Tag: Books

The Stranger In Her house by John Marrs

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)7 Comments

Connie connects with a local non-profit to help with odd jobs around her mother, Gwen’s home. As Gwen has dementia, Connie tries to balance her life with the time she spends with her mom and the pursuit of her career. While Connie pops in to check on her mom and to help with cleaning, some of the bigger jobs, such as yard work and home repair, are too time-consuming, and she is grateful for Helping Hands’ mission to send volunteers to assist with chores for the elderly.
Paul, a volunteer from Helping Hands, is kind, easy to talk to, and easy on the eyes, and her mom seems to like him.

But things change quickly as Paul comes to Gwen’s more often than needed, making Connie feel a little awkward, almost like she is intruding when she comes over to help with cooking and cleaning. And Gwen, too, is changing; she dresses up more, wearing makeup and laughing… laughing like Connie has not heard in years. When Paul finds himself between homes, he moves in with Gwen and begins to shut Connie out, both figuratively and literally.

When Paul tells Connie that he can handle the cooking and cleaning, and there is no need for her to stop by, and when the locks to the house are changed, Connie desperately wants to reach out for help – but it’s his word against hers as Paul has put his charm on the neighbors as well, and has not done anything legally wrong. But Connie knows… something is not right, and she has a limited time to do something about it.

Have you read John Marrs? If you like the psychological twists of McFadden, I look at Marrs as the King of the double… no… TRIPLE twist. From my experience with his books, there comes a point where he has you, and you are blown away… and really the book – the story could end there and you would be all like…. “Damn….that was amazing” –
But wait, there is more!

Marrs, from my experience, catches you in the twist where something is revealed that changes everything….
And then…
Within the same book …
He does it again.
And sometimes…. again

The Stranger In Her House, while a bit out there ( a few too many – uhhh… that couldn’t happen) was still crazy wild to read because, honestly, in this world we live in – crazy crazy things DO HAPPEN…. even when we are dumbfounded as to how.

I did enjoy this book on audio… fully engaged in how this would all work out in the end, and not once, not twice, but even a third time surprised….

Well played Marrs.

Rated: 4 out of 5
Read Author Before: Yes
Read Author Again: Yes, I enjoy his style of writing
Who Should Read This: Fans of McFadden and psychological thrillers for sure, knowing that Marrs can be a bit darker (IMO). If you like your books to be crazy wild puzzles – here you go 😀


Beach Read by Emily Henry

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)2 Comments

A fun little romp – I laughed out loud many times- Sheila

January Andrews is the best-selling author of happy ending romance reads. She loves things to come together and end well, and her readers love her for it.

Augustus Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction. His books are deep and insightful, and don’t always end well. His readership is massive.

When January finds herself in a beach house for three months trying to write her next read, despite the writer’s block that has her publicist checking it a little too often, she is shocked to discover that Augustus is in the Beach House next to hers – apparently suffering from the same thing.

One night, they make a pact. They will switch genres. January will learn how to write literary fiction under Augustus’ guidance, and Augustus, in turn, will write a rom-com. The first one to sell their book will receive public recognition from the other.

But bringing out the underlying reason that January needs things to end happily, and trying to get Augustus to lighten up and have some fun, may be a bigger undertaking than either of them bargained for.

Not my typical go-to read, but after finishing Wally Lamb’s new book that ripped me up in so many ways – I needed a palate cleanser, and this one, with a fun cover and a subject line I enjoy ( books that talk about books are almost always a plus!) was the one I picked up.

This book did the trick. Not heavy and appropriately titled, I enjoyed the fun engagement between the two protagonists… several times while listening, I laughed out loud.

“New phone… who dis?” 😛

If looking for an easy, enjoyable read, don’t hesitate to pick this one up.

Rated: 3 out of 5
Read Author Before: I have and recently!
Great Big Beautiful Life
Funny Story
Read Author Again: most likely 🙂



The River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)10 Comments

Corby Ledbetter has been a stay-at-home dad for the past 9 months. Since losing his job, taking care of his 26-month-old twins, Niko and Maisie, while his wife, Emily, worked, has become Corby’s world.

What starts out as an ordinary day turns into an unthinkable tragedy under Corby’s watch. As underlying secrets begin to be revealed, the family is shattered into a new reality.

Corby is sentenced to prison, where he witnesses unbelievable acts of cruelty, as well as glimpses of kindness – all the while not giving up hope that, if he just follows the rules, he will be able to return to his family and piece together a life again.


It is so hard to write a review when the first word that comes to mind is – Heartbreaking. But, Wally’s Lambs’ incredible writing here is so much more, and while yes, this one’s going to hurt…. There is also so much more – so much humanity, so much of honesty – it could be any one of us.

A split-second lapse changes the Ledbetter family forever, and what is packed into this page turner is everything one can imagine and written in such a way that you are right there with them – seeing all the sides, and the ways they are affected.

I would recommend this book to everyone, and at the same time, I know it is not for everyone. Topics of addiction, death, suicide, and rape are all here – some more pronounced than others, but in full disclosure, there it is. On the flip side of that, there is also hope, faith, remorse, and kindness.

I want to talk about this book. One of the best books I have read this year, and if you can give it a try – even though it is hard – I hope you do.

Rated: 5 out of 5
Read Author Before: Here’s a sad truth- I thought I had, but looking at his books this morning, I dont think that is true.
Read Author Again: Yes – looks like I have some catching up to do

My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)5 Comments

Pleasantly surprising! Sheila

Ella Durran had a set plan for her life ever since she was a young girl. Study at Oxford. When she receives her ticket to her dream through a Rhodes Scholarship, she is on her way to England! At the same time, incredibly so, she is offered a chance to work alongside a rising politician with the plan to work remotely until her year is complete at Oxford and then move full-time into her position in DC.
Of course… You know what happens when one makes plans….

A confrontation with a cocky young man upon Ella’s arrival doesn’t start her off in the right direction – nor does it when it is discovered that this same man. Jamie Davenport turns out to be her English Literature Teacher. Yet, as time goes on, Jamie’s cockyness turns to charm, and a romance starts between the two.

But – Jamie has a secret one too big to hide forever, and one that will cause Ella to make hard decisions not only regarding her future plans, but also on what to do about her heart and how much she is willing to give.


If you know me, romance novels are not my thing. What drew me to the book was the fun literary references and an interesting synopsis. Digging in – I found more (pleasantly so) than I had planned, which was enjoyable about this book. Someone had said the essence of Jo Jo Moyes, and I agree – you are getting more than a fluffy romance, you are getting into a book that delivers hard realities with engaging characters.

I listened to this on audio and LOVED the narration. I have been listening to Julia Whelan narrate books for many years – in fact, she is one of my favorite narrators. This being her first book authored, AND she narrated it was double amazing!

I didn’t know going into this that is was also a Netflix movie – I watched the movie last night and it was good, but of course – the book is better – more details, more diving in)

Rated: 4 out of 5
Read Author Before: nope- but have listened to her narrate audiobooks way more than I can count!
Read Author Again: Oh yeah!

Where listened to: around the house and while driving
Book Club Worthy: Yes, topics of plans made when we are young and how they change woudl make for a good discussion as well as reviewing the choices that Ella makes, and for that matter, the hard choices that Jaimie makes.



Death Row by Freida McFadden

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)3 Comments

“She is a short read… but a deadly one….” Sheila

Talia Kemper has sent in appeal after appeal – only to be denied time and again to be pardoned from her Death Row sentence for killing her husband. Coming to terms with the inevitable is hard enough, but catching sight of her supposedly dead husband in a visiting area takes her over the top…
With the clock ticking down, Talia knows without a doubt her husband is alive – but who will listen?


Ok. I know, I know, I know. And I know that you know that I know that I said I was on a break from McFadden and not only broke that statement once… but now twice.
I can’t be trusted.
In my defense… I listen to a lot of audio when driving and working outside – often struggling to find my next listen as I am on my way out the door to the next thing. Seeing a new McFadden and knowing it’s going to be engaging – I went for it.

I did not catch when I selected this listen that it was a short story. I am not drawn to short stories – I like to really get to know the players in a book and most likely would have passed on this if I had caught that… but I didn’t and I listened.. and here we are.

Color me impressed. For a much shorter read/listen than your usual McFadden, she was able to put together a fully played out storyline that did not feel rushed, and still left me with that twisty surprise in the end that you expect from this author. As you may know from my review here that she does not always hit the mark – I feel she did this time.
Death Row is the perfect little mini read – enticing, and although a quick listen, it did not feel rushed.

Rated: 3.75 out of 5
Read Author Before: Yes
Read Author Again: Even if I said no, you know I would be lying 😉
Where Read: Gardening
Book Club Worthy: Too short for that, but if you are looking for just a little tie over listen for a drive – here it is 🙂

The Lake Escape by Jamie Day

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)Leave a comment

Looking forward to a week at the lake, long-time friends Julia, David, and Erika are eager to catch up and spend time together just like old times. Their Vermont lake homes are right next to each other.
This summer is a little different.

Julia and Erika knew that David was planning a remodel of his home, but they were not expecting this. The monstrosity he has built not only looks out of place next to his friends’ homes – it is so big that to see their once cherished lake views, they have to look through their windows – and through his.

But that’s not all that’s new with David this summer. He also brings along his new young nanny, Izzy, to watch his kids, as well as his new girlfriend, Fiona. Looks like it is not going to be like old times…

After a heated argument between David and Fiona, Fiona disappears. JUlia and Erika are beginning to wonder how well they really know their friend David, and Izzy – well, Izzy feels that things are right on track for her own agenda…

So…. full disclosure – I don’t know what I was thinking I was about to read – but this wasn’t it. It felt like the book started out one way – and then shifted into something else. As the book went on, it felt like it was trying too hard. Too many things to keep track of, too many directions – and drawn out.
A book I feel had great potential to be something, but in the end, I am not sure what that something was. It felt like it was trying too hard to follow in the footsteps of some of the great psychological thrillers, and in the end, I just wanted to know what happened, which also became distorted.
It’s a busy time of year for me, and I listened to this on audio. My brain may be too full of other things to fully appreciate this book – AND I have enjoyed this author before (although I just checked… no reviews) – so it could be a little bit me as well –
Would love to hear your thoughts. Have you read it?

The Idaho Four – An American Tragedy by James Patterson and Vicky Ward

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)2 Comments

A captivating and bizarre murder case. ~Sheila

Saturday, November 13th, 2022, Moscow Idaho. Four College students, Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, and Madison Mogen, return to their off-campus house around 2:00 am after an evening out. All lived in that house with two other roommates, except for Ethan, who was dating Xana and had come to stay the night. After a DoorDash order at 4 am, all were in their rooms.

Around this same time, a masked man entered the home through a sliding glass door. While both Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke were also in the home at the time in their respective rooms, and both heard some noises, they also had been out drinking and didn’t think much of it. It wasn;t until the next morning, when their friends were not up yet that the 4 bodies were discovered.

The ability to trst the world around me had been taken away. What he did shattered me in places I didn;t know could break. I was barely 19 when he did this.
~ Dylan Mortenson survivig roommate – July 2025 at the hearing and sentencing of Bryan Kohberger

Recently looking for my next read (listen), I came across this title. With the trial scheduled for this month, and admittedly, not remembering much about the case, I chose this book.

Diving into the bigger picture, learning more about the student victims and who they were is an important part of this story. While some may say the back story is not needed as this is such a public case – I respectfully disagree. There are as we all know – many terrible things happening in our world, while many/most of us tuned into this tragedy in 2022, not all including myself, have kept up with all the goings on surrounding the case, including the upcoming trial – which happened to take place while I was listening to this book on audio.

The telling of the back story, the students, and information on who Bryan Kohberger is and was at the time of the crime, is well done and gives you a foundation of the back story as the book moves into the investigation that leads to Kohberger’s arrest.

Now, of course, knowing what happened just a few days ago – I have great empathy for the families that have lived with this the past few years and will live with this the rest of their lives. Knowing first hand the loss of a child, I can imagine the relief of the trial – and perhaps at least a sense of some sort of closure – although not knowing the why… would certainly be something that would personally haunt me.

Overall, a well-written account of the murders, and worthy of your time for those who would like to know more about the beginning. I also just learned that there is a documentary, One Night in Idaho: The College Murders” exclusively available on Prime Video.
Fox News Families Confront Bryan

Rated: 3.5 out of 5
Read Author Before: Patterson? Of course!
Read Author Again: Yes
Where Read: Audio – mostly in car and home

Tom Lake by Anne Patchett

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)1 Comment

The stories of our past… that stay alive in our hearts. ~Sheila

In the Summer of 2020, Lara and Joe Nelson brought their three adult daughters to the family Orchard to be together during Quarantine. For Lara and Joe, it’s an incredibly rare opportunity to bring the girls home for an extended period of time. For the girls, Emily, Massie, and Nell, it’s a chance to get to know their parents beyond the roles of “mom and dad”.

While harvesting cherries, the girls prod their mom to open up about her college days and her acting career – more specifically, her time and her romance with the famous Peter Duke, who, years after that time on Tom Lake with Lara, went on to be an Oscar Winner.

While Lara lets her story unfold, she knows what she will tell her eager daughters – and what is hers to keep… but oh…. the memories.

To be honest, I was looking for my next good listen. I have spent too much time lately poring over previews of audio and, for one reason or another, finding it hard to find the snippets engaging… be it the start of the book moving too slowly, the narrator not grabbing me, whatever… I was browsing online lists of great listens and found Tom Lake among the highly recommended.- Narrated by Meryl Streep, I had to listen.

Tom Lake was a nice listen that really fits any season. Lara is our storyteller and the book narrator. When her girls are eager for the story of her connection to Peter Duke, Lara gives them so much more, knowing from the start what she will share and what she will not.

The narration flows between the present time of the family together and Lara sharing her college days, dreams of acting, and of course, leading into her meeting and getting to know Duke. It was a smooth read, a nice listen, obviously different (welcomingly so) from the twisty psychological thrillers I find myself often drawn to, as grab-and-go” reads this time of year.

Streep is the perfect narrator for this book, and makes it easy to picture this family on their orchard together during COVID, sharing stories…I have always said – not everything about COVID was bad… in some ways it brought us back to what is important.

I’m no stranger to Anne Patchett’s books, yet sadly, when I did a search through Book Journey, I found no reviews other than a Read-A -Long of Bel Canto in 2012 (and looks like I was the one who put it together!); however, I see no review of the book. That may call for a do-over.

Rated: 4 out of 5
Read Author Before: yes
Read Author Again: I hope to dig into more of her titles
Where Read: Audio – home and traveling locally
Discussion worthy: Yes – I think this book would make for a nice group discussion. Topics centering around COVID and how we spent our time and what you woudl consider good things that came out of it (IE – a renewed closeness to family, a time to slow down, learning a new hobby or engaging in one you had not had time for, sharing your past with your children- Yay or Nay

The Perfect Getaway by Kiersten Modglin

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)2 Comments
“Keep your enemies closer….A creepy, delicious vacation thriller” ~ Sheila

When the invite for an all-expense-paid 7-day vacation to a pre-opening of an upscale resort on a tropical island arrives in the mail, they are sceptical… endless time share talks? 4 point fine print of 10,000 easy monthly payments of only $99?

For Brad and Laura, between the full-time jobs and their two young daughters, a getaway is tempting but feels impossible.

For Nick and Megan, engaged to be married, this would be like an early start to a honeymoon. While Megan is hesitant and feels something isn’t right, Nick is all in for the idea.

For Natasha and Jaren, they are at the beginning of the end. With a son about to turn 18, they have decided that once he graduates, they are going to call it. Once madly in love, the years have taken a toll on the couple, but a week on a tropical island? Maybe…

For Andy and Emily, this is a no-brainer. Andy, after a long line of relationships, feels Emily may be the one. Emily, a travel blogger, is the one who filled out the application for a chance to win this trip to the island and won it not only for Andy and herself, but their friends as well.

Once the other couples understand Emily’s role in their invite, they start to feel excited about the possibilities of a fun getaway with their friends, and one by one, they each find a way to make it happen.

Yet, that first day on the island, of drinks and sun…. they discover their cell phones will not work… and by morning…

One of them will be dead.

So here we are, the second week of July, and summer is here, and this is a big audio season for me as I do yard work. I am also admittedly struggling with finding audio that I want to listen to and spend too much time prusing through titles and preview listens trying to find not only a good storyline but good narration – audio book listeners, you know what I mean… if the narrator does not fit you will struggle getting into the book.

Sadly, I have been interested in several titles lately that the narration immediately turned me off, and don’t even get me started on some recent titles with multiple narrators that made the preview sound more like a play or production than a book…. might be just be… but come on 🙂

Ok – that was a long lead-in.

For The Perfect Getaway, I enjoyed the narration as well as the storyline…told from different perspectives, you get to know each couple and the baggage (or lack thereof in one case) they bring to the island. I enjoyed hearing their back stories and found this to be a nice way to introduce us to the many characters.
While I enjoyed the story and the creepy undertone, it felt a little rushed. Once they get to the island, everything seems to happen so quickly, and it could have been a little more paced – a chance to really get to see the changes in the characters as things come to be.
Twisty ending that surprised me – but again, we could have had more story.

Rated: 2.9 out of 5
Read Author Before: I don’t think so
Read Author Again: probably
Where Read: Audio – this one was quick – one hour car trip and an afternoon of yard work



Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)4 Comments

Things I really liked… and a few things I didn’t. ~Sheila

Alicia Cross has dreamed about becoming a writer. When she believes she finds a contact for none other than the unreachable Margaret Ives, tragic heiress, former tabloid princess, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the 20th Century, she can not believe her luck. Alicia definitely thinks the stars have aligned when she is not only correct about finding Margaret, but Margaret has invited her to Crescent Island to talk about Alicia writing her biography.

Yet, as Alicia knows all too well, nothing is that easy. While it is true that Alicia has been given access to Margaret, she is not the only one.

Enter Pulitzer-Prize winner Hayden Anderson, who has also been invited to the island – ALSO to be interviewed by Margaret to potentially write her story – and in the words of Margaret, may the best person win the right to do so.

With an iron-clad NDA, Margaret meets with both writers separately to tell her story, but the real story genre – mystery, historical, tragedy, or romance… may depend on the writer…. and if Alicia and Hayden steer clear of the obvious attraction to each other.

Ok – first *sigh*. I am not a fan of romance… well, let’s say fluffy romance. While this at times borders on a little too much eye fluttering and stammering for my taste, I am pleased to say there is more likable parts to this book.

I did like the back story and the camaraderie between Hayden and Alicia as they find themselves in situations that pull them together, even when they are trying to stay in their own lane. This, and Margaret’s telling of her story, was fun ( a reminder of something else I have read in the past few years – cover has a woman in a green dress… that I can not recall the title of) – but not in a bad way.

My biggest peeve, and sorry if this is a spoiler- the sex. Not a prude – but I also do not need to have the full play by play in my fiction (or perhaps it seemed more detailed in audio). Every time.. yeah, there is more than one occurrence… it pulled me out of the story. Obviously, my opinion, but I feel there are ways to get the picture without the full PICTURE.
Overall, mostly enjoyed. Would love others’ thoughts on this one.

Rated: 2.75 out of 5
Read Author Before: yes – Funny Story
Read Author Again: Probably she has some fun titles and Im a little surprized I have not read more of her books
Where Read: Audio – gardening/mowing/commuting