Stacking The Shelves: January 26th

I stumbled across Stocking The Shelves on Jill’s Book Blog and decided since I just bought 2 books today at Goodwill I would give this a shot! This is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews and Reading Reality. Here’s what they say about it…

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

So…without further ado, while I was browsing Goodwill for some new (to me) professional shirts (scored 2) I of course had to browse the book section! Here is what I picked up!

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Goodreads Synopsis

No one’s ever told Eleanor that life should be better than fine.

Meet Eleanor Oliphant: She struggles with appropriate social skills and tends to say exactly what she’s thinking. Nothing is missing in her carefully timetabled life of avoiding social interactions, where weekends are punctuated by frozen pizza, vodka, and phone chats with Mummy.

But everything changes when Eleanor meets Raymond, the bumbling and deeply unhygienic IT guy from her office. When she and Raymond together save Sammy, an elderly gentleman who has fallen on the sidewalk, the three become the kinds of friends who rescue one another from the lives of isolation they have each been living. And it is Raymond’s big heart that will ultimately help Eleanor find the way to repair her own profoundly damaged one.

Soon to be a major motion picture produced by Reese Witherspoon, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine is the smart, warm, and uplifting story of an out-of-the-ordinary heroine whose deadpan weirdness and unconscious wit make for an irresistible journey as she realizes. . .

The only way to survive is to open your heart.

The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty

Goodreads Synopsis

At the heart of The Husband’s Secret is a letter that’s not meant to be read

My darling Cecilia, if you’re reading this, then I’ve died…

Imagine that your husband wrote you a letter, to be opened after his death. Imagine, too, that the letter contains his deepest, darkest secret—something with the potential to destroy not just the life you built together, but the lives of others as well. Imagine, then, that you stumble across that letter while your husband is still very much alive. . . .

Cecilia Fitzpatrick has achieved it all—she’s an incredibly successful businesswoman, a pillar of her small community, and a devoted wife and mother. Her life is as orderly and spotless as her home. But that letter is about to change everything, and not just for her: Rachel and Tess barely know Cecilia—or each other—but they too are about to feel the earth-shattering repercussions of her husband’s secret.

Acclaimed author Liane Moriarty has written a gripping, thought-provoking novel about how well it is really possible to know our spouses—and, ultimately, ourselves.

I have been eyeing these 2 books for awhile and I nearly screamed with excitement when I stumbled across them for $1.00 and $1.49 respectively. SCORE! Did you pick up any new reads this week??? Hopefully I don’t participate in this meme TOO often…I really, really, REALLY need to read what I already have!!!

First Line Friday: January 25th

My first First Line Friday courtesy of Hoarding Books Blog. I discovered this magic thanks to Crystal at Must Love Reviews.

This week my friend and I decided to do a buddy read where we would read the same book at the same time. She walks around and listens to book on audible (and is trying hard to convert me over, haha) and I read them (either physical or ebook form), but, we always enjoy discussing them the same! This week she happened to pick out this one, which we both happened to have in our libraries…

Amazon //\\ Goodreads

Here’s that opening line that hooked me in…

“I made a mistake. I know that now.”

All I will say is my poor children. After reading this book I do not think I will let them go anywhere, at any age, without me present. Look for my review coming soon! Until then, what is the first line of what you’re currently reading right now?

Top Ten Tuesday

This week’s topic is…

Books I Meant To Read In 2018

Guys…that’s every book I own! Haha, no, but really…I had every intention of reading the books I had on hand. So…I suppose I shall make this list with the books that first come to mind that I really, really, intended on reading, but, for one reason or another just got pushed back…in no particular order here we go!

Big Woods by May Cobb

I purchased this on October 22, 2018 and really, really wanted to read it. I got it for a steal at 99 cents and before I know it, it’s January 2019 and I still haven’t read it yet! This will be a must for me soon!

Winter Street Series by Elin Hilderbrand

I fell in love with Elin Hilderbrand in 2018 so I decided I would buy her Winter Street series and have a binge read in December…well, I bought the books…guess what I will be reading in December this year (and if I’m not YELL AT ME)!

Closer Home by Kerry Anne King

I had this book checked out for a month from the Kindle Owner’s Library and did I read it? No. So I finally just purchased it because I love her writing and this story line has me so intrigued. I’m still kicking myself over not reading it when I had it checked out! Grrrrr…

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

I bought it! It has been on my list to read since it came out and I finally bought it in 2018! Each time I saw a review of this book or saw it on social media I thought, I’m going to read it now…yet, here I am…

The Fifth Juror & The Advocate by Lori Lacefield

I won a super sweet contest from Lori Lacefield where I won a $100 Amazon gift card and a new Kindle Paperwhite. I bought her books (naturally) and I actually went to read these, however, I was slightly miffed that when you buy a box set on the Kindle, it all stays together. I had every intention of reading the first book, another book inbetween, and then the second book, but, they were together, meaning, when it showed me how many pages and percentage was left, it was for BOTH books. I had hoped that a box set would show as the 2 separate books but now I know and even if I save a few bucks, I will never buy a box set again on the Kindle!

Brain On Fire by Susannah Cahalan

I refound this book when I unpacked a stray box from our move in March 2017. It went right to the top of my TBR pile, but, I never picked it up. I would like to note that my day job is working with students with moderate, severe, and profound disabilities so this book really has me curious and will be one that I will read this year.

Well…it looks like I have a LOT of reading to do and I should get off of here and get to it! Are any of these still on your TBR list? Have you read any? Any I should stop what I’m doing and read right away?

Goodreads Monday

Goodreads Monday comes courtesy once again of Lauren’s Page Turners. Every Monday I will randomly pick a book on my Goodreads to read shelf and pair it with the cover image and Goodreads description. This week I picked my favorite number, 54, and went the book that was there.

Quick Goodreads Stats

318: To Read Shelf

59: Read Shelf

3: Read 2019 Shelf

My Pick This Week

Stay Up With Hugo Best by Erin Somers

Expected Release: April 2, 2019

Current Goodreads Rating: 4.04 stars (68 ratings, 28 reviews)

Goodreads Summary

An incredibly timely, terrifically witty and moving debut about a young writer’s assistant on a late night comedy show and what transpires when she accepts an invitation from its enigmatic host to spend a long weekend at his mansion in Connecticut.

June Bloom is a broke, cynical twenty-nine-year-old writer’s assistant on the late-night comedy show, Stay Up with Hugo Best. Hugo Best is in his sixties, a beloved icon of TV and humor, and a notorious womanizer. After he unexpectedly retires and a party is held for his now unemployed staff, June ends up at a dive bar for an open-mic night and prepares for the sad return to the anonymous comedian lifestyle. What she’s not prepared for is a run-in with Hugo at that dive bar. Nor for the invitation that swiftly follows: Hugo asks June to come to his mansion in Greenwich for the long Memorial Day weekend. “No funny business,” he insists.

June, in need of a job and money, confident she can handle herself, but secretly harboring the remains of a childhood crush on the charming older comedian and former role model, accepts. The exact terms of the visit are never spelled out, but June is realistic and clear-eyed enough to guess. Even so, as the weekend unfolds and the enigmatic Hugo gradually reveals himself, their dynamic proves to be much more complicated and less predictable than she expected.

At once hilarious and poignant, brilliantly incisive and terrifically propulsive, Stay Up with Hugo Best is an incredibly timely exploration of sexual politics in the #MeToo age, and the unforgettable story of one young woman’s poignant stumbling into adulthood.

My Thoughts

Well hey there! This book sounds AWESOME! I just added it to my Amazon Wish List and I am looking forward to this book being released in a few months. At first I glance at the cover and I thought, why would I have added this book to my want to read shelf…really? Then I read the description and I thought…THAT’S WHY!

I think this is semi-backfiring on me. It is supposed to get you excited for reads and all this is going is adding more books to my already long, long list! YIKES! Since last Monday my Want To Read shelf has increased by 13 books. I was hoping I would randomly pick some books and be like, nawh, taking this off my life. Maybe next week that will happen, haha. Feel free to pick a number between 1 and 318 and I’ll choose that book for next Monday! Happy reading!

Book Review: The Life We Wanted

As a member of Team Dearie: Kelsey Kingley’s ARC Team on Facebook, I was blessed with an advance reader copy of The Life We Wanted (expected to be released February 2019). To say I was nervous was an understatement. I am in a group of close quarters with the author, what if I hate this book? How would I be able to write an honest review? The day arrived and in my inbox was this book. That day was only yesterday…

I finished this book in one day (honestly, around 4 hours of my day total). I could not get enough. This book was inspired by the song “Everlong” by the Foo Fighters and you will see how that intertwines throughout this story. Music is amazing and this tale uses music as a muse for the story so well.

The story is about Tabitha Clarke and Sebastian Moore. Tabitha is a successful real estate agent who just lost her parents and sister over the course of a year and gained custody of her 15 year old nephew. Sebastian Moore is a successful drummer in a band and tours around the world and has a life of one night stands. When Tabitha goes through her sister’s belongings after another fight with her nephew she discovers letters written by Sebastian and discovers he is her nephew’s father. At her wit’s end she writes to him in hopes he can help her out and get through to her nephew, Greyson.

This story is told through alternating points of view between Tabitha and Sebastian. I really liked how the story flowed this way. We were not left with any unnecessary narratives and I really appreciated that. I also appreciated the details that went in to describing each character (and I may or may not have a HUGE crush on Sebastian myself).

I would best describe this story as an edgy Hallmark tale (and in case you did not know, I LOVE Hallmark movies). There is cursing throughout this book so if that is not up your alley, don’t pick up this book. Is this book predictable? Yes. But, did it make me tear up? Did it make me yell at the characters? Yes and yes. I became attached to Tabitha and Sebastian grew on me. It truly is a wonderful romance tale that has left me wanting more.

I am in a total book hangover. I am left day dreaming about Tabitha and Sebastian (and hope that one day we will get a sequel). I know that this book is not for everyone so I won’t sugarcoat that. If you love Hallmarky things that have an edge to them, THIS IS FOR YOU. Stop what you are doing and run out to get this book. It will leave your heart full and your face smiling. So, despite the fact that I know this book isn’t for everyone, I am still giving it 5 stars. Why? Because *I* freakin’ loved it and that’s good enough for me! If you are into this genre you will understand why I gave it 5 stars after you read it (and then come back and let’s talk all about it).

Title: The Life We Wanted

Author: Kelsey Kingsley

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services

Release Date: Anticipated February 1, 2019

ASIN: Will update when released

Link to Goodreads Page

First Line Friday

My first First Line Friday courtesy of Hoarding Books Blog. I discovered this magic thanks to Crystal at Must Love Reviews, a blog I started to recently follow. This week I picked a book from my Netgalley shelf that I just started reading. Side note, props to me for actually picking a book from my post My Top 5 Kindle Books To Read In 2019!

Amazon Link

Goodreads Link

First Line:

No regrets. Stupid name for a signature cocktail. Brears had found the recipe online, this tequila-Baileys thing. Seven shots plus the deejay speeding everything up plus the pink wine Leanza had drink before the ceremony were killing her bladder.

Ok, maybe I went beyond just the first line, but, I’m new to this so forgive me. Make sure you check out Hoarding Books Blog and drop me a line with what you are currently reading right now! PS, do we think drinking is heavily involved in this read?

Mini Book Review: Tough Truths

toughtruths

As I have previously discussed, I am currently in a leadership preparatory academy and this book was one of our first required readings. It is a 104 page mini-book which is very insightful AND truthful. I would recommend this book for anyone to read for some insight on how to deal with people, not just for those in a leadership position!

This book highlights 11 (there’s a bonus truth) tough truths which are remarkably all accurate. I will never forget when I was going through a teacher leader academy a speaker told us: as soon as you step foot out of the classroom, you lose all credibly. You no longer understand what it’s like in the classroom and you will be treated that way.

Ouch. But truthful. I can attest I have said that very line about people who were trying to tell me things that were not current classroom teachers. This book helps prepare and help out leaders who are struggling. One prime example is the tough truth that great leaders aren’t very much liked. If and when the day comes when I step into a larger leadership role I will have to face that tough truth that no matter what, people will not like me, they will talk about me behind my back; that’s just part of the job.

Maloney does a fantastic job at keeping this book short and sweet. With every truth she highlights a brief example so one can really understand what she is saying. I think that helps drive home her point that great leaders insist on excellent, pristine communication.

I am giving this book 5 stars. It is a great read to pick up if you’re struggling with others around you. It puts into perspective not only leadership truths, but, life truths in general. Leader or not, Maloney delivers great life lessons tips, especially those dealing with other people. This is a great book to consult during some tough times to give a gentle reminder on how we can be perceived in life. Fantastic read for all!

Details

Title: Tough Truths: The Ten Leadership Lessons We Don’t Talk About

Author: Deirdre Maloney

Publisher: Business Solutions Press

Release Date: October 1, 2012

ISBN-13: 978-0984027323

Buy It On Amazon

Top Ten Tuesday

Another TTT courtesy of That Artsy Reader Girl! This week’s topic is…

New To Me Authors I Read In 2018

2018 is the year I really took back reading as a hobby so I have a LOT of new to me authors I read over the course of a year! I suppose I did not realize how many new favorites I acquired over the year until I sat down to do this list! I am listing these authors in no particular order, just the way they pop into my head! Please note, I did not include any authors that had a debut novel in 2018 as they would be new to everyone, I only included authors with published works in 2017 or earlier! Enjoy!

1. Elin Hilderbrand

I was first introduced to Elin Hilderbrand when a colleague gave me The Perfect Couple to read. I. Was. Hooked. Since then I have read Winter In Paradise and bought all of her Winter Street series books I plan on binge reading. I also have another book coming in the mail too. What can I say? I’m into her!

2. David Baldacci

My father LOVES Baldacci. He has read almost every single one of his books and has kept them all. I started off by reading his book The Hit and I couldn’t stop. I am in love with Will Robie and this series. I just finished reading the first book in the series, nothing like reading them out of order or anything, ha. I hope to make a big dent in his books in 2019, especially with the box of 25 or so my dad lent me!

3. Kerry Anne King

I first learned of Kerry Anne King thanks to Amazon First Reads. I read her book Whisper Me This and was blown away. I borrowed I Wish You Happy from the Kindle Owner’s Lending Library and just recently her first book, Closer Home, went on sale on the Kindle so I snatched it up!

4. Ruth Ware

From the same colleague who introduced me to Hilderbrand, I learned of Ruth Ware. She learned I was going on a cruise so she said I had to read The Woman In Cabin 10. Don’t worry, I had no such experiences like this book on my cruise this past summer! I picked up The Lying Game from a thrift store for 97 cents (what a find)!! I can’t wait to read more from her!

5. Jenny Han

Oh Netflix, you were the ones who turned me on to Jenny Han. I *LOVE* to read a book and then watch the movie it was based off of so when I heard about To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before I had to read it. Mistake. As soon as I read that I had bought the next 2 in the series and finished them up within 2 days. All of her other books are on my TBR pile! PS, I loved the book so much I refuse to watch the movie!

6. Iris Johansen

I was on eBay when I stumbled across a book by Iris Johansen called Killer Dreams. LOVED IT! Now I am collecting all of her Eve Duncan books, slowly but surely, and can’t wait to read more from her! When I mentioned I was looking for books by her my grandmother replied with, “Oh, she’s good!” Well thanks for not letting me sooner Gram!

7. Kylie Brant

I learned of Kylie Brant thanks to Amazon First Reads and her book Pretty Girls Dancing. Every month I make sure to get my free book and eventually I get around to reading them. I wish I read it as soon as I bought it as this was a page turner. I cannot wait to read more from her!

8. Sarah Pekkanen

I first read Sarah Pekkanen when I read my very first advance reader copy of The Wife Between Us. I know it was a joint effort with Greer Hendricks but what I did not realize until just recently is that Pekkanen has written novels before! I loved this story and loved what came from her mind, I can’t wait to read more!

9. Fiona Barton

I learned of Fiona Barton thanks to Netgalley and the advance copy I got of The Suspect. I love thrillers and I love an author who can write an amazing one. I will be checking out her previous work for sure.

10. Lisa Wingate

Another colleague turned me on to Lisa Wingate when she lent me Before We Were Yours. The book made me emotional and every now and then I love my heartstrings to be pulled and tugged at when I read. She has a beautiful way with words!

I am amazed with all of the new authors I was exposed to in 2018 and I am excited to see who I will discover in 2019! Although I already have a lot of works by these authors in my current TBR pile, I will be sure to spice things up with new authors too! Any of these your favorite authors as well? Did you discover any of these authors in 2018 as I did too? Thanks for visiting!

Goodreads Monday

Goodreads Monday comes courtesy of Lauren’s Page Turners. I thought this was a neat idea so each Monday I will randomly pick a book on my Goodreads to read shelf. Every Monday will have a cover picture and Goodreads description. If you have read the book, let me know! I will move it up on my TBR list! Maybe this will also help me tame down my to read shelf!

Quick Goodreads Stats

305: To Read Shelf

57: Read Shelf

1: Read 2019 Shelf

My Pick This Week

The Life We Wanted by Kelsey Kingsley

Expected Release: February 1, 2019

Current Goodreads Rating: 5 stars (4 reviews)

Goodreads Summary

“You have too many rules.”
“And you don’t have enough.”

Sebastian Moore thought he had it all.

A drumming gig with one of the world’s biggest up-and-coming stars. The looks and charm to get him any woman he laid his eyes on. All the friends he could ever ask for.

But something was always missing.

That is, until he receives a letter, telling him that he’s a father to a fifteen-year-old boy.

Now, with the addition of his son, a love interest he never expected, and a whole new set of responsibilities, Sebastian finds himself happier than he’s ever been.

But old habits die hard, and when life finally gives him everything he wanted, he’ll have to find a way to keep his past from ruining the present.

My Thoughts

This week I organized my want to read shelf by picking the book with the highest rating. This book only has 4 current reviews and it is not yet released. I am actually on Kelsey Kingley’s Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) team, Team Dearie, as of January 6th and I will be receiving an advanced copy of this book shortly to read and review (so look for that SOON). I thought it was appropriate my first Goodreads Monday will be a book I *WILL* be reading very shortly! I’m super excited now! I also love the plot and that makes it all that much more exciting!

I hope you have enjoyed my first Goodreads Monday and you’ll think about doing it too! If you have done it, leave the link to your post (not your actual blog) at the link below. Put your name, @, and the name of your blog! Let’s get through those massive TBR piles together!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Next week I will have YOU decide which book I will pick. Simply pick a number between 1 and 305 and I will pick that number on my to read shelf and do that book! Let me know if you are looking forward to reading this pick too!

Book Review: The Innocent

My first read of 2019! My first box checked on the 2019 Popsugar Reading Challenge as well! I actually started this book in 2018 and had every intention of finishing it in 2018, however, life happens and here we are 2 weeks in to January and I just finished it. Oh well, at least I get to check off a box for the challenge!

I would like to note that I read his book The Hit first, not realizing it was part of a series. I am glad I read this book next so I could get a little background on some of the characters that were present in that book. But on to this amazing read!

This is the book where we first meet agency employee Will Robie. He gets called out to make a kill and when he walks in to an apartment where it’s a young mother, he freezes and can’t do it. Something seems off. Bullets fly through the window, killing the mother and her child, and threatening Robie’s life. It turns out Robie’s gut feeling was right and the young mother should have never been killed. Now Robie is being hunted by someone in his own agency to be taken out.

Who went rogue within his agency? This book takes us on a twisty, turny tale to find out. Along the way Robie ends up helping a 14 year old, Julie, who has just lost both of her parents. He notices a man about to kill her on a bus and when he intervenes, saves her life. They both get off the bus and as soon they do it explodes, killing everyone on board except them. What is going on?

I was highly intrigued the whole story. It was interesting to see how various events intertwined together and how Robie and Julie end up needing each other. It was thrilling, intoxicating, and a joy ride that I did not want to see end. It was action packed

Overall I am giving this book 5 stars. When I read a book and go, “just one more chapter,” for 5 or so extra chapters, it’s a great read. I enjoyed how Robie and Julie worked together and the ending was one I did not see coming. Not even from a mile away. It just came out of left field for me. Wow. It also left any loose ends tied up and made me smile. I cannot wait to read the 3rd book in this series! Any fellow David Baldacci fans out there?

Title: The Innocent

Author: David Baldacci

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Release Date: April 17, 2012

ISBN-10: 1455519006

Buy It On Amazon