Class Mom (Class Mom Series #1) by Laurie Gelman

Laurie Gelman is hilarious. Her characters and writing had me rolling with laughter. I am not a mom nor do I plan to ever be one but I could oddly relate to the characters (maybe because I have nieces and nephews).

Jen Dixon has two college age daughter and a 5 year old son. She gets strong armed into being class mom and it ends up being a lot more work than she bargained for.  Parents don't understand her snark, no one wants to volunteer and then there is the kid who is allergic to everything who has the overbearing mother and let's not forget the hot dad!

Class Mom is about the struggles of being a mom (perhaps an older mom than the rest), friendships, drama and re-revising old feelings,  high school crushes and the trials of having young adult children in college.

This is a super fun, easy read but be warned it takes a while to warm up to Jen, initially she isn't the a likable character but then she grows on you.

#FashionVictim by Amina Akhtar

Oh.. goodness. I really struggled to finish this novel. I can't pinpoint exactly what took me so long. I kept putting this book down and revisiting it at a later date. I would read a little bit and then put it aside and pick up a different book (I tend to read 2-3 books at a time). It wasn't that it wasn't easy to follow because it was, in fact at one point I went a entire month without reading it and was able to pick it back up and know exactly what was going on. The story line is easy enough to follow and the characters are all hateful but I felt very "blah" about the read yet needed to know what was going to transpire.

The plot is all over the place. The main character Anya is a hot mess and the portrayal of people in the fashion industry left me with a bad taste in my mouth. I kept wanting to scream this S!*& doesn't happen in the real world - your ass would be in HR so fast your head would spin. It all felt a bit forced.

This is basically about a girl named Anya who is bat shit crazy who has an unhealthy obsessed with her co-worker and works in the fashion industry. Anya wants Sarah to not only wants to be her best friend but to be HER. It's about her psychotic breakdown and doing whatever it takes to get to the top even if it means killing others.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

The Tattooist of Auschwitz is based on a true story. This is the story of Lale and Gita Sokolov.

Lale Sokolov is a Jewish man who arrives at  Auschwitz in 1942. Lale stands out among the other men in Auschwitz and unlike many other people who were sent to Auschwitz he is given a job that comes with privileges. He becomes the tattooist. He is given the responsibility to mark prisoners as they enter into the camp. One day a women named, Gita arrives and there is something about her that captures his heart. Gita gives him hope. Hope and love gives him a mission so survive so that one day him and Gita can be together free to love, laugh and enjoy life.

Lale uses his privileges not only to help himself but to help and save others. His ability to speak five languages makes it possible for him to make connections with other prisoners, guards and people from the outside. He enlists the help of others working in other sections of Auschwitz to save lives of others, while risking his own death if caught.

Heather Morris has written a poignant novel. There are dark and graphic scenes but the reality of what occurred is much harsher. Be prepared for an emotional read that will stay with you days after.

I encourage you to read the Authors note at the end of the book to get more insight. There are also photos of Lale and Gita, which makes them and their story more touching. 

The Mall by Megan McCafferty

The Mall by Megan McCafferty 

Expected publication: July 28th 2020

The Mall is not only the setting in which this novel takes place but also a character. 

I am a Gen X (Yes, I am that OLD, well near the end of Gen X). I grew up at the mall, I worked at that mall in my early to late  20's, I even managed a few retail stores. This book is for Gen X and older Millennial's, other generations might struggle with the pop culture references (I totally got them all, not sure if I should be ashamed of this or not) but don't let that sway you form this fun book. 

Megan McCafferty gets teens! Anyone remember, Jessica Darling or her Bumped series? Both great YA reads and this book - is superior to those, or maybe nostalgia just got the best of me. I think it's safe for me to assume that McCafferty is Gen X because she captures the essence of what that generation was/is. If you're Gen X and miss those days this is a read for you.

Our main character is Cassie and she has just graduated High School. It's the summer right before she heads of to College,(the last essence of your childhood) and Cassie has spent most of the summer fighting off mono, but she's better and ready to make the best out of her last fee weeks before she heads off to College but life has other plans for her and those old plans include her ex-best friend.

At first, things are tense and odd between then but then they put their heads together and go on a scavenger hunt, with clues left behind from years ago. Boys enter the picture and drama, drama, drama happens. 

Characters make self discoveries  and you get to reminisce about your old mall haunts such as  Sam Goody and Spencer's Gifts. A few laughs will pass through your lips as you recall 90's fashions and you'll be inspired to pull out (if you aren't like me and still listen to it) 90's music. Remember Cabbage Patch Dolls and Video Arcades?  You will after reading this book and so much more!

This is a wonderful throw back, that had me going down memory lane and helped me laugh during the time high stress time of Covid-19. It's about a simpler time and a lost generation sandwiched between two who don't like or understand each other (I am talking about you millennial's and boomers) . 

* I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Institute by Stephen King

The Institute is a hefty 576  pages but the read is so engaging it feels like a relatively short read. This book is very much "old school" King. The characters are well developed and the story flows off the pages. 

I am not sure where to start. There is so much going on in this book and all of it is interesting. I don' t want to give anything away but I will say this there is a lot of pop culture in this book and some references to his old characters/books. I loved finding these hidden "Easter eggs."

This book feels like a look into the past, it has an old school feel to it. The characters are not modern day, which I simply adore. I am a bit over modern day "teen speak." This is a novel about kids, adult monsters (but not like vampires, more like Josef Mangele), secrecy and the lengths people go to harbor them, while others fight to survive.

The story starts out with Tim Jamieson and who trades his plane ticket for some cash and hits the road, eventually finding himself in a peculiar little town. You get into his story and then it kinda falls off the page because Luke enters the picture. Luke is a rather precious twelve year old boy who one day finds himself waking up in a room that looks like his but isn't. He is in, The Institute.  He meets Kalisha who introduces him to the other kids who are all prisoners and required to take tests.

From here on the story unravels and just about when I forgot about Tim, he reenters the picture and the worlds collide. 

I loved and hated characters and then .... I found myself at a standstill wondering if I was cheering for the right side to "win.". 

This is on ending that does not disappoint. Pick it up today and get ready to go on a dark, twisty, fork in the road kinda read. 

Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel

 Darling Rose by Stephanie Wrobel

 Published March 17th 2020

Darling Rose is loosely and I do mean loosely based on the real life events of Dee Dee Blanchard and Gypsy Rose. 

Rose Gold and her mother, Patty have a dark, twisted relationship and it's just about to get darker. Patty has just been released from her five year prison sentence for aggravated child abuse. She has Munchausen by Proxy and robbed Rose Gold of a her childhood. Rose Gold suffered emotionally,physically and mentally under the hands of her mother. In the past 5 years she has healed to a degree but her life with Patty taught her go to be conniving and sneaky and when Patty comes to live with her a game of cat and mouse begins. It's just a a question of who is the hunter and who is the hunted.

This book is split between Rose Gold and Patty's point of views. Each voice is distinct. The characters are unlikable and unreliable as narrators but they tell an intriguing story that is devious and engrossing. Sit back and enjoy this dark psychological thriller.

* I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Get a Life, Chloe Brown (The Brown Sisters, #1) by Talia Hibbert

This book ended up being a lot better than I anticipated. I wasn't initially keen on the idea of a romantic novel but I needed a break from some rather heavy reading topics and this book fit the bill.

Chloe Brown is more than just her chronic illness and more than her sharp tongue. She's sweet, caring, feisty and independent. She's snobby (and brave) but in a rather hilarious way and while I didn't initially care for her as a character I grew to like her.

After nearly getting hit by a car, Chloe makes a list and this list puts her onto the path of Redford, our damaged yet gentle hero. Red is healing from a physically and emotionally abusive relationship and finds Chloe to be a pain in the arse but once they get to see another side of one another the relationship blossoms.

There are some really sexy, HOT scenes that may not be appropriate for prudes or young teens. This rom-com will have you laughing and swooning
.

The Lucky Ones by Liz Lawson

May is a survivor. She is the "lucky one". A school shooter took the lives of her classmates, friends and twin brother. May is filled with guilt, rage and anger. Her family is falling apart, she's lost friends and has been expelled from school due to her behavior. Her only friend left is, Lucy. 

Zack's mother is defending the school shooter and as a result of this his friends have alienated him, his girlfriend dumped him and with the exception of his one friend, Connor he is all alone. His mom is never home, his dad is distance and just sits around at home in his pajamas. Connor is caring for his sister all on his own and someone keeps vandalizing his home. 

May and Zack's paths cross and then form a strong bond but once Maya discovers who Zack is she lashes out in anger and is forced to revisit the guilt and rage she feels, while Zack is left to once again deal with the ramifications of his mother's choice to defend a killer. 

The Lucky Ones is told in point of view fashion, giving perspectives from May and Zack. This is one story of many about gun violence in our schools and society but this one shows what it's like to be the child of someone who defends a hated person and how it effects their lives and mental state. 

This story isn't all heartache and grief as with real life there are moments of laughter and happiness. There are also secrets and profound grief but Lawson deals with it sympathetic and multidimensional way. 

This is May's story. It's about hope, love and grief. 

* I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Like Never and Always by Ann Aguirre

Liv is in a car crash and when she wakes up everyone calls her, "Morgan", her best friends name. Liv assumes that it is a case of mistaken identity  and that as soon as the bandages come off it will be revealed that Morgan is the who died and not Liv but when the bandages are removed the face staring back at Liv isn't her -it belongs to Morgan!

Liv as Morgan is forced into the life of her dead best friend. A life she always though was perfect and idyllic but Liv quickly finds out that this is not the case. Morgan had secrets piled onto of secrets, like those nesting dolls and it's up to Liv to figure them out. This means uncovering hurtful secrets about Morgan that make Liv question the type of person she was and makes her realize that Morgan is not the person she thought she was.

Morgan was popular, beautiful and so incredibly lonely. Her secrets are dangerous and others are just down right cruel. Liv has to solve the dangerous ones if doesn't want to end up dead like Morgan.

This is an incredible read. The characters are interesting and the read is super fast! This is a different type of book than we are used to from Ann Aguirre but it's most definitely worth reading.

The Gatekeepers by Jen Lancaster

Gatekeepers is inspired by true events that took place in Jen Lancaster's hometown. Suicide is a major theme in this novel and it focus's on teenagers and the teenage life in particular the pressure to reach perfection, to succeed , to be #1 at all costs.

Academics and extra curricular activities are the way of life at North Shore High School. One must excel, get into the right college, get the best of the best job and do better then their already successful parents. 98% of North Shore kids to to college but they aim to make it 100%.

This book is 450 pages but it seems like fewer than 200 because you can't stop reading it! You have to KNOW what happens next. The story is told from multiple perspectives and is full of interesting characters, some might even remind you of those you went to High School with.

Simone is our main character and she has just arrived from London. She is the new girl at school and has no interest in being #1 at everything, she's unlike her North Shore peers and doesn't stress about academics. She's laid back, fun and enjoying her teen years.

She's taken back when a student commits suicide shortly after she starts attending school, the school's history of suicide's start to unfold and more students sadly take their lives.  It's tragic and dark but there is some sunshine in this as other characters bloom and find their peace.

Full Throttle by Joe Hill

Joe Hill is quite possibly the very best short story teller I have ever come across. I normally avoid short stories - I tend to stay as far away from them as possible but Joe Hill always draws me into his.

Full Throttle is a phenomenal collection. Some of the stories still haunt me!
In particular, Dark Carousel, Late Returns, Twittering From the Circus of the Dead  and In the Tall Grass (They story is significantly better that the movie on Netflix).

This is an excellent collection of stories that are solid from start to finish. Please take the time to read the authors note and forward. It really adds to his storytelling.