Valentine

Wow. That's a gut punch. Raw, gritty, and profound. It made me feel l just read some Appalachian noir. Set in West Texas during the late seventies; a fourteen year old Hispanic teenager is brutally and horrifically raped and assaulted and it tears the small town of Odessa apart. For many of the Bible thumping, good ol' boy residents, that young boy (who works in the oil fields) is innocent until proven guilty. Besides she was asking for it! For Mary Rose the woman who found poor Gloria, bloodied and barefoot after crawling across the desert to escape the man who brutalized her, it's insane that anyone could place blame on the girl. She's only fourteen, she's a child! Told in alternating perspectives from different women in the town; this story will captivate, enrage, and haunt readers. Wonderful storytelling!

Beach Read

I am head over heels for this book! This fluffy chick-lit book is exactly what I needed in my life. I laughed, I got emotional, I was totally invested. A romance author and a serious "literary" author find themselves in neighboring lake houses. They have a past. They can't stand each other. Or can they? They challenge each other to write a book that reads like something the other person would write. Witty and wonderful. I don't even want to give a detailed summary. Just read it. You'll be falling in love with the characters, their story, and their growing attraction. This is one I will recommend to everyone!

The Guest List

I love good ol fashioned murder mystery and like a lot of reviews have said - it's reminiscent of Agatha Christie. One of the cool things is that it opens up with a dead body at a wedding.... but you don't know who it is! It's told through flashbacks leading up to the murder so it keeps you guessing as to who the murderer and the victim. The setting is a bleak little island off the coast of Ireland, it's a really posh wedding and of course their is loads of drama leading up to the ceremony and during the reception. The story is told through several perspectives. The best man, a plus one, the wedding organizer, the bride, the maid of honor, and the groom. The story moves quickly and you're on the edge of your seat as you try to put all the pieces together. I didn't even come close to getting the ending right, which made me love it more! A fantastic murder mystery!!

Tell the Wolves I'm Home

My heart!!!! From beginning to end I loved this book. Every flawed character was perfection and I never wanted this story to end. Fourteen year old June's best friend in the world is her Uncle Finn. When he dies of AIDS she is heartbroken and no one, not even her sister or her mother, understand what she's going through. They all just want to move on. When Finn's "special friend" reaches out June reluctantly agrees to meet him. Soon they realize how much they both loved the same bond and they slowly start to trust each other. A dazzling coming of age tale told through art, sibling rivalry, medieval music, and more. Truly wonderful and a story I will definitely visit again!

Bunnicula

I probably haven't read this book since second grade, but my initial reaction to this book is still spot on. It's fabulous. Even as an adult I still laughed out loud. The scene where the cat, Chester, is trying to get rid of the vampire rabbit, Bunnicula, by "staking" him with a thawing steak is hilarious. I can just imagine that orange tabby covering the bunny with the steak and then hitting it repeatedly. Too funny. They don't make kid's classics like this anymore.

For those of you unfortunate few who have never read this timeless tale... you're missing out. The story follows Harold and Chester, the pets of the Monroe family as they encounter a third pet to their household, a bunny named Bunnicula. The cat Chester is convinced that Bunnicula is a vampire because he sleeps all day, can't stand garlic, has fangs, and turns vegetable white by draining them. Harold the dog doesn't really care one way or another, but Chester is convinced they have to act... before it's too late.

It's a funny and classic story. I will have to re-read the rest of these in the series.

Magic Hour

Well written, but the plot was a little implausible to me. I went into this blind without reading the summary so I had no idea what I was getting into. Basically a small town sheriff from the outskirts of the Olympic National Forest discovers a small feral child holding a wolf pup. The girl hides, growls, bites, and doesn't know how to speak. Ellie is out of her depth so she calls her famous psychologist sister to come out and help work with this kid. They're trying to get her identified and find her family, because this kid has gone through so much trauma and needs all the help she can get. The sisters find themselves drawing closer to each other and find themselves head over heels over this mysterious wolf girl. Emotional, filled with small town gossip, budding relationships, family drama, and a quest for justice.

The Things We Do for Love

Saddened by their inability to have children, a couple gets divorced. Angie moves back to her family's hometown to help out with the family restaurant and get her mind off things. She discovers that the family business isn't doing too hot since her father died 6 months prior and she decides to put her marketing and advertising skills to use while her two older sisters work in the kitchen with their mother. One of the first changes she makes is hiring another waitress, much younger than the old and slow one they have now. She offers the job to Lauren. A high school senior from the bad part of town that has her eyes set on getting a full ride to college and making something of her life. Angie quickly becomes like a mother to Lauren taking her under her win. Then the unthinkable happens and Angie must decides if her heart can handle what's about to happen. Is she done running and is she ready to take a chance? Heartfelt and moving. Chick lit at it's finest.