Mr. Lynch’s Holiday by Catherine O’Flynn
You know I love me some adult fiction & this one sounds like it has the potential to be heartbreaking – in a good way. A father and son reconnect, ex-pats, goat hunting, Spain, & Ireland. :) Sounds like a good time to me! O’Flynn’s most recent work, The News Where You Are has been on my To Read list for ages & has received a ton of praise, so I expect good things from this new book!
Golden Boy by Abigail Tarttelin
I’m normally not into coming-of-age stories (they tend to be overy sappy), but this one sounds great. A perfect family (two athletic, intelligent, popular sons; a criminal lawyer mother; a father with his eye on Parliament) is hiding a not-so-perfect secret. With the family now in the media’s spotlight, a childhood friend steps forward and betrays Max. This one sounds fantastic and it’s told through multiple perspectives which will be interesting.
Rebel Spirits by Lois Ruby
A Civil War ghost story? Yes, yes, & yes.
The Boy Who Could See Demons by Carolyn Jess-Cooke
A ten-year old boy with a 9000-year old demon for a best friend. A suicidal mother has left him seeing a psychiatrist and she questions his ability to see demons – she’s dealt with this before in her daughter and wonders if this demon isn’t something more.
Cherry Money Baby by John M. Cusick
Hollywood glitz meets small-town life. I love ~when two worlds collide~ stories.
Wild Boy by Rob Lloyd Jones
One of my obsessions is the golden age of the Circus: turn of the century sideshow acts. Wild Boy is a Middle Grade murder mystery set in Victorian London with a main character who was most likely based on Stephan Bibrowski (a fascinating man in his own right!).
The Extra by Kathryn Lasky
This book hits home for me and depending on how it goes, could wind up being extremely difficult for me to read. A family is rounded up by Nazis and the MC’s way of escaping a concentration camp is by becomming an extra in a film directed by Leni Riefenstahl.
Fallout by Todd Strasser
What is it with me and difficult books? Fallout takes place in 1962 when the threat of nuclear war was on everyone’s lips. Scott’s dad built a bomb shelter for the family and stocked it with enough food and supplies to last them two weeks. One October night, the neighbors – the same neighbors who had originally scoffed at the shelter – force their way in before Scott’s dad can lock the doors. There’s not enough food, not enough room, and not enough air. I cannot wait to start this one!
Thank you, Atria Books, Candlewick, Delacorte, Henry Holt, & Scholastic!!
April was a pretty great month for books! Out of the nine books I read, five were 4-stars or higher, three were 3-stars, and only one was a dud.
REVIEWS
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson 4.5 stars
Life After Life is not a lazy Sunday read. Though there are many witty and humorous scenes, this is not a fluffy, easy-going novel. After closing the book, I sat still, very much overwhelmed, and let the full weight of the story wash over me. As I watched each layer slowly unfold I was hit by the realization of just how deep this novel reached. Every little detail has a purpose, every single decision was made for a reason and carried a particular consequence.
My Beloved Brontosaurus by Brian Switek 3.5 stars
Despite an abundance of scientific info and terminology, Switek has the ability to write in a way that I never felt lost or confused. I didn’t feel in over my head and I’m sure that aspect alone will appeal to many people.
Breathless by Brigid Kemmerer 3 stars
Personally, I’m glad that Adam’s around now – especially if it means Quinn won’t be around much longer.
Infestation by Timothy J. Breadley 3 stars
Sometimes I’m in the mood for a fun, easy read. Infestation was just the book I was looking for. To me, this was Goosebumps-lite.
The Menagerie by Tui T. & Kari Sutherland 4 stars
Giant hellhounds who are actually big, loveable, and slobbery; a mammoth named Captain Fuzzbutt; and an ADORABLE griffin named Squorp (who happens to love hamburgers) made The Menagerie an absolute joy.
Taken by Erin Bowman 2 stars
I could rant about this book until I’m blue in the face, but I’ll leave you with this: don’t waste your time with Taken. Go find a copy of The Village and waste two hours with that movie instead.
Kat, Incorrigible by Stephanie Burgis 4 stars
Kat is the kind of girl I would have loved to be at 12 and would have loved to be friends with.
A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty 4 stars
Between the Butterfly Child, family problems in both worlds, and multiple mysteries, it felt like there was a lot going on, but it worked. I never felt overwhelmed and enjoyed A Corner of White an awful lot.
The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls by Claire Legrand 4.5 stars
The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls reminds me of dark, gothic stories I enjoyed enormously as a child. It’s delightfully creepy and the sinister feel didn’t let up once. Interspersed throughout the chapters are gorgeous full-page illustrations and every so often there are smaller illustrations of bugs. Ha, more than once I forgot they were just drawings and nearly threw the book across the room. That those drawings kept me on edge while reading only added to the overall feel of the novel and worked in its favor.
FEATURES
History 101: Papa Hemingway’s not-so-heroic WWII feats
Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at 
