My First Book of the Month Pick: The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

The Wife Upstairs

After a couple of years considering joining Book of the Month, I finally did it! I was so excited to get my first blue box. Picking my first book was not easy, but when I read about a new book that is a reimagining of Jane Eyre, I couldn’t say no.

When I heard the title The Wife Upstairs, it definitely reminded me of Jane Eyre and for good reason. The Wife Upstairs is a contemporary reimagining of Jane Eyre set in the American south, Birmingham, Alabama to be specific. I’ve always loved Jane Eyre. I read it once in my twenties at my mom’s insistence that it was an amazing book (she was right!). Then I read it a couple more times in college while studying women in literature and English literature. Jane Eyre is one of my all-time favorite protagonists. In a time when women, especially young ladies, were expected to be silent and compliant, she was vocal, independent, and brave. Realizing that The Wife Upstairs drew inspiration from this classic and personal favorite, I couldn’t wait to start reading.

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Book Review: The Words Between Us by Erin Bartels

Kait's Bookshelf The Words Between UsThis month I am thrilled to be a part of the Revell Reads blog tour for Erin Bartels’s newest release, The Words Between Us. I was drawn to this book right away by – you guessed it – the cover art! I have often admitted to not necessarily judging books by their covers but being drawn to books by their covers. I mean, that’s what cover art is supposed to do, right? The cover of this new novel is books – stacks of books upon stacks of books. We see the pages but never the covers or spines. I liked that. It made the cover intriguing. Between the cover art and the title, it was clear that books and writing play a big role in this story, and that is always a plus for me. There is also a grey feather loosely placed among the books, which I found out is attributed to a certain feathered character who ended up becoming a favorite of mine.

While the cover art drew my eye, the summary really made me want to read this book. It’s about a woman named Robin whose past catches up to her after she’s spent years running from it – from a disgraced, tainted family name. The story opens on the day of Robin’s father’s scheduled execution. Yes, execution. Robin was just fourteen when her father was accused of murder and her parents ended up behind bars. Years later, she runs a used bookstore (yay for second-hand books!). On execution day, a vintage book shows up sent by someone from her past. She begins receiving regular packages of old books. She knows right away who they’re from – Peter, the boy who changed everything for her, who ruined everything for her. But why is he contacting her after all these years?

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Book Review: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Kait's Bookshelf Fall Leaves

Well summer has flown by! I can’t believe it’s September, but I’m glad it is. Fall is my favorite season, and I was thrilled to see leaves changing as I took my dogs for their walks over the last week or so. I’m also enjoying the cooler nights and pumpkin decorations at the stores, and of course, I’m ready for all things magical and spooky when it comes to books! I’ve been re-reading the Harry Potter series as it’s been years since I’ve given them a read, and they are just as good as I remember them. I’m also looking forward to some new fall releases. But first, end of summer reading…

 

 

 

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Book Review: Milked by Lisa Doyle

Kait's Bookshelf Milked by Lisa Doyle

Happy July, everyone! I hope everyone in America had a wonderful Fourth of July celebration with family and friends. I sure did…and saw some pretty fireworks too!

I’ve had a couple of very busy months. First June with a week long visit from my amazing niece and then July with work, life, and reading. I have a few book reviews lined up including the bestselling Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens and Ruth Ware’s upcoming August release, The Turn of the Key. But today, I’d like to share my review of the debut novel from a new author who I personally hope to see more books from in the future.

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Book Review: The Art of Hiding by Amanda Prowse

The Art of Hiding
Cover art is copyright of Lake Union Publishing

The Art of Hiding is a new novel by Amanda Prowse, releasing on August 22nd. I was invited to read an advance copy by Lake Union Publishing, so I owe them a big thank you for sending this book my way! I was excited when I received this book because I had not read any novels by Prowse before, and I love discovering new authors!

To be perfectly honest, I was a little disappointed after reading the synopsis. The book sounded, well, depressing. The main character, Nina, finds her world unraveling at the death of her husband (not a spoiler – the whole book is based on this event and the ripple effect it causes). It seemed rather sad and dark and reminded me of a novel I read earlier in the summer, Sisters One, Two, Three, which also had a depressing vibe up front. However, like Sisters One, Two, Three, I ended up being pleasantly surprised by The Art of Hiding.
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Book Review: Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Everything EverythingThis is one of those rare instances when I’d heard of a movie before I’d heard of the book it was based on. My hubby and I made a trip to the movies recently, and one of the trailers we saw was for a new movie about a young girl with a rare illness that prevents her from going outside. Basically, she lives as a girl in a bubble. But what happens when she falls in love with the boy next door? Will she risk everything to be able to go outside, to be a part of his world, of the world? The trailer looked great and reminded me of Me Before You, a great read about a relationship dealing with circumstances beyond their control. So imagine my joy when I heard the line, “based on the best-selling book.” I knew I had to read Everything, Everything!
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Book Review: My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella

my-not-so-perfect-life
Cover Art is copyright of Random House Publishing Group

I was thrilled to learn that Sophie Kinsella has a new book coming out this winter, and even more thrilled when I received an advanced copy from Random House through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review! I have been a fan of Ms. Kinsella’s work since Confessions of a Shopaholic. I have read all of her Shopaholic series and all of her stand-alone novels as well. My Not So Perfect Life is a typical Kinsella book, complete with a lovably flawed main character who has a big problem that can only be solved through hilarious schemes and hijinks!

Katie Brenner, or Cat, or Katie…well, frankly, she can’t quite decide…has long dreamed of moving from England’s countryside to a more exciting and glamorous life in London. What she learns upon moving to the big city, however, is that life is a lot less sparkly and a lot more expensive than it looks in the pictures and movies. Unless of course you visit Katie/ Cat’s Instagram account. If you were judging based solely on that, you’d think she had the perfect life in London.
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Book Review: Defenders of Justice #1: Fatal Frost by Nancy Mehl

fatal-frostFatal Frost is the first book in the Defenders of Justice series by Nancy Mehl. I was excited to receive this copy as the synopsis from the publisher sounded intriguing and unique for a Christian fiction novel.

First of all, this was an exciting read! It was unlike any other Christian fiction I’ve read. Too often, Christian fiction “plays it safe” rather than placing characters in contemporary, conflicting, and exciting situations. I also find that Christian fiction often goes overboard on the Christian theme, with the characters praying or quoting the Bible on every other page. This book, however, kept the Christian theme subtly woven throughout the book. It wasn’t too much or too little.
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Trick-or-Treat! Halloween Books for Kids

I’ve been hoping to do a review of a children’s book for some time and I thought Halloween might be a fun time to start! I paid a little visit to the bookstore the other night and had fun browsing the kids section. It’s always fun to pop over there around a holiday because there are so many fun books on display. The bookstore did not disappoint (does it ever?), and to my delight, I found a beautiful display filled with spooky stories for little ones. I will share here two new stories (new to me at least!) which caught my eye and one classic that I think every kid should experience while they are young and enjoying the fun of Halloween. Keep on Reading!

New Book Smell

book-heart2

Let me start this post by assuring you that I am not a doctor and not qualified to give any kind of medical or lifestyle advice. What I am about to share with you are simply a few ways in which I think books play a positive and healthy role in my life in the hopes that they may do the same in yours.

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