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Saturday, May 09, 2020
Summery Friendship/Secrets Novel Gets a Meh From Me
8:33 PM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Six years ago, three strangers flew to Italy to enjoy a surprise vacation on the stunning Amalfi Coast. Each of the women expected to soak in the picture-perfect scenery, dine on delectable cuisine, and relax on the sparkling beach. None of them foresaw meeting the others at a ramshackle villa and becoming instant, lifelong friends. What Kim, Colette, and Annie experienced in Italy—from friendship to romance to the start of a successful business—changed their lives.
Now, Kim is bringing them back to Italy for the grand re-opening of the villa that started it all. A well-known wellness guru, she's had the place renovated and turned into a health spa. She can't wait for her old friends to join celebrities, investors, and other influencers at what will certainly be the most glamorous event of the season. It soon becomes apparent, however, that someone is out to sabotage Kim by exposing a ruinous secret she thought no one knew about. She's not the only one worried about what could happen in Italy. Annie has her own secret to hide. She's also got her own reasons for needing to be at Kim's fancy party—and it's not to pat Kim on the back for a job well done. Then there's Colette, who fell madly in love with a local while in Italy and subsequently had her heart dashed into a million pieces. Although she's been happily married to another man for five years, she can't help but wonder what happened to the one that got away. Luca will no doubt be at Kim's party. What will happen when she sees him again?
When the three women reunite on the Amalfi Coast, shocking secrets will out, old resentments will flare, and, once again, the friends' lives will be forever changed by what happens in Italy ...
Old-friends-coming-back-together-to-deal-with-past-secrets-that-are-threatening-to-come-to-light is one of my favorite mystery/thriller tropes. I figured I'd dig it in a contemporary romance/women's novel as well. Unfortunately, The Summer Villa by Melissa Hill didn't pull me in like such thrillers usually do. The story started slowly and took its time getting to the juicy parts. As much as I loved the book's sparkling setting, I found the characters, the prose, and the plot pretty meh. All of the starring women irritated me with their immaturity—even their adult selves were childish and petty. Even though I saw the plot twists coming, I did want to know what was going to happen in the story, so I finished it. In the end, though, The Summer Villa was just an average read for me. Nothing special.
(Readalikes: Reminds me of other summer friendship novels, but no specific titles are coming to mind. You?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (a few F-bombs, plus milder expletives) and sexual content
To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of The Summer Villa from the generous folks at HarperCollins. Thank you!
Friday, May 01, 2020
Book Spotlight: The Heirloom Garden by Viola Shipman
10:11 AM
I didn't get a chance to read The Heirloom Garden by Viola Shipman (which is actually a pen name used by Wade Rouse, who writes under his late grandmother's name as a way to honor her) in time for my blog tour stop, so I'm just going to do a little spotlight today. According to the back cover summary, here's what the book is about:
In her inimitable style, Viola Shipman explores the unlikely relationship between two very different women brought together by the pain of war, but bonded by hope, purpose…and flowers.Iris Maynard lost her husband in World War II, her daughter to illness and, finally, her reason to live. Walled off from the world for decades behind the towering fence surrounding her home, Iris has built a new family…of flowers. Iris propagates her own daylilies and roses while tending to a garden filled with the heirloom starts that keep the memories of her loved ones alive.
When Abby Peterson moves next door with her family—a husband traumatized by his service in the Iraq War and a young daughter searching for stability—Iris is reluctantly yet inevitably drawn into her boisterous neighbor’s life, where, united by loss and a love of flowers, she and Abby tentatively unearth their secrets, and help each other discover how much life they have yet to live.
With delightful illustrations and fascinating detail, Viola Shipman’s heartwarming story will charm readers while resonating with issues that are so relevant today.
Have you read The Heirloom Garden? What did you think?
Thanks to the generous folks at Harlequin (a division of HarperCollins) for sending me an e-ARC of The Heirloom Garden!
Tuesday, April 28, 2020
Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Loved Waaaayyyy Back in the Day
1:53 PM
It's Tuesday again, time for my favorite bookish meme. I always look forward to this weekly event, especially now when there are so few ways to distinguish one day from all the rest! How's everyone doing this week? Are you surviving the quarantine in good spirits or starting to go stark raving mad? Are you whipping through a book a day or finding it difficult to concentrate on reading when the outside world is still in chaos? We're doing okay over here. All of us have cabin fever, but we're being as cautious as we can by staying home, social distancing, washing our hands, etc. We've had excessive heat warnings here in the Phoenix area—it's supposed to be in the upper 90s and low 100s all week. Oh, joy! I'm not a fan of hot weather, but at least I have air conditioning and a backyard swimming pool. I really can't complain (I mean, I can, but I shouldn't). For now, I'll just continue reading, cross-stitching, blogging, and attempting to keep my house from becoming a complete shambles. I hope you all are doing well and keeping you and yours safe and healthy.
Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is a nostalgic one—Top Ten Books I Wish I Had Read As a Child. I don't know about you, but I have been a voracious reader for my entire life. As a kid, there was nothing I loved more than visiting our town's teensy tiny library. When I couldn't convince my mom to drive me into town, I made the two-mile round trip on my own two feet. The walk down wasn't so bad since it was all downhill, but the hike back up was a killer, especially in the summer heat with my arms full of all the books I could carry! Needless to say, I was thrilled when I got my driver's license. Not only could I drive myself to town whenever I wanted, but I could also cross the bridge into Oregon and check out books from a nearby town that had a much larger library. I inhaled so many books in those days that, besides the Harry Potter series (which didn't come out until I was in my late 20's), I couldn't think of any that I wished I had read as a child. I could, however, think of many that I loved back then, so I'm going to twist the topic du jour and list the Top Ten Authors/Books/Series I Loved As a Child.
Before we get to that, though, I have to give a shout out to Jana, our Top Ten Tuesday host. If you want to join in the TTT fun, head on over to her blog, That Artsy Reader Girl. You can find all the info you need on her lovely site.
Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is a nostalgic one—Top Ten Books I Wish I Had Read As a Child. I don't know about you, but I have been a voracious reader for my entire life. As a kid, there was nothing I loved more than visiting our town's teensy tiny library. When I couldn't convince my mom to drive me into town, I made the two-mile round trip on my own two feet. The walk down wasn't so bad since it was all downhill, but the hike back up was a killer, especially in the summer heat with my arms full of all the books I could carry! Needless to say, I was thrilled when I got my driver's license. Not only could I drive myself to town whenever I wanted, but I could also cross the bridge into Oregon and check out books from a nearby town that had a much larger library. I inhaled so many books in those days that, besides the Harry Potter series (which didn't come out until I was in my late 20's), I couldn't think of any that I wished I had read as a child. I could, however, think of many that I loved back then, so I'm going to twist the topic du jour and list the Top Ten Authors/Books/Series I Loved As a Child.
Before we get to that, though, I have to give a shout out to Jana, our Top Ten Tuesday host. If you want to join in the TTT fun, head on over to her blog, That Artsy Reader Girl. You can find all the info you need on her lovely site.
Top Ten Authors/Books/Series I Loved as a Child (in no particular order)
1. The Berenstain Bears series by Jan and Stan Berenstain—As a kid, I devoured this beloved picture book series about a bear family that lives in a quaint treehouse. I was so caught up by the idea of dwelling in a tree that I spend many happy hours designing my own treehouse home on paper. Funny enough, when I started reading the books to my own children, I found them wordy, didactic, and a bit dull. My kids enjoyed the PBS television series based on the books, but never cared much for the written version.
2. Shel Silverstein—My family owned several of Silverstein's books of poems. Some of his verses aren't very PC and would probably be frowned upon in today's more sensitive climate ("[Sister] For Sale" comes to mind), but his poems are fun, silly, inventive, and wholly entertaining. My siblings and I loved them.
3. Dr. Seuss—Like most children, I adored books like Green Eggs and Ham and One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. I'm glad to see that these classics have endured and are still being enjoyed by today's kids.
4. Choose Your Own Adventure series by R.A. Montgomery—Oh my goodness, did I gobble these books down! I had so many wild adventures through this series.
5. Amelia Bedilia series by Peggy Parish—I loved this series about a very literal-minded housekeeper and her many adventures. Parish died in 1988 and her nephew, Herman Parish, continued writing Amelia Bedilia books starting in 1995. I haven't read any of the newer books, but I loved the older ones.
6. The Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder—I was mad about everything Little House on the Prairie when I was a kid. I devoured both the books and the t.v. show, which appealed to my love of history and pioneer stories.
7. Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keene—Even as a young'n I loved mysteries. This famous female sleuth was my absolute favorite!
8. The Boxcar Children series by Gertrude Chandler Warner—These simple mysteries were also among my favorite reads as a child. I've re-read some of them as an adult and although they're written in a very basic way, I can still see why they're so appealing to kids.
9. Christopher Pike—I read a lot of Pike when I was in middle school and even high school. His mystery/thrillers kept me up way past my bedtime on many nights in the late 80s and early 90s. My young heart was absolutely crushed when I wrote him a gushing fan letter and never received a response!
10. Mary Higgins Clark—My dad introduced me to Clark, his favorite mystery author, when I was a teenager. Her clean mystery/thrillers kept me up late on numerous occasions, turning pages far into the night. I enjoyed her books more as a teen than as an adult, but I have great respect for Clark, who continued to write bestselling novels until she died in January at the age of 92.
There you go, ten authors/books/series my child/teenaged self couldn't get enough of. Were you a reader as a kid? Which books did you love back in the day? Which do you wish you had read then? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I'll return the favor on yours.
Happy TTT!
Monday, April 27, 2020
Depressing Vacation-Gone-Wrong Novel Doesn't Appeal
11:19 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Jenna Carlson has planned the perfect getaway to celebrate her husband's 50th birthday. The bestselling YA novelist has rented a luxurious villa right on the beach in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. It will be the perfect place for the couple and their moody 16-year-old to relax and bond. Peter's best friend and business partner, Robert "Solly" Solomon, has also been invited along with Ingrid, his beautiful, much-younger wife, his teenage son from his previous marriage, and his 5-year-old autistic son from his current one. Solly's exuberance can be a bit much, but the vacation won't be as much fun without his larger-than-life personality. All in all, Jenna is patting her back for organizing what is sure to be a flawless trip, the vacation of a lifetime.
The Carlsons have barely stepped foot on the beach, however, before tensions start running high. Jenna's gritting her teeth over her daughter's surly attitude, Ingrid's insufferable begging for advice on novel-writing, Solly's irritating monologues, her husband's clandestine phone calls, and a budding romance between teenagers Clementine and Malcolm. Jenna wants everything to go smoothly, but her perfect vacation is slowly turning into a perfect nightmare ...
Back in February, I made a Top Ten Tuesday list about vacation-gone-wrong novels that I wanted to read. Tomorrow There Will Be Sun, a debut adult novel by YA writer Dana Reinhardt, was on that list because it fits the bill. While the problems the Carlsons experience on their getaway trip were interesting enough to keep me reading, I can't say I really enjoyed this book. The characters are almost wholly unlikable, Jenna being especially obnoxious. Although they do learn some valuable lessons from their beach vacation, the overall vibe of Tomorrow There Will Be Sun is negative and depressing. When I closed the book, I found myself asking, "What was the point of that?" It's not that I think the novel is poorly written—it's not—it just didn't appeal much to me overall. Bummer.
(Readalikes: Hm, I can't think of anything. Can you?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language, violence, and sexual content
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
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