Undoing I Do -- Anastasia Royal

Claire meets German Tobin and a whirlwind romance ensues. Within 4 weeks they are engaged, and she is head over heels in love. They share a passion for each other. But after 10 years and 2 children, their marriage ends. And Claire is left to pick up the pieces of her life. She is crushed at the loss. Destroyed by an event she didn't even want. And it takes all of her to survive every day and slog through a 4-year divorce before she can even begin to hope to heal and move forward.

***I may give this a little more than 2 stars, but not much. 2.5 tops. I added it to my to-read list several years ago when working at a library. I think the blurb inside resonated with me at that time in my life -- not so long divorced and still trying to move forward. But, though I could identify with SOME of what the protagonist describes, there were a lot of times I wanted to tell her to get over it and be a mom to her kids. Do I understand first-hand the pain of the death of a marriage? Absolutely. It is one of the greatest pains I've ever known -- and probably will ever know. But some of this character's behavior just seemed completely ridiculous to me in the wake of her divorce. Granted, it's fiction. But having read the author's little bio at the end, it makes me wonder if some of it wasn't based on her own life. In which case... Well, I wasn't impressed. It's another one of those "well, I finally got that one off my list" books.

The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russia -- Candace Fleming

The Romanov family ruled in Russia for 300 years. But in the early 20th Century, their reign ended with the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, a man ill-suited (and uninterested) in being the Emperor of Russia; but who initially accepted his responsibility as heir to the throne willingly. Living the lavish lifestyle of royalty, the Romanov family was quite detached from the conditions of the people of Russia -- and they didn't even seem to care. And so was set in motion a series of events that would bring down Imperial Russia and result in the murders of the Tsar and his family and creating a mystery that lasted almost a century.


***I didn't know anything about Russian history before reading this. I learned A LOT. Most notably that the cartoon "Anastasia" was very historically inaccurate. (Haha.) I was appalled by a lot of what I learned. Initially, I felt sorry for Nicholas, who was never taught how to rule by his iron-fisted father; and who was ridiculed by that same father for being "too weak." But as I continued reading and learned of how he behaved with future events (particularly with regards to Rasputin, who was a completely distasteful person), my sympathy for him waned. Not that I agree with how things played out: the murders of the entire family. But I could definitely understand why the Russian people revolted as they did and can't help but wonder how different things would have been if Nicholas would have been a wiser ruler. Overall a good read and an opportunity for me to learn more about some world history to which I was quite oblivious.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox --

When 17-year old Jenna Fox awakens from her 18-month coma, her memory is broken. She can't remember so much of her past, and it disturbs her. What she knows is that she no longer lives in Boston, but now resides with her mother, grandmother, and sometimes her father, in California. She knows she doesn't have friends now. She knows she was in an accident, but she cannot speak of it. And with the help of the videos of Jenna's pre-accident life, which her parents encourage her to watch, Jenna comes to know how very adored she was.

And her memories start to return. Memories she shouldn't be able to remember -- like the time she almost drowned as a toddler, or when she was baptized as an infant. As more memories surface, Jenna starts to realize she is a different Jenna than she was before. Different in ways that aren't legal. Different in ways that may even be highly unethical. But she's still Jenna Fox, right?

Burdened with her newly discovered secrets and all the new questions those secrets raise, Jenna tries to figure out who she is now. A monster? A human? A soul? And what will she do if someone finds out her secret?


***This was an interesting read, particularly in light of today's focus on genetically modified foods and what technology can allow us to do medically. Definitely had me thinking about things. I can't say it was a page-turner, but definitely a worthwhile read.

Die Again -- Tess Gerritsen

A renowned taxidermist in Boston is found dead, his body displayed in a macabre and even ironic way, considering his line of work. Leon Gott, the taxidermist who also cherishes the hunt and has a home filled with mounted trophies, had plenty of enemies amongst the animal-loving crowd. But could one of them responsible for his horrific murder?

Six years ago, a group of seven strangers traveled deep into the safari of Botswana for the experience of a lifetime. Surrounded by beasts who could devour them, their only safety comes from the man with the rifle: their bush guide. But the wild animals of Africa aren't the only ones willing to hunt and kill. There is a hunter amongst them. And only one will walk away from that safari alive.

Horrors on two different continents years apart. And yet, as Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles dig deeper into the investigation of Leon Gott's homicide, the connections start appearing. Could the person responsible for a massacre of seven people in Africa have come to Boston to hunt?


***Tess Gerritsen has done it again! I was sucked in almost immediately and didn't want to put the book down. I really enjoyed the flashback chapters and changing from third-person narrative to first-person. Another skillfully written suspense novel that kept me riveted and leaves me anxiously anticipating her next Rizzoli and Isles thriller!

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt -- Beth Hoffman

At the tender of age of 12, Cecelia Rose Honeycutt has already experienced more life than some adults. She has no friends in her town in Ohio; and, in fact, is either pitied or teased by the majority of the town. This is through no fault of her own. It is because her mother has lost her mind, and the whole town knows it. While her mother parades around town in a variety of ill-fitting pageant and prom dresses mentally living in 1951, Cecelia (better known as Cee Cee) hangs her head in embarrassment and horror. And because Cee Cee's father is never around -- he's a traveling salesman who checked out on the family situation long ago -- it falls to Cee Cee to care for her mother when she has an episode.

Sad, frustrated, and alone, Cee Cee wishes many times her life was different. And then one day, it is. Because one day, in a tragic accident, Cee Cee's mother dies. In swoops Cee Cee's great-aunt Tootie, whom Cee Cee met only once, as an infant. With the permission of Cee Cee's father, Aunt Tootie takes Cee Cee to live with her in Savannah and Cee Cee's life changes forever. In Savannah, Cee Cee meets strong woman of many varieties and backgrounds. She learns and grows; and, perhaps most importantly, she is allowed to be a child. She experiences love and kindness and even a few shockingly hilarious situations. And through this new environment, she is able to work through her struggles with the past and the demons she battles within.


***This was a cute read. There were a few areas I felt were unrealistic, and I am a bit disappointed that nearly every male character who actually played a part in the novel is portrayed in a negative light (with the exception of Aunt Tootie's husband, but he isn't actually in the novel, as he has passed away). I'm not saying women aren't great... But men aren't all jerks, yet that's how they all come across in this novel, at least in my opinion.

The Whistling Season -- Ivan Doig

Paul Milliron is a 13 year old genius in early 20th-Century Montana where his father is striving to homestead and farm in one of the driest areas of the country. He attends school in a one-room school house with his younger brothers Damon and Toby and shares school-day adventures with the other local students of Marias Coulee from 1st to 8th grade. Life is pretty constant for the Milliron family: Father can't cook, so the boys haven't had much of a decent meal since their mother passed away the previous year; Sunday means one good square meal at the neighbors' (and mother's cousin's) house -- which the boys relish, except for Aunt Eunice; Aunt Eunice will always complain that she may not make it another day; and school will be a dirge with Miss Adelaide Trent up front as teacher.

But that's before Rose Llewelyn enters the picture. When Father responds to her house-keeper ad in a paper from Minneapolis, she arrives with her brother Morrie in tow and turn the lives of all the Milliron males upside down! As she whistles while she works their house back into shape, Rose also wiggles her way into the lives of the boys. With her can-do attitude and never-ending work ethic, she changes her life -- and the lives of those she touches -- in one grand whistling season.


***This was a charming book. It took me a bit to get into, but the characters are so real, you feel as though you know them. I loved the language of the book -- the vocabulary and the way Doig writes. I definitely chuckled several times while reading, particularly with situations involving Aunt Eunice. Definitely a happy-ending good read!

The People of Sparks -- Jeanne DuPrau

Once Lina and Doon find a way out of the dying City of Ember, they are able to get a message back to their people, the Emberites. With instructions on how to leave the city and hope in their hearts, the Emberites pack up some food and a few belongings and trek out of their underground city. They meet up with Lina and Doon, and as a group of over 400, travel a road in hopes they will find a safe haven.

What they find is the city called Sparks, a small city of just over 300 which is just barely starting to prosper. Hesitantly, the leaders of Sparks agree to take in the Emberites temporarily. The townspeople are to teach the Emberites how to do a variety of tasks and provide them with food; but in 6 months, the Emberites will be turned out to make their own town, for the people of Sparks fear their humble supplies cannot sustain everyone permanently.

Initially, things go along well enough. But in time, resentments rise and fear grows. And the people living in the City of Sparks -- all of them -- begin repeating history without really realizing it at first. Will they realize it in time to fix it and avoid the tragedies of the past?


***This is a cute series. It's written for young teens, even pre-teens, so a lot of it is "obvious." But I really like the way the author addresses these issues in a way that will make sense to those growing and learning at that age. The issues are important ones: hate, revenge, war, forgiveness, selflessness. I think the story was wonderfully written and it was a good read, even for an adult.