Hardback

Before and Again by Barbara Delinksy

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before

Pages: 416 (eBook)

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Published: June 26, 2018

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Let me start off with this statement: You will be thinking “what if that had been me” the entire time you are reading. It will make you think about your own distracted driving and letting your kids have their privacy with their own electronics.

Maggie Reid used to be Mackenzie Cooper in another life. Maggie, as everyone knows her in her small Vermont town, lives a quiet but fulfilled life. She works at the local spa as a makeup artist and lives with her two cats and dog on the outskirts of town. No one knows her past, that is until closet friend’s son is arrested for computer hacking. As Maggie becomes the stability her friend needs her own life starts spiraling out of control. Will she be able to keep her past in the past?

I am still thinking about this book days after I have finished. We all know the dangers of looking at our smartphones while driving. What we don’t always think about is what could happen to our lives if we cause a serious accident while doing so. We don’t think about the legal implications that could stem from the accident. We don’t think about the guilt that would eat us up from the inside outside. We don’t think how it would affect our family, close and extended. Maggie makes you think about all those things.

Barbara Delinsky is one of the greatest women’s fiction writers out there and this is the perfect summer read to pick up as you leave for vacation. Beware as you read you will not hear anything around you and you may forget you are cooking dinner.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

The Sound of Freedom by Kathy Kacer

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the sound of freedom.jpg

Pages: 256

Publisher: Annick Press Ltd.

Published: March 27, 2018

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

It is 1936 in Krakow, Poland and Hitler is making his move on the Jewish families. Anna has always led an idyllic and mostly happy childhood going to school and listening to her father play his clarinet in the Krakow Philharmonic Orchestra. As Hitler starts enforcing his reign outside of Germany her family understands it is time to move. Bronislaw Huberman is taking auditions for his new orchestra in Palestine, a city that is safer for Jewish families. Will Anna’s father get a spot and the family get their travel visas before it is too late?

I am a big reader of World War 2 fiction at it doesn’t matter if it is an adult book or a children book I want to read it. The Sound of Freedom was extremely interesting as it was a story from a different country than Germany. I was also interested as it based loosely on a true story as Bronsilaw Huberman really did start an orchestra in Palestine and go to Poland auditioning people for spots and provided thousands of travel visas for families. I would like to read more about him.

The view point from Anna is very relatable for children in grades 4-7 as she talks about the things that are important to her at that age and those things are important to every child no matter the year or surroundings. She thinks about leaving her friends and how she will feel. She thinks about what to leave and what to take. She thinks about making new friends in a country that she does not know the language. Anna also shows how to gather courage and lets the reader know that each one of us is stronger than we think.

I hope to see this book in school libraries very soon.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Annick Press Ltd. through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Still Me (Me Before You #3) by JoJo Moyes

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still me

Pages: 388 (Hardcover)

Publisher: Viking, An Imprint of Penguin Random House

Published: January 30, 2018

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Louisa Clark has taken the job as a personal assistant to a NYC rich housewife and she is in for a fast paced learning experience of what it is like to live in NYC. As she starts making friends with everyone from the grouchy next door neighbor in the building to the owners of a local retro clothing shop she starts learning who she really is and starts moving on from the depression that overtook her after Will’s death. When her year is up what will Lou decide: go back home across the pond or stay in NYC?

I was hesitant to start the third book in the series since I was so disappointed in the second but I really wanted to know what happened when she moved to America. Am I ever so glad that I did read this book. It was wonderfully funny and heart wrenching at times as I followed Louisa through her time as a personal assistant. She has a lot more class than I would have had at one point (you will see what I am talking about when you read the book). I got to watch her grow into herself as she started coming out of the depression fog from Will’s death and started making friends and going out on dates. It was great to see her start taking an interest in her quirky clothing again as that is when you really see her come alive. The stripy tights make a great comeback! How can you not love her stripy tights?

My suggestion: only start this book when you have time to read it in one sitting as it was so hard to put down and not think about while working. I kept wanting to know what was going to happen next. If you read Still Me and are hesitant like I was to start Still Me take the plunge I don’t think you will be disappointed.

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

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small great things

Pages: 481 (Hardback Book)

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Published: Ocotber 11, 2016

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I know when I open a Jodi Picoult book I know I’m going to be questioning many things I believe and thought. Small Great Things was no exception. Many times while reading I became disturbed, emotional and found I had to walk away from the book. It did keep me up to 4am as at one point I couldn’t put it down.

The story is about Ruth, a black Labor and Delivery nurse; Turk, an Aryan Nation leader; and Kennedy, a defense attorney. Ruth is accused of killing Turk’s newborn baby and Kennedy takes Ruth case. The question becomes is the lawsuit race based or a nurse failing to do her job.

I never thought of myself as racist or one who pays attention to color. This book will make you think about that to the extreme. I liked how Picoult wrote from all points of view and made you feel what the characters were experiencing.

I was greatly disturbed learning about the Aryan Nation. I know it exists but I didn’t know how will hidden they could be in society. Absolutely terrifying. I guess I live in more of a protected bubble than I realized.

I am very interested to see how close the movie (release date not yet set) will follow the book. I have read Julia Roberts and Viola Davis are set to star in the movie. Very interesting strong women picked to play these characters.

Read with an open mind and heart. Be prepared for heartache and moments of self-reflection. It’s not a book for the faint of heart.

His Amish Teacher (The Amish Bachelors #3) by Patricia Davids

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his amish teacher

Pages: 293 (Large Print, Library Binding)

Publisher: Thorndike Press

Published: November 15, 2017 (original publication date)

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

When I am in the mood for a quick, comforting Amish head I know to head to a Patricia Davids book. I almost never can resist picking up her newest book at store or library.

In His Amish Teacher, we join Lillian Keim and Timothy Bowman of Bowman’s Crossing as they start the treacherous journey from friendship to love. Lillian loves her job teaching more than anything especially since she knows she can never have children of her own due to an illness. Timothy and Lillian have been the best of friends for as long as anyone can remember and their friendship even survived a 6 year separation when Lillian’s family moved to Wisconsin. Timothy feels the underlying fire of love for Lillian but is afraid of ruining their friendship. He decides to take a chance after an uncontrolled fire almost burned the school down with Lillian and 42 of the communities children inside. As Timothy works to put out the fires that are popping up around the community, will he smolder the flames of love for Lillian or let them be set ablaze?

I am a firm believer that if you and your love are friends first you have the best chance of having a forever love. Lillian and Timothy have shared just about everything life has to offer except marriage. They both have a love of learning, books and reading. The both share love of family and community. They are almost able to finish one other’s thoughts. A closeness like theirs doesn’t happen every day. As you read this book you will find yourself believing in the good of others between the love shared between Lillian and Timothy and the outpouring of support for people miles around after a devastating loss to multiple families.

His Amish Teacher is 3rd in a series of 5 but can be read as a stand alone with no issues. I personally have read this series out of order and have had no issues.

Patricia Davids Amish series (all of them) are good clean reads suitable for anyone teenager and older.

An Amish Family Christmas (A Charmed Amish Life #4) By Shelley Shepard Gray

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Pages: 320 (Large Print Library Binding Hardback)

Publisher: Center Point Large Print

Published: December 1, 2016

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Levi Kinsinger has had the hardest time of all the Kinsinger’s coming to terms with his father’s death at the family lumber mill. He has just recently returned from Florida after working construction down there for a short time. He has moved from the family home to Jupiter Street to have some quiet and space from his family.

Julia Kemps lives with her young daughter across the street from Levi but has kept to herself for various reasons. Levi needs someone to help clean his house before his family comes to visit and Julia needs extra money to get a doll her daughter wants. What Levi doesn’t realize is he is about to lose his heart. Can he trust Julia or is she keeping a secret from him that will destroy their friendship?

Julia’s daughter, Penny, will steal your heart like she stole Levi’s. Her character was so charming you expected to look up from your book and see her standing in front of you with her cute smile and teddy bear.

This was my favorite book of all “A Charmed Amish Life” series. I think it is because every story line was tied up by the end of the book. Each book can be read as a stand alone but you will have a few questions if you read out of order. These books are short enough that one can read a book a weekend. I suggest starting from the first one and not stopping until you have read all four.