Book Review: You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott /Mystery and Thriller /NETGALLEY READ

Hello dear Readers,

Below my book review of You Will Know Me: A Novel by Megan Abbott.

Title: You Will Know Me: A Novel 

Rating: / Stars

Genre: Mystery/Thriller-Psychological Thriller

Author: Megan Abbott

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Publication Date: July 26, 2016

Language: English

Hardcover: 352 pages
Meet the Author: Megan Abbott
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

The audacious new novel about family and ambition from "one of the best living mystery writers" (Grantland) and bestselling, award-winning author of The Fever, Megan Abbott.

How far will you go to achieve a dream? That's the question a celebrated coach poses to Katie and Eric Knox after he sees their daughter Devon, a gymnastics prodigy and Olympic hopeful, compete. For the Knoxes there are no limits--until a violent death rocks their close-knit gymnastics community and everything they have worked so hard for is suddenly at risk. 

As rumors swirl among the other parents, Katie tries frantically to hold her family together while also finding herself irresistibly drawn to the crime itself. What she uncovers--about her daughter's fears, her own marriage, and herself--forces Katie to consider whether there's any price she isn't willing to pay to achieve Devon's dream. 

From a writer with "exceptional gifts for making nerves jangle and skin crawl" (Janet Maslin), You Will Know Me is a breathless rollercoaster of a novel about the desperate limits of parental sacrifice, furtive desire, and the staggering force of ambition. 

My Thoughts

One of the best books I have read this year. I could not put it down. Kept me on the edge from the first page to the last one. I definitely was not expecting how things turned out, what a surprise!. 

A very intriguing and mysterious story, how well all the elements on this book work together. The characters, the setting, the dialogue, the plot twists. I loved how hopeful but at the same time dark this book is.

I liked the dynamics between all the members of the Knox family, how strong but damaged this family is which helps the story to be a very interesting one. 

A story about family, love, dreams, obstacles, darkness and how far we are willing to go for the people we love. 

A must read which I totally recommend and cant wait to read more of Megan Abbott books.

Thank you Little, Brown and Company and Netgalley for sending a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Wendy

New Release Tuesday #54: October 18, 2016

Hello dear Readers,

This week an amazing piece of Historical Fiction. La Niña Alemana (The German Girl Spanish Edition): A Novel by Armando Lucas Correa.

Title: La Niña Alemana (The German Girl Spanish Edition): A Novel 

Genre: Historical Fiction

Author: Armando Lucas Correa

Publisher: Atria Books
Publication Date: October 18, 2016

Language: Spanish

Paperback: 368 pages
Meet the Author: Armando Lucas Correa
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

Una novela inolvidable ambientada en el Berlín de la primavera de 1939, la Cuba pre- y postrevolucionaria y el Nueva York después del 11 de septiembre.

Antes de que todo se desmoronara, Hannah Rosenthal y sus padres tenían una vida encantadora. Su familia, una de las más distinguidas en los altos círculos sociales berlineses, era admirada por amigos y vecinos. Ahora en 1939, Berlín se ha teñido de los colores blanco, rojo y negro de una bandera que no reconocen como suya. Hannah se refugia con su mejor amigo, Leo Martin, en los callejones y parques de una ciudad que ya no los quiere. Los dos niños hacen un pacto: pase lo que pase, se prometen un futuro juntos.

Un rayo de esperanza les llega a los Rosenthal y los Martin: el Saint Louis, un enorme y lujoso trasatlántico partirá de Hamburgo a Cuba con más de novecientos refugiados judíos. En la medida que todos los pasajeros se van llenando de ilusión por el brillante futuro que les espera, el amor de Hannah y Leo florece entre juegos, bailes de disfraces y cenas exquisitas. Hasta que empiezan a llegar noticias funestas desde La Habana cuyo gobierno prohíbe al barco atracar en el puerto. El majestuoso navío, que parecía la única salvación para ellos, podría terminar convirtiéndose en su pena de muerte.

Siete décadas más tarde, en Nueva York, a punto de cumplir sus doce años, Anna Rosen recibe, procedente de Cuba, un misterioso sobre de Hannah, su tía abuela, a quien nunca conoció. En un intento por armar el rompecabezas del pasado de su familia, Anna y su madre deciden viajar a encontrarse con Hannah. Al entrelazar el dolor del pasado con los misterios del presente, revive la memoria de un apellido olvidado y, a su vez, les rinde honor a aquellos que amó y que trágicamente perdió. 

Wendy

Boise Book Fest 2016

Hello dear Readers,

Just one more day to the 2nd Annual Boise Book Fest. I attended the one last year and loved it. 

This year there are more Authors attending, panels, workshops and the Author Signing Event. If you live in the area this is something you definitely need to check out.

For more information about the event and purchase tickets please go to the link below and all the social media venues.

See you all Saturday.

Wendy

Boise Book Fest 2016

Saturday October 15th, 2016

9:30AM to 4:30PM

Wyndham Garden Boise Airport

3300 South Vista Ave Boise, ID 83705 US

Web Site: http://www.boisebookfest.com/

Facebook Page: Boise Book Fest

Twitter: Boise Book Fest

Instagram: boisebookfest

PROGRAM

PROGRAM

9:30 – 10:00  — Registration

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10:00 – 10:05 — WELCOME NOTE by Priya Kanaparti

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10:05 a.m. – 10:50 a.m. — KEYNOTE: Get Inspired withNY Times Bestselling, USA Today Bestselling, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author Rachel Van Dyken

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11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. — Early Bird Author Signing Event

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10:55 a.m. – 11:40 a.m. — WORKSHOP: Learn to Write Martial Arts Fight Scenes Like a Pro Workshop with Acquisitions & Editorial Director Kisa Whipkey

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11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. — WORKSHOP: Create a Blockbuster Novel Workshop with Attending Author Ali Cross

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1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. — Author Signing Event

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1:00 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. — AUTHOR PANEL: DANGEROUS, DEVIOUS, AND THE IRRESISTIBLE HEROES, AKA THE VILLAINS with Rachel Van Dyken, Devri Walls, Jodi Meadows, & Emma Raveling

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1:50 p.m. to 2:35 p.m. — AUTHOR PANEL: DELIVERING SWOON-WORTHY, HEART STOPPING DIALOGUES with EJ Mellows, Cassia Leo, Donna Cook, Cynthia Hand, & Ali Cross

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2:40 p.m. to 3: 25 p.m. — AUTHOR PANEL: I DON’T BLAME DISNEY FOR MY HIGH EXPECTATIONS IN MEN. I BLAME MY BOOK BOYFRIENDS. with Kayti McGee, Kristin Vayden, Brodi Ashton, Anie Michaels, & Sara Ney

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4:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. — Boise Book Fest concludes

*Photo Credit: Boise Book Fest Facebook Page

New Release Tuesday #53: October 4, 2016

Hello dear Readers,

This week a new book from New York Times Bestselling Author Lauren Oliver, Replica. Two Girls, two stories, one epic novel.

Title: Replica

Genre: YA-Fiction

Author: Lauren Oliver

Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: October 04, 2016

Language: English

Hardcover: 544 pages
Meet the Author: Lauren Oliver
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

Two girls, two stories, one epic novel

From Lauren Oliver, New York Times bestselling author of Before I Fall and the Delirium trilogy, comes an epic, masterful novel that explores issues of individuality, identity, and humanity. Replica is a “flip book” that contains two narratives in one, and it is the first in a duology. Turn the book one way and read Lyra’s story; turn the book over and upside down and read Gemma’s story. The stories can be read separately, one after the other, or in alternating chapters. The two distinct parts of this astonishing novel combine to produce an unforgettable journey. Even the innovative book jacket mirrors and extends the reading experience.

Lyra’s story begins in the Haven Institute, a building tucked away on a private island off the coast of Florida that from a distance looks serene and even beautiful. But up close the locked doors, military guards, and biohazard suits tell a different story. In truth, Haven is a clandestine research facility where thousands of replicas, or human models, are born, raised, and observed. When a surprise attack is launched on Haven, two of its young experimental subjects—Lyra, or 24, and the boy known only as 72—manage to escape.

Gemma has been in and out of hospitals for as long as she can remember. A lonely teen, her life is circumscribed by home, school, and her best friend, April. But after she is nearly abducted by a stranger claiming to know her, Gemma starts to investigate her family’s past and discovers her father’s mysterious connection to the secretive Haven research facility. Hungry for answers, she travels to Florida, only to stumble upon two replicas and a completely new set of questions.

While the stories of Lyra and Gemma mirror each other, each contains breathtaking revelations critically important to the other story. Replica is an ambitious, thought-provoking masterwork.

Wendy

New Release Tuesday #52: September 20, 2016

Hello dear Readers,

This week another Mystery-Thriller-Suspense. The Kept Woman: A Novel by Karin Slaughter.

Title: A Gentleman in Moscow

Genre: Mystery-Thriller-Suspense

Author: Karin Slaughter

Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: September 20, 2016

Language: English

Hardcover: 480 pages
Meet the Author: Karin Slaughter
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

Husbands and wives. Mothers and daughters. The past and the future.

Secrets bind them. And secrets can destroy them.

The author of Pretty Girls returns with an electrifying, emotionally complex thriller that plunges its fascinating protagonist into the darkest depths of a mystery that just might destroy him.

With the discovery of a murder at an abandoned construction site, Will Trent of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is brought in on a case that becomes much more dangerous when the dead man is identified as an ex-cop.

Studying the body, Sara Linton—the GBI’s newest medical examiner and Will’s lover—realizes that the extensive blood loss didn't belong to the corpse. Sure enough, bloody footprints leading away from the scene indicate there is another victim—a woman—who has vanished . . . and who will die soon if she isn’t found.

Will is already compromised, because the site belongs to the city’s most popular citizen: a wealthy, powerful, and politically connected athlete protected by the world’s most expensive lawyers—a man who’s already gotten away with rape, despite Will’s exhaustive efforts to put him away.

But the worst is yet to come. Evidence soon links Will’s troubled past to the case . . . and the consequences will tear through his life with the force of a tornado, wreaking havoc for Will and everyone around him, including his colleagues, family, friends—and even the suspects he pursues.

Relentlessly suspenseful and furiously paced, peopled with conflicted, fallible characters who leap from the page, The Kept Woman is a seamless blend of twisty police procedural and ingenious psychological thriller -- a searing, unforgettable novel of love, loss, and redemption. 

Wendy

New Release Tuesday #51: September 06, 2016

Hello dear Readers,

This week, a work of Historical-Political Fiction. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles.

Title: A Gentleman in Moscow

Genre: Fiction/Historical/Political

Author: Amor Towles

Publisher: Viking
Publication Date: September 06, 2016

Language: English

Hardcover: 480 pages
Meet the Author: Amor Towles
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

From the New York Times bestselling author of Rules of Civility—a transporting novel about a man who is ordered to spend the rest of his life inside a luxury hotel 

“In all ways a great novel, a nonstop pleasure brimming with charm, personal wisdom, and philosophic insight . . .this book more than fulfills the promise of Towles' stylish debut, Rules of Civility." – Kirkus Reviews (starred)

With his breakout debut novel, Rules of Civility, Amor Towles established himself as a master of absorbing, sophisticated fiction, bringing late 1930s Manhattan to life with splendid atmosphere and a flawless command of style. Readers and critics were enchanted; as NPR commented, “Towles writes with grace and verve about the mores and manners of a society on the cusp of radical change.”

A Gentleman in Moscow immerses us in another elegantly drawn era with the story of Count Alexander Rostov. When, in 1922, he is deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, the count is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin. Rostov, an indomitable man of erudition and wit, has never worked a day in his life, and must now live in an attic room while some of the most tumultuous decades in Russian history are unfolding outside the hotel’s doors. Unexpectedly, his reduced circumstances provide him a doorway into a much larger world of emotional discovery.

Brimming with humor, a glittering cast of characters, and one beautifully rendered scene after another, this singular novel casts a spell as it relates the count’s endeavor to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be a man of purpose.

Wendy

Book Review: It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover-NA/Contemporary/Romance

Hello dear Readers,

Below my book review of It Ends With Us: A Novel by Colleen Hoover.

Title: It Ends With Us: A Novel 

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: NA/Contemporary/Romance

Author: Colleen Hoover

Publisher: Atria Books
Publication Date: August 2, 2016

Language: English

Paperback: 384 pages
Meet the Author: Colleen Hoover
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

The newest, highly anticipated novel from beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author, Colleen Hoover.

Sometimes it is the one who loves you who hurts you the most.

Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up—she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating” rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place.

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan—her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened. 

With this bold and deeply personal novel, Colleen Hoover delivers a heart-wrenching story that breaks exciting new ground for her as a writer. Combining a captivating romance with a cast of all-too-human characters, It Ends With Us is an unforgettable tale of love that comes at the ultimate price.

My Thoughts

What an experience reading this book was. Didn't know anything about it before I started it. Was really hard not to read spoilers or other people's comments and opinions but I was able to avoid all that and so glad I did it because that helped a lot for the reading experience to be unique. Very sensitive topics are presented in this book but I loved how Colleen Hoover embraced them and she managed to deliver a story in a very honest way, being realistic even though the subject in question can cause pain and suffering. One of Colleen's best works, her writing amazing and these characters that will be stuck in my head for a long time. This book totally changed the way I see books, the power of words, what a sentence or an entire book can do.

Please, read this book. You wont be wasting your time.

Wendy

Book Review: The Couple Next Door: A Novel by Shari Lapena-Mystery/Thriller-Psychological Thriller

Hello dear Readers,

Below my book review of The Couple Next Door: A Novel by Shari Lapena.

Title: The Couple Next Door: A Novel 

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: Mystery/Thriller-Psychological Thriller

Author: Shari Lapena

Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books
Publication Date: August 23, 2016

Language: English

Hardcover: 320 pages
Meet the Author: Shari Lapena
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

"The twists come as fast [as] you can turn the pages." --People

"Provocative and shocking.” --Lisa Gardner, New York Times  bestselling author of Find Her

“I read this novel at one sitting, absolutely riveted by the storyline.  The suspense was beautifully rendered and unrelenting!” —Sue Grafton, New York Times bestselling author of X

It all started at a dinner party. . . 

A domestic suspense debut about a young couple and their apparently friendly neighbors—a twisty, rollercoaster ride of lies, betrayal, and the secrets between husbands and wives. . . 

Anne and Marco Conti seem to have it all—a loving relationship, a wonderful home, and their beautiful baby, Cora. But one night when they are at a dinner party next door, a terrible crime is committed. Suspicion immediately focuses on the parents. But the truth is a much more complicated story.

Inside the curtained house, an unsettling account of what actually happened unfolds. Detective Rasbach knows that the panicked couple is hiding something. Both Anne and Marco  soon discover that the other is keeping secrets, secrets they've kept for years. 

What follows is the nerve-racking unraveling of a family—a chilling tale of  deception, duplicity, and unfaithfulness that will keep you breathless until the final shocking twist.

My Thoughts

Who could think a mother or a father would be capable of kidnapping their own child to get out trouble? Nobody, I would say, of course, everything is possible, people cant be so sure. That's the case with this book, the unthinkable happens, the most twisted scenario, yes.

The Couple Next door is the story of Anne and Marco Conti and Cynthia and Graham Stillwell, two couples living in this neighborhood, next to each other and all the events leading the kidnap of  Anne and Marco's baby Cora.

Without any spoiler I will just say this is a very disturbing read, in the sense of all happening in the story is unbelievable, things you dont think can happen. In the other hand, a very clever and well structured story, the characters, the plot, keep you interested. Only took me a few days to read it, a fast paced read, couldn't put it down. The twist of events, was not expecting it at all but at the end everything clicks, everything makes sense.

Overall, a great debut novel, another fascinating thriller which I totally recommend.

Wendy

Book Review: The 52nd by Dela-Fantasy/Romance/Paranormal

Hello dear Readers,

Below my book review of The 52nd by Dela.

Title: The 52nd 

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: Fantasy/Romance/Paranormal

Author: Dela

Publisher: Wise Ink Creative Publishing
Publication Date: October 27, 2014

Language: English

Paperback: 472 pages
Meet the Author: Dela
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

Not one of the sacrifices chosen over the long history had survived--until now.

On the tip of the Yucatan peninsula, the immortal Castillo family gathers in Tulum. Weary and haunted, they receive the names of fifty-two human sacrifices chosen once every fifty-two years for the Underworld, a tradition thought to have disappeared with the fall of the Aztec and Mayan empires.

Driving home one night, college freshman Zara Moss swerves to avoid hitting a ghastly figure in the road. Lucas Castillo witnesses the car crash, but when it comes time to supervise her abduction from the wreckage, he intervenes. Something is different about Zara: Lucas has been having dreams of her arrival for five hundred years.

As Lucas and Zara come together to put an end to the bloody sacrifices, they discover that the ancient tradition isn't so easily broken. The gods are angry, and they have until the Winter Solstice to drag Zara to the Underworld.

My Thoughts

The 52nd is one of these books you dont want it to end. Well-developed characters, a unique plot, powerful dialogues, an amazing world and an unforgettable romance. Loved every moment of it, an incredible debut novel. A fast paced read for me. 

Loved the love-hate relationship between the main characters, Zara and Lucas, and how their relationship grows throughout the book. Very interesting dynamics between Lucas and his family, that familiarity gives the story a very special touch. I liked how Zara is so different from many other female characters I have read. 

I also enjoyed all the Mayan-Aztec history, how it is explained and how that helped me to have a better understanding of this world and characters the author has for us, how it made feel closer to the characters and be more invested in the story. The 52nd, a YA, fantasy, paranormal, romance which I totally enjoyed and recommend.

Many thanks to Dela for sending me a copy of the book.

Wendy

Book Review: A Mind Seduction by Nicole Banks-Poetry

Hello dear Readers,

Below my book review of A Mind Seduction: A book of Poems, Spoken word and Intimate Ramblings by Nicole Banks.

Title: A Mind Seduction: A book of Poems, Spoken word and Intimate Ramblings 

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: Poetry

Author: Nicole Banks

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Publication Date: August 31, 2016

Language: English

Kindle: 86 pages
Meet the Author: Nicole Banks
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

Take a peek inside, and let my words wrap around your mind. 

Let the chaos in my head take you hostage as you get lost in the words on the pages. 

A Mind Seduction is broken into four parts. 

The first part is filled with poems and spoken word. The second part is the intimate and heavy stuff. Part three is learning to let go and the fourth part is a little P.S.A. 

Please note that the poems and writings are not suitable for anyone under 18. 

Author warning: Part two of the book deals with my experience in knowing someone with cancer and 9/11. Please use your discretion when reading this section.

My Thoughts

Very few times I find a poetry book that touches my heart in a special way, this one was one of these books. A book of poems, spoken word and intimate ramblings as the title is. Made me cry, made me happy, all these feelings and emotions. Love, hope, happiness but at the same time sadness, fear, pain. That is what reading this book was for me, a mixture of feelings, a journey through someone else's experiences, deep feelings, desires, an eye opener, a beautifully written, honest, real book. I appreciated every minute of it, makes you realize what is important in life, what really matters. A very unique and powerful book. Totally recommend it.

Thanks to the Author for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Note: As the Author mentions at the beginning of the book, anything she writes is intended for mature audiences only.

Wendy