#StackingtheShelves #34! Week ending 4-29! Blog updates and #Giveaways, too!

Thanks to our Sponsor, Tynga's Reviews!

First, let's find out HOW Stacking the Shelves works! 
Hello everyone! It's that time of week again, that time to do an awesome "SHOW AND TELL" of the books I have been given, I bought, borrowed, or received somehow, some way this past week! I LOVE showing books off like this! Especially when the books have AWESOME COVERS!! That is MY favorite part!!
With THIS POST I am often always finding MORE amazing books and adding them to my TBR list! That list is longer than my life already, but that's okay! What's life without a list with reading on it longer than my life? There is NOT ONE!!! I also LOVE to see other books and I like to look for trends! How do I do that? When I see the same book on other blogs quite often, I KNOW that book HAS TO BE GREAT!! That's the BEST way to spot an amazing book!

I'm also finding OTHER PLACES TO LINK UP TO AS WELL! I'm finding these places from other blogs, and they are GREAT ideas! The following NEW one is Talk of the Town where we can add ALL THINGS BOOKISH! Check it out!

GOODREADS: Make sure to ADD any books you find you want to read to your TO BE READ list on your Goodreads page! Why? Goodreads will send you a NOTICE telling you "a book on your To Be Read list" is in a Giveaway" . . . for however long! Nice, eh . . . ? Oh, yes!!! You get to go over to Goodreads and ENTER THE GIVEAWAY!

Want to see MORE books than just mine each week? Okay! Awesome!! Many of you who do not go to the Sponsor's blog on Saturday's are missing out and may not know you really should go there to do the following:
When you are done here, go up to the top of this post where I thank the Sponsor, Tynga's Reviews (that is the Sponsor) you really w and click on that sponsor's name. Once at Tynga's Reviews, find HIS/HER POST and follow the Arrows TO READ the post, "Stacking the Shelves" meme, which is usually ALWAYS the first post on the LEFT of her blog. Click on the arrow! You'll get to see what he/she got, BUT, what I'm after to show you is to SCROLL DOWN FURTHER, and you'll see usually a VERY LARGE and LONG Linky-List of blogs GALORE!!! Blogs ADD their names to this list ALL DAY LONG!! I've been known to add mine close to midnight on Saturday! Visit a few blogs! You're now ADDICTED to Stacking the Shelves! (Sorry - not really!!! LOL!!!)
Enjoy!

***GIVEAWAYS!!! ALWAYS CHECK THE LEFT SIDE COLUMN for the most recent GIVEAWAYS! (Please check the giveaway dates) There are 2 Giveaways going on NOW!
***YES!!!! #1: The Shower of Books Giveaway Hop ENDS SATURDAY NIGHT AT MIDNIGHT! GET YOUR LAST MINUTE ENTRIES IN! There are 49 other blogs participating in this Hop! HURRY!
*** #2: The is a Happy Mother's Day Kindle Fire GIVEAWAY going on NOW until 5-7-16! Get your entries in for that one, too! Good luck!!!
ALL the Giveaways I have on my blog each week will have ALL of the Giveaways posted right there! They are YOURS TO ENTER and I will have a FEW gently read print books I will be posting to give away in these hops! Check out the LEFT side column! 

I did not buy ONE book this week! Unbelievable!

Get ready for THIS TUESDAY, MAY 3rd! NEW RELEASE DAY GALORE! There are so MANY NEW RELEASES coming out, it's CRAZY! That many MORE titles for YOU to buy! 

For this upcoming week, I will have 3 NEW REVIEWS! 2 Reviews will be listed on Tuesday, May 3rd, their NEW release dates! I also have one more book back from the beginning of April's new releases back when I didn't have my NEW Kindle yet. I was stuck! I couldn't get Amazon's APP to download onto my computer, and I really think it has to do with the Windows 10 upgrade. I have a few books I need to finish reading, but one is Modern Girls and that review will post this upcoming week! Watch for it!

FOR THE WEEK ENDING 4-29-16, HERE ARE THE BOOKS I HAVE RECEIVED FOR REVIEW! 
Thanks for stopping by again!

Liar, Liar (Book 4 of the Helen Grace series) by M J Arlidge - I LOVE this series of Thrillers! I've read the other three, and the publisher so kindly contacted me and asked if I would be interested in reading this one! Oh, yes, please!!! I am STOKED!!!
Releases June 7th, 2016

Behind Closed Doors by B A Paris (NEW author, NEW book for me! The publisher contacted me about this book, too! This MUST be good! Exciting!!!)
Releases August 9th, 2016

Thank you SO MUCH for stopping by! I just realized I DID buy a few books this week after all! This is how I found out - and you should read this in case it happened to you . . . after I was done re-registering my Kindle Fire, I happened to see a few books I bought but forgot I bought them. I am NOT discounting those books, but with the number of books I have for review right now, I did not think I bought any! HA, HA! I should know better than that! LOL!!! I'll list those NEXT week for you! I got them on sale! That is always wonderful! One of the books is from the Kindle FIRST program. I'll have MORE to talk about next weekend! See you BEFORE then! Gotcha on that one!

IF YOU OWN A KINDLE FIRE. . . 
I received an email from Amazon telling me Amazon did an UPDATE for the Kindle Fire tablets. "I might" have been affected by an error they had in their update which DEREGISTERS your Kindle FIRE only. I got the Fire out because as I read that email, my husband was on his way home from work. He is DEAD tired on Friday, and with working overtime, I KNEW he was looking forward to dropping dead on the couch with the Fire. Sure enough! Our Kindle FIRE DID get Deregistered.
If this happens to you, check the email box where your FIRE is registered to. There WILL be an email there explaining HOW TO RE-REGISTER YOUR FIRE - and it's EASY-PEASY TO RE-REGISTER IT! SO DON'T WORRY!!! Okay, YOU CAN BREATHE NOW!!! It managed to save ALL of his bookmarks and everything! So don't worry, you'll be fine in case that happens!
If ANY of you have had this happen and you did NOT get the email from Amazon, I will be MORE than happy to help you out, but know that those people who were affected, Amazon DID give you a $5 Amazon Gift Code good towards your next purchase! You may benefit MORE by contacting Amazon because I cannot give that to you, but if you STILL want to talk to me, I welcome your questions! You can reach me at laurieisreading at g mail dot com!

Happy Weekend Everyone!!! Enjoy it!!
Thanks for coming by!
Laurie

#Book #Review: Release Your Anger: Midnight Edition: An Adult Coloring Book with 40 Swear Words to Color and Relax

DESCRIPTION:

WARNING: THIS REVIEW HAS SWEAR WORDS IN IT. 
Some of the words I am uncomfortable listing in this review and I will NOT list them. If you want a full, complete listing of ALL the swear words that are in this book, then go to the Amazon page this book is on.
Another thing. I purchased this book at $3.20. The price is currently at $5.99. The price keeps increasing, so if you ARE interested in it, I would purchase it sooner than later. (Just a suggestion.)
Here is the Description:

Introducing the world's first swear word coloring book printed on black paper. You've never experienced anything like this before. This bestselling adult coloring book features 40 classic swear words. Using this beautiful midnight edition will make your designs vibrant with color. Never again worry about coloring inside the lines... let the black paper take care of it! Unwind and relax with this beautiful coloring book... let your steam loose!

What's Inside

• 40 Classic Swear Words to Color (see list below)

• Beautiful Abstract Designs with Intricate Details

• Each Swear Word Is Printed on Black Paper

• Includes Free PDF Bonus Inside!

Sometimes, you just need to SWEAR at someone...

List of Words

• Bullshit

• Fuck

• Piss Off

• Asshole

• Bitch

• Slut

• Whore

• Bastard

• Shit

• Damn

• Shitballs

• Sugartits

• Bollocks

• Crap

• Fuckwit

• Fucktard

• Dipshit

• Shit-a-brick

• Asshat

• Gutter Slut

• Skank

• Prick

• Slutbag

• Moron

• Fuck Off

• Idiot

• Dickhead

• Cockbag

Join the foul-mouthed masses and unwind with Release Your Anger. Color designs featuring both classic swear words like "Bullshit" and more creative ones like . . . 

Each page is designed with beautiful patterns, swirls, paisleys, mandalas, flowers, and leaves... color away while letting the steam out.

Simply sit back, relax, and choose the swear word that connects with you. Then color in the swear word with your choice of color pencil, pen, marker, and/or crayon.

Enjoy mindfulness and relaxation with this brilliant anti-stress therapy, also the perfect gag-gift!

This beautiful coloring book features:

• 40 Classic and Angry Swear Words to Color

• Beautiful Designs with Intricate Details

• Designs Printed on Black Paper

• 40 Single-Sided Pages at 8.5 x 11"

• Includes Digital PDF Bonus Pages Inside the Book

Order now and get started. Your inner peace is waiting, and it has some choice words for you.

Preview the book at swearybook.com/midnight

For business enquiries, contact james@swearybook.com

TAGS: black coloring book, midnight coloring book, black adult coloring book, midnight adult coloring book, sweary coloring book, swear word coloring book, swear words adult coloring book

Oh, what a FUN book! First off, I should warn you that there are many swear words throughout this book, meant to be the central focus on each coloring page. Each word on ALL of the pages ARE swear words, and that is the comedy of this book! It provides some great laughs! Everything on each page is meant to be colored with whatever medium you like to color with, be it pencils, crayons, paint, whatever you prefer to use! Each individual page can be removed from this book, too! Each page is an individual page with black on the back of each page so these could technically be framed! Have at it! Enjoy coloring these and being as creative as some of these words!
If you are easily offended by swear words of this nature, this is NOT the book for you.
I happened to see this at Amazon and got a great laugh from it! I HAD to buy it because we have had several instances of late where this book would fit right into our lives and at least get us laughing a little! When we received this book in the mail, later that evening as we took a look at it, it did make us laugh hysterically at some of the words we have not even heard of since High School! The designs that accompany the words ARE NICE! I'm serious about that. Enjoy coloring this!
I have colored a few pages, and they are fun to color because they are there and we can choose to do it, however, if you are very angry about something, I really don't think this is the type of book you want to spend an overly abundant amount of time in because it could just make you even angrier about whatever negative situation you are so angry about. If you are SO angry you only find yourself coloring in this book without doing something a little more constructive and positive than just focusing on coloring these swear words, you could find yourself not feeling the greatest. No one wants to stay with something that 'could become' so negative. If you are starting to feel so very negative, I would definitely reconsider the amount of time you are spending in this book. We all do need to blow off steam, and this IS okay to do so, just don't spend every waking moment in this book! Focus on some positive things, too, some other shapes that ARE adorably cute and can bring smiles to your face like this book did the first few times you saw it! There are some FREEBIES in this book, too! You will also find those at the Amazon page! Enjoy!

#Enter to #WIN for #MothersDay A #Kindle #Fire plus an #Amazon #GiftCode! OR choose $250 #PayPal #Cash ! Ends 5-7-16!

#MothersDay #Kindle #Fire #Giveaway !

An awesome group of #bloggers and #authors have joined with me to bring you one fabulous prize!

One lucky #winner will receive...

A #Kindle #Fire + #Amazon #GiftCode to fill it with #ebooks 

(A total value of $250!)

OR - Alternately 

the #winner can choose $250 in #Paypal #Cash!

Thanks for this fabulous group of #authors and #bloggers who have sponsored this #Giveaway!

Sponsor List
I Am A Reader
Simple Wyrdings
Kimber Leigh Wheaton
Cynthia Luhrs Author
Laurie Here - Cont Fiction and More
Heather Boyd, Historical Romance Author
Krysten Lindsay Hager author
Diana's Book Reviews
Every Free Chance Books
FLYLēF Book Reviews
Tamara Gill
Love. Without You
The Page Unbound
Glistering Bs Blog
Joshua David Bellin
A Leisure Moment
Toi Thomas
Helen Smith
Megan Tayte (romance author)
My Crazy Bookish Life
The Serious Reader
Cool Cat Mysteries
Barefoot by the Sea
inspiredbooksguide
Reviews by Martha's Bookshelf
Author Mary Ting
Lori's Reading Corner
Beth M. Honeycutt
Jennifer Bardsley
Heather Gray
The Candid Cover
Author Dorothy Dreyer



#Giveaway Details

Kindle Fire + Amazon Gift Code ($250 value) or $250 in Paypal Cash

Ends 5/7/16

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via Paypal. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the authors, bloggers and publishers on the sponsor list. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

#StackingTheShelves #32", Week ending 4-22-16 plus blog updates and more!

Thanks to our Sponsor, Tynga's Reviews!

First, let's find out HOW Stacking the Shelves works! 
Hello everyone! It's that time of week again, that time to do an awesome "SHOW AND TELL" of the books I have been given, I bought, borrowed, or received somehow, some way this past week! I LOVE showing books off like this! Especially when the books have AWESOME COVERS!! That is MY favorite part!!
With THIS POST I am often always finding MORE amazing books and adding them to my TBR list! That list is longer than my life already, but that's okay! What's life without a list with reading on it longer than my life? There is NOT ONE!!! I also LOVE to see other books and I like to look for trends! How do I do that? When I see the same book on other blogs quite often, I KNOW that book HAS TO BE GREAT!! That's the BEST way to spot an amazing book!

GOODREADS: Make sure to ADD any books you find you want to read to your TO BE READ list on your Goodreads page! Why? Goodreads will send you a NOTICE telling you "a book on your To Be Read list" is in a Giveaway" . . . for however long! Nice, eh . . . ? Oh, yes!!! You get to go over to Goodreads and ENTER THE GIVEAWAY!

Want to see MORE books than just mine each week? Okay! Awesome!! Many of you who do not go to the Sponsor's blog on Saturday's are missing out and may not know you really should go there to do the following:
When you are done here, go up to the top of this post where I thank the Sponsor, Tynga's Reviews (that is the Sponsor) you really w and click on that sponsor's name. Once at Tynga's Reviews, find HIS/HER POST and follow the Arrows TO READ the post, "Stacking the Shelves" meme, which is usually ALWAYS the first post on the LEFT of her blog. Click on the arrow! You'll get to see what he/she got, BUT, what I'm after to show you is to SCROLL DOWN FURTHER, and you'll see usually a VERY LARGE and LONG Linky-List of blogs GALORE!!! Blogs ADD their names to this list ALL DAY LONG!! I've been known to add mine close to midnight on Saturday! Visit a few blogs! You're now ADDICTED to Stacking the Shelves! (Sorry - not really!!! LOL!!!)
Enjoy!

***GIVEAWAYS!!! ALWAYS CHECK THE LEFT SIDE COLUMN for the most recent GIVEAWAYS! (Please check the giveaway dates) ALL the Giveaways I have on my blog each week will have ALL of the Giveaways posted right there! They are YOURS TO ENTER and I will have a FEW gently read print books I will be posting to give away in these hops! Check out the LEFT side column! 

FOR ANY BOOKS I AM PARTICIPATING IN BLOG TOURS THAT INVOLVES AN EBOOK IN "any" MONTH with a Giveaway - just look in the right side column towards the top!

I apologize for last week, but I was unable to post this weekly meme due to health issues from the central nervous system disease I suffer from called Stiff Person Syndrome. GREAT news about it, though! They have found NEW symptoms associated with it, so that means SOMEONE IS studying this disease that has pretty much ZERO dedicated treatment other than two biological blood pathogen treatments. My doctor won't even HEAR of treating my SPS with those two blood byproducts that are not specifically dedicated to only to this illness, but to others as well. This puts them CLOSER to finding NEW treatments to help the FEW of us who do suffer from this disease! I'm REALLY excited! Although, I've also read that what they once thought about this affecting every 1 in 1 million people, they now think that number is LOWER and LESSER THAN the 1 in 1 million. SCARY! I just have to say I'm so HAPPY they are researching this disease further!!! I am HOPING they find better treatment THAT WORKS for it, treatment dedicated ONLY to "it"! (One can have HOPE!) Now, it's time to move on to better things!

I WILL BE POSTING MORE BOOKS AFTER 9:00pm. The BEST time to view this post will be Saturday morning! I HOPE you come back then to see! Thanks!

In the meantime, I did get this following book for review purposes and I'm SO EXCITED TO HAVE GOTTEN it!!! THANK YOU TO THE PUBLISHER, TOUCHSTONE!!! I REALLY wanted to read this one, and I am just starting it! Here it is!

The Last Good Girl by Allison Leotta - Releases May 3rd! (For review purposes) - I ended up with "2" of these, so I WILL be giving ONE away on the Release Date of May 3rd!

Don't You Cry by Mary Kubica - Releases May 17th! (For review purposes)

Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave - for review purposes - Release Date: May 3rd

ALL OF WHICH I'M DYING TO READ!


FOR MYSELF, I BOUGHT THE FOLLOWING:

Off Balance by Terez Mertes Rose - (I LOVE the ballet, even danced it for 13 years from the age of 4! That is until I learned I do NOT have the body a dancer needs. BOO-HOO!!! I was extremely dedicated, only to have my heart broken.)

And lastly, a book that got my husband laughing so hard and he wants to color in this coloring book as well, a coloring book for when you are just PISSED OFF! This will either put you off, so I apologize for the title, or you will be able to relate! With all that happened over these last 2 weeks with my health until the build-up to what I/we went through, we now have 'something' to color the way we REALLY felt at times and WILL feel in the future! We are prepared! LOL! Here it is:

Release Your Anger: Midnight Edition: An Adult Coloring Book with 40 Swear Words to Color and Relax by James Alexander.

This looks like fun! A GREAT way to release some anger, for sure!

And now, off to read! I have 5 ebooks + several print books that ALL release from May 3rd to May 5th, 2016! I have a LOT of catching up to do, too! Off to read!!!!!!

#Shower of #Books #GIVEAWAY #HOP!!! NOW to 4-30! #Enter here!

Thanks to our Sponsor, Bookhounds

SHOWER OF BOOKS #GIVEAWAY #HOP! WELCOME!

Thank you for stopping by my blog for this Hop! I hope you feel welcome and at home here! Any suggestions, please leave them in an email at laurieisreading@gmail.com!

Okay! The prize is what you all are looking into winning!

The prize I have to give away is . . .

US ONLY
1 #PRINT COPY OF 1 #BOOK
Lies and Other Acts of Love by 
Kristy Woodson Harvey! The LONG waited for NEW RELEASE!!! 

HOW TO ENTER?
FILL OUT THIS FORM!
Before you leave . . . PLEASE scroll down to see the list of ALL the other blogs in this Hop and PLEASE enter their Giveaways, too! Have FUN and Good Luck!!!





Here is the list of the other blogs in this Hop! Again, please visit their blogs too, and make sure to enter their giveaways, too!

#Book #Review - No One Knows, A Thriller by J T Ellison

Description:

In an obsessive mystery as thrilling as The Girl on the Train and The Husband’s Secret, the New York Times bestselling coauthor of the Nicholas Drummond series will make you question every twist in her page-turning novel—and wonder which of her vividly drawn characters you should trust.

The day Aubrey Hamilton’s husband is declared dead by the state of Tennessee should bring closure so she can move on with her life. But Aubrey doesn’t want to move on. She just wants Josh back. It’s been five years since he disappeared, since their blissfully happy marriage—they were happy, weren’t they?—screeched to a halt and Aubrey became the prime suspect in his disappearance. Five years of emptiness, solitude, loneliness, questions. Why didn’t Josh show up at his friend’s bachelor party? Who anonymously sent Aubrey her favorite cocktail at the bar where Josh stood her up? Was he murdered? Did he run away? And now, all this time later, who is the mysterious and strangely familiar figure suddenly haunting her new life?

As her heroine faces the possibility that everything she thinks she knows about herself, her marriage, and her husband is a lie, New York Times bestselling author J.T. Ellison expertly peels back the layers of a complex woman who is hiding dark secrets beneath her unassuming exterior. In a masterful thriller for readers who love Gillian Flynn, Liane Moriarty, and Paula Hawkins, Ellison pulls you into a you’ll-never-guess merry-go-round of danger and deception. Round and round and round it goes, where it stops…no one knows.

MY TAKE:

4 STARS

This author, J T Ellison, is an amazing writer! She is very talented and she kept me glued to the pages in this book, No One Knows, and while having to do other things around the house, in the back of my mind, all I wanted to do was read this book when I was stuck having to do them! I am now addicted to her  wonderful and enjoyable writing. That says a lot about an author when I am so into her book that it  and that’s all I want to do is read her book! JT Ellison is a new author for me, and I am now addicted to her writing already with this very first book I’ve read by her!

First off, I want to thank the publisher, Gallery Books, the author, JT Ellison, and NetGalley now, immediately for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a review of this book! Thank you!

Out of ALL the books out there that have recently been written with this somewhat same theme where a spouse disappears, and the books that I have read with this theme, I have to admit this book was my favorite. It was one of the best out of ALL of the books that have been written so far, or at least in my opinion! However, I did not yet read The Girl on the Train. I cannot imagine that book outdoing this book, but then again, look at how many weeks (almost an entire YEAR) that book stayed on the New York Times Bestseller list - a LONG time!

So what happened in this book? Is it worth reading this book if you read all the others? YES, YES, YES!!! Oh my gosh, yes! Grab this book on your way home from work or wherever you are going home from! I PROMISE you are going to LOVE it!

The plot in this book was excellent, and it changed wonderfully with the twists and the turns, and there was  even a ridiculous lawsuit that kept us reading, and the worst villain of all, the one we can’t believe acts the way she does is the mother-in-law, Daisy! HOW old is she? Three? She is the one who goes to the court THE DAY Aubrey’s husband, Josh, can be pronounced as being dead and has it done so. Aubrey is beside herself. She does NOT believe he is dead. She just has this gut feeling Josh is alive even if he has been gone/missing for the last five years. Aubrey even meets a man in a BAR who completely reminds her of Josh and she goes home with him and sleeps with him. EVERYTHING about him reminds her of him! Everything!

So why does Daisy feel she can proclaim Josh legally dead when she is ONLY his mother, and he is a GROWN MARRIED MAN, BELONGING TO ANOTHER WOMAN NOW? How can she possibly have a court allow him to be declared dead? What’s in this for her and how will it benefit her? All this did was bring back ALL of the raw, unhealed emotions that Aubrey had gone through every day for most of these last five years. Well, it’s not her in particular, but her other daughter to contest the five million dollar life insurance policy. Aubrey had to have been keeping the payments going for those benefits to remain active, and if any of you pay for life insurance on your own, the premium for $5 MILLION dollars is outrageous! I don’t even know if Aubrey could afford that amount of money on her own? What a messed up family! I wouldn’t even call them family! They weren’t even there to help Aubrey get through her dark days!

Today is the 5-year anniversary of Josh's death. There is an envelope taped to the door with paperwork in it from the courts pronouncing Josh as being dead. We start to learn that Chase is/was not in Aubrey’s life by accident. He’s not entirely who he claimed he was to her, or, at the beginning of their meeting (which would have been planned) he felt something for her and couldn’t do what he wanted to. He confesses this to Aubrey and she is so angry at him but still, he is so much like Josh. What is it with this man?

Since the truth did come out about Chase and what he ‘was’ after but changed his mind about doing, that set things into motion to find out if the real Josh was alive after all. Chase could use his skills to try to find out. After this point, I don’t want to say too much more about the book so I don’t give away spoilers because I could do that very easily here, so the rest is for you to read and enjoy!

This book is a darker and twisty thriller with CRAZY characters, and you all know how much I LOVE disappearing into these! Yes, in this book the wife’s husband disappears, and we all think of Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train, and many, many others that seem to be written lately. You may be thinking one of two things, or both. Haven’t we had enough of these books? No, this one is different. Do I want to read this book? YES!! All books are different, and this is the absolute JOY of reading and writing reviews about them, too! Enjoy!

PRINT:   $14.54
EBOOK: $13.99

#Book #Review - “White Walls” by Judy Batalion

Description

A memoir of mothers and daughters, hoarding, and healing.

Judy Batalion grew up in a house filled with endless piles of junk and layers of crumbs and dust; suffocated by tuna fish cans, old papers and magazines, swivel chairs, tea bags, clocks, cameras, printers, VHS tapes, ballpoint pens…obsessively gathered and stored by her hoarder mother. The first chance she had, she escaped the clutter to create a new identity—one made of order, regimen, and clean white walls. Until, one day, she found herself enmeshed in life's biggest chaos: motherhood.

Confronted with the daunting task of raising a daughter after her own dysfunctional childhood, Judy reflected on not only her own upbringing but the lives of her mother and grandmother, Jewish Polish immigrants who had escaped the Holocaust. What she discovered astonished her. The women in her family, despite their differences, were even more closely connected than she ever knew—from her grandmother Zelda to her daughter of the same name. And, despite the hardships of her own mother-daughter relationship, it was that bond that was slowly healing her old wounds.

Told with heartbreaking honesty and humor, this is Judy's poignant account of her trials negotiating the messiness of motherhood and the indelible marks that mothers and daughters make on each other's lives.

My Take:

4 Stars

WOW! This Memoir was quite the emotional read. Just from the description alone you could feel how this entire family lived - as hoarders, ALL of them. This just left Judy Batalion wanting White Walls once she realized her entire family was hoarders. You just could not help but to feel sorry for her especially when she was a little girl, young and growing up inside of a Hoarder’s home because she didn’t know any better. This is how she and her family lived, this is what she was used to. We are all like that in a way. We are used to living the way we do and when we see things differently and start to learn that we may do things differently at our homes, that the way we live at home is completely different than the way other people live, our eyes have been opened and now we have to deal with a problem if we find one. We can’t just sit around and live with it, and decide what are we going to do because action needs to be taken. I was surprised how emotional of a read this book became. We could relate to how Judy felt through all the stages of her life, well into adulthood. We could relate to her having to confront her mother and try to get her to change, but we all know we can only change if we want to change. I think that was the hardest part for Judy.

Read this one! It’s very well worth it! Enjoy!

I received this book for FREE and I thank the Publisher, Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley in exchange to read and write a review about it. "Free" means I was provided with ZERO MONIES to do so, but just to enjoy the pure pleasure of reading it and giving my own honest opinion no matter whether it is positive or negative. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the law set here: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html The Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, 16 CFR 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising Federal Acquisition Regulation

#Book #Review “Perfectly Broken” by Robert Burke Warren

Description:

His rock star days may be behind him, but stay-at-home dad Grant Kelly's life is getting more interesting by the day. It's the beginning of the post 9/11 era, and he and his wife and four-year-old son have traded a New York City apartment for a Catskills farmhouse, where ghosts from the past, worries for the future, and temptations in the present converge to bring about drastic changes in their marriage, their friendships, and their family.

A gorgeously nuanced novel with unforgettable characters, PERFECTLY BROKEN is a story of human frailty, the endurance of the heart, and the power and possibility of forgiveness.

Advance Praise

“Robert Burke Warren's sensory acumen and keen eye for detail – emotional and physical – make Perfectly Broken a wonderful ride. Fantastic, sharp dialogue and vivid characters, all in a distinctive, captivating voice. A stunning debut novel.” – Rosanne Cash

“Whether writing about music, parenthood, or life in the sticks, every page crackles with been-there-done-that verisimilitude. At turns funny and suspenseful, heartwarming and heartbreaking, Perfectly Broken hits all the right notes, covering fame and fortune, love and death, success and failure, and fatherhood and marriage, as artfully and beautifully as a song you’d endure the jammed phone lines to call in and request on the radio. A triumphant debut."

– Greg Olear, author of Fathermucker and Totally Killer

MY TAKE:
3 STARS

The title of this book is perfect. Perfectly Broken. Everyone in this book, somehow or someway, is broken. They are currently living in the city, kind of stuck in a little of a time warp of the late 80’s going into the early 90’s, (which I didn’t mind the late 80’s because ANY of the 80’s were my stomping ground years! I could completely relate to that time frame, but started getting lost when their time hit the 90’s!) The family decides to move out to the country to find more of themselves, get better at everything, kind of like a reboot. Grant is the stay-at-home Dad, and he really wonders what he has missed while staying at home with the children. Not that he would have had it any other way, just that it’s very different for a man to do, or at least that is the feeling I got. I think he’s wondering where does he stand now, now that the kids are older and he has time. All of these characters worked on fixing their flaws and moving ahead into the future, and I found it hard to accept the paths some of the characters took, but it is like that in life, too, and we don’t get a say-so for someone else. This book was okay, but I found it hard for myself to completely relate to. ters did decide to do. Even after they fixed their problems, they still had problems. I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I thought I would have. I like to read more upbeat things, and I felt pulled down while reading this book. I would suggest reading some other reviews about this book besides just mine. I like to read more Women’s Fiction and Thrillers, so this book really took me out of my comfort zone. What I like and what you like may be two completely separate things, which is why I do encourage you to see what perhaps two other people think if you are reading these reviews to decide to purchase this book and read it. Enjoy!

I received this book for FREE and I want to thank the Publisher, The Story Plant and NetGalley in exchange to read and write a review about it. "Free" means I was provided with ZERO MONIES to do so, but just to enjoy the pure pleasure of reading it and giving my own honest opinion no matter whether it is positive or negative. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the law set here: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html The Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, 16 CFR 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising Federal Acquisition Regulation.

#Book #Review The Obsession by Nora Roberts 5+++! I LOVED this!

Description

The riveting new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Liar.

“She stood in the deep, dark woods, breath shallow and cold prickling over her skin despite the hot, heavy air. She took a step back, then two, as the urge to run fell over her.”

Naomi Bowes lost her innocence the night she followed her father into the woods. In freeing the girl trapped in the root cellar, Naomi revealed the horrible extent of her father's crimes and made him infamous. No matter how close she gets to happiness, she can't outrun the sins of Thomas David Bowes.

Now a successful photographer living under the name Naomi Carson, she has found a place that calls to her, a rambling old house in need of repair, thousands of miles away from everything she's ever known. Naomi wants to embrace the solitude, but the kindly residents of Sunrise Cove keep forcing her to open up—especially the determined Xander Keaton.

Naomi can feel her defenses failing, and knows that the connection her new life offers is something she's always secretly craved. But the sins of her father can become an obsession, and, as she's learned time and again, her past is never more than a nightmare away.

MY TAKE:

5+++ STARS!!!

A MUST-READ! 

This author's story had me in her grip from the very first page of this book and she NEVER let me go until I was done! I LOVED EVERYTHING about this book! I LOVE this author’s Thrillers! It's been awhile since I’ve had a face-plant into my Kindle, and this is just such an amazing book that has pulled me in so hard I was SO happy! I didn't want to do ANYTHING ELSE BUT READ IT! This thriller definitely keeps us on the edge of our seats! WOW!!

As a little girl, Naomi was only allowed to go to the edge of the creek in the woods in her backyard. Her and her brother were never allowed past that point. One night Naomi decides to follow her father past that point to find out where he goes. What she sees of him as he goes down and then comes up is unimaginable. He looks like a monster with blood all over his torn-back face. Naomi is scared, of course, but she notices the door to wherever he came up from did not close all the way, and she sees a light on down there. She is so brave she goes down there and finds a naked girl, frees her, gets her clothing, and gets her to safety. This causes all kinds of problems for her serial killer father, and yet her mother is still in love with him? Naomi can’t get herself far enough away from where she used to live, nor can she get away from what happened, ever.

I love the part where she finally feels a little freedom after she moves several thousand miles away from New York to out west. (Nora does a wonderful job of mixing in diversity with this book, too.) Naomi is refurbishing an old home she bought for herself, well, mansion, practically! It is at this time she meets a pretty awesome guy, Xander, when she stops in the road because of a dog who has possibly been hit by a car. I loved this part, and it is also at this time that Xander starts to come around her home a lot more and she starts making friends.
Naomi's brother has even become an FBI agent in the Behavioral Unit because of what happened in his own home done by his own father. He swore he would do this when this happened, and it is now a reality.

The problem with her life is what seems like her happiness is so short-lived for Naomi because of her past. It does have a knack of coming back and slamming into her again! I can’t give much more information away than what I have done already, but, WOW! See what I mean! This book is truly amazing! Well worth the read! I would read this a second time just to make sure I didn’t miss anything, and generally I don't read books twice! I would love it just as much the second time around, too! Another reason I would reread this book . . . Naomi and Xander's HOT relationship! WOW! LOVED those parts! Honestly, they felt extremely real!
Nora Roberts fans are going to LOVE this book! If you have not yet tried reading a Nora Roberts book yet, then THIS IS THE ONE to start with! I guarantee you'll LOVE this one! Enjoy!

I received this book for FREE and I thank the Publisher, Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley in exchange to read and write a review about it. "Free" means I was provided with ZERO MONIES to do so, but just to enjoy the pure pleasure of reading it and giving my own honest opinion no matter whether it is positive or negative. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the law set here: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html The Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, 16 CFR 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising Federal Acquisition Regulation.

#StackingtheShelves #30! Plus blog updates and other info!

Thanks to our Sponsor, Tynga's Reviews!

First, let's find out HOW Stacking the Shelves works! 
Hello everyone! It's that time of week again, that time to do an awesome "SHOW AND TELL" of the books I have been given, I bought, borrowed, or received somehow, some way this past week! I LOVE showing books off like this! Especially when the books have AWESOME COVERS!! That is MY favorite part!!
With THIS POST I am often always finding MORE amazing books and adding them to my TBR list! That list is longer than my life already, but that's okay! What's life without a list with reading on it longer than my life? There is NOT ONE!!! I also LOVE to see other books and I like to look for trends! How do I do that? When I see the same book on other blogs quite often, I KNOW that book HAS TO BE GREAT!! That's the BEST way to spot an amazing book!

GOODREADS: Make sure to ADD any books you find you want to read to your TO BE READ list on your Goodreads page! Why? Goodreads will send you a NOTICE telling you "a book on your To Be Read list" is in a Giveaway" . . . for however long! Nice, eh . . . ? Oh, yes!!! You get to go over to Goodreads and ENTER THE GIVEAWAY!

Want to see MORE books than just mine each week? Okay! Awesome!! Many of you who do not go to the Sponsor's blog on Saturday's are missing out and may not know you really should go there to do the following:
When you are done here, go up to the top of this post where I thank the Sponsor, Tynga's Reviews (that is the Sponsor) you really w and click on that sponsor's name. Once at Tynga's Reviews, find HIS/HER POST and follow the Arrows TO READ the post, "Stacking the Shelves" meme, which is usually ALWAYS the first post on the LEFT of her blog. Click on the arrow! You'll get to see what he/she got, BUT, what I'm after to show you is to SCROLL DOWN FURTHER, and you'll see usually a VERY LARGE and LONG Linky-List of blogs GALORE!!! Blogs ADD their names to this list ALL DAY LONG!! I've been known to add mine close to midnight on Saturday! Visit a few blogs! You're now ADDICTED to Stacking the Shelves! (Sorry - not really!!! LOL!!!)
Enjoy!

***GIVEAWAYS!!! ALWAYS CHECK THE LEFT SIDE COLUMN for the most recent GIVEAWAYS! (Please check the giveaway dates) ALL the Giveaways I have on my blog each week will have ALL of the Giveaways posted right there! They are YOURS TO ENTER and I will have a FEW gently read print books I will be posting to give away in these hops! Check out the LEFT side column! 

FOR ANY BOOKS I AM PARTICIPATING IN BLOG TOURS THAT INVOLVES AN EBOOK IN "any" MONTH: The latest information for Giveaways is in the LEFT SIDE COLUMN! Take a look! I will also inform you if there are any books I am involved in a blog tour with!

Oh! This last MONTH has been crazy! If EVER there were excuses for NOT posting book reviews on my Post Dates, I've NOT POSTED! Why? Things have gone well beyond my control! This week: my computer went crazy! UGH!!! I had to call the Geek Squad (EVERYONE who computes SHOULD HAVE the Geek Squad coverage you can buy for your computers! You do NOT need to have bought your computer from Best Buy, either! Just call 1-800-GeekSquad and ask! It ONLY costs $99 for 2 computers, and you have coverage for the 2 computers! You have virus, malware, and so MUCH other coverage through Trend Micro then, you have coverage or Technical Support for your computer! You call them up and as long as they can get inside of your computer, they can take a look around and find out what is wrong with your computer if need be! I could NOT computer without them! No! I did NOT get paid, NOR did I get extended coverage NOR ANY coverage for talking about them.

Okay! These next books are books I have for review! Enjoy!

Amy Snow by Tracy Rees (Release Date: June 7th)

The Weekenders by Mary Kay Andrews - Releases May 17th!  - If you want an "EXCELLENT" summer read, one you can COMPLETELY relate to, with it always being women who go on vacation just like you are doing now or if you plan on going, TAKE THIS BOOK WITH YOU!! Every year I look forward to Mary Kay Andrews ONE "SPECIFIED" SUMMER BOOK SHE WRITES each year! Try just one! You'll LOVE it!

The Goodbye Year by Kaira Rouda - I LOVE THIS AUTHOR!!! I was SO surprised to see this at NetGalley I HAD to have it! I'm a Happy Camper! Releases May 3rd!

I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh - releases May 3rd

And I did not buy ONE book this week! Can you believe that! I figured I have MORE than enough for review, so . . . !!!