New Release Tuesday... and My Top 3 (maybe 4) picks...

 

Happy New Release Day! There are always many new books to choose from on "New Releases Tuesday"! It's summer and thoughts turn to breezy sweeping stories that I can melt into. Here are my top picks for this week... (the last one is not a breezy story though 😲)

The River Muse by Laura Resau... 
A French chateau. A forest with secrets. A magical spring. Welcome to La Chanson, where lost souls are found again…

At the brink of summer, Callie arrives in a secluded village in the South of France with her young daughter, after barely escaping her menacing ex-partner. Desperate to hide, she rents a cottage on the grounds of the Chateau of the Lost. Her new home sings with flowing water, rustling olive trees, and whispering poppies—an otherworldly nook of hidden magic. Little by little, she warms to her quirky neighbors—a witchy landlady, an acclaimed truffle hunter, his kind veterinarian son, and their lovable dogs. Oh, and a mischievous ghost boy.

Slowly but surely, her new friends help her discover herself again. Years earlier, she gave up music at the insistence of her ex, but as she reclaims her voice, everyone finds that her songs open hearts and heal old wounds. When her ex tracks her down, the stakes grow deadly, and she must tap into her most powerful self to protect her newfound family.

*********************

June Baby by Shannon Garvey...
Some summers never leave you.

In this moving debut novel, set over the course of one transformative summer in the lush, beachy enclave of Block Island, a young woman reckons with love, loss, and the choices she must make to move forward.

At seventeen, Ruth lost her mother to cancer, and her father, unable to handle his grieving daughter, shipped her off to Block Island with nothing but a name scribbled on the back of a receipt: Diana Beckett. Diana, a renowned photographer, took Ruth in for the summer, and Block Island became Ruth’s refuge, a place of beauty and creativity, a place where she could nurture her dreams of being a writer, a place where she could fall in love for the first time—with Diana’s nephew, Charlie.

Now, at twenty-seven, Ruth has spent the last ten summers living and working among the lucky few who get to vacation in this wealthy beach town, and the rest of the year just scraping by, yearning to return to the place where she feels safe and unburdened. But then Ruth’s world is upended by tragedy again. Desperate for an anchor, she reaches for the person she’s been pining for since she met him—Charlie—who has his own startling revelation to share. And when another surprise comes in the form of a box left to Ruth by Diana, its contents raise questions about just how well she knew the two women who raised her. Torn between what to believe about her past, and what her future might hold, Ruth is faced with another choice: does she dare to rewrite her story entirely?

Both a heartfelt coming-of-age story and a tender exploration of love and grief, set against a backdrop of golden dunes and seaside sunsets, June Baby shows us what it might look like to embrace a life shaped not by loss, but by possibility.

*****************************

The Foursome by Christina Baker Kline...
A boldly original reimagining of the astonishing true story of two sisters in nineteenth-century North Carolina — Kline’s own distant relatives — who married world-famous conjoined twins from Siam.

When Eng and Chang Bunker arrive in Wilkes County in 1839, they’re not just a curiosity—they’re a sensation. Everyone is eager to learn whether the salacious rumors about them are true. Within months, the twins have opened a general store, bought land, and begun building a plantation. Now, word has it, they’re looking for wives—and in a place that thrives on gossip and legacy, their ambitions set the community on edge.

Sarah and Adelaide Yates, daughters of a once-prominent local family brought low by scandal, are drawn into their orbit. Bold, beautiful Adelaide sees in the twins’ fame a chance to reclaim her future. Sarah, quiet and observant, isn’t so sure. When the twins’ lives become entangled with theirs, they must navigate loyalty, longing, and identity in a world where everything—including race, class, and gender—is rigidly defined.

Spanning five decades and unfolding against the backdrop of a fractured nation hurtling toward war, The Foursome is both intimate and epic: a story of love and constraint, identity and reinvention. With piercing insight and emotional precision, Kline brings to life a forgotten chapter of American history and the complex, boundary-defying marriages at its center.

**************************

The Anniversary by Alex Finley...
Every May 1st, a serial killer stalks a small town. Every year he comes for them . . 

On May 1, 1992, Jules Delaney and Quinn Riley hardly know each other.

Jules is high school queen bee in a small Midwestern town when she survives a brutal attack by the elusive May Day Killer―a predator who strikes every May 1st and then vanishes without a trace. Quinn, a boy from the wrong side of the tracks, is arrested the same night after trying to break up a fight and nearly killing someone.

By morning, their lives are forever connected.

A year later, Jules is haunted by trauma and guilt, tormented by one question: Why was she spared? Quinn is newly released from juvenile detention and returns home to devastating news―the unsolved murder of his mother.

Over the next decade, their lives are revisited on a single day each year: May 1st.

As the years pass, secrets surface, lies unravel, and the paths of Jules and Quinn draw closer together. Two mysteries edge toward the truth―what really happened the night Jules was attacked, and who murdered Quinn’s mother? All the while, the May Day Killer is still out there.

And the clock is racing toward another anniversary.

Twisty, high-concept, and emotionally charged, The Anniversary is an addictive murder mystery and nail-biting thriller―but it’s also a tender, heartrending story about fate, innocence lost, and two people bound by a single day. With its masterful structure and propulsive tension, The Anniversary reaffirms Alex Finlay as one of the leading thriller writers today.

Did You Love The Time Travelers Wife?... Here's The Long Awaited Sequel!

I loved The Time Travelers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger when I read it way back in 2009. The story was so unique and so touching. I still love that story...

In October, we get to read the continuing story of the Time Travelers Wife, following the daughter of Henry and Clare, Alba, who is also a "time traveler".

Here is the blurb from the publisher... 

Alba DeTamble has never lived a life in order. Born with the same rare Chrono-Displacement Disorder as her father, Henry DeTamble, Alba is an involuntary time traveler: she slips unpredictably through decades, carrying the weight of a future she can witness but cannot change. Yet she strives to maintain a normal life: as a gifted violinist, Alba finds refuge in her music, as well as her tight-knit community of artists and activists who fight to take care of each other in an increasingly unstable world. 

As she dips in and out of time, Alba is haunted by secrets she must keep from those she loves most, including Zach, her safe, supportive anchor in the chaos. Her journey takes her from the riot-torn Chicago streets, to the eerie, timeless “Yellow House” – where she meets Oliver, a handsome fellow time traveler – to the digital corridors of the Museum of Lost Souls, a virtual sanctuary of forgotten memories and lost artifacts. Curating the museum is Isadora, Alba’s mysterious stepsister and an increasingly unsettling presence in their family – whose fate may be intertwined with Alba’s in more dangerous ways than she knows.

At once intimate and sweeping, Life Out of Order is a kaleidoscopic tale of love, resilience, and hope amid our fractured world where time itself is the greatest adversary. With every leap through the years, Alba is forced to reckon with the choices that define her, the people she cannot bear to lose, and the question that haunts every time traveler: can you ever truly belong to the present?

AND, publishers also added that you don't have to read The Time Travelers Wife to enjoy this- it's a standalone.

Will we fall in love with Life Out of Order? 

I sure hope so! Looking forward to reading this!

Are YOU looking forward to it too?

A Guardian and a Thief by Megha Majumdar... A Review

It took me a surprisingly long time to finish this 200(ish)-page novel, and at several points I almost set it aside. I found myself losing interest in the story, even as I was consistently struck by the beauty of Megha Majumdar’s writing. Words arranged so gracefully they seem to float off the page, like music meant to be heard rather than read.

Set in a future India ravaged by brutal heat and widespread food shortages, the novel follows two people and the families they are desperately trying to protect. Ma lives with her aging father and two-year-old daughter while volunteering at a shelter. Her husband has already made it to Michigan, where he has found work as an engineer, and the story unfolds during the tense final week before Ma and her family are scheduled to leave India and join him in the United States.

Then there is Boomba, whom we first meet as the thief who breaks into Ma’s home one night. He steals her carefully hoarded food—and, more devastatingly, her purse containing the immigration documents she needs to escape. From this moment begins the story of the “guardian” and the “thief,” though as the novel progresses, those labels become increasingly unstable. The lines blur until you are left asking yourself a deeply uncomfortable question: what would you do to save your family?

Majumdar’s depiction of the city is stunning. The streets of Kolkata feel vividly alive—the heat, the noise, the relentless pressures of living in that environment. But alongside that beauty is an overwhelming sense of desperation. The suffering of the people is rendered equally vivid, leaving the reader weighed down by sadness.

The plot unfolds as a chain of escalating catastrophes, each one pulling Ma’s family and Boomba’s deeper into crisis. By the time the novel reaches its final pages, everything converges in a way I didn’t expect.

When I closed the book, I was left unsettled and unsure how to feel. I found myself wondering what the novel ultimately wanted to say. Is it that morality collapses under extreme pressure? That “thief” and “guardian” are roles defined by perspective? That desperate times demand desperate—and unforgivable—choices?

This is a beautifully written book that left me emotionally drained and deeply conflicted, asking questions it refuses to answer neatly.

A Guardian and a Thief by Megha Mejumdar was Published by Alfred A. Knopf in 2025. It was a finalist for the National Book Award and was an Oprah's Book Club Pick. 

I'm wavering between 3 stars and 4 stars. So, I think 3.5 stars is the final decision. It's a short read, but not a quick read. An incredibly written book, but a depressing read. I would recommend it, but be prepared...

 

The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb... A Review

 

The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb

After the end of 12 pages I wanted to put this book down and never open it again. I was devastated. I am being dead serious. What happened in this book just ripped my heart out. Omg, how could I read on...

Wally Lamb writes about tough subjects. The last book I read of his was The Hour I First Believed, which was about the Columbine shooting. I remember being blown away by the book. Could I feel the same way about The River is Waiting.

When I did a google search of The River is Waiting, I came upon a FB reading group that had a discussion about the book after the post of one of the members with the line, "Turns out I won’t be reading past the first chapter. Anyone else?" 296 comments followed with the majority encouraging the member to push on. So I did.

The story continues with guilt, pain, and injustice as Corby Ledbetter, father and husband to two young twins tries to redeem himself after causing unbelievable heartache to his family. Okay. My pain from reading the first 12 pages dissipates a little and the story takes on a different demeanor, it turns into a story of redemption and survival... and then, at almost 300 pages the author has to, again, rip my heart out. The heart I somehow managed to put back together from the first 12 pages. All I can think is "Why am I reading this book!?".

But I continue (because I hate to not finish a book and I only have 150 pages or so to go)... and I finish the book... and I just sit there quietly. I was trying to figure out if I really liked this book. Yes, the book was good. Well written. Threw my emotions all over the place. Can we truly say it was a good read when it was so depressing. I was emotionally drained by the time I turned that last page. What I can say is that this would make a great book club pick. There are so many things that the group could discuss. And I imagine it would be a lively discussion too. There are so many things I want to discuss! I honestly didn't see the ending coming. After thinking about it more, I can't see it ending any other way. 

These characters will stay with me for a long time. They are complex and interesting. I unintentionally was living their story right along with them, wondering how I would handle certain situations. Wally Lamb is an amazing writer.

I wanted to give this book 3 stars for all the heartache it caused me, but I really can't. When a book takes you on such an emotional journey, where the lives of the characters really matter to you, no matter how depressing the story is, you have to acknowledge the writing. And the writing is at least 4 stars. The story, even though it was a hard story, was worth the read. 

**If you are sensitive reader, you should do a google search,"The River is Waiting trigger warnings" and read about these triggers first. I won't spoil the story by listing them here.

Published by Marysue Rucci Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster , June of 2025. 

First Lines Friday...

 

"For eight years I dreamed of fire. Trees ignited as I passed them; oceans burned. The sugary smoke settled in my hair as I slept, the scent like a cloud left on my pillow as I rose. Even so, the moment my mattress started to burn, I bolted awake. The sharp, chemical smell was nothing like the hazy syrup of my dreams; the two were as different as Carolina and Indian jasmine, separation and attachement. "

                                     ...... The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Release Day for... Vanessa Yu's Magical Paris Tea Shop by Roselle Lim!

Today's the day! Roselle Lim's latest book, Vanessa Yu's Magical Paris Tea Shop is released today and on the shelves of your favorite book store! Do you like fun, fresh writing with a little romane sprinkled on top? Dive in to Vanessa Yu's Magical Paris Tea Shop then! Here's the blurb from the publisher...

From the critically acclaimed author of Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune comes a new delightful novel about exploring all the magical possibilities of life in the most extraordinary city of all: Paris.

Vanessa Yu never wanted to see people's fortunes—or misfortunes—in tealeaves.

Ever since she can remember, Vanessa has been able to see people's fortunes at the bottom of their teacups. To avoid blurting out their fortunes, she converts to coffee, but somehow fortunes escape and find a way to complicate her life and the ones of those around her. To add to this plight, her romance life is so nonexistent that her parents enlist the services of a matchmaking expert from Shanghai.

After her matchmaking appointment, Vanessa sees death for the first time. She decides that she can't truly live until she can find a way to get rid of her uncanny abilities. When her eccentric Aunt Evelyn shows up with a tempting offer to whisk her away, Vanessa says au revoir to California and bonjour to Paris. There, Vanessa learns more about herself and the root of her gifts and realizes one thing to be true: knowing one's destiny isn't a curse, but being unable to change it is.

About the Author...
Roselle Lim is a Filipino Chinese writer who came to Canada from the Philippines as a young teen and learned English by watching wrestling shows on television. She has a degree in humanities and history from York University.

She found her love of writing by listening to her lola (paternal grandmother's) stories about Filipino folktales. Growing up in a household where Chinese superstition mingled with Filipino Catholicism, she devoured books about mythology, which shaped the fantasies in her novels.

An artist by nature, she considers writing as "painting with words."

Want to learn more about Roselle Lim? Check out her website at RosselleLim.com.

Want to read an excerpt?! Follow this link to PenguinRandomhouse.com! You can also listen to an excerpt of the audio book.

Watch for my review of Vanessa Yu's Magical Paris Tea Shop later in the week! I was fortunate to receive an advance digital copy from the publisher, Berkley Publishing, a division of Penguin Random House and I LOVED it!

First Lines Friday...

All the dying that summer began with the deaht of a child, a boy with golden hair and thick glasses, killed on the railroad tracks outside New Bremen, Minnesota sliced into pieces by a thousand tons of steel speeding across the prairie toward South Dakota. His name was Bobby Cole, He was a sweet-looking kid and by that I mean he had eyes that seemed full of dreaming and he wore a half smile as if he was just about to understand something you'd spent an hour trying to explain.
                                     ... Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger


I was hearing a lot of buzz about This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger and saw that this was not his first book. In fact, William Kent Krueger has an award winning mystery series with #17 having been published in 2018. But Ordinary Grace and This Tender Land were not mysteries, but were literary fiction, coming-of-age novels. As I read the sample of Ordinary Grace I was struck by the easy going readability, the really good story writing and decided he was someone I needed to read. This Tender Land is on my TBR list, but Ordinary Grace is on my nightstand now. Published by Atria Books in 2014.

Such a Fun Age by Kiely Reid... A Review

First book of the year and what a thought-provoking read. My emotions were running in so many directions, as the stories of each of the main characters played out and their histories revealed.

The opening "incident" of the book just sucks you in. Emira, the 25 year-old black babysitter of a very privileged white couple, is accused of kidnapping their daughter when she takes the little girl into an upscale market late at night. Words are exchanged, things happen, a bystander films it and as I feverishly read the pages because I wanted to find out how it ends I am thinking that this is what the book is about. This incident. But it's not. Deceptively this incident really isn't the story at all, it just serves as a catalyst for everything else.

Mother of the little girl, Alex, feels guilty over the incident and decides to try and become friends with Emira. Try to treat her like an "equal", which doesn't really work out too well because they really live in two very different worlds. And we see this as the book navigates the two women's lives separately and together. Emira doesn't really want to be friends and she doesn't want her "help" either.  

But when something from Alex's past connects the two women, it causes an explosion of emotions from both women, and the story really takes off. OMG... Any façade that these characters had just got burned off in the fire.

The writing is fresh. The story is complex and interesting. You can really read this story in many ways. On the surface it's a story about Emira's "coming-of-age", a story of a young black girl trying to find herself as she navigates her life with 2 part time jobs and a strong group of women she calls friends. It's about the strong bond of women's friendship. It's about being young and vulnerable. But deeper into the layers of the story you see the social commentary Kiley Reid is pointing out about race, privilege and the the choices we make to be true to ourselves.

The characters are awesome. The author really develops their personalities, lives and back stories. Once you start reading Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid, you won't want to put it down. There is so much more to talk about, but if I did, it would reveal all sorts of spoilers. That being said, this would make a great book club selection, because believe me, there is plenty to discuss. I definitely give it a solid 4 stars.

I want to thank Penguin Group Putnam for sending along a digital copy for me to review.

First Book of The Year 2020!

Happy New Year! A new reading year has begun! What is our First Book of the Year 2020...

It's Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid! 

"Alix Chamberlain is a woman who gets what she wants and has made a living, with her confidence-driven brand, showing other women how to do the same. So she is shocked when her babysitter, Emira Tucker, is confronted while watching the Chamberlains' toddler one night, walking the aisles of their local high-end supermarket. The store's security guard, seeing a young black woman out late with a white child, accuses Emira of kidnapping two-year-old Briar. A small crowd gathers, a bystander films everything, and Emira is furious and humiliated. Alix resolves to make things right.

But Emira herself is aimless, broke, and wary of Alix's desire to help. At twenty-five, she is about to lose her health insurance and has no idea what to do with her life. When the video of Emira unearths someone from Alix's past, both women find themselves on a crash course that will upend everything they think they know about themselves, and each other."

Published by G.P. Putnam's & Sons and just released December 31st, I am so excited about reading this! This book sounds like it is filled with emotion and characters that will pull us into the story. I was lucky enough to receive an advanced digital copy of Such a Fun Age from the publisher too, but have been saving it for my choice for the first book I open the year with! In fact, it's the first book I'm opening the decade with! 

I'm also participating in The First Book of the Year 2020 with Sheila over at Book Journey, who is hosting this event for the 7th year! Want to see what other people are reading for their book? Hop on over to Book Journey and check it out!

So today you will find me with my nose stuck into a good book! And very soon I'll let y'all know what I thought about it (aka as a review!)... Happy New Year! and Happy New Reading Year to you too!

Commonwealth by Ann Patchett... A Review

I didn't know what to expect from Ann Patchett. I hadn't read anything by her before this book. There seemed to be a buzz in the air about a new Ann Patchett novel, and so I decided I would open the pages of this book for a brief look. What I found was wonderous! I was swept up into the story of these two ordinary families almost immediately and spent the next 50 or so years with them. At around page 182 I had an AHA moment and appreciated this story even more if that could even happen. What have I taken away from Commonwealth? That I love Ann Patchett, and that I loved this book!

Without giving too much of the story away, because that's the fun part to discover all a novel has to offer on your own, Commonwealth begins with a simple drunken kiss at a christening party that begins an affair, causes two divorces, two broken families, the unlikely bonding of 6 children, some of whom are related and trying to survive being ripped from their normal routine and trying to survive a tragedy that touched all their lives one summer long ago. Commonwealth follows all the characters through the ups and downs of trying to navigate life. You are reading it all in a book, which you discover is a book, and you can't help but feel something for each one of them. Empathy, hate, saddness and heartbreak, it's all there.

The writing is so inviting, I found myself not being able to put the book down even though I was just going to read a small bit to get a feel for Ann Patchett's writing style. I felt I was living through the story right along with these characters that were so well developed that they could just walk off the pages. And the story was so interesting right to the end. Each character had it's own voice and shared with us their point of view.

My initial thought was that this novel would be similar to The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney, about a disfunctional family dealing with the everyday lessons of life and eachother. But Commonwealth is so much more than that and so much better. I would say that if you enjoyed The Nest, which I did, you will enjoy Commonwealth even more. If you enjoy literary fiction that revolves around the story of an ordinary family, just go out a pick up a copy of Commonwealth! It is moving and beautifully written.

Pulbished by Harper and released Sept. 13th.

Mothering Sunday by Graham Swift... A Review

Can I even do justice to this book? Mothering Sunday: a Romance by Graham Swift is beautiful, quiet, passionate, sensual. Filled with heartache, longing, books and secrets. Oh yes, the secrets... Jane, the maid, the orphan, the clever girl, the lover of Paul, the boy who's won her heart, owns her body and is the son of the wealthy family in the estate next to her employers estate and has been having secret trysts for years, since she was 17 and he was 18, until the one day, Mothering Sunday, where Jane will have her last day with him, because he will be getting married to a girl of his own "station" in two weeks time.

This book is a romance, but it is so much more than that. It is a play on words, a fairy tale, a look at a wonderful character who by 1920's convention is a lowly maid,  but who after a brilliantly wonderful morning turns into the darkest day of her life, will open herself up to be the person she really is meant to be.

The book flows wonderfully from present day 1924 England to flashbacks of Jane's childhood, her beginnings as a maid, and her coming into her present situation. We also meet Jane as an old woman, reflecting back on her life and what her life has ultimately become... a life of secrets.

I don't really want to give away any spoilers here, but let me say that Graham Swift's storytelling is simple wonderful. And his prose is beautiful. He brings to life the period of time in England, where maids were the keeper of the house (and their secrets) and their station in life well defined. But Swift plays with convention here, as Jane is an equal in her relationship with the wealthy boy, and we see how she is so much more than the clothes she wears. Though she knows the part she is to play. And Swift plays with the reader too, because he hints at things and quietly tells us things so important we could miss them if we weren't hanging on every word that is painted effortlessly across the page. There is a subtleness in the way he reveals the earth shattering news that Mother Sunday brings, like being shot with a silencer. I am still recovering. But at a mere 177 pages, Mothering Sunday is a powerful, sensual read. A story so tightly woven that no more pages are needed to feel its impact. I loved this book. And have already gone back and reread passages that I wanted to hear again. 5 stars from this reader! An enjoyable read for anyone who enjoys literary fiction. A book not to rush through, but to leisurely enjoy.

I want to thank Knopf Doubleday Publishing for the opportunity to read Mothering Sunday prior to publication, and allowing me to share this with my Chick with Books readers!

P.S. Mothering Sunday refers to the Sunday in which all maids go to see their Mothers.  

Circling the Sun by Paua McLain… A Review

A sweeping novel that brings the beauty of the African plains to life and shines a light on a woman many have never heard of... 

This book was so wonderful! It was one of those books you just never want to end because you just love being there. The writing was captivating , the story was amazing and her painting of Africa in the most beautiful hues made you feel you were hiding in the tall grass, an actual spectator to all that was going on.

Circling the Sun by Paula McLain tells the epic story of Beryl Markham, the first woman racehorse trainer in Kenya and first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic from east to west. Brought up in Africa, by her father, Beryl grows into an adventurous woman, who cares more for the beauty around her, the wild untamed country she calls home, then for the delicacies of being a girl. Horses become her destiny, tragedy befalls her, but she has the heart of a lion and continues on. I have to say that, though it tells the story of Beryl and how she came to be a racehorse trainer and made that solo flight across the Atlantic, it's more of a story of a girl, abandoned by her mother, learning to find herself and her place in the world. Learning how to love and be loved. READ this book!  Love, jealousy, betrayal, an unforgettable landscape and unforgettable characters, a story that will capture your interest and your heart, all make this book an unforgettable read. This would make a great book club selection! And this was one of my favorite books of 2015! I could not put this book down!

The Girl on The Train by Paula Hawkins… A Review

The Girl on The Train by Paula Hawkins… OMG! This has to be one of my absolute favorite reads so far this year! Murder, obsession, evil, jealousy, cruelty and heartbreaking at times, The Girl on The Train has what it takes to keep you turning those pages and let me tell you… the twist at the end will have your jaw drop! It is so deceptively simple in some ways, that as you are reading, suddenly the sun is setting, day turns into night and your eyes have not left the page. I wasn't furiously turning the pages, I was absentmindedly turning the pages because I was so engrossed in the story.

Here's the gist… Rachel Watson rides the train everyday past a housing complex and becomes obsessed with this couple she sees most days lounging on their patio… until Rachel sees something that she shouldn't see. But because Rachel has some problems of her own, when she tries to tell someone what she saw, no one believes her… until…

 Read this book! Both a great murder mystery and literary fiction. Well written characters, a leading lady that you can empathize with, and a great story. If Hitchcock were to write murder mysteries, this would be it!

I give this 5+ Train Tickets! Hop aboard and enjoy!

Seed by Lisa Heathfield... Blog Tour & A Review

Pearl is fifteen, naive and living a sheltered life in a community called "Seed". She was born into this "family", happy to be a part of her family of brothers & sisters, Kindreds and "Mothers", and loving Papa S, their "father".

Why are we so fascinated by these communities? In theory, "the outside" is what poisons our minds and bodies, but the community in author Lisa Heathfield's book, Seed, is perfect on the outside, but pure evil on the inside. And as we slowly turn the pages to delve deeper into the story of Seed, we find exactly what makes some of these communities front page news...

About The Book: Seed by Lisa Heathfield: All that Pearl knows can be encapsulated in one word: Seed. It is the isolated community that she was born into. It is the land that she sows and reaps. It is the center of her family and everything that means home. And it is all kept under the watchful eye of Papa S.
 
At fifteen years old, Pearl is finally old enough to be chosen as Papa S.'s companion. She feels excitement . . . and surprising trepidation that she cannot explain. The arrival of a new family into the Seed community—particularly the teenage son, Ellis—only complicates the life and lifestyle that Pearl has depended upon as safe and constant. Ellis is compelling, charming, and worldly, and he seems to have a lot of answers to questions Pearl has never thought to ask. But as Pearl digs to the roots of the truth, only she can decide what she will allow to come to the surface.

What did I think of the book? I was captivated from the first page! The writing just drew me in and the characters were so real and full of heart. Pearl stole my heart from the beginning with her innocence and tentative inquisitiveness. Though born and brought up in this environment, she had a keen sense of right & wrong and had feelings that were "normal". Trying to deal with her growing pangs of adulthood while maintaining her "obedience" became an ever growing problem that made the story all the more real. A few shockers and a larger than life ending made it quite the literary trip. I have to say that I read it in one sitting because I just could not put it down. The story slowly builds into the climatic ending and when I turned to that last page I was looking for more! And I am going to get it, because there will be a sequel! Thank goodness, because when you read this first installment, you are going to want more too! Definitely a book for readers who enjoy those stories with the conflict of the cloistered world versus the "outside" with a touch of mad cult leader. The book reminded me a bit of those Amish literary books, but with a heftier dose of real world.

A Little About The Author...
Lisa Heathfield is a former secondary school English teacher, specializing in working with hearing-impaired children. Seed is her debut novel. She lives in Brighton, England, with her husband and three children.

Chick with Books is just one stop of Lisa Heathfield's Blog Tour for her book, Seed, which will be published March 10th, 2015 by Running Press, and available at your local bookstore then!  I want to thank Running Press for the review copy of Seed!

The Girls from Corona del Mar by Rufi Thorpe… A Review

Friendships between girls can be intense. And in the case of Mia and Lorrie Ann, there is no question that this is true. The Girls from Corona del Mar by Rufi Thorpe, tells the story of Mia and Lor, as they grow from young girls to women, and the journey is filled with sun tans and lemon juice, giggling, and trips to the mall. But it's also filled with heartbreak and conflict, growing pains and despair.

Mia and Lorrie Ann live in the California town of Corona del Mar. They are lifelong friends, who are total opposites. Mia is the “bad girl”, living in a dysfunction family with a Mother that drinks heavily, and two brothers who she practically raises. She is “heartless” and yet honest. Lorrie Ann is beautiful and kind, almost angelic in her goodness, with a close knit family that seems plucked out of a fairytale to all who observe them. But when tragedy strikes Lorrie Ann her life seems to tumble out of control, with one thing leading to another, Mia trying all along to make it all better for Lor, until finally Mia questions whether she really ever knew the real Lorrie Ann, and was she all that Mia made her out to be.

What did I think? The writing is so compelling. Once I started reading the first pages, I could not put it down. The story is told in Mia’s voice, and it is so real. The intense feelings best friends have for one another, the loyalty, the disappointments, the small betrayals, and the unfaltering support after all is said and done, all translate on the pages beautifully. The story is filled with a whirlwind of emotions and thought provoking situations that make this an amazing feat of writing, and would make a wonderful book to discuss. I kept trying to imagine what I would do, what I could do in the situations the girls had to deal with. I felt such anguish at times because the story unknowingly wraps itself around you and makes you part of it.

Favorite Character? Mia was my favorite character, right from the start. And it seems to me, without letting out any spoilers here, that Mia was the better of the friends, almost always putting Lorrie Ann first in their lives, whereas Lorrie Ann lived off the kindness of others and Mia’s fierce loyalty. (When you read this book, and you should, let's talk about that aspect of friendships- the give and take, is it always equal?)

Love, loyalty, motherhood, is the right choice the same for everyone? Do we ignore the faults of our loved ones out of loyalty or because we want the world to be perfect outside of ourselves? Loss, tragedy, fear, how can we be true to ourselves when we  don’t agree with the decisions of the ones we love? And how do we reconcile that within ourselves? The Girls from Corona del Mar is beautiful, intense, and paints a portrait of two young girls learning to become the women they were meant to be, and be the friends they thought they should be.

Mark Your Calendars! The Girls from Corona del Mar by Rufi Thorpe will be coming to a bookstore July 8th, 2014. Published by Knopf and Random House, I want to thank them for the opportunity to read the eGalley before publication!

Mr. Chartwell by Rebecca Hunt... A Review

Did you know that Winston Churchill suffered from depression? Author Rebecca Hunt very cleverly uses this bit of information to create a literary character out of Winston Churchill's real life & well known depression which he affectionately referred to as The Black Dog. Depression is personified as a BIG black dog, who calls himself Black Pat, that can talk and has meaningful conversations with both Churchill, who is soon to retire from Parliament and is suffering with the decision and Esther Hammerhans, a young librarian in the House of Commons, who has advertised for a lodger, and gets Black Pat answering her notice.

Black Pat claims he is in need of a room, close to work. But once "Black Pat" moves in, Esther can't help but wonder if he is coming to stay with her for another reason. You see Esther lost her dear husband almost a year ago, and as the anniversary of his death nears, Esther can feel the pull of Black Pat. There's something enticing about him, at the same time revolting. And he can be so charming when he wants to be...

"Let me stay."

A heavy uncertain stare from Esther. Above the orange light and the chaos of the kitchen grew a thin sadness, the empty sadness of a dying relationship. Here it was unstoppably. Black Pat fawned his chops against the wall with a moan.

Esther said, "Sorry?"

That old Romeo, what he said next was shameless. He said it slowly and full of clues. "If you let me love you it will be the longest love of your life."

The book is quirky, fun and Rebecca Hunt does a clever job of representing depression as a living breathing ugly creature. In her dialogue between the characters she plays with the subtleties of real depression, in a quiet respectful way. The characters are "proper English subjects", keeping a stiff upper lip even in the throws of trouble, keeping their emotions in check until lured into conversation with Black Pat, who is also Mr. Chartwell, which is a reference to Winston Churchill's home which was called Chartwell. Mr. Churchill is believable as a stoic leader, quietly suffering. And Esther is also believable as a proper English widow. When the story lines of Winston Churchill and the "proper" English librarian finally meet, it is with some unexpected and wonderful twists. Black Pat eventually reveals his real relationship with his "clients" as well.

I really enjoyed this book. It wasn't the kind of book where you are turning the pages as fast as you can, but the kind of book that you sit down to read in a big comfy chair, with a steaming cup of tea for company. I loved Esther, who is demure, but finally comes through at the end to show she's got real spunk! But all the characters are memorable. And Rebecca Hunt's writing is wonderful.

I highly recommend Mr. Chartwell to anyone who enjoys literary fiction. This would also make a perfect Reading Group choice, as it really is rich with the meat of good conversation. I want to thank the folks at Random House & The Dial Press for sending along a copy of Mr. Chartwell for review! I can see this being a favorite read.

Mr. Chartwell will be available from your local bookstore Feb. 8th! *P.S. This book will be Kindle Ready!

The Sunday Salon... Great Books for the Book lovers on Your Christmas List

Hey, it's Sunday! Pull up a chair, grab a cup of joe and let's talk about books! With less than 2 weeks left before Christmas, have you gotten all your book shopping done? Do you usually buy books for your friends and relatives? Giving a book that you loved to someone is usually a sure thing (unless of course you're shopping for someone who might not enjoy Knight of Passion as much as you did!) A few sundays ago The Sunday Salon was about the "Best Books" of 2010 lists, which usually are filled with great suggestions. But what about some of the books that weren't on "a list" that you really enjoyed? Here are some of my favorite books from this year that I think would make great gifts, and a few books that are favorites from years past that also would be welcome in someone's stocking...

Great Fiction...

The Help by Kathryn Stockett... "Three ordinary women are about to take one extraordinary step." The story takes place in the deep south, it's 1962 and a few brave women are about to cross the clearly divided racial line of the times. I read this and loved it! You will laugh and cry. (I still have to "officially" review it!) The popularity of this book took off with very little publicity, but I think you have to almost be living under a rock not to have heard about it. A great book for any girl on your Christmas list! If you haven't heard about The Help, go to Kathryn Stockett's Website and learn more!

The Artof Devotion by Samantha Bruce-Benjamin... "the dark side of human nature as four women share the poignant tale of love, obsession, and ultimate betrayal that binds them forever. Filled with secrets, love, betrayal, obsession, and deceit." Loved this book! Great book show casing complex relationships between women. Great characters, intriguing story (with a surprise twist) and uniquely told by all 4 women, as the chapters alternate between them. Here's my review from last June.

Dismantled by Jennifer McMahon... A thriller, a murder mystery and a ghost story all wrapped up in one! I am never disappointed in Jennifer McMahon. Her stories are always so well written & compelling and Dismantled is no different. I really enjoyed this and the twist at the end was great! Here's my review from last June.

The Fa

vorites

b

y M

ary Yukari Waters... "

Kyot

o 1978. Fourteen-year-old Sar

ah

Rexford feels like an ou

tsid

er when she retu

rns to Japan for the first time in f

ive

yea

rs,

to sta

y

wit

h h

er mother's fam

ily

..."

It's about mothers & daughters and the three generations of women i

n 14 yr. old Sarah's family; There are family secrets; It's about the struggle to fit in. I love books that take place in Japan. There is always the background of traditions and the surrou

nding beauty. In this case there the time frame is such that there is a struggle between tradition and new Western wa

ys. This book drew me in immediately. The writing is wonderful, and Mary Yukari Waters really was

able to capture the complex relationship between the women of the novel perfectly. Here's m

y o

rigina

l review in March. A great book for your BFF, but also a great reading group choice!

Suga

r by

Berni

ce McF

adden...

W

h

en

a young prostitute comes to

Bi

gelow, Arkansas, to start over, far

from her haunting past. Su

gar

moves next door to Pearl, who is s

till grie

ving for the daughter who was m

urdered fifteen years before. Ov

er s

weet-potato pie, an unlikely friendship begins, transforming both wom

en'

s live

s--

a

nd

the

lif

e

of

an entire town..

This boo

k has wo

nderful strong female characters! And the plot centers around them and small town life wit

h a

murder and

a good dose of secrets that when they are finally revealed will leave you in awe. Loved this book! Bernice McFadden's prose is wonderful. Here's my original review of Sugar.

The

Fir

st Grand Prairie Rabbit Festival by Ken Wheaton... Welcome to the sleepy little backwoods town of Grand Prairie, Louisiana... Father

Steve Sibille has taken over the parish in Grand

Prairie where the most excitement comes f

rom lis

t

ening to confessions involving little old ladies taking nips out of their husbands Wild Turkey and trying not to get caught. But things are stirring a little in Grand Prairie..

This book was so much

fun!

The characters were quirky and the story itself was just perfect. This was a book club read for my readi

ng group this year and everyone loved it! Here's myoriginal review back in April.

Great Thrillers with Spies...

The Secret Speech by Tom Rob Smith... "Soviet Union, 1956. Stalin is dead, and a violent regime is

beginning to fracture-leaving behind a society where the police are the criminals, and the criminals are innocent. A secret speech composed by Stalin's successor Khrushchev is distributed to the entire nation. Its message: Stalin was a tyrant. Its promise: The Soviet Union will change." Gripping, intense and a heck of a good read. Perfect choice for reader who loves historical thrillers set in WWII. This was a great read! Here's my review from last May.

The Rembrandt Affair by Daniel Silva... "

Determined to sever his ties with the Office, Gabriel Allon has retreated to the windswept cliffs of Cornwall with his beautiful Venetian-born wife Chiara. But once again his seclusion is interrupted by a visitor from his tangled past: the endearingly eccentric London art dealer, Julian Isherwood. As usual, Isherwood has a problem. And it is one only Gabriel can solve." Daniel Silva writes great spy novels, and Gabriel Allon is his man. Exciting, gripping, and always a great maze of intrigue. If your book lover craves secret alleyways, this is the book for them! I loved it! Here's my review from last August.

Favorite Memoirs...

The Sound of Wild Snails Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey... suffering from a debilitating unknown illness that left her with severe neurological symptoms and virtually bedridden all the time, Elisabeth Tova Bailey passes the time with a snail she was given by chance by a visiting friend in a pot of flowers. This is a wonderful book about nature. A slim book that is the perfect size for a stocking! Here's my review from November.

Dewey:

The Small-Town Li

brary Cat Who Touched the

World by Vicki Myr

on...

This is the sweetest book, and will touch any

ani

mal

lo

ve

rs

heart. Dewey is the kitten that

was thrown away one very cold night in the library book deposit, and found the next morning by Vicki Myron. It's the story of saving Dewey and his life as the most po

pul

ar l

ibrar

y c

a

t known nation wide. Here's

m

y r

evi

ew from last Sept.

Life by

Kelly Corrigan... "Written as a letter to her chil

dren, Kelly rel

ays her deepe

st fears, frus

tratio

ns and fierce love thr

ough the weaving of th

ree

relevant stories from her life. "

A beautiful heartfelt memoir that would make a wonderful gif

t t

o any daughter. It's a slim book wi

th a beautiful cover. Her

e's m

y

r

eview from last March.

For the Book Lover on your list...

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett..."this novella sends Queen Elizabeth II into a mobile library van in pursuit of her runaway corgis and into the reflective, observant life of an avid reader." I loved this book! Queen Elizabeth II becomes an obsessed reader! Sound like anyone you know! It's a slim 120 pages, great writing and so much fun! Any reader would love this book!

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak... It's WWII Germany, a 9 yr. old little girl named Liesel loves books. Her father lulls her to sleep by reading the only books available - the ones she's stolen. The story takes you to the horrors of the war as seen through both Liesels young eyes and Death, who is actually telling the story. Loved this book! Originally promoted as a YA book, many adult book clubs loved reading this! Mine did!

Great YA Dystopian fiction...

The Maze Runner by James Dashner ... "When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls." The Glade is terrifying, surreal and an adventure! The world is believable and the way the kids work together to survive their world without adults is well developed. It's a bit of sci-fi for grades 4-10. I enjoyed it, read it the end of last year, and just picked up the 2nd book in this trilogy called The Scorch Trials. If you've read the Hunger Games already, give this a try. Not quite as good as the Hunger Games, but should be enjoyable for any YA dystopian lover! Here's my review from last November of 2009.

The Uglies by Scott Westerfield... A world where at age 16 you are turned into the perfect and beautiful person you were always meant to be. What if you don't want to be beautiful? What if you like yourself just the way you are? If you haven't read this series or the first book in the series, I would highly recommend it to YA (and adults) who love this genre. Scott Westerfield gives us a wonderful strong female protagonist, Tally Youngblood, who could be any teenage girl. A wonderful story and adventure. Meant for YA's Grade 6 up. Here's my review from last December.

Great Dystopian Adult Fiction...

The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist... "The Unit is a gripping exploration of a society in the throes of an experiment, in which the “dispensable” ones are convinced under gentle coercion of the importance of sacrificing for the “necessary” ones." This is another one of my all time favorite reads, and hails from last year. I still remember this story like yesterday. It was haunting. Entering your twilight years in "The Unit" is when you turn 50 for a woman, 60 for a man. If you're childless, you'll be living like a queen until they need something from you (and we aren't talking about money here!) A great read for any sci-fi lover or anyone who loves the genre of dystopian fiction. Here's my review from November '09.

Great Romances...

Dracula in Love by Karen Essex... It's the story of the woman behind the man. Mina was the woman Dracula coveted and tried to seduce in the original Bram Stoker story. In the hands of author Karen Essex we learn the love story that transcended time between Mina and Count Dracula. A Victorian love story with a big dose of SPICE! Erotic and sexy, you'll never view Dracula the same. I loved the writing and the story swept me away. Here's my review from last July.

Knight of Passion by Margaret Mallory... A hunky knight, a feisty heroine, and a great love story. Margaret Mallory never dissappoints me when it comes to historical romance. This is the third book in her All The Kings Men series. All three books in this series are worth a read when you want to escape. A perfect gift for the historical romance reader on your list! Here's my review from last June.

Now maybe your list includes someone who loves audiobooks!? Here are my favorites from this year...

Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter by Seth Graham-Smith... Great Historical Fiction with Vampires. This story is just great! If you love the "real" kind of vampires, the not so sweet and hunky kind, and love history this is for you! I loved it! The story blends everything together so beautifully you'll wonder yourself whether it's fiction or not. The unabridged audiobook was read by Scott Holst who has a great voice and did a great job. A gre

at choicefor the history loving guy on your list. Here's my review from last April.

Backyard Saints by Joshilyn Jackson... I loved this audiobook! I haven't reviewed it yet, but trust me it's a great story, and the audiobook was wonderful. "Rose is living under the thumb of her abusive husband and his domineering father. A Gypsy in an airport who reads her tarot cards turns Rose’s life upside down when she tells Rose that if she doesn’t kill her husband, he will surely kill her." Rose's mother left her with her alcoholic abusive father when Rose was very young. Her story starts there and as the story grows, so does Rose. A story of abuse, of redemption, and the complicated relationships we sometimes have. You will be rooting for Rose all the way through the book. Very memorable characters and a story that will haunt you. For the southern fiction lover.

The Swan Thieves by Elisabeth Kostova... It's a love story that spans time, it's a mystery, it's about art, and ultimately about betrayal. It was wonderful! The unabridged audiobook of The Swan Thieves has five readers, which really makes it come alive. This audiobook is perfect for anyone who loves the impressionists, and who loves romance. It swept me away! Here's my review from May.

These books are only some of the great titles I've read earlier this year, but I've tried to highlight some of the titles you may not have seen on "The Best of" lists, that are definitely worth a read. What have you read this year that you would give as a gift? Books aren't the only gift for a book lover, but that's for next Sundays post...

Happy reading... Suzanne