BLOGMAS: (Non Holiday) Book Review: The Photographer {Mary Dixie Carter}

BLOGMAS: (Non Holiday) Book Review: The Photographer {Mary Dixie Carter}

Ha in my video where I explained all about what Blogmas is, did I NOT say that there might be a day when I end up posting at 11:00 pm if the day is a crazy busy one? Well my friends, today is that day ;). 11:00 pm is better than no post at all and I’ve done a Blogmas post EVERY SINGLE DAY in December…I refuse to quit now! Here is a review of a book I read a few months ago. The way I feel about this book is the way I feel about posting a blog post at 11:00 pm….not so great 😉

I clearly didn’t even love this book enough to take the 2 seconds to snap a quick photo of it before I returned it to the library! Photo Credit: Amazon, lol

Goodreads Synopsis of The Photographer {Mary Dixie Carter}:

WHEN PERFECT IMAGES

As a photographer, Delta Dawn observes the seemingly perfect lives of New York City’s elite: snapping photos of their children’s birthday parties, transforming images of stiff hugs and tearstained faces into visions of pure joy, and creating moments these parents long for.

ARE MADE OF BEAUTIFUL LIES

But when Delta is hired for Natalie Straub’s eleventh birthday, she finds herself wishing she wasn’t behind the lens but a part of the scene―in the Straub family’s gorgeous home and elegant life.

THE TRUTH WILL BE EXPOSED

That’s when Delta puts her plan in place, by babysitting for Natalie; befriending her mother, Amelia; finding chances to listen to her father, Fritz. Soon she’s bathing in the master bathtub, drinking their expensive wine, and eyeing the beautifully finished garden apartment in their townhouse. It seems she can never get close enough, until she discovers that photos aren’t all she can manipulate.

My Review of The Photographer {Mary Dixie Carter}:

Eh.

It was good, not great. Super predictable. It held my interest but never once felt unputdownable (not a real word…my word).

It just lacked so much of EVERYTHING. Description, character development, story line development, etc. It also had a pretty major and obvious hole in the entire plot.

I think the story could really have been interesting had the author gone more in depth with EVERYTHING. This book felt like a draft to me. I wish someone would have advised her to take the story and just develop everything about it on a deeper scale.

It wasn’t a bad book by any means…a quick, easy read! I wouldn’t NOT recommend it, I just would recommend a bunch of other books before recommending this one. Unfortunately this is the kind of book where I will forget all about it in a few days. Eh.

One pro: I LOVED the main character’s name! Delta Dawn!

Bottom Line:

When the most positive thing I can say about a book is that I liked the main character’s name, that’s not good 😉

Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

I hope you are having a good night! I’ll be back tomorrow (hopefully during daylight hours, lol) with another new Blogmas 2021 blog post!

Blogmas 2021 Posts:

12/1: Welcome to Blogmas 2021 {Video}!

12:2: BLOGMAS: Birthday Giveaway {Amazon Gift Card}!

12/3: BLOGMAS Book Review: One Day in December {Josie Silver}

12/4: BLOGMAS: My Birthday Visit to Barnes and Noble!

12/5: BLOGMAS: 3 Library Books I Recently Returned Without Reading

12/6: BLOGMAS Book Review: The Christmas Wedding {James Patterson}

12/7: BLOGMAS: (Non Holiday) Book Review: Other People’s Children {R.J. Hoffmann}

12/8: BLOGMAS: I Bought 5 New Books!

12/9: BLOGMAS: 8 Holiday Books I Want To Read

12/10: BLOGMAS: Must Have Book Accessory #4

12/11: BLOGMAS: The Holiday Drinks Book Tag

12/12: BLOGMAS: Book Review (Non Holiday): The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend {Katrina Bivald}

12/13: BLOGMAS: Book I’m Currently Reading, Coffee I’m Currently Drinking, I Thing Currently Making me HAPPY!

Xo,

Jenny

Clearly I didn’t love this book…but you just might! Click the image below to order the book through my Amazon affiliate link. When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

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The ultimate list of my top book suggestions can be found HERE

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This Book is INCREDIBLE!

Are you looking for an INCREDIBLE book to read? I got you. This book is AMAZING. Heart pounding, couldn’t put it down, absolutely awesome in every single way. I absolutely loved it.

How cute is this door stopper that I saw at a bookshop I recently visited?! Love!!

Happy Monday! How was your weekend? Thank you for your words of encouragement on my last post. Ugh! I started reading a book on Friday night and I THINK this book MIGHT just be the book to break my rut! Fingers crossed! As always, I’ll keep you posted and will reveal it’s title once I’m sure how I feel about it. So far so good…

Today I’m excited to rewind a few weeks (otherwise known as “pre rut”) and discuss an absolutely wonderful book. I highly, highly recommend this one (as I know many of you do as well)!

Goodreads Synopsis of Falling {T.J. Newman}:

You just boarded a flight to New York.

There are one hundred and forty-three other passengers onboard.

What you don’t know is that thirty minutes before the flight your pilot’s family was kidnapped.

For his family to live, everyone on your plane must die.

The only way the family will survive is if the pilot follows his orders and crashes the plane.

Enjoy the flight.

My Review of Falling {T.J. Newman}:

You might recall how I came to choose this book as a book to read.

Best. Decision. Ever.

Omg.

This book is AMAZING. Haunting, chilling, heartbreaking, beautiful, and amazing.

I couldn’t put it down. I truly couldn’t put it down. I loved every single thing about it. The fantastic writing, the wonderfully short chapters, the INTENSE story lines, all of it. What a splendid book.

I read the majority of it on a family trip to Michigan and I had posted this video on Instagram:

Truth.

I’m thankful that due to the pandemic, I’m still not feeling comfortable enough to fly anywhere because after reading this book…no way in HELL would I get on a plane right now.

I learned so much from this book. Most of which would be spoilers so I will not get into specifics…but so much.

And flight attendants? Wow…I had absolutely no idea what they actually do. I will never, ever look at flight attendants in the same way again.

I started this book over Labor Day weekend in Michigan and finished it on September 11th back at home. An eerily fitting date to finish a book such as this.

As I’m typing this, I’ve just now realized that for the past 2 years I have read books connected to 9/11 ON 9/11 (THIS was the book I read last year…also over Labor Day in Michigan and also finished once I was back home).

Aaaaaand the movie rights for Falling have already been sold! Omg this will make SUCH an incredible movie…

…as long as it’s never the in flight movie. Yikes.

Bottom Line:

Read this. But on land only.

Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Xo,

Jenny

Click the image below to order the book through my Amazon affiliate link. When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*

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The ultimate list of my top book suggestions can be found HERE

The 12 best books I read in 2020 can be found HERE

Book I’m Currently Reading, Book I Recently Read, Book I Think I’ll Read Next (Weekend Edition)!

Hiiiiiii! Thank you so much for all of your sweet comments and messages about my last post where I explained where I’ve been. I’m still very much trying to find a new balance of blogging/life but I promise I’m working on it! I had a little bit of time this morning so I thought I would give you a random weekend blog post! Here is the book I’m currently reading, the book I recently read, and the book I think I’ll read next :). I hope you are having a lovely weekend!

I love when Book Coffee Happy can participate in WWW! The Three Ws: What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you’ll read next?

Thanks so much to Sam from Taking on a World of Words for hosting this fun weekly post!

What Are You Currently Reading?

I started reading this one in Michigan last week and I just finished it this morning! I’ll post my review ASAP!

Goodreads Synopsis of Falling {T.J. Newman}:

You just boarded a flight to New York.

There are one hundred and forty-three other passengers onboard.

What you don’t know is that thirty minutes before the flight your pilot’s family was kidnapped.

For his family to live, everyone on your plane must die.

The only way the family will survive is if the pilot follows his orders and crashes the plane.

Enjoy the flight.

What Did You Recently Finish Reading?

I started reading this one at home and finished it while in Michigan last week! I’ll post my review ASAP!

Goodreads Synopsis of The Last Thing He Told Me {Laura Dave}:

We all have stories we never tell.
Before Owen Michaels disappears, he manages to smuggle a note to his beloved wife of one year: Protect her.

Despite her confusion and fear, Hannah Hall knows exactly to whom the note refers: Owen’s sixteen-year-old daughter, Bailey. Bailey, who lost her mother tragically as a child. Bailey, who wants absolutely nothing to do with her new stepmother.

As Hannah’s increasingly desperate calls to Owen go unanswered; as the FBI arrests Owen’s boss; as a US Marshal and FBI agents arrive at her Sausalito home unannounced, Hannah quickly realizes her husband isn’t who he said he was. And that Bailey just may hold the key to figuring out Owen’s true identity—and why he really disappeared.

Hannah and Bailey set out to discover the truth, together. But as they start putting together the pieces of Owen’s past, they soon realize they are also building a new future. One neither Hannah nor Bailey could have anticipated.

What Do You Think You’ll Read Next?

This one has been on my to read list forever! Excited to start reading!

Goodreads Synopsis of The Good Sister {Sally Hepworth}:

There’s only been one time that Rose couldn’t stop me from doing the wrong thing and that was a mistake that will haunt me for the rest of my life.

Fern Castle works in her local library. She has dinner with her twin sister Rose three nights a week. And she avoids crowds, bright lights and loud noises as much as possible. Fern has a carefully structured life and disrupting her routine can be…dangerous.

When Rose discovers that she cannot get pregnant, Fern sees her chance to pay her sister back for everything Rose has done for her. Fern can have a baby for Rose. She just needs to find a father. Simple.

Fern’s mission will shake the foundations of the life she has carefully built for herself and stir up dark secrets from the past, in this quirky, rich and shocking story of what families keep hidden.

Have you read any of these 3 books? What did you think (no spoilers)? What are you currently reading/have read/will read next? I’d love to hear in the comments below!

I’m working on some great upcoming blog posts…stay tuned!

Xo,

Jenny

Click on the images below to order through my Amazon links. When you order through these links, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*

*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*

*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*

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The ultimate list of my top book suggestions can be found HERE

The 12 best books I read in 2020 can be found HERE

Weekend Book Blogging Thoughts

Hiiiiii!

New Fancy Computer:

I got a new computer this weekend (obsessed) and of course I wanted to try it out ASAP. What better way than a random weekend blog post? This post will be a bit all over the place but I really just want to try out all of this new computer’s features. I’m in LOVE!

Street Fest:

Yesterday we went to a street fest by our house. It was a perfect outdoor activity!

My daughter had so much fun doing the pony rides. My son…cried because it smelled like horse doodie and refused to get on. The lady gave me back my money but she wasn’t thrilled about it. #fail

Saw this at the fest yesterday. It’s so true!

Book I Finished, Book I Started:

As for books, I finished reading this book last night and I have allllll kinds of thoughts. Review coming soon!

Synopsis from Goodreads of Other People’s Children {R.J. Hoffman}:

Gail and Jon Durbin moved to the Chicago suburbs to set up house as soon as Gail got pregnant. But then she miscarried—once, twice, three times. Determined to expand their family, the Durbins turn to adoption. When several adoptions fall through, Gail’s desire for a child overwhelms her.

Carli is a pregnant teenager from a blue-collar town nearby, with dreams of going to college and getting out of her mother’s home. When she makes the gut-wrenching decision to give her baby up for adoption, she chooses the Durbins. But Carli’s mother, Marla, has other plans for her grandbaby.

In Other People’s Children, three mothers make excruciating choices to protect their families and their dreams—choices that put them at decided odds against one another. You will root for each one of them and wonder just how far you’d go in the same situation. This riveting debut is a thoughtful exploration of love and family, and a heart-pounding page-turner you’ll find impossible to put down.

I started reading this one this morning. I’ll let you know my thoughts ASAP! I’m currently on chapter 3…

Synopsis from Goodreads of The Photographer {Mary Dixie Carter}:

EXCITING BOOK NEWS:

I absolutely loved Lisa Barr’s The Unbreakables. If you haven’t read it yet, I HIGHLY recommend that you do so! You can read my (glowing) review HERE.

Throughout the years, I have come to know Lisa on a personal level and I can attest that her beautiful personality is just as wonderful as her writing. The cover revel for Lisa’s newest book, Woman on Fire, has been released and it’s STUNNING! Check this out:

And a blurb from one of my all time favorites, Mary Kubica??? YES PLEASE!

“Incredibly fast-paced and savvy, Lisa Barr takes readers into the high stakes world of art theft through the eyes of a young, gutsy journalist. Thick with history, scandal, romance and deceit, WOMAN ON FIRE is a truly compulsive read.” – Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of LOCAL WOMAN MISSING

HERE is a link where you can read the Woman on Fire synopsis AND preorder your own copy ahead of it’s March 2022 release date. I can’t WAIT to get my hands on a copy and I can’t WAIT to meet you for coffee ASAP, Lisa! Xo!

I hope you are having a lovely weekend filled with love and BOOKS! I’m off to play with my new computer…

Xo,

Jenny

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*

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*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*

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*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links. The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*

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The ultimate list of my top book suggestions can be found HERE

The 12 best books I read in 2020 can be found HERE

The Guilty Reader Book Tag

I saw The Guilty Reader Book Tag on Zeezee With Books and immediately knew I wanted to participate! This was a fun one to do! Thanks so much for posting, Zeezee! If you haven’t yet checked out Zeezee’s lovely blog HERE is a link 🙂

Without even thinking about it, I recently gave myself a French braid while reading. Does anyone else do this??? I do this all the time while reading, lol…

The Guilty Reader Book Tag

HAVE YOU EVER REGIFTED A BOOK YOU’VE BEEN GIVEN?

I find that I hardly ever want to read a book that someone gives to me. While I SO appreciate the kind gesture, choosing a book to read is such a personal decision. Rarely are books given to me that are actually books I want to read! I don’t gift them to others for this exact reason but I do try my best to find them good homes. I give away my books during my annual garage sale and I LOVE to donate to Little Free Libraries.

HAVE YOU EVER SAID YOU’VE READ A BOOK WHEN YOU HAVEN’T?

Nope! In case you haven’t yet figured it out…I really, really love to read 😉

HAVE YOU EVER BORROWED A BOOK AND NOT RETURNED IT?

No but people have done this to me and it’s AWFUL. If you borrow a book from someone, please always return it! I’ve actually recently stopped loaning out my books because of exactly this.

HAVE YOU EVER READ A SERIES OUT OF ORDER?

Only once and it was a total mistake! I read THIS BOOK and only when I finished did I realize it’s #2 in a series. Oops. I loved that book so much that I must go back and read book #1 at some point! I’ve heard it’s wonderful!

HAVE YOU EVER SPOILED A BOOK FOR SOMEONE?

NO NO NO NO NO. NEVER EVER. NOT EVEN ONE TIME. HELL NO. HARD PASS. You can read more about my thoughts on this and why I will NEVER spoil anything on my blog (or in my life) HERE.

HAVE YOU EVER DOG EARED A BOOK?

Every single day, lol. Read about it HERE.

HAVE YOU EVER TOLD SOMEONE YOU DON’T OWN A BOOK WHEN YOU DO?

Nope!

HAVE YOU EVER TOLD SOMEONE YOU HAVEN’T READ A BOOK WHEN YOU HAVE?

Ummm why would anyone do that?

HAVE YOU EVER SKIPPED A CHAPTER OR A SECTION OF A BOOK?

NEVER. I read every single word every single time. I see other bloggers who say things like, “I skimmed the middle few chapters” and it blows my mind every single time. Why read a book just to skip over parts of it? If you do this, I’d love hear your reasoning!

HAVE YOU EVER BAD MOUTHED A BOOK YOU ACTUALLY LIKED?

No but if you read my blog for any length of time than you are WELL aware that I have bad mouthed plenty of books that I hated, lol. I pride myself on always sharing my truest feelings on books…good and bad! For example, my review of one of the worst books that I have ever read can be found HERE.

If you are reading this, consider yourself tagged! If you do particapate on your blog, please tag me so I can see your answers!

**I’ll be back here on Wednesday with a review of a WONDERFUL book!**

Readers, I’d love to hear your answers to some or all of these questions from this book tag in the comments below!

Xo,

Jenny

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*

*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*

*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*

*Follow me on Instagram*

*Follow me on Twitter*

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel*

*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links. The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

The ultimate list of my top book suggestions can be found HERE

The 12 best books I read in 2020 can be found HERE

I Bought 2 Books!

I bought 2 books!

Last Saturday, my family was at a massive barbecue competition. There were tons of competitors, each with their huge equipment. My husband is actually a certified barbecue judge and when he’s not judging, he’s competing! It’s his most favorite hobby and our patio is always overflowing with smokers, grills, etc. We have entire pieces of furniture and sheds devoted solely to his grilling supplies.

But we weren’t there on Saturday to support my husband. He wasn’t judging and he wasn’t competing. We were there to support my 9 year old DAUGHTER! There was a kids BBQ competition happening right next to the adult BBQ competition and my daughter entered. It was awesome! She NAILED IT! She worked SO HARD with absolutely zero help from us (and by us I obviously mean my husband…I have no clue how to grill). My husband, my son, and I sat on a bench and watched as my daughter made DELICIOUS looking burgers from scratch, plated them, and turned them in. She used secret ingredients, fancy methods, and was so proud of herself.

Once her burgers were officially turned into the judges, we had to wait for 2 hours until the winners were announced. We hung around the competition for a bit while we waited and then my husband had a GENIUS idea.

As it turned out, the competition was just a few miles away from the GLORIOUS Half Price Books Outlet that we stumbled upon when returning from our beautiful Galena getaway (you can read about our vacation HERE and about the amazing Half Price Books Outlet that we found HERE). My husband asked if I would like for us to drive there while we awaited the competition results.

Ummmm do I even need to answer that?! GET. IN. THE. CAR.

We jumped in the car and headed straight to the MECCA. We did some quick math and realized that I would have approximately 20ish minutes to be in there before we needed to head back to hear the competition results. Would I have preferred 3 hours? Hell yes. Was I prepared to take advantage of the 20 minutes that I had? Also hell yes.

The last time I was here I purchased what turned out to be the very best book I have ever read so my expectations from now on when making purchases here will remain HIGH, lol.

We pulled up, I threw on my mask, and I quite literally JUMPED out of the car.

I took this photo WHILE I WAS SPEED WALKING IN. I’m shocked it’s not blurry! No time to stop for a photo, lol! Aaaaand as I uploaded it to the blog, I noticed my reflection in the window! I’m cracking up…actual PROOF that I didn’t even stop walking as I was snapping this photo, lol!

There was no time for selfies but I did manage to snap a few pictures while inside!

I have now been to this amazing place 2 times and each time I was super limited on time with my family waiting in the car, ugh. I MUST get back there alone one day when I have lots of time to browse the shelves! It’s so incredibly AWESOME there.

20 minutes to run in, browse, AND pay? I got this. My husband and daughter might win barbecue competitions but if there was an award for shopping, Mama would be the CHAMPION.

I Bought 2 Books

While browsing (and by browsing I mean frantically scanning each shelf as my 20 minutes quickly ticked by) throughout the young adult section, this book caught my eye. Have any of you read it? After reading Starfish (oh Starfish is so amazing, synopsis and my review HERE), I’m curious as to how this one will compare with a similar topic.

Goodreads Synopsis of 45 Pounds:

Here are the numbers of Ann Galardi’s life:

She is 16.
And a size 17.
Her perfect mother is a size 6.
Her Aunt Jackie is getting married in 10 weeks, and wants Ann to be her bridesmaid.
So Ann makes up her mind: Time to lose 45 pounds (more or less) in 2 1/2 months.

Welcome to the world of infomercial diet plans, wedding dance lessons, embarrassing run-ins with the cutest guy Ann’s ever seen—-and some surprises about her NOT-so-perfect mother.

And there’s one more thing. It’s all about feeling comfortable in your own skin-—no matter how you add it up!

A quick glance at my Fitbit told me that I literally had 3 minutes. 3 minutes! Only 1 choice on what to do! I clearly BOLTED to the clearance section. The first book that caught my eye was a hardcover copy one of my favorite books of all time for A DOLLAR. A DOLLAR??? Someone is going to hit the JACKPOT finding this beautiful $1 gem on that shelf. (You can read why this book is so special to me HERE).

And then I noticed this book. For some reason I haven’t read it although it’s been on my list to read for YEARS. Why have I not read this book yet? Have any of you read it? I’m sure many of you have, lol. I definitely grabbed this one for $1.00! I have very high hopes for this book since I LOVED Liv Constintine’s The Wife Stalker (synopsis and my review HERE).

Goodreads Synopsis of The Last Mrs. Parrish:

Amber Patterson is fed up. She’s tired of being a nobody: a plain, invisible woman who blends into the background. She deserves more—a life of money and power like the one blond-haired, blue-eyed goddess Daphne Parrish takes for granted.

To everyone in the exclusive town of Bishops Harbor, Connecticut, Daphne—a socialite and philanthropist—and her real-estate mogul husband, Jackson, are a couple straight out of a fairy tale.

Amber’s envy could eat her alive . . . if she didn’t have a plan. Amber uses Daphne’s compassion and caring to insinuate herself into the family’s life—the first step in a meticulous scheme to undermine her. Before long, Amber is Daphne’s closest confidante, traveling to Europe with the Parrishes and their lovely young daughters, and growing closer to Jackson. But a skeleton from her past may undermine everything that Amber has worked towards, and if it is discovered, her well-laid plan may fall to pieces.

With shocking turns and dark secrets that will keep you guessing until the very end, The Last Mrs. Parrish is a fresh, juicy, and utterly addictive thriller from a diabolically imaginative talent.

Once I purchased my books, I literally RAN back to my waiting family in the car, jumped in, and we headed back to the competition to hear the results.

2ND PLACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So, so proud of her!!!!!!!!!!!! SHE DID IT!!!!!!

Proudly hanging in her bedroom. Note the cloth on top so she can polish it each time it’s touched. She’s the cutest 🙂

I hope you are having a good day! I’ll be back on Friday with a review of an AMAZING book that I recently read and LOVED!

Have you read any of these books? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Xo,

Jenny

Click the images below to order the books through my Amazon affiliate links. When you order through these links, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*

*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*

*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*

*Follow me on Instagram*

*Follow me on Twitter*

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel*

*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links. The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

The ultimate list of my top book suggestions can be found HERE

The 12 best books I read in 2020 can be found HERE

Book I’m Currently Reading (I Bought It!), Book I Recently Read (Review Coming Soon), Book I Plan On Reading Next (Looks Awesome)

I love when Book Coffee Happy can participate in WWW! The Three Ws: What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you’ll read next?

Thanks so much to Sam from Taking on a World of Words for hosting this fun weekly post!

I looooooove reading outside! Happy Summer!

What Are You Currently Reading?

Goodreads Synopsis of Malibu Rising {Taylor Jenkins Reid}:

Malibu: August 1983. It’s the day of Nina Riva’s annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: Nina, the talented surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a championship surfer, the other a renowned photographer; and their adored baby sister, Kit. Together the siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over–especially as the offspring of the legendary singer Mick Riva.

The only person not looking forward to the party of the year is Nina herself, who never wanted to be the center of attention, and who has also just been very publicly abandoned by her pro tennis player husband. Oh, and maybe Hud–because it is long past time for him to confess something to the brother from whom he’s been inseparable since birth.

Jay, on the other hand, is counting the minutes until nightfall, when the girl he can’t stop thinking about promised she’ll be there.

And Kit has a couple secrets of her own–including a guest she invited without consulting anyone.

By midnight the party will be completely out of control. By morning, the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames. But before that first spark in the early hours before dawn, the alcohol will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that shaped this family’s generations will all come bubbling to the surface.

Malibu Rising is a story about one unforgettable night in the life of a family: the night they each have to choose what they will keep from the people who made them . . . and what they will leave behind.

From Facebook:

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I’ll let you know my thoughts when I finish reading this book!

What Did You Recently Finish Reading?

Goodreads Synopsis of Beach Read {Emily Henry}:

Augustus Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction. January Andrews writes bestselling romance. When she pens a happily ever after, he kills off his entire cast.

They’re polar opposites.

In fact, the only thing they have in common is that for the next three months, they’re living in neighboring beach houses, broke, and bogged down with writer’s block.

Until, one hazy evening, one thing leads to another and they strike a deal designed to force them out of their creative ruts: Augustus will spend the summer writing something happy, and January will pen the next Great American Novel. She’ll take him on field trips worthy of any rom-com montage, and he’ll take her to interview surviving members of a backwoods death cult (obviously). Everyone will finish a book and no one will fall in love. Really.

I finished reading this one yesterday morning! I’ll have my review posted on here soon!

What Do You Think You’ll Read Next?

Goodreads Synopsis of Are We There Yet {Kathleen West}:

Alice Sullivan feels like she’s finally found her groove in middle age, but it only takes one moment for her perfectly curated life to unravel. On the same day she learns her daughter is struggling in second grade, a call from her son’s school accusing him of bullying throws Alice into a tailspin.

When it comes to light that the incident is part of a new behavior pattern for her son, one complete with fake social media profiles with a lot of questionable content, Alice’s social standing is quickly eroded to one of “those moms” who can’t control her kids. Soon she’s facing the very judgement she was all too happy to dole out when she thought no one was looking (or when she thought her house wasn’t made of glass).

Then her mother unloads a family secret she’s kept for more than thirty years, and Alice’s entire perception of herself is shattered.

As her son’s new reputation polarizes her friendships and her family buzzes with the ramification of her mother’s choices, Alice realizes that she’s been too focused on measuring her success and happiness by everyone else’s standards. Now, with all her shortcomings laid bare, she’ll have to figure out to whom to turn for help and decide who she really wants to be.

Sounds so good, right??? I’m excited to start reading!

Have you read any of these 3 books? What did you think (no spoilers)? What are you currently reading? I’d love to hear in the comments below!

Happy Friday! I hope you weekend is filled with love and BOOKS!

Xo,

Jenny

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