2014 Reading

2014 Reading Challenge

2014 Reading Challenge
Allison has
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Title: Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock
Author: Matthew Quick
Pages: 273 p
Published: August 2013
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

There's not a lot I can say without spoiling this story. What I can say is that this is a literary, contemporary young adult novel. But don't let the young adult label fool you. Many taboo topics are tackled in this riveting book. I just couldn't put it down. I was uncomfortable, I was challenged, and I was amazed.












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Title: The Complete Sherlock Holmes
Author: Arthur Conan Doyle
Pages: probably around 300 pages
Published: 1927?
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I forgot I finished this for my book group last week. Of course, I didn't read the complete works, but I did read a novel and several short stories. I have been reading Sherlock Holmes for as long as I can remember. My reading group had a lot of fun discussing the history of Holmes, and how Arthur Conan Doyle revolutionized investigations and police procedures. And, of course, we talked about all the incarnations of Sherlock Holmes and how fun he is as a character.










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Title: The Signature of All Things
Author: Elizabeth Gilbert
Pages: 512 p
Published: October, 2013
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

It's amazing that historical fiction about a female botanist was interesting enough to keep me turning pages for over five hundred pages. I could not put this book down. From the atmospheric settings to the secondary characters, I was hooked. Alma Whittaker is modern yet traditional, brilliant and sheltered, formidable woman of her times.










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Title: The Other Typist
Author: Suzanne Rindell
Pages: 368 p
Published: May, 2013
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This is my February book group selection and I can't wait to discuss it. When I finished this, I scratched my head with a "Whaaa?" I just am not sure what happened. Let me explain: It's the mid-1920s and Rose Baker is a typist for a New York City police precinct. Rose presents herself as a throw-back to the Victorian Era--a prudish, virtuous woman. There are a few hints at a dark side, though. But her whole world is turned upside down when "the other typist" begins working at the precinct.

I liked the writing and the atmosphere of this book. Rose's confessional narration was a good plot device. When I thought I had it figured out there would be a plot twist, keeping me on my toes.

What I didn't like--well, the ending. The last few pages. Really left me wondering why the reveal was so abrupt.

It's going to be an interesting discussion. I can't wait to hear how everyone else interprets the ending.




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Title: The Last Letter From Your Lover
Author: Jojo Moyes
Pages: 416 p
Published: July, 2011
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Once I got going, I couldn't put it down.

From the publisher:
It is 1960. When Jennifer Stirling wakes up in the hospital, she can remember nothing-not the tragic car accident that put her there, not her husband, not even who she is. She feels like a stranger in her own life until she stumbles upon an impassioned letter, signed simply "B", asking her to leave her husband.

Years later, in 2003, a journalist named Ellie discovers the same enigmatic letter in a forgotten file in her newspaper's archives. She becomes obsessed by the story and hopeful that it can resurrect her faltering career. Perhaps if these lovers had a happy ending she will find one to her own complicated love life, too. Ellie's search will rewrite history and help her see the truth about her own modern romance.

I genuinely cared for these characters. Even though I did find myself weighing their options and judging them some, I found them real people.

This is a book I want to share with all my girlfriends.





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Title: Boy21
Author: Matthew Quick
Pages: 250 p
Published: March, 2012
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars


From the publisher:
Basketball has always been an escape for Finley. He lives in broken-down Bellmont, a town ruled by the Irish mob, drugs, violence, and racially charged rivalries. At home, his dad works nights and Finley is left alone to take care of his disabled grandfather. He’s always dreamed of somehow getting out, but until he can, putting on that number 21 jersey makes everything seem okay.

Russ has just moved to the neighborhood. The life of this teen basketball phenom has been turned upside down by tragedy. Cut off from everyone he knows, he won’t pick up a basketball, and yet answers only to the name Boy21—taken from his former jersey number.

As their final year of high school brings these two boys together, “Boy21″ may turn out to be the answer they both need.

I'm going to recommend this to all my students. I couldn't put it down.





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Title: Reality Boy
Author: A.S. King
Pages: 368 p
Published: October, 2013
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

From the publisher:
Gerald Faust started feeling angry even before his mother invited a reality TV crew into his five-year-old life. Twelve years later, he's still haunted by his rage-filled youth--which the entire world got to watch from every imaginable angle--and his anger issues have resulted in violent outbursts, zero friends, and clueless adults dumping him in the special education room at school. No one cares that Gerald has tried to learn to control himself; they're all just waiting for him to snap. And he's starting to feel dangerously close to doing just that...until he chooses to create possibilities for himself that he never knew he deserved.

As a lover of reality TV, I found this to be an interesting premise. There is an authentic teen voice and I especially enjoyed the shifting narration from Gerald today and episode filming twelve years previously. Some of the secondary characters were a bit too pat, but I say that because I wanted more of everyone!

This is one I'll recommend to all my students.




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Title: Love Like The Movies
Author: Victoria Van Tiem
Pages: 384 p
Published: February, 2014
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I'm a lover of romantic comedies. I admit it freely. A fun, flirty bit of entertainment is sometimes just what I need. This book is just such a rom-com. Referencing my favorite movies, it weaves the over-the-top story of Kensington Shaw and her pursuit of love. Lots of fun secondary characters, too. It was a quick read. This is one I'll recommend to my over-worked, overwhelmed friends.










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Title: The Chase
Author: Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg
Pages: 320 p
Published: February 2014
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

This is the second installment in the series. And what a fun series! FBI agent Kate O'Hare and international thief Nicolas Fox have a love/hate relationship that keeps things interesting. They're pressed into service as super-secret agents who are tasked with returning stolen government artifacts to foreign governments. Some outrageous plans, lots of snark, funny secondary characters, and lots of snappy dialogue this is a caper worth reading. I can't wait for the next part of the series.









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Title: The Rosie Project
Author: Graeme Simsion
Pages: 304 p
Published: October, 2013
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This is a delightful, quirky book, a contemporary romance that's not typical.
From the publisher:
MEET DON TILLMAN, a brilliant yet socially challenged professor of genetics, who’s decided it’s time he found a wife. And so, in the orderly, evidence-based manner with which Don approaches all things, he designs the Wife Project to find his perfect partner: a sixteen-page, scientifically valid survey to filter out the drinkers, the smokers, the late arrivers.

Rosie Jarman is all these things. She also is strangely beguiling, fiery, and intelligent. And while Don quickly disqualifies her as a candidate for the Wife Project, as a DNA expert Don is particularly suited to help Rosie on her own quest: identifying her biological father. When an unlikely relationship develops as they collaborate on the Father Project, Don is forced to confront the spontaneous whirlwind that is Rosie—and the realization that, despite your best scientific efforts, you don’t find love, it finds you.

It is amusing and kept me turning pages. It's reminiscent of The Big Bang Theory which made it familiar. So much fun!



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Title: Tell The Wolves I'm Home
Author: Carol Rifka Brunt
Pages: 368 p
Published: June, 2012
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This is the coming of age story of 14-year-old June Elbus set in 1987. I think the author was able to capture the obliviousness of a teenager beautifully.

From the publisher:
1987. There’s only one person who has ever truly understood fourteen-year-old June Elbus, and that’s her uncle, the renowned painter Finn Weiss. Shy at school and distant from her older sister, June can only be herself in Finn’s company; he is her godfather, confidant, and best friend. So when he dies, far too young, of a mysterious illness her mother can barely speak about, June’s world is turned upside down. But Finn’s death brings a surprise acquaintance into June’s life—someone who will help her to heal, and to question what she thinks she knows about Finn, her family, and even her own heart.

At Finn’s funeral, June notices a strange man lingering just beyond the crowd. A few days later, she receives a package in the mail. Inside is a beautiful teapot she recognizes from Finn’s apartment, and a note from Toby, the stranger, asking for an opportunity to meet. As the two begin to spend time together, June realizes she’s not the only one who misses Finn, and if she can bring herself to trust this unexpected friend, he just might be the one she needs the most.

It's a weirdly beautiful story. I wish one of my friends would read this so we could talk about it. There's just so much to say.


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Title: The Bookman's Tale: A Novel of Obsession
Author: Charlie Lovett
Pages: 333 p
Published: May, 2013
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

From the publisher:
Peter Byerly hasn’t been able to get over the death of Amanda, his wife, and he has secluded himself in the English countryside, unable to deal with his grief. On an impulse, he wanders into a rare bookstore, and is shocked to find a portrait of his wife in the pages of an old book. But it was written in Victorian times; it can’t be Amanda. So who is this woman, and why does she so uncannily resemble the woman Peter still loves? That simple question will take Peter across the country and put his life in danger, as a centuries-old mystery comes into play.

This is a book lover's book, with three intertwining story lines. But it wasn't hard to keep track of the narrative's switching stories. I empathized with Peter's desperation without Amanda and his obsession to find out the history of the portrait. I loved the relationship between Amanda and Peter, and how it developed. I loved Peter's love for books and how he developed his skills at refurbishing and repairing them. His quest to discover the story of the books is one I could relate to. When Peter meets Liz, the action picks up. Then the mystery unfolds and that's when I couldn't put the book down. I didn't expect it to be as exciting. And I admit, I had to suspend belief. But it was a great read about literature that I love.

I can't wait for my book group to talk about it together.

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Title: It's Kind Of A Funny Story
Author: Ned Vizzini
Pages: 448 p
Published: April, 2006
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

This is the story of Craig Gilner, a stressed-out student at a prestigious college prep high school, finds himself overwhelmed by life and lands in a psychiatric ward. This is the story of his stay. For a book about such serious issues as depression and suicide, it's a light read. Craig's thoughts are amusing as he figures out how he wants to life his life. The secondary characters are an odd-ball assortment of patients Craig encounters, his family, and his typical high school friends.

What resonated with me is the enormous pressure teens are under. They are expected to be mini-adults as they navigate childhood. I know my students are stressed out because they have jobs to pay for their cars, getting into college, and having a social life. Lots of pressures. Lots of adult situations.



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Title: The Goldfinch
Author: Donna Tartt
Pages: 784 p
Published: October, 2013
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I'm going to try to capture my thoughts about this book. It's more than 750 pages so I had a lot of thoughts about it. I will also avoid spoilers.

The book starts with Theo and his mother attending a meeting at Theo's school because of his suspension. On the way, they detour, and that detour changes every single thing about Theo's life. Theo as narrator is what I consider somewhat unreliable. I had the feeling that although he's reconstructing the tale, he's self-editing. Although... he tells some unflattering stories about himself. I'm going to stick with my original thought that he's not reliable. The book spans Theo's life from about age 13 until his late twenties, so it's sort of a coming-of-age novel. Theo has a pretty entrenched sense of right and wrong, yet that moral compass doesn't guide his decisions.

The secondary characters are meticulously drawn. I feel as though I know each one of them. Their good and bad. Each character is so different from the next. It's hard to have a favorite character. You can feel how Theo is mesmerized by them, how they compel him to live up to who he thinks they are.

I admit there were a couple of times I was bogged down. I thought I would put the book aside, take a break from it, and read something less literary, more plot driven than character driven. Yet every time I thought that, something would happen and I would get drawn back into the book. I couldn't put it down at times.

You do have to suspend belief. I can't picture it as a movie. Some of the plot devices and twists are a bit contrived but not to the point of cliche. It kept me reading. It kept me entertained.

I love how art, in various forms, is woven through the story.

I understand why this is the 2014 Pulitzer Prize winner in Literature.



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Title: Clammed Up
Author: Barbara Ross
Pages: 384 p
Published: September, 2013
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars


A cozy mystery set on the coast of Maine. I have to admit, I was skeptical about how the author would depict Mainers but this book rings true. Maine is as much a character as any person.

Julia leaves a glamorous New York City career and life to return to her hometown of Busman's Harbor, in an attempt to revive the family's seasonal Clam Bake business. Unfortunately, in her last-ditch effort to save the business, a murder is discovered. Julia's need to keep the business open leads her to poke around and question everyone in the community.

I really enjoyed this story--engaging characters, authentic setting, and dialogue that was snappy. I wanted to read it in one setting but life interfered.





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Title: The Burgess Boys
Author: Elizabeth Strout
Pages: 320 p
Published: May, 2013
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I am biased about this book because it's set in Maine and evokes the atmosphere--from cans of Moxie in the fridge to the swirling leaves of fall, it's full of atmosphere.** This is a layered story. It's about family, community, the lies we tell ourselves, honor, and ultimately redemption. It is my book group's May selection and there will be much to discuss.

In a town called Shirley Falls which has a growing Somali population (much like Lewiston, Maine), a pig's head is hurled through the town's mosque by Zach, a socially awkward nineteen-year-old. Of course a political debate about intolerance-both racial and religious, is sparked. Zach's uncles, both of whom work in law, return to Shirley Falls to help defend him. Jim, the more successful and high-powered attorney wants to flash and blast his charismatic way through the situation. Bob, the legal aid attorney who eschews the courtroom wants to get to the heart of the matter. Zach's mother, Susan, is the estranged twin sister to Bob and has lived her entire bitter life in Shirley Falls.

From Goodreads:

Haunted by the freak accident that killed their father when they were children, Jim and Bob Burgess escaped from their Maine hometown of Shirley Falls for New York City as soon as they possibly could. Jim, a sleek, successful corporate lawyer, has belittled his bighearted brother their whole lives, and Bob, a Legal Aid attorney who idolizes Jim, has always taken it in stride. But their long-standing dynamic is upended when their sister, Susan—the Burgess sibling who stayed behind—urgently calls them home. Her lonely teenage son, Zach, has gotten himself into a world of trouble, and Susan desperately needs their help. And so the Burgess brothers return to the landscape of their childhood, where the long-buried tensions that have shaped and shadowed their relationship begin to surface in unexpected ways that will change them forever.


**I was adviser to the high school's Civil Rights Team and we sent a banner to the 2002 peace rally. And I remember the pig's head incident from 2006.




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Title: Chestnut Street
Author: Maeve Binchy
Pages: 384 p
Published: April, 2014
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This was bittersweet--it is more than likely the final work by one of my favorite authors, Maeve Binchy. Over the course of her career, she continually wrote character sketches, vignettes, and short stories centered around one Dublin neighborhood. Chestnut Street is the common thread through these pieces. I wish my neighborhood was like Chestnut Street. Several times I wished there would be more to the story, but, alas, there will be no more. Any fan of Ms. Binchy will gobble this up.








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Title: The Ocean At The End Of The Lane
Author: Neil Gaiman
Pages: 192 p
Published: June, 2013
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

This is an intriguing novel. I felt compelled to read it because it is beautifully written. However, I don't enjoy fantasy fiction so I didn't love it. I know I'm unpopular on this front. But I could appreciate the book and there are aspects I did enjoy, overall I just didn't get it.

From the publisher:
Sussex, England. A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. Although the house he lived in is long gone, he is drawn to the farm at the end of the road, where, when he was seven, he encountered a most remarkable girl, Lettie Hempstock, and her mother and grandmother. He hasn't thought of Lettie in decades, and yet as he sits by the pond (a pond that she'd claimed was an ocean) behind the ramshackle old farmhouse, the unremembered past comes flooding back. And it is a past too strange, too frightening, too dangerous to have happened to anyone, let alone a small boy.




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Title: Fleur de Lies
Author: Maddy Hunter
Pages: 312 p
Published: May, 2014
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The ninth installment of the zany Passport to Peril series takes us to France. I love this series--for the travel and for the characters. Maybe someday I can join a traveling senior group.

From the publisher:
When intrepid travel agency owner Emily Andrew-Miceli takes her band of tech-savvy seniors to France, they say “Bonjour” by cruising down the Seine River. Along for the ride are a colorful cast of cruise-goers, including four sales reps who are the crème de la crème of the cosmetic industry and a group of morticians looking for a little joie de vivre as they sort out business conflicts. But once a guest is found dead along Normandy’s famed Alabaster coast, Emily bids adieu to the hopes of a fatality-free trip. Was it a mishap? Or was murder the entrée du jour? Traveling from the medieval alleyways of Rouen to Monet’s famous water lily garden, Emily must untangle a web of lies that began a half-century ago, on the very eve of the D-Day invasion.



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Title: Attachments
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Pages: 336 p
Published: April, 2011
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I could relate to so much of this novel. And I want to be friends with all the characters. I loved it.


From the publisher:
Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail. (Everybody in the newsroom knows. It's company policy.) But they can't quite bring themselves to take it seriously. They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives.

Meanwhile, Lincoln O'Neill can't believe this is his job now- reading other people's e-mail. When he applied to be "internet security officer," he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers- not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke.

When Lincoln comes across Beth's and Jennifer's messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can't help being entertained-and captivated-by their stories.

By the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late to introduce himself.







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Title: Love Life
Author: Rob Lowe
Pages: 272 p
Published: April, 2014
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book, based on how much I enjoyed his first book. But this book didn't live up to my own hype. This time around, the stories are more about his family--his sons are embarking on their college adventures and how he's dealing with the emptying nest. The intimate feeling was also missing. There are lots of stories about his profession, the parts he plays, his directing and producing.









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Title: This One Is Mine
Author: Maria Semple
Pages: 289 p
Published: December, 2008
My Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

I wanted to love this book. But I didn't. Let me set it up: Violet is a former television writer married to a music mogul that now is a stay-at-home mom to a daughter, Dot. She lives a life of privilege and fame, mostly because of David's music career. She is unhappy. The second main character is David's sister, Sally, who at thirty is desperate for what Violet has. Both women manipulate situations to get what they want and neither is any happier for it. I have to say I didn't connect with either main character. And some of the action is over-the-top. What kept me reading is the witty writing. Maybe it's satire and I just don't get it?

From the publisher:
Violet Parry is living the quintessential life of luxury in the Hollywood Hills with David, her rock-and-roll manager husband, and her darling toddler, Dot. She has the perfect life—except that she's deeply unhappy. David expects the world of Violet but gives little of himself in return. When she meets Teddy, a roguish small-time bass player, Violet comes alive, and soon she's risking everything for the chance to find herself again. Also in the picture are David's hilariously high-strung sister, Sally, on the prowl for a successful husband, and Jeremy, the ESPN sportscaster savant who falls into her trap. For all their recklessness, Violet and Sally will discover that David and Jeremy have a few surprises of their own.




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Title: The Giver
Author: Lois Lowry
Pages: 179 p
Published: September, 1994
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

From the publisher:
In a world with no poverty, no crime, no sickness and no unemployment, and where every family is happy, 12-year-old Jonas is chosen to be the community’s Receiver of Memories. Under the tutelage of the Elders and an old man known as the Giver, he discovers the disturbing truth about his utopian world and struggles against the weight of its hypocrisy. With echoes of Brave New World, in this 1994 Newbery Medal winner, Lowry examines the idea that people might freely choose to give up their humanity in order to create a more stable society.

I'm so used to reading dystopian fiction that to read a utopian fiction was a real mind blower. This book left me asking all sorts of questions--like, if I don't know a thing exists, can I miss it? And, who decides what utopia is? It's an interesting premise that Jonas, the protagonist learns the alternatives to the life he knows by receiving the memories from "back and back and back..." Written in 1994, it makes me wonder about how much of my privacy is gobbled up by my digital footprint (thinking about BookFace and its targeted advertising, for instance--or the Patriot Act laws). Do I mind giving up a piece of freedom for security? I enjoyed this book and hope that I remember it well enough to talk about it with my students.





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Title: Boiled Over
Author: Barbara Ross
Pages: 304 p
Published: May, 2014
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

This second installment of the Maine Clambake Mysteries picks up where a few months after the previous book. Our sleuth has been tapped to join the community's Founder's Weekend planning committee and that's where the action starts. I love how Maine is a character in the book, the familiar setting, the familiar people. Just some spellings of common words and Native American tribes are different than those I have seen written. There wasn't as much business aspect in this one, not so much about the Snowden Clambake. More townspeople are characters and it will be fun to see how they pop up in any future stories. A fun summer read.






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Title: The Silkworm
Author: Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling)
Pages: 464 p
Published: June, 2014
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This is the second installment of Robert Galbraith/JK Rowling's Cormoran Strike series. Definitely a mystery for grown ups. There is atmosphere, violence, and grit. And I couldn't leave it alone until I finished it. I stayed up way past my usual bedtime!

This book is set in the publishing world, and there is much some detail about the editing and promoting novels. There are intriguing and colorful secondary characters although I was most taken with the dynamics between Cormoran and his assistant, Robin Ellacourt. Their personal issues are woven into the story, making me more invested in their success. I don't want to give any spoilers but let me say this is not a cozy mystery. It is a gritty, somewhat graphic, hard boiled detective story. And I loved it! More, more more more!!!!





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Title: If I Stay
Author: Gayle Forman
Pages: 320 p
Published: April, 2010
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

From the publisher:
In the blink of an eye everything changes. Seventeen ­year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall what happened afterwards, watching her own damaged body being taken from the wreck. Little by little she struggles to put together the pieces- to figure out what she has lost, what she has left, and the very difficult choice she must make. Heart wrenchingly beautiful, this will change the way you look at life, love, and family.

I liked that it was a quick read. I liked Mia's voice. Not so sure I liked some of the secondary characters--like Willow and Adam. They needed to be more fleshed out. I can think of students who will really like it.



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Title: The Good Thief's Guide To Amsterdam
Author: Chris Ewan
Pages: 240 p
Published: November, 2007
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

From the publisher:
Charlie Howard travels the globe writing suspense novels for a living, about an intrepid burglar named Faulks. To supplement his income—-and to keep his hand in—-Charlie also has a small side business: stealing for a very discreet clientele on commission.

When a mysterious American offers to pay Charlie 20,000 euros if he steals two small monkey figurines to match the one he already has, Charlie is suspicious; he doesn’t know how the American found him, and the job seems too good to be true. And, of course, it is. Although the burglary goes off without a hitch, when he goes to deliver the monkeys he finds that the American has been beaten to near-death, and that the third figurine is missing.

Back in London, his long-suffering literary agent, Victoria (who is naive enough to believe he actually looks like his jacket photo), tries to talk him through the plot problems in both his latest manuscript and his real life—-but Charlie soon finds himself caught up in a caper reminiscent of a Cary Grant movie, involving safe-deposit boxes, menacing characters, and, of course, a beautiful damsel in distress.

A very clever heist story. I listened to it. The narrator is amazing! A fun new series. The Good Thief also goes to Berlin, Venice, Paris, and Las Vegas.





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Title: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry
Author: Gabrielle Zevin
Pages: 272 p
Published: April, 2014
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

This is a perfect summer read--there's a bit of romance, mystery, humor, loss, grief,pop culture references, literary references, and lots of quirky characters. I was utterly charmed. Didn't want to put it down.











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Title: One Plus One
Author: Jojo Moyes
Pages: 384 p
Published: July, 2014
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

This is the book that kept me up late at night. I absolutely had to find out what was going to happen next.

From the publisher:
Suppose your life sucks. A lot. Your husband has done a vanishing act, your teenage stepson is being bullied, and your math whiz daughter has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you can’t afford to pay for. That’s Jess’s life in a nutshell—until an unexpected knight in shining armor offers to rescue them. Only Jess’s knight turns out to be Geeky Ed, the obnoxious tech millionaire whose vacation home she happens to clean. But Ed has big problems of his own, and driving the dysfunctional family to the Math Olympiad feels like his first unselfish act in ages . . . maybe ever.

And here's an author interview:










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Title: The Fever
Author: Megan Abbott
Pages: 320 p
Published: June 2014
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I suspect that had I read it I would have enjoyed it much more: the female narrator's voice drove me crazy. Told from the points of view of Tom Nash, a high school science teacher, and his two teenage children, handsome hockey star Eli and typical sophomore Deenie. Deenie's best friend, Lise, is stricken by an unexplained, violent seizure during class. As rumors, gossip, and panic fly through the community, more girls collapse. The book captures the hysteria and paranoia that swirl around any kind of teen girl drama. It captures the nuances of teen girl friendships and family relationships. The more I think about the twisty turns and closely guarded secrets, I liked the story a lot. But the narrator really bothered me.





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Title: The Shadow Of The Wind
Author: Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Pages: 496 p
Published: April 2004
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Set in Barcelona in 1945, it's a Gothic mystery. Originally written in Spanish and translated to English but the translation is beautifully done, the language retains it's richness. You can even kind of consider it a coming-of-age story.

From the publisher:
Barcelona, 1945 - Just after the war, a great world city lies in shadow, nursing its wounds, and a boy named Daniel awakes one day to find that he can no longer remember his mother's face. To console his only child, Daniel's widowed father, an antiquarian book dealer, initiates him into the secret of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a library tended by Barcelona's guild of rare-book dealers as a repository for books forgotten by the world, waiting for someone who will care about them again. Daniel's father coaxes him to choose a book from the spiraling labyrinth of shelves, one that, it is said, will have a special meaning for him. And Daniel so loves the book he selects, a novel called The Shadow of the Wind by one Julian Carax, that he sets out to find the rest of Carax's work. To his shock, he discovers that someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book this author has written. In fact, he may have the last of Carax's books in existence. Before Daniel knows it, his seemingly innocent quest has opened a door into one of Barcelona's darkest secrets, an epic story of murder, magic, madness, and doomed love, and before long he realizes that if he doesn't find out the truth about Julian Carax, he and those closest to him will suffer horribly.



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Title: Landline
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Pages: 320 p
Published: July, 2014
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I anxiously awaited the publication of this book. And it didn't disappoint. So much clever dialog, such interesting and fleshed out secondary characters.

From the publisher:
Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble. That it’s been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply—but that almost seems beside the point now.

Maybe that was always beside the point.

Two days before they’re supposed to visit Neal’s family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can’t go. She’s a TV writer, and something’s come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her—Neal is always a little upset with Georgie—but she doesn’t expect to him to pack up the kids and go without her.

When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she’s finally done it. If she’s ruined everything.

That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It’s not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she’s been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts. . . .

Is that what she’s supposed to do?

Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened?





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Title: The Vacationers
Author: Emma Straub
Pages: 304 p
Published: May 2014
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

A two-week family vacation in gorgeous Mallorca, Spain, is the heart of this story. Each member of the Post family carries baggage from home with them on this idyllic trip. It's a study of relationships and love. Fran and Jim, celebrating their thirty-fifth wedding anniversary and their daughter, Sylvia's high school graduation; Bobby, the son, rounds out the Post family. Also along on this vacation are Charles and Lawrence--long time friends of Franny's and Bobby's girlfriend, Carmen.

Two weeks with family produce some cringe-worthy moments but also can strengthen bonds. In this case, it does both. Each of the Posts embodies a different phase of love and the dynamics are interesting. The writing is at times very funny. My one complaint is that Mallorca could have been more of an influence on the characters and instead it is just an exotic background. It was a fast read and it's the perfect summer book. It made me want to travel to Mallorca.





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Title: Lost Lake
Author: Sarah Addison Allen
Pages: 304 p
Published: January 2014
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

This book disappointed me. I listened to it and wasn't thrilled with the narrator. But that aside, the story didn't grab me. I thought it was predictable. Predictable with a P. Full of cliched characters. Meh. It's my book group's August selection.










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Title: A Little Bit Wicked: Life, Love, and Faith in Stages
Author: Kristin Chenowith
Pages: 240 p
Published: April 2009
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Listening to Kristin tell me her stories was like having fun with a girlfriend over drinks and snacks. I liked how she included snippets of songs and had a couple of guests on the narration, too. You could hear her giggling at some stories and could sense the pain at others. And she gives hearty praise to her ghost-writer, too. It was interesting to find out about some of her flops as well as her successes. I have been a fan of hers for years but didn't know her bio. And now I want to be her friend.









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Title: Dear Daughter
Author: Elizabeth Little
Pages: 384 p
Published: July 2014
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

If you can suspend belief when picking this thriller up, you're in for a fun read!

From the publisher:
Former “It Girl” Janie Jenkins is sly, stunning, and fresh out of prison. Ten years ago, at the height of her fame, she was incarcerated for the murder of her mother, a high-society beauty known for her good works and rich husbands. Now, released on a technicality, Janie makes herself over and goes undercover, determined to chase down the one lead she has on her mother’s killer. The only problem? Janie doesn’t know if she’s the killer she’s looking for.

Janie makes her way to an isolated South Dakota town whose mysteries rival her own. Enlisting the help of some new friends (and the town’s wary police chief), Janie follows a series of clues—an old photograph, an abandoned house, a forgotten diary—and begins to piece together her mother’s seemingly improbable connection to the town. When new evidence from Janie’s own past surfaces, she’s forced to consider the possibility that she and her mother were more alike than either of them would ever have imagined.

As she digs tantalizingly deeper, and as suspicious locals begin to see through her increasingly fragile facade, Janie discovers that even the sleepiest towns hide sinister secrets—and will stop at nothing to guard them. On the run from the press, the police, and maybe even a murderer, Janie must choose between the anonymity she craves and the truth she so desperately needs.

Although I didn't like Jane for most of the story, at the end I found myself squarely on her side. And there are moments that are funny and lots of pop culture references. I really couldn't put it down and I liked it a lot. Just suspend belief because there is no way this could ever happen in real life.



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Title: Big Little Lies
Author: Liane Moriarity
Pages: 480 p
Published: July 2014
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I could not put this down!

From the publisher:
A murder… . . . a tragic accident… . . . or just parents behaving badly?
What’s indisputable is that someone is dead.
But who did what?

Madeline is a force to be reckoned with. She’s funny and biting, passionate, she remembers everything and forgives no one. Her ex-husband and his yogi new wife have moved into her beloved beachside community, and their daughter is in the same kindergarten class as Madeline’s youngest (how is this possible?). And to top it all off, Madeline’s teenage daughter seems to be choosing Madeline’s ex-husband over her. (How. Is. This. Possible?).

Celeste is the kind of beautiful woman who makes the world stop and stare. While she may seem a bit flustered at times, who wouldn’t be, with those rambunctious twin boys? Now that the boys are starting school, Celeste and her husband look set to become the king and queen of the school parent body. But royalty often comes at a price, and Celeste is grappling with how much more she is willing to pay.

New to town, single mom Jane is so young that another mother mistakes her for the nanny. Jane is sad beyond her years and harbors secret doubts about her son. But why? While Madeline and Celeste soon take Jane under their wing, none of them realizes how the arrival of Jane and her inscrutable little boy will affect them all.

I thought all three characters were well-developed. I could see myself being friends with each of them. As a teacher, I've seen the other side of this whole story--the politics of parenting at school. Oy. I like how the book was interspersed with Police interviews and how the timeline is set up; it wasn't predictable or boring.




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Title: I Am Having So Much Fun Without You
Author: Courtney Maum
Pages: 352 p
Published: June 2014
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

From the publisher:
Despite the success of his first solo show in Paris and the support of his brilliant French wife and young daughter, thirty-four-year-old British artist Richard Haddon is too busy mourning the loss of his American mistress to a famous cutlery designer to appreciate his fortune.

But after Richard discovers that a painting he originally made for his wife, Anne—when they were first married and deeply in love—has sold, it shocks him back to reality and he resolves to reinvest wholeheartedly in his family life…just in time for his wife to learn the extent of his affair. Rudderless and remorseful, Richard embarks on a series of misguided attempts to win Anne back while focusing his creative energy on a provocative art piece to prove that he’s still the man she once loved.

I liked but didn't love this book. It was almost too clever for its own good. Plus, I wanted to knock Richard, the main character, upside the head because he was being such an ass. What saves things, though, is that he knows he's being an ass. Ultimately, it's a backward love story--falling back in love with your life.




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Title: Paw and Order
Author: Spencer Quinn
Pages: 320 p
Published: August 2014
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

This is the seventh installment of the Chet & Bernie mysteries. And really, the mystery isn't the best part of these books. Chet the narrating dog and his human partner Bernie Little are the main event. Because the book picks up where the last left off, in Louisiana, they decide to head up to Washington, DC, to surprise Susie Sanchez, Bernie's girlfriend. Chet is out of his element, which was amusing although the author could have taken more advantage of it. Overall, it was a fun, light read.












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Title: Grave Sight
Author: Charlaine Harris
Pages: 320 p
Published: September 2009
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

From the publisher:
Harper Connelly has what you might call a strange job: she finds dead people. She can sense the final location of a person who's passed, and share their very last moment. The way Harper sees it, she's providing a service to the dead while bringing some closure to the living - but she's used to most people treating her like a blood-sucking leech. Traveling with her step-brother Tolliver as manager and sometime-bodyguard, she's become an expert at getting in, getting paid, and getting out fast. Because for the living it's always urgent - even if the dead can wait forever.

I can't decide if I want to read more of this series. It was fun. But I didn't exactly like the main characters. I don't know if I'm interested in them enough to read more.












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Title: Love Letters To The Dead
Author: Ava Dellaira
Pages: 336 p
Published: April 2014
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

From the publisher:
It begins as an assignment for English class: Write a letter to a dead person.

Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain because her sister, May, loved him. And he died young, just like May. Soon, Laurel has a notebook full of letters to the dead—to people like Janis Joplin, Heath Ledger, Amelia Earhart, and Amy Winehouse—though she never gives a single one of them to her teacher. She writes about starting high school, navigating the choppy waters of new friendships, learning to live with her splintering family, falling in love for the first time, and, most important, trying to grieve for May. But how do you mourn for someone you haven't forgiven?

It's not until Laurel has written the truth about what happened to herself that she can finally accept what happened to May. And only when Laurel has begun to see her sister as the person she was—lovely and amazing and deeply flawed—can she truly start to discover her own path.

It's a coming of age story told through the series of letters Laurel writes to celebrities whose lives ended too soon. Laurel explores her relationships with her family and her new friends, and her first love, through her examination of the lives of the people she writes to. Each letter helps her navigate the loss of and grief over her beloved sister, May.

The musical references and snippets of poetry are spot on. I think they add a timelessness to this story.

Even though it's in the Young Adult genre, it's a beautifully crafted novel full of unique characters and an interesting premise. I laughed out loud and I also cried.

I came across a Spotify playlist of songs featured in the book: as seen at My Shelf Confessions:












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Title: What Alice Forgot
Author: Liane Moriarity
Pages: 432 p
Published: June 2011
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This would make an interesting book group selection. I'm curious to know what my reading friends would think about it. It's the kind of book I need to talk about with someone.

From the publisher:
Alice Love is twenty-nine, crazy about her husband, and pregnant with her first child.

So imagine Alice’s surprise when she comes to on the floor of a gym (a gym! She HATES the gym) and is whisked off to the hospital where she discovers the honeymoon is truly over — she’s getting divorced, she has three kids, and she’s actually 39 years old. Alice must reconstruct the events of a lost decade, and find out whether it’s possible to reconstruct her life at the same time. She has to figure out why her sister hardly talks to her, and how is it that she’s become one of those super skinny moms with really expensive clothes. Ultimately, Alice must discover whether forgetting is a blessing or a curse, and whether it’s possible to start over….

I couldn't put this down, although there were a couple of times I wondered where it was going to go next. I wondered what would be different in my own life and relationships if I was to have that kind of amnesia and "lose" years of my memory. It wasn't a cliche--woman gets amnesia and works to mend her horrible ways. It's more of the struggle to understand what is happening in her life and how she wound up this changed person.

The secondary characters were well crafted, too. I felt the strain of the relationships and how the reappearance of the "old Alice" melts those strains away.

I liked this book, a lot.











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Title: All The Light We Cannot See
Author: Anthony Doerr
Pages: 544 p
Published: May 2014
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars


This is one of the best books I've read this year. It's the coming of age story of the two main characters: Marie-Laure and Werner. But it's more than that: the story of family, loyalty, bravery, and imagination.


From the publisher:
Marie-Laure lives with her father in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where he works as the master of its thousands of locks. When she is six, Marie-Laure goes blind and her father builds a perfect miniature of their neighborhood so she can memorize it by touch and navigate her way home. When she is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure’s reclusive great-uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel.

In a mining town in Germany, the orphan Werner grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments, a talent that wins him a place at a brutal academy for Hitler Youth, then a special assignment to track the resistance. More and more aware of the human cost of his intelligence, Werner travels through the heart of the war and, finally, into Saint-Malo, where his story and Marie-Laure’s converge.





I absolutely love this book.








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Title: Just What Kind Of Mother Are You?
Author: Paula Daly
Pages: 256 p
Published: September, 2013
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

What a thrill ride.

From the publisher:
Lisa Kallisto is doing her best to juggle the demands of an overburdened life: she holds down a busy job running an animal shelter, cares for three demanding children, and worries that her husband isn't getting enough TLC. During an incredibly hectic week, Lisa takes her eye off the ball for just a moment, and her whole world descends into a nightmare. Her best friend's thirteen-year-old daughter goes missing, and it's all Lisa's fault. Wracked with guilt over her mistake, and having been publicly blamed, Lisa sets out to right her wrong. But as she begins digging beneath the surface, Lisa learns that everything is not quite what it first appears to be.

It's a twisty book and I don't want to give anything away. The narrative shifts focus from Lisa's perspective to Detective Constable Joanne Aspinall and finally a creepy first-person accounting from the perp.

I know my book group will have lots to talk about--from the mother's guilt, to the blame game, and to the twisty turns.

READ IT!!!













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Title: The New Me
Author: Mary Marcus
Pages: 219 p
Published: May, 2014
My Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

I finished this book last night. It was a quick read. I didn't particularly like it. I found the main character's obliviousness to be almost cliche. Maybe because I'm not in a long term relationship/marriage, I can't relate to how people take each other for granted, which is part of this book. But not every book is going to be a home run, right? The writing was good and the characters were well-crafted. It didn't resonate with me.









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Title: An Autumn Crush
Author: Milly Johnson
Pages: 432 p
Published: September, 2011
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Chick lit done right! The book touches on some more serious issues of alcoholism and mental health issues but is balanced with some touches of humor in it's exploration of friendship, family, and love. The secondary characters are great, too.

From the publisher:
After a bruising divorce, headstrong Juliet Miller invests in a flat and advertises for a flatmate, little believing that in her late thirties she'll find anyone suitable. But along comes self-employed copywriter Floz, raw from her own relationship split, and the two woman hit it off. When Juliet's twin brother Guy meets Hattie, he is overcome with a massive crush. But being a shy, gentle giant, he communicates so clumsily with her as to give her the opposite impression.
Guy's best friend Steve has always had a secret, unrequited crush on Juliet. After a night of too much wine, Steve and Juliet end up in bed, after moaning about the lack of sex in their lives. Convinced that Juliet doesn't feel the same way, Steve agrees to a 'just-sex' relationship, until they can both find other partners.
Just when Guy has finally plucked up the courage to tell Floz how he feels, she embarks on an internet relationship - which seems to tick all the boxes. Meanwhile she is growing closer to Guy's family. Reeling from her divorce, and a series of devastating miscarriages, Floz has never had much love in her life and is obviously thirsty for affection. She loves the whole Miller family, from Juliet and Guy's warm, loving parents, to their ancient one-eyed black cat. But can Guy turn Floz's affection for his family into something more - into love for him? And then Juliet makes a discovery, which will turn the lives of all four friends upside-down . . .

I enjoyed this book. I fell in love with the characters--I wanted both Juliet and Floz to be my friends! Floz's turbulent relationship kind of drawn out, but it was powerful.







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Title: The Invention of Wings
Author: Sue Monk Kidd
Pages: 384 p
Published: January, 2014
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

This is a work of historical fiction. I was impressed with myself that I was already familiar with the Grimke sisters, who were staunch abolitionists and advocates for equal rights. The book covers a lot of ground and a lot of issues. Told in alternating perspectives from the point of view of Sarah Grimke and the slave she was given as a gift for her eleventh birthday, Hetty "Handful."

It's an exploration of loyalty, family, freedom, and ultimately the shackles we place on ourselves. Both women were inhibited by the times and both were desperate to break free of society's norms and mores.

I really liked this book although there were a couple of places that dragged.







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Title: The Sea of Tranquility
Author: Katja Millay
Pages: 448 p
Published: June, 2013
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars


From the publisher:
I live in a world without magic or miracles. A place where there are no clairvoyants or shapeshifters, no angels or superhuman boys to save you. A place where people die and music disintegrates and things suck. I am pressed so hard against the earth by the weight of reality that some days I wonder how I am still able to lift my feet to walk.

Two and a half years after an unspeakable tragedy left her a shadow of the girl she once was, Nastya Kashnikov moves to a new town determined to keep her dark past hidden and hold everyone at a distance. But her plans only last so long before she finds herself inexplicably drawn to the one person as isolated as herself: Josh Bennett.

Josh’s story is no secret. Every person he loves has been taken from his life until, at seventeen years old, there is no one left. When your name is synonymous with death, everyone tends to give you your space. Everyone except Nastya who won’t go away until she’s insinuated herself into every aspect of his life. But as the undeniable pull between them intensifies, he starts to wonder if he will ever learn the secrets she’s been hiding—or if he even wants to.

I liked the raw honest feel to this book. I was a little frustrated that the main character's dark past took so long to reveal. I liked the secondary characters, they were well-developed and had purpose. And I liked that the parental figures in the book weren't portrayed as idiots. And the ending! A great ending!








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Title: Choose Your Own Autobiography
Author: Neil Patrick Harris
Pages: 304 p
Published: October, 2014
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I listened to NPH's recording of his book and I'm so glad I did. We are now best friends.













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Title: The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared
Author: Jonas Jonasson
Pages: 396 p
Published: July, 2012
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

It's a charming, far-fetched tale. As I read it I wondered, "What next?" several times. I don't know if that is good or bad. I think I'm the only one of my reading group to finish it.










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Title: The Good Girl
Author: Mary Kubica
Pages: 352 p
Published: July, 2014
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

From the publisher:
Born to a prominent Chicago judge and his stifled socialite wife, Mia Dennett moves against the grain as a young inner-city art teacher. One night, Mia enters a bar to meet her on-again, off-again boyfriend. But when he doesn't show, she unwisely leaves with an enigmatic stranger. With his smooth moves and modest wit, at first Colin Thatcher seems like a safe one-night stand. But following Colin home will turn out to be the worst mistake of Mia's life.

Colin's job was to abduct Mia as part of a wild extortion plot and deliver her to his employers. But the plan takes an unexpected turn when Colin suddenly decides to hide Mia in a secluded cabin in rural Minnesota, evading the police and his deadly superiors. Mia's mother, Eve, and detective Gabe Hoffman will stop at nothing to find them, but no one could have predicted the emotional entanglements that eventually cause this family's world to shatter.

There's been some comparison to Gone Girl, but I don't see it. It's a twisty story told "Before" and "After" Mia is found. And the narration's point of view switches from Mia's mother, Eve, the police detective, Gabe Hoffman, and the abductor, Colin. So, although the story isn't told in chronological nor from one point of view, it works.

In the aftermath of Mia's return, her shock leaves her with amnesia, and it's obvious that something big happened to her but the reveal... ah, the reveal is very well done.














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Title: How To Eat A Cupcake
Author: Meg Donohue
Pages: 320 p
Published: March, 2012
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars


From the publisher:
Free-spirited Annie Quintana and sophisticated Julia St. Clair come from two different worlds. Yet, as the daughter of the St. Clairs' housekeeper, Annie grew up in Julia's San Francisco mansion and they forged a bond that only two little girls oblivious to class differences could—until a life-altering betrayal destroyed their friendship.

A decade later, Annie bakes to fill the void left in her heart by her mother's death, and a painful secret jeopardizes Julia's engagement to the man she loves. A chance reunion prompts the unlikely duo to open a cupcakery, but when a mysterious saboteur opens up old wounds, they must finally face the truth about their past or risk losing everything.

I was excited to read an exploration of friendship with a background of cupcakes. And I enjoyed much of the book. My complaint is that the author packed in too many threads. In packing in so many storylines, there is a reliance on cliches and stereotypes. Which prevented me from loving the book. Because less is more and I could have loved this book.












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Title: The Andy Cohen Diaries: A Deep Look at a Shallow Year
Author: Andy Cohen
Pages: 352 p
Published: November, 2014
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars


I could be friends with Andy Cohen. This book is a pop-culture treasure! I loved it. Actually, Andy read it to me and it was like a year-long party.












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Title: Mistletoe Murder
Author: Leslie Meier
Pages: 240 p
Published: October, 2008
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

A cozy Christmas-themed mystery set in a small town in Maine. Lots of fun!

From the publisher:
As if baking holiday cookies, knitting a sweater for her husband's gift, and making her daughter's angel costume for the church pageant weren't enough things for Lucy Stone's busy Christmas schedule, she's also working nights at the famous mail-order company Country Cousins. But when she discovers Sam Miller, its very wealthy founder, dead in his car from an apparent suicide, the sleuth in her knows something just doesn't smell right.

Taking time out from her hectic holiday life to find out what really happened, her investigation leads to a backlog of secrets as long as Santa's Christmas Eve route. Lucy is convinced that someone murdered Sam Miller. But who and why? With each harrowing twist she uncovers in this bizarre case, another shocking revelation is exposed. Now, as Christmas draws near and Lucy gets dangerously closer to the truth, she's about to receive a present from Santa she didn't ask for—a killer who won't be satisfied until everyone on his shopping list is dead, including Lucy herself.










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Title: The Alchemist
Author: Paulo Coehlo
Pages: 208 p
Published: September, 1998
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars


A thoughtful fable about the importance of following your dreams regardless of the odds. The shepherd boy, Santiago, meets interesting characters along the way, inspiring him to continue on his quest seeking treasure at the Pyramids of Egypt. I like a quest story. And it's my book group's December selection.












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Title: What Happens At Christmas
Author: Victoria Alexander
Pages: 400 p
Published: October 2012
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I didn't know what to expect, although the premise was appealing. Historical holiday romance. It was funny and the plot twists were convoluted enough to keep me reading. There was a terribly cliched intimate moment that detracted, but overall this was a very fun holiday read.

From the publisher:
Camille, Lady Lydingham, requests the pleasure of your company at a festive house party, as she endeavors to coax a marriage proposal from Prince Nikolai Pruzinsky of Greater Avalonia.

The hostess's relatives will be in attendance—in this case, a troupe of actors hired to impersonate a proper English family in order to fool the Prince.

Gate-crashing, distractingly handsome first loves like Grayson Elliott are most unwelcome.

Games will be played.

Motives will be revealed.

Mayhem may ensue.

And hearts will be won—and lost—in the most romantic, magical season of all.