The Summer of Broken Rules

Meredith doesn't know if she is more nervous or excited to be back at her family's annual reunion at Martha's Vineyard. It has been two years since she came with her mom, dad, and sister, but after her sister, Claire, died, her family couldn't muster up the desire to return. This year however, is not just a family reunion, but her cousin's wedding as well. While she is dying to see everyone again, she also dreads having to return to a place that holds so many memories for her and Claire. Not to mention facing all of the people closest to her that she shut out of her life as she battled her grief. Will they be angry with her for pushing them away? Will it be awkward interacting with them without her bubbly extrovert sister by her side? And can she forgive her cousin for her sister's death?

As Meredith struggles to reconnect with family, honor her sister's memory, and find forgiveness in her heart, she also is in one of the most intense games of her life. The game is called 'Assassin' and her family has been playing it for as long as she can remember. The players in the game are crazy competitive, but Meredith feels a strong desire to take home the trophy this year.... for Claire. As alliances are formed and battle lines are drawn, a certain groomsmen with a charming smile may very well threaten Meredith's chance at a victory.

'The Summer of Broken Rules', by K.L. Walther, is what summer dreams are made of. This book fills you with a nostalgia for someone else's childhood. It makes you want to spend lazy days at the lake, wander through small towns, and of course, enter the high stakes game of Assassin and obliterate your family members. It is heartwarming, adventurous, freaking hilarious, heartbreaking, romantic .... basically, it has allllllll the feels. In short, it is the perfect summer read!

November 9

 

November 9'th is a date that Falon wishes she could forget. November 9'th is the date when her life changed forever. Badly scarred from a house fire, Falon could no longer work as an actress. Her dreams were literally ripped from her grasp overnight. On the day before she moves to New York City to try and create a new life for herself, she meets Ben, an aspiring writer who doesn't look away from her deformed face. They spend the entire day together, and for the first time, November 9'th isn't so horrible. Together they come up with a plan. They are going to meet on the same day, every year, and Ben is going to write their story, a love story. However, can it truly be a love story if Ben has been lying to Falon all along for the sake of his book? Only time will tell.

November 9, by Colleen Hoover, is told from Falon and Ben's perspectives on alternating chapters. It's a story of a girl who learned not only how to survive, but to thrive. It's a story about a boy who feels lost and haunted, who meets a girl he never expected to love. The plot line was intriguing to me, but I wasn't immediately hooked. I had to find out how it ended though, and I am glad that I didn't give up on it, because it had one of the greatest plot twists! It was seriously so unexpected my mouth literally hung open. I would recommend this book just for that reason alone. If you like adult romance novels, then you'll like this book. Steamy romances have never really been my thing, but this one wasn't terrible, it was actually pretty good. 

The Circus Train

 Theo Papadopoulos is one of the greatest illusionists in the world, and the biggest act in the World of Wonder's circus. His daughter however, has never quite found her place on the circus train as they travel through Europe. Lena had polio when she was a child, and because of it, she has lost all movement from the waist down. In a world full of theatrical artists, Lena feels like an inconvenience. When Lena finds a thief in the kitchens, she not only discovers a new friend, but a strength within herself that she never knew she had. However, the new boy is Jewish, and if the Nazi's discover that fact, all of their lives could be in danger. 

    'The Circus Train', by Amita Parikh, is the story of war, hope, family, friendship, and the survival instinct that every human being carries within themselves. Set during WWII, it shows a different perspective of the war that you may have never seen before. The character development is fantastic. The writing is eloquent. The plot is addictive. 

A Thousand Heartbeats

 

Some people get excited about a new song that their favorite artist releases. I get excited about new books that my favorite authors publish. One of that authors is Kiera Cass, author of The Selection series. Thanks to an Amazon email, I was instantly informed that she had a new book coming out. Did I pre-order it? Why, yes. Yes I did.

A Thousand Heartbeats is the love story between two people who were definitely not supposed to fall in love. A real Romeo and Juliet kind of thing. Annika is a princess who isn't in control of her own life. Her father has become cold and unfeeling. He is determined to marry Annika off for political gain. Lennox is a soldier in the Dahrainian army, determined to reclaim what has been taken from him- Annika's castle and country. Only one of them can win. There is no happy ending meant for these two. With everything and everyone around them fighting against them, how can these two young lovers find a way to overcome?

Once again, Kierra Cass is the reason for late nights and very little sleep. This may be one of her longest novels, but it sure didn't take long to read. I couldn't put it down! I absolutely had to find out how it ended, and then was sad when it did. Dear Kierra Cass, please write another book ASAP. Sincerely, an overcaffeinated, tired, diehard fan. 

Beyond the Wand

 I'm not a huge non-fiction fan, I probably only read the genre once a year, but when I heard that Tom Felton had written a memoir, I knew that I absolutely HAD to read it. Hey, guess what? I am a hardcore pott-head, who knew? (That was sarcasm in case you missed it). I am also a huge Tom Felton fan. While a lot of the other actors have moved on to other things, Tom Felton is constantly keeping the magical world alive on social media. He is hilarious, kind, and nerdy in the best way. 

The book is perfectly titled, 'Beyond the Wand'. Although Tom is mostly known for his role as Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter movie series, he gives us a detailed outline of his life, starting from adolescence, to his years after the Potter films. Tom is open and honest about his problems with alcohol. He addresses his families mental health problems. He illustrates the darker moments of his life. However, the book is not all about his hardships. He also tells us of his best moments. His funniest moments. And how honored and grateful he is for the life that he has lived. 

I loved this book. I thoroughly enjoyed Tom Felton's witty sense of humor, his crazy antics as a child, and his in depth look at working on the Harry Potter sets. It was so interesting to get a glimpse of the other actors and actresses through Tom's eyes. I loved hearing about the deleted scenes, the sets, costumes, special effects, basically I was eating it all up. This is definitely a must read for any and every pott-head out there!

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

 

Addeline LaRue is a young French woman who wants to live her life, her way. While all the other girls want to become wives and mothers, Addie dreams of freedom. Her friend Estelle has taught her to pray to the gods of nature, but never pray to the gods who answer after dark. When her parents choose a husband for her, Addie becomes desperate. She pleads with the gods to answer her prayers, but Addie doesn't realize that the sun has gone down. The wrong god comes to her rescue, but is she willing to sell her soul for her freedom? 

'The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue' is a thought provoking novel full of history, romance, art, and human emotion. What does it mean to be human? What are our basic needs to thrive? How much would you be willing to sacrifice to make your biggest dream become reality? This story will have you contemplating all of these questions and more. 

This year I decided to do the 12 books in a year challenge that was going around on Facebook. Basically you asked your friends for recommendations for books, and then chose books that you have not read before. The idea is to broaden your reading horizons and read books that you wouldn't normally choose for yourself. I got a late start on the challenge this year, so this is only the first book from that challenge that I have read. I am so glad I started out the year strong. I definitely would recommend this book. It was one of those books that keeps you guessing until the very end. I am excited to continue on with this challenge, I have a feeling that it is going to be a great year of reading!

Long Live the Pumpkin Queen

 I was meandering around my local bookstore when I saw 'Long Live the Pumpkin Queen', by Shea Ernshaw, sitting on a shelf. Loving all things associated with Halloween, there was no way I was going to just pass it by, especially since it was the last copy. My kids and I are die-hard fans of the movie (who isn't?!), but sometimes spinoff stories don't hold up to childhood nostalgia, so I went into this read with somewhat low expectations. Boy was I surprised when the author had me hooked from page one. Ernshaw did her homework on Halloween Land and I loved delving deeper into Jack and Sally's world. Exploring all of the other lands besides just Christmas Land was such a treat! The author does such a wonderful job at staying true to the mythical worlds that Tim Burton has created, and by the end of the book I was crossing my fingers hoping that this would be turned into a movie as well. 

The story begins with Jack and Sally's wedding. They decide to go to Valentines Land on their honeymoon and have a wonderful day exploring this new land together, for this is the only land that Jack has yet to visit, saving it just for this momentous occasion. They unfortunately can only stay away from home for 24 hours however since it very close to Halloween day and there is just so so much to do still. As soon as Jack and Sally re-enter Halloween Land they are both bombarded by holiday preparations. As the new pumpkin queen, Sally is overwhelmed by all of the new expectations that sit on her shoulders. She begins to have high levels of anxiety about being a ruler, and she desperately wishes she could just be "Sally and Jack", and not "Queen and King". When the witch sisters begin fitting her for a new royal gown, the pressure becomes too much for Sally, and she finds herself fleeing her home in desperate need for some time alone. As she is wandering around the forest, Sally discovers a hidden door that has a moon on it. Leaving the door open unleashes the beginning of a wild adventure for Sally that leads her to a shocking discovery about her past. 

This book will become a Halloween treasure that both you and your kids will enjoy reading together time and time again. 

Lemon Tart

 'Lemon Tart' is Josi Kilpack's debut culinary murder mystery novel. Sadie Hoffmiller is a widow, substitute teacher, mother, and your typical nosy neighbor who prides herself on knowing everything about her neighbors. When a young single mother is murdered in Sadie's cul-de-sac, she is determined to help the police find the culprit, even if that means crossing the line a time or two. The victim's son is missing and the clock is ticking to find him before anything worse happens to him. There are plenty of suspects and Sadie soon discovers that she might not know her neighbors as well as she thinks she did. 

I haven't read mystery books in a while, but I found this one very intriguing. I love when books keep me guessing until the very end and this one definitely kept those pages turning. It was also refreshing to read a murder mystery that wasn't gory, disturbing, or too scary. I am pretty sensitive to those kind of books, but love mysteries, so this one was right up my alley. 

The Valet's Secret

Rebecca Parker is a lonely widow whose only child is already grown and on her own. After her husband died she was forced to move back in with her abusive artist father and help him with his work to provide for her and her daughter. Her father has been drinking more and more, which also means he is becoming even more mean to her. She feels the future is dreary until one day when a valet named Malcom Henry almost runs her over with his wild out of control horse. In the moments afterwards she finds herself kissing this complete stranger, which is very unlike her. Rebecca believes that the love at first sight, fairy tale ending isn't meant for her, but she can't keep herself from thinking about Malcolm and the feelings that he stirs in her. She begins to fantasize about life with him and away from her father. However, when she helps serve at a dinner party for a rich family, she discovers that Malcom is a guest, and definitely NOT a valet, but the heir to an earldom. Rebecca is humiliated and all her day dreams of a better life come crashing down around her. 

Josi Kilpack is a proper romance genius. Reading her books is like reading a Hallmark movie. You know that the two protagonist characters will end up together, but you can't help being intrigued by the plot and the events that get them there. This book is all about second chances at love, overcoming trials and obstacles, hope, and of course, romance. It is an intriguing story that keeps the pages turning until the sun comes up.  

Hold On, But Don't Hold Still

 'Hold On, But Don't Hold Still' is an inspiring memoir by Kristina Kuzmic. Kristina shares her story of a life that didn't turn out quite like she planned, but through endurance and hope, turned out to be quite beautiful and fulfilling. When she winds up being a single mom with two small kids, almost destitute, and buried under severe depression, she has a hard time believing that life could ever get any better. She starts to believe that her children would be better off she just ended her life, but through an amazing therapist and lots of hard work, she comes to understand the truth behind that awful lie. 

I discovered Kristina on Facebook. Her witty and heartfelt videos were a source of joy and entertainment for me. I loved how real and raw she was, and that she was willing to discuss the hard truths of being a mom. I have felt the things that she has felt and she gave me hope on some of my hardest parenting days. When she announced that she was publishing a book I knew it was one I definitely need to read, and it did not disappoint. I am a huge fan of hers and promise you that this book is worth the read.