MONDAY MEMES: MAILBOX & WHAT ARE YOU READING? — APRIL 18

MONDAY MEMES

Welcome to another reading week by celebrating our Monday Memes.

Mailbox Monday is hosted this month by Passages to the Past.

What Are You Reading? is hosted by Book Journey.

MAILBOX MONDAY:

This week, I received one review book and purchased two books from Amazon.

1.  Old Loves Die Hard, by Lauren Carr (ARC Review Book)

In this sequel to It’s Murder, My Son, Mac Faraday is settling nicely into his new life at Spencer Manor when his ex-wife Christine shows up—and she wants him back!  Before Mac can send her packing, Christine and her estranged lover are murdered in Mac’s private penthouse suite at Spencer Inn….

2.  I’m Over All That, by Shirley MacLaine

At a certain time in life, we all come to realize what is truly important to us and what just doesn’t matter. For Shirley MacLaine, that time is now. In this wise, witty, and fearless collection of small observations and big-picture questions, she shares with readers all those things that she is over dealing with in life, in love, at home, and in the larger world . . . as well as the things she will never get over, no matter how long she lives.

Among the things that Shirley is over: people who repeat themselves (“when you didn’t care what they said the first time”); conservatives and liberals; ill-mannered young people; the poison of celebrity (“Why do so many people want to be famous when they see how it can destroy your life?”); being polite to boring people (“If they won’t stop talking, I go into a trance and meditate”); getting older in Hollywood (“How peaceful it is not to have to look particularly pretty anymore or to wear a size 6”)….

3.  Save Me (e-book), by Lisa Scottoline

Suburban mom [Rose McKenna] is forced to make a split-second decision after an explosion goes off in the school cafeteria in which she volunteers. Should she rescue her own daughter, Melly, trapped in the bathroom, or lead the girls standing in front of her, who constantly bully her daughter, to safety? Her choice reverberates throughout the little town of Reesburgh, Pennsylvania, as she is cast as the villain by the local news anchor, parents, and the school. While her attorney and husband construct a defense plan that includes filing a lawsuit against the school, [Rose] sets out to seek the truth behind this mysterious, accidental fire. With the help of a construction worker who may know the cause of the explosion as well as an incognito visit to a local factory, [Rose] slowly unravels the truth and along with it some hidden secrets in Reesburgh’s dark past, including one horrifying buried memory of her own. At the quick pace of a thriller, Scottoline masterfully fits every detail into a tight plot chock-full of real characters, real issues, and real thrills. A story anchored by the impenetrable power of a mother’s love, it begs the question, just how far would you go to save your child? –Annie McCormick

So that’s it for my mailbox!

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WHAT ARE YOU READING?

In this event, we showcase our previous week in blogging, reading, and life.

Here Are Some Blog Posts:

My Interview at Gatekeepers

Saturday Snapshot – Moments

A Bit of Me (Me) – Artistry

Booking Through Thursday – Know Me Through My Books

Books Read & Reviewed- Click Titles for Reviews:

1.  Magical Thinking, by Augusten Burroughs

2.  Waiting for Spring, by R. J. Keller (Amazon Vine)

3.  Down Came the Rain, by Brooke Shields (memoir)

4.  Every Secret Thing (e-book), by Laura Lippman

Ongoing Read:

Manic, by Terri Cheney (a memoir about bipolar disorder)

What’s Up Next?

1.  Life After Forty, by Dora Heldt (Amazon Vine Review)

When Christine’s husband of ten years dumps her over the phone while she watches a Hugh Grant film she is sent spinning on a cathartic, self-medicated journey to the land of self-acceptance and self-reliance. Surrounded by her sister and a strong support group of friends, Christine learns how to deal with the horrors of dating, finding new appliances, and the exhilarating feeling of shopping without consequence.

2.  Ten Beach Road, by Wendy Wax (Publisher Review Request)

When I review this one, I’ll be posting a Q & A with the author.

Madeline, Avery, and Nikki are strangers to each other, but they have one thing in common. They each wake up one morning to discover their life savings have vanished, along with their trusted financial manager- leaving them with nothing but co-ownership of a ramshackle beachfront house.

Throwing their lots in together, they take on the challenge of restoring the historic property. But just as they begin to reinvent themselves and discover the power of friendship, secrets threaten to tear down their trust-and destroy their lives a second time.

3.  Night Road, by Kristin Hannah

For eighteen years, Jude Farraday has put her children’s needs above her own, and it shows—her twins, Mia and Zach—are bright and happy teenagers.  When Lexi Baill moves into their small, close knit community, no one is more welcoming than Jude.  Lexi, a former foster child with a dark past, quickly becomes Mia’s best friend.  Then Zach falls in love with Lexi and the three become inseparable.

Jude does everything to keep her kids on track for college and out of harm’s way.  It has always been easy– until senior year of high school.  Suddenly she is at a loss.  Nothing feels safe anymore; every time her kids leave the house, she worries about them.

On a hot summer’s night her worst fears come true. One decision will change the course of their lives.  In the blink of an eye, the Farraday family will be torn apart and Lexi will lose everything.  In the years that follow, each must face the consequences of that single night and find a way to forget…or the courage to forgive….

So that’s my week…in review and up next.  What are you reading?  I hope you’ll stop by and share….