Series Sunday: Christopher's Diary: Secrets of Foxworth

(The Diaries #1)

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.

"How do you lie in a diary?" ~ pg. 32

My Series Sunday pick is Christopher's Diary: Secrets of Foxworth, the first book in the Diaries series by V.C. Andrews. This is the series that doesn't end. It just goes on and on and on, my bookhearts. V.C. Andrews legacy won't let it go. Ghostwriter won't stop. Lifetime has joined the fold and started making movies of the famous Dollanganger series.

Clearly Flowers in the Attic was not the whole story. Umpteen years later and V.C. Andrews fans get to finally read Christopher's side of the story, mostly in his own words from a diary that seventeen-year-old Kristin Masterwood finds. Kristin is a distant relative of the Foxworths. Specifically, her mother had been Malcolm Foxworth's third cousin.

Kristin was curious to see the twice-burned Foxworth property so she tagged along when her father's construction company was hired to inspect it for a prospective buyer. The mansion and legend of the four Dollanganger children locked in an attic fascinates Kristin. During the inspection, her father finds a leather-bound book which turns out to be Christopher Dollanganger's diary. The yellowed pages are filled with his account of what happened during those three long years locked in an attic. Prisoners/victims of their mother's inheritance scheme. Kristin devours the diary as it feeds her obsession with the children called flowers in the attic.

"A diary written by a kid locked in an attic of a nuthouse for more than three years." ~ pg. 48

Christopher's Diary: Secrets of Foxworth begins in the first days, pre-Attic life. Right away, readers can gauge his impression of sister Cathy (very dramatic) and his momma Corrine (greedy). At the same time, he gains the trust of readers by sharing his love of reading. Avid readers unite!

"Books can get wet and crinkle, and old book pages can turn yellow, but the words don't disappear for a very long time." ~ pg. 44

I stopped reading V.C. Andrews series when they became heavily recycled. Same incestuous or orphan story, different character names. I suspect the fan base has dropped over time. Perhaps this is why ghostwriter Andrew Neiderman decided to return to the moneymaker of V.C. Andrews library. I picked up Christopher's Diary: Secrets of Foxworth with a heavy side-eye. Hours later, I put it down with a smile. Yes, I enjoyed it so much that I spent an entire day reading it. I am looking forward to the second book of The Diaries and hope it is just as, if not more, interesting.

Title: Christopher's Diary: Secrets of Foxworth
Author: V.C. Andrews
Published: October 2014
Pages: 339
Edition: Hardcover
Rating: ♥♥♥♥

The Broken String / The Silent Sister

The Broken String is the prequel to The Silent Sister. This e-short story introduces us to main character Riley McPherson. It begins on a sad note. Riley's brother/protector/best friend is injured in Iraq. She hops on a plane and rushes to his side. But years later, family secrets have caused a rift between the two siblings. Will they ever be close again?

I can appreciate back story and often like prequels. But The Broken String wasn't necessary. I only bothered to finish because it was less than 35 pages.

Title: The Broken String
Author: Diane Chamberlain
Published: August 2014
Pages: 35
Edition: eBook
Rating: ♥

Although the e-short story was disappointing, I kept an unbiased mind when I started reading The Silent Sister. Diane Chamberlain's novels are the best family drama. I am guaran-damn-teed to get lost in a story with so many layers that it helps me escape the real world for days. The Silent Sister held up to the high standard.

Riley McPherson was always told that her older sister Lisa committed suicide as a teenager. Twenty years later, Riley is cleaning out her father's house after he passes away. She finds evidence to make her doubt Lisa really committed suicide. Is she possibly alive? Riley works hard to uncover the truth and what happened two decades ago. Family secrets from the past pour into her future, making The Silent Sister a very hard mystery to put down until you've read the last word.

Title: The Silent Sister
Author: Diane Chamberlain
Published: October 2014
Pages: 352
Edition: eBook
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

 

Before We Met

"Whatever he was doing, wherever he was, it was a mystery to her." ~ pg. 83

Hannah went from being wary of commitment to being married within months. She moved back to London, resigned from her job to be with fellow Brit, Mark. He frequently traveled back and forth between London and New York. So when he wasn't at the airport at the scheduled time, Hannah wasn't too concerned thinking she mixed up the days or that her husband's schedule changed last minute.

Sure enough, Mark called to explain why he missed the flight and why his return home would be delayed. "A farce," he called it. But women's intuition kicks in and a voice keeps telling Hannah something isn't right. When Mark's assistant and business partner both contradict his whereabouts, Hannah really starts questioning where Mark is and uncovers secrets. Why was the mortgage extended? Why has Hannah's bank account been emptied? Who was her husband before they met?

"She was sweating, she realised, her armpits were wet, and a string of adjectives was running through her head: stuck, screwed, powerless. Fucked." ~ pg. 57

I added Before We Met to my reading list after seeing it on a couple recommended reading lists. This is my first novel read by England-born/New York resident Lucie Whitehouse. Good first impression. While the book was good, I think it would be even better on screen. There were some parts where I would've liked to really see Hannah's reaction. Instead I played my own version of the scenes in my head as I read along. Don't you just love books that let your imagination go where the words take you? This is all the more reason for me to recommend reading Before We Met to mystery bookhearts.

Title: Before We Met
Author: Lucie Whitehouse
Published: January 2014
Pages: 276
Edition: Hardcover
Rating: ♥♥♥♥

 

Series Sunday: Shopaholic to the Stars

(Shopaholic #7)

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.

"This is my chance. My big, Hollywood, one-in-a-million, photo-opportunity chance. Oh my God. What am I going to wear?" ~ pg. 283

My Series Sunday pick is Shopaholic to the Stars, the seventh book in the Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella. Oh, how I have missed you, Becky Brandon (née Bloomwood). My fave shopaholic returns and has arrived in Hollywood. Becky's husband, Luke, is in L.A. handling PR for a famous actress. Becky and two-year-old daughter Minnie temporarily relocate.

Of course, Becky can't wait to shop on Rodeo Drive, meet celebs and stroll the red carpet. Her ultimate hope is to become a personal stylist—but in true Becky style, things get complicated. Leave it to Becky to end up the center of paparazzi attention.

The adventure. The fun. The shenanigans. The comedy. Shopaholic to the Stars wasn't worth the wait (I don't want to wait one month let alone years for a new shopaholic novel) but it certainly was an entertaining read that left off on a cliffhanger. I surely hope Sophie Kinsella doesn't take another four years to continue Becky's story in the States.

Watch the video below of an interview with author Sophie Kinsella discussing her latest Shopaholic book.

Title: Shopaholic to the Stars
Author: Sophie Kinsella
Published: October 2014
Pages: 479
Edition: Hardcover
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.

"You need a haircut, boy!"

~ Not My Father's Son by Alan Cumming

 

The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl

Awkward Black Girl is a web series I got hooked on in its early webisodes. Now that it is mainstream, the writing and comedy changed a bit. I stopped watching religiously. However, I was uber excited for the opportunity to review an ARC of the book. From YouTube to Galley pages!

"My name is Jo-Issa Rae Diop and I've always wanted a nickname. For the first twelve years of my life, none of my friends were lazy enough to shorten the pronunciation of my name, or affectionately bold enough to replace my name with an entirely new word, like Cocoa or Jollyrancher." ~ FIRST LINES

Jo-Issa Rae Diop (pronounced JO-EEE-SUH RAY JOPE) is the girl who tries to be less awkward, a bit cooler and a little smarter. The purpose of writing her story is to show it is okay to be awkward, learn from her mistakes and laugh at her misgivings. Well, Issa Rae, mission accomplished.

"Black people of all shapes, sizes and personalities value the moisturizing product known as body lotion. Lotioning alleviates ashiness. To be 'ashy' is to be unkempt." ~ pg. 68

There are lots of comedic stories like when Issa Rae was blocked on Twitter by a disabled white stripper. There are also chapters called ABG Guide about eating in public, connecting with other blacks and when co-workers attack. She writes about why edges are so important to the black female community and how being able to dance is seen as an automatic for all blacks. Pure entertainment in literary form!

Even if you are not familiar with ABG, this book of misadventures is a great introduction. So are the videos below. Issa Rae has a unique flair. For those that are already ABG fans, I highly recommend reading this collection of humorous essays when it is released in February 2015. You may pre-order at www.issarae.com/thebook

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 Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl
Author: Issa Rae
Published: February 2015
Pages: 174
Edition: Galley
Rating: ♥♥♥♡

 

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