The Women by Kristin Hannah

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)9 Comments

Never… NEVER hesitate to read a book by Kristin Hannah ~Sheila

It’s 1965 and it is a changing world. Frankie McGrath is well aware of the Vietnam War. Her brother is serving and her father is proud of his son and all the men fighting their country. But Frankie can not just sit idly by, and when she finds her chance -to do something to join the Army Nurse Corp, she does not hesitate to make the decision that changes her life – for both better and for worse, forever.

I stand by my statement – if you only have room for one book this summer… this is the book. I don’t know why I hesitate when it comes to books that center around war… but I do. While I love a Kristin Hannah book, admittedly this theme gave me pause. It was a little buzz from friends (when did I become such a follower lol) that assured me it so much more than about war – that I dug in.

So – it is all about the Vietnam War… and it isn’t. It’s also about life after the war, and its also (refreshingly so) about the unsung heroes of the war, our medical team that patched up the boys, talked them through surgeries, lost limbs, minor to major bruises, and held their hands as they died. Going a step further – many of these people serving in the makeshift hospitals were women.

I flew through this book on audio – listening every chance I had – while cooking, cleaning, mowing the lawn, driving… it’s beautifully written with just the right amount of history sprinkled through to remind us of those who served, those who suffered, what it was like to return to a world that once was yours but now is different, and how we adjust and survive and not always in the most elegant ways.

HIGHLY recommended. Five Shiny Stars.

Other books I have reviewed by Kristin Hannah:

The Four Winds

Distant Shores

Mystic Lake

Home Front

Winter Garden

Between Sisters

Firefly Lane

Lessons In Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)10 Comments

Adored. ~Sheila

Elizabeth Zott is anything but ordinary. She is matter of fact. She is brilliant, she is a scientist- and she is ahead of her time.

Set in the early 1960’s, Elizabeth Zott finds herself struggling for every inch as a woman in a field that is best described as a mans. Never taken seriously for her ambitions (although often sought out for her opinion if she did not get credit), Calvin Evans enters her life as a breath of fresh air.
Calvin sees her.

REALLY sees her.

As life as it is in science – outcomes can be unpredictable until you find the right formula and Elizabeth’s life takes a turn she that no one seen coming. Certainly, becoming a star of an on air cooking show, owning a dog that is smarter than the average man, and becoming a single mom … was not part of that equation…

yet, like science… we continue to evolve and learn to work with what we are given.

So…. funny story. I bought the book after hearing great things about it. There it sat (as often my books do…) on a shelf, waiting for its time. A not so favorable review by a friend made me think the book was not for me and my interest in this unopened book waivered.
Upon stumbling across the mini series on TV one evening, I thought I would give it a try and found it interesting and delightfully different. This still was not enough to get me to open the book….

Then – it was picked as a book club selection with my book club the Bookies. Reluctantly I thought audio may be the better way to go, and honestly this time of year I have more time for audio than I do to sit and read…

Turns out – I adored it. I can not explain if my enjoyment of the mini series helped prep me for this listen (probably) but I did enjoy the quick wit – sometimes dry humor that follows throughout this book that is blended with a true taste of the times. In Lessons On Chemistry, you get a little women’s rights, an example of what life was like for women in a men’s field – and a refreshing look at a character like Elizabeth that broke the mold … said “Why the hell not” and paved a path (fictional or not) for women to reach beyond the invisible limitations set before them.

So many books can be a cookie cutter format of other books. You know the type – you read it and if reminds you of another book with similar bones…. not necessarily bad… but definitely done before. A Lesson In Chemistry felt different to me. Refreshingly so.

Bookies Thoughts: A lot of mixed opinions in our Book Club. Most struggled with it and found it a slow start receiving lower ratings. Only a couple had the same opinions as I did. Most likely the mini series prepped me and helped me with my enjoyment. I would love to hear other opinions on this one. Love it? Hate it? Somewhere inbetween?

The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo

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Set in Chicago, Marilyn and David fell madly in love in the 70’s. Together they raise 4 daughters that turn out to be completely different from each other.

Wendy, widowed, lives on the edge, using her looks and booze to ger what she wants.. or what she thinks she wants.

Violet once an attorney and now a stay at home mom, finds reason for doubt and anxiety at every turn.

Liza a Professor is pregnant with a baby she is not sure she wants with a man she is pretty sure she does not love.

And Grace, the youngest of the four, living a lie that no would ever suspect.

And when 15 year old Jonah Bendt enters the picture – having ties to the family that no one knew…. things get ever more twisted as the family that finds joy in the moments takes a look at what they missed.

“Everyone thinks I know what I’m doing but I actually have no idea what I’m doing and that’s the cruelest trick the universe plays on people who have their shit together, little one; the people who seem like they have it together are the most overlooked, because everyone thinks those people never need anything, but everyone needs things; I need things; thanks for listening.” ~Violet


This is one of those books I wanted to love. Thought I was going to love. I was excited to see the book be picked by Reese Witherspoon, and excited to hear the hype around the book. As one of our 2024 Wine and Words authors it just added to the “Must Read”.
And don’t get me wrong – it is a good book, and it is a family that you will enjoy diving into and learning more about. There are definitely moments in the book I loved.

Overall for myself, too many characters to keep track of – too much going on and that honestly is just my preference. Sometimes books read at certain times are not the best fit. I would honestly call it that a time when life is busy and sinking deep into a book that required a bit of work was not a great fit for the time.

The Bookies Book Club ready this book for May 2024 and turns out – many of them felt the same. The overall book club rating 3.34 out of 5 most stating the too many characters to follow.

Of course – would love to hear others opinions 🙂

The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

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In a word…. inputdownable. ~Sheila

27 year old Nellie could not be more ecstatic as she is in the weeks before her marriage to the man of her dreams. He is wealthy, sophisticated, a little older and over the moon for her. He is everything she has ever wanted. Her star is on the rise!

Vanessa is in the final throws of her marriage. After years of pouring everything into her marriage and supporting the man she loved, somehow he is walking away with everything they have built together – the home, the cars, the comfort of having money… Staying at a relatives home and working in a department store that she used to frequently shop, Vanessa desperately looks for a way for her life to stop unraveling.

And then there is Richard. Richard in his fancy suits and preparing to marry his new, much younger and fun wife – all while making sure he leaves his first wife with next to nothing. It’s good to be Richard.

I read this book in 2019. I was on vacation in Alabama with my husband and friends in a cool VRBO and I absolutely loved this book picking it up every space chance I got. It is, what makes a great story and gets the blood going as you watch the young naive arm candy stepping into a role she is not prepared for…. and the wife who helped to build Richard’s empire, cast to the side…

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was recently surprised to see I had not reviewed it. I was also surprised to see I rated it a 4, which is a great rating – but there must have been something that did not quite sit right with me that I can not recall.

HIGHLY recommend you give it a go!

Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen

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I’m not sure when the twisty turny double WOW’s began in books but I sure do love them. ~Sheila

Catherine, 24, finds her mom to be an enigma. Ruth speaks little of her past. She keeps to herself, nothing that really makes her stand out – and honestly, Catherine never really has given it much thought beyond feeling this was normal. The fact that she doesn.t know anything about her father? Well… that can be normal too.

Ruth is anything but ordinary. She may seem like someone who lives a quiet life but no one really knows what she hides of her past… what she fears of the future… and what keeps her awake at night in the present.

Well… almost no one knows..

As Catherine prepares to move to start her career in Baltimore, she finds out her mom may be in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. Immediately concerned, Catherine changes her plans to be there for her mother. While looking into their past for clues if this is hereditary, Catherine unearths more than she bargained for…

Leaving her questioning everything.

It was…. juicy good. I like a good twisty mystery.. what I like even more are the books that are doubley twisty… you know the ones… when you think you know…and maybe you do know… but wait!

There’s more!

It has been a fun journey to read Pekkanen for years from her early books to now and see how her writing has changed and become even more addicting. I find myself waiting for what she will do next! A good read!

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty

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There are a handful or so of authors that I keep an eye on for their next books – Liane Moriarty is one of these authors.

~Sheila

The Delaney’s are that family. Everyone in their community knows them from their long running Tennis Academy. Both Joy and Stan are avid players, and their 4 children, Amy, Troy, Logan and Brooke grew up playing as well, common fixtures on the court.

But when the children grow up and no one wants to take over the Academy, the Delaney’s have no choice but to sell. And when a scared young girl shows up on their doorstep one night, old hidden hurts take spotlight, and fingers are pointed.

As the family seems to spiral beyond repair, Joy disappears without a trace. Local Authorities suspect foul play and as the siblings try to connect to get to the bottom of where their mother has gone, pieces of a long buried puzzle start to come together, bringing forth a secret that had long ago been buried.

Here we go. Strap in.

I am a firm believer in reading the book first. When I noticed this book was being made into a mini series on Peacock, I was thrilled to see what the movie version of this would look like. I was not disappointed.

Having read the book first (yeah baby!) I jumped right into the into the mini series. I enjoyed the book very much – loving Moriarty’s subtle way of leading us in never knowing which direction the twist will come from.

Stan (Sam Neill) and Joy (Annette Bening) rule their roles. I binged this baby as fast as I could. It was well put together and highly recommended.

The Covenant Of Water by Abraham Verghese

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Set throughout most of the first century of the 1900’s, The Covenant Of Water follows 3 India generations of a family that at least one person dies from drowning each generation.

As we follow these families, alongside them we share their joys and their sorrows, their dreams and their fears.

The Covenant of Water is beautifully written and filled with great topics for discussion with a group. This is one of those books that will only give you more by talking about it with others who have read it.

As a book club read it a bit big for me to finish around my work schedule and other commitments and admittedly I was not finished with it by the time we discussed it. I did go on to finish it in the days to follow.

While enjoyable, it was heavy… a lot of things to keep track of/ character heavy and some words (while beautiful) were unknown to me and pulled a bit from the experience. Overall, I feel it could have been about 200 pages shorter and not take anything away from the story or feeling you get when you read a Verghese book. I did enjoy Cutting For Stone much more than this one.


The Guncle by Steven Rowley

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A sweet read about love, loss and courage
~Sheila

Patrick and Sara met in College and became close friends, almost inseparable. Sara was the first person to tell Patrick her would be famous some day…. She called Patrick out and while his attraction to her was in a sisterly way… he loved her all the same.

As years went on and Patrick did indeed become famous, and Sara fell in love and married Patrick’s brother, the two friends while still close… drifted with Patrick’s crazy schedule and Sara raising her two children. When Sara became sick, Patrick felt he had time to go and see her and vowed to do so….
and then it was too late.

When Patrick goes to the funeral he is asked a big favor from his brother, to watch his niece Maisie (9), and his nephew Grant (6) for a while as things are sorted out.

Thus begins an interesting summer, Patrick know to the kids as Guncle (Gay Uncle) has no idea how to entertain two children, especially two children that has just lost their mother – and his lifestyle is not exactly set up for young houseguests….

But a summer of togetherness may be just what is needed on both sides as the three go through changes, heartbreak, and rebuilding together.



I first heard about The Guncle on line when social media scrolling (don’t pretend you don’t do that…. ;P)
After coming off two heavy reads I was looking for something fun and lite and immediately secured myself a copy of The Guncle.
It checked the boxed I needed checked.
Lite, funny and heartwarming is the best way I can describe this book. You can see the relationship that Patrick and Sara had built the foundation of all those years ago come forth in what could be a very true situation.
Author, Steven Rowley does a wonderful job of capturing the essence of the children’s resilience and questions during a hard time. Don’t over think it, if you are looking for a sweet read – pick up The Guncle.

Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult

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Picoult never ceases to amaze, Wish You Were Here caught my totally by surprise in all the right ways. ~Sheila

Diana and Finn are moving forward in their relationship and their careers. Diana works in the auctioning of art, and Finn is a Surgical resident. As the couple prepare for a wonderful vacation in the Galápagos, Diana knows Finn is about to pop the question and can think of no better setting.

The days before they are planned to leave, a virus breaks out that brings the world to its knees. Finn finds out it is all hands on deck at the hospital and no one is approved to leave. He encourages Diana to use her ticket and at least get a chance to get away from whatever is going on. Hesitantly, Diana agrees.

The vacation of course is no where near as planned. Between harsh remarks and looks from the locals towards Diana for coming from an area that the virus is heavy so she can be “on vacation”, poor to no cell service, and the surprise that stores and restaurants are closed. As the island goes on lockdown, Diana finds that she can not get back to Finn even when her vacation is over.

As she makes a few friends, and learns the way of a slower paced life, Diana finds she has time to think more of the life she was creating, her relationship with her mother who is in memory care – and wondering if when she returns to Finn, will she be the same person that he knew.

This was my first fictional read centered around the COVID/a virus outbreak. Well, unless you count Year One by Nora Roberts which is just freaky as her book was written before we even knew what COVID was.

The book started out a little paced, the beginning feeling a bit slow for me, and basically about a woman questioning her decision to get on that plane in the first place. It’s definitely different than anything I read by Picoult before and I found myself not really getting the point of this being book worthy.

It’s not the first time I made a decision on a book too soon….

Let me say this. Hold on to your brain cells because Picoult is once again going to blow you away with a remarkable twist that as it was revealed I really found myself saying….. Whoaaa….No…. way.

Worth the read? You bet. I’m sure there are thousands of fictional reads out there about the pandemic (either the one we lived through, or a made up one). The way this book handles a couple of BIG topics and shows a side of the pandemic that I never considered in nothing less than brilliant.

Do yourself a favor and pick this book up today or enjoy it on audio.

The Inmate by Freida McFadden

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)1 Comment
McFadden has a way with creating a twist time and again that you think you know what’s going to happen…. but you really have no idea. ~Sheila

Brooke Sullivan is still wondering if taking the job as Nurse Practitioner at the Men’s Maximum Security Prison was the right decision. Sure, it was going to pay the bills, and it is going to help to build a better life for herself and her 10 year old son….
But old memories resurface when she runs into an old friend from school. Not only do they share a past, but they also share the night that Brooke was almost killed by her boyfriend, who just so happens to be in the very prison that Brooke is now working.

Yes… I have been on a McFadden kick. This is the 3rd one this month and this one, only because I realized I had already downloaded it and you know… why not? This one may be my least favorite of the three. Brooke’s decision to work where the man who attempted to kill her as well as be in situations where they are in a room together doesn’t fit for me. Too many things we have to suspend disbelief
1) This Maximum Security Prison did not do a back ground check on Brooke’s past? Wouldn’t knowing an inmate personally and in this way be a deal breaker?
2) Brooke’s consistent naivety in trusting and making poor decisions
3) Shane was put in prison when Brooke could not even identify him – she claims several times she never saw her attacker

Throughout this whole book I felt that the author was being too predictable…. I was sure I had the answer and was just waiting to hear how it would all come together… and then…

I was McFaddened.
The way this book came together was a WHOA….. wait… WHAT???? The ending was actually pretty crazy and I had no idea.
While an impressive ending, even right up to the end Brooke was making crazy half assumptions and I just… could not.

I will most likely read this author again. At Book Club last night several of the girls had read others by her and we overall found her books to be engaging, entertaining, and average reads.