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This is the book for all those kids who wanted to run away not to the circus but to the land of their favorite stories. Lucy is a hard working teacher's assistant with an oversized heart and one wish - to officially adopt the little boy in the foster system that she has come to love. There is one catch and that is that Lucy is not financially able to care for Christopher yet and she is saving every cent she can. She and Christopher have gotten through the dark times by reading a children's book series about Master Mastermind and Clock Island where wishes are granted if you prove yourself worthy. The author of the series has become a recluse but he is holding a contest for a select few with a prize so special that it will grant more than a couple of wishes. Lucy is invited and if she wins she will finally be able to have Christopher call her mom. Reminiscent of all those childhood classics complete with a quest, hidden clues, riddles and bravery with the adult bonus of making amends. Kudos to all the unsung heroes who make wishes come true without looking for recognition. Brilliant story writing with emotional ups and downs that will appeal to fans of THE STORIED LIFE OF A.J. FIKRY and THE READING LIST. 4 1/2 stars 
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Prepare to ditch and brace for impact are two things you never want to hear on an airplane but that is exactly the situation for Will and his daughter Shannon. The plane is going down over the ocean and remarkably there are survivors. Thinking they are safe for the time being and that someone is coming to help are what the handful of survivors cling to. In this good news/bad news scenario there is help on the way but will they be able to get to them before the air runs out or something else can happen is anyone's guess. Edge of your seat thriller that I would wait to read until after you step off the plane at home post vacation to see what you missed. I also have a world of thanks and appreciation for first responders. 4 stars  Another stunning example of bravery and compassion by invisible women serving their country in WWII. Irene escapes what she sees as a future of torment when she leaves an abusive fiancee behind and signs up with the Red Cross headed to Europe. She and her partners in grime serve coffee, donuts and a kind word to servicemen at bases. Whether it is at an airbase or the Battle of the Bulge these "Donut Dollies" were the last friendly face before going into battle as well as a sympathetic smile and donut as they survived another day. Irene teams up with no nonsense Dorothy to form an unbreakable sisterhood keeping each other calm and alive through countless near misses. With a few laughs, a love affair and more than enough pain and suffering, these ladies witness the aftermath of D-Day, the Battle of the Bulge and the liberation of Buchenwald and life postwar. Perfectly crafted in vivid detail and emotional weight this is a story close to the author's heart. His mom operated a Red Cross clubmobile. My hope is that it will be optioned for a movie as I can picture Dorothy driving her RV clubmobile one tire ahead of German Panzers and countless potholes in bombed out country roads. This will be a favorite of all WWII historical readers especially those of Kate Quinn, ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE and EVERYONE BRAVE IS FORGIVEN. 4 1/2 stars  Happy book birthday to DEEP AS THE SKY, RED AS THE SEA by Rita Chang-Eppig Times are tough for pirates in the South China Sea. An uneasy alliance between the various pirate gangs and the increasing threat from European war ships have made more than one pirate keep an uneasy eye on the horizon. Shek Yeung is a good fit captioning alongside her pirate husband after he rescued her from the pleasure flower boats. Now, with one swift slice of an enemy sword her husband is dead leaving the fleet to his adopted son. They form an alliance of their own and marry to keep everything in the family and honor Cheng Yat's memory. Shek Yeung deftly navigates the shark infested waters of the other pirate clans, foreign attacks, spies and her new husband's expectations for her to provide him with an heir with the same grace and killer instinct that she wields a sword. This is a historical adventure on the high seas with all the political intrigue and battle skills but with a fierce pirate queen at the helm. Readers looking for the same high sea adventures of Patrick O'Brian and Wilbur Smith but focusing on savvy fierce women will sail through this. 4 stars  Perfect Southern horror that will keep you out of the lake this summer. A lakeside town holds a dark secret under its watery depths. There once was another Prosper until yellow fever ravaged it and someone wanted it gone so one night they opened the dam and all those people drowned and the disease with it. The town is once again looking in the eye of development and a group of misfits don't want it. Cassie runs a treasure shop of sorts selling what is dredged out of the lake - old coins, telescopes and an occasional pearl. Now a wooden box that won't open sets off a chain of events and nightmares of drowning. It seems the ghosts don't like what is happening. Starts off slow and easy like a summer night and then flips to a storm where no one is in control. Themes of gentrification and the angst of growing up in a small town are well addressed but it is the quiet scare that brings you in. 4 stars  Grandma Olivia wants to see Graceland before she dies (no she is not dying) so she talks her granddaughter Dylan into driving her by dangling a big carrot - the identity of Dylan's dad and where he is living. This is the same dad that Dylan's mom, Hope has told her is dead. Hope agreed to stay away from Memphis but now with her mom and daughter on the lam she has no choice but to leave her crazy busy work and chase after them. Multi generational family drama with a cast of colorful characters, a Thelma and Louise roadtrip to the south in a VW bug that is falling apart and plenty of politics and drama along the way as well as Elvis mania. This will be a fun summer read. 3 1/2 stars  Happy book birthday to INK BLOOD SISTER SCRIBE by Emma Torzs Generations have been guardians to magical books or scribes writing new volumes in blood. This job comes with a price which Esther and Joanna know all too well. Esther ran off to Antarctica to protect her family, their mom ran off when both girls were young and now a book has claimed their dad leaving Joanna alone. In London there is another magical library where a lonely young man is a virtual prisoner with only his bodyguard and small dog for company. The books are safe but their caretakers may not be which is why Esther decides to leave the frozen outpost and come back home. These two groups come together to unravel the mystery and stay one step ahead of the hidden threat. Magic mirrors, blood magic and secrets libraries - what more can you ask for in a debut fantasy series that will have fans of THE MAGICIANS, HARRY POTTER and NINTH HOUSE over the moon. 4 stars  Sloane lost her husband in the same accidental shooting that her current husband lost his former wife. Now they are married but all is not perfect since Sloane still has nagging doubts about former allegations of an affair from his first marriage and the DC rumor mill is working overtime. After all, Sloane has a lot of family money and her foundation at stake. Due to have hip surgery Whit has hires a caregiver which is a good thing since after the surgery Sloane's health slides downhill. Is this just the side effects from her having Lupus or is something sinister at work? Family and friends have suspicions but who is to blame? The author duo is known for their twisty plots and surprise endings and this is no exception. A whodunnit that will surprise you even when you think you have it solved and one their many fans will appreciate. 4 stars  Imagine that many of the legendary Knights of the Round Table were immortal and not just living on the pages of classic books about King Arthur. Every time England is in peril (which is often) these key figures awake to fight again thanks to the magical shenanigans of good old Merlin. Arthur's castoff brother Kay digs himself out from under a tree to help a young maiden named Mariam blow up a fracking facility unleashing unwanted heat and a dragon. Meanwhile Lancelot and his sidekick witty Marlowe are also involved but from another side and gunning for Kay. An oil rig named Avalon is the next target and it could spell disaster for Mariam and her band of not so merry ecoterrorists. From magic swords, pagan gods and fey, talking squirrels and fiery dragons to fierce female dragon slayers this clever yarn will delight lovers of both classic and a new breed of heroes looking for leadership and action in a world gone mad. 4 stars  Truman Capote was a "man about town" enigma who as a gay man was considered a non-threat by all of the New York social elite husbands and wives alike. His posse of wealthy influential women nicknamed "The Swans" included Lee Radziwill, sister to First Lady Jackie Kennedy. They had a deep friendship and respect for each other for decades until a falling out late in life. Our narrator is the fictional housekeeper/friend of Lee Radziwill who also develops a close connection to Truman and has a front row seat for the shenanigans of the posh NYC elite starting in the late 50's through the beginning of the 70"s. There is so much name dropping going on that you may want to keep a notepad handy. The money, the parties, the travel and oh so much gossip but in reality most only cared about being loved and maintaining loyalty. We see the pain behind the glittery veneer the back stabbing feeding the the outside world's hunger for dirt. For readers of behind the scenes tell- all books and historical fiction of the upper class. 3 1/2 stars  |
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