A year later, May is the survivor of a school shooting that her brother Jordan didn’t survive. Zach’s mother is a defense attorney defending the shooter. Somehow, both broken, May and Zach are drawn to each other as they each try to slowly heal. While this book starts off as just another YA with a pair of angsty teens, it becomes much more than that as their relationship develops and they both struggle to try … Read More “The Lucky Ones by Liz Lawson” »
Another great book by Lisa Wingate. Mostly set in Louisiana (with a bit of Texas thrown in,) the chapters alternate between Benny Silva’s story in 1987, and Hannie Gossett in 1885. Hannie is a young woman who is a freed slave but still working for her former master and his wife in basically the same capacity. When her former master’s 16-year-old white daughter and 14-year-old daughter with his New Orleans mistress are kidnapped while trying … Read More “The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate” »
Alice was recently left by her husband. Ursula’s husband died after a violent crime. And Gareth is a washed out, wannabe police officer working as a security officer in a mall. Ursula, Gareth and Alice don’t know each other — or only on the most superficial basis — when their lives intersect during a horrible crime. Which sounds really exciting and suspenseful, but, unfortunately, it’s not enough to really make this book into a great … Read More “Strangers by C.L. Taylor” »
Rowen is a 17-year-old girl with a lot of baggage. Her father blames her for the unexplained death of her infant brother seven years earlier, her mother has barely gotten out of bed in those seven years, and her 15-year-old sister hates her and wants to ruin her life any way she can. Rowen just wants to finish high school, go to college, and get out of her town. But with so many obstacles in … Read More “A Life, Redefined (Rowan Sloane, #1) by Tracy Hewitt Meyer” »
This book is a collection of short essays written by the children of “famous” men. Some of these men are ones you’ve probably heard of (i.e., Samuel L. Jackson, John Wayne, Miles Davis,) while there are also several included who don’t have the same name immediate name recognition (i.e., Herb Brooks, Michio Kaku, Donald Cabana.) Some children write about how amazing their fathers were, how normal they were, what great memories they have, while other … Read More “To Me, He Was Just Dad: Stories of Growing Up with Famous Fathers by Joshua David Stern” »