"Waiting on" Wednesday: The Cabin

"Waiting on" Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating!

The Cabin
Natasha Preston
Expected publication: September 6, 2016

There may only be one killer, but no one is innocent in this new thriller from Natasha Preston, author of The Cellar and Awake.

When Mackenzie treks to a secluded cabin in the woods with six friends, she expects a fun weekend of partying, drinking, and hookups. But when they wake to find two of their own dead and covered in blood, it's clear there's a killer among them.

As the police try to unravel the case, Mackenzie launches her own investigation. Before long secrets start to emerge, revealing a sinister web of sins among the original seven friends. The killer is still free. Every one of them is a suspect. And Mackenzie starts to realize that no one is innocent… - from Goodreads

Review: Dessert First

Dessert First
Dean Gloster
Expected publication: September 2, 2016

Upbeat--that's Kat, the girl in the family who everyone turns to when things get difficult. Especially now, when her beloved younger brother Beep is in his second leukemia relapse, and a bone marrow transplant from Kat may be his only chance.

But Kat's worried that she and her bone marrow may not be up to the task: She can't even complete homework, and she's facing other rejection--lost friendships, a lost spot on the soccer team, and lots of heartache from her crush on her former best friend, Evan. Kat doesn't know if her bone marrow will save Beep, or whether she can save herself, let alone keep her promise to Beep that she'll enjoy life and always eat dessert first. - from Goodreads

I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.

Kat is not an easy character to like.  She has some serious anger and attitude issues.  She's extremely sarcastic.  She constantly complains (like every other page) that she "can't do" her homework and is subsequently failing most of her classes.  But she finds time to analyze every word said and gesture made by her best friend (and biggest crush) Evan.  And spend literally hours each night flirting, emailing and Skyping with a teenage boy also suffering from cancer, like her brother Beep.  Sometimes her priorities were a little skewed, but in a way, that made her a typical teenager; unfortunately, it also made the story difficult to read at times.

But Kat has a lot of serious things going on in her life.  She is depressed.  Her brother's cancer has returned, and although she is just 16, she takes a lead role in his treatment.  She visits him in the hospital, runs a website devoted to her brother's story, and is his closest match for a bone marrow transplant.  She does all of this without a lot of support from her parents - her mother has an anxiety disorder and her father is constantly working.  I felt bad for Kat that she had to take on a parental role, on top of all her other problems, but I loved the way she loves her brother and is willing to do anything she can for him.  Kat's relationship with her sister started to deteriorate with her brother's illness, and I enjoyed the later growth between the two sisters.

Kat doesn't have many friends, due to some vaguely discussed issue from the previous school year, and she is the target of some bullies.  It's kind of disgusting the things that the other girls say to her, especially about her brother.  It's hard to believe that anyone could be so cruel, but on the other hand, teenagers can be really terrible to each other.

The author also handled the medical information in a great way.  It was clear he knew the subject, and although it was sometimes hard to read about cancer and its treatments and side effects, it made the story richer.

3.5 stars: A quick read that I think a lot of teenagers will be able to find something to relate to within its pages.

Review: Belgravia

Belgravia
Julian Fellowes
Published July 5, 2016

Julian Fellowes's Belgravia is the story of a secret. A secret that unravels behind the porticoed doors of London's grandest postcode.

Set in the 1840s when the upper echelons of society began to rub shoulders with the emerging industrial nouveau riche, Belgravia is peopled by a rich cast of characters. But the story begins on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

At the Duchess of Richmond's new legendary ball, one family's life will change forever. - from Goodreads

Wow, that blurb really tells you nothing about the book, does it?  The story opens in 1815, at the Duchess of Richmond's ball, the night before the Battle of Waterloo.  Sophia Trenchard, daughter of a merchant, is able to secure tickets to the ball through her beau, Edmund, Lord Bellasis.  It's what happens after the ball that sets the rest of the story in motion.  Edmund is killed during the battle, and shortly after, Sophia finds out she is pregnant.  Sophia dies in childbirth and to save the family's reputation, the baby is placed with another family.  After this short introduction, the book fast forwards 25 years.  The illegitimate baby is now a young man (Charles Pope) making his way in the world.  The Trenchards have kept his identity secret for all this time, but when Edmund's mother laments the fact that she and her husband do not have their own heir, Mrs. Trenchard finds herself unable to hide it from her anymore.  The rest of the novel deals with other characters trying to find out who the mysterious Charles Pope is and his connections to the two families.

I thought the book was too long for the premise.  There just seemed to be a lot of repetition, of characters having the same conversations time and again and constantly meeting with each other, or talking about meeting with each other, without a whole lot of action.  Probably 100 pages could have been cut out without sacrificing any of the plot.

While there were a couple characters who were likable (Charles Pope, Mrs. Trenchard, and some of the secondary characters), many were just so unpleasant.  Here are just a few examples:

• A social climber whose main concern is what clubs he is admitted to and what parties he is invited to
• Supposedly loyal servants who will gladly take bribes to spy on their employers
• A middle-aged son who wants money and a place in society but is unwilling to work for it
• A man who purposely seeks out married women for trysts
• A mother who chooses a husband for her daughter based on how well the mother will profit from the marriage

Despite cringing at some of the characters, I did enjoy this book.  It read a bit like a soap opera, with miscommunications, liaisons, and secrets.  Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, and Julian Fellowes (creator and writer of Downton Abbey, one of my favorite shows) does a great job of delineating the various social classes of the time period, from aristocrats to servants, and how they interact with each other.

3.5 stars: Belgravia doesn't have quite the spark of Downton Abbey, but it's still a dishy summer read!

Try It, You Might Like It #1: Autobiography/Memoir

"Try it, you might like it" - it's what someone says when they present you with some food you've never had before or your mom wants you to try on some clothes she picked out for you.  I'm using it here on the blog as inspiration to choose books in genres I don't normally read; to branch out from my reading comfort zones; and to maybe find some new favorites!  Thank you to my sister for suggesting this topic to me (hi, Michele!).

For this first installment, I've chosen autobiography/memoir.  I've read a few memoirs before (and even reviewed one here), but it's definitely not a genre I gravitate towards.  I decided on I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai (with Christina Lamb, 2013).

When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education.

On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when she was fifteen, she almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive.

Instead, Malala's miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. At sixteen, she has become a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

I Am Malala is the remarkable tale of a family uprooted by global terrorism, of the fight for girls' education, of a father who, himself a school owner, championed and encouraged his daughter to write and attend school, and of brave parents who have a fierce love for their daughter in a society that prizes sons. - from Goodreads

I chose this particular book because, first, I felt like everyone was reading it except me.  It also talks about a culture I'm not familiar with.  I can't quite put my finger on it, but there is usually something about the way autobiographies and memoirs are written that just turns me off.  But I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed I Am Malala.  It had a straightforward writing style that didn't feel pretentious at all.

Malala details the history of the Swat Valley in Pakistan and the various customs her culture observes, which were interesting to learn about.  Sometimes the numerous names of individuals and groups in the region were confusing, but I think the basic ideas came across.

Malala's family is not a typical family.  Her father was delighted at the birth of his daughter, and he encouraged her to go to school.  Malala loves school and learning and believes every child should have the same opportunity for education.  I didn't realize until I read this book how outspoken Malala was before she was targeted and shot by the Taliban.  She gave many public speeches and interviews and won prizes and awards for her efforts.

I found Malala's story to be very inspiring.  For someone so young to have such strong convictions is rare.  In some ways she is a typical young girl: she gossips with her friends and fights with her brothers.  To know she has accomplished so much already, and she is still only a teenager, makes me excited to see what she does in the future.

I know it's hard to judge an entire genre by one book, but Malala's story is beautiful, and if I could find other autobiographies or memoirs like this one, I think I would read more of them.

Happy 100th Birthday, National Park Service!

Today our National Park Service turns 100 years old!  On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed an act that established the National Park Service to care for our national parks and also leave them “unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”

The National Park Service doesn't just preserve the beautiful natural scenery of the United States.  They also care for important historical and cultural monuments.  Places like Yosemite National Park, the Statue of Liberty, the Grand Canyon, and Gettysburg National Military Park are all part of the National Park System.

Here in New Jersey, our National Parks run the gamut: from the mountains (the Appalachian Trail) to the beaches (the New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail) to Revolutionary War sites (Washington's encampment at Morristown) to historic buildings (Ellis Island and Thomas Edison's home and labs).

I have so many memories of vacations and trips taken to National Park sites, like visiting Yosemite National Park in California while visiting my aunt... checking out the many historical sites in Washington D.C....

Washington Monument and the National Mall

Lincoln Memorial

seeing the Arizona memorial at Pearl Harbor (although not getting to visit due to the government shutdown in 2013)...

and visiting sites in Boston.


Old South Meeting House

Do you have any favorite memories of visiting National Parks?

"Waiting on" Wednesday: A Great Reckoning

"Waiting on" Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating!

A Great Reckoning (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #12)
Louise Penny
Expected publication: August 30, 2016

When an intricate old map is found stuffed into the walls of the bistro in Three Pines, it at first seems no more than a curiosity. But the closer the villagers look, the stranger it becomes.

Given to Armand Gamache as a gift the first day of his new job, the map eventually leads him to shattering secrets. To an old friend and older adversary. It leads the former Chief of Homicide for the Sûreté du Québec to places even he is afraid to go. But must.

And there he finds four young cadets in the Sûreté academy, and a dead professor. And, with the body, a copy of the old, odd map.

Everywhere Gamache turns, he sees Amelia Choquet, one of the cadets. Tattooed and pierced. Guarded and angry. Amelia is more likely to be found on the other side of a police line-up. And yet she is in the academy. A protégée of the murdered professor.

The focus of the investigation soon turns to Gamache himself and his mysterious relationship with Amelia, and his possible involvement in the crime. The frantic search for answers takes the investigators back to Three Pines and a stained glass window with its own horrific secrets.

For both Amelia Choquet and Armand Gamache, the time has come for a great reckoning. - from Goodreads

Review: The Summer Before the War

The Summer Before the War

Helen Simonson

March 22, 2016

It's the summer of 1914 and life in the sleepy village of Rye, England is about to take an interesting turn. Agatha Kent, a canny force for progress, is expecting an unusual candidate to be the school's Latin teacher: Beatrice Nash, a young woman of good breeding in search of a position after the death of her father. (Never has there been a woman Latin teacher.) Agatha's nephews, meanwhile, have come to spend the summer months, as always, both with dreams of their own: Daniel, the poet, to publish a literary journal in Paris, and Hugh, to graduate from medical studies and marry his surgeon's daughter thus inheriting a lucrative practice. But then Hugh is sent to pick up Beatrice from the train station and life, of course, changes. As with Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, the quintessential English village becomes the stage on which entrenched tradition, class, ignorance, family ties and love play out. Here, these characters and others we come to love and root for become characters we hope and pray for when the shadow of the Great War looms ever closer to home. - from Goodreads

It took awhile for me to get into this book; truthfully, I almost gave up on it several times.  But I'm glad I stuck it out, because the last part of this book is really where it came together.

The book tells a "slice of life" story of various characters living in Rye, England, during the months leading up to and the beginning of World War I.  The book started off very slowly and I wasn't quite sure what the point was.  At first, the biggest event happening in the town is the hiring of a woman to be the school's Latin teacher, and even this takes 100 pages to happen. 

When war seems inevitable, we see the upper crust and their long-held beliefs and prejudices take center stage.  It really was quite astonishing to see how the various characters react.  They hold fundraisers, but everything must be just so.  A respected surgeon looks forward to the war so he can pick and choose his cases and further his research.  The surgeon's daughter hands out feathers to men who don't immediately enlist, and she tells potential suitors she will only marry a military man (her motives are questionable, though).  When refugees from Belgium arrive, the townspeople cherry-pick which ones they want to house.

There is a large cast of characters, which sometimes got confusing, but there were a couple standouts.  Agatha Kent is a staple in the community and widely respected, but even she is not immune to local politics.  Beatrice Nash tries way too hard to prove that she is an independent woman; while almost annoying at the beginning, I appreciated her character arc by the end.

The last part of the novel takes place during the war, and we see Daniel and Hugh at the front.  This part saved the book; it felt much more real and had lots more action, but also a lot more emotion.  I admit I teared up quite a few times.

3.5 stars: The meandering plot is saved by the ending.