Hamlet Park by Mark Lages

Summary

Join Michael Tomlin as he jets through a surreal all night journey into the heart and soul of the American dream.  It all takes place in Hamlet Park, his childhood stomping ground.  In his vivid imagination, and under the light of a full moon, he meets up with one unforgettable character after another in a rapid-fire and spellbinding series of encounters.  You'll meet an ex-slave who never dies, a millionaire computer-gaming wunderkind in search of true love, a preacher who holds his services in the dark, and many more!  This is a must read for anyone who's enjoyed Mark Lages's previous books, and it's a great place to start for those who are new to Lages's writing.  Hamlet Park is a truly unique experience with many thought-provoking ideas, and, best of all, it has an ending that will surprise you and make you smile.

My Thoughts

I tried, guys.  I really tried.  I wanted to like this book!  When I received the review request I honestly thought it sounded really good.  Man, the disappointment.

Here's the thing, the minute I realized that he left his daughter's wedding I started questioning what I was reading.  And, I think I was expecting the different characters to be quirky and fun.  I didn't find that to be true.  Not for me anyways.

I don't know, guys.  This one was a struggle.  The desire to dnf this one was real for me.  I'm thinking that I should have.

I really hate to give a negative review!

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

Chasing the Blue Sky by Will Lowrey

Summary

"This is one of the most beautiful books I have read." - Pamela King, author of For the Love of a Dingo

"It's a powerful, gripping, and emotional read, difficult to put down." - Rosepoint Publishing 

"Most highly recommended" - Readers Favorite (5 Stars)

In the sweltering heat of a Clay County summer, a chained dog gives birth to a spirited, black puppy named Toby. Taken from his mother's side at just a few weeks old, Toby soon wins the love of an adoring family. But just as quickly, he finds himself struggling to survive in the unforgiving world of the county animal shelter.

But he's not alone - a motley cast of homeless dogs and a devoted pair of shelter workers will give anything to make sure Toby makes it out alive.

Chasing the Blue Sky is the compelling, emotional story of one dog's journey to find his place in the great big world.

My Thoughts

Oh my word!  This book just destroyed me!  I am a huge puddle on the ground right now!

This book is certainly beautifully written but my heart can't take it.  Not one bit!  Anyone that has been around me at all knows that I am an animal lover.  My heart breaks each and every time I see a stray running around.  I cry if I see a dog chained up outside and it looks the least bit unhappy.  So, I'm sure you can imagine what this book did to me.

Here I am, sitting in my classroom (I'm a teacher) reading while my class is on break... sobbing!

Yes, this book is wonderfully written.  Yes, the message is extremely important.  However, if you don't think that your emotions can handle reading about extreme sadness and neglect.... don't read it!  My heart is literally aching right now!

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

Ready or Not, Here We Come! by Carey V. Azzara

Summary

While her parents are busy, little Leona and her dogs want something to do. They decide on a game of hide and seek, but only Leona hides. Now the dogs must find her. When they do, the question becomes, "Now what?"

My Thoughts

This is a cute little children's book.  The illustrations are especially cute!

As a mom, I kind of don't appreciate that the baby crawled out of the house and is laying under a wood pile and the dogs find her and struggle to get her out before the parents even notice that she's gone... but I guess that's the mom in me.  I have to remember that it's just a children's story!

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

Spitfire by Evan Balkan

Summary

Baltimore, 1952 

With her father fighting in the Korean War, bigotry in her school, and the desire to play a “boy’s sport,” one girl struggles to find her place in the world.

Caroline Panski harbors one dream: to play ice hockey. But, as the neighborhood boys―and her mother―tell her: Boys play hockey; girls figure skate. Caroline, however, refuses to give up, and she navigates her world with determination. Knowing that her beloved father is fighting for freedom far away in Korea saddens her but also gives her strength. And when her school is integrated and she develops a crush on an African- American student, she will need strength and courage to stand up to her classmates just to be his friend. In the end, Caroline’s is a difficult and imperfect world, but one that allows for moments of triumph and friendship. 

My Thoughts

I am having such conflicting feelings on this book!  I'm in a real struggle.  In some ways this book was really good.  In others, well, that where the struggle comes in.

Remember, these are just my thoughts.  My opinions and mine alone.  Let me explain why I'm struggling.  Ok....

So the book begins with Caroline desperately wanting to go outside to play hockey.  She's not allowed at the time because of the weather.  No big deal, no drama.  But then the story gets a sad feeling when it talks about her father being gone in the war.  Once again, that is expected.

Now, sometime in the second chapter the story gets into black people beginning to come into the "white" schools.  It gets super real and harsh from this point on!  I don't want to give spoilers but I will say that the "n" words is in the book a lot!  And, while I do recognize that this word was said a lot back in those days, this is 2019 and this is a middle grade book!  I wouldn't want my middle grade child reading this word over and over!

Spitfire is not a short book.  It is almost 350 pages long.  And let me say that nothing positive or happy happened until probably the last 50 pages or so!  As a matter of fact, there are at least 10 things that are horribly sad in this book!  I just find that to be a bit heavy for a middle grade book.  I cried, like majorly cried, a few different times while reading this.

If this book was an adult novel or even a YA I might feel different, but this is for young kids!  I'd say ages 8-12.  I just really feel like the subject matter and the words that were used are way too much for that age group.  For that reason I am giving this book a 2.5 stars.  I hate that but that's just how I feel.  It made me feel so sad and I just think that's a lot of emotion for a child to deal with when reading a book.

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

The Girls Are Gone by Michael Brodkorb & Allison Mann

Summary

On the evening of April 19, 2013, Samantha and Gianna Rucki disappeared. Two of five children born to David Rucki and Sandra Grazzini-Rucki, the teenage sisters vanished in the midst of their parents divorce.

The girls father, David Rucki, worked tirelessly with law enforcement to search day and night for his two missing daughters, following every lead while raising three remaining children at home. Their mother, Sandra Grazzini-Rucki, used her newfound freedom to vacation around the world, abandoning her children. And as the investigation intensified, catching the attention of the media, Sandra also disappeared.

The Girls Are Gone is the true story of two sisters who went missing, the father who kept searching, and the adults who conspired to keep the truth hidden.

My Thoughts

Oh how I love crime shows, books, documentaries, and everything like that!  I was so incredibly excited to receive this book to review!  It's seriously one of my favorite genres.

First of all, I am shocked that I knew nothing about this case!  I realize that it all occurred in Minnesota and I don't live there, but still!  I had never heard anything about this.

Now, while I do wish that this book read a bit more like a story rather than facts and court documents, I still really enjoyed this book.  I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that all of this really went down.  It's crazy!

If you are at all interested in true crime/missing people cases, you will probably really enjoy reading this.  It's not a short book by any means (over 300 pages) but it goes by pretty fasr because you just get so drawn in!

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

Miss Someday by R.J. Ryker

Summary

It's funny how one stupid little mistake can change your life forever. 

Okay, maybe what I did was slightly more serious than your average slip-up. 

But still...

As far back as I can remember I've had one goal in life: get into the vocal performance program at the Vanderbilt Conservatory of Music in New York City. It's the crème de la crème of music schools. 

Guess what. They accepted me, a practically anonymous girl from the other side of the continent. And they even offered me a partial scholarship. 

And there's my problem--a partial scholarship. 

Why not get a student loan to make up the difference, like every other kid my age? So, about that not-so-little mistake I made...

I was only trying to save my mother from getting in trouble, again. Somehow, some way, I got mixed up in helping my mom and her loser husband do a drug deal. 

A one-time mistake that changed the course of my life forever. It turns out you can't get student loans if you have a drug conviction. True story. Look it up. 

No student loan means I might as well forget attending the world's most elite music school. 

But I'm not about to let go of my dream. 

I have this letter from my mom. It arrived the day after she passed away. She explains everything, who my birth father was, how to find him and--here's the interesting part--how much money he has. 

This man I've never met just might be my ticket to Vanderbilt Music Conservatory, alma mater of some of the world's very best musicians. 

The only problem is, I have to keep my past a secret from my newfound father. And I have a feeling that's not going to be easy...

My Thoughts

Loved It!!! Is that enough of a review?! Lol!  Seriously though, sometimes I feel like that's enough! Haha!

There are times when I read books and have no problem putting them down and moving on to something else I need to do.  Then there are times when I read a book that I would rather let all other things in life slip by so that I can just keep reading.  This was that book for me.

While there were times when I wanted to shake Brittany a bit, I also had to accept that I don't really know how I would act if I was in the same type of situation.  Wow, am I vague or what?!  Sorry!  I don't want to give anything away!

Anyways, pick up this book!  I absolutely loved it!

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

Home Sweet Sonoma by Georgia James and Deborah Parrish

Summary

She's savvy and sharp, and loves her fast-paced city life. But whether she's ready or not, Kitty Taylor is about to find herself stopping to smell the rosé . . .

Superstitious, type-A executive, Catherine "Kitty" Taylor, is about to celebrate the greatest achievement of her career with her brilliant lover-lawyer, Nick Dylan, at her side. But when bad news hits the office, Nick races to New York to salvage the deal of a lifetime, forcing their personal lives to take a back seat, yet again.

With life in limbo, an omen compels Kitty to follow a chain of events, luring her to the wine country to celebrate her mother's 70th birthday. But as she steps foot in the door, she witnesses an event which proves that magic doesn’t really exist after all.

Stuck in a crumbling old church that her mother calls home, Kitty is faced with a vineyard bursting with ripe fruit, and must learn to nurture her feminine side, one grape at a time. Luckily, her mother’s rock-solid handyman, Daine Shepherd, who lives on the property, is just the one to help her do it. As Kitty resists, he gently persists, and their attraction grows by the day. She is not only forced to reconsider her relationship with Nick, but her urban lifestyle with all its fringe benefits. Dwelling in the luscious and slow wine country, she finds herself looking in all kinds of surprising places for the love she didn’t even realize she needed.

This wine country romance goes best with a glass of Chardonnay (or Cabernet), so kick back, relax, and follow Kitty on a soulful journey where she learns to trust her instincts and discover what she most wants out of life.

My Thoughts

Seriously, people.  I needed this book!  I needed the emotions it gave me, I needed the comic relief, and I needed the reminder to slow down and appreciate life and the people in it.

When I first started reading it I had a life full of distractions so I was having a really hard time getting into it.  I would read a little and feel like I wasn't following or something.  My first thought was that the book was lacking something.  Then, I kind of stepped back and realized that my life was crazy busy so it probably wasn't the book.

When I finally had the time to sit and get myself fully into the book I fell in deep.  It was so good!  I teared up, I rolled my eyes, I felt happy, I felt frustrated, I laughed!  All in one book!  This book is definitely worth picking up and settling in for a relaxing night of reading.

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

The Lyons Legacy by Charlie King

Summary

Ten years on from the events that took place inside The Lyons Orphanage, Sam is still no closer to finding his parents. 
Sam takes a job at the Crown Prosecution Service to find clues about the identity of his parents by investigating the case against Howard Lyons, who was sectioned as a result of his actions. 
Nicholas Lyons, stricken with illness, pleads with Sam to visit his brother and have him transferred to a prison for his crimes, to save Howard from the indignity of life in a psychiatric hospital. 
This sets Sam on a path to learn all he can about the case but clean-cut Sam knows he’ll have to break a few rules to get to the bottom of it.

My Thoughts

I love it when I receive a sequel to a book I've reviewed in the past!  Well, I do if I enjoyed the previous book! Haha!  And, since I did enjoy the first book in this series (The Lyons Orphanage) I am happy to read and review this sequel!

The Lyons Legacy, just like The Lyons Orphanage, does read a bit slow in the beginning.  Actually, it's pretty slow for the majority of the book.  However, when it kicks into high gear, it moves along quite nicely!

I enjoyed seeing the growth and maturity in the characters as well as in the writing all around!  I am so thankful to have the opportunity to read and review another good, entertaining book!

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

Pickles the Dog: Adopted in North Dakota by Kat Socks, Illustrated by Ben Brick

Summary

Adopting a pet from a shelter is not only exciting, but it’s truly a feelgood experience as well. Join Kat and her family as they bring their adopted dog, Pickles, home to their family farm. Kat and Pickles work together to make the transition fun.

My Thoughts

I love it!  I love it!! I love it!!!!!

First of all, this book is adorable.  The Illustrations are wonderful and I am a definitely sucker for books about adopting pets!  And, to top it off, the stuffed animal version of Pickles is the best!  So cute and soft.

I took this book to school and read it to my kindergarten class.  They are the real critics here.  Well, they loved it!  They have asked me to read it a few more times since then, too.

I definitely recommend picking up a copy of this book and reading it to/with children in your life.

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