The November & December Book Report

I have read some AMAZING books the past two months, I mean 3 5-star ratings?! Its been a very satisfying time! Affiliate links used. A small commission may be received if you purchase an item through my links. Thank you for supporting my blog!

Leaving Time by Jodi Piccoult

Goodreads Synopsis:

For over a decade, Jenna Metcalf obsesses on her vanished mom Alice. Jenna searches online, rereads journals of the scientist who studied grief among elephants. Two unlikely allies are Serenity Jones, psychic for missing people who doubts her gift, and Virgil Stanhope, jaded PI who originally investigated cases of Alice and her colleague. Hard questions and answers.

Thoughts:

I loved this book. I can only tolerate so many courtroom dramas by Piccoult so her fantasy stories are a breath of fresh air (I also loved Second Glance!) I didn’t see this twist coming and was hooked from page one.

Stars:

5 out of 5

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The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd

Goodreads Synopsis:

Sue Monk Kidd's phenomenal debut, The Secret Life of Bees, became a runaway bestseller that is still on the New York Times bestseller list more than two years after its paperback publication. Now, in her luminous new novel, Kidd has woven a transcendent tale that will thrill her legion of fans. Telling the story of Jessie Sullivan -- a love story between a woman and a monk, a woman and her husband, and ultimately a woman and her own soul -- Kidd charts a journey of awakening and self-discovery illuminated with a brilliance that only a writer of her ability could conjure. 

Thoughts: A bore of a book about a horrible subject. I guess Im most upset about it being nothing like The Secret Life of Bees- no lovable characters, no satisfying ending. But Kidd is a beautiful writer and that earned this book an extra star.

Stars:

3 out of 5

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The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

Goodreads Synopsis:

Rachel catches the same commuter train every morning. She knows it will wait at the same signal each time, overlooking a row of back gardens. She's even started to feel like she knows the people who live in one of the houses. 'Jess and Jason', she calls them. Their life - as she sees it - is perfect. If only Rachel could be that happy. And then she sees something shocking. It's only a minute until the train moves on, but it's enough. Now everything's changed. Now Rachel has a chance to become a part of the lives she's only watched from afar. Now they'll see; she's much more than just the girl on the train... 

Thoughts:

I couldnt put this down! Yowza. I actually craved a drink almost as much as the narrator, the writing is fantastic. Flawes characters always have me rooting fir them and I really felt invested in Rachel’s life. Now I need to watch the movie! Also this makes me feel horrible about how much I disliked her follow up novel, Into the Water.

Stars:

5 out of 5

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Skipping Christmas by John Grisham

Goodreads Synopsis:

Imagine a year without Christmas. No crowded shops, no corny office parties, no fruitcakes, no unwanted presents. That's just what Luther and Nora Krank have in mind when they decide that, just this once, they'll skip the holiday altogether. Theirs will be the only house on the street without a rooftop Frosty the snowman; they won't be hosting their annual Christmas Eve bash; they aren't even going to have a tree. They won't need one, because come December 25th they're setting sail on a Caribbean cruise. But, as this weary couple is about to discover, skipping Christmas brings enormous consequences - and isn't half as easy as they'd imagined.

A classic tale for modern times, Skipping Christmas offers a hilarious look at the chaos and frenzy that has become part of our holiday tradition. 

Thoughts:

This is the first time I've read an adult Christmas book (because we know the girls have their Christmas books out all month) and I felt seasonally appropriate. This was a fun, easy read and the movie with Tim Allen (my favorite TV Dad) is spot on.

Stars:

3 out of 5

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The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes by Diane Chamberlaine

Goodreads Synopsis:

In 1977, pregnant Genevieve Russell disappeared. Twenty years later, her remains are discovered and Timothy Gleason is charged with murder. But there is no sign of the unborn child.

CeeCee Wilkes knows how Genevieve Russell died, because she was there. And she knows what happened to her missing infant, because two decades ago she made the devastating choice to raise the baby as her own. Now Timothy Gleason is facing the death penalty, and she has another choice to make. Tell the truth and destroy her family. Or let an innocent man die in order to protect a lifetime of lies. 

Thoughts:

Chamberlaine may be entering favorite author status (along with Jane Austen, Sue Grafton, Alice Hoffman) she writes about every day life, always has amazing conflict and characters and wraps everything up just right.

Stars:

5 out of 5

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