This Is Mexico! by Carol M. Merchasin

Here is a book that I would love to read. My ancestral roots are deeply rooted in Mexico, yet my visits there have been very few. I love to read and hear positive stories about the country that my family is from. 
About the Book

This is Mexico is a collection of essays on the often magical and mysterious—and sometimes heartrending—workings of everyday life in Mexico, written from the perspective of an American expatriate. 

By turns humorous and poignant, Merchasin’s stories provide an informed look at Mexican culture and history, exploring everything from healthcare, Mexican-style, to religious rituals, and from the educational role of the telenovela to the cultural subtleties of the Spanish language. 

Written with a clear for details, a warm heart for Mexico, and a lively sense of humor, This is Mexico is an insider's look at the joys, sorrows, and challenges of life in this complex country.

About the Author

Carol M. Merchasin is a lawyer, a former partner in a large law firm and an author involved in a longtime love affair with Mexico. She fell in love with the country's language, people and culture during her first trip south in 1983, and she moved to San Miguel de Allende in 2005. She is a keen observer, an experienced researcher, and an enthusiastic student of Mexican culture.

For more information about the book and author visit her WEBSITE.

Happy Reading! _________________________________________
 FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Save Me by Krystyn Kusek Lewis

Save Me by Krysten Kusek Lewis
Paperback, 288 pages
Published December 2014 by Grand Central Publishing

Source: From Publisher for Review, BookSparks Fall Reading Challenge, NetGalley

About the Book

Daphne Mitchell has always believed in cause and effect, right and wrong, good and bad. The good: her dream job as a doctor; Owen, her childhood sweetheart and now husband; the beautiful farmhouse they're restoring together. In fact, most of her life has been good--until the day Owen comes home early from work to tell her he's fallen head over heels for someone else.

Unable to hate him, but also equally incapable of moving forward, Daphne's life hangs in limbo until the day Owen's new girlfriend sustains near-fatal injuries in a car accident. As Daphne becomes a pillar of support for the devastated Owen, and realizes that reconciliation may lie within her grasp, she has to find out whether forgiveness is possible and decide which path is the right one for her.


About the Author

Kristyn Kusek Lewis is the author of How Lucky You Are (Grand Central), a novel about three women and the growing pains of their enduring friendship. How Lucky reached #1 on Barnes & Noble’s Top 100/Bestselling NOOK Books and was a Target Emerging Authors Pick. Kristyn’s next novel, a love story about two doctors, a tragic accident, and the power of forgiveness, will be published by Grand Central in December 2014.

A former magazine editor at publications including Glamour and Child, Kristyn has been writing for national publications for nearly twenty years. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, O: The Oprah Magazine, Real Simple, Reader’s Digest, Glamour, Self, Redbook, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Parents, Allure, Good Housekeeping, Cooking Light, Health, Men’s Health, the New York Daily News, and many more.

Kristyn is a graduate of the Vermont College of Fine Arts, where she earned an MFA in creative writing, and the College of the Holy Cross. She lives in North Carolina with her family.

For more info about the book and author visit her WEBSITE.

Happy Reading! _________________________________________
 FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

The Resurrection of Tess Blessing by Leslie Kagen

The Resurrection of Tess Blessing by Leslie Kagen 325 pages, Paperback Published December 2014, SparksPress
Source: Sent for review by the Publisher
About the Book
After she's diagnosed with breast cancer, forty-nine-year old Tess Blessing sets forth on a mission to complete her TO-DO List before, what she's sure is, her impending death. She needs to make peace with her estranged sister, Birdie, scatter her mother's long-kept ashes, rescue her daughter, Haddie, from the grip of an eating disorder, guide her teenage son, Henry, through a bumpy adolescence, and reignite the spark in her almost thirty-year marriage to her husband, Will. 

Tess is aided on her quest by narrator, Grace, who lends the story its most brilliant elements: subtle magical realism and deep psychological complexity. Is Grace an imaginary friend, guardian angel, or a part of Tess that knows better than she?

Award-winning, New York Times bestselling author, Lesley Kagen, has created an unforgettable, redemptive story that is by turns poignant, gritty, spiritually uplifting, and funny as hell.
My Review
Tess Blessing is an interesting character. She is likable but flawed and I found myself wanting to talk to her, sometimes yell at her. I wanted desperately to help her out, give her a hug, make her tell her family what is going on with her so she can get some love. Her relationships are strained and a bit superficial since she doesn't really let anyone know the real her- afraid that they will learn about some of her psychological problems. 
The narrator added a little magic to the story. Who exactly is she? An imaginary friend or ghost? A guardian angel? Loved it- mostly because she could materialize and help Tess out when she needed it.  
Really enjoyed this and am excited to share with you all a chance to win Kagen's iPad Mini Giveaway. There are only two more days left to enter! Click the link and head on over now!
About the Author

Leslie kagen is an actress, voice-over talent, former restauranteur, sought-after speaker, and award- winning, New Your Times bestselling author of five previous novels. Her work has been translated into seven languages. She's the mother of two and grandmother of two. She lives in a hundred-year old farmhouse in a small town in Wisconsin.
For more info about the book and author visit her WEBSITE.


Happy Reading! _________________________________________

Stillwater Rising by Steena Holmes

Stillwater Rising by Steena Holmes

262 pages, Paperback Published November 2014, Lake Union Publishing
Source: Sent by publisher for BookSparks Fall Reading Challenge, NetGalley
About the Book

After losing her son in an elementary school shooting that devastates the tight-knit community of Stillwater Bay, Jennifer Crowne finds herself unable to settle back into her role of perfect stay-at-home mom and committee organizer. Meanwhile, her best friend, Mayor Charlotte Stone, struggles to keep the town together, and Charlotte’s husband, the school principal, may not be the hero everyone thinks him to be.

As they try to heal from this irrevocable trauma, Jenn and Charlotte find themselves at a crossroads—within the town and within their friendship. For Jenn, broken and grieving, there is no going back, and she demands that the school be closed so that she can bury the past. Yet Charlotte is equally desperate to hold the town together, fighting the school closure and helping the shooter’s mother regain her place in the community. Jenn and Charlotte’s relationship is put to the ultimate test as each weighs her own interests against the bonds of their friendship.

My Review

Having a child who will one day be enrolled in public school made this a hard book to read. I kind of understood the pain the grieving parents are experiencing and the terror of sending their other kids back and also how some blamed the mother for her son's actions. I would like to think that I would be more forgiving and understanding, but wow, you never know how you would react if it was your own.

This was an interesting book, as it follows the characters months after the tragic shooting and not leading up to it or during.  This story is more about the town's reaction to the tragedy and how they survive it. Relationships are broken, friendships are strained and others become stronger.  I really enjoyed reading about these people and hoping they would be okay.

About the Author

Growing up as a small town Canadian girl, there wasn't much to do but ride your bike, hang out with friends on the beach and daydream. I always wanted to write but never dreamed it was something I could do as a career. I love to travel and fell in love with the sheep covered hillside, old castles and romantic history of Scotland and England. I dream about waking up in Tuscany and touring small town shops in the south of France with my husband, of placing my toes in the ocean and experiencing history first hand. As a mother with three daughters, I'm learning that teaching them to pursue their dreams is a lasting legacy. I love to wake up to the Rocky Mountains, will forever enjoy the taste of coffee and chocolate and can't imagine the day when a story doesn't unfold in my heart. Living a life with passion and pursuing dreams is a life well lived.

Happy Reading! _________________________________________
 FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

BookSparks Speak Out: End School Violence

Today is SAVE (Stop America's Violence Everywhere) Day. 
All proceeds from Before the Storm purchases made on October 8th will go directly to KidsPeace. They are "an organization dedicated to serving the behavioral and mental health needs of children, families and communities, especially following traumatic events."

Buy the novella and support KidsPeace HERE.
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Ghosting by Edith Pattou

Ghosting by Edith Pattou 423 pages, hardcover Published August 2014, Skyscape
Source: NetGalley, BookSparks Fall Reading Challenge
It is the last weekend of the summer and a group of teens are out to celebrate the start of the new school year and their last year of high school. Emma, her boyfriend Brendan, her old elementary school friends Maxine and Felix, and her friend Chloe and her boyfriend Anil. Their angst, insecurities and daring behavior along with a mix of alcohol and pot lead to an unforgettable, but regrettable night for all of them.  Ghosting is told in free verse by each of the characters. You get a glimpse into their lives, their thoughts and their fears. In the planning of the night out you can feel that something terribly wrong is going to happen, you just don't know what exactly. What does happen is a shocker. I enjoyed the way the story was told. Each character had a different style of verse and a very distinct voice. It made it easy to keep track of who was sharing. The short chapters (poems) made it easy to read on the go. I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Praise for the book:

“Eight teens’ fates intertwine and recombine in the aftermath of a prank gone very wrong…[Ghosting is] a novel in verse…engaging.” —Kirkus Reviews

Buy the book:

• Amazon Hardcover: http://amzn.to/1rNzM3c
• Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/1jQzVkb

About the author:

Edith Pattou has found acclaim as a writer in middle-grade fantasy with such award-winning books as East, which received starred reviews in Booklist and School Library Journal; was selected as a Top Ten Book for YA, an American Library Association Notable Book, a School Library Journal Top Ten YA Book, one of the 100 Best of the Best YA Books for the 21st Century by the Young Adult Library Services Association; and was nominated for numerous state awards. It’s a nominee for NPR’s all-time Best YA Novels list.

Connect with the author:

• Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1qg9bMx
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/epattou
• Website: http://edithpattou.com/
• Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1rhAA0n

Happy Reading! _________________________________________

Current Read and Teaser: Ghosting by Edith Pattou

It has been a really long time since I have shared a Teaser on Tuesday. Thought I would start it up again. I love seeing what others are reading and to share what my current read is.
I am currently reading Ghosting by Edith Pattou for BookSparks Fall Reading Challenge. It is written in verse, each short entry is in first person by a different character, teens going out on the last night out before the beginning of the new school year. Here is a little tease...

"finally the water stops. after a few minutes the bathroom door opens and mom comes out, wearing a robe, her hair wet, her eye still swollen shut." 

I am reading this on Kindle so the formatting is off and I am not sure of the page. I am 27% in, though.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Happy Reading! _________________________________________
 FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Review: The One and Only by Emily Giffin

The One and Only by Emily Giffin 432 pages, Hardcover Ballantine Books, May 20, 2014 Source: provided by publisher for review and BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge
Texas and football. 
If you have never lived there, you can't possibly understand it. You would probably read about Shea and think she can't possibly be real. No girl is this obsessed with her college football team years after having graduated. 
Oh, she is real. I know this girl. I have many friends back in Austin that are so similar to Shea. Of course, they are all Longhorn fans and maybe one or two Aggie fans. As you can imagine, I loved this book. 
I have really missed the craziness of college football season since leaving Texas. It just isn't the same in California. 
Anyway, about the book. 
Shea loves her Walker football team and the man at the helm, Coach Carr, has a special place in her heart. He's Coach, father of her best friend, and a mentor/father figure of sorts. So it comes as quite a surprise when feelings begin to arise after the death of his wife. How will they and their families deal with this?
I enjoyed the football and the progression of the love story. It is not always an obvious attraction, what with the other relationships Shea has, her connections to the team and family and the reactions sure to arise if anything happens. Shea and Coach Carr are not typical romantic leads, but it was really quite refreshing and it was fun to cheer them on. 
About the Author
Emily Giffin is a graduate of Wake Forest University and the University of Virginia School of Law. After practicing litigation at a Manhattan firm for several years, she moved to London to write full time. The author of six New York Times best-selling novels, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, Baby Proof, Love the One You're With, Heart of The Matter and Where We Belong, she lives in Atlanta with her husband and three young children.
For more info about the book and author visit her WEBSITE.
Happy Reading! _________________________________________
 FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge

  

I am taking part in the BookSparks 2014 Summer Reading Challenge. I didn't think I could read all 15 books, but I will be reading one each month. 

First up for May, The One and Only by Emily Giffin. 

Very excited to be participating. There are some great books and some really great prizes, including a Kindle every Friday!

For the full Summer Reading Challenge lineup, click HERE!