ReadingGrrls Paper Safari

Title:   God and Jetfire: Confessions of a Birth Mother by Amy Seek Publisher: Farrar, Straus, Giroux Format: Kindle ebook Pages: 353 pages Genre: Adoption, Birth Parents, memoir Synopsis :  God and Jetfire  is a mother's account of her decision to surrender her son in an open adoption and of their relationship over the twelve years that follow. Facing an unplanned pregnancy at twenty-two, Amy Seek and her ex-boyfriend begin an exhaustive search for a family to raise their child. They sift through hundreds of "Dear Birth Mother" letters, craft an extensive questionnaire, and interview numerous potential couples. Despite the immutability of the surrender, it does little to diminish Seek's newfound feelings of motherhood. Once an ambitious architecture student, she struggles to reconcile her sadness with the hope that she's done the best for her son, a struggle complicated by her continued, active presence in his life. Review: Amy Seek writes a gutwrenc...

Title:   Ghostboy, Chameleon & the Duke of Graffiti by Olivia Wildenstein Publisher: Createspace Format: e-book from the publisher through netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review Pages: 319 pages Genre: YA, Teen Synopsis:  Cora Matthews, the principal’s gloomy goth daughter, is not exactly popular Duke Meyer’s type. Still, Duke finds himself inexplicably drawn to her dark eyes and mysterious manner. She makes it clear she doesn’t return his admiration, but when a burst appendix lands Duke in the hospital, he and Cora will be forced to come together by the most unlikely intermediary: her eight-year-old brother, Jaime. Duke learns Jaime has brain cancer and little chance of long-term survival. He admires the kid’s plucky positivity and wild imagination and offers to write a story about Jaime’s make-believe superheroes. So begins an epic tale—that of Ghostboy, Chameleon and the Duke of Graffiti—and a deep friendship between Duke and Jaime. Despite their o...

Title:  Pop Goes the Weasel: A Detective Helen Grace Thriller (A Helen Grace Thriller) by MJ Alridge Publisher:  Penguin Group Format: advanced e-copy was received from the publisher through netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review Pages: 416 pages Genre: Mystery Thriller This title is due to be released October 6, 2015 Synopsis:   A man's body is found in an empty house.  A gruesome memento of his murder is sent to his wife and children. He is the first victim, and Detective Helen Grace knows he will not be the last. But why would a happily married man be this far from home in the dead of night? The media call it Jack the Ripper in reverse: a serial killer preying on family men who lead hidden double lives. Helen can sense the fury behind the murders. But what she cannot possibly predict is how volatile this killer is—or what is waiting for her at the end of the chase.... Review: Detective Helen Grace and her co-worker Charlie are still s...