Schneiders’ three children gather under one roof for the first time in years, eager to get their hands on this beloved, expensive reminder of their departed parents. But determining the fate of the heirloom is no simple task, unearthing old wounds and heartaches the siblings can't ignore. And when the ring reveals a secret that challenges everything they thought they knew about their parents’ epic love story, they’ll have to decide whether to move forward as a family or let the ring break them once and for all. ~amazon.com 

Review: If you haven't read Brenda Janowitz' previous books, well you've been missing out. For me The Liz Taylor Ring is her best to date; her writing just keeps getting better. This novel focuses on the Schneider siblings and how their lives shift due to the contents of a mysterious lock box. Each of them have their own agenda for the family heirloom; Abby - Wants to keep it to add to her collection of diamond armor; Nathan - Wants to keep it as a reminder of his parents love story & Courtney - Wants to sell it so she can get rid of her debts and start over. 

Of course it is never so easy as to figure out what happens to the diamond. We learn about the history of the it through flashbacks of Lizzie and Ritchie's relationship. To say it was a roller coaster, is to put in mildly. Much like the relationship of Liz Taylor & Richard Burton, Lizzie and Ritchie have their ups and downs but only because of Ritchie's gambling issue. Ritchie never met a card game he could resist or a casino, which leads him into some pretty big problems. Lizzie turns a blind eye until she really can't anymore because she's blinded by love/infatuation. She had her eyes set on Ritchie for so long and gave up so much to be with him that she ignores all the red flags. 

The brief time they are apart has a profound affect on Addy and Nathan. It colors their relationships and who they end up marrying. For Courtney who came when Addy and Nathan were older, she saw a different version of her parents. 

I loved how Ms. Janowitz weaved in Liz Taylor and Richard Burton's love story with Lizzie and Ritchie's and the similarities between them (and the differences). This is what she's good at though, taking a famous person or persons and interjecting their story into her novels but in a way that makes complete sense.  There are a couple shoes that drop during the course of the novel but just add more to the family lore and history. 

The Liz Taylor Ring is a story about family, love, loss and heritage.  

Google+

Sunday Skim

 

Week of 1/31/2022:

Finished:

Currently Reading:

Looking Forward To:

Another solid reading week for me. I seem to be flying through audiobooks lately which is great. I can't wait to start This is My America as it's been on my TBR for a while.  I can't say enough about The Liz Taylor Ring by Brenda Janowitz except you should go buy it and read it. 

Google+

Monthly Rewind: January 2022

* Denotes Audiobooks

Home Run (You should run and get this): 

*

Triple (You really don't want to miss it):

*

*

*

Double (You could get on the waiting list at the library and be ok):

Single (Wait it out): N/A

StrikeOuts (Don't bother):  N/A

I think for the the first time the number of audiobooks is greater than the number of books. I did listen to some fantastic ones this month! 

Julie's Review: On a Night Like This

Author: Lindsey Kelk
Series: None
Publication Date:  January 18, 2022
Publisher: Harper Collins
Pages: 347
Obtained: TLC Book Tours
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Rating: 3.75/5
Bottom Line: Sweet novel with a great heroine
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: Within days of wishing she could change her life, Fran Cooper is acting assistant to a celebrity, on a yacht in the Mediterranean, and en route to a tiny Italian island and the glittering Crystal Ball, along with the world’s rich and famous. When she – quite literally – bumps into a handsome American called Evan, a man able to keep his cool in the face of chaos, the magic really begins. Evan makes her a promise: no last names, no life stories, just one unforgettable night. Yet Evan belongs at the Crystal Ball and Fran is a gatecrasher. They may be soulmates, but their homes are an ocean apart, and their lives a world apart. They’ll never meet again – unless, on a night like this, everything can change forever… ~amazon.com 

Review: Francesca aka Fran, is at a standstill in her career and in her personal life until she gets an unusual job offer that is super secret. So secret that she has to sign a NDA and be packed to go if she gets the job. She's whisked off on a private plane to a private yacht where she meets her new boss; Juliette, who is a famous singer. Fran has the binder of the rules that she must follow which include no personal cell phone and dressing a certain way. A lapse in judgement though threatens Fran's new job and the guaranteed money she was going to make. 

Stranded on the island where the Crystal Ball takes place, Fran seizes the day and goes to the ball even if she isn't formally invited. With the help of a resourceful make-up artist, she sneaks in. The Crystal Ball is spectacular and yet confusing because it takes up so many rooms of the hotel. Pretty soon she has her own tour guide in Evan, who seems to know all the secrets and fun things to do. Even more out of character, Fran decides to have some fun & not worry about anything for the moment. 

I really enjoyed this "fish out of water" story because Fran really is out of her element in assisting Juliette and going to the ball. It did start out a bit slow for me but once she got to the Crystal Ball the novel flew by. I loved the supporting cast of Jess and Juliette because they pushed Fran to look at things differently than she would have previously. 

Thanks to TLC Book Tours for reaching out and including me in this one. Definitely will look forward to other novels that Ms. Kelk has written. 

Google+