Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. (Button courtesy of Bewitched Bookworms.)

Here's what I'm looking forward to:

Title: Families and Other Nonreturnable Gifts
Author: Claire LaZebnik
Release Date: September 1

From Amazon.com:

Despite her name, Keats Sedlak is the sanest person in her large, nutty family of brilliant eccentrics. Her parents, both brainy academics, are barely capable of looking after themselves, let alone anyone else, and her two uber-intelligent siblings live on their own planets.

At least she can count on one person in her life, her devoted boyfriend Tom. Down-to-earth and loving, he's the one thing that's kept Keats grounded for the last decade. But when Keats's mother makes a surprise announcement, the entire family is sent into a tailspin. For the first time, Keats can't pick up the pieces by herself. Now she must reevaluate everything she's ever assumed about herself and her family-and make the biggest decision of her life.

Save Me by Lisa Scottoline

Save Me by Lisa Scottoline
Narrated by Cynthia Nixon

Review:
Melly is different than the other girls in her class. She doesn’t play with the American Girls dolls or wear cute dresses. She has a birthmark on her face that makes her an easy target to be teased by the other school children. And that is exactly what Amanda does the day Rose, Melly’s mother, volunteers as lunch mom. Rose witnessed Amanda smearing jelly on her face to make fun of Melly. Melly starts to cry and runs out of the lunch room. This isn’t the first incident of Amanda bullying Melly. Rose speaks to Amanda about her behavior just as another volunteer approaches. She scolds Rose saying the moms are not allowed to reprimand the children, it's the responsibility of the teachers. The volunteer leaves to find a teacher. The moment Rose, Amanda and two other girls are about to leave the lunchroom, the kitchen explodes .

Rose frantically tries to get the girls out of harm’s way so she can rescue Melly from the bathroom. Thinking she led the girls to safety, she sets out in search of her daughter. Relief sets in when she’s able to locate her and rescues her from the burning school. Minutes later Rose learns that Amanda did not make it out of the lunchroom. Soon the other parents turn on Rose for her negligence of not getting Amanda out of the school. Everyone begins to think this is Rose’s way of punishing Amanda for bullying her daughter.

When I first began reading Save Me, my expectation was it’s a story about a mother trying to save her daughter from the school bully. So I was very surprised when the storyline went into an entirely different direction. The plot is full of twists and turns, although it’s a little far-fetched, at times.

Narration:
My original intent was to read Save Me. Then I learned Cynthia Nixon narrated the audio book. I’ve heard glowing reviews about her as a narrator and decided to listen to the audio book instead. I’m glad that I did. Nixon did a fantastic job bringing the characters to life. Quite honestly, I think had I read the book, I may have skimmed and even skipped pages here and there. But Nixon kept me invested in the story. I will definitely seek out other books that she has narrated.

_______________
Length: 11 hours
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Source: Library

Pinch Me by Adena Halpern

Pinch Me by Adena Halpern

Lily’s mother Selma and grandmother Dolly want the best for her. They really do. So it may seem a bit odd th?at they tell her to marry an ugly man. Better yet, just never fall in love. Lily takes heed to their advice and dates a lot of not nice guys (putting it mildly) and throws herself into her work. Then she meets Gogo. He’s kind and sweet and a perfect gentleman. Much to Lily’s dismay, she finds herself falling for him… hard.

It’s not surprising that he proposes during a romantic trip to Paris. When she tells Dolly and Selma about her engagement, instead of showering her with hugs and kisses and excitement about her upcoming nuptials, they inform her that their family is cursed. Yes, that’s right… cursed! If they marry a man they love, something bad will happen to him. It happened with Dolly’s husband and several of the men Selma married. In fact, both Selma and Dolly are holding back on their feelings with two men in their lives in fear that they too will become victims of the curse.

Lily finds all of this hard to believe. She informs Gogo (he too is skeptical) and he suggests they fly to Vegas to elope. Everything is going exceptionally well until Lily asks Gogo to pinch her because she thinks it’s too good to be true. And it is. After she feels the pinch, she wakes up alone and in this “life” Gogo is married to someone else and doesn’t know who is she. Maybe, there’s truth to this family curse after all!

Pinch Me is a creative and imaginative story that is filled with humorous antics. Lily will go to the extreme to fight for her happy ending. Whether you're new to this author or have read her previous works, you will enjoy reading this engaging tale. Recommended.

______________
Book Details:
Pub. Date: July 19, 2011
Publisher: Touchstone
Pages: 288
ISBN: 9781439171141
Genre: Fiction
Source: Publisher via Galley Grab

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. (Button courtesy of Bewitched Bookworms.)

Here's what I'm looking forward to:

Title: Hell to Pay
Author: Wendy Corsi Staub
Release Date: September 27

From the author's website:

And so it begins . . . again.

Survivors of a serial killer who invaded their childhood, Lucy Walsh and Jeremy Cavalon are married now, replacing nightmares of their terrifying past with joyful dreams of the upcoming birth of their first child. Fiercely determined to protect the fragile balance of their lives, Lucy doesn’t know that her new husband guards a deadly secret . . . or that an Act of God is about to unleash a vengeful fury.

For shell-shocked Lucy and Jeremy, the horrible death of a loved one is a tragic accident. But for a shadowy predator, it’s the first step toward completing a deadly mission that was interrupted so long ago. Now, at last, the members of the Walsh and Cavalon families will pay for their sins, one by one . . .

Better Read Than Dead - Victoria Laurie

Better Read Than Dead by Victoria Laurie
Book 2, Psychic Eye Mystery

When we meet up again with Abby Cooper, it's months later after her attack. She's fully recovered and back to work. She's in a relationship with Dutch, who is now in training with the FBI. The night he's back in town, Abby's friend asked her for a favor. And how can she refuse? Kendal assisted her when she was out on leave from work and now he needs her help.

Kendal has been hired to read Tarot cards at a Greek wedding reception. Abby has never done this before, but Kendal assures her it will be easy to learn. As expected, Abby is a quick learner and doesn't have any problems with her readings. Then she meets a man with a history of murder. To Abby's surprise he has killed numerous people and he confirms she is correct about this. Abby soon realizes the bride is the daughter of a powerful mob boss.

Meanwhile Milo, Dutch's former partner, is working a case involving a serial rapist and solicits Abby's help. Things become complicated when the rapist attacks someone close to Abby. Unfortunately Abby has no choice but to withhold information from the police.

The Psychic Eye Mystery series is quickly becoming a favorite. Abby is a no-nonsense type of girl and makes a great amateur sleuth. Like the previous book, Better Read Than Dead is a quick read with lots of twists and turns. Laurie keeps the storyline moving so the reader is never bored. I definitely will continue reading this series.
______________
Pub. Date: June 7, 2005
Publisher: Signet
ISBN: 9780451215581
Pages: 304
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Source: Library

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Sheila, of One Persons Journey Through a World of Books, is the host of It's Monday! What Are You Reading? This is a weekly event to share what we read last week, what we are currently reading and what books we plan to read this week.

Recently read:

• Tick Tock - James Patterson
  Summary: Michael Bennett tries to solve the crimes of a sick killer who is terrorizing New York City.
  

I'm reading:

• The First Husband - Laura Dave
  

I'm listening to:

• I'll Walk Alone - Mary Higgins Clark
  

Reading soon:

• The Violets of March - Sarah Jio
  

What are you reading this week?

Review: Family Affair

Family Affair by Debbie Macomber

Mini-Review:

Lacey is recently divorced. She's trying to pick herself back up and move on. She lives with her cat Cleo and is content with this arrangement. Then she meets Jack. Her loud, obnoxious neighbor. He's constantly arguing with his girlfriend and quite frankly, Lacey is tired of it. She has decided to ignore Jack.

Until Cleo gets pregnant by Dog, Jack's cat. Now Lacey has no choice but to interact with him. Little does she know, Jack just may be the man she is looking for.

Family Affair was originally published in 1994. Less than 120 pages, it's easy to finish this story in an hour or less. If you are new to Macomber, I wouldn't start here. Instead I recommend her Cedar Cove series. Family Affair is an easy, quick read, but forgettable after you read the last page.

______________
Book Details:
Pub. Date: January 4, 2011 (reprint)
Publisher: William Morrow
Pages: 112
ISBN: 9780061997129
Genre: Romance
Source: Library

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. (Button courtesy of Bewitched Bookworms.)

Here's what I'm looking forward to:

Title: Kill Me If You Can
Authors: James Patterson & Marshall Karp
Release Date: August 29

From the author's website:

Matthew Bannon, a poor art student living in New York City, finds a duffel bag filled with diamonds during a chaotic attack at Grand Central Station. Plans for a worry-free life with his gorgeous girlfriend Katherine fill his thoughts—until he realizes that he is being hunted, and that whoever is after him won't stop until they have reclaimed the diamonds and exacted their revenge.

THE PERFECT LIE

Trailing him is the Ghost, the world's greatest assassin, who has just pulled off his most high-profile hit: killing Walter Zelvas, a top member of the international Diamond Syndicate. There's only one small problem: the diamonds he was supposed to retrieve from Zelvas are missing. Now, the Ghost is on Bannon's trail—but so is a rival assassin who would like nothing more than to make the Ghost disappear forever. From "America's #1 storyteller" (Forbes) comes a high-speed, high-stakes, winner-take-all thrill ride of adrenaline-fueled suspense.

Abby Cooper: Psychic Eye - Victoria Laurie

Abby Cooper: Psychic Eye by Victoria Laurie
Book One, Psychic Eye Mystery

Abby Cooper is not the typical girl next door. As hard as she tried to be "normal" and fit in, the cards (no pun intended!) weren't lined up for her. You see, Abby is a psychic intuitive. She is able to tell the future. Abby makes a pretty good living doing this as evident by her full calendar.

On the day she gets a cancellation, Allison Pierce shows up to her office and asks Abby to see her. During her reading, Abby warns Allison about a man with dark hair. He has something to do with a loss she recently suffered and may be the reason a woman close to Allison has left. Days later Allison calls Abby again to schedule another appointment, however Abby quickly dismisses her stating it is her policy to only meet with clients once every six months. Abby abruptly disconnects the call, but cannot shake the weird feeling she has surrounding Allison.

When Allison is found brutally murdered in her home, Abby feels somewhat responsible. If only she took the time to listen to Allison and answer her questions, then maybe Allison would still be alive. Abby becomes involved with the investigation to find Allison's killer and is marked as the killer's next victim.

I've been wanting to read Laurie's Psychic Eye Mystery series for awhile now. I'm just sorry I didn't start it sooner. Abby is a likeable main character and is a competent amateur sleuth. She doesn't become overly involved with solving the mystery and doesn't appear to know it all. The tension between Dutch, the detective on the case, and Abby is perfect and doesn't overpower the mystery. It did, however, leave me wondering what's in store for these two in future books.

Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye is a great start to this long-lasting series (book nine was released in July). I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series. Recommended.

______________
Pub. Date: December 7, 2004
Publisher: Signet
ISBN: 9780451213631
Pages: 304
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Source: Personal Copy

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Sheila, of One Persons Journey Through a World of Books, is the host of It's Monday! What Are You Reading? This is a weekly event to share what we read last week, what we are currently reading and what books we plan to read this week.

Recently read:

• Pinch Me - Adena Halpern
  Summary: Lily learns about a family curse when she announces her engagement to her mother and grandmother.
  
• Silver Girl - Elin Hilderbrand
  Summary: Meredith seeks refuge at her friend Connie's Nantucket home after her husband is arrested for stealing his clients' investments.
  
• Maine - J. Courtney Sullivan
  Summary: Four main characters narrate this story. This particular summer finds each sharing the family's Maine summer home.
  

I'm reading:

• The First Husband - Laura Dave
  

I'm listening to:

• Tick Tock - James Patterson
  

Reading soon:

• Deep Down True - Juliette Fay
  

What are you reading this week?