2 A.M. at the Cat's Pajamas by Marie-Helene Bertino

Goodreads Summary

An enchanting and staggeringly original debut novel about one day in the lives of three unforgettable characters

Madeleine Altimari is a smart-mouthed, rebellious nine-year-old who also happens to be an aspiring jazz singer. Still mourning the recent death of her mother, and caring for her grief-stricken father, she doesn’t realize that on the eve of Christmas Eve she is about to have the most extraordinary day—and night—of her life. After bravely facing down mean-spirited classmates and rejection at school, Madeleine doggedly searches for Philadelphia's legendary jazz club The Cat's Pajamas, where she’s determined to make her on-stage debut. On the same day, her fifth grade teacher Sarina Greene, who’s just moved back to Philly after a divorce, is nervously looking forward to a dinner party that will reunite her with an old high school crush, afraid to hope that sparks might fly again. And across town at The Cat's Pajamas, club owner Lorca discovers that his beloved haunt may have to close forever, unless someone can find a way to quickly raise the $30,000 that would save it.

As these three lost souls search for love, music and hope on the snow-covered streets of Philadelphia, together they will discover life’s endless possibilities over the course of one magical night. A vivacious, charming and moving debut, 2 A.M. at The Cat's Pajamas will capture your heart and have you laughing out loud.

My Thoughts

I’m not really sure how I feel about this book.  Mostly because the ending was so confusing! I mean, what happened?!?!  I’m still very unclear…

I don’t think I actually liked any of the characters that much.  It wasn’t my fault though, I promise, they just weren’t very likeable.  I felt bad for Madeline but I still didn’t like that she was pretty much a brat most of the time.  There were too many story lines going on.  There were way too many perspectives to try to keep up with.  And, to be honest, I really didn’t enjoy reading from the perspective of a dog… at all.

I guess I’m not all that confused about my feeling toward this novel after all.  It wasn’t one that I would recommend to anyone and I wouldn’t want to read it again.  Not my favorite at all.

*Note: I received a copy of this book from Blogging For Books in exchange for an honest review.

Never Said by Carol Lynch Williams

Goodreads Summary

For as long as she can remember, Sarah’s family life has revolved around her twin sister, Annie—the pretty one, the social one, the girl who can do anything. The person everyone seems to wish Sarah—with her crippling shyness—could simply become.

When Annie suddenly chops off her hair, quits beauty pageants, and gains weight, the focus changes—Annie is still the star of the family, but for all the wrong reasons. Sarah knows something has happened, but she too is caught in her own spiral after her boyfriend breaks up with her and starts hanging out with one of Annie’s old friends.

Annie is intent on keeping her painful secret safe. But when she and Sarah start spending time together again for the first time in years, walls start to break on both sides … and words that had been left unsaid could change everything

My Thoughts

Never Said was not at all what I was expecting.  At all.  I'm still kind of trying to decide if I liked it or not.  It definitely kept me reading, I finished it in one day, but I'm not completely satisfied with the ending.

I sympathized with Sarah and her struggle with shyness.  Thankfully, I didn't suffer near as bad as she did but I did deal with some social anxiety/awkwardness when I was younger.  I still feel it at times but I'm able to push through it so I found myself rooting for her.

The situation with Annie threw me a bit.  The problem that she was dealing with wasn't exactly what I thought it was going to be...well, it kind of was...but kind of wasn't.  It's so hard to explain without spoilers!

Never Said wasn't the best book ever but it wasn't the worst either.  I would probably recommend it but I don't know that I would give it more than 3 stars.  I may need to read it again to be sure how I feel about it.  All in all, it was a decent book and a pretty quick read.

*Note: I received a copy of this book from BookLookBloggers.com in exchange for an honest review.

If I Fall, If I Die by Michael Christie

Goodreads Summary

A heartfelt and wondrous debut about family, fear, and skateboarding, that Karen Russell calls "A bruiser of a tale... a death-defying coming-of-age story."

Will has never been outside, at least not since he can remember.  And he has certainly never gotten to know anyone other than his mother, a fiercely loving yet wildly eccentric agoraphobe who panics at the thought of opening the front door.  Their world is rich and fun-loving - full of art, science experiments, and music - and all confined to their small house.

But Will's thirst for adventure can't be contained.  Clad in a protective helmet and unsure of how to talk to other kids, he finally ventures outside.  At his new school he meets Jonah, an artsy loner who introduces Will to the high-flying freedoms of skateboarding.  Together, they search for a missing local boy, help a bedraggled vagabond, and evade a dangerous bootlegger.  The adventure is more than Will ever expected, pulling him far from the confines of his closed-off world and into the throes of early adulthood, and all the risks that everyday life offers.

In buoyant, kinetic prose, Michael Christie has written an emotionally resonant and keenly observed novel about mothers and sons, fears and uncertainties, and the lengths we'll go for those we love.

My Thoughts

There were things I liked about this book and things I didn't like as well.  I was very interested in reading this book when I read the summary but it didn't seem to hold my interest.  Reading felt more like a chore than fun pastime, which makes me sad, so it took me quite a while to read this one.

The beginning of the book was super slow, the middle got pretty good, but then the end seemed rushed and anticlimactic.  There were too many story lines mixed in and I just couldn't keep up!  And then it just ended...as if the author was told to wrap it up.

If I Fall, If I Die certainly wasn't the worst book I have ever read but it wasn't my kind of book at all. I probably will not be recommending this book to many people but I wouldn't mind trying another book by Michael Christie if he writes one.  His writing style was good, I just didn't enjoy this story.

*Note: I received a copy of this book from Blogging For Books in exchange for an honest review.

Miracle at the Higher Grounds Cafe by Max Lucado

Goodreads Summary

What if you could ask God anything? What would you ask? And how would He answer?

Chelsea Chambers is on her own. After a public split from her NFL superstar husband, Chelsea takes a bold step out of the limelight and behind the counter of the Higher Grounds Cafe, an old-fashioned coffee shop in dire need of reinvention. But when her courage, expert planning, and out-of-this-world cupcakes fail to pay the bills, this newly single mom finds herself desperate for help. Better yet, a miracle.

Then a curious stranger lands at Chelsea s door, and with him, an even more curious string of events. Soon, customers are flocking to the Higher Grounds Cafe, and not just for the cupcakes and cappuccino. They ve come for the internet connection to the divine. Now the cafe has become the go-to place for people in search of answers to life s biggest questions.

When a catastrophe strikes and her ex comes calling, Chelsea begins to wonder if the whole universe is conspiring against her quest to make it on her own. After a shocking discovery opens her eyes to the unseen world around her, Chelsea finds the courage to ask God a question of her own. Heaven answers in a most unexpected way."

My Thoughts

Miracle at the Higher Grounds Cafe is the first book by Max Lucado that I have read.  It is also the first "angel" book that I've read.  I'll be honest, when I first realized that there was an angel in the story I was a bit skeptical.  However, the more I read the more I enjoyed it.

The plot was pretty good and, as a matter of fact, it actually felt like I was reading a Hallmark movie...if that makes any sense.  Some little things in the storyline seemed kind of obvious to me, like I wasn't surprised by several things in the book.  But, even with the somewhat expected plot, I really did enjoy this book.

It was a very inspiring book.  Not at all preachy, just nice and uplifting.  I can already think of several people who would love to read this book.  I'll be recommending it for sure!

*Note: I received a copy of this book from BookLookBloggers.com in exchange for an honest review.

The Time Garden by Daria Song

Goodreads Summary

A dazzlingly beautiful coloring book for all ages, The Time Garden will sweep you away into a whimsical cuckoo clock-inspiried world, created in intricate pen and ink by the internationally best-selling Korean artist Daria Song.

Journey through the doors of a mysterious cuckoo clock into its inky inner workings to discover a magical land of clock gears, rooftops, starry skies, and giant flying owls- all ready for you to customize with whatever colors you can dream up.

Cuckoo...cuckoo...cuckoo...When the clock strikes midnight, you'll wonder, was it all a dream?

The Time Garden features extra-thick craft paper, ideal for non bleed-through coloring, and the jacketed cover with flaps is removable and colorable.  Special gold-foil stamping on the cover and spine and a To/From page make it perfect for gifting to adults and kids alike.

Then, explore the magical world outside the clock through the eyes of a fairy in the sequel, The Time Chamber: A Magical Story and Coloring Book!


My Thoughts

It has been such a long time since I owned a coloring book!  I am so excited!  I absolutely love it!

The illustrations are so gorgeous and detailed.  I just love them! And, since the pages are extra thick craft paper I am able to paint some of the pages with acrylic paints or watercolors too.

I have been wanting to by a coloring book like this for a while now so I was extra excited when I received it.  It really is so lovely.  I already have, and will continue to recommend picking up The Time Garden.

*Note: I received a copy of this book from Blogging For Books in exchange for an honest review.

Instant Happy Journal by Karen Salmansohn

I love journals! I love happy things! I love the cover of this journal!  I just love this!!!

Ok, now that I've gotten control of myself, I'll explain why I love this so much.


Goodreads Summary

     This colorful diary inspires journalers to apply happiness guru Karen Salmansohn's Instant Happy principles to their everyday lives, with 365 prompts to encourage a year of gratitude.

     On the heels of Karen Salmansohn's wildly popular gift book Instant Happy comes this happiness journal, with daily prompts to help you think about and apply happiness wisdom to your own life. Each page features a specific intention, inspiring quote, surprising scientific fact, or thought-provoking question to ponder. When you approach your day with Salmansohn's "happiness prompters" in mind, you amp up your ability to notice (and create!) many more joyous moments in your day. But that's just half of what it takes to live a supremely happy life. This journal teaches the top two habits of happy people: to naturally set their intention to enjoy a happy day, then end the day reflecting on what made them happy. When you end your day writing about what went right, you further strengthen your happiness mindset. With fill-in dates so that you can write and reflect at your own pace, this little journal features a graphic design and fresh attitude perfect for today's modern happiness-seeker.


My Thoughts

     If you read the beginning of this post (which I'm assuming you did or you wouldn't be at this part...) you already know how I feel about this journal.  I am so excited that I was given the opportunity to review it!  I absolutely love journals so you can probably just imagine how excited I was when this was deliver to my house!

     This Journal isn't just a blank, write whatever you did that day type of journal.  It has little prompts at the beginning of every page encouraging you to focus on happy things.  Such a wonderful idea!  Especially in the "post all of your troubles and drama on social media" days we live in!  Sometimes people just need a boost of positivity and this journal helps you find the good in each day and situation!  I love it!  I decided to give this copy to my daughter and I'm planning on buying one for my niece and one for myself.  If you like keeping a journal or you know someone who does, then I definitely recommend picking up a copy of this journal.

     There are so many prompts that I loved but here are two that I thought I'd share:

"Love yourself for who you are now. Believe in who you have the power to become."

"Be a kind person. Yes, even to jerks. Let them be jerks. You be a kind person."

*Note: I received a copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.