ReadingGrrls Paper Safari

Title: One Perfect Day: A Mother and Son's story of Adoption and Reunion by Diane Burke & Steve Orlandi Publisher: Skyhorse publishing 192 pages Genre: adoption/autobiography Synopsis:  The moment Diane Burke, an author and mother of two grown sons, received an unexpected certified letter in the mail, she had no idea her life would be shaken to its core. Memories of a past she had buried more than forty years ago suddenly resurfaced and she wasn't prepared to deal with them. Steve Orlandi, happily married, father of two and step-father of three, was living the typical middle class American life. But since the age of eight, when he discovered he was adopted, he had led that life dealing with inner questions about his self-identity and genetic history. Always on his mind was one simple, yet complicated and loaded question: Who am I? Review:  Diane placed her son for adoption when she was teenager.  She didn't have a choice as many women didn't back then....

Title:   The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern Publisher: Anchor Books 516 pages Genre: Fantasy, Romance Synopsis:  The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called  Le Cirque des Rêves , and it is only open at night. But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway: a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them both, this is a game in which only one can be left standing. Despite the high stakes, Celia and Marco soon tumble headfirst into love, setting off a domino effect of dangerous consequences, and leaving the lives of everyone, from the performers to the patrons, hanging in the balance. Review: This is only the second audio book I ...

Title:   NOS4A2: A Novel by Joe Hill Publisher: William Morrow 686 pages Genre: Horror Synopsis:  Victoria McQueen has a secret gift for finding things: a misplaced bracelet, a missing photograph, answers to unanswerable questions. On her Raleigh Tuff Burner bike, she makes her way to a rickety covered bridge that, within moments, takes her wherever she needs to go, whether it’s across Massachusetts or across the country. Charles Talent Manx has a way with children. He likes to take them for rides in his 1938 Rolls-Royce Wraith with the NOS4A2 vanity plate. With his old car, he can slip right out of the everyday world, and onto the hidden roads that transport them to an astonishing – and terrifying – playground of amusements he calls “Christmasland.” Then, one day, Vic goes looking for trouble—and finds Manx. That was a lifetime ago. Now Vic, the only kid to ever escape Manx’s unmitigated evil, is all grown up and desperate to forget. But Charlie Manx never stopped ...

Title:   Mockingjay (The Final Book of The Hunger Games) by Suzanne Collins Publisher: Scholastic Press 390 pages Genre: Dysopian, YA Synopsis:  Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what's worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss's family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins's groundbreaking The Hunger Games  trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year. Review: I know this book has gotten a lot of mixed reviews, more bad than good actually and I'm not sure why.   I thought the dark depressing tone of Mockingjay was right on point with the series.  I mean this is a world where the...

Title:   Cinder: Book One of the Lunar Chronicles by Melissa Meyer Publisher: Square Fish 448 pages Genre: Fantasy/ YA Synopsis:  Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future. Review:  I bought these books for my daughter for Christmas and after she tore through them she gave them to me.  I have read multiple reviews on t...

Title:   Her Last Breath: A Novel (Kate Burkholder Novels) by Linda Castillo Publisher: Minotaur Books 320 pages Genre: Mystery/ Thriller/ Amish Synopsis:   A rainy night, an Amish father returning home with his three children, a speeding car hurtling toward them out of nowhere. What at first seems like a tragic, but routine car accident  suddenly takes on a more sinister cast as evidence emerges that nothing about the crash is accidental.  But who would want to kill an Amish deacon and two of his children? He leaves behind a grieving widow and a young boy who clings to life in the intensive care wing of a hospital, unable to communicate.  He may be the only one who knows what happened that night.  Desperate to find out who killed her best friend’s husband and why, Kate begins to suspect she is not looking for a reckless drunk, but instead is on the trail of a cold blooded killer amid the residents of Painter’s Mill.  It is a search that takes...

Title:   Season of the Wolf by Robin Summers Publisher: Bold Stroke Books 264 pages Genre: LGBT Romance, thriller I received an advanced e-copy of this book through netgalley.com . Release date March 18, 1014 Synopsis:  Devon James is on the run from a killer who has been hunting her for years. When she discovers the murdered bodies of two co-workers, Devon knows it is time to run again. But before she can run, the police arrive and take her in for questioning. Jordan Salinger is a Pittsburgh homicide detective on leave after a hostage standoff left her with a bullet wound in her shoulder and an even bigger hole in her heart. When she is called in by her partner to help with an uncooperative witness, Jordan has no idea that the woman holds the key to the murders and to her salvation. With the murderer stalking them at every turn, can Devon and Jordan overcome the horrors that haunt them in time to save each other? Review: Both Jordan and Devon are filled with ...