This blog meme is hosted by Book Date. It is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment, and er… add to that ever growing TBR pile!
What I just finished:
This weekend I finished The Grace Kelly Dress by Brenda Janowitz.
What I’m currently reading:
I’m currently reading Fight Like a Girl by Sheena Kamal.
What I’m reading next:
Next I will be reading A Conspiracy of Bones (Temperance Brennan #19) by Kathy Reichs.
What are you guys reading this week? Have you read any of these books?
The meme that dares to ask what book has been in your bed this morning? Come share what book you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed, or which book you wish you had time to read today! This meme is hosted by Midnight Book Girl.
This Sunday I’m reading The Grace Kelly Dress by Brenda Janowitz.
Goodreads Synopsis:
Paris, 1958: Rose, a seamstress at a fashionable atelier, has been entrusted with sewing a Grace Kelly-lookalike gown for a wealthy bride-to-be. But when, against better judgment, she finds herself falling in love with the bride’s handsome brother, Rose must make an impossible choice—one that could put all she’s worked for at risk: love, security, and of course, the dress.
Sixty years later, tech CEO Rachel, who goes by the childhood nickname “Rocky,” has inherited the dress for her upcoming wedding in New York City. But there’s just one problem: Rocky doesn’t want to wear it. A family heirloom dating back to the 1950s, the dress just isn’t her. Rocky knows this admission will break her mother Joan’s heart. But what she doesn’t know is why Joan insists on the dress—or the heartbreaking secret that changed her mother’s life decades before, as she herself prepared to wear it.
As the lives of these three women come together in surprising ways, the revelation of the dress’s history collides with long-buried family heartaches. And in the lead-up to Rocky’s wedding, they’ll have to confront the past before they can embrace the beautiful possibilities of the future.
Title: Work it, Girl: Become a Leader Like Michelle Obama Author: Caroline Moss, Sinem Erkas (illustrator) Genre: Children’s, Nonfiction, Biography Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children’s Books Source: Publisher via NetGalley Format: Ebook Release Date: March 3, 2020 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
In this imaginatively illustrated book from the Work It, Girl series, discover how Michelle became an inspirational leader, FLOTUS, lawyer, author, and role model in this true story of her life. Then, learn 10 key lessons from her work you can apply to your own life.
Michelle Obama grew up on the South Side of Chicago in a little bungalow with a close-knit family. She loved going to school, and she knew that, one day, she would use her voice to empower other young girls, just like her. Young Michelle was a brilliant student and wonderful daughter. With hard work and talent, she propelled herself into the universities of Princeton and Harvard. She qualified as a lawyer and life was going smoothly…Then she met a guy named Barack.
Work It, Girl is an empowering series of biographies featuring modern women in the world of work, from designers and musicians to CEOs and scientists. Each of these vibrantly illustrated books tells the story of a remarkable woman in 10 chapters that highlight transformative moments in her life, following the ups and downs that she faced on her road to success. At the end, 10 key lessons show what you can learn from these moments, and self-reflection questions help you apply these lessons to your own life. Brightly colored photo illustrations of 3-D cut paper artwork featuring inspiring quotes from these amazing women bring their stories to vivid life. Learn how to work it as you lay the foundations for your own successful career.
Review:
This children’s book is about Michelle Obama’s life. The first half of the book covers her childhood and young adult life. She was very focused on school and continued to follow her dream of going to Princeton, even when her school councilors said she wouldn’t get in. In the second half of the book, Michelle meets Barack Obama and they raise their family.
I didn’t know anything about Michelle Obama’s childhood, so it was interesting to learn about her. She is even more inspiring after hearing that she was discouraged from following her dreams, but succeeded anyway. This book has made me want to read her memoir, Becoming.
The books in this series are beautifully illustrated. The graphics look like cut out pieces of paper, layered to make pictures. That technique makes the pages look textured. The illustrations are brightly covered, which is uplifting.
I really enjoyed this book!
Thank you Frances Lincoln Children’s Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What to read next:
Work it, Girl: Blast Off Into Space Like Mae Jemison
Work it, Girl: Run the Show Like CEO Oprah Winfrey
Title: The Forgotten Home Child Author: Genevieve Graham Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Simon and Schuster Canada Source: Publisher Format: Paperback, Ebook Release Date: March 3, 2020 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
The Home for Unwanted Girls meets Orphan Train in this unforgettable novel about a young girl caught in a scheme to rid England’s streets of destitute children, and the lengths she will go to find her way home—based on the true story of the British Home Children.
2018
At ninety-seven years old, Winnifred Ellis knows she doesn’t have much time left, and it is almost a relief to realize that once she is gone, the truth about her shameful past will die with her. But when her great-grandson Jamie, the spitting image of her dear late husband, asks about his family tree, Winnifred can’t lie any longer, even if it means breaking a promise she made so long ago…
1936
Fifteen-year-old Winny has never known a real home. After running away from an abusive stepfather, she falls in with Mary, Jack, and their ragtag group of friends roaming the streets of Liverpool. When the children are caught stealing food, Winny and Mary are left in Dr. Barnardo’s Barkingside Home for Girls, a local home for orphans and forgotten children found in the city’s slums. At Barkingside, Winny learns she will soon join other boys and girls in a faraway place called Canada, where families and better lives await them.
But Winny’s hopes are dashed when she is separated from her friends and sent to live with a family that has no use for another daughter. Instead, they have paid for an indentured servant to work on their farm. Faced with this harsh new reality, Winny clings to the belief that she will someday find her friends again.
Inspired by true events, The Forgotten Home Child is a moving and heartbreaking novel about place, belonging, and family—the one we make for ourselves and its enduring power to draw us home.
Review:
I loved this historical fiction novel!
The story follows Winny and Jack throughout two time periods. The first is set in the present, where Winny is telling her story to her granddaughter. The other time period is when Winny and Jack were sent to Canada from England as teenagers in the 1930s. Winny and Jack, along with some other friends, get separated into different homes and have to face some difficult times.
It’s unfortunate that we aren’t taught this part of Canada’s history in school. An estimated 12% of the Canadian population are descendants of the British home children. I recently found out that my own great-great-grandmother was one of them, though she came to Canada in the late 19th century, before this book is set. In the book, Winny’s great-grandson wonders why we aren’t taught about this in school. We aren’t taught much history in school, but this is an important part we should all learn.
This story was heartbreaking at times, but those scenes were quickly followed by optimism. I really enjoyed this story!
Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What to read next:
Come From Away by Genevieve Graham
The Girls with No Names by Serena Burdick
Have you read The Forgotten Home Child? What did you think of it?
This is a weekly meme hosted by Laurie Reads and Niffler Reads. Every Friday, they post a list of bookish things based on the prompt they provided. The prompts for Feb to May can be found here.
This week’s prompt is Scream About Your Favourite Thrillers. Here’s my list:
Woman on the Edge by Samantha M. Bailey
The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
Little Monsters by Kara Thomas
The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena
The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda
One of Us Is Lying (One of Us Is Lying #1) by Karen M. McManus
The Last Resort by Marissa Stapley
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder #1) by Holly Jackson
Title: Please See Us Author: Caitlin Mullen Genre: Thriller Publisher: Gallery Books Source: Publisher Format: Paperback Release Date: March 3, 2020 Rating: ★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
In this sophisticated, suspenseful debut reminiscent of Laura Lippman and Chloe Benjamin, two young women become unlikely friends during one fateful summer in Atlantic City as mysterious disappearances hit dangerously close to home.
Summer has come to Atlantic City but the boardwalk is empty of tourists, the casino lights have dimmed, and two Jane Does are laid out in the marshland behind the Sunset Motel, just west of town. Only one person even knows they’re there.
Meanwhile, Clara, a young boardwalk psychic, struggles to attract clients for the tarot readings that pay her rent. When she begins to experience very real and disturbing visions, she suspects they could be related to the recent cases of women gone missing in town. When Clara meets Lily, an ex-Soho art gallery girl who is working at a desolate casino spa and reeling from a personal tragedy, she thinks Lily may be able to help her. But Lily has her own demons to face. If they can put the pieces together in time, they may save another lost girl—so long as their efforts don’t attract perilous attention first. Can they break the ill-fated cycle, or will they join the other victims?
Evocative, eerie, and compelling, Please See Us is a fast-paced psychological thriller that explores the intersection of womanhood, power, and violence.
Review:
This was a dark, gritty thriller.
There are multiple perspectives in this book. Claire is a psychic, whose aunt starts setting her up with men to make money. Lily has moved back to Atlantic City, after a bad breakup in New York. Luis is a deaf, mute cleaner at the spa where Lily works, but he has a secret life. The last perspectives are of the “Janes” who are the women that are lying dead in the marsh. Lily and Claire work together to investigate the disappearing women who appear in Claire’s psychic visions.
This story was quite dark. There were serious issues in the story. There was substance abuse, prostitution, and physical abuse, as well as murder. I had to put the book down for a while because of how dark it was. However, that just shows that the writing was effective and descriptive.
I didn’t like the ending of the story. There were so many characters that had interesting backstories, which I would have liked to learn more about. A few subplots didn’t have a clear resolution. I didn’t get the closure I like at the end of a book, especially a thriller.
This was a great, dark thriller.
Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What to read next:
The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James
The Other Mrs. by Mary Kubica
Have you read Please See Us? What did you think of it?
TBR Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly Faye Reads, where you post a title from your shelf or e-reader and find out what others think about it.
My pick this week is The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas.
Goodreads Synopsis:
There are no more cheerleaders in the town of Sunnybrook.
First there was the car accident—two girls gone after hitting a tree on a rainy night. Not long after, the murders happened. Those two girls were killed by the man next door. The police shot him, so no one will ever know why he did it. Monica’s sister was the last cheerleader to die. After her suicide, Sunnybrook High disbanded the cheer squad. No one wanted to be reminded of the girls they lost.
That was five years ago. Now the faculty and students at Sunnybrook High want to remember the lost cheerleaders. But for Monica, it’s not that easy. She just wants to forget. Only, Monica’s world is starting to unravel. There are the letters in her stepdad’s desk, an unearthed, years-old cell phone, a strange new friend at school. . . . Whatever happened five years ago isn’t over. Some people in town know more than they’re saying. And somehow Monica is at the center of it all.
There are no more cheerleaders in Sunnybrook, but that doesn’t mean anyone else is safe.
Have you read this book? What did you think of it?
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