Stillwater Rising by Steena Holmes

Holmes new book deals with the aftermath of a school shooting. Fans of Jodi Picoult’s 19 Minutes might worry that Holmes book may be similar and thus unworthy. Rest assured, this is a solid book that stands on its own.

Most of the book focuses on two women, friends, who react differently to the shooting; the mayor, Charlotte Stone whose husband is the school principal and Jennifer Crowne who lost a son in the violence. Charlotte wants the town to heal, to move forward, and to understand that the shooter’s mother is a victim also. Jennifer wants the school torn down and blames the shooter’s mother for the violence. The schism this causes between these women overflows to encompass everyone around them. It is Holmes ability to make these women come alive that makes this a great book.

While the book does have a resolution, Holmes throws one last curve ball on the last page, and it is masterful!

Due to be published November 11^th, this is a book to buy as soon as it comes out.                                           

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. 

Ruth's Journey: The Story of Mammy from Gone With The Wind

By Donald McCaig

McCaig’s book Ruth, is a prequel to Gone With The Wind that tells the back story of Scarlet’s mammy, Ruth.  

This is a hard book to review. While I enjoyed the book itself, I don’t believe it accurately portrays the true slave experience in the South during this time period. While Ruth/Mammy’s life isn’t always easy, neither does she appear to suffer what I believe to be the reality most slaves faced during this period. Ruth is at times portrayed as almost friendly with the whites who seem to genuinely care for her. There is some brutality in the book, but it is almost glossed over. 

That being said, McCaig has definitely been faithful to the mint julep, happy slaves, kind Masters, pro slavery of Gone With The Wind. I’m just not sure that’s a good thing. 

A Sudden Light by Garth Stein

Okay, I have to admit that this is absolutely NOT a book I would have picked to read. However, since I received an ARC from the publisher to review, I decided to give it a chance. I’m very glad I did. This is a great book with a little bit of everything: a mystery, a little bit of magic and mysticism, an almost gothic atmosphere, a multigenerational saga, all wrapped up in a tidy little package that really, really works.

When 14 year-old Trevor arrives with his father, Jones at Riddell House it is to accomplish one task: convince Jones’s father to sign over power of attorney so Riddell House can be sold to developers. However, Jones’s father, and several ghosts, have different ideas. As Trevor discovers just who his ancestors were, he uncovers secrets, lies, deceptions, and cruel men whose only concern was the accumulation of more wealth. But he will also discover love, joy and the possibility of redemption, not only for the Riddell family, but for Riddell House.

Stein gradually unfolds the history of both Riddell House and the Riddell family, until the House becomes the family, and the family IS the house.

An absolute must read! 

  

  I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

                                                                                                                                                  

First to Fall by Carys Jones

Take one big city lawyer transplanted to a small sleepy town, add a capital murder case and stir with a cast of local characters who will do anything to protect one of their own, and you have a rolicking good thriller. 

This was an interesting book. The author did a good job of capturing the flavor of a small town and the tendency of locals to close ranks against outsiders.
The town's determination to protect a local football hero was especially believable. 
While this is a thriller, it is also a study in small town dynamics.
Like any town, some of the inhabitants are nice, likeable people and some are just nasty folks. 
There are a few cliches in the book, and a few of the characters could have been better developed, but that does not detract the reader from enjoying the book. 

The only truly negative aspect of this book was the use of English phrases and language clearly not spoken in America. The author is from England and there are several phrases and words used that are obviously not commonly used in America. While not a major detraction, it is annoying to find language and words that are not correctly used for the book's setting. A good editor should correct this.
I look forward to reading more by this author. 

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant

This is one of those novels that you hate to see end.
Diamant uses the voice of the grandmother (The Boston Girl) talking to her granddaughter to propel the story.
Beginning in 1915 and moving forward to 1987, the novel captures what it was like to be a female during that period.
This is a book about life, its joys, sorrows, hardships, friendships, family.

Diamant writes beautifully here as she has done in previous novels.

'you never looked at me with anything but love: no pity, no judgment………you made it possible for me to forgive myself’

This is one of those novels that stays with you long after the last page has been read.

I received this novel from the publisher, Simon and Schuster in exchange for an honest and fair review.

This is a very good follow up to Chan's first novel: The Mill River Recluse. Having said that, it is not necessary to read that novel to enjoy this one. 
This is a novel about families, their connections and what happens when those connections seem irrevocably broken. 
The novel focuses on one woman, a widow, raising two daughters and follows them through the years. 
At first, it was hard to like the 'bad' sister, but that changes as more of the history of these women is revealed. 
A solid second novel from Chan and one that fans of Jan Karon's Mitford series will enjoy. 

I recieved this book courtesy of Random House for a fair and honest review. 

I wanted to like this book. I really, really did. It wasn't a bad book, just a long mostly boring book. The book unfolds in four different characters voices; a young boy, a CASA volunteer (think social worker), a wounded veteran and a middle-aged woman facing a divorce. The first half of the book is essentially a character study of these four people. That, in my opinion is the first major problem with the book. Any book that requires the reader to get 50% through the book before anything happens, will have lost most readers. However, I kept sloughing through hoping it would get better. While it did, it wasn't enough to save this book.
The second major problem with We Are Called To Rise is the ending. While the author spent the first half of the book setting it up, the ending seemed too rushed and just too neat and convenient. It was a happily ever after all, neatly tied in a bow, redemption of humanity ending. Perhaps the author thought this ending would alleviate the sad, gloomy tone of the rest of the book. It didn't. It just felt like a saccharin overload.
I would like to give this book more than one star, but I just can't. Since this is a debut novel for Ms. McBride, perhaps her next novel will be better.
Bottom line: if you're stranded on a desert island with this book, go ahead and read it. Otherwise, there are far too many good books out there.

An enchanting fairytale for adults, this atmospheric tale has it all: enchanted forests, magic spells, witches, time travel and more. The wonderful aspect of this book is that the author successfully weaves all this together into an edge of your seat mystery.

The book opens with Revelation (Reve) Dyer accidentally shooting and killing her husband during their Las Vegas magic performance when someone exchanged the real bullets for the blank ones. Propelled by grief, Reve takes her three daughters and moves back to Massachusetts and her roots. Here Reve will learn that these roots contain a line of powerful, magical female ancestors extending back hundreds of years; all documented in the 'Hawley Book of the Dead'. As she learns of her heritage, Reve will realize that her husband's murder is tied to events in her past and that past has returned.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest and fair review.