My take on: Picture of Lies

Despite what Goodreads says, I did read Picture of Lies by C.C. Harrison. For some reason this book isn't listed there. But I digress. I leaped at the chance to read this one because it was a mystery. I'm a sucker for a good mystery. This one had what I thought were good elements. Missing children and the desperate families who try to find them.

Keegan Thomas has made a career of writing about the families of kidnapped children. Keegan has a unique understanding of these families. Her own daughter Daisy was kidnapped two years ago. Keegan doesn't see how immersing herself in this work is destroying her personal life. Writing about these children has become Keegan's life and reason for being. When she finally decides to take a break, Keegan is drawn back in. Everything she's trying to runaway from follows Keegan.

The discovery of an old photo of Keegan's grandfather leads her to Monument Valley in the heart of the Navajo Reservation. With the photo, Keegan thinks she has a nice light-hearted story on her hands. Her doctor grandfather, some children and other adults smiling against the backdrop of Monument Valley. What could be the harm in asking a few questions. The picture seems benign, but a wall goes up the instant Keegan starts asking questions. The people on the reservation stick together. The white woman in town asking questions isn't worth their time. A young girl in the picture was taken by missionaries, allegedly to a school off the reservation. To those in town, Keegan is just like those missionaries -- a white person trying to mess things up.

Their are few friends in town for Keegan, except for Jilly a local teacher. Jilly's family is at the heart of the picture, but some of them are reluctant to help. When they do help the results are deadly. Keegan's own life is put in jeopardy during the investigation. Dante, a mysterious archaeologist, at first treats Keegan like she has the plague. But eventually friendship and love grows between them.

As a character, Keegan is resourceful and confident. Despite the challenges thrown at her, Keegan keeps going. If she can find this lost Navajo girl, it can bring Keegan closure in her own life. Overall, I felt there were too many moving parts in this book. Too many elements. The town doesn't like Keegan, several people (too many in my opinion) are involved in the cover up, Dante has his own past that he's running from and the kidnapping of Keegan's daughter. I just felt like there was too much going to make this one standout for me.

Rating: Give it a try


Note: I received a copy of the book from the author C.C. Harrison as part of a blog tour with TLC Book Tours.

Chapter Hunt and review of Little Did I Know

Here is a little snippet of Little Did I Know by Mitchell Maxwell:

I waited a beat and then confessed, “More than ten and less than five hundred.”

            She laughed. “You are absolutely disgusting.” She paused. “You never kissed me. Even after all these years.”

            “I was saving the best for last.”

            Caught up in the moment, I leaped from my chair into her arms and kissed her like I was off to war.  She lay still in my embrace as if she was being ravaged. She then rolled over, took a deep, sated breath and said, “I need a cigarette.”

 Intrigued? Want to know more? The next little snippet will come from A Book Blogger's Diary, hop on over!!!

Now, what did I think of Little Did I Know by Mitchell Maxwell ? I have been to two or three Broadway plays in my life. After reading this book, I have a greater admiration for the work that goes on behind the scenes. Samuel "Sam" August has just graduated from college in 1976, and now he and his friends are left to wonder what next. Sam has always been the best at sports, but his heart has always been in the theater. How does he make his dream of becoming a big-time theater producer come true? He finds himself in the small town of Plymouth, Massachusetts.

It's a town where everybody knows everybody. A town controlled by one man, Dr. Barrows. As the odd man out in town, one would think Sam would be intimidated. But after a while he seems to have no fear. Dr. Barrows' foundation has control of a theater, the Priscilla Beach Theatre, but feels compelled to make Sam beg for it. His wife Lizzy has other ideas on how to help Sam rent the theater for the summer. I was sure Sam would give into Lizzy, and compromise his morals. Fortunately, Sam remains true to himself. Whatever comes in his way, Sam finds a way to persevere. When his initial financing fell through, Sam found another way. The graciousness of a dear friend, Secunda, and several other investors come through.

His only friend in town seems to be Veronica, the front desk girl at the local motel. Their attracted to each other, but Veronica is doubtful as to where their relationship can go. Sam is here temporarily, why bother to invest in him? To me it seemed like the town or Dr. Barrows himself was holding something over Veronica. She certainly doesn't like Lizzy Barrows. Veronica and Sam find a way together, and it's very sweet. It's like they've known each other a lot longer than a few weeks.

When all the actors, musicians, and dancers are finally hired, the obstacles aren't over. Some extremely funny (a gang of rabid raccoons) and some that will make you downright mad (corrupt officials, and the sudden loss of electricity). I got a good sense of what it takes just to put on a small-town theater production. Actors form little cliques. Sex, drugs, and alcohol are free flowing, as long as the quality of the work doesn't go down. Sam spends hours and hours picking the right people, then he wonders when to push them and how much. Does he risk losing his actors? Or will it motivate them? Has success gone to their heads?

I have to wonder if the author is a big sports fan. There are a lot of sports references and sports metaphors. They are some that are relevant (Mickey Mantle), but sometimes I think the book gets bogged down with sports metaphors. Aside from that, this is a good coming of age story. Sam has a dream, and doesn't fold when others try to take him down. What I got out of this book was dream big and don't give up.

Rating: Give it a try


Notes: I received a copy of the book from the author's publicist (Meryl L. Moss Media Relations Inc.) in exchange for an honest review.

Welcome Kim Kircher

Here are a few questions I had for Kim Kircher author of The Next Fifteen Minutes: 

1.     Before you husband's health problems, were you living life in small increments of time? This was a technique I used only at work. Since my husband knew he would need a liver transplant someday, he approached life with a bucket list, wanting to check off as many items as possible before he got sick. Our life became a little manic. I am a planner, so I would look far into the future, trying to orchestrate our path. When our plans derailed, I realized that life happens only in the present moment. Whether trying to "get through" an ordeal or experience all that life has to offer, it all happens in small increments of time.

2. After everything, have you or will you change how you got about life? Yes. For one thing, our marriage is very strong. We are each other's biggest advocates, and knowing that my husband has my back gives me confidence and strength. We also practice gratitude. Several times a day I remind myself what I'm grateful for. It has become a dinnertime ritual for our family to verbally acknowledge our gratitude for the little events of the day. It's easy to slip back into old patterns, but life constantly offers reminders to stay in the moment, to be grateful and to grow.  

3. If you weren't a ski patroller, what else could you see yourself doing? Before I patrolled, I was a high school teacher. I've also worked for Outward Bound as an instructor. I enjoy teaching teenagers; their lives are tumultuous and ripe for insight. In writing I hope to touch readers in much the same way, sharing vulnerability and being honest.

4. Are going to continue writing? Do you see yourself writing fiction? If so, what type? Yes. I enjoy writing articles and have been freelancing for the past few years for skiing and outdoor magazines. My blog is growing, and I enjoy that kind of short, fast assignment. I also enjoy longer work. I'm currently working on a novel that takes place at a ski area.

My take on: Manual for Living

Everyone once in a while a reader must step out of their comfort zone. Sometimes you need a break from all the fiction, and go back to reality. I was connected by Seth David Chernoff about his book Manual for Living: A User's Guide to the Meaning of Life. Chernoff is a two-time cancer survivor, author, and speaker. Each chapter asks a series of questions, asking why we do what we do. How does it impact your life?

There are several questions that rang home for me, specifically the chapter on judgment. Think about it, every day we walk down the street we see people and we judge them. Just yesterday I was in the parking lot at the supermarket and saw a man putting groceries in his trunk. But the thing is, I didn't just see a man putting groceries in his car. I saw a severely overweight man putting cases of soda in his trunk. I am by no means skinny, but I thought he doesn't need all that soda. Why couldn't I just see someone putting groceries in their car? It brought me back to a chapter in this book. Actually, a sentence in particular, "...it's challenging not be judgmental." How right he is. I don't set out to be that way, but it's just soooooooooooooooo hard not to be that way. Perhaps this book will help me with that.

There are several nuggets of wisdom in the book. It's hard to pull yourself away from someone who is toxic. Self-esteem takes a lifetime to create, but it can be destroyed so easily. Why do we always have to be right? Being right all the time doesn't make you wise. This is another character flaw of mine. I have to know I'm right, and drive home the point that I'm right before the conversation can end. Anyone else have this problem? There are some portions of the book that don't apply to me (**yet fingers crossed**). The chapters dealing with children, relationships, and marriage just don't resonate with me. No relationship, no children (yet) for me. But for those of who you are lucky enough to have both, those chapters are for you.

I guess you need an open mind to take this kind of material to heart. I don't know if I was completely open, but the book was helpful in getting me to think differently. With short chapters and real-life scenarios it can help others do the same.

Rating: Superb


Note: I received a copy of the book from the author Seth David Chernoff in exchange for an honest review.

This Beautiful LIfe: DNF

This doesn't happen often, but I didn't finish a book. There have been books I didn't like (Stiltsville), but I finished them. I could not finish This Beautiful Life by Helen Schulman. I tried. I made it halfway through the book. I felt like I was forcing myself to finish. There was no anticipation for me. There was no racing to find out the ending. I reached a point where I just didn't care.

The premise was good: what happens when teenagers engage in sexting? A young girl e-mails a graphic video of herself to Jake, a teenage boy at her school. It was only meant for Jake, but the teenage mind doesn't think too far ahead. He e-mails it to a friend, then that friend passes it on to another. Get the picture? By the next day the video has gone viral. Everyone at school, including the teachers, knows about it. Who is to blame for this? The kids? The parents? My problem with the book is that no one looks in the mirror when assessing blame. The kids and the parents are to blame. The kids for not thinking, and the parents for not instilling better values. Jake's mother puts all the blame on the girl. She doesn't even consider her son's part. Perhaps that caveat was solved in the latter half of the book, but as I said I didn't care. I was becoming bored.

The narration jumped between characters. It starts off with Jake's mother, Liz, then his father, Richard. Liz is caught up in the mommy cliques. Richard is all business. He's more worried how Jake's problem will impact his reputation and job. By the time Jake took over narration, I could care less. I kept waiting for something to interest me, but there wasn't. Anyone else read this one? I see all these wonderful comments on the back of the book, and I think did we read the same book?

Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher (HarperCollins) in exchange for an honest review.

It's Monday, what's on the cover? (Distracted reader edition)

I didn't do one of these last because I wanted all of the attention on Banned Books Week. OK, lets get to the good stuff. What new books am I reading this week?

I have a copy of The Shattering by Karen Healey thanks to Faye from Little, Brown. I'm not sure whether or not to take that cover literally. What is this girl on the cover so shattered about? A peek at the book flap gives me a clue. The deaths of three young men have been ruled a suicide, but their sisters believe otherwise. They band together to find out the truth. Sounds pretty deep for a Young Adult novel. Lets see what happens.

Wherever You Go by Joan Leegant was brought to my attention by TLC Book Tours, but at the time I couldn't take part in the tour. I did put the book on my list, I figured one day I'll get to it. Things have a funny way of working themselves out. The author contacted me. Fortunately, I didn't have to put myself on a strict time schedule. The story is sent in Jerusalem. A woman travels there from New York to make amends with her sister. Everything on the cover seems so far away. A closer look and you can see an explosion on the cover. Could be a chance to learn a few things.

Now you might be asking why did I call this the distracted reader edition? Take a gander down below......

 

Yes, the arrival of fall TV has left me a bit distracted. Of course some of these shows have been on for several weeks, but there's even more during the fall season. Modern Family leaves me in stitches constantly. Three weeks in, I'm not sure what to make of Sarah Michelle Gellar's show Ringer. I'm not sure how this series can be sustained long term. I'm sad Desperate Housewives is coming to an end. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit just isn't the same without Chris Meloni. Sometimes I swear I'm going to give up the Real Housewives of New Jersey, but I get pulled back in all the time. I will never give up on Project Runway as long as Tim Gunn is on the show. I just discovered Chopped, and it makes my cooking skills feel so inadequate. And, finally The Good Wife. Julianna Margulies kicks ass on this show!! 

I have a DVR, but it gets quite full. I turn my attention to reading, and then I realize the DVR is filling up. Perhaps, if I gave up TV completely things would be a little different. But that's not happening any time soon. Hopefully, I get a daytime job soon and then my reading hours will change. How do the rest of you find a good balance?

My take on: Before I Go To Sleep

It took me more than a month to finish Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson. Not because it's a bad book, it's an AWESOME book. I just made the mistake of turning my attention to other books. When I finally focused on this one, I was in awe of the imagination of S.J. Watson.

A horrible accident has robbed Christine Lucas of her memory. Every day she looks in the mirror there is a stranger staring back at her. Who is she? How old is she? Did she just suddenly appear one day?  Every day she must fill in the past of the days before. Her journal helps fill in the gaps because by morning everything Christine has learned will be gone. In addition to her journal, all Christine has to rely on are her husband Ben and Dr. Nash. Both men care deeply for Christine, but she constantly has doubts about them. I did, too.

Her own writing tells her not to trust Ben. But is that the paranoia speaking or is it genuine? This man lives and breathes for Christine. Every day he suffers through the pain of his wife's illness. Isn't that love? Who would stay through that? It's torture every day. It isn't much better for Christine. She is an adult, but sometimes feels like a child playing dress up. Dr. Nash meets with Christine frequently to work on her memory. He takes her to her former home, hoping to jog her memory. It does, but retaining the memory is the problem. She can remember fragments of her past, like parties with her friend Claire and some intimate moments with her husband. The fragments don't add up to a lot. They only serve to deepen Christine's despair.

While Ben comes across as a doting husband, there are moments when I joined in Christine's paranoia. When Christine asks for details from their past, Ben isn't very descriptive. He drops little nuggets, but never the full truth. Ben tells Christine she was hit by a car, but never gives her details about the accident. Is it his form of protection? How much can he tell Christine without upsetting her? Does he even want her to remember? Or is Ben content to have Christine dependent on him? Those little details just aren't enough. Christine needs more. In order to move forward, she needs to know about the past. I'm so tempted to give away more of the book, but I won't. But I will say that Ben's lies start to catch up with him.

Memories shape who we are, if those are taken away what do we have left? What if your sanity was tested every time you woke up? I didn't see the ending coming, but thinking back the clues behind the mystery were there. The last 70-80 pages were so creepy, I was starting to speed read just so I could get to the end. The story starts out very benign. Watson slowly builds the suspense. By the middle of the book, you're hooked. I hear the movie rights have been sold. Before I Go To Sleep was an AWESOME book, and I'm sure it will be an AWESOME movie.

Rating: O.M.G.!!!


Note: I received a copy of the book from the publisher (HarperCollins) in exchange for an honest review.