Christine's Book Corner

Summary from Goodreads “Tragedy and blessing. Leave them alone long enough, and it gets real hard to tell them apart.” Elena Alvarez is living a cursed life. From the deadly fire she accidentally set as a child, to her mother’s abandonment, and now to an unwanted pregnancy, she knows better than most that small actions can have terrible consequences. Driven to the high mountains surrounding Leadville, Colorado by her latest bad decision, she’s intent on putting off the future. Perhaps there she can just hide in her grandmother’s isolated cabin and wait for something—anything—to make her next choice for her. Instead, she is confronted by reflections of her own troubles wherever she turns—the recent widower and his two children adrift in a changed world, Elena’s own mysterious family history, and the interwoven lives within the town itself. Bit by bit, Elena begins to question her understanding of cause and effect, reexamining the tragedies she’s held on to and the wounds she’s refu

Summary from Goodreads Challenging perceptions of discrimination and prejudice, this emotionally resonant drama for readers of Lisa Wingate and Jodi Picoult explores three different women navigating challenges in a changing school district--and in their lives. When an impoverished school district loses its accreditation and the affluent community of Crystal Ridge has no choice but to open their school doors, the lives of three very different women converge: Camille Gray--the wife of an executive, mother of three, long-standing PTA chairwoman and champion fundraiser--faced with a shocking discovery that threatens to tear her picture-perfect world apart at the seams. Jen Covington, the career nurse whose long, painful journey to motherhood finally resulted in adoption but she is struggling with a happily-ever-after so much harder than she anticipated. Twenty-two-year-old Anaya Jones--the first woman in her family to graduate college and a brand new teacher at Crystal Ridge's to

Summary from Goodreads A unique set of quirky short stories, told in a humorous style somewhere between Reader's Digest funny one-liners and Christopher Moore's laugh-out-loud novels. My Review: Run far as you can from the crazy world in The Fiction of Marlon,  a collection of short stories from Marlon Pearson. I've read many books that contained short stories before and have never enjoyed what I read.  I was hoping it would be different reading this book from Marlon Pearson, but unfortunately, it was the same as other books that were full of short stories. I was expecting funny stories as the summary stated and yet, I didn't find one of them to be funny.  In fact, most were confusing and hard to follow along.  I ended up skimming through a majority of them, feeling like it was a chore to get through them.  There are times when you read short stories in a book and they seemed to be tied in with one another.  I didn't get that feeling with Pearson's s

Summary from Goodreads It took Lauren and her husband ten years to achieve their dream—reaching primitive tribes in remote regions of Nepal. But while Sam treks into the Himalayas for weeks at a time, finding passion and purpose in his work among the needy, Lauren and Ryan stay behind, their daily reality more taxing than inspiring. For them, what started as a calling begins to feel like the family’s undoing.  At the peak of her isolation and disillusion, a friend from Lauren’s past enters her life again. But as her communication with Aidan intensifies, so does the tension of coping with the present while reengaging with the past. It’s thirteen-year-old Ryan who most keenly bears the brunt of her distraction. Intimate and bold , Of Stillness and Storm  weaves profound dilemmas into a tale of troubled love and honorable intentions gone awry. My Review: Everyone wants their dreams to come true.  What happened when they do and the person you share your life with is forced to fo

Summary from Goodreads From the New York Times bestselling author of A Dog Named Christmas comes this heartwarming Christmas story about the power of family and the strength and love that comes from our pets.  In this installment of the poignant stories of the McCray family and their lovable canines in rural Kansas, matriarch Mary Ann McCray is determined to shake up Christmas by accepting the role as Crossing Trail's first woman Santa Claus. Mary Ann, always a bit of a rebel, is looking to offer a more progressive voice in the staunchly conservative town at Christmastime and has a few ideas up her red velvet sleeves.   My Review: This was the first book I've read about the McCray family, but hearing about A Dog Named Christmas and seeing that this book was about another dog, I had to read it.  As a dog parent myself, any book that involves dogs.  Most of the time I'm not disappointed in the story and this is one of those times, except for a few things I would'

Summary from Goodreads Is there a past too awful for even God to forgive? The Dinah Harris mystery series continues.... Angus Whitehall's past never really died....it just stubbornly waited for vengeance. A killer has settled into his small rural community, and no one suspects that the local pastor knows much more than he can say. Crippled by the devastating choices of his youth, Angus watches as those he led astray are methodically punished by someone from their violent, racist past. Unable to forgive himself, now the secrets he has kept are slowly poisoning the family whom he dearly loves. As the devastating consequences of his silence are revealed, former FBI agent Dinah Harris must step outside of the lonely isolation that cocoons her, before she can trap a killer and find peace with herself in the depths of God's mercy.   My Review: This was the first time I read a Dinah Harris mystery novel and I didn't know what to expect when picking it up.  The opening que

Summary:  Summary from Goodreads For readers of Deborah Harkness's  A Discovery of Witches ,  New York Times  bestselling author of  The Lace Reader  Brunonia Barry returns to Salem with this spellbinding new thriller, a complex brew of suspense, seduction and murder. When a teenage boy dies suspiciously on Halloween night, Salem's chief of police, John Rafferty, wonders if there is a connection between his death and Salem's most notorious cold case, a triple homicide dubbed "The Goddess Murders," in which three young women, all descended from accused Salem witches, were slashed on Halloween night in 1989. He finds unexpected help in Callie Cahill, the daughter of one of the victims newly returned to town. Neither believes that the main suspect, Rose Whelan, respected local historian, is guilty of murder or witchcraft. But exonerating Rose might mean crossing paths with a dangerous force. Were the women victims of an all-too-human vengeance, or was the devi

The spiders won't let you get away in Dead Spider , a mystery novel written by Victoria Houston where we return to Loon Lake and the mysteries that surround the residents. Summary: It's a happy day in June during the Youth Fishing Tournament on Loon Lake and everyone in the town is here for the annual event.  Everyone is enjoying themselves that none hear a gunshot go off on the grounds.  As the night goes on and people begin to leave, it is discovered that the richest man in the state has been shot by a single bullet to the head and is now dead.  Among this news, Doc's oldest granddaughter is caught in the middle of a drug ring and the seniors at a local center are robbed.  Are all of these  events connected to bring sadness to Loon Lake? Review: This was the first book I read in the series and I wasn't familiar with the tone or of Houston's writing.  I had high expectations from when I started the book and Houston didn't disappoint. As soon as yo

Beware of the bosses in The Cartel 7: Illuminati: Roundtable of the Bosses,  a crime fiction novel by Ashley and Jaquavis Coleman where the Diamonds are back at it again with a life of crime. Summary: Carter Diamond is in exile in order to protect his family, but his wife is in jail and he has no idea what happened to his son, or his brother's child during his time away.  Now that he has found a group of people that will help him, he wonders if he will be alone forever.  Will Carter find his family before it's too late?  My Review: I'll admit, this is the first of the series I read, so maybe that's why it was hard for me to get through, but I did.  The beginning of the book was hard for me and Coleman really should've clarified it which child was who, Mo and C.J.  I had to go back and forth to try and figure it out, which I don't like to do when reading.  I want to get right into it and continue reading.  Coleman did a wonderful job with swi

It's not a childhood you want to visit in The Childhood of Jesus,  a contemporary fiction novel by J.M. Coetzee about a lost child who is placed with a strange man in a country they know nothing about. Summary: David is a young boy who is separated from his mother while on a boat to a new world for them.  With him is a letter that was to be read by whoever found him in hopes of finding his mother when they landed.  Sadly, the note is lost during the chaos of the trip and David is left with Simon, an older gentleman who takes it upon himself to take care of the boy until his real mother could be found.  When the two land, they are given new names and new birthdays to go along with their new lives.  Non one knows of who they really are.  David has no memory of his mother, but Simon says he'll know who she is when he sees her.  Does Simon's idea of knowing David's mother by sight for out for the two strangers? Review: This is a first for me, but there was ha

You don't want to be stuck as the 18th woman in Woman No. 17,  a contemporary fiction novel written by Edan Lepucki about a single mother living in the Hollywood Hills. Summary: Lady Daniels lives in the Hollywood Hills with her teenage son and young toddler son and has decided to take a break from her husband for no other reason than a disagreement they had a few years back. At the same time she is too be writing her memoir about her mute son Seth and she realizes she cannot get that done if she doesn't have help with her toddler.  That is when she finds S, a recent college graduate looking for a job as a nanny.  When she meets S, an artist, she thinks she is the perfect person to be a nanny and take care of her child while she tries desperately to get her book finished.  As the months go by, Lady and S become closer to the point where they're almost best friends.  But deep down, S is hiding her own secrets.  What is going on in S's mind as she sneaks behind Lad

Fight for the one you love in The Hardest Fight , a romance novel by Amy Vastine where the characters fight for the one they truly love. Summary: Lucy Everhart isn't about to let anyone take away the women's shelter that she runs.  Not on her watch.  When Dylan Hunt walks into her office proposing the offer to buy shelter, he is the last person Lucy ever expected to see.  He is not the man she knew 5 years ago, the man who let her go when she broke up with him.  This Dylan is a different man and she refuses to give into his offer.  She will fight all she can to keep her shelter, while Dylan is determined to fight and win Lucy's love once again. Review: What I liked:   Vastine gets the reader engaged into the story immediately.  We are introduced to Lucy and see she is a strong-willed person.  You know right away this is going to be a problem in the story as we see she uses that character trait to fight for the opposition of the story, Dylan's law firm try

Get lost in the many lives of Greta in The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells,  a Science Fiction by Andrew Sean Greer where one woman lives three different lives in three different eras. It's 1985 and Greta Wells just lived through the death of her twin brother, Felix, due to AIDS, the epidemic of the time.  Depression from her brother's death and breaking up with her longtime boyfriend, Greta finds herself getting treatment from a psychiatrist.  The side effects of the treatment are strange and Greta soon finds herself living in 1918, 1941, and present day of the book, 1985.  In each era, she is living how she would had she been alive during that time.  In each time that Greta travels to, she finds each event paralleling to each other, experiencing losses each time.  As the ending of her treatments come near, Greta must choose which period to stay in.  Does she really want to return to 1985, the only time when her brother is gone for good? What I liked:  Greer immediately

Don't worry about being out after 11 at night in The 11:05 Murders,  a suspense novel by  Brian O'Hare  that will have you guessing who it is that is the murderer up until the very end of the book. Three different murders happen on Tuesday nights around the time 11:05 and the cops are hot on the trail to find out who is committing the crimes.  Clues lead the police to various suspects and soon they consider that these murders may be connected to a rape that happened 12 years ago in a college that resulted in the victim later committing suicide.  With a mysterious call giving Sergeant Stewart hints as to who the murderer is, the cops are sent on a wild goose chase with other cases coming in to find out who is the murderer of the 11:05 murders. The Cover: Before reading the book: It is a very eerie cover.  The clock that is seen in the background gives you the feeling that 11:05 is the key time in everything.  Then man in the picture, standing among the trees possibl

Strike up a match and light a way to How To Set A Fire and Why, a contemporary fiction book by Jesse Ball about a teenage girl named Lucia who has lost everything she has cared for in her life and doesn't really care what happens to her. Lucia's father is dead and her mother is living in a mental hospital, with no memory of who Lucia is.  The only person Lucia has in her life is her aunt, who she lives with.  Lucia is a troubled teen who has been kicked out of schools and is now starting a new one.  She arrives with the idea she isn't going to like anyone and not make any friends.  While trying her best to stay away from everyone in the school, she soon finds out they have an Arson Club and suddenly Lucia has found a group she wants to become a member of.  Lucia is willing to do whatever it takes to become a member of this club, even if it means to burn down a place. The Cover: Before reading the book: I didn't pay much attention to it and thought it rea

Pack your bags and get as far away as you can from The Travelers,  a suspense novel by Chris Pavone where Will Rhodes is made a spy overnight.   Will Rhodes is constantly questioning himself if he's made the right decisions in life, whether it be about his job, which is writing for the magazine, The Travelers, or his marriage, wondering if he married the right woman or if she even loves him.  One night, he is in France working when he is approached by Elle, who isn't at all what she seems.  Before he knows it, he is asked to be a spy by Elle.  Though Will goes back and forth if he should take on this job, he agrees and becomes a spy.  One by one every choice Will makes is worse than the one before and he is sent all over the world by this new spy ring he is apart of.  Will soon find out that everything in his life wasn't what he always thought it was. Looking at the cover, you can sense the suspense that the two main characters are spies, or at least they are t

It's not your classic werewolf story in Mostly Human,  a fantasy novel by D.I. Jolly about a young boy who becomes a werewolf by accident and learns how to live with his new changes in life. Alex Harris is a famous rock star known from the band The Waterdogs.  While the world knows of him as an ordinary rock star, his life is anything but ordinary.  He has been hiding a secret since he was ten years old, a secret only his family knows and they do all they can to keep it that way.  In Mostly Human,  Jolly takes us through Alex's trials as a werewolf and all the changes he grows through in his life, from teenager to adult. Jolly gives us a new take on the classic werewolf story as we see how Alex is bitten by a werewolf, all because he thought he was saving a regular wolf.  Alex was only ten when we find out he was bitten, giving us more of an insight in what his life was like before the incident.  But at the beginning, Jolly brings us to Alex being interviewed durin

You'll wish you could do a disappearing act in Victoria Kelly's Mrs. Houdini, a historical fiction novel about the love of Harry and Bess Houdini and how death can't even keep two lovers apart.   Bess Houdini was given a code by Harry while he was on his death bed.  A code only she knew and kept from the public for many years after his death.  It was a code that would show Bess he was trying to communicate to her from the other side, keeping his promise from the night they met that not even death could keep him away.  Bess spends many years trying to find this code, only to discover there was a more urgent message he was trying to send her and it wasn't only the fact that he was never going to leave her side.  Along the way of her search, Bess is led to a young man who is a photographer and she knows that he is part of the message Harry is trying to send to her, but in the end, was it worth it to find out a secret Harry kept hidden throughout their entire marri

You will cruise through Bruiser  by Neal Shusterman, a fantasy novel about Brewster who is a loner throughout life and doesn't make friends for one reason.  When he makes friends and starts to care for someone, weird things start to happen.  In Bruiser , Brewster goes against what he believes and starts dating Bronte, twin sister of Tennyson.  Tennyson worries about his sister dating Brewster, especially after all the rumors that have been spread around the school.  The secrets Brewster once held so dearly are soon discovered by Tennyson and Bronte and they soon show their trust by keeping his secrets.   What I liked: This book was very fast paced and I found it hard to put it down.  Brewster was a loner, something I was able to relate to from my high school days.  Shusterman brought him to life that I felt for him right from the beginning.  People didn't give him a chance or never wanted to get to know the real Brewster.  I felt the pain Brewster was going through every

No need to add to your book collection with The Collector, a suspense novel by Nora Roberts.  This book was anything but suspenseful and brought no mystery to the reader.  Rated: 2 out of 5 stars. Lila Emerson's job is being a professional house-sitter.  One night, while looking out the window, she witnesses what police first believe to be a murder/suicide. From that moment on, her life is never the same.  Through this mess, she meets Ashton Archer, the brother of the man murdered.  Ashton believes his brother never killed his girlfriend or himself and ropes Lila into working with him to find out the truth of what is now being called a double homicide.  As an artist, Ashton is longing to paint Lila in the time they have between discovering the truth.  The more the discover the truth, the more they find out exactly what Ashton's brother was involved in and what lead to his untimely death. At first, the book began very well.  Roberts grabbed me in with the murder hap