Good morning, and welcome to another Monday, in which we celebrate our reading, blogging, and life. Mailbox Monday is hosted in July by Mrs. Q Book Addict; and Book Journey brings us another edition of What Are You Reading?
MAILBOX MONDAY:
This week brought two review books…and I downloaded one book for Sparky.
1. Grace Grows, by Shelle Sumners (Amazon Vine)
Grace Barnum’s life is precariously balanced on sensible choices and uncomfortable compromise. She dutifully edits textbooks that, she fears, may be more harmful than helpful to kids. She is engaged to a patent attorney who is study and reliable. She has a cautious relationship with her fascinating father, a renowned New York painter, and she prefers her mom slightly drunk.
Always a planner, Grace feels prepared for most eventualities. Until the responsibility-challenged Tyler Wilkie shows up. Fresh in town from the Poconos, Tyler has warm eyes, a country drawl, and a smile that makes Grace drop things. Worst of all, he writes devastating songs. About her.
Tyler reaches something in Grace, something she needs, but can’t admit to. Something she wants, but won’t succumb to. Tyler Wilkie loves Grace Barnum and ruins everything. And Grace grows.
2. Those We Love Most, by Lee Woodruff (Amazon Vine)
A bright June day. A split-second distraction. A family forever changed.
Life is good for Maura Corrigan. Married to her college sweetheart, Pete, raising three young kids with her parents nearby in her peaceful Chicago suburb, her world is secure. Then one day, in a single turn of fate, that entire world comes crashing down and everything that she thought she knew changes.
Maura must learn to move forward with the weight of grief and the crushing guilt of an unforgivable secret. Pete senses a gap growing between him and his wife but finds it easier to escape to the bar with his friends than face the flaws in his marriage.
Meanwhile, Maura’s parents are dealing with the fault lines in their own marriage. Charismatic Roger, who at sixty-five, is still chasing the next business deal and Margaret, a pragmatic and proud homemaker, have been married for four decades, seemingly happily. But the truth is more complicated. Like Maura, Roger has secrets of his own and when his deceptions and weaknesses are exposed, Margaret’s love and loyalty face the ultimate test.
Those We Love Most chronicles how these unforgettable characters confront their choices, examine their mistakes, fight for their most valuable relationships, and ultimately find their way back to each other. It takes us deep into the heart of what makes families and marriages tick and explores a fundamental question: when the ties that bind us to those we love are strained or broken, how do we pick up the pieces?
Deeply penetrating and brimming with emotional insight, this engrossing family drama heralds the arrival of a major new voice in contemporary fiction.
3. Gone Girl (e-book), by Gillian Flynn
Marriage can be a real killer.
One of the most critically acclaimed suspense writers of our time, New York Times bestseller Gillian Flynn takes that statement to its darkest place in this unputdownable masterpiece about a marriage gone terribly, terribly wrong. The Chicago Tribune proclaimed that her work “draws you in and keeps you reading with the force of a pure but nasty addiction.” Gone Girl’s toxic mix of sharp-edged wit and deliciously chilling prose creates a nerve-fraying thriller that confounds you at every turn.
On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy’s diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?
As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?
With her razor-sharp writing and trademark psychological insight, Gillian Flynn delivers a fast-paced, devilishly dark, and ingeniously plotted thriller that confirms her status as one of the hottest writers around.
***
WHAT ARE YOU READING?
Welcome to another week of contemplation about the week just past…and what lies ahead.
My blogging has been erratic this week, but I did post a ROW 80 Check-In: Lazy Week, on Creative Journey; and in my Hump Day Potpourri, I talked about happy events coming. My Sweet Saturday Sample on Snow Chronicles was about The One That Got Away.
Reading-Click Titles for Reviews:
I read and reviewed three books this week. One book was a DNF…enough said about that.
1) One Breath Away, by Heather Gudenkauf (Fabulous Five Star Read!)
2) What I Did For Love, by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (fun read!)
3) Summer Breeze (e-book), by Nancy Thayer (Great summer read)
What’s Up Next? (Click titles/book covers for more info)
1) Gone Girl (e-book), by Gillian Flynn (I’ve already plunged into this one!)
2) The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge, by Christine Nolfi (Review book)
3) Zero Day (e-book), by David Baldacci
***
And that’s my week! Hope you’ll stop by and share about yours....
I’ve heard so much about Gone Girl, so many rave reviews! I can’t wait to see what you think of it.
LikeLike
I’m half finished with it, Laura, and it’s soooo good…and I’ve just reached the point of a major plot twist….thanks for stopping by, and I hope you like it too.
LikeLike
Loved Gone Girl.
Loved Those We Love Most…tons…
LikeLike
Oh, that’s good to know…I already am loving Gone Girl…and now can’t wait to read Those We Love Most. Thanks for visiting, Patty…enjoy your books!
LikeLike
Gone Girl looks great! Happy Reading! 🙂
Come check out what I’m reading!
LikeLike
It is an awesome book, Jenna…almost finished. Thanks for stopping by, and have a great week.
LikeLike
ok-I sure do hope you have an email subscription button for me because we like the same kind of books!!! I’m about to look around your blog! 🙂
Shannon
http://www.irunreadteach.wordpress.com
LikeLike
I do, Shannon…upper right in sidebar. I also prefer subscribing by e-mail. And I love finding other bloggers who like the same books as I do. Enjoy your visit, and come back soon!
LikeLike
That first book sounds interesting.
Here is mine
LikeLike
I think so, too, Brooke…glad you could stop by, and enjoy your week!
LikeLike
I just got Summer Breeze on audio. Glad to know ou enjoyed it. Gone Girl is on my must read it now list! Have a great week of reading.
LikeLike
Thanks for stopping by, Nise…I’m loving Gone Girl…and I also enjoyed Summer Breeze.
LikeLike
Enjoy your books. My favorite read last week was Hereville: How Mirka Met a Meteorite by Barry Deutsch which I read via NetGalley. Please come see what else I’m reading.
LikeLike
I am enjoying them, Sarah…glad you could stop by, and have a good week!
LikeLike
I have both One Breath Away and Gone Girl on my pile, glad to hear One Breath was so good!
Monday RoundUp
LikeLike
Oh, it was, Bookish Outsider…and Gone Girl is almost finished. It is sooo awesome! Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy your week.
LikeLike
Oh man, I’m going to be the last person in the world to read Gone Girl! I won a copy a while ago and it hasn’t come yet. Enjoy your new books!!
LikeLike
I hate waiting for books, Kathy…lately I’ve been downloading them, which is what I did with Gone Girl. It is soooo good! Thanks for stopping by.
LikeLike
I have One Breath Away on my wish list. Really enjoy her books. Have a great week!
LikeLike
Thanks, Cheryl…hope you enjoy it soon, and I’m glad you could stop by.
LikeLike
Your mailbox books have wonderful covers that make me want to read them 🙂 I know I’ll read Gone Girl at some point. The trick will be avoiding any spoilers. So far, so good! Have a great week, Laurel!
LikeLike
Oh, I know what you mean, Mary…it was hard writing my review, which I just posted on Rainy Days and Mondays. Thanks for stopping by.
LikeLike
I’ve heard a lot about Gone Girl this week…am going to have to get myself a copy of it.
Hope you have a great week and thanks for stopping by my blog.
Kristin @ Always With a Book
LikeLike
It was almost impossible to put down, Kristin, which made sleeping difficult. Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy your week.
LikeLike
I am going to have to get a copy of Gone Girl. Everyone is raving about it.
LikeLike
It is pretty amazing, Leslie, and when I hear that a lot, I sometimes almost expect to be disappointed…but I was not! Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy your week.
LikeLike
That Lee Woodruff book looks pretty great!
Happy reading this week 🙂
The Brunette Librarian Blog
LikeLike
I have heard good things about it, Brunette Librarian. Enjoy your week and thanks for stopping by.
LikeLike
Gone Girl will have to be looked into. Heard so much of it! And love that you have a pet name for your reader- I wonder if I can come up with something that will stick for the iPad? My Monday post.
LikeLike
I also named my new laptop, Marie (Louisa May, since she didn’t have the benefit of a computer). I do enjoy naming things. Thanks for stopping by, and Gone Girl was fabulous! I just posted my review at Rainy Days and Mondays.
LikeLike
You’ve got Gone Girl, now I’m jealous! 🙂
You liked One Breath Away better than I did, for me it was a little disappointing.
Have a great week!
LikeLike
Oh, I’m sorry you were disappointed in it, Judith. Sometimes our expectations rise too high when everyone is raving about a book. Hope you like Gone Girl, and thanks for visiting.
LikeLike
I loved Gone Girl!! Off to check out your reviews from last week!! Have a great week of reading!
LikeLike
Thanks, Staci…I did enjoy my reading week, and so far, this week is shaping up nicely, too. Thanks for stopping by.
LikeLike
I need to get my mitts on a copy of Gone Girl! 😀 I really like your blog and you have great taste. Which is just my way of saying that we seem to enjoy the same sort of books, lol.
Have a fantastic week of reading!!
LikeLike
Thanks, Jennifer…I do enjoy finding a blog with the same reading love. Glad you found it here.
LikeLike
I have to read Gone Girl.
http://tributebooksmama.blogspot.com/2012/07/mailbox-monday_30.html
LikeLike
It was awesome! Hope you like it, Tribute Books Mama.
LikeLike
Wow! So many tempting titles! Gone Girl sounds great!!
LikeLike
Oh, it was fabulous, Suko…I couldn’t put it down, so I already read and reviewed it. See the link in the sidebar. Thanks for stopping by….
LikeLike
Those all look great, especially Gone Girl. I’m still waiting on a copy from the library. Have a great week!
LikeLike
I loved Gone Girl…hope you do, too. Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy your week.
LikeLike
Gone Girl is already on my TBR list, and I’m adding Those We Love Most!
LikeLike
Hope you enjoy them both…And thanks for stopping by, Vicki.
LikeLike
Great batch of books! Happy Reading!
LikeLike
Thanks, Sharon…I think the week will be great….glad you could stop by.
LikeLike
Enjoy Gone Girl! I am excited to read your thoughts on this one! 🙂
LikeLike
I did and I know you’ve checked out my review, Sheila…wasn’t the book fabulous? I’ll be over to check out your Spoiler page.
LikeLike
I saw Gone Girl described as best read of the week, possibly the year! That’s a rave review.
LikeLike
I think so, too, and Deb….I’m hearing that it will be a movie. That should be fun! Thanks for stopping by.
LikeLike
Summer Breeze looks really good! Have a great week!
LikeLike
Thanks, Yvonne…it was a very relaxing read; I almost felt as though I were in the Berkshires. Thanks for stopping by.
LikeLike
Like what you got in your mailbox! Happy reading!!
Here is my post.
LikeLike
Thanks, gautami…I am looking forward to them all. Glad you could stop by.
LikeLike
Those We Love Most looks good – I love family dramas like that! Hope you enjoy it. 🙂
LikeLike
Oh, so do I, Sophia…looking forward to it. Thanks for visiting…enjoy your week.
LikeLike
Those We Love Most sounds like my cup of tea. I’m hoping to read Gone Girl next week, looking forward to your thoughts. Glad to see you enjoyed One Breath Away.
Have a great week and happy reading 🙂
LikeLike
Glad you’ll be reading Gone Girl soon, Teddyree…I think you’ll love it. I am also looking forward to Those We Love Most. Thanks for stopping by.
LikeLike
Yesterday was crazy so I am late. I could have sworn I had Gone Girl on my TBR shelf but it is not on my spreadsheet or my shelf. The mind is a terrible thing to waste, lol.
LikeLike
Thanks for stopping by, Lori…Gone Girl is definitely a must read. Hope you enjoy it.
LikeLike