84. Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen

While looking at Amazon, I saw some description of Black and Blue on the site and decided to give it a try. I also saw it was an Oprah Book Club pick and I never read any of her picks (at least I don't think I have) so that made me a bit more curious. It was a tough book to read and difficult to handle but good. I give it a B+.


From Amazon:

For eighteen years Fran Benedetto kept her secret, hid her bruises. She stayed with Bobby because she wanted her son to have a father, and because, in spite of everything, she loved him. Then one night, when she saw the look on her ten-year-old son’s face, Fran finally made a choice—and ran for both their lives.Now she is starting over in a city far from home, far from Bobby. In this place she uses a name that isn’t hers, watches over her son, and tries to forget. For the woman who now calls herself Beth, every day is a chance to heal, to put together the pieces of her shattered self. And every day she waits for Bobby to catch up to her. Bobby always said he would never let her go, and despite the ingenuity of her escape, Fran Benedetto is certain of one thing: It is only a matter of time.


It was so tough to read about the abuse of Fran and how she finally decides to leave her husband. Having to forgo all of her family and friends to get be safe. My heart was pounding at time when the thought of her husband, Bobby, would track her down. While the ending was a bit disappointing, it was realistic. Sometimes I like to read to escape real life, but I can see why the author chose to go that route. A very interesting, but tough, read.

80. The Kindness of Strangers by Katrina Kittle

I absolutely LOVED this book. I believe I found it from Amazon, recommended to me based on previous books I looked at. The Kindness of Strangers was probably one of my favorite reads so far this year and I give it an A.

From Amazon:
A young widow raising two boys, Sarah Laden is struggling to keep her family together. But when a shocking revelation rips apart the family of her closest friend, Sarah finds herself welcoming yet another troubled young boy into her already tumultuous life.
Jordan, a quiet, reclusive elementary school classmate of Sarah's son Danny, has survived a terrible ordeal. By agreeing to become Jordan's foster mother, Sarah will be forced to question the things she has long believed. And as the delicate threads that bind their family begin to unravel, all the Ladens will have to face difficult truths about themselves and one another—and discover the power of love necessary to forgive and to heal.

The Kindness of Strangers is touching, heartbreaking, and extremely emotional. My husband kept asking me what I was shaking at my head for but I just couldn't help it. This book just touched me in a way that is hard to explain. While not graphic, it is disturbing. Since I've been trying to get pregnant for over a year and a half without any luck, I've thought about becoming a foster parent and this book gives an honest look at what happens. I know my review isn't making a lot of sense, but I just can't encourage you enough to go and check this one out.

18. Secrets of Eden by Chris Bohjalian

Secrets of Eden is a book that I have seen and heard a lot about on the blogosphere. I got it from my library and almost returned it unread. Thankfully I didn't! Secrets of Eden is a powerful, wonderful book and one that I give an A-.

From Amazon:
"There," says Alice Hayward to Reverend Stephen Drew, just after her baptism, and just before going home to the husband who will kill her that evening and then shoot himself. Drew, tortured by the cryptic finality of that short utterance, feels his faith in God slipping away and is saved from despair only by a meeting with Heather Laurent, the author of wildly successful, inspirational books about . . . angels. Heather survived a childhood that culminated in her own parents' murder-suicide, so she identifies deeply with Alice’s daughter, Katie, offering herself as a mentor to the girl and a shoulder for Stephen – who flees the pulpit to be with Heather and see if there is anything to be salvaged from the spiritual wreckage around him.But then the State's Attorney begins to suspect that Alice's husband may not have killed himself. . .and finds out that Alice had secrets only her minister knew.

While I thought that Secrets of Eden started out slowly, it quickly picked up the pace. I enjoyed the way that Mr. Bohjalian switched voices of the main characters to give the reader a different perspective of the way events were unfolding. It was a chilling story, one that really drives home the point that domestic violence is something that should not be shut behind closed doors. So many people in the little town knew what was going on, but few wanted to get involved or take action. The ending was so surprising that I actually let out a little gasp at the end and sat there thinking about everything for awhile. I am sure that Secrets of Eden will be staying with me for quite awhile.

My reading has gotten pathetic lately. I am working every night so that is taking a big chunk of my time up, plus I have been so tired. It doesn't help that I spent far too many days trying to finish a book that I had absolutely zero interest in and couldn't stand the writing just because I was more than halfway done and I so desperately wanted to finish a book. I won't be making that mistake again. I finally got started on the newest Wendy Corsi Staub, one of my favorite suspense authors, and Saturday is going to be a reading day for me. Happy Reading everyone!

11. The Girl Next Door by Elizabeth Noble

I read about The Girl Next Door on Bookish NYC's blog when she mentioned it is centered around the residents of a building in New York City. Of course my interested was raised as soon as I read that as I am always on the lookout for a good book where New York is a main character. I am so glad that I checked it out and spent a good portion of my weekend when I was working reading it. A wonderful book, and one I give an A-.

From Amazon:
What makes a house a home?
For Eve Gallagher, home is miles away in England since she and her husband relocated to an apartment building on New York's Upper East Side. And life isn't coming up roses.
What makes a neighbor a friend?
Violet has lived in the building for decades, but she's always kept herself apart, until Eve's loneliness touches her heart.
What makes a wife a lover?
Jason Kramer in apartment 6A is no longer sure he loves his wife, but he's head over heels for Rachel Schulman in 6B.
What makes the girl next door the woman of your dreams?
Meeting Emily Mikanowski from 3A turns Trip Grayling's world upside down. It's love at first sight, but he needs help from Charlotte, the shy romance novel addict in 2A, if he's going to get his girl.
What they all have in common is an address, but it is also a home where their lives and secrets intertwine. Come in and enjoy this bittersweet story of friendship and love.

As I mentioned above, New York City almost plays a character in the book, but even more so, the building that everyone lives in plays a greater role. I really enjoy books like this that allow me to get inside several different characters' heads and see how each one perceives perhaps the same exact occasion. All of the characters were likeable and there were quite a few twists and turns throughout the story. It is nice to get away from the grit and suspense of my usual books, so I was really excited to read this one. While Eve is the main character, we get to know several of the other characters in the story and what makes them tick. We see Eve mature throughout the move to a new city and country that isn't something she's always dreamed of and make an unlikely lifelong friend. My favorite character was Charlotte, though, and I was thrilled to see that Ms. Noble is currently writing a sequel where her and Emily play a bigger role in the story. Please hurry up and finish Ms. Noble!

Up next is my usual suspense and another library book and recommendation from a book blog, though of course I don't remember which one. This one is called Good People by Marcus Sakey and I hope it turns out to be a great one too! Hopefully midweek things will slow down a bit for me and I will be able to sneak in a few pages here and there until then. Well, I gotta go... the kids are about to come into class. Happy Reading everyone!

7. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

I've heard so much about The Lovely Bones since it was released years ago, that I probably shied away from it. With the release of the movie and seeing the commericals for it, I decided I had to read it. It seemed like something I would really like, so I was able to borrow it from someone I work with. It was all right, and I give it a B+.

Back cover:
Susie Salmon, murdered at age fourteen, is adjusting to her new home in heaven, a place that is not at all what she expected, while back on earth her grief-stricken family is unraveling. Out of unspeakable tragedy and loss, The Lovely Bones succeeds, miraculously, in building a tale filled with hope, humor, suspense, even joy.

This is not the usual type of book I read, since there are aspects of the supernatural in it. I often have a hard time turning off my reality colored glasses and while I like to believe there is a heaven, how can someone right a book where the main character is there when no one has seen it? I also had a hard time reading this book because of the writing... it was done beautifully and it was so touching. I thought Ms. Sebold does a fantastic job of accurately describing and showing all of the different emotions Susie's family faces and deals with as they come to terms with her disappearance and murder. I mainly read suspense novels that are sometimes graphic and tough to read, but nothing as affected me like some of the passages from The Lovely Bones. I only hope the movie holds up to the book (though I doubt it!).

Up next is more of my usual fare, a suspense novel by a new to me author called No Mercy by John Gilstrap. I just picked it up from the library and hope to get through it this weekend. I do have some plans this evening and am talking my nephew out to lunch tomorrow, but other that I hope to get some reading and relaxing time in! I've been busy and tired lately and just haven't been placing much focus on my reading and visiting of other blogs. I've tried to keep up, but haven't had much time to comment. I hope to fix that this weekend! Happy Reading!

The Houseguest by Thomas Berger

I picked up The Houseguest on a whim a week or so ago when I was browsing at my library. It sounded interesting and somewhat like those Lifetime movies I enjoy so much (you know the one... where the unsuspecting nanny/housekeeper/neighbor turns psycho) so I decided to give it a try. It was somewhat disappointing, though, and I am not sure why I even finished it. I give it a C.

Back cover:
Chuck Burgoyne is no ordinary houseguest. The Graveses (father Doug, wife Audrey, son Bobby, and daughter-in-law Lydia) have gotten used to his polite matters and gourmet breakfasts. But one morning at the Graveses' summer home, Chuck fails to appear.
When Chuck finally does surface, he is no longer sweet and charming, but rathers has become agressive and arrogant, abusing each family member in turn. Each family member, that is, except for the fellow outsider, Lydia. Once Chuck rescues her from the dangerous undertow of the ocean, Lydia can't help but feel obligated to him, even after his uninvited advances to her while she's half asleep. Slowly it becomes apparent to the family that Chuck isn't anyone's guest but rather a perfect stranger who wormed his way into their home. Yet the Graveses are so concerned with not offending him by being impolite that they willingly accept the abuse he freely dishes out. In private, however, they all scheme for his undoing. But will anyone muster up the courage?

This was a short book, only about 240 pages long, but somewhat dry. I admit to some skimming and probably only finished reading it because I wanted to find out the ending and see what happens. None of the characters were particularly likeable and somewhat annoying. The only character I could muster some sympathy for was Lydia, but even that was farfetched. I think I was expecting there to be more of that Lifetime quality and characteristics, but this was more of comedy series that takes a cynical look at manners and the way of life of those who are wealthy and belief themselves to be above others. While I did smile a time or two here and there, I probably won't be checking anything out by Mr. Berger any time soon.

Right now I am trying to decide between another library book or one of my own. I think I am going to lean towards one of my own, though I always like to get through my library books quickly in case someone else is waiting for it. I know how impatient I can get when waiting for a book! :) Hopefully I will get the chance to start something tonight, though I do admit to being somewhat tired and worn out. I hope everyone is having a great weekend and Happy Reading!

The Last Bridge by Teri Coyne

The Last Bridge was book I read about on someone's blog, but of course, can't remember whose. The book was a difficult one to read, but one that I loved and read in a couple of hours. If I hadn't had to work today, I would have stayed up too late to finish it. I give The Last Bridge an A-.

Inside cover:
For ten years, Alexandra "Cat" Rucker has been on the run from her past. With an endless supply of bourbon and a series fo meaningless jobs, Cat is struggling to forget her Ohio hometown and the rural farmhouse she once called home. But a sudden call from an old neighbor forces Cat to return to the home and family she never intended to see again. It seems that Cat's mother is dead.
What Cat finds at the old farmhouse is disturbing and confusing: a suicide note, written on lilac stationery and neatly sealed in a ziploc bag, that reads: Cat, He isn't who think he is. Mom xxxooo.
One note, ten words- one for every year she has been gone- completely turns Cat's world upside down. Seeking to unravel the mystery of her mother's death, Cat must confront her past to discover who he might be: her tyrannical, abusive father, now in a coma after suffering a stroke? Her brother Jared, named after her mother's true love (who is also her father's best friend?) The town coroner, Andrew Reilly, who seems to have known Cat's mother long before she landed on a slab in his morgue? Or Addison Watkins, Cat's first and only love?
The closer Cat gets to the truth, the harder it is for her to repress the memory and the impact of the events that sent her away so many years ago.

As I mentioned above, this is a very tough book to read, especially when the reader experiences the abuse Cat went through as a child. I fully admit, I had tears running down my face as I read it and I just can't comprehend how somehow can hurt their child, or any person really, as bad as Cat was hurt. I wanted to jump into the book and do something, protect Cat somehow, I was so emotionally drawn into the story. I was never abused and don't know of anyone who was, but I've seen it while teaching and of course on the news, and I just get sick to my stomach. The story is told during now and in Cat's childhood, and while Cat isn't the most likeable or loveable character, you just have to feel for her. The Last Bridge was only 225 pages long, but probably one of the most powerful books I've read in quite awhile. If you are looking for a powerful book, one that will resonate with you for quite awhile, please get a copy of this book. I wish I had the budget to buy each and every one of you this book, I feel that strongly about it.

I just got an email from my library and Swimsuit by James Patterson has finally come in. I've only been on the list for about 4 months now, and I always enjoy Mr. Patterson's stand alones. Plus they are such quick reads and if I can get another book in before the end of the month, I will be happy, so I think I am going to break my alternate reading plan and pick it up. I am going to my SIL's for dinner, but tonight and tomorrow, hopefully I will be able to sneak some pages back. I think I may have finally broken through this mini-slump... YAY! Happy Reading everyone!

The Church of Dead Girls by Stephen Dobyns

The Church of Dead Girls is a book I've had on my shelves for far too long. I got this from either a library sale or thrift store, and I am a bit disappointed I waited this long to read it. It was a good book, more literary fiction than straight up suspense, and I give it a B+.

Back cover:
For decades, the faded, rural upstate New York village has lain dormant- until it is startlingly stirred to life when, one by one, three young girls vanish...
Nightmares are turned into horrifying reality when their corpses are found, brutally murdered, each missing their left hand...
Now as the search for a madman gets underway, suspicion shrouds the quiet streets of Aurelius when its residents soon realize that a monster lives among them...
But not even prayers can save their loved one from the rage of a twisted mind who has only just begun his slaughter...

In The Church of Dead Girls, the town of Aurelius is in itself the main character of the story. The narrator, a man who I am not even sure is ever named and if he was I don't remember, serves as the readers eyes and ears for the events that turn this small town upside down as three young girls are kidnapped and seem to vanish. There are many characters to keep track of, but while reading these pages, you are transported to small, snowy Aurelius and all of it's residents. Suspicion is thrown on everyone, the gay residents, the single men, the married men, and even one or two women. I believe the story is an accurate picture of what would happen to a small town suddenly thrust into the national spotlight because of a terrible person. While I normally enjoy the heavier and grittier suspense books, The Church of Dead Girls was a great literary suspense book that encouraged me to escape from my ususal comfort reads.

It took me a week to read this book! Part of it was because the book was long and desires to be read slowly so you savor the story and the other reason was because I've been busy. A couple of weeks ago, I accepted a subbing job for a week for the same teacher. On Tuesday she became quite sick and had to have an emergency surgery and I was called to take over her class again. Since this wasn't a planned abscence, I had to do planning and now it seems she will be out for another two weeks and progress reports are due! Today my day was totally shot by a wedding (I am currently in between the church portion and we are leaving shortly for the reception), so tomorrow will be checking papers and prepping for the next week. As much as I am missing my free time, I am thankful to have this long term subbing position since I get to actually teach and I like the class! I also need to start managing my time a bit better as I seem to be spending much time surfing the internet, looking at nothing. Time to fix my makeup and leave. Happy Reading everyone and have a fantastic weekend!