Review: Going Home (The Survivalist, #1) by A. American

Title: Going Home (The Survivalist, #1)
Author: A. American
Publisher: Plume
Publication Date: June 29, 2013
Edition: ebook (480 pages)
Genres:

• Fiction
• Adventure
• Apocalyptic
• Post Apocalyptic
• Survival

Series: The Survivalist (8 books)

1. Going Home
2. Surviving Home
3. Escaping Home
4. Forsaking Home
5. Resurrecting Home
6. Enforcing Home
7. Avenging Home
8. Home Invasion

Going Home by A. American

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Morgan Carter is returning from a business trip, 250 miles from home, when everything stops--his car, his phone--and it doesn't take him long to figure out that something catastrophic has happened. A Survivalist, he has prepared for this day. He has his survival pack with him and weapons. Though he is concerned about the safety of his wife and three daughters, he knows they are prepared for this because he has made preparations at home too. What he hadn't prepared for is the magnitude of the struggle he would have to get home. He isn't sure whom to trust. Does the government have it's citizens best interests in mind, or is there another agenda in play?

Though the subject matter of this type of book is scary and makes me realize how ill-prepared I am for this type of event, I find it interesting reading. The characters in this book are well developed, and it is well written. The author clearly has an interest in and knowledge of the subject. I do plan to read the other seven books in the Series--however not one after another. I need a break in between.

Review: Hope Blooms by Jamie Pope

Title: Hope Blooms
Author: Jamie Pope
Publisher: Kensington
Publication Date: March 28, 2017
Edition: ebook
Genres:

• Fiction
• Romance

Hope Blooms by Jamie Pope

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Cassandra Miller had a good and respectable life. She had a husband who loved her, and she was expecting their first child. In an instant, all that was gone. And she thought her life was over. After waking up from a coma, she experienced so much emotional pain and loss that she didn't want to live and didn't want to get out of bed. Desperate, Cassandra's mother called Wylie Everett, her daughter's childhood friend. He came and took Cassandra back to his home, hoping she could heal from the tragedy and trauma there.

The story alternates between present day and the past. It is moving, emotional and sometimes heartbreakingly sad. It is also filled with hope and rebuilding of shattered hearts. I enjoyed this story so much. I wanted to reach out and hug all of the characters because they each spoke to me with such intensity. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a romance that is more than just "boy meets girl and they fall in love."

Lynn's List (July 28, 2017)

Each Friday I publish a list of titles I have come across, during the past week, that I find interesting. Happy reading!

• Trans Voices: Becoming Who You Are by Declan Henry, Jane Fae and Professor Stephen Whittle OBE
• Bite Sized: A mother's journey alongside anorexia by Fiona Hamilton
• The Cast Net by Millie West
• Spindrift: A Wilderness Pilgrimage at Sea by Peter Reason
• Loving Lucas by Lisa Marie Davis
• The Marriage Pact by Michelle Richmond
• Inside This Place, Not of It: Narratives from Women's Prisons by Robin Levi, Michelle Alexander and Ayelet Waldman
• Surviving Justice: America's Wrongfully Convicted and Exonerated by Scott Turow, Lola Vollen and Dave Eggers
• Between Lost and Found by Shelly Stratton
• Hope Blooms by Jamie Pope
• Love Blooms by Jamie Pope
• Evening Primrose by Kopano Matlwa
• Watch Me Disappear: A Novel by Janelle Brown
• The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency by Chris Whipple
• Escape by Barbara Delinsky
• The Miracle of Dunkirk by Walter Lord
• Heroic Measures: A Novel by Jill Ciment
• Wired by Julie Garwood
• The Captain's Bride (Northern Lights #1) by Lisa Tawn Bergren
• Deep Harbor (Northern Lights #2) by Lisa Tawn Bergren
• Midnight Sun (Northern Lights #3) by Lisa Tawn Bergren
• The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist
• Runner by Parker Williams
• The Lady Professor by Robert L. Switzer

Review: The Marriage Pact by Michelle Richmond

Title: The Marriage Pact
Author: Michelle Richmond
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine
Publication Date: July 25, 2017
Edition: Kindle (432 pages)
Genres:

• Fiction
• Adult Fiction
• Mystery
• Psychological Suspense
• Thriller

The Marriage Pact by Michelle Richmond

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Alice and Jake seem to be the perfect couple. Just prior to their wedding, they receive a strangely-packaged wedding gift from one of the clients of the law firm Alice is an Associate of. One thing leads to another and they eventually decide to join an exclusive group called The Pact. Its stated purpose is to sanctify and provide stability in marriage, but the consequences of their choice are far reaching, life altering, and, with one wrong step, perhaps even deadly. And to further complicate matters, no one has ever left The Pact!

This story is filled with suspense from beginning to end. The ground shifted under my feet with each page. People were not who they seemed to be. Just when I thought I had a handle on some part of Jake and Alice's story and their options, something occurred to change either my viewpoint or their's. I constantly asked myself, could these things really happen? Anyone reading this book, I believe, will find themselves doing the same. I came to the conclusion that fiction can't be any more strange than life can sometimes be.

I categorized this story as "adult fiction" because some of the scenes are graphic in terms of violence, and, from my perspective, could be disturbing to readers bothered by such descriptions.

Lynn's List (July 21, 2017)

Each Friday I publish a list of titles I have come across, during the past week, that I find interesting. Happy reading!

• Who Killed These Girls?: Cold Case: The Yogurt Shop Murders by Beverly Lowry
• REBA: MY STORY by Tom Carter and Reba Mcentire
• Belonging by Nancy Thayer
• Were We Our Brothers' Keepers?: The Public Response of American Jews to the Holocaust, 1938–1944 by Haskel Lookstein
• Katie: The Real Story by Edward Klein
• Two by Two by Nicholas Sparks
• The Forgiveness Project: Stories for a Vengeful Age by Marina Cantacuzino, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and Alexander Mccall Smith

Review: Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History by Erik Larson

Title: Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History
Author: Erik Larson
Publisher: Vintage (first published 1999)
Publication Date: July 11, 2000
Edition: Paperback (323 pages)
Genres:

• Nonfiction
• Biography
• History
• Science

Literary Awards:

• Book Sense Book of the Year Honor Book for Adult (2000)

Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History by Erik Larson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


1900 was a time of great technical progress and exploration in the world. In the United States, meteorology was beginning to come into its own with the ability to predict weather conditions with greater accuracy. Confidence and perhaps arrogance was mixed together with great optimism for the future. On September 8, 1900, a devastating hurricane overran Galveston, Texas. Isaac Cline, resident meteorologist for the U.S. Weather Bureau, had experienced some ominous feelings concerning the coming storm, but even he did not recognize the horrific nature of it, and the loss of life and property associated with it. Over 6,000 people died, and the town was almost completely destroyed.

Erik Larson presents this tale taken from historical records, diaries and letters of many involved. I have read this book, previously, but, even so, I was again riveted by the description of the events leading up to the hurricane, the storm itself, and its aftermath. A great read for anyone wanting to experience history and for anyone who simply wants to read a great story.

Lynn's List (July 14, 2017)

Each Friday I publish a list of titles I have come across, during the past week, that I find interesting. Happy reading!

• Witness by Karen Hesse
• Phantoms in the Snow by Kathleen Benner Duble
• Trapped by Michael Northrop
• Empty by Suzanne Weyn
• Half Brother by Kenneth Oppel
• Stay Alive #1: Crash by Joseph Monninger
• Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
• Byrd & Igloo: A Polar Adventure by Samantha Seiple
• The Nazi Hunters by Neal Bascomb
• Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey
• We Were Heroes: The Journal of Scott Pendleton Collins, a World War II Soldier by Walter Dean Myers
• Jackie Robinson: American Hero by Sharon Robinson
• Behold the Dreamers: A Novel by Imbolo Mbue<


• The Great Fire by Jim Murphy


• Sarah's Story (Sisters of the Quantock Hills #1) by Ruth Elwin Harris


• Frances' Story (Sisters of the Quantock Hills #2) by Ruth Elwin Harris


• Julia's Story (Sisters of the Quantock Hills #3) by Ruth Elwin Harris


• Gwen's Story (Sisters of the Quantock Hills #4) by Ruth Elwin Harris


• Gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson


• Desire and Denial by Gordon Thomas


• Voyage of the Damned: A Shocking True Story of Hope, Betrayal, and Nazi Terror by Max Morgan-Witts and Gordon Thomas


• Enola Gay by Max Morgan-Witts and Gordon Thomas


• The Day the Bubble Burst by Gordon Thomas and Max Morgan-Witts


• Rich Man, Poor Man and Beggarman, Thief by Irwin Shaw


• Use of Force: A Thriller by Brad Thor


• The Secrets She Keeps: A Novel by Michael Robotham


• Watch Me Disappear: A Novel by Janelle Brown


• Death of a Princess: The True Story Behind Diana's Tragic End by Tom Sancton and Scott Macleod


• The Diplomat's Daughter: A Novel by Karin Tanabe


• Last Breath by Karin Slaughter


• Dark Saturday: A Novel by Nicci French


• A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft

Review: Malice by Danielle Steel

Title: Malice
Author: Danielle Steel
Publisher: Random House
Publication Date: January 4th 2005 by Random House Large Print
Edition: Hardcover (576 pages)
Genres:

• Fiction
• Contemporary
• Romance
• Women's Fiction

Malice by Danielle Steel

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Grace Adams was abused by her father, almost nightly, for four years. On the night of her mother's funeral, after more abuse, she shot and killed him. Danielle Steel tells Grace's compelling story of survival and ultimate triumph!

I first read MALICE in 1997, and have reread it several times since. From the first read, it became one of my favorite Danielle Steel novels because it captures so many aspects of the human condition--abuse, betrayal, depravity, murder, malicious revenge, triumph, love, survival, happiness and trust. It still makes me cry each time I revisit the characters, even though I already know the story by heart. So many of Danielle Steel's books speak to me in this way, so it's like coming home when I reread one.

Review: Valley of the Dolls: 50th Anniversary Edition by Jacqueline Susann

Title: Valley of the Dolls: 50th Anniversary Edition
Author: Jacqueline Susann
Publisher: Tiger LLC
Publication Date: June 21st 2016 (first published 1966)
Edition: Kindle (454 pages)
Genres:

• Fiction
• Classics
• Contemporary
• Romance
• Women's Fiction

Valley of the Dolls: 50th Anniversary Edition by Jacqueline Susann

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Twenty-year-old Anne Wells came to New York in order to escape a life she did not want. World War II had just ended, and she craved the opportunity to experience a little excitement before getting married and settling down. She went to work for a theatrical agent and was caught up in the show business life of stardom and fame and the trappings of that life--drugs, alcohol, sex...

This book could have been written in today's culture. In 1966, it was viewed as ahead of its time--one of those books that you read at night under the covers because of its "out there" content.

There is nothing quite like it in my reading experience. My mom read it, immediately, upon publication. And when it was made into a movie, she and her friends couldn't wait to see it. Naturally, that aroused my curiosity. I watched the movie with her, years later, several times, when it was shown on late night TV. And I was hooked. I first read the book while in high school, and have reread it often since. The characters are old friends--compelling, believable, interesting and flawed.

Lynn's List (July 7, 2017)

Each Friday I publish a list of titles I have come across, during the past week, that I find interesting. Happy reading!

• Sycamore by Bryn Chancellor
• Montana by Debbie Macomber
• McKettrick's Pride by Linda Lael Miller
• A Groom of Her Own by Irene Hannon
• Undertow: A Novel by Elizabeth Heathcote
• A Secret Amish Love by Rebecca Kertz
• Her Secret Service Agent by Stephanie Doyle
• Seized by the Sun: The Life and Disappearance of World War II Pilot Gertrude Tompkins by James W. Ure
• The Endearment by Lavyrle Spencer
• The Night the Lights Went Out by Karen White
• Stones from the River by Ursula Hegi
• Serena Williams: Legends in Sports by Matt Christopher
• Projekt 1065: A Novel of World War II by Alan Gratz
• The Search for the Green River Killer: The True Story of America's Most Prolific Serial Killer by Tomas Guillen and Carlton Smith
• Local Girl Missing: A Novel by Claire Douglas
• The Lightkeeper's Daughters: A Novel by Jean E. Pendziwol
• Persons Unknown: A Novel by Susie Steiner
• In the Days of Rain: A Daughter, a Father, a Cult by Rebecca Stott
• Whenever You Come Around by Robin Lee Hatcher
• The Whistler by John Grisham
• Rose Sees Red by Cecil Castellucci
• Elly: My True Story of the Holocaust by Elly Gross
• And Then She Was Gone by Rosalind Noonan
• Going Home by A. American
• What Light by Jay Asher

Review: Jane Addams Pioneer of Social Justice by Cornelia Meigs

Title: Jane Addams Pioneer of Social Justice
Author: Cornelia Meigs
Publisher: Little Brown
Publication Date: 1970
Edition: (Hardcover (274 pages
Genres:

• Nonfiction
• Biography
• History
• Social Justice

Literary Awards:

• Jane Addams Children's Book Award (1971)

Jane Addams: Pioneer of Social Justice by Cornelia Meigs

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Jane Addams grew up with material comforts, yet she knew other children were often not as fortunate. She decided, as a young girl, she wanted to help those less fortunate than herself. After completing her education, she traveled to Chicago and started a settlement house--Hull House--in a poverty stricken area. She spent her life working for better living and working conditions for men, women and children, from the 1880s to the 1930s.

I first read this book in junior high school, and it has stayed with me all these years, continuing to ignite my passion for human rights and social justice. It was lovely to be able to read it again.