Hello Book Lovers!
I'm Yaritza from NY. I'm an avid reader who loves books and traveling to book events to meet authors. I find reading a great escape from reality and a way to expand my mind. Books mean so much to me that I will forever have an unlimited TBR list. Eight years ago, I opened a Facebook group where I could share my love of books with other readers, and I have made wonderful friends for life. The book community is so loving, charming, and caring. Books are a huge part of our lives and have a profound impact on each of us. My favorite genres are Mystery, Thriller, Romance, and Young Adult. My mission is to spread the love of books to all ages.
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Yesterday, we ventured in the bad weather to drive to Plainville, MA. The event took place at An Unlikely Store Bookstore & Cafe and learned that the owner is the one and only Jeff Kinney, the author of The Diary of a Whimp Kid.
This was the third time I got a chance to meet Nicholas Sparks, and the first time I met M. Night Shyamalan, which was the reason why I needed to drive four hours. We were lucky to have made new friends and were able to get online early and be one of the first few people online. I’m glad the weather held off until we got home.
I see London, I see France, I see Sydney’s underpants.
Nineteen-year-old Sydney has the perfect summer mapped out. She’s spending the next four and half weeks traveling through Europe with her childhood best friend, Leela. Their plans include Eiffel-Tower selfies, eating cocco gelato, and making out with très hot strangers. Her plans do not include Leela’s cheating ex-boyfriend showing up on the flight to London, falling for the cheating ex-boyfriend’s très hot friend, monitoring her mother’s spiraling mental health via texts, or feeling like the rope in a friendship tug-of-war.
As Sydney zigzags through Amsterdam, Switzerland, Italy, and France, she must learn when to hold on, when to keep moving, and when to jump into the Riviera…wearing only her polka-dot underpants.
My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars
It is one of the best spontaneous traveling books with friends. It was a fun book filled with laughs, friendship, and love. I felt bad for Sydney’s situation but was happy she went for that trip she always wanted to go with her best friend. Love the quirky adventures and risky romance. It was a fun book filled with details that will bring you to these amazing places that we all wish to visit. I was excited for this book since I dream of one day having an adventure of my own in Europe.
Goodreads Author Biography
Sarah was born in Montreal, Canada. After graduating with an honors degree in English literature from McGill University, she moved to Toronto to work for Harlequin Enterprises. While she never met Fabio, she used her romance publishing experiences to fuel her first novel Milkrun.
Since then, Sarah has written four additional novels for adults: Fishbowl, As Seen on TV, Monkey Business, and Me vs. Me; the New York Times bestselling middle grade series Whatever After; the middle grade series Upside-Down Magic (with Lauren Myracle and Emily Jenkins); and the teen novels Bras & Broomsticks, Frogs & French Kisses, Spells & Sleeping Bags, and Parties & Potions (all in the Magic in Manhattan series), as well as Gimme a Call, Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn’t Have), Don’t Even Think About It, Think Twice, and I See London, I See France. Along with Lauren Myracle and E. Lockhart, Sarah also wrote How to Be Bad, and along with Farrin Jacobs, she wrote See Jane Write, a guide to writing. Sarah also co-edited two bestselling charity collections (Girls’ Night In and Girls’ Night Out), and has contributed to various anthologies (American Girls About Town, Sixteen: Stories About That Sweet and Bitter Birthday, 21 Proms, First Kiss (Then Tell), Fireworks, and Vacations from Hell).
Sarah is also a co-founder of OMG BookFest, a celebration of books aimed at the early to middle grade reader (ages 7-12) that brings together commercial and award-winning authors with underserved local communities for an exciting experience of books, games and activities.
Sarah’s books have been translated into twenty-nine languages and optioned to Hollywood. She now lives in New York City with her husband and two daughters.
I’m very sad to hear the news that the fabulous Diane Keaton has passed away today. I had an amazing opportunity to meet her in 2017, when she released her Pinterest book. Below are reviews of the books I read by her.
Holden Clark walks into Rebecca Powell’s life, a tall, blue-eyed stranger who stirs long forgotten desires. But nothing, including this man, is what it seems. A dark necromancer is targeting Becca for a full-blown demonic possession. She is thrust into a world she never knew existed—a world where dark casters create chaos and necromancers talk to the dead.
Holden has no faith in his power. A necromancer, he communicates with the dead, but he has never embraced his gifts. Now, he has no choice. He must stop the dark caster attacking Rebecca, but accepting this mission means he’ll be delving into dangerous magics he’s never used before.
Under the protection of the damaged and mysterious Holden, Rebecca will question everything …
My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars
A paranormal love story that all readers will love. The chemistry between Holden and Rebecca was extraordinary. They could light a fire just by looking at each other. I loved that Holden seeked to help Rebecca before a demon possessed her. They both worked together and fought evil with power and spells.
Goodreads Author Biography
Anna Abner lived in a haunted house for three years and grew up talking to imaginary friends. Currently, she writes edge-of-your-seat paranormal romances from her desert hideaway in sunny Southern California. Her series include the Red Plague, the Dark Caster, Beasts of Vegas, and Beasts of Mountain Vale. Connect with her online at AnnaAbner.com
There’s a monster under Leo’s bed making a ruckus every night. When Leo needs to go to the bathroom, he leaps from the bed to the door — careful not to put his feet on the floor within the monster’s reach. But one night Leo gets tired of being scared and boldly calls out to the monster to see if they can’t just work something out. Surprisingly, the monster listens, and Leo finds out that even enormous monsters have fears! Leo and his monster, Fred, team up to face their fears, each with his own unique strengths. Over the course of five easy-to-read chapters, their friendship blooms as they face everything from bullies to bedbugs. A funny and endearing tale of two very different and unlikely friends, in the tradition of Bink and Gollie and Frog and Toad.
My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars
When a monster can be your best friend too. A book filled with spooks and laughs. Everyone young and old will enjoy Fred the monster. He knows how to scare you but is a great friend and helps when you get bullied. Illustrations were perfect for each scene.
Goodreads Author Biography
I was born and grew up in Winnipeg —a daydreamer with her nose in a book. In my twenties, I traveled around the world, mostly by ship. Later, I moved to Vancouver, where I earned a B.A. and M.Ed. at the University of British Columbia. Among my jobs were travel agent, college teacher, instructional designer and editor.
For years, I dabbled with writing. But I didn’t begin to write in earnest until I had two young daughters. My first book was published in 1992, and I have since written more than thirty others, including novels, picture books and non-fiction.
I live in Vancouver, a short walk from the sea. I write full-time and still love to travel, read and daydream.
I had such an amazing time last night at the author event of Clare Leslie Hall at the Paramus Barnes and Noble. We read Brokwn Country a few months ago for the B&N book club, and it was my favorite book for this year so far. I highly recommend you read this book. Below is my book review.
My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars
It is a heartbreaking love story filled with secrets that will shatter the lives of the characters and the readers. Clare Leslie Hall is a fantastic storyteller. She captivated the readers with a story filled with so much love that tragedy was unavoidable. I fell in love with each of the characters. I felt like a member of the family watching every tragedy unfold.
The first page of this story grasped my attention. I wanted to know what exactly happened at this farm and who was murdered. Clare divided the story into five different sections. The story begins with Gabriel, followed by Bobby, Jimmy, Frank, and Grace. It then takes us to the trial, weaving through the past and present-day events. The way she drafted the story made the story unravel at the exact time the author was ready to reveal a secret or a tragedy.
Bobby, Beth’s child, is the central figure in this story. His conception, childhood, and the tragedy that ultimately impacts the Johnson family will lead to a love triangle fraught with disaster, shocking readers. Losing a child is an unimaginable experience for any parent, especially when it involves witnessing such a gruesome death. Despite Beth blaming Frank for Bobby’s death, both of them showed remarkable bravery by continuing their marriage.
The story begins with the intense love affair and subsequent breakup between Beth and Gabriel. After their separation, Beth marries Frank, who has always been in love with her. Together, Beth and Frank have a son named Bobby. Bobby is passionate about the outdoors and learns everything he can about farm life. However, the family faces a tragedy when Bobby’s life is cut short.
Meanwhile, Gabriel marries and has a son named Leo. He becomes a famous author and eventually returns to his childhood home. Despite moving on, Beth and Gabriel still feel the lingering sparks from their past romance, which leads to an affair. As Beth connects with Leo, she finds herself grappling with the loss of Bobby.
As secrets unravel, an intense argument culminates in a murder. I won’t spoil the entire story but prepare to be shocked by who pulls the trigger and to witness the strong bonds of love and family throughout the narrative.
The tree featured on the cover of the book plays a significant role in the story. It is a tree that the Johnson family grew up with, where a wedding proposal took place. Unfortunately, a tragedy occurred with the eventual death of the tree and the precious life of an innocent boy. This intense love triangle, with its many secrets and tragedy, will leave you wanting more.
Goodreads Author Biography
Clare Leslie Hall is a novelist and journalist who lives in the wilds of Dorset, England, with her family. Under the name Clare Empson, she published two domestic noir thrillers, Him and Mine, that were published in the UK and Germany. She has always loved The Go Between by LP Hartley and Broken Country is a nod to it, featuring a forbidden love affair with catastrophic repercussions. Broken Country is her US debut.
There is a murder; a blind physician confesses himself the murderer, and to prove that he could shoot a man through the heart offers to hit a small clock placed at a suitable distance, guided only by the sound it makes in striking. The ending is horrible enough to suit even the boy in German folklore who complained that he could not shudder.
My Review: Rated 4 out of 5 stars
A mystery filled with guilt, love, and anger led to death. I loved that the story was told by the detective who went to the murder scene at the beginning and solved the mystery. True love can lead to horrible tragedies. I was happy to read this book as a first edition novel.
Goodreads Author Biography
Anna Katharine Green (1846-1935) was an American poet and novelist. She was one of the first writers of detective fiction in America and distinguished herself by writing well plotted, legally accurate stories. Born in Brooklyn, New York, her early ambition was to write romantic verse, and she corresponded with Ralph Waldo Emerson. When her poetry failed to gain recognition, she produced her first and best known novel, The Leavenworth Case (1878). She became a bestselling author, eventually publishing about 40 books. She was in some ways a progressive woman for her time-succeeding in a genre dominated by male writers-but she did not approve of many of her feminist contemporaries, and she was opposed to women’s suffrage. Her other works include A Strange Disappearance (1880), The Affair Next Door (1897), The Circular Study (1902), The Filigree Ball (1903), The Millionaire Baby (1905), The House in the Mist (1905), The Woman in the Alcove (1906), The House of the Whispering Pines (1910), Initials Only (1912), and The Mystery of the Hasty Arrow (1917).
Join Andy in this Victorian Sci-Fi inspired tale set in the far away hills of a family orchard. His curiosity is kindled by hydro-turbines and a tidal-powered city where he attends school. Earth’s endless clean power drives his intellect; while the hills free his adventurous spirit. Susie, the cat, narrates as the watchful conscience to Andy. But, has Andy’s love of adventure taken him too far this time?
My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars
I had so much fun reading this book and enjoying the wonderful watercolor illustrations. The pictures were so bright and lovely. I enjoyed the sailing school bus. The story felt futuristic. All readers will truly love this fun adventuris story.
FabulousReader4Ever 