Author: Kala

book review · books

Lola by Melissa Scrivner Love {review}

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Drugs, money, loyalty. A man’s world, or is it?

I will admit that I had some reservations after I received this novel and didn’t think I would enjoy it. I then found myself wanting to know what was going to happen and when. This is not the typical type of novel that I usually read but I am so glad that I stepped outside of my box this time. What looks like sugar isn’t always sweet. Lola definitely defied the stereotypes types of a gang banger and I appreciated that fact. Lola was a hardcore thug. I honestly thought that she would soften around the edges when it was crunch time but she was ruthless throughout the entire story, even when it came to her own family. She was a woman after my own heart though. She knew how to take care of home and was willing to take risks to protect what was hers or what she deemed needing protection. The only soft spot she had was for Lucy whose mother was a junkie willing to pimp out her child for her next fix. Lola’s past made her protective of Lucy. I would recommend this story to anyone needing a break from the mundane suspense, thriller type novels or the stories where the man is always leading the pack. This is my first novel by this author and I look forward to reading more by her. Maybe Lola will get a sequel, lol.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this honest review.

book review · books · suspense

The French Girl by Lexie Elliot {review}

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Goodreads Blurb:

They were six university students from Oxford–friends and sometimes more than friends–spending an idyllic week together in a French farmhouse. It was supposed to be the perfect summer getaway–until they met Severine, the girl next door.

My Review:

When the story starts, I can say that I did not really like Kate. I thought she was just an uptight, jealous woman. She seemed high strung, but as the story carries along you realize why she is the way that she is. Her best friend Lara did seemed to be as self centered as Caro was. The men were a different story altogether. Tom, who has recently returned from Boston after a divorce was my first suspect in this crime that has recently resurfaced.

Basically what you have is a cold case that resurfaces and 5 lives are disrupted 10 years later. Five of the six friends who are alive, learn things about each other from that summer holiday so many years ago. As things go along, fingers start to point and it even comes to the point where they have decided to point the finger at their friend, Theo,  who has died in combat during his military career. Which I found quite ballsy. I couldn’t blame them. Why not blame someone who isn’t there to defend their own innocence if it means keeping yourself out of jail. The character I did not like the most was Caro. As the story develops and I learned more about her, it made me dislike her even more. She was just one of those characters who has always been unlikeable and does what she has to do to manipulate things to her satisfaction.. Seb didn’t warrant much sympathy from me because of his drunken behavior which apparently was a habit.

This is one of those stories that make you look at your friendships closely wondering if you really know your friends and wonder what their behavior would be if something like a murder case popped up in your lives many,  many  years later after a person has disappeared. How far would you go to protect or defend your innocence?

I will admit I was almost finished with  this novel before trying to figure out “who dun it” because I was enjoying the storyline. I never did get even close to the actual killer was, lol. What I enjoyed most about reading this novel was the fact that it is not set in the United States. I will have to admit that I was not all that excited by the ending but it did not deter my enjoyment of the novel.

I would like to thank Net Galley for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. This novel will be published February 10, 2018.

I give this novel 4 stars!

book review · books · Family

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah {Review}

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Hello everyone, I hope that you all enjoyed your holiday and hope that you were able to get some good deals shopping if that is what you participated in. I was fortunate to receive an ARC of Kristin Hannah’s new book that is set to be released February 6, 2018 from St. Martin’s Press.

Goodreads Description:

Alaska, 1974.
Untamed.
Unpredictable.
And for a family in crisis, the ultimate test of the human spirit.

From the author who brought you the phenomenon of The Nightingale.

Review:

Let me just start by saying get ready to go on an emotional adventure. Kristin Hannah does it AGAIN!!!

In this novel we meet the Albrights. They are a family of three. Ernt(dad), Cora(mom), and Leni(daughter). This novel takes place in the mid seventies, after the Vietnam War. Ernt has returned home after being captured and held captive for 6 years. He suffers from what would not be called PTSD. There really wasn’t a word for it then. The men were just described as “being changed by the war.” He cant hold down and job and he has anger issues. Cora tries to pacify him by giving in to his grand ideas and constant moving around, although their daughter, Leni, has to suffer because of all the changes.

The dynamic of the relationship of Cora and Ernt is not apparent at first but quickly surfaces once the family moves to Alaska. Ernt has been gifted a house and some land by a fellow war comrade. When they first move to Alaska, things seem as if they will be okay. As the time goes on, Ernt takes a turn for the worse. While he is spiraling out of control, Leni is beginning to grow into a young adult and she is becoming a mentally strong young woman. She begins to see things in her parents that she had not noticed before and is having a difficult time accepting them.

Leni meets Matthew Walker, a young man who is going to play a key role in her life. As will his family in her father’s breaking point.

I will stop there because I really do not want to give away much more about the story. Just know that there is so much more that is going on in their lives.

This is one of those novels that will make you think about how mental health and love can affect relationships. It also shows how unconditional love can either make or break a person. As I said earlier, this novel is another emotional adventure. I read The Nightingale a couple of months ago and was emotionally exhausted when I finished it. I love a book that can make me feel that way and The Great Alone did the same thing. Hannah puts on paper real life issues and makes you think and feel with her characters.

I may have had some watery eyes with the end of this novel, but I will neither confirm or deny it. I strongly suggest purchasing this novel when it is published if you are a fan of Kristin Hannah and if you have not read any of her novels, this is a great introduction to her style of writing. This book isn’t even out yet and I am already looking forward to her next novel. I guess I will have to go get one of her older novels off my shelf to hold me over.

I give this book 5 stars!

books · meet the mrs · suspense

The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen {Review}

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I was very shocked and happily surprised to have received an advanced copy of The Wife Between Us from St. Martin’s Press. I was going to wait and read this novel around Christmas because I had some reservations about it,  but something kept drawing me to it so I decided to read it this past weekend and I am so very glad that I did. I will have to give this novel a 4.5 star rating.

The story opens with the prologue which is told from the ex-wife’s point of view. I immediately assumed that she is just some jealous, scorned woman. We are then introduced to Nellie. She is a preschool teacher who is about to be married to the man of her dreams. He is rich, good looking and he takes good care of her. Even if he does seem a bit possessive(to others). As the story goes on alternating between the ex wife and the new wife-to-be, I realize that both women have some pretty intense pasts and secrets. I soon find out who Nellie really is(turns out to be Vanessa) and who the new wife to be is(Emma). Nothing in this story is what it seems and no one is who they seem. I went in with the mindset that the ex wife was just some heartbroken hag who let herself go and pushed her husband away into the arms of a young woman who has it all together. As the story develops, you find out that she is not a heartbroken hag, but actually a woman with a plan. This rich successful man, Richard,  is not the man I thought he was. He doesn’t actually have it all together. He may be rich and good looking, but he is a twisted man. This pretty new wife to be, Emma,  isn’t as innocent as she portrays either. She too has her own agenda. Vanessa and Emma end up sharing a past and don’t know it until the end of the story once all the secrets start unravelling. Vanessa thinks she is manipulating the  situation and she is to a certain extent but she is being manipulated as well. Although Richard is not a great guy, I almost had to feel sorry for him because he ends up being a pawn in this twisted mind game that is being played.

Two questions I ended up asking myself while reading this novel were how far does a person go to get out of an unhealthy situation and how far does a person go to seek vengeance. This story, in my opinion was a perfect blend of Gone Girl meets Girl on the Train with a bit of Sleeping with the Enemy thrown in. I see this novel being a satisfying page turner to all who read it. The plot keeps twisting and turning and keeps you guessing until the very end. Every time I thought I had the story figured out, the authors threw a serious curve ball at me and I enjoyed that very much. I would definitely like to see more work from these ladies.

This novel is set to be released January 9, 2018. It will be a great pick for an after the holidays read.

books · Family · Salem · Salem Witch Trials

The Fifth Petal by Brunonia Barry [Review]

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Initially when I finished this novel today, I thought it had taken me forever to read but in reality it only took 7 days. I’m not quite sure why I thought it took me longer. Anyway, here is my review:

This novel is set in Salem, home of the Salem Witch Trials. It follows a case that is opened after the sudden death of a local boy. This boy is said to have been killed by one of the town’s local witches, Rose. This death makes the chief of police consider the fact that it could be connected to a cold case from several years ago. A case in which Rose was at the center of at that time as well. We are also introduced to Callie who is the only known survivor of the “Goddess Murders.” Her mother was one of the women who were killed in that case and the killer was never found and Callie was shipped off to grow up in the state foster care program. All this time she has believed that Rose was dead but soon discovers that she isn’t once the story airs about the young man who was possibly murdered by her. Callie heads back to a territory that she has not so wonderful memories of. She returns to a place filled with superstition, betrayal, and revenge. True to the manner of a Salem Witch based novel, we have our characters who are the accused, the accusers, the believers, and the non believers. We see what some are willing to do in order to protect what they think is rightfully theirs, even if it means employing “black magic” or witchcraft. We also see what others are willing to overlook if it means “saving face.” And what would a novel of this subject be without some love? There is a healthy dash of love affairs and finding love in this story. Not too much romance but enough to keep the story going. And for this subject, you do have to have the aspect of a love story. Face the facts, love is probably the top reason people turn to this type of lifestyle. Either the want of love or the want of revenge on someone who was loved but was hurt by the one they loved.

I would have to give this novel a rating of 3 stars out of 5 only because I felt as though it moved a bit too slow at first and then everything was rushed at the end. There are still some points of the story that I was hoping would have some closure but they didn’t. Maybe this is why I thought it took me so long to read. I do appreciate the bit of history in it along with the mystery/thriller aspect. The novel unravels in about a years time with bits of flashback thrown in. I will admit that the way Barry wrote the story makes you wonder if witchcraft is indeed real. She doesn’t use fanciful events to touch on the possibility of witchcraft, she uses events that cause the reader to stop and wonder and I appreciated that aspect. This is my first novel by this author and I am definitely interested in reading her other works even if this novel is not at the top of my list of books that I enjoyed reading.

I received a copy of this novel from Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review.

 

 

books · Family · World War 2

The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir by Jennifer Ryan{Review}

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I have received a copy The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir by Jennifer Ryan from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this honest review.

 

Book Blurb:

Told through letters and journals, The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir moves seamlessly from budding romances to village intrigues to heartbreaking matters of life and death. As we come to know the struggles of the charismatic members of this unforgettable outfit — a timid widow worried over her son at the front; the town beauty drawn to a rakish artist; her younger sister nursing an impossible crush and dabbling in politics she doesn’t understand; a young Jewish refugee hiding secrets about her family, and a conniving midwife plotting to outrun her seedy past — we come to see how the strength each finds in the choir’s collective voice reverberates in her individual life. The novel is set during World War II.

 

Review:

This story is about a local choir who was at first being shut down because there were no men available to sing with the women until Miss Primrose Trent arrives and decides to make it an all women choir. The choir is brought together to be a positive outlet during a time of war. The ladies and girls in the choir come from various backgrounds but work wonderfully together. Thru the journal entries from each woman (nurse, midwife, sisters, and refugee), we learn secrets of love, devotion, and deceit. Not everyone is who they seem at first and there is tremendous growth in the ladies as they take on the challenge of being a woman only choir during a terrible time of war. They experience laughter, love, and tragedy. I enjoyed how the story was developed thru each of their views. I found that appealing because it makes you image how people really may have felt during that time period. There aren’t too many stories set during World War II that have a comedic type of appeal to them. I was able to more than just the feeling of dread. I was able to laugh with some of these ladies. Although the story is told thru the women, you do get a feel of how the men acted who weren’t at the front fighting and even those who came home to visit from the fighting. Some men were supportive, some were abusive, and there were those who were loving. Being in the choir gave strengths to each of the women that were needed to help them develop as people. Jennifer Ryan’s style of writing made this an enjoyable and easy read. I look forward to reading more from her.

books

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood [review]

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I said that I was going to do this review last week, but I have to admit I am just now able to get off the emotional rollercoaster that I was thrown on during and after reading this book. Where do I begin? Aha, how about the beginning. I promise to try not to give away too much information because I want people to read and experience this book on their own.
 

The story begins when a young Wavy is sent to live with her family after her mother is sent away to jail. Wavy is not your typical child. She shows signs immediately that prove she has not had a childhood filled with rainbows and ribbons. She doesn’t eat, talk or liked to be touched. It takes time for her to eventually let her own grandmother touch her and that is not until her grandmother is dying from cancer and even then she doesn’t let others see her interact with her grandmother. Wavy’s aunt and uncle do not know how to care for her, nor do they try to understand her.

 From what I gathered, Wavy’s mother seemed to be passive aggressive, even OCD when it comes to germs. She is also a drug addict and probably suffers from anxiety and depression. Don’t even get me started on her “father”. I put that in quotations because as far as I am concerned that meth making organism didn’t deserve to be called her father.

 When Wavy’s mother gets out of jail, Wavy goes back to live with her. Her mother does okay by her and her new baby brother for only a short time. Soon enough, “dad” shows back up and convinces Wavy’s mother to come back to him.

 After going back to the house on the farm, Wavy is thrown into the role as caretaker for her brother. Soon Wavy encounters Kellen. They relationship that they start building is odd. He becomes her caretaker of sorts. Making sure that the house is clean and that there is food in the house. He also makes sure that Wavy gets to school and even meets with her teacher. Wavys’s mother is in her own world of depression and drugs. Wavy’s “father” is only concerned with his business, women, and his image.

 Wavy begins to finally experience feelings that she has never felt before when she is dealing with Kellen. Kellen also reciprocates these feelings back to Wavy as she grows older. Wavy slowly comes out of her shell around Kellen. He provides the love and nurturing that her parents never gave her and a little more. Eventually, as Wavy gets older these feelings they have for each other develop into more and cause a ruckus in their lives.

 That is where is will stop with the “synopsis” review and bring you to how this book made me feel.

 I gave this book 5 stars before I was finished with it. I could not put it down. I was drawn in and it kept my attention even when things started getting weird. I highly recommend this book and I am quite upset that my book club has not read this book yet. I have voted for it every time it is one of our contenders and it has not won. I am so glad that I decided to read it on my own after having owned it several months, both the ebook and the hardcover. I felt so many emotions while reading this story. I did not want it to end. This is not a story that is meant to put you in the “feel good” moments of life. It will make you uncomfortable and make you think about what you would do in situations. We all say what we would do, but would we really do it? Although fiction, this story is REAL life. This story is something that is happening every day in our world. This is definitely an ugly, but wonderful story. 

 

 

 

books

Wondering about classics…

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What makes a book a classic? This is something that has been on my mind for the past two days.Current and well known classics include novels by Charles Dickens, Janes Austen, Mark Twain, John Steinbeck, Harper Lee, George Orwell, and many others. These are novels that everyone has encountered whether they love to read for enjoyment or they were forced to read them in school for assignments. Considering how many novels are published each year, in print and some just online, will the qualifications that made the original classics classic be the same with some of today’s writings?

I honestly cannot say that I know right now at the top of my head any books that I would love to add to that list. I’m not saying that I haven’t read any breath taking, heart stopping, and life changing stories over the last several years. I’m just saying that if the same criteria is used to decide if a book is a classic, I don’t have any to add at the current moment. Of course that could change considering the amount of literature and novels that are put out each year. If the criteria is flexible in adding a book to the classics section of the bookstore or adding it to that tedious list handed out in almost every literature class, then there might be a few novels I would add to that list.

Something else that is newer is the amount of awards that a book can be considered for nomination and even winning. There are so many lists and awards (that continually add to my TBR list, lol) out here that it would be difficult to narrow those choices down to novels to add to the classics. Also, just like in centuries before there are books that have been for overlooked for awards and nominations due to the lack of popularity or prestige according to the people who judge these awards. Will these book be overlooked even if they have the said “criteria” of a classic?

Social media has taken the book community by storm, in my humble opinion. There are bloggers, bookstagramers, tweeters and probably more outlets that I am missing out on. Will this also have an effect on determining if a novel is a classic?

At the end of the day, I think sticking to the original criteria of judging if a book is a classic will work, but there will have to be some added factors.

 What do you guys think? Happy reading folks, whether you’re reading “classic” material or not. 

books

Checking in 9/11/17

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Hey guys! I hope everyone had a good weekend and that their week is off to a good start. I had a fantastic weekend that included seeing It and reading All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood(review will be posted this week). I’m so glad that I knocked out It in time to see the film. I admit I was spooked. I’m not sure if it was because the book spooked me or because I really feel some type of way about clowns, a feeling that I’m not used to having. I’ve always been indifferent about clowns but that has changed since reading that behemoth of a book and seeing the movie. My best friend actually challenged me to read the book in two weeks and we managed to do it! I more than needed a nice and easy read after that. 

This week, besides work, my plans include posting a review on All the Ugly and Wonderful Things, reading and reviewing The Absence of Evelyn by Jackie Townsend, and trying to figure out what to read next. 

Anyway, just wanted to check in with you guys!!!! Have a great one! Happy reading and writing! 

books

My take on The Woman Who Couldn’t Scream by Christina Dodd

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Good afternoon readers. Last night I finished my ARC of The Woman Who Couldn’t Scream which is set to be released on Sept 5th. This book is part of a series, something I found out after researching the author, Christina Dodd. Although part of a series, I was able to follow along without any issues. I say that it can be read as a stand alone.

We are introduced to Merida Falcon aka Helen Nauplius aka Merry Byrd, a woman who is mute because of a near death accident. She is married to a wealthy, yet evil man who eventually dies. Once he passes away, Helen takes the money she has saved over the years and vanishes only to show up in Virtue Falls as Merida Falcon(I like the similarity of this name to her real one, Merry Byrd). Here in Virtue Falls we meet Kateri Kwinault, the Native American female sheriff who has also had a near death accident(being shot after she was voted mayor by a felon). Kateri is Merida’s(actually Merry’s) childhood friend from Baltimore. Kateri is in the middle of trying to find the escaped convicts who shot at her in the local diner, injuring her and putting her friend Rainbow in a coma. 

While in Virtue Falls, Merida begins her task of taking revenge on a lover from long ago who she believes tried to kill her, Benedict Howard. Although her appearance has changed and she can not speak, Benedict believes he knows who she is but can not prove it. Both of them are in danger from people who were supposed to love them. 

Not only does Kateri have to hunt down felons, she is also having to find a sudden serial slasher who is slashing women’s faces(wait until you find out who it is and why!!!).

Now, I know this is quite a bit to take in, but trust me when I say it all comes together and  it will keep you on the edge of your seat. Killers where you least expect it and of course some loving is thrown in the mix. Boy, do I wish I could get my hands on a real life Stag Denali(Kateri’s love interest). 

This is my first book my Christina Dodd and I am looking forward to reading more by her. This was definitely a thriller I was glad to get in the mail and have a chance to read and review. I know I’ve rambled on, but definitely check this book out if you’re looking for a new thriller mixed with some loving!!!!