Book Review: Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

One of my co-workers lent me this book so I have to her to thank for this thrilling read!

The story revolves around Ellie, a 15 year old girl who goes missing. Her mother Laurel has never given up hope, even as she loses her family (and can’t understand why). Her husband leaves her and her other 2 children grow up, leave home, and rarely interact with her. I guess when you lose your “golden child” and shut down, people move on around you.

Ten years go by and Laurel meets a new man who has a young daughter, Poppy. Laurel starts to see herself with this man and adores his little girl. She is still trying to find ways to get her children to talk to her, but nothing works. I really don’t think Laurel truly understands what her actions do.

The story is told in alternating time lines and points of view. I don’t want to get into too much detail because it will give away a little more of the story. But I will say this…I usually can never figure out books and I had this book figured out from the very beginning.

I know a lot of people rave and rave about this book, but I felt it was entirely too predictable and the family drama was dull. Laurel became a crap mother (who truly wished it was her other daughter that went missing) and there you have it. But the way the story is laid out, it’s like, could it be any more obvious (said in my best Joey from Friends voice).

3 stars. I thought this was just ok. It didn’t do anything for me and the fact that as I kept reading I knew exactly what was happening concerned me. I promise you I had never read this book before, this was just a rare instance in where I felt the writing didn’t lead me anywhere but to exactly what was coming next. Maybe I’m just becoming that good…nah. Haha. If I had not figured out this book, it would have easily been a 5 star read, but the reading just fed right into the next step and I didn’t get enjoyment out of that. Oh well, on to the next one!

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Title: Then She Was Gone

Author: Lisa Jewell

Genre(s): Fiction, Thriller, Mystery

Publisher: Atria Books

Release Date: July 27, 2017

Find it here on Goodreads

Book Review: He Started It

After reading My Lovely Wife I knew I had to get my hands on He Started It…

This is a story of 3 siblings, Beth, Portia, and Eddie, who go on a road trip after their grandfather passes away in order to be eligible for their inheritance from him. This cross country trip takes us on a thrilling ride! The siblings are not close and I can only imagine the grandfather knew what was he was doing as the will states that, “anyone who ends up in jail, who does not complete the trip, or who deviates from the original trip in any way, will get nothing.”

This is a dual timeline book as well with the present time and then 1999 when the siblings took the road trip. The amount of lying and manipulation the siblings do is wild and makes each page turn faster and faster as you need to find out the end results.

With families and then a body in trunks (wait, what did I just say), will these siblings be able to complete the cross-country road trip? Is someone following them? Were they just set up by their grandfather and it’s all a rouse?

4 stars. Great, fast paced thriller that will keep you guessing until the end. The family drama is constant and all of the characters with their flaws add such a fantastic touch. Beth, our narrator, also keeps us on our toes because can we trust her? Overall, great read, you won’t regret picking this one up!

Title: He Started It

Author: Samantha Downing

Genre(s): Fiction, Mystery, Suspense

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: July 21, 2020

Find it here on Goodreads

Cleaning My TBR #5

Here I go again…3 books at a time from my Goodreads want to read shelf!

Date Added: October 22, 2018

Verdict: KEEP!

Reason: This is based off of a true story and it sounds so intriguing (and sad). She is abused as a small child and finally makes a run for it when she is a teen and is brought into a world where she knows nothing because she’s been so sheltered. Looks so intriguing!

Date Added: October 22, 2018

Verdict: DITCH!

Reason: This is a story about friends who are competing for $15k and a chance to open for the hottest band. Nothing in the synopsis pops out. There’s drinking, rehab, and a baby all involved and it really seems to be all about friendships…I’ll have to pass on this one for now!

Date Added: October 24, 2018

Verdict: DITCH!

Reason: This is one of those where I read the synopsis and go…really? I wanted to read this? Maybe 2 years ago I did, but not now! This follows a man and his ex-wife and they tell their tale, sounding like maybe they get back together?? I don’t know…and I’ll probably never know, haha.

What do you think about my decisions this week??

Cleaning My TBR #3

732. That’s the number of books on my Goodreads want-to-read shelf…yikes.

Added: August 20, 2018

Verdict: OFF

Reason: I just haven’t been feeling police drama/legal novels for awhile now. I have really been into more suspenseful thrillers and chick lit. While this is inspired by a true story which I like, I have a lot more I’d rather read before this!

Added: August 20, 2018

Verdict: OFF

Reason: I honestly have no idea why I would put this on my list. It talks about gangs and other kind of out there things…this one has me scratching my head, this is totally not my kind of book!

Added: August 20, 2018

Verdict: KEEP

Reason: I love Jenny Han. This one may be with kids in middle school, but as you know I do love young adult and while this may be real young…it sounds cute and I’m all for a cute, quick read!

Well…I took 2 out of 3 off, I’ll take it! What are you reading this week??

Goodreads Monday: March 11th

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 a random page and the cover that stood out the most to me!

Quick Goodreads Stats

382: To Read Shelf

67: Read Shelf

11: Read 2019 Shelf (hangs head, I didn’t finish a book this week UGGGH)

My Pick This Week

Shopping For A Billionaire’s Baby by Julia Kent

Released: April 14, 2018

Current Goodreads Rating (as of 03/10/2019): 4.56 stars (653 ratings, 184 reviews)

Goodreads Summary

You know what’s even better than marrying a billionaire? Having his baby.

We’re ready. We’ve studied and planned, read all the birth and labor books, researched parenting classes, consulted our schedules, and it’s time.

And by we I mean me.

Declan’s just ready for the “have lots of sex” part. More than ready.

But there’s just one problem: my husband and his brother have this little obsession with competition.

And by little, I mean stupid.

That’s right.

We’re not just about to try to bring a new human being into the world.

We have to do it better, Faster, Stronger.

Harder.

McCormick men don’t just have babies.

They engage in competitive billionaire Babythons.

I thought the hardest part about getting pregnant would be dealing with my grandchild-crazed mother, who will go nuts shopping for a billionaire’s baby.

Wrong.

Between conception issues, my mother’s desire to talk to the baby through a vaginacam, a childbirth class led by a drill sergeant and a father-in-law determined to sign the kid up for prep school before Declan even pulls out, my pregnancy has turned out to be one ordeal after the other.

But it’s nothing — nothing — compared to the actual birth.

My Thoughts

This just went on sale for 99 cents on the Kindle…so…how could I resist?!?!

I have mentioned this book before on my cleaning my TBR list, and it’s the first book I put on my want to read shelf on Goodreads. Since I just bought it I thought it would be appropriate to feature it today. I mean hey, a buck is a buck!! Have you scored any good deals on a book on your want to read shelf lately?!?

Book Review: A Woman Is No Man

Thank you to Goodreads for this giveaway win of the advance reader copy of A Woman Is No Man! See, I am proof that real people win those giveaways, keep entering them!

When I won this book I wasn’t excited. I thought, well, it’s a free book, what’s the harm in it? This was one of those, why did I enter this giveaway books. First, let me give you some background on the story.

This book starts off with women not having a voice. We are told the story of Palestinian women living in America through the mother-in-law/grandmother, our main character the daughter-in-law/mother, and daughter/granddaughter. Caught all that? Basically the mother-in-law came to America to try and make a better life for her family. Her son married a woman from Palestine and she moved to America. The daughter was born and raised in America. Isra, the mother, is the one who really carries the story. All three characters get developed nicely through this story with the daughter, Deya, growing the most.

When I say the son married a woman from Palestine what I mean is the family picked this one woman, they spoke for a few times, and then decided sure, we can get married. It’s like an upgraded version of an arranged marriage because you can say no. So she lives the life a woman; takes care of the men, cooks, cleans, tends to the children, and rarely leaves the house. Oh, and also takes beatings from her husband.

This book really opened my eyes to what oppression by one’s culture looks like. I was mortified at the marriage arrangements. I was mortified at the life they live inside their homes. I was angry at the abuse they think is ok to take from their husbands. Then I realized, how can I be mortified at something that is part of their culture? Just because I don’t follow it, does not mean it’s not ok. When the woman talked about being “Americanized” that is when I realized, wow, they are mortified at the fact that I have a job and live outside of the house. It puts things into perspective.

I still do not agree with the domestic violence and never will. Trigger warning, this book talks a lot about it. No one should be subject to physical or mental abuse. No one.

Isra once had high hopes for herself and ended up being stuck in a no way out situation. I feel her spirit was passed to her first born daughter, Deya, and she would be so happy with how her daughter grows and stands up for herself. When she discovers that her parents may not have really died in a car accident, we go on a whirlwind adventure. Isra and the mother-in-law give us pieces from the past that put everything together. As depressing at this book can be at times, you will enjoy the ending with what happens to Deya.

I am going to give this book 5 stars. This was a powerful, heart breaking, and heart warming story. It is fantastically written and helps to open our eyes to different cultures. This isn’t a light read, but, I didn’t find it to be a real heavy read either. I will also say that my dense brain thought the book just ended rudely. I googled the ending to the book and IT ALL MADE SENSE. What happens at the end of the book is what happens right before the daughter’s last memory of the mother. Keep that in mind WHEN you pick this one up, because there’s no excuse not to. You will be happy to see that a woman finally gained her own voice.

Title: A Woman Is No Man

Author: Etaf Rum

Publisher: Harper

Expected Release Date: March 5, 2019

Find it here on Goodreads and Amazon

Goodreads Monday: February 25th

Quick Goodreads Stats

369: To Read Shelf

65: Read Shelf

9: Read 2019 Shelf

My Pick This Week

Once More We Saw Stars by Jayson Greene

Expected Released: May 14, 2019

Current Goodreads Rating (as of 02/24/2019): 4.67 stars (33 ratings, 13 reviews)

Goodreads Summary

Two-year-old Greta Greene was sitting with her grandmother on a park bench on the Upper West Side of Manhattan when a brick crumbled from a windowsill overhead, striking her unconscious. She is immediately rushed to the hospital. Once More We Saw Stars begins with this event, leading the reader into the unimaginable.

But although it begins with the anguish Jayson and his wife Stacy confront in the wake of their daughter’s trauma and the hours leading up to her death, it quickly becomes a narrative that is as much about hope and healing as it is about grief and loss. Jayson recognizes, even in the very midst of his ordeal, that there will be a life for him beyond it—that if only he can continue moving forward, from one moment to the next, he will
survive what seems un-survivable. With raw honesty, deep emotion, and exquisite tenderness, he captures both the fragility of life and absoluteness of death, and most important of all, the unconquerable power of love. This is an unforgettable memoir of courage and transformation—and a book that will change the way you look at the world

My Thoughts

I have been entering a few giveaways lately, all the books I’m randomly selecting haven’t come out yet!

This sounds like a book that will tug at your heartstrings. I am usually not a big memoir fan, but, I would give this one a try and see how it goes. Have you heard about this book at all?

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 another favorite number of mine, 72, and went the book that was there.

Quick Goodreads Stats

354: To Read Shelf

62: Read Shelf

6: Read 2019 Shelf

My Pick This Week

Charter Storm by Mary Searcy Bixby & Tom R. Davis

Released: September 18, 2018

Current Goodreads Rating: 2.64 stars (25 ratings, 18 reviews)

Goodreads Summary

Public education in the United States faces an unprecedented crisis. The explosive growth of charter schools over the last two decades has shaken the status quo to its core. At stake are the future of public schools and how they will continue to educate our nation’s youth.
Clashes over money and ideologies have led to a struggle between the public education establishment and those at the forefront of educational reform. The conflict is being waged in the court of public opinion, as well as in courtrooms throughout the country. While the outcome is impossible to predict, both sides are preparing for a fight of David versus Goliath proportions. Collaboration is critical to the success of both.
Educational experts Dr. Tom R. Davis and Mary Searcy Bixby have spent their entire careers improving public education—Mary in charter schools and Tom in traditional public education. In Charter Storm, they use their combined knowledge and research of over 120 individual interviews over five years to teach you about—
• essential insights those new to the charter school movement need for their schools to survive and thrive
• how aggressive educational establishment pushback threatens to sweep away the most vulnerable
• key issues authorizers must know to effectively oversee their organizations
• the overwhelming challenges the educational establishment faces today and how it can effectively navigate the changing local and national educational landscape
• why active participation and support of charter school associations are essential to each charter school and the educational reform movement’s long-term success
• what every charter school parent needs to know to create and support an exceptional educational experience for his or her children

My Thoughts

I won this on Goodreads through a giveaway. The reviews have me a little skeptical on this one.

I plan on reading this book. We just put our children in a charter school this year and I am curious to see what this book as to say. I also won this book for free so, no harm, no foul. I am a public school teacher myself so I am curious to see the charter school realm explained in this book. I will let you all know what I think about this when I get around to it!

Top Ten Tuesday: February 5th

It’s Tuesday which means it’s time for another TTT courtesy of That Artsy Reader Girl! This week’s topic is…

Upcoming Releases I’m On The Fence About

Hmm. This week is all about deciding if upcoming books are worth being put on your TBR list. My list is a mile long and the way I see it, I could add 1 book or I could add 100 books, it does not mean I’ll get to it any sooner than I would normally. I am taking this week to discuss the top ten Most Popular Books Added on Goodreads that are being published THIS month. This was a pretty neat find if I do say so myself. Here at the top ten:

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
On The Come Up by Angie Thomas
The Prayer Box by Lisa Wingate
The Lost Man by Jane Harper
Black Leopard, Red Wold by Marlon James
The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff
The Priory of The Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella
Bloodwitch by Susan Dennard
Courting Darkness by Robin LaFevers

I have already read the first book on this list and as you are probably well aware I did not particularly care for it. I am a fan of Sophie Kinsella and Lisa Wingate so I added those 2 to my want to read shelf on Goodreads.

What upcoming books are you on the fence about?

Goodreads Monday: February 4th

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 another favorite number of mine, 72, and went the book that was there.

Quick Goodreads Stats

342: To Read Shelf

62: Read Shelf

5: Read 2019 Shelf

My Pick This Week

SharpObjects

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

Released: September 26, 2006

Current Goodreads Rating: 3.95 stars (490,896 ratings, 36,605 reviews)

Goodreads Summary

Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, reporter Camille Preaker faces a troubling assignment: she must return to her tiny hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls. For years, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed in her old bedroom in her family’s Victorian mansion, Camille finds herself identifying with the young victims—a bit too strongly. Dogged by her own demons, she must unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past if she wants to get the story—and survive this homecoming.

My Thoughts

I have yet to read anything by Gillian Flynn and I always hear such positive things about her. This summary has me hooked after the simple statement of “fresh from a brief stay at psych hospital.” That right there has my interest peaked!

finalthoughts

It is still $9.99 on the Kindle. This may be a book I get if I see it at a thrift store. It is not offered in a hardcover and I much prefer reading hardcover over paperback and will typically just go for it on the Kindle then. If it goes on a flash sale for the Kindle, consider it part of my library from that point on! What do you think of Gillian Flynn?