Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner
Published by Atria Books (Division of Simon & Schuster)
ISBN 978-0-7432-9427-0
At the request of Simon & Schuster, a HC was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
  Synopsis (from book’s jacket): Sometimes all you can do is fly away home… When Sylvia Serfer met Richard Woodruff in law school, she had wild curls, wide hips and lots of opinions. Decades later, Sylvie has remade herself as the ideal politician’s wife-her hair dyed and straightened, her hippie-chick wardrobe replaced by tailored knit suits. At fifty-seven, she ruefully acknowledges that her job is staying twenty pounds thinner than she was in her twenties and tending to her husband, the senator.
  Lizzie, the Woodruffs’ younger daughter is at twenty-four a recovering addict, whose mantra HALT (Hungry? Angry? Lonely? Tired?) helps her keep her life under control Still, trouble always seems to find her. Her older sister, Diana, an emergency room physician, has everything Lizzie failed to achieve-a husband, a young son, the perfect home-and yet she’s trapped in a loveless marriage. With temptation waiting in one of the ER’s exam rooms, she finds herself craving more.
  After Richard’s extramarital affair makes headlines, the three women are drawn into the painful glare of the national spotlight. Once the press conference is over, each is forced to reconsider her life, who she is and who she is meant to be.
  My Thoughts and Opinion: This storyline was written with the old adage, “No one knows what goes on behind closed doors”. But then taken a step further since the family behind those closed doors could not see what was happening. The Woodruffs were the ideal family to outsiders but each family member was living their own solitary life, each with their own secrets. The plot was relatable since it mirrored what we frequently see on the news with politicians and sports figures. I was also able to identify with the characters in this family because of a general age recognition within my family. The writing style was smooth and descriptive. Even with a serious and emotional theme, the author was able to add some humor into some of the scenes. Without including any spoilers, I found it to even include personal thought provoking questions, such as, “what would I do in this situation”?, “are we true to our self”?, are we really who we think we are”?, “who or what makes us happy”?, “are we true to our self”? This book could be put down, but not for long, because this reader wanted to know how it ends.

i know i am, but what are you? by Samantha Bee
Published by Gallery Books/A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
ISBN 978-1-4391-4273-8
At the request of Gallery Books, a HC was sent, at no charge to me, for my honest opinion.
  Synopsis (borrowed from book’s jacket): Critics have called her “sweet, adorable, and vicious.” But there is so much more to be said about Samantha Bee. For one, she’s Canadian. Whatever that means. And now, she opens up for the very first time about her checkered Canadian past. With Charming candor, she admits to her Lennie from Of Mice and Men-style love of a baby animals, her teenage crime spree as one half of a car-thieving couple (Bonnie and Clyde in Bermuda shorts and braces:, and the fact that strangers seem compelled to show her their genitals. She also details her intriguing career history, which includes stints working in a fame store, at a penis clinic, and as a Japanese anime character in a touring children’s show.
  Samantha delves into all these topics and many more in this thoroughly hilarious, unabashedly frank collection of personal essays. Whether detailing the creepiness that ensues when strangers assume that your mom is your lesbian lover or recalling her girlhood crush on Jesus (who looked like Kris Kristofferson and sang like Kenny Loggins), Samantha turns the spotlight on her own imperfect yet highly entertaining life as relentlessly as she skewers hapless interview subjects on The Daily Show. She shares her unique point of view on a variety of subjects as wide-ranging as her deep affinity for old people and her hatred of hot ham. It’s all here, in irresistible prose that will leave you in stitches and eager for more.
  My Thoughts and Opinion: I have stated many times that I am not a TV watcher, so I need to confess, I have never watched the The Daily Show. But, after reading this book and knowing that the author, Samantha Bee is a senior correspondent of that show, there is a good chance I will be watching. The author writes about her dysfunctional family, her childhood antics and even some when she was a bit older. I found myself laughing out loud, chuckling and even at time saying “me too, me too!!!!” Each chapter was equally funny, whereas I couldn’t even pick one as my favorite. However, there was one that really had me laughing and that I could really relate to, myself being of the same religion, was Man-Witch. She relates her story of being in a Catholic elementary school and having a “crush” on God. Reading this book now was the best remedy, to escape from “real life” and just laugh. Have this book on hand for when you just need to read something funny and totally entertaining.

i know i am, but what are you? by Samantha Bee
Published by Gallery Books/A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
ISBN 978-1-4391-4273-8
At the request of Gallery Books, a HC was sent, at no charge to me, for my honest opinion.
  Synopsis (borrowed from book’s jacket): Critics have called her “sweet, adorable, and vicious.” But there is so much more to be said about Samantha Bee. For one, she’s Canadian. Whatever that means. And now, she opens up for the very first time about her checkered Canadian past. With Charming candor, she admits to her Lennie from Of Mice and Men-style love of a baby animals, her teenage crime spree as one half of a car-thieving couple (Bonnie and Clyde in Bermuda shorts and braces:, and the fact that strangers seem compelled to show her their genitals. She also details her intriguing career history, which includes stints working in a fame store, at a penis clinic, and as a Japanese anime character in a touring children’s show.
  Samantha delves into all these topics and many more in this thoroughly hilarious, unabashedly frank collection of personal essays. Whether detailing the creepiness that ensues when strangers assume that your mom is your lesbian lover or recalling her girlhood crush on Jesus (who looked like Kris Kristofferson and sang like Kenny Loggins), Samantha turns the spotlight on her own imperfect yet highly entertaining life as relentlessly as she skewers hapless interview subjects on The Daily Show. She shares her unique point of view on a variety of subjects as wide-ranging as her deep affinity for old people and her hatred of hot ham. It’s all here, in irresistible prose that will leave you in stitches and eager for more.
  My Thoughts and Opinion: I have stated many times that I am not a TV watcher, so I need to confess, I have never watched the The Daily Show. But, after reading this book and knowing that the author, Samantha Bee is a senior correspondent of that show, there is a good chance I will be watching. The author writes about her dysfunctional family, her childhood antics and even some when she was a bit older. I found myself laughing out loud, chuckling and even at time saying “me too, me too!!!!” Each chapter was equally funny, whereas I couldn’t even pick one as my favorite. However, there was one that really had me laughing and that I could really relate to, myself being of the same religion, was Man-Witch. She relates her story of being in a Catholic elementary school and having a “crush” on God. Reading this book now was the best remedy, to escape from “real life” and just laugh. Have this book on hand for when you just need to read something funny and totally entertaining.

Love Always, Hobby and Jessie by Sara Robinson
Published by PathBinder Publishing, LLC
ISBN 978-0-9842496-0-2
At the request of the Author, a TPB was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
   Synopsis (borrowed from back of book): Even the most difficult of marriages can survive a lifetime through commitment, acceptance, and work. In Love Always, Hobby and Jessie, the improbable bond that was the marriage of Hobby and Jessie Robinson showcases one example of a rocky marriage that eventually finds its footing.
  Defined by their heritage and their experiences, Hobby and Jessie met, merged,-and split many times as they unknowingly defined their unique relationship. The conditions implemented to keep peace forged an eventual lifelong truce and acceptance. Those outside of their marriage would have been puzzled by the solutions that Hobby and Jessie found. As unconventional as they were to each other, their attempts at brokering their special treaties mirrored their individual styles. Couples who settle on the edges of their relationship often find themselves at the very center of it.
  My Thoughts and Opinion: I usually don’t post my review of a book that I am currently hosting a giveaway of said book, just in case it is not a positive review and/or giving away spoilers. I am breaking my own rules in the case of this book only because of the giveaway, but, I will not include any spoilers. No matter your age, please enter this giveaway. If you are a baby boomer, memories of your childhood will be triggered and if you are younger, then you have an idea of your grandparents’ lives. Sara Robinson invites the reader into her life and her parent’s marriage, both the good and bad, funny and sad, and traditions long forgotten. For a debut author, Ms. Robinson has the unique ability to transport the reader back in time whereas this reader had everything else tuned out, triggers for my own personal memories, even sharing similar experiences and events of my childhood. The writing style so descriptive that when she writes about how certain smells trigger her memories, I found myself able to create and conjure up those scents. I found that the flow of her words allowed me to produce a mini home movie in my mind. This memoir is a quick read and contains many pictures of years past, that will resemble your own photo albums from years ago of your parents and/or grandparents. Well written and, for me, I couldn’t wait to pick it back up and continue reading. Kudos Ms. Robinson!!!! I hope you have more books in the future.
  On a personal note, I am on the latter end of baby boomers and presently dealing with being the sole caretaker and responsible party for an aging parent, who was born around the same time as the author’s parents, this book triggered so many memories and was a bittersweet read for me. The pictures resembled pictures I am now finding, some so similar it could have come from my families’ photos. The way of life of that era that Ms. Robinson shared, could have been written about my relatives. Thank you for sharing Sara Robinson!!.

Love Always, Hobby and Jessie by Sara Robinson
Published by PathBinder Publishing, LLC
ISBN 978-0-9842496-0-2
At the request of the Author, a TPB was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
   Synopsis (borrowed from back of book): Even the most difficult of marriages can survive a lifetime through commitment, acceptance, and work. In Love Always, Hobby and Jessie, the improbable bond that was the marriage of Hobby and Jessie Robinson showcases one example of a rocky marriage that eventually finds its footing.
  Defined by their heritage and their experiences, Hobby and Jessie met, merged,-and split many times as they unknowingly defined their unique relationship. The conditions implemented to keep peace forged an eventual lifelong truce and acceptance. Those outside of their marriage would have been puzzled by the solutions that Hobby and Jessie found. As unconventional as they were to each other, their attempts at brokering their special treaties mirrored their individual styles. Couples who settle on the edges of their relationship often find themselves at the very center of it.
  My Thoughts and Opinion: I usually don’t post my review of a book that I am currently hosting a giveaway of said book, just in case it is not a positive review and/or giving away spoilers. I am breaking my own rules in the case of this book only because of the giveaway, but, I will not include any spoilers. No matter your age, please enter this giveaway. If you are a baby boomer, memories of your childhood will be triggered and if you are younger, then you have an idea of your grandparents’ lives. Sara Robinson invites the reader into her life and her parent’s marriage, both the good and bad, funny and sad, and traditions long forgotten. For a debut author, Ms. Robinson has the unique ability to transport the reader back in time whereas this reader had everything else tuned out, triggers for my own personal memories, even sharing similar experiences and events of my childhood. The writing style so descriptive that when she writes about how certain smells trigger her memories, I found myself able to create and conjure up those scents. I found that the flow of her words allowed me to produce a mini home movie in my mind. This memoir is a quick read and contains many pictures of years past, that will resemble your own photo albums from years ago of your parents and/or grandparents. Well written and, for me, I couldn’t wait to pick it back up and continue reading. Kudos Ms. Robinson!!!! I hope you have more books in the future.
  On a personal note, I am on the latter end of baby boomers and presently dealing with being the sole caretaker and responsible party for an aging parent, who was born around the same time as the author’s parents, this book triggered so many memories and was a bittersweet read for me. The pictures resembled pictures I am now finding, some so similar it could have come from my families’ photos. The way of life of that era that Ms. Robinson shared, could have been written about my relatives. Thank you for sharing Sara Robinson!!.

Red Hook Road Ayelet Waldman
Published by Doubleday
ISBN 978-0-385-51786-7
At the request of Doubleday, a HC was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
  Synopsis (borrowed by book’s jacket): Becca Copaken and John Tetherly are young and in love, and the future looks as bright as the day of their marriage. Becca’s family is well-to-do and summers in Red Hook, Maine, where John’s mother, Jane, runs a housecleaning service for clients like the Copakens. The only thing that binds the two families is the love the elated couple share but it’s enough to bring them together for the occasion.
  Until the unthinkable happens: Becca and John’s limousine collides with another vehicle mere minutes after the wedding, killing them instantly. Joy gives way to grief, and the rifts between Becca’s mother, Iris and Jane grow, from the funeral arrangements to Iris’s strong.-willed interest in the musical career of Jane’s niece to a new romance that buds between the surviving children, Ruthie and Matt. Time’s healing powers prove elusive for Iris and Jane: Iris’ thirty-year marriage disintegrates, while Jane’s bitterness threatens to ruin her relationship with Matt. Only when a powerful, blinding storm hits Red Hook do the families begin to see what really matters most.
  My Thoughts and Opinion: Days before reading this book, we had attended a wedding, that was a beautiful and fun celebration, so parts of the story were easy to relate to. Thankfully there was a different outcome in the real life wedding. I was able to feel the emotions and gaiety of Becca and John’s wedding day through the author’s written words. And then the shock, disbelief, and despair when the news is announced to the family and friends, that are waiting for the newlyweds at the reception. From that point on, my thoughts of the book fluctuated. There was a lot of genealogy of the families’, which I felt was important to understand the dynamics of the characters involved. But at times, and this is my opinion only, there was too much information that it became boring and took away from the story. The novel was a serious,somber and depressing read but at the same time the families’ dynamics were so profound that I needed to continue reading. Not only were there difference in classes, as described in the synopsis, but also religions and beliefs of the families’ that also divided them. Ms. Waldman’s writing style and descriptive wording allowed me to feel the emotions that each character was feeling and how they dealt with their very individual way of grieving and how that grief affected their lives. This is not the type of book if you are looking for a fast paced or uplifting read, but a book to be read if you want a thought provoking and the need to understand family dynamics and individual differences. Filled with many life’s metaphors.

Red Hook Road Ayelet Waldman
Published by Doubleday
ISBN 978-0-385-51786-7
At the request of Doubleday, a HC was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
  Synopsis (borrowed by book’s jacket): Becca Copaken and John Tetherly are young and in love, and the future looks as bright as the day of their marriage. Becca’s family is well-to-do and summers in Red Hook, Maine, where John’s mother, Jane, runs a housecleaning service for clients like the Copakens. The only thing that binds the two families is the love the elated couple share but it’s enough to bring them together for the occasion.
  Until the unthinkable happens: Becca and John’s limousine collides with another vehicle mere minutes after the wedding, killing them instantly. Joy gives way to grief, and the rifts between Becca’s mother, Iris and Jane grow, from the funeral arrangements to Iris’s strong.-willed interest in the musical career of Jane’s niece to a new romance that buds between the surviving children, Ruthie and Matt. Time’s healing powers prove elusive for Iris and Jane: Iris’ thirty-year marriage disintegrates, while Jane’s bitterness threatens to ruin her relationship with Matt. Only when a powerful, blinding storm hits Red Hook do the families begin to see what really matters most.
  My Thoughts and Opinion: Days before reading this book, we had attended a wedding, that was a beautiful and fun celebration, so parts of the story were easy to relate to. Thankfully there was a different outcome in the real life wedding. I was able to feel the emotions and gaiety of Becca and John’s wedding day through the author’s written words. And then the shock, disbelief, and despair when the news is announced to the family and friends, that are waiting for the newlyweds at the reception. From that point on, my thoughts of the book fluctuated. There was a lot of genealogy of the families’, which I felt was important to understand the dynamics of the characters involved. But at times, and this is my opinion only, there was too much information that it became boring and took away from the story. The novel was a serious,somber and depressing read but at the same time the families’ dynamics were so profound that I needed to continue reading. Not only were there difference in classes, as described in the synopsis, but also religions and beliefs of the families’ that also divided them. Ms. Waldman’s writing style and descriptive wording allowed me to feel the emotions that each character was feeling and how they dealt with their very individual way of grieving and how that grief affected their lives. This is not the type of book if you are looking for a fast paced or uplifting read, but a book to be read if you want a thought provoking and the need to understand family dynamics and individual differences. Filled with many life’s metaphors.

Mr. Rosenblum Dreams in English by Natasha Solomon
Published by Reagan Arthur Books/Little, Brown and Company
ISBN 978-0-316-07758-3
At the request of Reagan Arthur/Hachette Books a HC was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
  Synopsis (borrowed from book’s jacket): At the outset of World War II, Jack Rosenblum, his wife, Sadie, and their baby daughter escape Berlin, bound for London. They are greeted with a pamphlet instructing immigrants how to act like “the English.” Jack acquires Savile Row suits and a Jaguar. He buys his marmalade from Fortnum & Mason and learns to list the entire British monarchy back to 978 AD. He never speaks German, apart for the occasional curse. But the one key item that would make him feel fully British-membership in a golf club-remains elusive. In postwar England, no golf club will admit a Rosenblum. Jack hatches a wild idea, he”ll build his own.
  It’s an obsession Sadie does not share, particularly when Jack relocates them to a thatch-roofed cottage in Dorset to embark on his project. She doesn’t want to forget who they are or where they came from. She wants to bake the cakes she used to serve to friends in the old country and reminisce. Now she’s stuck in an inhospitable landscape filled with unwelcoming people, watching their bank account shrink as Jack pursues his quixotic dream.
  My Thoughts and Opinion: I have to be honest that I was quite skeptical in reading this book because I received it with no prior knowledge and add to that, that this was a debut novel. It is not the type of book that I would routinely read, but was pleasantly surprised once I picked it up. Ms. Solomons writing style was written, with such detailed descriptions and with the flow of the story line, as if it was by a seasoned author. The characters relatable. I found that there were a gamut of emotions felt for both Mr. Rosenblum and his wife, Sadie due to the descriptive and poignant words that the author was able to convey to this reader. I did enjoy this book but, and this is my opinion and my opinion only, it was not a fast paced, page turning read. I didn’t find myself “needing” to pick it up. (Possible Spoiler Alert)……I was surprised to see that the premise of this story was taken from her “grandparent’s experience” and wonder if I had known that it was based on reality that I would have had a different reading experience.