2014 - 100+ Books

The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress by Ariel Lawhon

February 3, 2014 by Darlene

The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress by Ariel Lawhon is the She Reads Book Club Selection for February and it will for sure make my favorites list this year! It is based on true events surrounding the scandalous disappearance of Justice Joseph Crater that held a nation in its grip in the 1930’s. I listened to the audio version that is narrated by Ann Marie Lee and she does a fabulous job! She is really talented with a perfect voice for narration as she can take on many different tones for different characters. I’m positive she added, even further, to this already fantastic book!

While the book is based on true events the story that is expertly woven around these events comes from the author’s imagination and she builds a fascinating tale for what may have happened. The plot follows the three women involved in Crater’s life – his wife Stella, his mistress Ritzi, and the maid Maria. Crater doesn’t come off as a very pleasant man and certainly not one who was really good to his wife. He frequents the speakeasies and is involved in shady dealings with individuals such as the notorious gangster Owney Madden. When he’s caught in bed with his mistress by the maid Maria things begin to spiral downwards until the eventual disappearance of Carter. In the end there are three women and all three women have good reasons to hate Justice Joseph Carter but the question is how far will they take that hatred?

I can’t say much without revealing the plot and I most definitely don’t want to do that but I will say that this novel is rich in historical detail with characters who jump off the page and come alive in your mind. I was completely immersed in this book as the lifestyle of the speakeasies, the showgirls, and the the higher society was all brought vividly to my mind and the added element of the disappearance of Joseph Carter was just icing on the cake. I hadn’t known anything about this time in history but after reading Ariel’s book I was interested enough to look Joseph Carter up to learn more.

I highly recommend The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress and if you have an opportunity to listen to the audio it comes highly recommended as well! Be sure to pop over to She Reads to check out other reviews of The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress by other great bloggers!

Buy at: Amazon, Amazon.ca, and B&N

Source: Audiobook from my personal library.

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Love Water Memory by Jennie Shortridge (Audiobook)

January 31, 2014 by Darlene

Love Water Memory by Jennie Shortridge is the She Reads book club selection for January. As I was trying to get Sam’s health stabilized I’m late with the review but better late than never I say especially when you really enjoyed the book. I listened to the audiobook of Love Water Memory which was narrated by Angela Dawe. I haven’t listened to anything by her before and I really enjoyed the way she portrayed the book. She changed up her voice and added emotion which is what I look for – a narrator who grabs my attention and sinks me into the story she’s telling.

Just who is Lucie Walker? Well even Lucie Walker doesn’t know anymore. When she sees the world again she is knee deep in the frigid water of the San Francisco Bay. She’s taken to the mental health ward at the hospital since she can’t remember anything and nobody is more shocked than she is when she hears that she has a fiance and a whole life beyond this memory loss.

When she first meets Grady, her fiance she can’t help but notice how handsome he is and it’s clear that he knows her. Still when they go home to Seattle she is really out of sorts. Not much seems familiar but when she starts going through her things she becomes increasingly curious about her past. When she finds out that she has an elderly aunt who she apparently hated she wants nothing more than to get some answers to all the questions she has swimming in her head about her past. Is her aunt the key to all these swirling thoughts?

Even more disturbing than the memory loss is the very clear picture of who she used to be becoming more apparent. She was not a nice person and it seems she pushed everyone away with her standoffish manner. The neighbours don’t seem to friendly towards her and it doesn’t seem as though she has any friends either. Who was Lucie and why was she so guarded against everything? For Grady it’s a struggle trying to sort out this easy going Lucie for the controlling one he had before. He has no clue how to properly handle the situation and he is terrified to tell Lucie just why she was running away from everything in the first place. One has to wonder though if a new start isn’t exactly what they need to fall in love all over again.

I really enjoyed this book especially the audio version. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys women’s fiction. Please be sure to pop by and check out what the other great bloggers at She Reads thought of the book!

Buy at: Amazon, Amazon Canada, and B&N

Source: Audiobook from my own personal library.

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Playing St. Barbara by Marian Szczepanski

January 30, 2014 by Darlene

Playing St. Barbara is the debut novel of Marian Szczepanski and it’s a powerful one that will stick with you long after you turn the last page. Marian takes us back to a time in history that I’ve not read much about and that is of life in a coal mining town back in the 1930’s during the depression. She takes us back in time and immerses us not only in her character’s lives but also in the atmosphere of time and place. This novel can feel quite bleak but it also shows the power of relationships between mothers and daughters and the courage it takes to once again love yourself enough to change your future.

The novel is told from the viewpoints of the three daughters Deidre, Norah, and Katie along with their mother Clare and always in the background is their father Fin, a very volatile and abusive man who handles the hard life of a miner and the poverty of the times by turning to alcohol. Deidre is one to stand up to her father and she takes it to the extreme when she decides to take up with a boy from the Company police. Katie seemed to be the delicate one to me wanting to dedicate her life to the convent but still loving the boy from her neighborhood that’s always been sweet on her. Now Norah is the one with secrets but also a desire to be something more than just another girl from the wrong end of town. However her secrets keep her tethered to home and her mother. Clare just made me sad. Overpowered by a man who took away her identity and life she struggles with secrets from the past that have her believing this is the life she deserves. Each of these women must learn to find their own way to a better life. Throughout it all the legend of St. Barbara lingers.

Clare was my favorite of the women even though I got so frustrated with her for enduring the abuse she did although she had her reasons. I think it’s hard to imagine but you have to take yourself back in time and feel what it would be like to be living such a hard life in a coal mining town such as Clare was. It’s a life full of hard work and fear of losing your men in the mines. Add to that an abusive husband and that life of hardship multiplies tenfold. Clare needed to find her voice again but does she have the strength after all the hardships she’s endured? Or will she just accept her lot in life?

I enjoyed this novel. It transported me to another time and place where I became invested in the characters and the lifestyle of this coal mining town. Playing St. Barbara is a great piece of historical fiction and I’ll be looking forward to reading more from Marian Szczepanski!

Other tour stops with TLC Book Tours
Marian’s website and Facebook Page
Buy at: Amazon, Amazon Canada, and B&N

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher. No compensation was received for this review and all opinions are my own.

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The Vanishing by Wendy Webb

January 29, 2014 by Darlene

The Vanishing by Wendy Webb is a supernatural thriller that will keep you enthralled within its pages! Taking place at a the mansion of Havenwood there are secrets and ghosts at every turn. The novel pulled me in from the very beginning with a terrifying seance and the suspense just escalated with each page turned!

Julia Bishop, recently widowed, has been left friendless and penniless by her husband who betrayed all of their friends by stealing their money. She’s at her wit’s end not knowing how she is going to pay for anything not to mention she may even be facing jail time for something she didn’t even know about. So when a mysterious stranger shows up at her door and offers her a job being a companion to the famous horror novelist Amaris Sinclair Julia knows she doesn’t really have many other options and accepts.

Arriving at Havenwood Julia is overwhelmed. The mansion is huge with different rooms and wings at every turn. Meeting Amaris is a highlight for Julia being a writer herself as she has long admired her as her favorite author. Julia is given free reign to roam the house and it isn’t long before she discovers that this old mansion may just be haunted by something more sinister than your average ghost. Even more terrifying is the feeling that Julia gets that she’s been to Havenwood before and it may be her imagination but everyone treats her as though they know her so much better than she thinks they should. The question is why? And is Havenwood safe? Do these ghosts mean harm? As time passes Julia begins to learn even more disturbing things that surprisingly all lead back to her and her past.

The Vanishing is that perfect kind of creepy story for me. It grabbed me from the beginning and I enjoyed every last twist, turn, and ghostly apparition that it offered me. I know one thing – I can’t wait to read more of Wendy Webb’s work!

Buy at: Amazon, Amazon Canada, and B&N

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher. No compensation was received for this review and all opinions are my own.

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The Long Road by G. Michael Hopf (Audiobook)

January 24, 2014 by Darlene

The Long Road by G. Michael Hopf is the second book in his post-apocalyptic series that started with The End which I reviewed yesterday (my review). Once again I listened to the audiobook narrated by Joseph Morton. This time around I was much more used to his manner of narration and I did find his voice pleasant to listen to. I had a minor issue with words not being pronounced properly but it was minor and I do think his voice suits this type of genre.

The Long Road picks up where the last book ended. It has been a mere six weeks since the devastation hit from the super- EMP attack but life is in utter turmoil and every day is occupied with just staying alive and trying to find food and water. Everywhere you turn there are people dying, starving, and willing to kill for what they want especially the gangs but even your ordinary everyday people. It’s amazing what happens to people when they are faced with such uncertainty and no longer have the means to live safe lives.

Gordon, his wife Samantha, and their kids along with some of their neighbors from the old neighborhood have headed out on the road searching for a safer place to live and start over. I don’t want to give much away but I will say that Gordon’s brother Sebastian played a great role this time and it was nice to get to know him better. Once again there are the stories dealing with the military side of things and this novel has more violence in it with two really cruel and sadistic characters. There was also more of a story with Julia, the president’s wife and I enjoyed seeing more of her. The Long Road has an ending I won’t soon forget and from the way it ends I feel there will surely be another book at least. I sure hope so anyway!

What I found most interesting is how people react to a situation like this one and the author tells it very realistically. I could literally see this playing out in my head especially with listening to it on audio. It’s scary to imagine a world where all you knew has been wiped out and you fear for your life every single day. It’s also interesting how quickly people try to start rebuilding armies and governments to begin to reestablish control over the world again. Possibly the most frightening aspect about reading this type of genre is the very real possibility of it all happening one day.

If you enjoy the post-apocalyptic genre then you’d likely enjoy both The End and The Long Road. Once again for my readers there is foul language and violence. If that’s not your thing and it bothers you steer clear. For me it doesn’t bother me and I was completely caught up in the story.

The End and The Long Road are both touring with TLC Book Tours so be sure to pop over there and check out all the other reviews!

Also be sure to pop over to my review of The End as I have a giveaway there for both books – The End and The Long Road! Click here to head on over there!

Source: Audiobook from my personal library.

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The End by G. Michael Hopf & Giveaway (US/Canada)

January 23, 2014 by Darlene

The End by G. Michael Hopf is a post-apocalyptic novel that I found thought provoking and great to listen to as I picked up the audiobook. Although I haven’t been able to concentrate on books with Sammy sick I have listened to a few audios. With that being said The End is narrated by Joseph Morton who does a good job. At first I wasn’t sure what I thought of his narration but as I got into listening I thought his tone did really fit in with the atmosphere of the novel. The End is most definitely a novel that kept me listening as my mind kept thinking about the reality that this could actually happen some day!

Gordon was once in the Marine Corps and is still affected by something that happened to him there. When all of a sudden the world around him becomes unrecognizable his survival instincts and training kick in. The country has suffered a super EMP attack which puts society at a complete and utter standstill as it destroys the power grid. Cars, phones, computers, and more are dead. Life as they knew it is over and nothing will ever be the same. The name of the game is now survival of the fittest. As the upheaval escalates many go to extremes, including Gordon, to protect their families and obtain resources. There are also sideline stories involving Gordon’s brother and also of the president but I focused on this as it was my favorite part of the story.

I enjoyed this book and enjoy this genre in general. I always find it so thought provoking to read books such as The End because it makes you question what you would do or how you would react in the same situations as these characters. The book does contain bad language and violence for those who don’t like that in their reading but to me it is very realistic to expect violence in a post-apocalyptic world as everyone is looting and others are just struggling to keep themselves and their families alive.

If you enjoy this genre then give The End a try. I enjoyed it and the best thing was that I didn’t have to wait for the second one in the series called The Long Road which I’ll review for you tomorrow.

Other tour stops with TLC Book Tours
G. Michael Nopf’s website, Facebook, and Twitter
Buy at: Amazon, Amazon Canada, and B&N

GIVEAWAY DETAILS (US/Canada)

I have one set of both of the books (paperback) in this series: The End and The Long Road by G. Michael Hopf to share with my readers. To enter…

Leave a comment for one entry to the giveaway.
Tweet, share on Facebook, or blog for 2 extra entries.

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents (no PO boxes) and I will draw for the winner on February 7/14. Good luck!

Source: Audiobook from my personal library.

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