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Good Reads

And the Award for Best Characters Goes to…|The Survivor’s Guide to Family Happiness by Maddie Dawson

October 27, 2016

4 comments on And the Award for Best Characters Goes to…|The Survivor’s Guide to Family Happiness by Maddie Dawson

I may have over-committed myself this October. I had these grand plans to devour a collection of spooky novels and write all about them, but instead I found myself in a bit of a reading rut after abandoning three books back to back to back. I can’t decide if the books were particularly uninteresting to me or if I was just distracted. I did, after all, get married this month (more on that later though!). When I finally sat down to read The Survivor’s Guide to Family Happiness by Maddie Dawson, I was certain my reading rut would affect my ability to appreciate the story. Sometimes negativity begets negativity, you know? But, that’s not what happened. In truth, I actually kind of loved The Survivor’s Guide to Family Happiness.

The Survivor’s Guide to Family Happiness by Maddie Dawson

Released: October 25, 2016
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
★★★★☆
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Purchase: Amazon|BAM!|B&N

Newly orphaned, recently divorced, and semiadrift, Nina Popkin is on a search for her birth mother. She’s spent her life looking into strangers’ faces, fantasizing they’re related to her, and now, at thirty-five, she’s ready for answers.

Meanwhile, the last thing Lindy McIntyre wants is someone like Nina bursting into her life, announcing that they’re sisters and campaigning to track down their mother. She’s too busy with her successful salon, three children, beautiful home, and…oh yes, some pesky little anxiety attacks.

But Nina is determined to reassemble her birth family. Her search turns up Phoebe Mullen, a guarded, hard-talking woman convinced she has nothing to offer. Gradually sharing stories and secrets, the three women make for a messy, unpredictable family that looks nothing like Nina pictured…but may be exactly what she needs. Nina’s moving, ridiculous, tragic, and transcendent journey becomes a love story proving that real family has nothing to do with DNA.

It is entirely possible that Maddie Dawson’s cast of characters are my favorite for the year of 2016. They’re so…believably flawed. Nina Popkin is impulsive and a bit flaky as she mourns over the death of her adoptive mother, navigates a new relationship following a recent divorce that she’s not quite over, and tries her hand at parenting even though she’s convinced she is not capable of such a feat considering her biological mother abandoned her when she was an infant. Then, there is Lindy, Nina’s sister, who has a perfect life, or at least tries to portray she has a perfect life; she may have a successful business, great hair, and a coach purse, but she’s never felt more disconnected from her husband, and she has a disorder that compels her to count things, like the tiles between her chair and the door, and dear god, please let there be an odd number of tiles because odd numbers are lucky. The relationship between Nina and Lindy is strained at first because after 30+ years of existence, they just found out they are biological siblings, and while impulsive Nina wants everything to do with her biological family, prim and proper Lindy doesn’t appreciate the black mark on her birth record. However, through the course of the novel, Nina and Lindy grow from strangers to sisters, and it’s really kind of heart-warming.

Of course I can’t forget to mention Carter, Nina’s dreamy new boyfriend, who is about 20 years older than she is and kind of a distracted parent. His wife left him, and then she followed her dream of becoming a kale farmer (do people really dream of becoming kale farmers?). She left behind her daughter Kayla, who is a 15 year-old with blue hair and is hella angsty. But, Kayla’s got a heart of gold, she’s compassionate, and when it comes to animal rights, she is proud to take a stand (even if her methods leads to madness). She also left behind a son, who is graduating the top of his class but has zero interest in attending college even though he was accepted into freaking Vanderbilt.

And by the way, Lindy and Nina’s biological mom is now a chain-smoking vegan, who used to be a 1980’s pop icon. But…attaining dreams of stardom is not why she put her babies up for adoption. The true story is much more twisted and devastating.

The Survivor’s Guide to Family Happiness was just the book to pull me out of a reading rut. Dawson writes a character-driven story that is both dramatic and heart-warming, and her characters are well-crafted with impeccable chemistry. It’s hard not to root for them, to hope everything turns out better than alright.

This novel was provided for free from the publisher and TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.
Good Reads

I Had Hoped for a Boarding School Novel but was Taken on a Wild Ride Instead | Deliver Her by Patricia Perry Donovan

October 10, 2016

3 comments on I Had Hoped for a Boarding School Novel but was Taken on a Wild Ride Instead | Deliver Her by Patricia Perry Donovan

I may have hyper-focused on the portion of the synopsis that mentions that Alex Carmody is shipped off to the Birches, a boarding school in New Hampshire. That coupled with a beautiful cover of a young woman standing in what I perceived to be the campus of a boarding school in the middle of Autumn in New England– I didn’t stand a chance. But, if you’re looking for a novel that takes place at a boarding school– one where the main character navigates cliques in the cafeteria at lunchtime, enrolls in fascinating classes that exists only in our imaginations, or discovers a group of exceptional friends– look somewhere else. If you’re looking for a novel full of suspense and deceit and a journey both metaphorical and literal, look no further than Deliver Her by Patricia Perry Donovan.

Deliver Her by Patricia Perry Donovan

Released: May 2016
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
★★★☆☆
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Purchase: Amazon|BAM!|B&N

On the night of Alex Carmody’s sixteenth birthday, she and her best friend, Cass, are victims of a terrible car accident. Alex survives; Cass doesn’t. Consumed by grief, Alex starts cutting school and partying, growing increasingly detached. The future she’d planned with her friend is now meaningless to her.

Meg Carmody is heartbroken for her daughter, even as she’s desperate to get Alex’s life back on track. The Birches, a boarding school in New Hampshire, promises to do just that, yet Alex refuses to go. But when Meg finds a bag of pills hidden in the house, she makes a fateful call to a transporter whose company specializes in shuttling troubled teens to places like The Birches, under strict supervision. Meg knows Alex will feel betrayed—as will her estranged husband, who knows nothing of Meg’s plans for their daughter.

When the transport goes wrong—and Alex goes missing—Meg must face the consequences of her decision and her deception. But the hunt for Alex reveals that Meg is not the only one keeping secrets.

This novel is both predictable and suspenseful

I knew fairly early on how this novel would end, and yet I still found myself compelled to read on. Because it’s the ride the author takes the reader on that makes Deliver Her so worth while. Donovan slowly reveals the tragic past of a broken family, and at the same time, she propels the reader forward across icy roads blocked by moose and car rides from creepy strangers to reach a place of healing that is both literal and metaphorical.

This novel has crossover appeal

Deliver Her is told from multiple POVs. First, there is Meg Caromdy, who is a mother who seems to have reached the end of the road in her relationship not just with her husband but also with her daughter. Then, there is Alex Carmody, who is battered by the guilt that she may have been the cause of her best friend’s death. And finally, there is Carl, a recovering addict, whose role is to transport Alex to the Birches safe and sound. Deliver Her isn’t explicitly a young adult novel or an adult novel, so the reader spends half of the novel caught up in the psyche of a teenage girl and the other half in the mind of a mother at her wit’s end. Further, Donovan manages to strike a gentle balance of writing from the teenage perspective without bogging the narration down with angst that I think make this novel appeal not just to a young adult audience but to readers who may be reluctant to pick something up that is labeled “YA”.

I’m strangely okay that this novel doesn’t take place at a boarding school

It’s hard to feel disappointed that Deliver Her isn’t a novel that takes place at boarding school because Donovan paints such convincing and heartbreaking picture of a dysfunctional family. One where family members are so caught up in their lives, regardless of how mundane they may be, that they don’t even see how disconnected from one another they really are until it’s too late. One where family member’s harbor secrets to protect others or tell lies to one another just to make it through the day peacefully, without confrontation.

Every single character, from Jack, Alex’s naive little brother, to Carl, a recovering addict, who transports the troubled youth to rehab centers, garners sympathy and yet, most of the time I kept thinking, gosh I hope my marriage doesn’t turn out this way, or I hope my child doesn’t end up like this.

This novel was provided for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Good Reads

When Expectations Do Not Meet Reality | The Readahoics and the Gothic Gala by Laura DiSilverio

September 27, 2016

3 comments on When Expectations Do Not Meet Reality | The Readahoics and the Gothic Gala by Laura DiSilverio

It’s not uncommon that I start a cozy mystery novel somewhere near the middle of the series. I can only think of three series where I started with book one (Lending a Paw by Laurie Cass, Crepes of Wrath by Sarah Fox, and the Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum by Kirsten Weiss). And honestly, I’ve never had a problem starting in the middle of a cozy mystery series; the books tend stand up by themselves, although if a book is particularly intriguing, I tend to read other books in the series, like the Ghost Hunter Mystery series by Victoria Laurie. But I’ve gotta tell ya…I really struggled with the Readaholics and the Gothic Gala by Laura DiSilverio.

The Readaholics and the Gothic Gala by Laura DiSilverio

Released: August 2016
Publisher: NAL
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★★☆☆☆

Reading the gothic classic Rebecca already has the Readaholics spooked, and the chills only get worse when someone in town actually gives up the ghost….

Amy-Faye Johnson has her hands full coordinating the Celebration of Gothic Novels in Heaven, Colorado. The festivities start off smoothly, but the weekend is soon cursed with large egos, old resentments, and uninvited guests. Matters become truly grave when a dead body is found at the gothic-themed costume party.

The out-of-town authors claim not to know the victim, but Amy-Faye has doubts. With skeletons turning up in all of the suspects’ closets, Amy-Faye and the Readaholics must tap into their knowledge of gothic literature to find a killer who lurks in the shadows…

Expectations did not meet reality

The summary put a lot of emphasis on not only the Gothic Gala but also on the book club that main character, Amy-Faye, participated in, yet the Gothic Gala concluded by the third chapter (roughly), and Amy-Faye only met with her reading group twice in 300+ pages. I…was kind of disappointed. I mean, part of me understands that a crime could not take place and be solved during the course of a charity event, but a girl can dream, right?

There were a lot of characters

And I mean A LOT. Considering I usually start mid-series with cozies, I still do not struggle with keeping all of the characters in line. But, that was not the case with the Readaholics and the Gothic Gala. Not only does it appear that the usual cast of characters is pretty large (the reading group + Amy-Fayes employees + the entire town of Heaven, Colorado), but all of the additional, out-of-town characters at the partie(s) are quite large too, so it was hard to keep track of everyone.

The ending really caught me by surprise

But not in a good way. Mostly because I couldn’t remember which character was which, so when the murderer was revealed, I found myself flipping to the beginning of the book for reminders. Also, I don’t think enough clues were revealed throughout the course of the novel about the victim’s identity. The motivation really caught me by surprise, but again…not in a good way.

Overall, I’m kind of let down, and when I try to think of how to sum up my feelings about this story, all I can conjure up is a shoulder shrug. The storytelling in this particular novel was not up to par, and honestly it discourages me from exploring other books in this series. That being said, I can tell Laura DiSilverio is a wonderful writer, and I am curious about her other series.
Good Reads

The World Needs a New Period Drama, and it Needs to be The Girl Who Fought Napoleon by Linda Lafferty

September 23, 2016

3 comments on The World Needs a New Period Drama, and it Needs to be The Girl Who Fought Napoleon by Linda Lafferty

The world seems to be enamored with period dramas that take place in the U.K., like Downton Abbey, the Tudors, and the White Queen. There is actually an entire website dedicated to Regency, Victorian, and Edwardian period dramas called Willow and Thatch. Truly, with the exception of the Borgias, I cannot think of a period drama that doesn’t take place in the U.K. Isn’t that sad? So, when I sat down to read the Girl Who Fought Napoleon by Linda Lafferty, all I could think about was how badly I wanted this to be optioned for a TV mini-series. Lafferty brings Russia during the Napoleonic Wars to life both in the warm and seemingly safe Winter Palace as well as the bloody battlefields. Further, this 430 page novel seems to fly right by; the plot is paced perfectly and is filled with action, suspense, treason and betrayal.

The Girl Who Fought Napoleon by Linda Lafferty

Released: September 20, 2016
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
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★★★★☆

In a sweeping story straight out of Russian history, Tsar Alexander I and a courageous girl named Nadezhda Durova join forces against Napoleon.

It’s 1803, and an adolescent Nadya is determined not to follow in her overbearing Ukrainian mother’s footsteps. She’s a horsewoman, not a housewife. When Tsar Paul is assassinated in St. Petersburg and a reluctant and naive Alexander is crowned emperor, Nadya runs away from home and joins the Russian cavalry in the war against Napoleon. Disguised as a boy and riding her spirited stallion, Alcides, Nadya rises in the ranks, even as her father begs the tsar to find his daughter and send her home.

Both Nadya and Alexander defy expectations—she as a heroic fighter and he as a spiritual seeker—while the battles of Austerlitz, Friedland, Borodino, and Smolensk rage on.

In a captivating tale that brings Durova’s memoirs to life, from bloody battlefields to glittering palaces, two rebels dare to break free of their expected roles and discover themselves in the process.

This story is also told in alternating perspectives.

But, it’s not what you would expect. Typically, that would imply first person perspectives from two main characters, but that is not the case with the Girl Who Fought Napoleon. Lafferty makes an interesting choice to write the narrative from both first person perspective as well as third person subjective. I’ve never read a novel that alternates between first person and third person, so that did take a few chapters to get used to. However, it’s a storytelling method that I appreciated, especially for this particular story. The Girl Who Fought Napoleon is based on the memoirs of Nadezhda Durova (the Calvary Maiden), so the obvious choice would be to tell the story in first person. This story is hers, after all. But, that would offer the reader such a limited view of what was happening in Russia during this point in history. Switching to a third person point of view allows readers to peek inside the Winter Palace– to get to know the paranoid Tsar Paul and the reluctant soon-to-be Tsar Alexander, to witness assassination plots and royal affairs, to understand the political turmoil rumbling across Europe as the tides of the Napoleonic Wars lap at Russia’s borders.

The biggest challenge in understanding the alternate POV had less to do with the actual point of view and more to do with the timeline

The timeline tends to bounce back and forth. For example, the story starts in 1783, which is when Nadezhda Durova is born. The next chapter jumps six years to Christmas 1789, when young Alexander and his family are opening presents. Then the next chapter jumps back to 1785 to reveal more about Nadezhda’s life. Then to 1790…and 1799…and back to 1789. Trying to remember when certain events happened was futile; I eventually stopped reading the date headers because it was distracting me from the story.

By the way, can we talk about how amazing Nadezhda Durova is?

First, the story seems a little cliché– young woman dresses up as a man so she may live life with more freedom. In Nadezdha Durova’s case, it was to escape restrictions and tedium of “women’s work” and to help save her homeland. Second, it seems kind of far-fetched that during the early 1800s, a young woman would trick her way into the military and dupe everyone for nearly a decade, save a bunch of lives with very little military training, receive recognition from the Tsar himself, help lead victories over the Grand Armee, and live to retire and then write a memoir about it. BUT IT’S TRUE. IT’S TOTALLY FREAKING TRUE! That is reason enough to read this novel– you need to know Nadezdha Durova!

Overall, I really enjoyed the Girl Who Fought Napoleon. It’s one of those books that looks long but somehow you manage to breeze through 100 pages before you even finish eating your box of bon bons (and it’s not even a particularly large box of bon bons either). I just found myself not only fascinated by Nadezhda, but also with Russia during the early 1800s. I think the only reason why I managed to not consult wikipedia during my readthrough is because the novel was such a page-turner. Should you read this one? Definitely!

This book was received for free in exchange for an honest review.
Tasty Teas

Tea Talk with Author Kristin Bartley Lenz

September 12, 2016

3 comments on Tea Talk with Author Kristin Bartley Lenz
Kristin Bartley Lenz, super awesome tea drinker and author of The Art of Holding On and Letting Go

Yesterday, I wrote a rave review for The Art of Holding On and Letting Go by Kristin Bartley Lenz. It’s a wonderful debut novel about loss, the meaning of “home”, and the healing force of nature, rock climbing, and friendship. In the beginning of the novel, there is a scene where the main character, Cara Jenkins, sips on peppermint tea to soothe her nerves before a rock climbing competition. It was such a small detail, but it was one that helped me connect with the character almost instantly. I’m a sucker for peppermint tea too! Although, while I do appreciate that it can have a calming affect, I actually tend to drink peppermint tea whenever I’m working on projects that require creativity (it gets those creative juices flowing!).

As it turns out, Kristin Bartley Lenz is a tea drinker too, and to celebrate the release of her book, The Art of Holding On and Letting Go (WHICH IS OUT TODAY, SO GO GET IT NOW!), Books & Tea happily presents you a guest post by Kristin Bartley Lenz, which is about her discovery of loose leaf tea, some of her favorite types of tea, as well as a visit to a tea plantation… in China (so lucky!).

I have always preferred tea over coffee. Sleepy Time and Good Earth were my first favorites, but I’m not sure I even knew loose leaf tea existed until I entered Far Leaves tea shop in Berkeley, CA in my late twenties. The shop was new, only a few blocks from my house, and I wandered in out of curiosity soon after they opened. The owner was preparing tea gaiwan style and offering tastes in tiny round cups. Green, white, and oolongs from China and Taiwan – I discovered a whole new world of tea beyond the little bags and boxes I had known.

Here are my current 5 favorite teas:
1. One of my everyday favorites is Wenshan Baozhong, an oolong that’s almost green from Taiwan. It’s a great tea for beginners because it doesn’t become terribly bitter if you oversteep it, and it lasts for multiple infusions in one day. It’s often described as light and sweet with hints of melon, elderflower, and grass.
2. A few years ago, a doctor recommended I drink white tea because of its high antioxidant levels, and White Peony became a new everyday favorite, especially during the warmer spring and summer months. This Chinese tea is also known as Bai Mu Dan or Pai Mu Tan. There are no actual peony flowers in this tea, but it does have a slightly floral aroma. The Fragrant Leaf is one of my favorite online teashops and they have an inexpensive organic White Peony.
3. My most recent favorite tea is Dragonwell or Longjing, a pan-fired green tea with distinctive flat leaves, and I was actually able to see these tea plants on a trip to China last year! My good friends, Monique and John, are on a two-year assignment for work in China, and their first stop was Hangzhou, a region known for Longjing tea. The tea wasn’t being harvested on the day I visited, but the tea fields were beautiful.
4. I don’t drink as much Pearl Jasmine green tea as I used to, but it’s still a favorite to share with friends, especially if they’re just learning to like green tea. The fragrance is intoxicating, and it’s fun to watch the leaves unfurl from the tight pearls as it steeps.
5. My favorite winter tea is this rooibos-based Herbal Chai. It brews to a gorgeous red hue and has a slight peppery kick, depending on how long you steep it. This is the only tea I drink with honey and milk, especially coconut milk – yum! Guaranteed to warm you up on a gloomy, frigid day.
I know, I said five, but I can’t stop – one more! Silver Needle is a white tea that can be kind of meh, but I stumbled upon a wonderfully fragrant, rich version at an organic, biodynamic tea farm in Traverse City, Michigan. Yes, Michigan! I didn’t know it was possible to grow tea here. Their story is on their website, and their tea is expensive, but it’s truly a very special treat.

Enjoy!

Kristin Lenz

Thank you so much to Kristin Bartley Lenz for writing this guest post (and for putting Light of Day in Traverse City, MI on my map!). I also have to say, the rooibos-based Herbal Chai sounds absolutely divine (and a must-have to get me through the impending winter months here in Michigan).

The Art of Holding On and Letting Go by Kristin Bartley Lenz is available September 12, 2016 — today! Snag your copy here:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BAM | IndieBound

Connect with Kristin Bartley Lenz:

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