Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Summary from Amazon:

     A controversial tale of friendship and tragedy set during the Great Depression.   Over seventy-five years since its first publication, Steinbeck’s tale of commitment, loneliness, hope, and loss remains one of America’s most widely read and taught novels.

     An unlikely pair, George and Lennie, two migrant workers in California during the Great Depression, grasp for their American Dream. They hustle work when they can, living a hand-to-mouth existence. For George and Lennie have a plan: to own an acre of land and a shack they can call their own. When they land jobs on a ranch in the Salinas Valley, the fulfillment of their dream seems to be within their grasp. But even George cannot guard Lennie from the provocations, nor predict the consequences of Lennie's unswerving obedience to the things George taught him.

My Thoughts:

     See? I told you I would get to it and get back on track with my 2016 Reading Challenge! How could you doubt me? J

     Oy, this book, let me start by saying that it is very well written.  The scenes are so very well worded that I could feel myself right there with Lennie and George.  I could feel the heat, dirt and despair of the era and their situation.  George and Lennie have dreams but the feel of this story is so dark that you just know right from the beginning that they are unlikely to come to fruition. 

*Bit of a spoiler coming…*

 

 

     With that said, this story is very depressing and dark that I was very glad that it is not a very long book.  I know that might be a horrible thing to say but I don’t do well with books that are just completely dark and end with no real decently happy resolution.  I like a nice clean wrap up for at least most of the story, maybe not so much a happy ending but justice at least and Mr. Steinbeck does not give you this.  Not to say that this story doesn’t have its merits as there are several social lessons to be learned here but at the expense of being haunted by its darkness.

3/5 stars

P.S. For The Walking Dead fans there is a totally inappropriate but funny “Look at the flowers” moment! Pretty sure this means I have a dark and twisted soul….

We're so excited to share the first teaser for STROKED LONG by Meghan Quinn! 

STROKED LONG by Meghan Quinn

Scheduled to release: September 20, 2016

NA Romantic Comedy

Cover Designed by: Indie Solutions by Murphy Rae

 Goodreads

BLURB:

From his dirty-blond hair and breathtaking smile, to the abs from heaven and the irresistible V in his waistline, everything about Bodi Olympic-gold-medalist Banks screams hot piece of @$$.

Yet there’s more.

Dark shadows lurk behind his soulful, serious eyes.

I’m enamored. He’s captured me.

How can running an art foundation with Bodi Banks turns into a slow-burning, epic romance, even though he tries to push me away at every chance? How can I stay away from a broken, routine-driven man whose soul cries to be forgiven for a crime only he believes he committed? Or is that a lie?

NOW AVAILABLE!

STROKED by Meghan Quinn

Released: July 19, 2016
Cover Designer: Murphy Rae

NA Romantic Comedy

Goodreads

Amazon: http://amzn.to/29TFEHS

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2a34Tow

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2a0cGU6

Nook: http://bit.ly/29W377i

iBooks: http://apple.co/2accSSI

BLURB:
Reese King: Olympic medalist, underwear model, Greek god.

His body is chiseled from rock, sculpted by the weight room, and refined by water.

On a daily basis his skin is completely bare for everyone to see, tan and defined, only covered up by a minuscule piece of spandex. There is no denying his sex appeal.

I hate to admit it, but I’m head over heels infatuated with him.

There is one HUGE problem though. His achingly gorgeous abs, inked up arm, and cocky swagger belong to my boss, the high-profile, reality star bitch from hell and certified heinous human being, Bellini Chambers.

What I think is going to be an easy job assisting a glorified wench turns into a cluster f*ck of epic proportions.

About the Author:

Born in New York and raised in Southern California, Meghan has grown into a sassy, peanut butter eating, blonde haired swearing, animal hoarding lady. She is known to bust out and dance if "It's Raining Men" starts beating through the air and heaven forbid you get a margarita in her, protect your legs because they may be humped.

Once she started commuting for an hour and twenty minutes every day to work for three years, she began to have conversations play in her head, real life, deep male voices and dainty lady coos kind of conversations. Perturbed and confused, she decided to either see a therapist about the hot and steamy voices running through her head or start writing them down. She decided to go with the cheaper option and started writing... enter her first novel, Caught Looking.

Now you can find the spicy, most definitely on the border of lunacy, kind of crazy lady residing in Colorado with the love of her life and her five, furry four legged children, hiking a trail or hiding behind shelves at grocery stores, wondering what kind of lube the nervous stranger will bring home to his wife. Oh and she loves a good boob squeeze!

Like me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meghanquinnauthor

Find me on Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7360513.Meghan_Quinn

Visit my website: http://authormeghanquinn.com/

+Meghan Quinn
+Autumn Hull 

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

     In this thriller we meet Laura ‘Lo’ Blacklock, a travel journalist, on a night when she is alone in her apartment and about to be robbed.  In the middle of the night she is awoken by sounds in her apartment and when she goes to investigate she is locked inside her bedroom by the criminal. 

     Lo is about to leave for an assignment of a lifetime on a week-long cruise on a luxury ship for its maiden voyage which will help not only her career but also boost advertisement for the ship.     Lo is one of only a small handful of journalists and potential investors to get this privilege so even though she is traumatized by the robbery she insists on leaving for the trip the next day.  

     Once onboard Lo is overwhelmed by the luxury of the boat, the food and some of the people; unfortunately, the glamour does not last.  The first night on the ship, Lo is again awakened in the middle of the night but this time by a scream and a very loud splash.  She runs to look out and swears she sees a woman that was thrown overboard but when she sounds the alarm, all passengers have been accounted for so everyone seems to think she is imagining things.  Can Lo convince someone to look into this without losing her own mind or life?

My Thoughts:

     Wow, this book.  It has been a long time since a book was a real page turner for me but this one definitely was!   “You want dinner? Why? I need to read this book.”   “You want me to come to work? NO-I must read this book!”   I also said “holy crap” A LOT while reading this…there are so many twists and turns that with every turn of the page you won’t know what to expect. 

   Lo is a great main character and Ms. Ware is such an excellent writer that when Lo’s anxiety or claustrophobia kicked in-I felt it too.  There were several times in this story that I found myself not breathing or breathing too quickly right along he Ms. Blacklock because things were just that intense and vivid for the reader. 

     For those who like a twisting, intense thriller such as The Girl On the Train you will like The Woman in Cabin 10 more.  In TGOTT I never really liked the main character so it was hard to root for her so I wasn’t as invested nor did I enjoy the story as much as I did with this one.  Lo has her issues and sometimes I doubted her sanity right along with everyone else but I liked her and wanted her to be right.  It makes a big difference to me as a reader to like the main character and be able to root for her.  I am also still sitting here hours later contemplating the ending…wow, just wow!

5/5 stars

 

*This was my August Book of the Month Club selection! If you would like to join they are currently offering a great deal: "As a BOTM member, you'll choose from 5 new literary gems each month - powerful,  immersive books that you might not have heard of otherwise. We'll deliver your choice right to your doorstep. Use invitation code REFER50 for 50% off a 3-month membership. Join today and discover a better way to read."

 

Author's links:

website- http://www.ruthware.com/

Twitter- @ruthwarewriter

      

Missing, Presumed by Susie Steiner

     Manon Bradshaw is a thirty-nine-year-old, single detective with the Cambridgeshire police force in England.  She is very good at her job but not so great at the whole personal life/relationship thing.  She has distanced herself from her father due to his controlling new wife and lost touch with her only sister after a fight over said step-mother. 

     After several disastrous internet dating attempts, she is tempted to give up all together on the idea and soothes herself to sleep by listening to her police radio.  This is when she hears the call for a missing person’s report and possible crime scene. 

     Missing is Edith Hind, an attractive twenty-something Cambridge student and daughter of a rather prominent family with ties to the Royal Family.  Edith’s live-in boyfriend comes home from a weekend away to find their door wide open and blood on the floor. 

     Investigation begins immediately and as it does many secrets are revealed not only about Edith but about those around her as well.  Edith may have had a double life and some of her associates have alibis that cannot be completely substantiated.  Manon must figure out those missing pieces and as fast as possible in the hopes that Edith is still alive somewhere.

     Manon Bradshaw is a lonely, sad but very real character that I enjoyed greatly.  She is smart, witty and very good at her job.  She is afraid to feel for others but cannot seem to help it at the same time…I think we have all felt this way at one point in our lives.  I dare you not to fall for and root for this woman!

     This story is very cleverly written and the characters are all unique yet relatable.  The chapters’ perspectives jump around giving you different points of views of the story from Manon, Edith’s mother Miriam, Manon’s partner Davy and a few more so that you get to see the story unfold from nearly every perspective.  This keeps things even interesting and fresh but doesn’t bog the story down like you would expect.

     I think that this book would be a great first book in a series although there doesn’t seem to be any mention of Manon’s story going any further.  If you enjoy a good British mystery or any type of mystery with a great female detective you need to read Missing, Presumed.

4.5/5 stars

 

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Missing-Presumed-Novel

 

 

Author’s sites: www.susiesteiner.co.uk/

                          https://twitter.com/SusieSteiner1

Cover reveal from Meghan Quinn!!!

We're so excited to share the cover for STROKED LONG by Meghan Quinn! Are you ready for Bodi?

STROKED LONG by Meghan Quinn

Scheduled to release: September 20, 2016

NA Romantic Comedy

Cover Designed by: Indie Solutions by Murphy Rae

 Goodreads

BLURB:

From his dirty-blond hair and breathtaking smile, to the abs from heaven and the irresistible V in his waistline, everything about Bodi Olympic-gold-medalist Banks screams hot piece of @$$.

Yet there’s more.

Dark shadows lurk behind his soulful, serious eyes.

I’m enamored. He’s captured me.

How can running an art foundation with Bodi Banks turns into a slow-burning, epic romance, even though he tries to push me away at every chance? How can I stay away from a broken, routine-driven man whose soul cries to be forgiven for a crime only he believes he committed? Or is that a lie?

There is still time to sign up for STROKED LONG!

NA Romantic Comedy

Teaser Blast: August 23, 30, Sept 6, 13

Pre-Order Blast: Sept 16-19

Release Day Blast: Sept 20

Review Tour: Sept 19-30

Promotional Event: Oct 1-8

SIGN UP

NOW AVAILABLE!

STROKED by Meghan Quinn

Released: July 19, 2016
Cover Designer: Murphy Rae

NA Romantic Comedy

Goodreads

Amazon: http://amzn.to/29TFEHS

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2a34Tow

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2a0cGU6

Nook: http://bit.ly/29W377i

iBooks: http://apple.co/2accSSI

BLURB:
Reese King: Olympic medalist, underwear model, Greek god.

His body is chiseled from rock, sculpted by the weight room, and refined by water.

On a daily basis his skin is completely bare for everyone to see, tan and defined, only covered up by a minuscule piece of spandex. There is no denying his sex appeal.

I hate to admit it, but I’m head over heels infatuated with him.

There is one HUGE problem though. His achingly gorgeous abs, inked up arm, and cocky swagger belong to my boss, the high-profile, reality star bitch from hell and certified heinous human being, Bellini Chambers.

What I think is going to be an easy job assisting a glorified wench turns into a cluster f*ck of epic proportions.

About the Author:

Born in New York and raised in Southern California, Meghan has grown into a sassy, peanut butter eating, blonde haired swearing, animal hoarding lady. She is known to bust out and dance if "It's Raining Men" starts beating through the air and heaven forbid you get a margarita in her, protect your legs because they may be humped.

Once she started commuting for an hour and twenty minutes every day to work for three years, she began to have conversations play in her head, real life, deep male voices and dainty lady coos kind of conversations. Perturbed and confused, she decided to either see a therapist about the hot and steamy voices running through her head or start writing them down. She decided to go with the cheaper option and started writing... enter her first novel, Caught Looking.

Now you can find the spicy, most definitely on the border of lunacy, kind of crazy lady residing in Colorado with the love of her life and her five, furry four legged children, hiking a trail or hiding behind shelves at grocery stores, wondering what kind of lube the nervous stranger will bring home to his wife. Oh and she loves a good boob squeeze!

Like me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meghanquinnauthor

Find me on Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7360513.Meghan_Quinn

Visit my website: http://authormeghanquinn.com/
+Meghan Quinn   +Autumn Hull 

Review: New series by Janet Evanovich!

     Curious Minds by Janet Evanovich and Phoef Sutton is the first in the Knight & Moon series.  Here we get to meet Riley Moon, sassy redhead from Texas out to make the world a better place.  She has advanced degrees from Harvard Law and is new to the banking world and Blane-Grunwald in Washington DC.  Riley has been tasked by her boss to go to the home of the eccentric Emerson Knight and find out why he hasn’t been answering any of the mega-bank’s calls.  Oh if only the assignment were that simple!

     Emerson Knight is definitely eccentric and introverted…and unbelievably intelligent…and brutally honest.  He has inherited his father’s estate, massive amounts of money, and odd menagerie of exotic animals.  Emerson lives with his aunt and cousin on the estate and has no real desire to deal with the outside world until Riley shows up on his doorstep and they end up in a wild, crazy, cross country excursion full of sociopaths, missing gold, missing bankers, murder, aliens and more! When they expose an evil plot to take over the world’s gold supply they do everything they can to stop it.

     I am a big fan of Evanovich’s Plum series as they are fun little mysteries filled with a lot of laughter and this new Knight & Moon series promises to be just as fun.  This is a great little caper with very funny and eccentric characters! Riley is spunky, smart and the only “normal” person in the group and Emerson is a lovable nerd you can’t help but enjoy.  Aunt Myra and cousin Vernon only add to the fun and I hope they are around for the other books in the series as well.

     If you enjoy other Evanovich books and are looking for a great read with some great one-liners you will enjoy Curious Minds.  The characters are fun and even though you know who the Bad Guys are you still want to keep reading to find out just how Em & Riley are going to foil their nefarious plans and still make it out alive.

4/5 stars

 

 

 

 

Author’s website: http://www.evanovich.com/

The 2016 Reading Challenge OOPSY!?!?

     It has recently come to my attention that I totally forgot about my Reading Challenge for this year…oopsy!  If you look back you will see that my plan was to get away from the challenge of an amount of books to try to read and try to slow down and try different genres.  I went looking for a new type of challenge to help me enjoy reading more and to stop my hurrying through to hit a number.  Enter the lovely Modern Mrs. Darcy 2016 challenge! +Anne Bogel 

 

     I love MMD and I want to be her when I grow up even though she is younger than me-it’s a goal of mine, so shush!  We are very similar in personality it seems but with a slightly different taste in books.  She has a wide varying taste in books and so I always find something new from her.  Not only does she have a blog, she also has a weekly podcast, and she started a summer book club this year!  I sadly couldn’t join due to not having enough time-I was VERY upset. L

  Anyway enough gushing and fangirling, back to my reading challenge or lack thereof.  I got the first three ticked off the challenge list (published this year, finish in a day, and been meaning to read-LOTS of those) but after that I got stuck.  I would like to say it is because once I got to the Recommended by your librarian or bookseller one I was at a loss…we have no library and I am introverted enough that I NEVER talk to the employees at Barnes & Noble, which is nearly an hour away so I don’t go often. This is just a lame, but true, excuse. 

source

   When I got MMD’s post emailed to me on August 4^th about how this month’s challenge was to read a banned book the lightbulb went off! Yep, totally forgot about my vow to try new stuff and do this challenge…ugh.  August’s challenge is to read a book that was banned at some point and she has a list of suggestions on her website.  I have read several on the list all ready but I want to pick one I haven’t read before because that would defeat my purpose.   I haven’t decided which one I am going to read but I’m leaning towards Of Mice and Men as I never read it in school and my daughter did last year and loved it.

 

     I have less than three weeks to decide and read it so surely I can do that, right? I am hoping that things will slow down a bit as we have been really busy…doing what I don’t know but busy all the same…and I can get back on track with my 2016 challenge.  In a perfect world I will even have time to go back and do the ones I missed! Not holding my breath…

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