I'm a huge fan of Laurie Frankel's books, so I was so excited to receive an ARC of One Two Three. It's a story about perception with a theme of David versus Goliath. You'll root for these characters and be totally drawn into their lives. It's a heartwarming story that will stay with you long after you finish the book. I highly recommend it.

I really wanted to like this book. I love reading historical fiction about places I'm not familiar with. Throw in some mystery and I'm even happier. I just couldn't make a connection to any of the characters which made the story slow going for me.

City of Jasmine by Olga Grjasnowa takes us into the lives of Hammoudi, Amal, and Youssef at the start of the Syrian uprising. All three have lead very comfortable lives until the start of the conflict and become embroiled in it for various reasons. What starts as some fairly benign protests on their part against the Assad regime, quickly turns brutal when they come up against the secret police. We are given a front row seat to the barbaric and murderous destruction of thousands of innocent lives as they are caught in the crossfire of Assad’s soldiers and the rebels fighting for the cause.

As the three eventually make their way out of Syria, their lives become even more complicated as they negotiate their refugee status in various countries along the way. This is a heartbreaking and difficult story to read, but I couldn’t put it down. Grjasnowa paints a vivid and well written story of what must be the lives of countless refugees. It’s an important book that I think everyone should read.

I am a huge fan of historical fiction and have read many books on the Civil War so I wondered how this could be much different than any of the other books that I've read. What sets this book apart is that it's told from the perspective of an Irish immigrant named Olivia. I guess I never gave much thought to where white protagonists in any of these types of books originated from. It was an interesting perspective and refreshing change to the typical Civil War story line.

This book is not the good verses evil story line that you see in many of these types of books. The whole situation was not as clear cut for some of the characters and that made the story more interesting for me. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's a great read for any fan of historical fiction!

This is an amazing biography of Eunice Hunton Carter. The front cover promises the story of the black woman lawyer who took down Lucky Luciano, but it is so much more than that. Carter was an amazing woman who played an important role in the history and politics of her era. I learned a lot about the inner workings of the GOP at that time. The book is lengthy and covers a lot of territory. It took me a while to get through it, but it was well worth it.

This is a great book that I think kids will find totally relatable. The book covers some common situations that children often find themselves in. Whimsical illustrations help tie the whole story together and help kids learn how to deal with anger in a thoughtful and non-threatening way. There is a guide at the end addressing ways for parents and teachers to talk about anger and how to deal with it.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Afghan Wife. I have not read a whole lot of books that take place in the Middle East and this book made me feel like I was right in the middle of Iran. I was on the edge of my seat through half of it worried about what would happen to several of the characters. I remember the news stories of the American hostage situation and this story while fictional helped flush out what might have been going on in and around the event. I highly recommend this book if you want to get a feel for some of the lives of the Iranian citizens living during that time period.

There’s a special place in my heart for Southern Fiction and Missing Isaac doesn’t disappoint. The story takes place in the 60’s in Glory Alabama. Isaac is a beloved friend of the main character Pete and disappears early on in the tale. As the mystery of his disappearance evolves, you become enmeshed in all of the dynamics of life in the Glory community. There were so many memorable lines in the story that will stay with me forever. Without giving it away I must say the ending was so fitting for anyone who loves to read!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The book takes place in two parts starting with the slave trade in Jamaica and then ending up in contemporary time in Ireland with the conclusion of the story. It covers a place and event in history that I knew nothing about. The book is well written and I look forward to reading other books by this author.

This is not an easy reading book about the bond between a teacher and her student. In her memoir, Michelle Kuo shares her experiences of teaching in rural Arkansas, in one of the poorest counties. She relates her experiences with one student in particular named Patrick. She leaves teaching after two years to attend law school. Upon learning that her former student is now accused of murder, she returns to Arkansas and reconnects with Patrick.

Her book is more about how we fail some of our most vulnerable kids and the tireless dedication of some teachers. Through her eyes, we see the effects of poverty and judicial injustice. I did feel like I was sitting through English class in parts of the book, but overall I found it very enlightening. This is an eye-opening read for anyone who cares about education or social justice.

I love the Hangman's Daughter series, but this one dragged on way too long.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I liked it even more than The Little Paris Bookshop. Her characters draw you into their lives and make you want to root for all of them. Nina George has created a wonderful little village that made me want to book a plane ticket and go stay in the guest house there. This is a great little summer read.

This is a wonderful tribute to food and an amazing woman. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the author's mother and her experiences in the food scene of LA. If you love reading about food and how it interacts with our lives, then this will be a very enjoyable read.

Loved this book! It reminded me of the adult book, The Night Circus. A great book for kids of all ages who still believe in magic.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I haven't read much about Ceylon and it's history, so it was interesting to read about the human dynamics that would've taken place there. I love learning about history through these type of novels.This is a great historical novel with a good dose of mystery to it. I didn't see the end of the book and that's what makes it such a good mystery!

I'm a huge Sara Pennypacker fan and this book doesn't disappoint! I hope it wins the Newbery.

I thought I was going to really like this book. The characters were interesting in the beginning, but they never really developed into an interesting story line. I really struggled to keep going with this book.

This is a very well-researched book on the history of Cliveden and it's occupants. I found parts of it very interesting, but it was a bit too in depth to keep it interesting for me. I love reading about history, but I also like to feel like I'm in the middle of a good story while I'm reading. I didn't get that feeling while I was reading this book.

I absolutely adore Terry Kay's books and this one does not disappoint!

I received a free advanced readers copy of this audiobook through the Library Thing Early Reviewers program in exchange for an honest review. This was a fascinating book covering events that took place 50 years before the Revolutionary war. We learn about the key players in the fight to prevent Smallpox. I knew about Cotton Mather and his role in the Salem Witch trials but I never knew about the role he played in trying to introduce the concept of inoculation against the smallpox virus.

It was also interesting to learn about the political events that eventually lead up to the Revolutionary war. The relationship between James Franklin and his younger brother Ben was another fascinating part of the book. This book fills in the gaps for those of us who learned about the pilgrims and the Revolutionary war but not very much of what happened between those two events.

I always give a book at least 50 pages before abandoning it. I gave this one 125 pages and I just couldn't go any further. I couldn't find anything appealing with the characters. The writing had too much of a saccharine feel to it for my taste.

I loved this book. We are planning a trip to the Naples region so I particularly enjoyed learning about the culture and food of the area. I felt like I was talking to one of my girlfriends and she was catching me up on her life there. I found the differences in our two cultures very interesting and the descriptions of the foods served by her mother-in-law made me want to go to the kitchen and start cooking. I've always enjoyed books centered around cooking and this book doesn't disappoint.

This is by far one of the most unique stories that I've ever read. I was totally absorbed in the beginning of the book and couldn't put it down even though I had a sick feeling that the story was going to take a tragic turn fairly soon. I think Diane Thomas is a very talented writer and the story is very well written. All of that being said, without giving away too much, the violence in the middle and end of the book was a little bit more than I am used to reading. I am still glad that I was chosen to read this book as a Library Thing Early Reviewer. If your tastes run to the dark side of literature, this would be an excellent book.

I am a huge fan of Annie Barrows. I love her quirky characters and this book did not disappoint. This book gives you a real feel for life in a small town during the depression. I only had one complaint and it's just a small one, I thought the book could have been a bit shorter in places. I enjoyed some of Layla's letters but some of them didn't add much to the story. All in all, I would highly recommend this book if you loved the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

I received this book as a download from NetGalley. I'm a big fan of historical fiction because I always learn a little bit of history along with enjoying a good book. Since this book is based loosely on an actual woman claiming to be a psychic, I was intrigued. This book started out a little slow for me. I guess like many of the characters in the book, I was a little skeptical about anyone claiming to talk with the dead. In the end I was rooting for Alessandra and her quest to prove her legitimacy.

Too dark!

A very short and sweet book that gets to the heart of the matter of the Spanish Inquisition. I'm not aware of very many books that cover this period of time for younger audiences, so this book is a nice addition. I just wish it had gone a little bit more in depth about the characters and culture of the time.

I am a big fan of Carlos Ruiz Zafon. I am always drawn in immediately by his writing style. You feel like you are in the middle of a dream. He has a beautiful way of describing the surroundings in his stories. It's as though you are right there, walking down the streets of Barcelona. His stories are so unique with all kinds of twists to his mysterious plots. I find myself racing through his books to see what's going to happen next.

Unfortunately for me, Marina makes me feel like I'm in the middle of a nightmare. Marina has all of the elements that I so love about Zafon's books, but with characters that I could only imagine if I was in the middle of a really bad dream. That being said, the book is so well written that I'm not sorry I read it. If you are into Gothic Horror novels, this is a great book!

I received this book through Netgalley andI loved this book! It's a cross between Barbara Kingsolver's early novels and Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods with a healthy dose of spirituality thrown in. I asked to read it because I thought it would be a fun little quirky read. In a way it was that, but it was so much more. I could really identify with the spirituality themes of the book. It might not appeal to individuals who strongly identify with one religious thought or church. If you have an open mind to the definition of spirituality, this book might just be right up your alley.

I received My Family and Other Hazards from Early Reviewers and feel lucky to one of the first to read it. I loved this book! It might have something to do with the fact that I grew up in Iowa and spent every summer at a lake in Minnesota. Our family also traveled to Wisconsin on several occasions which is where the Tom Thumb Miniature Golf course was located. Melby made me feel like I was part of her family as she relived her childhood. I even learned a few things about the history of miniature golf. This is a great read for anyone wanting to step back in time and relive a simpler time.