My Current Book Club Read: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van  Pelt

Goodreads Blurb:

After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.

Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors–until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late.

Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.

Author Biography

Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel, REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES, will be published by Ecco/HarperCollins (US) and Bloomsbury (UK) in Spring 2022.

Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, she’s now missing the mountains in the Chicago area with her husband and two children.

Review: A Cold Creek Noel by RaeAnne Thayne

Goodreads Blurb

Caidy Bowman had been the apple of her family’s eye—until a devastating tragedy forced her to hide from the world. She was used to devoting her time to the animals on her family’s ranch. Then widower Ben Caldwell and his two adorable children arrived in Pine Gulch, and suddenly, Caidy wanted more than a life in the shadows….As the town’s new vet, Ben needed a place to stay for the holidays—and for his family to heal from their own loss. He absolutely wasn’t looking for love again! But Caidy Bowman’s sparkling green eyes and sweet smile touched Ben’s broken heart, giving him hope for a new future. Their future—if he could convince the beautiful cowgirl that Christmas was a time for new beginnings….

My Review: Rated 4 out of 5 stars

It is a heartwarming story based on Christmas, with characters who are insecure due to their tragic past. RaeAnne knows how to create characters who reflect on everyday issues people encounter in life. These issues are relatable, and readers can sympathize with them. She provides the readers with the personal struggles both Caidy Bowman and Ben Caldwell lived with.

RaeAnne is known for creating sparks between her characters. When Caidy and Ben first meet, there are fireworks, but the character’s arrogance puts a damper on the possibilities. Ben is a veterinarian who is a widower with two young children. Caidy has hidden away on her family ranch due to the horrifying deaths of her parents, which she takes the blame for.

The magic of Christmas will bring Ben and Caidy to a place of forgiveness, love, and happiness. They are both family-oriented and always looking to help others. Love can overcome the demons of the past. A story based on Christmas always brings the joy and the magic of the holiday season.

Author Biography

I’m not one of those people who knew from birth she was destined to become a writer. I always loved to read and throughout my childhood I could usually be found with a book in my hands. To the disgust of my friends, I even enjoyed creative writing assignments that made them all groan. But I had other dreams besides writing. I wanted to be an actress or a teacher or a lawyer.

Life took a different turn for me, though, when my mother made me take a journalism elective in high school (thanks, Mom!). I knew the first day that this was where I belonged.

After I graduated from college in journalism, I took a job at the local daily newspaper and I reveled in the challenge and the diversity of it. One day I could be interviewing the latest country music star, the next day I was writing about local motorcycle gangs or interviewing an award-winning scientist.

Through it all — through the natural progression of my career from reporter to editor — I wrote stories in my head. Not just any stories, either, but romances, the kind of books I have devoured since junior high school, with tales about real people going through the trials and tribulations of life until they find deep and lasting love.

I had no idea how to put these people on paper, but knew I had to try — their stories were too compelling for me to ignore. I sold my first book in 1995 and now, more than 30 books later, I’ve come to love everything about writing, from the click of the computer keys under my fingers to the “that’s-it!” feeling I get when a story is flowing.

I write full-time now (well, as full-time as I can manage juggling my kids!) amid the raw beauty of the northern Utah mountains.

Even though I might not have dreamed of being a writer when I was younger, now I simply can’t imagine my life any other way.

I love to hear from readers. You can reach me at my email address, raeannethayne@gmail.com

Review: A Wedding in Lake Como by Jennifer Probst

Goodreads Blurb

A destination wedding in Italy’s Lake Como brings three best friends back together to face the secrets of the past in this romantic novel from New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Probst.

Best friends Ava, Madison, and Chelsea made a pact to reunite for each other’s weddings when their careers sent them in different directions. But after one of them makes a choice that tears the group apart, an upcoming wedding might be their last chance to heal old wounds.

Ava is about to marry the man she loves in a lavish ceremony on the shores of Lake Como, but she’s haunted by the mistakes she’s made.

Madison’s made a name for herself as an influencer in the fashion world but is threatened by a scandal impacting everything she holds dear.

And Chelsea has the perfect family she always craved, but her professional dreams have fallen by the wayside.

As they return to Italy’s gorgeous coast, the three women revisit their life-changing first trip to Lake Como during college. When Madison comes face-to-face with the college sweetheart who was at the heart of one of the most pivotal times of her life, can they forge a new way forward?

My Review: Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Can friendship withstand the test of time? This story of three friends finding their place in life will show you how ugly friendships can get. Ava, Madison, and Chelsea are living life to the fullest. Their friendship with Ava, who is quite needy, will change their lives forever. This story will take you down a rabbit hole of emotions and leave the reader questioning whether forgiveness is a possibility.

I could relate to this story because I have had past friendships that went sour. When you have a friend who tries to run every person’s life, it never ends well. This book brings up so many emotions of wanting to feel loved and wanted. Maddie was constantly looking for her parents’ acceptance and love. She tried to find that love with her friends and her followers. I connected so much with Maddie since I am also a fashion lover. I loved reading the parts about fashion. The romance between Maddie and Riggs was precisely what readers yearned for.

Jennifer delved right into developing characters that made this story come to life. She created a fun storyline with exciting opportunities for the future. She slowly twisted that happiness into a moment that will change the characters’ and readers’ lives forever. It was hard having to be present at the one moment that destroyed the four characters’ friendship, but the retelling of events drove an unexpected dagger to the heart. Forgiveness can bring you to a place of calmness, acceptance, and second chances. Will the time apart and discussing what happened help the characters find forgiveness, and how powerful is friendship? I would not have been so forgiving for the events these characters endured.

Author Biography

Jennifer Probst wrote her first book at twelve years old. She bound it in a folder, read it to her classmates, and hasn’t stopped writing since. She holds a masters in English Literature and lives in the beautiful Hudson Valley in upstate New York. Her family keeps her active, stressed, joyous, and sad her house will never be truly clean. Her passions include horse racing, Scrabble, rescue dogs, Italian food, and wine—not necessarily in that order.

She is the NYT, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of sexy and erotic contemporary romance. She was thrilled her book, The Marriage Bargain, spent 26 weeks on the NY Times. Her work has been translated in over a dozen countries, sold over a million copies, and was dubbed a “romance phenom” by Kirkus Reviews. She loves hearing from readers. Visit her website for updates on new releases at http://www.jenniferprobst.com. Sign up of her newsletter at http://www.jenniferprobst.com/newsletter for a free book.

Book Event at Books & Greetings to Meet Karen M. McManus

Meet & Greet

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING YOUNG ADULT AUTHOR

KAREN M. McMANUS

TUESDAY, JULY 30TH 6:00PM

Link to purchase ticket: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/one-of-us-is-lying-author-karen-m-mcmanus-book-signing-tues-730-6pm-tickets-915371028387

Goodreads Blurb

The newest mystery from the author One of Us Is Lying, the Queen of thrillers, Karen M. McManus! When mother-daughter grifters set out on their final job, the heist gets deadly and dangerously personal.

For all of Kat’s life, it’s just been her and her mother, Jamie—except for the forty-eight hours when Jamie was married and Kat had a stepbrother, Liam. That all ended in an epic divorce, and Kat and Liam haven’t spoken since.

Now Jamie is a jewel thief trying to go straight, but she has one last job—at billionaire Ross Sutherland’s birthday party. And Kat has figured out a way to tag along. What Kat doesn’t know, though, is that there are two surprise guests at the dazzling Sutherland compound that weekend. The last two people she wants to run into. Liam and his father—a serial scammer who has his sights set on Ross Sutherland’s youngest daughter.

Kat and Liam are on a collision course to disaster, and when a Sutherland dies, they realize they might actually be in the killer’s crosshairs themselves. Somehow Kat and Liam are the new targets, and they can’t trust anyone—except each other.

Or can they? Because if there’s one thing both Kat and Liam know, it’s how to lie. They learned from the best.

Review: Young Scrooge: A Very Scary Christmas Story by R.L. Stine

Goodreads Blurb

Rick Scroogeman hates Christmas. He can’t stand the carols and the pageants. He can’t stand the lights and the mistletoe. But what he hates the most is having to watch the old movie A Christmas Carol every year at school. Since his name is Scroogeman, all of his classmates start calling him Scrooge. And he hates being called Scrooge.

But everything starts to change when three ghosts visit him. At first, he thinks it’s a dream. But then he realizes that it might be a nightmare. A nightmare that could become real.

Young Scrooge: A Very Scary Christmas Story is a funny, scary middle-grade send up of A Christmas Carol, about a boy who hates Christmas, from bestselling Goosebumps author R. L. Stine.

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

This is one of the best books that R.L. Stine has written. He really put a lot of work into creating a story with a boy named Rick, who was a bully to everyone. He just couldn’t see how bad his actions were towards his friends and family. The three ghosts, Christmas past, present, and future, take him out for a ride to show him the consequences for his actions. This is a great book for children to learn that bullying is a terrible thing to do. It’s a lesson to learn to change or deal with the horrible consequences. Stine brought Birthday and Christmas in one scenario. Kids whose birthdays fall on Christmas always run into the problem of getting presents for Christmas and not their birthday. I loved that we, as the readers, were able to know how Rick felt and what his thought process was. This book had some funny and creepy moments. This was the scary Christmas Carol that all children will fear. Remember, Santa Clause knows if you are naughty or nice.

Author Biography

Robert Lawrence Stine known as R. L. Stine and Jovial Bob Stine, is an American novelist and writer, well known for targeting younger audiences. Stine, who is often called the Stephen King of children’s literature, is the author of dozens of popular horror fiction novellas, including the books in the Goosebumps, Rotten School, Mostly Ghostly, The Nightmare Room and Fear Street series.

R. L. Stine began his writing career when he was nine years old, and today he has achieved the position of the bestselling children’s author in history. In the early 1990s, Stine was catapulted to fame when he wrote the unprecedented, bestselling Goosebumps® series, which sold more than 250 million copies and became a worldwide multimedia phenomenon. His other major series, Fear Street, has over 80 million copies sold.

Stine has received numerous awards of recognition, including several Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards and Disney Adventures Kids’ Choice Awards, and he has been selected by kids as one of their favorite authors in the NEA’s Read Across America program. He lives in New York, NY.

Review: The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

Goodreads Blurb

Rachel catches the same commuter train every morning. She knows it will wait at the same signal each time, overlooking a row of back gardens. She’s even started to feel like she knows the people who live in one of the houses. “Jess and Jason,” she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. If only Rachel could be that happy. And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Now Rachel has a chance to become a part of the lives she’s only watched from afar. Now they’ll see; she’s much more than just the girl on the train…

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

When the green grass on the other side of the fence isn’t exactly green after all!! This was absolutely thrilling. It takes the reader out of their comfort zone and has them open their eyes that people do not want to think them to be. We all have skeletons in our closest some more than others. Rachel’s life was a total disaster. She fell into an obsession with a couple who she thought were perfect, but what you see isn’t always real. I felt for Rachel every moment she picked up a bottle to drink her sorrows away. Drinking just caused her to confuse what truly happened to her in real life. Her mind twisted everything, making it seem just like a dream. As I read the book, I didn’t come to realization that the murderer wasn’t the obvious person but the person you would least expect. I learned that people lie in order for them to get ahead without realizing the damage they do to others. I totally enjoyed this train ride to a story full of secrets, deceit, jealousy, obsession, and love beyond reason. Can’t wait to see the movie in a few weeks.

Author Biography

Paula Hawkins is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Girl on the Train, which was made into a major motion picture. Her new novel of psychological suspense, Into The Water, is coming May 2.

Review: Big Words for Little Geniuses by Susan and James Patterson

Goodreads Blurb

There’s no “gobbledygook” in this picture book by James and Susan Patterson, with each letter of the alphabet providing a sophisticated word and definition for “Lilliputian” children to learn. Adults will appreciate the “juxtaposition” of young kids properly using impressive words that many grownups may not have heard of before! Includes a list of extra words in the back for further learning.

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

It’s one of the cutest books I have ever read. Will keep the children and the reader active in trying to pronounce such difficult words. Even I had to look at the pronunciations. I love the vivid colors and illustrations. It is truly a book that all ages will love and remember.

Author Biography

Susan Solie Patterson has a Bachelor of Science/Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she was also an All-American swimmer. She is the author of Things I Wish I Told My Mother and Big Words for Little Geniuses, which was a New York Times bestseller.

Review: A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult

Goodreads Blurb

The warm fall day starts like any other at the Center—a women’s reproductive health services clinic—its staff offering care to anyone who passes through its doors. Then, in late morning, a desperate and distraught gunman bursts in and opens fire, taking all inside hostage.

After rushing to the scene, Hugh McElroy, a police hostage negotiator, sets up a perimeter and begins making a plan to communicate with the gunman. As his phone vibrates with incoming text messages he glances at it and, to his horror, finds out that his fifteen-year-old daughter, Wren, is inside the clinic.

But Wren is not alone. She will share the next and tensest few hours of her young life with a cast of unforgettable characters: A nurse who calms her own panic in order save the life of a wounded woman. A doctor who does his work not in spite of his faith but because of it, and who will find that faith tested as never before. A pro-life protester disguised as a patient, who now stands in the cross hairs of the same rage she herself has felt. A young woman who has come to terminate her pregnancy. And the disturbed individual himself, vowing to be heard.

Told in a daring and enthralling narrative structure that counts backward through the hours of the standoff, this is a story that traces its way back to what brought each of these very different individuals to the same place on this fateful day.

Jodi Picoult—one of the most fearless writers of our time—tackles a complicated issue in this gripping and nuanced novel. How do we balance the rights of pregnant women with the rights of the unborn they carry? What does it mean to be a good parent? A Spark of Light will inspire debate, conversation . . . and, hopefully, understanding.

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Jodi created a novel that pushes boundaries once again. Abortion is a huge political issue still today. This book is epic. It will leave the reader wondering if you pro-life or pro-choice? She started the book with a women’s reproductive health clinic being held hostage by a gunman. Then she built the book going through each hour backward to lead off back to where it began. She is a brilliant storyteller bringing such vivid characters to life and unraveling their story like an onion layer by layer. The background story for each character shows how each characters life’s interweave with each other and how they all ended up in this clinic at the same time. This book will bring you to tears. The emotions are like a roller coaster from happiness to desperation, loneliness, forgiveness, fear, joy, relief, and the will to fight, live, and save lives. The part with the steps in the abortion procedure will leave you squirming. I believe each woman should have a choice to decide, and the courts and states shouldn’t make this decision. Jodi had personally researched for this novel, and I felt she elaborate in statistics and court rulings that will give more understanding in this controversial issue.

Author Biography

Jodi Picoult is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty-eight novels, including Wish You Were Here, Small Great Things, Leaving Time, and My Sister’s Keeper, and, with daughter Samantha van Leer, two young adult novels, Between the Lines and Off the Page. Picoult lives in New Hampshire.

MAD HONEY, her new novel co-authored with Jennifer Finney Boylan, is available in hardcover, ebook, and audio on October 4, 2022.

Website: http://www.jodipicoult.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jodipicoult

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jodipicoult

Review: The Boatman by Kat Hawthorne

Goodreads Blurb

Isabel Wixon is weird. Not only does she see dead things, but her list of friends consists of a talkative ventriloquist’s dummy and the gentlemanly spider that lives in her hair. Real friends? Too hard. Inventing friends is much easier.

Inventing the Boatman—a terrible monster that lures kids into a strange sleeping sickness and never lets them go—probably wasn’t one of her better ideas though.

My Review: Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Wonderfully written to spook all who read this book. This was a wonderful spooky story that was dark and mysterious. Isabel ran into many of her deceased family members. Each warning her to stay away from the Boatman, who hunts you through your dreams. The illustrations were spot on with the story. They were weird and scary. Great book for young readers to stay up all night scared.

Author Biography

If you enjoy whimsical tales that feature bunnies, kittens, or do-gooding fairies, it’s probably best you avoid Kat Hawthorne. In fact, it is an odd Hawthornian story indeed that does not feature at least one character losing a finger (or something better). If, however, you like dismal, dark, dreary, dastardly (or many other words that begin with the letter d) fiction, and are strong of will and character, you may do well to check her out.

After all, they’re only words.

Kat Hawthorne is a writer of dark literary fantasy with six published works of short fiction as well as a smattering of poetry, a screenplay, and a novelette out in the great blue yonder.