Book Review: Winter Stroll by Elin Hilderbrand

Winter Stroll by Elin Hilderbrand
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book #2 in the Winter Series by Elin Hilderband. It's been a year since we spent time with the Quinn family on Nantucket (Book #1 - Winter Street), and it's Christmas again. Some things have changed, while others remain the same. I enjoyed reading about the family's ups and downs, with a lot of humor interspersed. Overall, a quick read and an enjoyable holiday family drama.

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Book Review: Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand

Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a messy family drama, set on Nantucket at Christmas, and is the first in Elin Hildebrand's Winter Street series. The Quinn family owns the Winter Street Inn, and three of the four adult children are visiting for the holiday. Nothing seems to be going as expected, and all the family members seem to have their own challenges. But having your family surround and support you at the holidays always helps take the sting off your own personal drama. I always enjoy reading a light holiday-themed novel, and am really glad I found this one. It was fast-paced and a wonderful beginning to the Christmas season. Brew a cuppa tea and sit down to enjoy your time with the Quinns. Now onto the next book in the series, Winter Stroll!

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Book Review: Float Plan by Trish Doller

Float Plan by Trish Doller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A delightful romance novel set on a sailboat in the Caribbean. Anne’s fiancé committed suicide a year ago, and she has been grieving ever since. On the spur of the moment, she decides to take the sailboat trip that they had planned together - 6 months sailing around the Caribbean, stopping at various islands with the final destination of Puerto Rico. This trip is just what Anna needs to pull herself together and focus on something outside of herself. She is not an experienced sailor though, and after the first day she decides that she needs some assistance. She hires Keane, an Irish sailor who is between sailing gigs. They get to know each other quickly since they are together on a sailboat 24/7. Friendship turns to love, although they experience a couple of hiccups along the way. Suspend your disbelief and it will be smooth sailing. All ends well, as you know it should which makes this book so compelling.

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Book Review - Have I Told You This Already?: Stories I Don’t Want to Forget to Remember by Lauren Graham

Have I Told You This Already?: Stories I Don’t Want to Forget to Remember by Lauren Graham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Full disclosure, I have read all of Lauren Graham's other books and am a huge Gilmore Girls fan. Therefore, I was very excited to receive an advanced reader copy through NetGalley, and am thankful for the opportunity to read and review this excellent book. This memoir is a series of essays about Ms. Graham's life -- as a struggling actor, her time in Hollywood, suggestions for directing, aging in Hollywood, and many other hilarious topics. I would definitely like to listen to her read the audiobook, but to be honest I could actually hear her voice as I was reading her words on the page. The book is full of humor, honesty, entertainment, and definitely feels like chatting with your best friend.


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Book Review - Rough Draft: A Memoir by Katy Tur

 

A fascinating follow-up memoir to Katy Tur's first book, Unbelievable: My Front-Row Seat to the Craziest Campaign in American History, about her time on the Trump campaign trail. This book starts with her tumultuous childhood, riding along with both her parents as helicopter reporters in Los Angeles in the 1980s. She and her younger brother viewed the news stories as they were happening. She goes on to write about the start of her own career as a journalist, meeting her husband, and starting their family. It is a very honest and personal account, and a very inspirational read. Highly recommended. I received an advanced reader copy of this book, and am very thankful to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review it.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4716852760

Book Review - The Sentinel by Lee Child & Andrew Child (Jack Reacher #25)

Jack Reacher #25 - The Sentinel by Lee Child & Andrew Child

#25 in the Jack Reacher series, and the first book which brothers Lee and Andrew Child collaborate together. The setting is a small town in Tennessee and the plot involves the IT Manager who was set up as a fall guy for a ransomware attack. This book has a slightly different feel to it, and Reacher actually has a cell phone to use (temporarily). The pace is quick and it kept my interest throughout, but there are quite a few different characters and plot strings to follow. That won't stop me from reading the next entry this series, though.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50537351-the-sentinel

Book Review: Live Wire: Long-Winded Short Stories by Kelly Ripa

Live Wire: Long-Winded Short Stories by Kelly Ripa
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A funny and quick read; guaranteed to entertain you. If you have watched Kelly Ripa at all on Live!, you will probably be familiar with some of the stories; she has told many of them during the host chat over the years. She shares tales of her family, from the time she met her husband all the way up to taking her younger son to college (University of Michigan!). And she must be one of the hardest working women in television, especially when her children were younger. I'm not sure if the audiobook is available, but I would love to be able to listen to her narrate the book.

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Book Review: The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another edge-of-your-seat page-turner; I couldn't wait until I got to the end of this novel. I read it for book club and am anxious to discuss it tomorrow. The story is told from two points of view: the psychotherapist treating a woman who killed her husband six years ago and has not spoken a word since then, and through the woman's journal entries. Lots of different characters and sub-plots, many twists and turns. Overall, thoroughly enjoyable! I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

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Book Review: I Know How She Does It: How Successful Women Make the Most of Their Time by Laura Vanderkam

I Know How She Does It: How Successful Women Make the Most of Their Time by Laura Vanderkam
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The focus of Vanderkam's book is her research with 'successful women' -- who make more than $100,000 and have at least one child. I was expecting more practical advice about prioritizing my time and getting more accomplished, but it was focused quite a bit on analyzing the various time logs submitted by these various women. As a semi-retired empty-nester, most of this doesn't apply to me. The last chapter does give some excellent tips about finding more leisure time for yourself. I should probably try to read one of her other books instead.

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