Because I am a fan of both the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling and Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children series by Ransom Riggs, this particular novel Libby Lost and Found by Stephanie Booth was very intriguing. The love of a book, the stories and tales told can easily shift into the relm of reality for the reader.
That's exactly what happens to the writer (Libby) of the tales of the Falling Children and kids everywhere who believed in the story. Especially true for Pandora "Peanut" Bixton, who lives by every word written by the author F.T. Goldhero aka Libby Weeks. The complexities of each life becomes intertwined and it's the family that keeps the reality confined to their basic schedules of school, work, friends and fantasy but they overlap and often times unknowingly.
Libby is dealing with a recent diagnosis of early onset dimentia which devastes her daily routine and results in total anxiety. She tries unsuccessfully to deal with it on her own only to complicate everyone's life that comes into contact with her. Similar to the ball in a pinball machine, Libby bounces randomely from one event to another trying to distinguish the truth in her mind.
According to Peanut, Jessie (her sister)? has no idea what it's like to get swept up in a book, how it can become more real than real life. Take the leap down the rabbit hole and enjoy this novel for it's pure entertainment and whimsy.

This book is a welcome into a family history, and as all families have complexities, this is no different. It is common place nowadays to invest in your ancestry to discover long lost relatives or your genealogy in order to learn more about your family background, but in this story it is the year 1978. Left to her own imagination Daisy does her own sleuthing by way of the local Picayune newspaper with individual pieces to showcase the history of Possum Flats. She encourages the residents of this small town in Missouri to remember a tragedy that occurred fifty years prior and bring to life some of those who perished long ago.

The residents of the town react to her reporting with both delight and angst. All involved have their own rendition of the night of the dance and the fire which took so many young lives. Despite not really knowing her grandmother very well, Daisy believes that her own grandmother Rose has memories that can shed light on the event, as her twin sister perished. By digging into the past, Daisy uncovers much more than she expected.

Rich in characterization, the book involves individual back stories which connect the real events with those that surface as truths. I totally enjoyed this book from start to finish and my only hint is to be sure to read the Prologue.

The reader is in for a delightful treat with this debut novel Divorcee's by Rowan Beaird. Although this novel was an easy read, it was filled with the complexities of choices. Set in the 1950's where life for women was mostly dictated to them by men, a divorce could be granted with enough money and means to arrange the legal work. Located in Reno Nevada lies an established ranch for women, (a haven run by a woman), to reside for six weeks in order to be granted an uncontested, legally binding quick divorce.

Here we meet Lois, a rather lonely, naïve young woman who craves friendship and whose imagination is fluid with dreams of a happy future. Always with a deep desire to fit in, Lois is introduced to Greer, who is thought to be wealthy, independent and somewhat reckless in her behavior. They form a bond based on future adventures, trust and a new acceptance. Lois believes in all the plans that she and Greer have made together and what the future will bring.

In general, people weigh out their options in making a decision. Those decisions are often based on what is known and a bit of the unknown. This novel shows clarity of intentions based on personal knowledge but not always shared with one another.

This story read like a puzzle of a dughter's love for her father (family). When pieced together all the memories and the vignettes of time they formed a huge heart that beat out pure adoration.

Priscilla revealed her loyalty to her family early in her life. She protected her sister from the messiness of her parents relationship, She held an overwhelming responsibility for her father's happiness and she also played into her mother's contempt for her husbands actions by listening and acting the dutiful daughter.

Priscilla's parents did not show physical love to each other and so it was difficult to extract any deep understanding of their marriage. Her attachment and faith in her father was continually fueled by his vivid imagination and magical qualities. She aligned herself with him through words and creativity, through their fondness of art and support of clever friends. This is a story about a child who had parents more committed to their individual artistic endeavors than the growth, maturation and mindful stability of their children. Priscilla adapted to her surroundings, leaned into the comforting occasions, recognized personality shifts and formed both a cushion and a bond. She did the best she could and drew strength from her father's knowledge that only fools knew everything.

Humankind consists of an assortment of people and categories many. The theme derived from this story proves that the important factors to all people is the sense of safety and love. Unconditional love is not easy to find but the young girl Ella believes that God, nature and a very few people can be loved.
The story accurately depicts the levels of maturity needed to understand the complexity of humans and their ability to love. Politics, wealth, heritage and the color of the skin plays a vital part in the beliefs and attitudes of people.at the time of this story, gossip and lies fueled the arguments. Racism within the US continues to undermine the country. The Internet, lies by feeding misinformation fuel our current discontent. Like Ella, we need to keep searching for the truth, keep looking beyond ourselves to understand the depth of humanity.

There is a disconnect between many of the chapters of this novel. After reading it straight through, I then went back to read a chapter at a time but not in order and the story still read the same. Many of the chapters were intense and complete in themselves as a short story would be and others left me wondering how it even pertained to the storyline.
Life is definitely about multitasking and Alice was a pro. Her ability to manage her life, the life and demise of her Father and the Artist's life. Throughout the story we are introduced to varied characters that interact with Alice and then there is the constant interjection of authors, movie titles, book references and quotes. At times the novel seems to be a jumble of random thoughts without a consistent thread. I may try again, or maybe this just wasn't my type of book.

If you don't know someone is disabled and they give you no indication of that, are all things still equal?. I found J.T. Hill's memoir upsetting at times because he struggled so much with such ordinary tasks, like shopping for groceries, because he didn't want people to know that he was visually impaired. Often I laughed out loud at his explanation of a situation, such as not knowing a classroom had been changed because he failed to read the note on the door. J.T. possesses a marvelous sense of humor with which he can rationalize his judgement about what others interpret about him. One very special passage for me was his thought on given the choice between help and not being someone who needed help, he always preferred the later. Not without trepidation he entered the world of the sighted on a daily basis convincing himself that he was just another individual going about his business.

Domestic abuse remains a topic of discussion so horrendous and difficult to comprehend that the why or what of circumstances never explains the outcome. It is a tribute to Natasha's mother that she expressed her love and support for her daughter while living in fear daily.

Although together they sought and received help in shelters, the mental health status of their pursuer never was questioned or restraint exhibited. Because this man was 'troubled' the whole family suffered and paid the price. The mother and daughter, loving, intelligent, trying to lead a comfortable happy life were always in the shadow of an unfathomable tragedy. What a loss for Natasha. What a brilliant recovery to achieve harmony in your life.

This is a good, short novel that can be read in-between the heavy, deep, full concentration novels that you can't seem to let go of after completion and the next grandiose historical biography that takes weeks to finish.
Sometimes I Lie proves to be pure entertainment and a page turner without the sophistication of P.D. James but somewhat darker than Agatha Christy. If you like personality disorders, this is for you.

This book by John Boyne depicts the art of story telling at it's best. It was easy to get wrapped up in the life of Cyril Avery as he grew into a young man mostly by default. He certainly did not have parental guidance or adult supervision that could be recognized as loving and although abuse wasn't the norm either, he spent many years experimenting. Circumstances, chance meetings, chaos, imagination and determination follow (and lead) Cyril through life with those people he loves and finally people who love him too. Ireland and all it's trappings from mid century to the present give all the characters in John Boyne's novel real believability. This is a most enjoyable read and one that will resonate with you long after you put the book down.

The facts of Daphne Du Maurier's life were unknown to me before embarking on this book by Tatiana De Rosnay. Having read Rebecca so frequently throughout the years it was easy to equate the life of the author with that of the main character. The writing style of third person, present tense proved different but I am also an avid fiction writer and departing from that category to non-fiction made the leap plausible.

This book was a look into the most intimate characteristics of du Marier, giving the reader an account of how she viewed life around her, her artistic nature and desires to express freedoms, not necessarily accepted by the public norm. If you are a fan of Daphne Du Maurier read this biography for pleasure and the feeling of being with an old friend again. I happily revisited Rebecca with renewed interest in details.

Well written story involving a rather dysfunctional family of characters. Intriguing background of the main character, Charlotte, her loves, her children and her losses. Who doesn't want to change their identity and begin again? The choices we make in life are our own yet the involuntary involvement of other people pull on our emotions and often detract from our real intentions. I have to admit the character of Daniel Sullivan was somewhat pathetic, especially in relation to Charlotte yet he transitioned many times.

This novel is a historical romance that portrays life in two neighboring villages in northern Provence. The interesting similarity between current day prejudices and the lives of different cultures trying to exist together within the same area are profound. Understanding personal experiences, taking the time to tolerate diversity and finding courage within oneself to change with the times. I enjoyed the characters more as the story progressed and found the ending to be better than satisfactory.

This story is seductive. The characters slowly evolve. It was easy to become involved in the younger generation and their awakening to the new reality around them. The old rules that govern inheritance, marriage and lineage soon are tested with Oscar, Jessica and Phyllis. I was surprised by the ending of the novel, even my expectations were shaken when the true colors of each person revealed that family ties may prove more important than personal independence.

The characters in this novel are all travelers. Simon and his sister, Enola desperate to keep some resemblance of a family unit. The carnival workers, both past and present all play important roles. Independent, some more talented than others but they are intertwined to weave an intriguing story of how past events may, or may not contribute to future events.
The Tarot cards played an important part in deciphering these outcomes. A circus journal describes the daily atmosphere of all performers, these people were a makeshift family and they relied on each other for support. Who knew the descendents of this carnival family would continue with some of the same traits and creative outlets. Can the outcome be predicted? Do you belive in fate or destiny? The story will keep the reader wondering.

This book was handed to me by someone who just raved about it... I started unaware of how gripping the story would be for me. The premise is out of the ordinary for humans and their daily routine. It was easy to get entwined in the hierarchy of characterizations, the daily routine of superpowers and the real attachment to the outcome. I was hooked and then passed the book on to another avid reader.

This read could lend to some discussion about pregnancy, expectations, love, family and or personal choices. For me, the story was too light, as if a 'made for TV movie was just around the corner'. It told a good story, however, the characters did not interest me much. I thought that the multiple generational aspect of the intertwining lives would lead to more in-depth story lines, but the author just skimmed the surface.

Truth be told, I didn't believe that I could finish this story. What I wanted to remember of Jackie Kennedy is not portrayed in real events. It is difficult to imagine the grief experienced by someone as she did in witnessing the murder, assassination of her husband as Jackie witnessed on that November day in 1963. How do you remain resolute and strong for your children, the extended family, the people of the US, the world and yourself? This is a sorrowful story, yet insightful. The political ramifications of the main event were as tragic as Jackie's personal issues. As the years progressed it was evident that the personal tragedy never quite eluded the daily events of her life, as politics continued to play out in some manner. Staying with the story, I learned more about depression, PTSD and life altering events to empathize with those who find themselves unable to cope without support.

By the end of the novel I was wanting to stroll through an art gallery,(perhaps the Louvre), sip some champagne and imagine the Paris of 1910. Each character has been carefully chosen to intrigue and strengthen the storyline, all independent people connected by the love of art and the want of a beautiful life style. It's the 'how to' accomplish this goal that keeps the lives of each character connected. This book held my interest from start to finish.

The characters are connected by interests, history, love and a certain amount of 'je ne sais quoi'. The author presents April Vogt or 'Avril' living in the present day but reading a diary from a prior century in hopes of adding some provenance to each piece from the Paris apartment that eventually will be auctioned. She eventually becomes more involved in the personal journals than in the actual furniture. The reader will be introduced to French culture, art, food, verse, landmarks and romance. The story is enjoyable, a good read that will hold your interest while allowing your imagination to travel.