Book Journey

I want kind of a deep thought here… but … I don’t have one ~Sheila

It is the start of a new school year at Tiffin Boarding School in New England, and amidst the chaos of cars being unpacked, rooms being found, friends reconnecting, and new faces in the crowd, something else is happening too. Tiffin has just been ranked the number 2 boarding school in the country. A seventeen-spot jump from last year’s rankings to everyone’s surprise. While the school does lay claim to smaller classrooms, a brilliant New York Chef preparing the meals, and a lovely campus, there is also much to be done with run-down dorm rooms, mediocre sports teams, and let’s just say the students are known more for their social skills than academic skills, but here we are.

With the spotlight on Tiffin and other schools, wondering how they ranked so high, it’s almost inevitable that things will go a little (or a lot) south.
A new app appears out of nowhere called Zipzap and is a tell-all of the students as well as teachers, most private moments. No one is safe as friends turn against one another, accusations fly, and things hidden in the dark are revealed.

Was the ranking a mistake, because this does not feel like a #2 in the country ranked school.

Sigh.
This review is a bit of a harder one. I met Elin Hilberbrand in New York during the Annual Book Expos. In fact, she was there every year and gave away cold Corona Beer bottles at her signings. While I don’t have a photo with her (poo!) I did ask her once about the beer, as there is no connection to the Corona in the book. She just said that it was something that she liked to do – a personal touch. Not book-related.

That said, I have a long-standing relationship with this author – a lover of her books, in fact, I just checked her on Book Journey and there are sooooo many of her books I have read. Definitely a go-to author for me, and always excited when I see something new coming from her.

Known for her fun stories centered around Nantucket, it was a sad day when she announced over a year ago that she was stepping away from her writing, followed quickly by a sense of excitement when she announced she would be switching gears and writing a book with her daughter.

So, here we go.
At Tiffin Academy, A LOT is going on. In fact, this book felt like it had so much lead-in of the beginning of the school year, who was who, who was new, etc, etc… that I actually stopped reading to review the synopsis again as I wasn’t getting a feel for where we were going with all this. Don’t get me wrong, the characters ( while MANY) are fairly developed enough where I felt I could picture the scene, but I have never been a big fan of a lot of characters to keep track of. It’s not that what was happening was dull – it’s just that it was a lot of things going on and nothing really going anywhere. That’s not meant to sound harsh.

So I check out the synopsis, and it appears to be centered around this app, ZipZap… ok! Back into the book I go. It is a long lead-in (again, not boring.. things are happening!) before we get the app. I wish I could recall exactly when it shows up, but it’s a good way in to the read.

While I listened to part of this on audio – in both audio and book, I felt Elin’s style come through enough to enjoy the book, but not love the book. Great storyline – maybe just a little too many directions, it all wraps up pretty quickly and left me with a few questions and ONE BIG ONE when something is introduced early on that is supposed to be revealed in the end … is not. Like a forgotten thread. I Googled this morning to see if this is planned to be a series, and it looks like it is a two-book contract; however, I honestly have to ask myself if I am engaged enough to go back in for another round.

Overall peeves –

A little too much F bomb. Not a prude but not a fan. I understand if it fits the scene, for instance, there is one point in the book where someone is called an F’er, and I laughed out loud because it was fitting. Other times throughout the book, every time it was said, it felt like filler… or maybe it was trying to give that school vibe. Either way, it pulled me out of the story.

A lot of things are happening that have nothing to do with anything and are going nowhere

A few story lines started, and no other information #storylineghosted

Likes –

There is the Hilderbrand vibe, and while definitely different, I felt her snarky vibe in the voices of some of the characters, and enjoyed that

I feel there is potential, and obviously, this is the first mother-daughter duel book, and I can only imagine what that would be like to share the writing when you are an established author with a big following, but at the same time not overshadowing your daughter’s vision and giving her room to take some ownership.

I can’t tell you to read this one or not. I can tell you that after finishing this one and seeing what people are saying, there are very mixed reviews going both ways.

Rated: 2.75 out of 5
Read Author Before: many times
Read Author Again: in this new style? maybe
Book Club Worthy: It could be; there are some things to unpack here for sure, but from my book club experience, I think they would be found wanting more, and with so many details left unsorted, I feel this could result in a dissatisfied group.

Hiderbrand Books I have read and reviewed: (I have read more, sadly did not review them all)

Swan Song

Troubles In Paradise

28 Summers

The Identicals

Here’s To Us

The Rumor

Winter Street

The Matchmaker

The Island

The Castaways

Twenty-two years ago, 11-year-old Naomi, Cassidy, and Olivia loved to spend their summers in the woods making up fairy tales and creating what they called the Goddess Game. It was a time of innocence, bonding of friendships, and making memories – you remember those days, the ones that never ended – you came home late, breathless, and tired and ready to sleep and then do it all over again.

But that was then…

Now Naomi, in her mid-30s, still can not recall the full details of all those years ago when she was attacked in those very woods with her friends as witnesses. While Naomi’s memories are foggy, the 17 scars left from the serial killer’s attack are as visible as ever. Naomi had survived because of the quick decisions made by her friends, as well as their eye-witness testimonies that put the killer behind bars for life.
But now that the killer has died, Olivia has more to say – she wants to share what the girls were up to that summer… haunted by her past, and Naomi, as well as Cassidy, aren’t sure they are ready for all to be revealed.

Shnikey, what a good synopsis! This has all the makings of just a good old mystery ( remember those?) Not to say the book does not have its share of twists and turns – it does… but not in such a crazy way that sometimes you can not follow all the bread crumbs.
I liked Naomi as a protagonist, and I liked the development of the supporting characters around her.

It read mostly real (Spoiler: how does no one find a body in the woods after all these years when the location was near a crime scene?)

Overall – an enjoyable read that kept me turning the pages.
Want to win this gorgeous hardcover book? Leave a comment below… I will choose a commentator early next week from the comments using random.org

Rated: 3 out of 5
Read Author Before: No
Read Author Again: Maybe
Who Should Read This: Mystery lovers who like a good twist
Book Club Worthy: Definitely discussable -themes can be pulled from this on friendships, trust, justice…

Christine grew up with a family that practiced polygamy. She loved having a large family around her, and this desire carried on from childhood to adulthood when she dreamed of being a Sister Wife, sharing in daily duties and in each other’s children’s lives.

When Christine became the third wife of Kody Brown in 1994, she thought her dreams were coming true. She loved Kody and wanted to be a part of his growing family. When an opportunity came along years later to put the family on a new TV show, Sister Wives, Christine, as well as the other wives and Kody, all felt this would be a way to shed a positive light on polygamy – snuff out rumors and show that they truly were happy to live their lives in this way.

But spotlights tend to shine brighter lights on areas that are often in the shadows…

Christine, in this tell-all memoir, shares the story of her life, her upbringing, and her marriage to Kody and her relationships with the other wives, the 18 children, and the lies she told herself. Now separated from the Church as well as from Kody and the other wives, Christine shares the intimate details of what changed during the TV show, and when she realized she deserved better.

So here is where the un-review comes in. I learned a long time ago in my early days of reviewing that it is hard to review someone’s life story.
I have never watched an episode of Sister Wives.
I had no idea who Christine was until I found this book/audio
I had heard of the series, but had no idea it had been on for 19 seasons and is still on

That said, why did I choose this listen? It sounded interesting- going in, I did not put together that this was one of the Sister Wives for the show. While it was interesting to hear the dynamics of growing up in a polygamous world, Christine’s story is obviously just that – her story, and my giving an opinion on something I know little about doesn’t seem right.

I finished because I was in it, it wasn’t that long… and I was curious how she got out.
For those who watched the show, I imagine that this is a good add-on, as this may be more behind-the-scenes information (maybe?). Christine, from what I pick up here on what she says about the show and how she challenges others, seems to be the most outspoken of the wives, with a drive for something more. Not necessarily a bad thing 🙂

Brand-new from New York Times bestselling author Mary Kay Andrews! The Queen of the Summer Read is back with her first novel in two years! Color me excited – I have been a long-time fan of her delightful books!

Maeve and Therese Dunigan are sisters—but the two have been estranged for years. They could not be more opposite: Maeve, a rule-follower and Therese, a rebel. But when their mother’s death brings the family back together, the two find that they have inherited a painting—one that could be worth millions and could save each of them from their respective wolves at the door. The only issue is the painting might be a fake and the only way they can solve the problem is to find the original. This means a road trip—to Ireland, to their family roots, and to a mysterious crime that occurred years ago. With tensions simmering, the two hit the road and find themselves on twisty lanes, in colorful villages, at local pubs, and with handsome men whose gift of the gab is surpassed only by their charm. Can Maeve and Therese find the real painting, remove a family curse, solve a cold case, and actually survive without killing each other? Join Mary Kay Andrews on a road trip that will entertain you for miles.

Have you read Mark Kay Andrews?

Save the date for another fun read! See more information here!

So there’s a blast from the past. For those of you who have been here since the early days – you may be familiar with the Monday, What Are You Reading meme/series that was passed to me and then I passed to Kathryn at Book Date, who has loved on it and taken care of it ever since. 😀 It’s actually wild to see this still a thing. Love that!

I thought I’d give it a little twist, and do mine as a video to show you the books I am reading or planning to read soon – links below to the books and of course check out Book Date for the main post and links ot others to see what others are reading to put books on your radar as well.

Hail Mary – Andy Weir
Immortal Consequences by I V Marie
Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica
What Lies In The Woods by Kate Alice Marshall
The Academy by Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham

Happy Monday!
~Sheila

A little too much work ~ Sheila.

When Nick Radcliffe reaches out to Nina Swann, an old friend of her deceased husband, Nina is flattered by his kindness. Ash, Nina’s adult daughter, is not as easily impressed. There’s something a little too extra about Nick.

Martha and Alistair have a wonderful marriage and a sweet baby. But lately, Allistair seems to be distracted, his travelling for work is more often and longer days away. Everything seems legit, but Martha has a bad feeling…

Something is going on, and it involves both Nick and Alistair. While Nina and Martha see things differently in their relationships, Ash is going to keep digging… because there is more at stake here than meets the eye.

Even re-reading the synopsis on Goodreads now, I think, “It sounds so good!” But maybe it was just too much of a good idea.

What starts out as interesting, soon to me, became a little hard to follow as we switch timelines, points of view, back and forth and sideways….
I was listening to this one on audio and great narration… but for the storyline, I felt like I was always trying to catch up to what is happening and where we are now.
It was the ending that pulled it together (#kickass) and probably raised my overall thoughts on this one, but man, the getting there was harder than I wanted in a psychological thriller.

I have enjoyed Lisa Jewell’s book in the past (None of This Is True), and I will most likely read her again. Just too much muchness in this one.

Rated: 2.75 out of 5
Read Author Before: Yes
Read Author Again: Most likely
Who Should Read This: Psychological Thriller readers should give it a try. This one has mixed reviews overall – some really like it, and others, like me, found it confusing