Review: Calling Invisible Women

Calling Invisible Women by Jeanne Ray
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Yay Jeanne Ray is back! She is one of my favorite authors so I was glad to see something new.

Calling Invisible Women is not her usual book. Don't get me wrong it is a cute book about invisible women and how invisible are we really. Clover goes invisible and no one in her family seems to notice. When she finds out that there are other women like her and what the cause is they ban together but also try to right some wrongs in this world.

This got me to thinking what I would do if I was invisible. Spy on my kids, try and fight crime? Maybe just enjoy myself! I really loved the whole plane idea. I would hop from plane to plane!

Clover and her band of invisible women are full of laughs and friendship that will leave you feeling all cozy.

Enjoy and please Ms Ray, don't be gone so long!

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Review: Love Anthony

Love Anthony by Lisa Genova
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Beautiful cover, and wonderful title, makes you want to know more. So get yourself cozy with a good glass of tea and make sure you have about five hours to read it because you will NOT want to put it down.

It starts off alternating between Olivia and Beth. 2 women who's paths will intersect in an amazing way. Olivia is on Nantucket, living in a cottage her ex-husband and her had purchased but now Olivia is living in it. Beth is married and has 3 girls. In the opening chapters, you will find Beth's husband, Jimmy, cheats on her and Beth doesn't know where to go from here. Olivia struggles with why. Why God was Anthony born and then taken so soon? Why did HE of all people have autism? Why God why?

The alternating between Beth, Olivia AND Anthony is not distracting at all. I thoroughly loved every minute of this book. Autism is a subject I haven't read anything on, and hearing from Anthony's point of view was brillant.

While Beth struggles to find where she wants to go next, she gets back her creative side, and comes up with a fiction book about a young boy with autism. Well, you can guess where everyone intersects at, but the ride is the best. Lisa Genova did a fantastic job weaving all characters into something believable and heart-warming.

Sure to be a huge hit this fall!

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Review: Lola's Secret

Lola's Secret by Monica McInerney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I didn't read The Alphabet Sisters, and I know I missed out. Now don't get me wrong, you don't have to read it to know what is going on but would have fallen in love with Lola a long time ago. Lola is a spirited older woman with a huge family that comes to her for EVERY problem.

Lola has a few secrets of her own. A previous love and Christmas plans for the hotel when everyone leaves. Life has its way of twisting and turning like we never expect though. Lola's Secret is chalk FULL of secrets, twists, mystery and love -- family is important, and this story is so beyond enjoyable, I can't recommend it enough.

Out of all the characters, Geraldine was my least favorite, her attitude toward my lovely Lola -- Jim should have more of a backbone with his wife, treating his mother like that! Each of the 8 motel guests, those stories are mysteries in themselves, you will love each one. Especially for myself the 3 girls with the parents ugh!

Enjoy this story and check out the other ones by Monica. She is an excellent writer! One to be put on everyone's favorites!

I received this book from Amazon in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Angels At The Table

Angels at the Table: A Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy Christmas Story by Debbie Macomber
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Shirley, Goodness and Mercy are back for another eventful season! And they have a new member of the clan, an apprentice, Will. From Psalm 23:6, " Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever." So there you have it! A new angel in training.

All of our angels mean the best in their actions, but sometimes they don't understand that God gave us humans free will. In addition we are stubborn. So on New Year's Eve when our 3 angels show Will a bit of Earth and he sees two humans that are standing alone and need someone, and "helps" them things are off course. Will has messed up what was already planned. How will our fiercesome foursome fix it? Will Gabriel clip their wings after all the shenanigans they pull?

Lucie and Aren kiss each other on New Year's Eve after "bumping" (with help from Will) into each other. They hit it off and spend 4 hours talking in a local diner. They plan to meet in 7 days to see if they really like each other. But Lucie is unable to make it, her mom had fallen and broke her arm.

They were really supposed to meet when Aren visits Lucie's restaurant and writes a review -- but unknowingly he ends up getting the worst dish yet and writing a review that wasn't too kind. However it isn't under his name but a pen name, Eaton Well. Lucie can't believe the review, Eaton Well is the meanest person she thinks and she would love to tell him, possibly ruining her restaurant like that!

You will find a cute, cozy love story in this gem. However, what struck me is when Will says aren't they supposed to help the ones that are in pain and are suffering. Their answer is they are Prayer Ambassadors and someone has to pray for her. And when he asks well can she? And the answer was that some of us are prayer warriors and others only basically call on God in times of need. How can we really expect God to answer a pray only when we need Him? If someone who only talked to you when they needed something, are we likely to keep wanting to help? Although our Father is not that cruel, sometimes it is out of His hands.

Beautiful CHRISTmas story! Grab yourself a cup of hot cocoa, light a fire and cozy up! You will enjoy the few hours spent reading this delight!

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Review: Miss Me When I'm Gone

Miss Me When I'm Gone: A Novel by Emily Arsenault
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When you read, what do you look for? I love a bit of mystery, a good friendship and maybe some romance. Well this book has 2 out of three. How far would you go for a friend? Would you try and solve who murdered them, while you were pregnant? Well Jamie does just that! Her best friend Gretchen was found at the bottom of some stairs, dead. Who would kill her? Gretchen's mom and dad (aunt and uncle) ask Jamie to be her "literary executor" and read her notebooks and laptop, figure out what Gretchen was up to in her second book.

I loved the mystery, because not only is it a mystery as to who killed Gretchen and why, but also who killed Gretchen's real mother and why. Find that killer and I think you might find Gretchen's killer as well. Thrown in are a bunch of different country singers and songs and various facts. Also another mystery is who is Gretchen's dad. Personally, I thought that one of the candidates would have been the killer.

I won't ruin it for you but if you love a good read, don't delay and purchase this one RIGHT away! Emily Arsenault is a fantastic writer, building up to such a spectacular ending I could have never dreamt up! Hooray for a good writer!

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Review: With My Body

With My Body by Nikki Gemmell
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

VERY painful to read. Many times I wanted to give up but I despise not finishing a book, even if it is terrible. Short little snippets of mindless nonsense fill each page, making me thoroughly confused, bored and restless. A GOOD book should have you wanting to turn each page to find out what is next, this book made me want to pull my hair out, strand by strand and only turn the pages to see it come to an end, the quicker the better.

To even really say what it was about would be a lie. What started out promising, a woman has married and is raising children. We all know after awhile your self feels hidden because you are busy taking care of everyone else and I thought this book was about her discovering and finding it. Not really sure how or why the teenage story snuck in. But it did. And it went downhill quickly.

Maybe for some it might be a journey they understand, but not for this reader. I would have preferred more of something, and for the lesson to match what might be written in that part!

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Review: Smart Girls Get What They Want

Smart Girls Get What They Want by Sarah Strohmeyer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Being reviewed as a teenage book, even though it is Sarah Strohmeyer, I had my doubts. First 40 or so pages in I wanted to put it down. However, it ended with a slam dunk for me. Gigi was brilliant, no pun intended! Gigi and her 2 best friends are VERY smart. But what they discover is that might get you somewhere in the adult world, it won't in high school, especially with boys.

When Gigi is thought to have cheated with Mike, even though it wasn't founded it would go in her file, she decides to run for student rep to help overturn these kinds of decisions. Even though no one knows who she is, and she really really detests public speaking. Who would run when they know that if they get up to speak they are going to vomit? Makes for some hilarious and nail biting scenes.

Also, we have some crushes running through the pages between all 3 girls. I am rooting for some in particular, and some not so much. Won't tell though, you have to read to find out who kisses who!! LOL Enjoy, Strohmeyer is wickedly brilliant once again!

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