Review: The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus

The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus: A Novel About Marriage, Motherhood, and Mayhem by Sonya Sones
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Hilarious, witty and engaging. This book will have you laughing, crying and nodding your head the whole time. It is written in a really unique way. At first I wasn't sure I liked it, but I didn't just like it, I loved it! She kept it short and simple.

Our main character Holly is about to become an empty nester, their only daughter leaving to go to college -- At the same time, she starts going through menopause, her mother gets sick and she thinks her husband is having an affair. Also, she is supposed to be writing but with everything going on, how can she possibly get anything done?

We all have been there. Motherhood, being a daughter, wife and mother are all very time consuming and mentally exhausting at times, but like Holly, we realize what is really important and there are temporary hiccups in life.

I recommend this book to everyone! Especially if you are about to send your children off into the world.

I received an electronic copy of this book from the publisher for free in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Light from a Distant Star

Light from a Distant Star: A Novel by Mary McGarry Morris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Don't get me wrong, this was a good book. Great, no. Not knock-your-socks-off great. One that if you want to go to the beach or read on a lazy weekend yes, not staying up all night ignoring everything book. Nellie is an endearing young lady that quickly grows on you. She has an older sister Ruth and a younger brother Henry. Henry and Nellie do a lot of things together. They both from the descriptions seem rather nerdy. With her glasses fogging up all the time etc. Cracks me up when I read it...

Nellie's grandfather Charlie is a gruff old man, who owns a junkyard in the middle of town. The town thinks it is an eyesore but it stays regardless. One day a man is there and lives in the barn, doing odd jobs for Charlie. Max seems nice but a bit quiet. However, one day shortly after they meet him, a dog tries to attack Henry and Max hits it on the head with a hammer and kills it.

Nellie's parents are dysfuntional, but not really bad. Just no communication and that makes it interesting in their home. They have an extra little apartment type thing in their house, and the family owned hardware store isn't making any money, so they have got to get this apartment rented. They finally rent to a young lady who isn't from their town, her aunt works at the beauty salon with the mom. Dolly works as a dancer at a strip club. Dolly in herself is a bit strange.

Not going to give any more away, but when all these collide, what will be left is a tragedy and all the different emotions people go through after something like that. Go ahead, read it! Cheer Nellie on!!!

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Review: Shine

Shine by Lauren Myracle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a book that will stay with me for a LONG time. Shine, is written so beautifully that you immediately fall in love with our main character, Cat a sixteen year old girl living in the south. Cat's former best guy friend Patrick, was found beaten and tied to a gas pump with a gas nozzle in his mouth and something written on his chest in blood.

In a small town of 700 some, I am sure the officers feel a sense that they might know who did this terrible crime, but if they charge someone, repercussions might be more than they want to deal with.

However Cat has a different plan. She wants to know who did this terrible thing. At the same time, it is a journey for her to figure out why exactly she stopped being friend with Patrick and the others.

Told in the southern voice I love, you can't help wanting to go on this journey with Cat. Kept me guessing till the very end -- Subject material I wasn't sure about at the beginning, but Cat's point of view isn't about sexual preference or right/wrong, it is about human compassion -- Brilliant book, read it! It will stay with you for a long time.

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Tuesday Teaser

Grab your current read. Let the book fall open to a random page. Share with us two (2) sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12. You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given! So my read comes from

"Nellie thought a moment. Well because the more she defended Max, the more upset everyone got with her. "I don't know, it's just all so kind of, you know... freaky." " What is your teaser for today?

Mailbox Mondays

It's Mailbox Monday time! Mailbox Monday is going on tour and October is being hosted by Serena of Savvy Verse and Wit! Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks and audio books do). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists! I received The Angel Makers by Jessica Gregson,

The Fine Art of Insincerity by Angela Hunt

, The Dry Grass of August by Anna Jean Mayhew

and The Talk of the Town by Fran Baker.

I am looking forward to reading all of these!

Review: Falling Together

Falling Together by Marisa de los Santos
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Pen, Will and Cat all met in college. But for six years they haven't seen one another, talked, nothing. They all promised not to check up on each other, just get a clean break. However when Pen and Will get a message from Cat to meet her at the reunion, they both are apprehensive but go in the end. It isn't Cat that sent them the notes though, it is Cat's estranged husband, Jason. A meathead if you will. Will and Pen greatly dislike Jason, but he asks them for help finding Cat.

When finding Cat seems to be the most important thing on this trip to the Phillistines, I think everyone finds a bit more of themselves. Marisa de los Santos writes with such descriptions you will feel like you are snorkeling with them, or at the santucary seeing the tiny monkeys, or traveling in one of the seats besides them on the plane.

Pen is one of the best characters I have come across in awhile. She is full of life, love and comes full circle dealing with her father's death, her love for her daughter's dad, Patrick and I think they all come away with new insights into life.

I am not going to spoil it for you and tell you if they found Cat, but what is more important is what they came back to the States with! Enjoy!!!

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Review: An O'Brien Christmas

An O'Brien Family Christmas by Sherryl Woods
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book really was different from the usual back and forth girl and guy get together/fall apart etc. In this book, which left off of Beach Lane in which Susie promises Gram that they will all go to Ireland for Christmas to celebrate Susie and Mack getting married.

Well we all knew that Matthew and Laila would be the ones in the majority of the book but in her usual style, Sherryl Woods doesn't disappoint us with a peek of maybe who we might see in the next book, either Gram and her beau from Ireland or maybe Luke with one of the girls... I guess we get to sit on it for awhile and wait!

I loved as usual the whole family interacting and all full of love. Even though they might seem meddling and just down right nosy, this is a family I think we all secretly want to be a part of. Heck yes I would like to become an O'Brien! LOL

And that is when you KNOW you have read a good book, if you feel like they are family.

I received this ebook for free from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

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