Happy Publication Day!

Leora Krygier is a second-generation Holocaust survivor who finds a postcard in an antique shop from WWII with the words “DO NOT DISCLOSE” underlined. This begins a year long journey to learn about the man who sent the postcard while uncovering secrets about her family along the way.

Krygier writes in a lyrical style while weaving memories of her past with her present. I loved that there was some mystery in this story and kept trying to figure out who sent the postcard, and if/how it would relate to the secrets of her past.

I would recommend this memoir to anyone who enjoys reading about World War II and uncovering the past. Also, the chapters are short which is always a plus in my mind. My only issue was that it started off a little slow so I struggled to get into the story at first.

Thank you @BookSparks and @leorakrygierauthor for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

AfterMath tells the story of Lucy who moves to a new town after her brother dies of a congenital heart defect. It’s not easy being the new kid especially in a school where a school shooting took place four years prior. Lucy struggles to make friends and focuses on her love of math which leads her to join an after-school mime class taught by her math teacher. Through this club Lucy begins to make friends and find her place in her new school.

I loved how the author, Emily Barth Isler, brought math into this story. As a math geek myself, it was nice to see a main character like Lucy with such love for the subject. Each chapter starts with an equation that fits with that chapter. There are also math jokes throughout the book that I enjoyed. The title AfterMath is so clever because it has different meanings in this story - the aftermath of Lucy losing her brother and how her parents react to it, the aftermath of the school shooting and how the kids are coping, and the mime class with is actually after math class.

This is a middle grade book, and it’s definitely more focused on the older spectrum for this genre. Younger children may not be able to fully understand some of the tougher topics like mental illness, loss of a sibling, parents dealing with tragedy, and a school shooting. I think the author did a great job of handling these topics with a lot of sensitivity while keeping them realistic.

I listened to the audiobook which the author narrates. At first I wasn’t sure how it would be, but I was really impressed with her performance. She put a lot of heart into voicing Lucy.

Thank you NetGalley and Lerner Audiobooks for an advanced listeners copy in exchange for my honest review.

I just didn’t love this book as much as I hoped I would. I listened to the audiobook, and maybe that’s why I didn’t like it as much as my friends who have read it. I did like that it was set in Seattle where I used to live. It made me nostalgic when places I used to go were mentioned. However, I just found the storyline a little implausible and far-fetched.

What would you do to protect your son?

Keep You Close by Karen Cleveland was honestly a thriller that I loved reading...up until the end. At that point I felt like I wasted my time reading this book. I am still giving it 4 stars though.

The author had me intrigued from the first chapter until the ending, but I felt it was ruined with the epilogue. The story was told from one point, and then to end with a different view point threw the whole storyline off. It just didn’t sit well.

I still don’t know what happened to the main characters...maybe a sequel is in the authors mind?

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Crazy Rich Asians are back in book two, and this time it's more over the top than book one. I loved all the different restaurants they went to and the shopping in Paris was amazing, however I also wanted more of a plot.

I really hope that book three is more about Astrid and Charlie because theirs is the best story in the books.

Clara wakes up in her apartment to find out that her boyfriend, Luke didn’t come home the night before. His phone is in the apartment so he didn’t call her, but she got an email saying he was leaving work and heading home. Luke comes from the perfect family and seems to be the perfect boyfriend until Clara starts investigating to find out what happened to him. Flashback to Beth, who is telling the story of her daughter, Hannah, a sociopath who has done awful things to her parents and younger brother. Luke’s sister Emily left home when she was 18 never to be heard from again. When Emily contacts Clara about the investigation into Luke’s disappearance all of their lives will become entwined in ways none of them imagined, but is she really Emily?

The Lies We Told is a great thriller. There were twists throughout, and I didn’t see the big twists coming. I loved the chapters told from Beth’s perspective. Hannah was such a creepy, messed up character. I couldn’t believe the things she did. Mac, Luke’s best friend, was another character I really enjoyed however, I did see the twist at the end of the book involving him coming which is why I rated the book 4 out of 5 stars. I still highly recommend it though, and I’m really hoping for a sequel.

Lizzie, a prosecutor turned defense attorney, received a collect call from Rikers. Zach, an old friend from law school, has been arrested for assault of a police officer, but there’s more to it. His wife, Amanda, was found murdered in his home, and Zach wants Lizzie to get him out of Rikers before he’s arraigned for the murder. Lizzie is hesitant since she has not handled a murder before, but her boss talks her into taking Zach’s case.

A Good Marriage is told from Lizzie’s perspective after the murder, and Amanda’s perspective before. It alternates between the two points of view plus there are memos and court testimonies spaced out in between. I liked the way it was written from both perspectives. The author did a good job of keeping us in suspense as to what was happening and who murdered Amanda.

There were a few different types of marriages in this story, and I’m not sure any of them were good! I like how these different marriages helped with the story and how they were all intertwined a little. The characters were well built up which kept adding more suspense and made it harder to figure out who done it! There were definitely twists throughout, and the author was great at keeping us on our toes. This book had a very slow start for me, but the ending was definitely not what I expected and moved at a much faster pace.

Thank you Kimberly McCreight and Harper for an advanced reader’s edition in exchange for my honest review.

I listened to the audiobook of “One for the Money” by Janet Evanovich which is narrated by C.J. Critt. One for the Money tells the story of Stephanie Plum who starts working as a bounty hunter for her cousin after losing her job and basically having no other option for income. She is given a FTA (failure to appear) to find, Joe Morelli. Morelli is a cop that is involved in a murder and also the person Stephanie lost her virginity to when they were in high school. With the help of fellow Bounty Hunter, Ranger, and a childhood friend who is now a cop, she sets off to find Morelli and get the $10,000 payout which will help her get back on her feet.

This series was recommended to me by some friends who said it was great for listening to on my commute to/from work. I’m glad I decided to try the first book and plan on reading the others in the series. It’s easy to pay attention to while driving, and Stephanie is a very funny character. I was routing for her the entire time I was listening and look forward to seeing where her relationship with Morelli goes in future books. The narrator, C.J. Critt, was very good as well so I plan to continue reading the audiobooks during my commute.