Julie's Review: He's Gone

Author: Deb Caletti
Series: None
Publication Date: May 14, 2013
Publisher: Bantam
Pages: 352
Obtained: purchased
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction,Mystery
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: Wow!
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Summary: “What do you think happened to your husband, Mrs. Keller?” The Sunday morning starts like any other, aside from the slight hangover. Dani Keller wakes up on her Seattle houseboat, a headache building behind her eyes from the wine she drank at a party the night before. But on this particular Sunday morning, she’s surprised to see that her husband, Ian, is not home. As the hours pass, Dani fills her day with small things. But still, Ian does not return. Irritation shifts to worry, worry slides almost imperceptibly into panic. And then, like a relentless blackness, the terrible realization hits Dani: He’s gone. As the police work methodically through all the logical explanations — he’s hurt, he’s run off, he’s been killed — Dani searches frantically for a clue as to whether Ian is in fact dead or alive. And, slowly, she unpacks their relationship, holding each moment up to the light: from its intense, adulterous beginning, to the grandeur of their new love, to the difficulties of forever. She examines all the sins she can — and cannot — remember. As the days pass, Dani will plumb the depths of her conscience, turning over and revealing the darkest of her secrets in order to discover the hard truth — about herself, her husband, and their lives together. ~powells.com

Review: He's Gone is such a thrilling ride. I savoured every page and yet I couldn't wait to get to the end of this book purely because I needed resolution, just like Dani. This book is so layered. It is a mystery, a love story, a psychological thriller and a study of marriage/fidelity. It is not a simple story. It is complex like Dani. It shows the different sides of a woman as she goes through the anger, grief and relief. We get into Dani's head as she examines every nook and cranny of her relationship/marriage with Ian. It isn't pretty. It shows the dark side of life and of some marriages.

Dani needed to be rescued from her marriage but what she doesn't realize is that she is the one that needed to do the rescuing. I really wavered back and forth on all different scenarios. There was a point that I really doubted Dani and her sanity. I felt she was going crazy. I couldn't decide if the blackout was real or if it was just something she was saying because she was guilty.

Ian is not a nice guy. He is the master of manipulation and feeling sorry for himself. At some point your upbringing needs to stop being an excuse for how you act. Your life and your behavior is in your hands. He was never going to be happy with anyone because he wasn't happy with himself. He might not have physically abused Dani but he certainly verbally and emotionally did.

I'm so happy that Alice put this on my List this year, otherwise I probably would have passed on this fantastic novel!

Alice's Review

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Children's Corner: Heidi Heckelbeck

 So this summer since my daughter is now reading, Mo Willems by herself, I've started looking for chapter books that my husband and I can read to her that she can graduate to reading herself by the end of the upcoming school year.

We have and Ivy and Bean collection, but sometimes they are still a little much for my daughter on a difficulty level; it will take longer for her to grow into them.  We discovered Heidi Heckelbeck by chance and we've been enjoying her immensely.  Whereas Ivy & Bean chapters can run a little long, I find Heidi Heckelbeck's to be the perfect length ...and just like Ivy and Bean, the subject matter is intriguing for a six year old without being drab for mom and dad. What I love about Wanda Coven's writing is that she manages to get a hook into every chapter that pulls you to the next, and for a blooming reader, I think that's really important.  These books are going to propel my daughter into reading more and I love them for it!  The Heidi Heckelbeck books are gold!!!

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Jenn's Review: City of Heavenly Fire

Author: Cassandra Clare
Series: The Mortal Instruments #6
Publication Date: May 27, 2014
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Pages: 725
Obtained: purchased
Genre:  YA Paranormal
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: The perfect ending to a beloved series
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab the whole series!

Blurb:  In this dazzling and long-awaited conclusion to the acclaimed Mortal Instruments series, Clary and her friends fight the greatest evil they have ever faced: Clary's own brother.

Sebastian Morgenstern is on the move, systematically turning Shadowhunter against Shadowhunter. Bearing the Infernal Cup, he transforms Shadowhunters into creatures out of nightmare, tearing apart families and lovers as the ranks of his Endarkened army swell.

The embattled Shadowhunters withdraw to Idris - but not even the famed demon towers of Alicante can keep Sebastian at bay. And with the Nephilim trapped in Idris, who will guard the world against demons?

When one of the greatest betrayals the Nephilim have ever known is revealed, Clary, Jace, Isabelle, Simon, and Alec must flee - even if their journey takes them deep into the demon realms, where no Shadowhunter has set foot before, and from which no human being has ever returned...

Love will be sacrificed and lives lost in the terrible battle for the fate of the word in the thrilling final installment of the classic urban fantasy series The Mortal Instruments!

Review:  I finished City of Heavenly Fire  over two weeks ago, but I haven't been able to let it go; I gasped and laughed and cried my way through it.  It was magnificent.  I've been re-reading little bits of it here and there, trying to soak it all in.  Plus writing a review makes it feel so final and these are characters to whom I hate to say goodbye.

The novel is monstrously long but never once does it feel like it.  Cassandra Clare doesn't waste a line or a word.  Ms. Clare is a master of understanding relationships and writing people and she proves it time and again.  As a reader I'm beyond committed to these relationships and friendships.  It is amazing how far everyone has come. There are so many wonderful moments between all the characters -too many to recount- and I love Cassandra Clare for including them all.  It seems incredible that it was only a novel ago everything was hurtling out of control for them.  Of course things are still out of control in the shadow hunter world, but all that Clary, Jace, Izzy, Alec, and Simon have been through personally to this point has made them strong, confident, and sure of themselves and each other.  They have truly come of age.  Though the end is near and uncertain, they are ready to face it, together.

Cassandra Clare exceeded my imagination.  Again.  I don't know what I expected for the ending, but it wasn't this.  Don't get me wrong, I loved the ending, it just wasn't the one I thought it would be.  (Honestly, I thought there'd be far more destruction and more deaths... I'm thrilled that there wasn't, of course, but a little amazed as well.)  Though there is an appropriate amount of closure for our heroes, The Clave is still in dire need of change and I hope that this will be the generation of Shadowhunters to make it happen.  

The only thing I would have wished for was more Jem and Tessa.  I understand why there wasn't; it's not their story, but I wanted so much for Jace to learn his lineage.  Along with the inclusion of Jem and Tessa we get the fabulous tie in to the Carstairs branch of the family in such a way that makes the addition of new characters, welcome and familiar.  As the book closes on the Shadowhunters of the New York Institute, the window opens to the Los Angeles institute to the story of Jules and Emma.  It is also a beautiful introduction to The Dark Artifices which is set to come out in the fall of 2015.  I hope that some of the Mortal Instruments characters will visit the Dark Artifices characters...

Honestly, I could gush forever about this entire series, let alone this final novel, but I don't want to spoil anything for anyone.  All of her novels are on my list of all time favorites that I recommend to anyone and everyone.

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Julie's Review: Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands

Author: Chris Bohjalian
Series: None
Publication Date: July 8, 2014
Publisher: Doubleday Books
Pages: 288
Obtained: Vine
Genre:  Contemporary
Rating: 4.5/5
Bottom Line: A heartbreaking and harrowing story about a young girl who is lost in more than one way.
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Summary: Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands is the story of Emily Shepard, a homeless teen living in an igloo made of ice and trash bags filled with frozen leaves. Half a year earlier, a nuclear plant in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom had experienced a cataclysmic meltdown, and both of Emily's parents were killed. Devastatingly, her father was in charge of the plant, and the meltdown may have been his fault. Was he drunk when it happened? Thousands of people are forced to flee their homes in the Kingdom; rivers and forests are destroyed; and Emily feels certain that as the daughter of the most hated man in America, she is in danger. So instead of following the social workers and her classmates after the meltdown, Emily takes off on her own for Burlington, where she survives by stealing, sleeping on the floor of a drug dealer's apartment, and inventing a new identity for herself — an identity inspired by her favorite poet, Emily Dickinson. When Emily befriends a young homeless boy named Cameron, she protects him with a ferocity she didn't know she had. But she still can't outrun her past, can't escape her grief, can't hide forever—and so she comes up with the only plan that she can. A story of loss, adventure, and the search for friendship in the wake of catastrophe, Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands is one of Chris Bohjalian’s finest novels to date—breathtaking, wise, and utterly transporting. ~powells.com

Review: Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands is a wonderful novel about what it takes to survive after a catastrophe and how one event can change the course of your life. Our narrator, Emily is a little unstable and for me that made her seemingly honest, but I have been tricked brilliantly before by Mr. Bohjalian, so I was cautious. There are so many nuances about this novel that I loved. I kept waiting for another shoe to drop, another hint to what was ahead for Emily. Normally a scattered timeline would drive me nuts but it worked so well with this story. It highlighted Emily's issues and perhaps maybe was supposed to give us some hints into the direction of the novel. Emily's situation breaks your heart about 50x over. Sure it breaks for the other people of the Northeast Kingdom but Emily's story is our focus.

Emily wasn't the perfect kid, she was a troublemaker, she was a slacker and not living up to her potential. It was obvious that she was trying but failing to not only get her parents attention but to perhaps try to save them. It is Emily's attachment to Cameron that will break your heart. It is her need to love someone and to be loved that is so essential to all of us. No matter how crappy her parents were at times, she knew she was loved by them and yes she loved them. Clinging to Cameron was her way of trying to restore herself.

Mr. Bohjalian is never one to shy away from social issues and in this one he tackles a few of them: mental illness, nuclear power and homelessness. Each one of these was meticulously researched and woven into the story seamlessly. I never felt that he was pushing his views on me as a reader.

I rarely say this but Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands is the perfect book club novel. It is layered, it is just the right amount of complex and it makes you think. Truly think about how you would react in a catastrophe. Could you handle it mentally? Physically? Emotionally?

I have been a huge fan of Mr. Bohjalian since reading The Double Bind and he doesn't disappoint this loyal fan with his latest.


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Julie's Review: Your Perfect Life

Author: Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke
Series: None
Publication Date: June 30, 2014
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Pages: 304
Obtained: purchased
Genre:  contemporary fiction, chick-lit
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: Fun summertime (or anytime) read to share with your friends
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Summary: Two childhood best friends wake up the morning after their twentieth high school reunion to discover that they’ve switched bodies in this hilarious and heartwarming debut by two childhood best friends.With “a delicious, page-turning premise, and sweet and surprising insights” (New York Times bestselling author Jen Lancaster), Your Perfect Life perfectly illustrates that old adage: Sometimes, you have to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes to see what’s in her heart. Best friends since childhood, Casey and Rachel couldn’t lead more different lives. While workaholic Casey rubs elbows with celebrities daily as the host of Gossip TV and comes home nightly to an empty apartment, stay-at-home mom Rachel juggles an “oops” baby, two fiery teenagers, and a husband who barely seems the man she fell in love with two decades before. After an argument at their twentieth high school reunion, Casey and Rachel throw back shots to get the night back on track. Instead, they get a life-changing hangover. Waking up in each other’s bodies the next morning, they must figure out how to navigate their altered realities. Rachel is forced to face the broadcasting dreams she gave up when she got pregnant in college, and Casey finally steps out of the spotlight to face the real reason why she’s alone. And they soon discover that they don’t know themselves—or their best friend—nearly as well as they thought they did. ~powells.com

Review: Your Perfect Life is quintessential chick-lit and that's just fine. I thoroughly enjoyed the premise and even their reference to Freaky Friday within the novel. Gotta pay homage to those that have come before you. Each character has their flaws, which makes this an even better read because we all know no one is perfect.

Rachel and Casey have been BFFs since high school but their relationship has been a little rocky lately due to the pressures of their lives. Plus their lives couldn't be more different. Casey has a high powered job delivering the latest in celebrity news/gossip and Rachel is a frenzied mother of 3 who barely has time to shower let alone get a blow out done on her hair.

Things aren't always what they seem on the other side once each other is living the others life. What might seem glamorous is lonely and what might seem perfect is far from it. There is definitely some silliness in the novel but there are also some serious subject matters that are highlighted as well. While the authors don't dig deep into them, they don't skirt around them either.

I always say that things might look perfect from your point of view but that is rarely the case when the doors are shut. Plus as much as you might "want" someone else's life, someone else "wants" yours.


I enjoyed the fact that not only did switching bodies get them back on track in their lives but it got them back on track with their friendship. We all know life is busy but it's important to take the time to connect with the people we care about.

If you are looking for a fun read over the holiday day weekend, this is it. I also recommend passing it around to friends or purchasing it for them as a fun summer read.

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Julie's Review: Landline

Author: Rainbow Rowell
Series: None
Publication Date: July 7, 2014
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Pages: 320
Obtained: Amazon Vine
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 3/5
Bottom Line: Great concept, but fell flat
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Library

Summary: From the New York Times bestselling author of Eleanor & Park and Fangirl, comes a hilarious, heart-wrenching take on love, marriage, and magic phones. Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble. That its been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply;but that almost seems beside the point now. Maybe that was always beside the point. Two days before they're supposed to visit Neals family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she cant go. Shes a TV writer, and somethings come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her—Neal is always a little upset with Georgie—but she doesn't expect to him to pack up the kids and go without her. When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if shes finally done it. If shes ruined everything. That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. Its not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like shes been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts. Is that what shes supposed to do? Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened? ~powells.com

 Review: I have now experienced my first Rainbow Rowell novel and why I was disappointed, I won't give up on her yet. I'm willing to give her another chance. Landline was a great concept, can you save your current marriage by speaking to your husband in the past? Unfortunately, it fell flat in execution.

Both of these characters were unlikable. Now, I can read books where the main character is less than stellar but I have to be able to identify with them in some way. I just found Georgie to be unbearable. I found her whiny and self-centered. She didn't know what she wanted. Did she want a successful TV career or did she want to make her husband happy? And really what could make Neal happy?!

Neal was a wet blanket. I don't think he was going to be happy no matter what Georgie did to change. He never had a clue what he wanted in life. He was going with the flow when Georgie started to pursue him. Did he really want her or was Georgie so persistent that he gave in?

I found their relationship to revolve around Neal's moods. What Neal in a good mood? Was he in a bad one? Why was he always so foul with Georgie? Wasn't it her job that let him stay at home? Why is he so resentful?

By the time, I was at the end of the novel I knew the outcome. I knew that Ms. Rowell would take the easy way out. Now, I'm not saying marriage is easy, I'm just saying it was a great way to wrap up the book.

If you are a fan of Ms. Rowell, I can pretty much tell you (even though I haven't read her other books) that this one falls short of all of her accolades. Maybe re-reading one of her favorites would be a better use of your reading time.






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