Lolita

Lolita
by Vladimir Nabokov

About a month or so ago I read Rust & Stardust, which I found out was based on the true story of a young girl abducted by a pedophile and and then being mentally and physically assaulted for two years.  Horrifying and sad.  It was mentioned that Vladimir Nabokov was inspired by that true story when he wrote Lolita.

Humbert Humbert has fallen in love with Lolita, a 12-year-old.  He marries her mother in order to be close to her.  After her mother dies, he takes her on a road trip. The book is narrated from Humbert's point of view, so it's angled his way.  He makes it sound like the 12-year-old is the one who seduced him and how he is the victim.  It's a bit twisted to read.

I have mixed feelings about this book.  It ended up to be a quick read, the book is well-written.  But he's a pedophile lusting after a child which is just wrong and disturbing.  It was almost like a train wreck that you just couldn't stop reading.  I wanted to find out what happened to Lolita, if she was ever able to get free and away from Humbert.  

The Haunting of Sunshine Girl

The Haunting of Sunshine Girl by Paige McKenzie

Sunshine and her mother move to a new house shortly after Sunshine’s sixteenth birthday.  Immediately, Sunshine feels like there is something off about their new house, but she is not sure what. 

Soon things around the house get strange.  Sunshine’s door keeps slamming shut by itself.  Sunshine keeps hearing somebody laughing in the house, which only she can seem to hear.  Items in her room keep moving around by themselves: such as game pieces on a board.  The house is haunted.

This was a great read.  It was a little scary at times, such as the time when an incident happens in the middle of the night in the house and the next morning her mother remembers nothing.  It makes you wonder what is happening to her mother.  This book made me think of a young adult Stephen King book.

This was one of our staff member’s Wise Choice Picks.  You can easily find a list of our Wise Choice Picks by going in our catalog, clicking booklists and scrolling down until you see several different staff member’s Wise Choice picks.  If you are not sure where to find this, ask any staff member and we would be happy to show you.

If you enjoyed this book, there is a sequel coming out in March and I already have my name down on the waiting list.

*This book review was previously published on January 5th, 2016 on a blog I previously contributed to.*

Little Pink Slips

Little Pink Slipsby Sally Koslow

Magnolia is the editor in chief of Lady magazine.  At a meeting, she is surprised to find out that the magazine Lady will be turned into a new magazine called Bebe.  The new magazine is named after a brash television personality who will be the new face of their magazine.   Magnolia is horrified, Bebe is a terrible choice to be the head of a magazine, she is is unpredictable and will easily alienate their readers.  Magnolia goes along and does what she can to make the magazine launch a success in order to keep her job.

This reminded a bit of The Devil wears Prada, but I think I enjoyed that one more.  This was a good story, it just wasn't the best.  I liked Magnolia, but Bebe was really annoying, but she was supposed to be that way.  The last 100 pages or so I found the book to be getting a bit long and I was just ready to get the book done so I could move on to something else.

Last Light

Last Light by Terri Blackstock

This is the first book in a series about what happens to a family when all electricity and transportation stop working.  Cars no longer work, there is no running water, and there are no media updates.  You can’t turn on the television or hop on the internet to find out what is going on. 

 The story follows the Brannings, a family of four, as they struggle through these changes.   At first people in the neighborhood start hoarding supplies, but they soon realize that in order to survive they are going to have to work together.   Some of the neighbors pull together and start a neighborhood watch and put supplies together.  Others are looting, hoarding, and meanwhile there is a murderer in their midst.

In one part of the book they put clothes in the washing machine, fill it with water from buckets, and then wonder how they are going to get the water out. Soon people are washing their clothes in the lake and nobody can get as clean as they are used to.

 This was an interesting read that made you think, what would I do in that situation?  We are so accustomed to technology. What would you do if there was no longer running water?  What would you do if you could no longer just jump in the car to get somewhere, but instead had to either walk or ride a bike?  What would you do if you couldn’t easily call your family on the phone? 

This was a quick read that made you want to go and read the next one to find out what happens next.  (This is the first in a series of four.)

*This book review was previously published on January 19th, 2016 on a blog I previously contributed to.*

Wolfie the Bunny

Wolfie the Bunny by Ame Dyckman

This is a cute children’s book about a family of bunnies who one day discover a baby wolf sitting outside their front door. They then go on to raise the wolf as part of their family.  Mama and Papa both immediately love the baby wolf as their own child. 

Big sister Dot, on the other hand, is a little wary of the small baby wolf.  In the story she keeps saying “He’s going to eat us all up!”  As the story goes on you see how attached little Wolfie is to his big sister.  He follows her around and Dot complains “He’s drooling on me!”  The family runs out of carrots and Dot and Wolfie go to the store to get more.  While at the store big sister Dot defends her brother Wolfie against a bully.

My children enjoyed listening to me read this story to them.  And it is one of those children’s books that are cute for all ages.  The part where little brother follows his big sister around everywhere and annoys her reminds me of my own kids.  And the end is heartwarming when they come together as a family to work together to get rid of the bully.

*This book review was previously published on February 2nd, 2016 on a blog I previously contributed to.*

All the Difference

All the Difference
by Leah Ferguson

Molly recently found out she was unexpectedly pregnant, very soon after her boyfriend proposes to her.  This is before she has even told him about the baby.  She has a decision to make.  Does she want to marry him?  After that the chapters rotate between what happens if she says yes and what happens if she says no.  

If she says no, she is going to be a single mom.  And it's hard, she has to figure out how she is going to work and make money to pay the bills while worrying about daycare and who is going to watch the baby while she is at work.  On this side of the story you see her family and friends rally around her, support her, and help her get back on her feet.

If she says yes, she will be married.  She won't have to worry about money as he makes decent money at his job and his family comes from money.  However, he's not the best guy.  He drinks, he's bossy, his family has money but it comes with strings.  Does she really want to basically be pushed around?  She loves her job and it goes from her working, making her own money, to him suggesting she be a stay at home mom, which for her she doesn't want to do.  

It was a nice story, even though between the two choices it was pretty clear which was the right one.  Spoiler: he's a loser and I don't know why she was ever with him.  

In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom

In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom

by Yeonmi Park

Yeonmi is thirteen years old when she escapes from North Korea with her mother.  This memoir tells about Yeonmi’s childhood growing up in North Korea.  Not having enough food was a regular occurrence.  You always had to be careful what you said, as the police could arrest you for anything.  Life was brutal.

Life is not much better after she escapes to China with her mother.  They are sold like a sack of potatoes and become a part of human trafficking.  They follow along because they are scared to be sent back to North Korea where they would be imprisoned or killed for trying to escape. 

Meanwhile the family has not heard from Yeomi’s older sister in years since she escaped herself.  Yeonmi’s father is also still behind in North Korea.  After two years, Yeomi and her mother make their freedom to South Korea.

This was an interesting memoir about a peek into life in North Korea, a place so different from where we live.  The dictator is seen as a hero and in one part she says there is no religion in North Korea and basically the dictator is treated as a god.  People are starving and bribery seems pretty common.  The North Koreans are taught that everybody else in the world is evil.

An interesting read about a different culture.

*This book review was previously published on February 16th, 2016 on a blog I previously contributed to*

Love and other Words

Love and other Words
by Christina Lauren

Macy works as a pediatrics resident, is newly engaged, and has a full life, or at least she thinks she does.  One day she accidentally runs into Elliot, her first love and her whole world is questioned.  Something happened where they were once so close and now haven't spoken for ten years.

The story is told in alternating chapters between teenage Elliot and Macy and present day Elliot and Macy.  I found both of the story lines interesting.  The teenage chapters were interesting reading as they grew up and how they liked to spend their time to read was sweet.  I kept reading wanting to find out what had happened to break them apart and cause the silence.  And then I found the present day chapters interesting as I wanted them to get back together.  I wasn't sure why she was with her finance Sean; it was a relationship of convenience, not love.

I really enjoyed this one, I got wrapped up into the book, I wanted my book characters to get back together.  When it came to the part where you finally find out what had happened to break them up and then read more about Macy's day, oh I cried as my heart just broke for Macy and what happened that day.  

The Martian

The Martian by Andy Weir

After a dust storm and his crew is forced to leave Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead, and they leave him behind.  How is he going to survive?  How does he let Earth know that he is still alive?  There are not enough supplies leftover to keep him alive until the next mission.  He does not have enough food, water, or oxygen. 

 Watney doesn’t give up.  He figures out how much oxygen he would need, how much food, and how much water he will need.  Then he comes up with a plan. He is resourceful and does not give up.  He is out working on planting potatoes and figuring out how to get the soil just right.  Who else would think of how to fertilize the soil with what he has on hand.  At one point he cuts some of his hair to start a chemical reaction to then start a fire.

  I really enjoyed this book.  Watney’s attitude was great.  At one point he jokes he was the smartest botanist on Mars, so he didn’t need to listen to what NASA told him. (He is the only botanist, and human, on Mars.)  Rather than waiting to hear back from NASA on how to fix something, he just goes ahead and fixes it while NASA continues debating.

 It is uplifting how everybody on Earth just comes together to work on a common goal: to save another human being and bring Watney home.

This is Andy Weir’s first novel, and hopefully he writes more.

*This book review was previously published on March 1st, 2016 on a blog I previously contributed to.*

Girl Last Seen

Girl Last Seen
by Nina Laurin

Two missing girls.  Thirteen years apart.   Laine was kidnapped thirteen years ago and escaped.  There is presently another young girl missing, who Laine notices looks quite a bit like her.  Her kidnapper was never caught, so she suspects that her kidnapper has found a girl who looks like her to replace her.

Laine lives in the bad part of the city and works two jobs trying to keep her apartment.  She is soon re-connecting with the policeman who found her when she escaped from her kidnapper and she becomes involved in trying to help find the missing girl, Olivia.

This book draws you in, you wonder where missing Olivia is and who the kidnapper is.  Laine has her issues, but it makes the character more realistic.  I don't want to read about perfect characters as nobody is perfect.  She has had a hard life, so her having problems is understandable.  She makes several poor decisions which is frustrating, but in the end you think maybe she will be okay and able to turn things around.

Orphan Train

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

This novel is divided between two stories: Vivian in the 1930s on the Orphan Train and Molly in the present day. 

After a tragedy, Vivian becomes an orphan at a young age.  She is taken on a train to the Midwest where orphans were dropped off at cities as the train went along.  The Orphan Train is based off of actual events as there really was a train that dropped orphans off to new homes.  Along the way, kids are mistreated, abused, and generally treated poorly. 

Present day Molly is also an orphan.  She dresses Goth and appears rough around the edges.  She gets in trouble and part of her community service is to help an elderly lady, Vivian, clean up her attic.  As they begin clearing up the attic, Molly and Vivian begin talking about Vivian’s past.  Soon they realize they have more in common than they first realized.

            I really enjoyed this book.  At times it was hard to read.  Yes, the book is fiction, but it is based on a real event.  Children were really mistreated and treated like slaves.  The abuse of children was hard to read since I have two young children myself.  I liked the combination of characters of Molly and Vivian; I enjoyed the rotating back and forth between the two characters. 

            I would read this author again.  

*This book review was previously published on March 15th, 2016 on a blog I previously contributed to.*

The Status of All Things

The Status of All Things

by Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke

At Kate's wedding rehearsal dinner, her fiance Max, breaks up with her to be with her friend and co-worker.  Kate is devastated, as she had absolutely no idea.  

She wakes up and it is suddenly a month before the wedding rehearsal and she has a chance to change her future.  Soon she realizes that whatever she writes on her Facebook status, comes true.  The only two people who realize the truth are Kate's two best friends Jules and Liam.  Kate uses her new magic Facebook power to convince them.  Yet her attempts to help them improve their lives have consequences.  

This was a light, fun read.  The idea of time traveling and magic Facebook statuses coming true was amusing.  Kate works hard to try to keep her fiance Max, when clearly he is not right for her.  She is trying to change herself to be with him and that's not right.  She should be herself.  It makes you wonder if you had this magic Facebook power, what would you wish for.  

Find Her

Find Her by Lisa Gardner  

Lisa Gardner’s latest thriller follows Flora Dane.  When Flora was a college student, she was kidnapped and endured 472 days of madness.  She was tortured, both physically and emotionally, and spent time locked up in a box. 

Five years after she has escaped, she crosses paths with Detective D.D. Warren.  Another college student has disappeared and detectives wonder if Flora knows anything.  Detective Warren wonders if Flora is a victim or a vigilante?  What Flora knows is unknown, because soon Flora herself disappears.

This novel rotates between the perspectives of Flora and D.D. Warren.

 Lisa Gardner is one of my favorite authors.  I always look forward to her new books; they draw you into the story right away.  The characters tend to become somebody you start to care about.  Normally there is a little twist at the end that you did not see coming.  This is the latest in the detective D.D. Warren series. 

*This book review was previously published on March 29th, 2016 on a blog I previously contributed to.*

Perfectly Clear

Perfectly Clear

by Michelle LeClair

Michelle shares how she became involved with Scientology and how she decided to break away from the group.  

I read Leah Remini's "Troublemaker" a couple years ago and have watched Leah Remini's television show about Scientology.  It's interesting hearing these stories about Scientology, something I am not familiar with. 

I found Michelle's story interesting.  I read a few reviews where they didn't care for the writing of the book.  The writing was fine with me and I was drawn into Michelle's story.  Michelle shares her marriage struggles, having children, adopting a child, struggling to receive a divorce and then realizing she was attracted to women, and breaking from Scientology as they don't allow lesbians in the group.  

 

What She Left Behind

What She Left Behind by Ellen Marie Wiseman

  Izzy, a foster child, is a senior at a new high school.  Her mother is in prison for shooting and killing her father, and Izzy has refused to see her mother in prison.  While with her new foster parents, she starts working at the local museum where they are cataloging items from a closed state asylum. 

            Among these items is a journal belonging to Clara Cartwright.  At eighteen years old in 1929, Clara defies her parents and does not want to marry who they have picked out for her because she has fallen in love with somebody else.  Her parents do not approve and she is sent to a genteel home for nervous invalids.  After her parents lose their fortune in the stock market crash, she is sent to a public asylum.

            Clara’s story was really interesting.  How could somebody be sent to an insane asylum against their will when they are not crazy?  Reading about what they considered a treatment was disturbing.  They put patients in ice cold water until they became unconscious.  They put patients in insulin induced comas.  Patients were forced to sit for hours at a time, and if they asked to go to the bathroom, they were beaten.  Meanwhile, through all of this poor Clara is pregnant and nobody believes her. 

*This book review was previously published on April 12th, 2016 on a blog I previously contributed to.*

Death of a Neighborhood Scrooge

Death of a Neighborhood Scrooge
by Laura Levine

This is the latest in the Jane Austen mystery series, one of my favorites!  These tend to be fun, quick, reads.  I was pleasantly surprised when I saw this sititng on the new book shelf at the library.

Our main character is Jane, a writer, who keeps getting involved in solving murders.  Jane is a fun character.  She loves her Chunky Monkey ice cream, her cuckoo for cocoa puffs shirt, and wouldn't say no to dessert.  She has a persnickety cat, named Prozac, who is also amusing in his antics getting food or being an escape artist.

In this novel, her neighbor Lance is also in the story.  He works at Neiman Marcus, is flamboyant, and just overall a fun character to play the opposite of Jane.  Lance is into fashion, is drinking green smoothies, and declares Jane has no fashion sense.

This time Jane and Lance are house sitting during December.  They soon meet the neighbor, Scotty, a cheapsake who everybody hates. There are plenty of suspects who might have murdered Scotty, including Jane herself.

In between chapters there are also emails from Jane's parents.  Her father is always getting into trouble on some scheme of his.  This latest novel has Jane's parents on a cruise, and Jane's father is causing a ruckus on the boat. 

Overall another good read in the Jane Austen mystery series.  

The Siren and The Selection

The Siren by Kiera Cass

 Kiera Cass’s latest novel for young adults is about Kahlen, a Siren.  Kahlen is bound to serve the Ocean for 100 years.  She was in a shipwreck and the Ocean heard her pleading to stay alive.  The Ocean has servants who must sing to cause shipwrecks and kill people.  After 100 years of service, Kahlen will be set free; her memory will be wiped clean of the last century and she will be mortal again.

            Kahlen finds her task for the Ocean disturbing; she doesn’t want to do it, but she has no choice.  When she is 80 years into her service she meets Akinli and falls in love, which is forbidden.  She is not allowed to be a wife or mother while in service to the Ocean.

            This was different.  It was a good read.  I found the lives of the Sirens and how the Ocean would talk to them imaginative.    I did enjoy her other series more, but I would definitely read this author again. 

This is from the same author who wrote The Selection series. 

Thirty-five girls are chosen to move to the palace where one will be chosen to be the future Queen.  Along the way there is drama as they fight over Prince Maxon. As weeks go by, girls are sent home as Prince Maxon narrows down his choice for a bride.

America Singer is one of the girls chosen to go to the palace.  However, her even being in the contest is after a bit of a mix-up as she is in love with somebody from home.  America is the only girl there who is not actually after the crown.  In one part, she asks Prince Maxon if he could keep her around for a few more weeks so she could enjoy the food.  All the other girls are throwing themselves at him, and here she is not caring at all and announcing she is just there for the food.  Along the way she also manages to insult the prince upon first meeting him. I enjoyed the banter between the two characters.

The series reminded me a bit of The Bachelor.  They have camera interviews for the public along the way that also reminded me of scenes from The Hunger Games.  It was an amusing series.

*This book review was previously published on April 26th, 2016 on a blog I previously contributed to*

Pull up a Chair

Pull up a Chair

by Tiffani Thiessen

This cookbook caught my eye as it was from Tiffani Thiessen.  After looking at this book, I found out that apparently she has a cooking show called "Dinner at Tiffani's."  I had no idea.  Like many others, I watched her in "Saved by the Bell," and then a few years ago on "White Collar."  

What I like about this cookbook is the pictures.  When I look at a cookbook, I really like to see pictures of the food, so I get an idea of what I'm trying to make.  The pictures in this book are stunning.  

After looking over the recipes, I marked several to give a try.  I also like that the ingredients in the recipes seem like fairly normal ingredients.  Sometimes I'll look at a cookbook and a recipe has a bunch of odd ingredients in them.  I don't want to run to the store to buy a bunch of ingredients for one recipe that may or may not turn out.  I like to make a recipe with ingredients I already have, or if it's something I need to purchase, it's something that I know I can use with something else.

In that past few days I have made the corn chowder soup on page 53, the four-bean chili on page 93, and the corn bread on page 94.  And yes, so far they have turned out. And I have several other pages I have marked to try later.

I borrowed this book from the library, but this is a book I might actually go out and buy a copy for myself.  

Wedding Cake Murder

Wedding Cake Murder by Joann Fluke

The latest installment in the Hannah Swenson series follows Hannah as she prepares to marry Ross, while she is a contestant in the Food Channel’s dessert chef contest.  Halfway through the novel, one of the celebrity chefs is found murdered.  Hannah is soon on the case.

            This is another enjoyable addition to the series.  I enjoyed the parts where Hannah was in the cooking contest.  I like to watch cooking competition shows, so this part of the novel was fun.

            What I did not care for in this novel was Ross, Hannah’s fiancé.  Along the series, Hannah has dated Mike and Norman and hasn’t been able to make up her mind; she has not been ready to get married.  Along the way, I have been rooting for her to pick Norman.  He is a great guy who treats Hannah well and several times has helped her when she is trying to solve a murder. 

Mike, while also a nice guy, hasn’t been as considerate of Hannah.  Numerous times he will show up late at her house, expecting Hannah to cook for him.  Inconsiderate!  Especially considering how Hannah is a baker and needs to get up early to work at her cookie shop.  He also discourages Hannah from trying to solve the murders that keep happening in their small town.

However, I would have been happier had she chosen one of these two guys over Ross.  (Even if it had been Mike.)  Ross seems to come out of nowhere, all the sudden Hannah is in love with this guy and ready to get married.  I don’t trust him!  Something is off.  Along the way, Hannah finds her plane and hotel upgraded when she goes to the cooking show. Ross claims he is using frequent flier miles, but he seems shady.  It makes you wonder if something else is really going on.

In on part of the book, the cooking show is moved up earlier and Hannah immediately calls a family member to let them know.  Hannah’s family then questions her why Ross wasn’t the first person she called to tell the news.  How is this not a red flag?  Her fiancé should be the first person that she should have wanted to take to.  Hannah claims to not have wanted to bother him while he was at work.  Lame.  She just shouldn’t marry him.

I would definitely recommend checking out this entire series.  It is a great light, mystery series.  Plus, in each book you will find wonderful recipes between some of the chapters.  Lake Eden, where Hannah lives, is a wonderful little town that makes you want to go there.  It is filled with great characters along the way.

*This book review was previously published on May 10th, 2016 on a blog I previously contributed to*

Rust & Stardust

Rust & Stardust
by T. Greenwood

Sally Horner is only 11 years old when steals a notebook from the local Woolsworth.  She steals the notebook in an attempt to complete an initiation into a group of girls.  She is chatty, but doesn't have friends.  She wants to be friends with the group of girls, so when they ask her to steal something, even though she knows stealing is wrong, she does it.

A man stops her, tells her he is from the FBI, and has to do what he says.  He is not from the FBI, he is actually 52 year old Frank LaSalle, just out of prison.  Sally spends the next two years with Frank, where she is mentally and physically assaulted.  

This novel rotates between different characters, Sally, her mother, her sister, her brother-in-law, and more.  Seeing the different perspectives showed how the kidnapping effected others.

This was a hard book to read, not the writing, just the story itself.  This is a fictional novel, however it is based on a true story.  There really was a Sally Horner who was kidnapped in 1948 and she was with Frank LaSalle for two years.  As I read the book, it wasn't just the awful things that were happening to 11 year-old-child.  Something similar and awful really did happen.  It's horrifying.  I want to take poor Sally away from that monster.  

Her sister and brother-in-law both love Sally and are desperate for her to come back home.  I did not like the mother.  She let her daughter go off with a stranger, very few questions asked.  And then seems to blame Sally.

It seemed like multiple times Sally had a chance to escape or that there was someone there that could have helped her, but then they either look the other way or by the time they decide to help, it's too late and Sally and Frank are no longer there.  And there were times Sally could have reached out for help, but she didn't.  However, she was a terrified 11 year old, who was convinced by Frank if she said anything, harm would come to her family.  

The Things we Keep

The Things We Keep by Sally Hepworth

Anna is only 38 years old when she starts living at Rosaline House, an assisted living facility.  She has early onset Alzheimer’s.  While there, she meets Luke, another person her age who also has early onset Alzheimer’s. 

Alternated, Eve Bennett’s story is told.  Eve is a single mother who becomes the cook at Rosalind House.  Eve’s life has recently changed from what she is used to.  She was a wealthy wife, until her husband was found guilty of embezzling.  They end up losing everything and her husband dies.  Even though she had nothing to do with what her husband had done, eve still finds herself blamed.  She can’t even go and get groceries without somebody pulling her aside and telling her how she had ruined their lives.

Anna and Luke fall in love.  The book questions how can they be in love when they are both forgetting who they are.  Just because they can’t remember who they are, doesn’t mean they aren’t human and can’t make the last chapter of their lives something to remember.  Most people would like to keep Anna and Luke apart, saying they are not in their right mind, that they don’t know what they are doing so there is no way either one could consent to a relationship.  Eve sees past that, and puts her job on the line so that she can let Anna and Luke be together.

This book reminded me of Still Alice.  It made you think.  Even though somebody is losing their memories, they are still important.  The end of their life can still matter. Eve’s story also makes you think about how often somebody is blamed for something they had nothing to do, but they happen to be related to somebody who has done something wrong. 

*This book review was previously published on May 24th, 2016 on a blog I previously contributed to*