Granny Dan by Danielle Steel

A granddaughter receives a package of letters and ballet shoes after the death of her grandmother and delves into the story of Granny Dan's past.

I'll try and keep this simple. I don't recommend this one. Hard pass, actually. I seriously considered throwing this one in the garbage can. I find it funny that, out of all the stuff I read, it's these kinds of stories that make me angry. The premise had promise. Two people fall in love just before the Russian revolution. She's a dancer and he's a doctor. What will the revolution do to their relationship? What will their relationship do to her dancing career? See, this has promise. So WHY DID HE HAVE TO BE IN A LOVELESS MARRIAGE ALREADY? What did that do to the story? Why did their age difference have to literally make you cringe? What happened to his "other" family? His children? Does he care about them AT ALL? I literally hated this guy. Hard to enjoy a romance when you think the love interest is really the villain.

Anyway, without taking this rant on much longer, I'll say no smiles for this one. Not even one. I don't recommend this one and I'm REALLY glad this is the last one in the stack of books by this author that someone gave me. I certainly won't be looking for more.

Sick Puppy by Carl Hiaasen

Description from Goodreads: Independently wealthy eco-terrorist Twilly Spree teaches a flagrant litterbug a lesson--and leaves the offender's precious Range Rover swarming with hungry dung beetles. When he discovers the litterer is one of the most powerful political fixers in Florida, the real Hiaasen-style fun begins.

I'm really growing to like Carl Hiaasen. His books are mysterious and wonderful, yet also likely to have you laughing out loud. This one was no different. The main character, Twilly Spree, is loveable and yet crazy. The line between good guys and bad is blurry, at best. For all these reasons, this book mirrors life in a great way even when they're talking crazy murders. The book also takes an interesting dive into politics which I enjoyed, making you think about political fixers and lobbyists in a way that makes you cringe. I recommend this one. 

Note for Parents/Teachers: This book is written for adults and does contain some scenes where people are having sex. They're not explicit or erotic, but they are pretty clear about what is happening. 

Do Not Disturb by AR Torre

Deanna Madden #2
Side Note: I didn't read the first book in this series, which is fine for me because I adapt quickly. If you are the kind of person who cannot jump into a book without knowing everything, read these in order.

Deanna Madden is a cam girl with a dark secret -- she yearns to kill. She has shut herself off from the world in her little apartment, earning money through cybersex and shopping online so she never has to leave. But after her adventures in The Girl in 6E (Book 1) she is venturing outside, testing the limits of her self imposed rules.

This book has an interesting premise, but I found myself thinking of the main characters desire to kill as humorous instead of thrilling. I was much more afraid of the john who has a dark obsession, for sure. If you are at all embarrassed by erotica, stay away from this one, the author holds nothing back on this one even though it's not the main storyline.

I ended up rating this one three smiles, I enjoyed the unique premise but will likely forget about it in the near future.

Note for parents/teachers: Nope. This one was shelved right in the main entrance at my bookstore, available on a seemingly innocent table amongst titles you can feel good about handing to a child. Deceptive, for sure. This one doesn't belong in the hands of your kiddos just yet.

The Host by Stephanie Meyer

Let me start by saying I'm one of the people in the world who was not an instant Twilight fan. I read the first one and didn't care for it. So this book, same author but otherwise not at all related, has been sitting on my shelf for YEARS unread. Honestly, I wish I'd read it sooner.

The premise is this, an alien race of parasites have peacefully taken over human host bodies. But Melanie isn't giving up that easily. She's refusing to leave. Instead, she finds herself invading/sharing the brain with the alien. What follows is a story of what it means to be human that I recommend.

Note for the parents/teachers: This book is described as an adult (as opposed to YA) sci-fi. I assume it got that label because of the word count, which is high enough to jump itself right out of YA. Nothing in this book would make me shy away from handing it to a teenage reader or even a middle schooler.

Random by Tom Leveen

"Late at night Tori receives a random phone call. It's a wrong number. But the caller seems to want to talk, so she stays on the line.

He asks for a single thing—one reason not to kill himself."

Tom Leveen has done it again. His books are emotional and raw, in a good way. This book will grab you and keep you engrossed from the first page until the last. Highly, Highly Recommended. 

Note for the parents/teachers out there: This book deals with suicide, suicidal thoughts, and bullying. I'd keep this one out of elementary schools but high schools are fine. If your personal children are in middle school it's your call but I'd be ready to have some real conversations with middle school readers. 

The Ghost by Danielle Steel

I tried it again. Another Danielle Steel. Another romance by a big name in romance. I had the same reaction to this one, not a fan.

I did finally figure out what is bothering me about all these books though. All of the romance books that have been thrust at me lately have the exact same premise. Someone must recover from either being cheated on or being divorced (often both) and find love again. They don't think they will. Then they do.

That is a valid storyline...the first time. But there are other ways people fall in love. There are other ways love stories happen. Where are my stories about adults who fall in love without cheating, divorce, or crazy grandfathers thrusting spouses upon them? I want variety, I think.

Anyway, back to this book, after suffering a messy divorce from his cheating spouse Charlie leaves the country and starts over. He rents a beautiful house with an interesting backstory and immerses himself in the journals of the woman who lived in the house before him.

The story had too much drag and was a little too predictable for me. Maybe more of the ghost would've kept me interested.

One smile, still not a fan.

J.R.: My Life as the Most Outspoken, Fearless, and Hard-Hitting Man in Hockey by Jeremy Roenick and Kevin Allen

I am an avid hockey fan. I know Jeremy Roenick as the Phoenix Coyotes player. My knowledge of his history and backstory was severely limited.

This story will give you insight into the world of professional hockey. It will certainly give you background on Jeremy Roenick. He does name drop other hockey players a lot. If you're interested in great hockey names and stories about them, this is a great book for you.

Recommended for all serious hockey fans.

A Walk Among the Tombstones by Lawrence Block

This book is listed as the tenth book in the Matthew Scudder series. You absolutely do not have to read these in order. I had never picked up a book in this series before this one and I was never confused or lost. The character development is wonderful. If Goodreads hadn't told me there were nine previous books I never would've guessed.

After a drug dealer's wife is kidnapped and held for a hefty ransom Matthew Scudder is brought in to find the men responsible. Is this their first crime? Will they strike again?

The storyline is interesting and the book is well written. If you enjoy mysteries, give this one a read.

Joyland by Stephen King

I'll make this one quick. Joyland is Stephen King at his best. This book follows Devin Jones, a character you will instantly love, at his seasonal job working at an amusement park in North Carolina. The story develops slowly to build suspense and leaves you satisfied.

Highly recommended.

The Ranch by Danielle Steel

I've been wildly disappointed in books by some of the biggest names in romance lately. Someone suggested I give Danielle Steel a try. The Ranch is the first book I've read of hers and I seriously hope it's not the best book you can recommend to me by Danielle. 

This book fell flat for me. It was predictable and dull. The characters were unrealistic and the descriptions of them were repetitive. I cannot recommend this one. If you'd like a good romance novel I'll come up with something else to offer you. This one was forgettable. 

One smile because that's the lowest I give. 

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman

If you enjoyed falling into far-away lands with Roald Dahl, JK Rowling, or CS Lewis, you'll love this book. Backman creates a character of Elsa, a 7-year-old girl who is struggling with grief and loss by melding her real world with the fantasy world her grandmother always told her about. Our tale will pop back and forth between The Land of Almost Awake and the real world, often times drawing connections between the two that may catch you off guard. 

This book made me laugh out loud with Backman's figurative language and voice. This book made my eyes water at the descriptions of thing Elsa was feeling with her loss. This book gave me goosebumps when life happened in ways that surprised me. 

I recommend this book for all adults who remember our fantasy worlds and want to read about another one through the eyes of a child. If you believe fairy tales are based in real tales and can help with grief, give this one a shot.

Fairest of All: A Tale of the Wicked Queen by Serena Valentino

Villains #1

I was looking forward to this book because I love villains. When it comes to Disney villains, the Evil Queen from Snow White is probably up there with my favorites. She's dark and dangerous, evil and malicious, and we never really know why. This book attempts to give her depth and a backstory to explain her evil ways.

While it is a premise I was in love with, the book fell flat. We still don't know her name and her reasons for her behavior were disappointing. I'd rate the story 2.5 smiles if I could find a way to make 1/2 a smile. I rounded up to 3. We'll say I gave an extra 0.5 a smile for that gorgeous cover.

A little too dark. A little too skimpy on the backstory. A little lacking in detail.

All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda

“I have to tell it this way, in pieces. I have to work my way up to it. Work my way back to it. I have to show you the beautiful things before I get to the ugly.” 

This mystery/thriller follows Nicolette as she travels back to her hometown to work out a family situation. But what follows is a story, told in reverse, of the mystery behind the disappearance of two different girls gone missing ten years apart.

I found myself wrapped up in the drama which occurs naturally as the story is told backward. Information is offered up as a carrot, dangled before you and leaving you turning pages chasing for another taste. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it for all mystery readers. 

The Unseelie Prince by Kaitlyn Abdou

The Hawthorn Throne Series, Book 1

This little novella seems intended to get us interested in what is happening in the fantasy world we've been plummeted into. The entire thing seems to read like a long prequel, which is intriguing. I must say the small glimpses into the world outside the confines of the little room have my attention. There seems to be an entire complex world we have only barely scratched the surface of here.

Most of the focus of the story, however, is on the erotic scenes. The book seems to rush through the fantasy elements, which drive the plot, and slow down for the erotic scenes between the lead characters. This left me feeling unconnected to either of the two main characters, Noah and Feargus, but somehow invested in their future together.

As this is listed as the first in a series, I'll be interested to see if Book 2 can explore more of what is going on with the other characters and Faeries mentioned.

A quick read. Recommended if you don't mind erotica.