Catching Air

"This was the ending she'd been yearning to rewrite all along." ~ pg. 259

Catching Air is the story of thirty-somethings and their tangled relationships. The setting is a bed-and-breakfast (B-and-B) located in snowy Vermont. Kira and husband Peter step into a new life co-owning the B-and-B with Peter's brother Rand and his wife Alyssa. The sisters-in-law have their own reasons for starting over in Vermont. The quiet place helps Alyssa recover from the news that she can't bear children. Kira is tired of working as a lawyer. And it seems that employee Dawn is not only hiding something but also hiding from someone.

Sarah Pekkanen is an international bestselling author for good reason. Whenever I see a book written by her, I add it to my reading list with no hesitation. Catching Air has the same formula as Skipping a Beat, These Girls, The Best of Us and The Opposite of Me. It is relatable and delves into issues that most women encounter in their lives like fertility, job security and heartbreak. Do not pass up this good-for-lounge-chair-reading chick lit novel. Catching Air is available in bookstores everywhere on May 6, 2014.

To author Sarah Pekkanen: Please keep penning these heartwarming deeper than the average chick lit novels for my reading pleasure. I hope to see these characters make a cameo in a future book(s).

DISCLAIMER: This book was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. In no way does it influence my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Title: Catching Air
Author: Sarah Pekkanen
Published: May 2014
Pages: 276
Edition: Galley
Rating: ♥♥♥♥

 

April eMags

I am Living La Vida NOOK with these April eMags:

MacLife ~ Apple's Next Big Things: iWatch, iTV and iPad Pro

Vogue ~ Keeping Up With Kimye; Mindy Over Matter

Ebony ~ After An Affair...Love or Leave?

Essence ~ Nia on Keeping It Sexy After 40; Pearl Cleage Shares Her Secret Diaries

Entertainment Weekly ~ Summer Movie Preview

Marie Claire ~ Divergent's Shailene Woodley Fresh, Fun, Unfiltered

Elle ~ The 14 Books Every Woman Must Read

Brief BB for Literary Marie

Series Sunday: Insurgent

(Insurgent #2)

Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

• Read an installment of a series.
• Share your review/recommendation below.
• Include the title, author and series name.

"Insurgent. Noun. A person who acts in opposition to the established authority, who is not necessarily regarded as a belligerent." ~ pg. 264

My Series Sunday pick is Insurgent, the second book in the Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth. Beatrice "Tris" Prior lives in a futuristic Chicago. The city is divided into five factions (groups formed to seek a single-minded goal):

• Abnegation (the selfless)
• Amity (the peaceful)
• Candor (the honest)
• Dauntless (the brave)
• Erudite (the intelligent)

Tris' initiation day should have been celebratory. Instead, the day ended with a war among the factions in this second book of the series. Tris tries to save friends, family and even her enemies all while learning to embrace her divergence. The romance between Tris and Four still played a backseat role in this book.

How can I put this? I would be super pissed if I waited one year for this sequel. How was Insurgent a Goodreads Choice 2012 winner? Who voted for this? What in the entire fuck was this book about?! It is 300 pages of confusing action. I thought factions were realistic after I finished reading the first book of this trilogy, Divergent. I can totally see the world being divided into personality groups and controlled by the government. But if the chaos and disorder described in Insurgent is any indicator, I want no parts of it. What a disappointment. I barely want to finish this trilogy now.

WARNING: The book trailer below may fool you too.

Title: Insurgent
Author: Veronica Roth
Published: May 2012
Pages: 305
Edition: eBook
Rating: ♥♡

 

First Lines Friday

First Lines Friday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

• Grab your current read(s).
• Share the first line(s).
• Include the title and author.

"Today I'm five. I was four last night going to sleep in Wardrobe, but when I wake up in Bed in the dark I'm changed to five, abracadabra. Before that I was three, then two, then one, then zero. 'Was I minus numbers?'"

~ Room by Emma Donoghue

 

The Memory Child

"This was a perfect moment. In the silence, with the hint of dawn peeking through the curtains, where promises of a better day were offered." ~ pg. 241

Brian and Diane's marriage has lasted 13 years. Brian is elated when he finds out his wife, Diane, is pregnant. Finally they will become parents. But Diane is nervous because of her family's dark past and the timing of the pregnancy. One year later, the tides have changed. Diane is overjoyed with baby Grace. However, Brian has not returned from opening a new office in London. Everyone around Diane is treating her delicately as if all is not as it seems.

A couple chapters in and I was sure I knew what was going on. Deeper into the book and I still thought I had it figured out. I've read enough family drama novels to piece together how a dark past collides with the present. Silly me. I was partly wrong.

This is my first book read by Steena Holmes. Her Emma series has been in my TBR pile for a while. So it was a perfect opportunity to review an advance copy of her new release The Memory Child. Oh, am I glad! Steena Holmes is an author that can grip me from the first pages, force me to keep reading and forget my real-life responsibilities for the day.

It is a challenge to write about contemporary issues like postpartum psychosis. Kudos to the author for clearly doing her research and penning a fiction novel that belongs in the best of family drama genre.

DISCLAIMER: This book was received directly from the publisher for review purposes only. In no way does it influence my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Title: The Memory Child
Author: Steena Holmes
Published: March 2014
Pages: 244
Edition: Galley
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

 

Too Blessed to be Stressed

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take." ~ Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT

The Bible Promise Book: Too Blessed to be Stressed edition is full of inspiring Bible promises to revitalize your spirit. Each featured scripture is encouraging to the modern woman who is busy, stressed yet blessed. This unique edition is full of promises we can trust and help us get through the day. Topics include coping with loss, faith, dealing with difficult people, finding peace and living gratefully. This book is great for those still searching for a devotional. The format allows you to easily find the passage you need at a particular time. The paperback releases today (April 1, 2014). Don't be a fool and leave this on a bookshelf.

DISCLAIMER: This book was received directly from the publisher for review purposes only. In no way does it influence my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Title: The Bible Promise Book: Too Blessed to be Stressed Edition
Author: Debora M. Coty
Published: April 2014
Pages: 177
Edition: Galley
Rating: ♥♥♥