Lizzy & Jane

Lizzy & Jane

Katherine Reay

Elizabeth is a chef with her own restaurant in New York. But customers are dwindling and her cooking has lost its edge. So her boss brings in a celebrity to boost sales and hopefully get Elizabeth to snap out of whatever is bothering her. But when her dad calls and begs her to visit she decides to take a break and go with him to take care of her sister Jane, who has cancer. That decision will change the entire course of not only her life, but the lives of several other people as well.

I absolutely loved this book. The plot is very deep and thought provoking, but never once felt heavy. The author wove in thoughts and quotes from a quite a few books. A lot of them are obviously Jane Austen, but most have a food theme that the main character pulls from. The food references were great and added authenticity to the story. The story and characters were deep and moving. I was entertained, but also finished the book with quite a bit to think about. I love how the author is able to write a story that stays with the reader long after the book is put down. What showcases a truly talented author, was the fact that I had nothing in common with either sister or the situations they were going through, and yet I was immersed in the story and fell in love with both of them. They were relatable and likeable, despite their flaws. All of the characters, even the secondary ones, had such depth. Reay is a talented author and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

I received this book free of charge from Kelley and Hall Publicity in exchange for my honest review.

The Modeling Poo

The Poodle Tales

Book Nine

The Modeling Poo

Little Poodle puppy has always dreamed of being a model. Her biggest dream was to have a runway show and star in her show. She carefully picked out each outfit and set the stage. The rest of the book tells all about her runway show.

The illustrations are cute and funny. My five year old daughter loved this book. She's read it through several times and I've found her just looking at all of the details in the pictures. We haven't seen the previous eight books, but this didn't seem to affect the story at all. The story was sweet and sends the message that you can be anything you want to be with hard work and the right attitude. My daughter is requesting we get the rest of the books in this series.

I received this book free of charge from Kelley & Hall Book Publicity in exchange for my honest review.

A Boy Called Duct Tape

A Boy Called Duct Tape

Christopher Cloud

A poor young boy, Pablo, and his little sister Pia found a gold coin in the river. Add a treasure map, a cave, bad guys, and lots of fun. What happens next is a wild adventure that none of them expected in their wildest dreams. At the end, they learn that no amount of money, adventure, and excitement can change who they really are.

I'm definitely not in the target age group for this book. But I still enjoyed following the kids on their adventure. There is enough suspense and drama to make this a great book for my son when he gets a little bit bigger. I'll definitely be keeping it.

I received this book free of charge from Kelley & Hall Book Publicity for my honest review.

Joy Worthy

Joy Worthy

A Mother's Guide to More Joy, Less Stress and No Guilt

Julie McGrath

The premise for this book is about rediscovering the you that was lost when you became a mom. Put yourself first and you will become a better person as well as a better mom.

I was asked to read this book while I was reading a book about thankfulness and joy and thought it would be a perfect fit. As I read the book I tried very hard to ignore the tone and grasp what the writer was trying to say and not what was actually being said. My take on this book seems to be completely different from the other reviewers so clearly I "heard" the message wrong. I walked away feeling like the author wrote this book to justify spending large amounts of time away from her children. I understand needing a break, but it seemed to be the only way to find joy was to leave your children with a babysitter so you could find yourself again. I felt she wasn't promoting Christian reactions to situations, she was negative about certain types of friends, and the vibe about non supportive, joy sucking husbands was to leave them. "You are my soul mate, my love, my heart...now go away."

As I mentioned, I think I understand the point the author was trying to make. But the tone of the book did not bring me joy or make me feel less stressed. The negativity was actually surprising to me and I kept reading to see if I'd been mistaken. Sadly it never got better. I also realize by writing this review that I will be one of "those women" mentioned in the book. But for the readers who are just like me I felt I had to be honest. Go read One Thousand Gifts if you want a life changing book about joy from a mother who's been there.

I received this book free of charge from Kelley & Hall Book Publicity in exchange for my honest review.