The After Party review

"The After Party" by Anton DiSciafani is the captivating novel about 1950's Houston, the Haves, if you will.  Cece and Joan are the best of friends all through their childhood until Joan changes without warning.  Cece is more than just friends with Joan; she is obsessed to the point where she is asked repeatedly if she is in love with Joan.  But she is more than that; worships would be a better word.  Joan is a life long obsession that Cece can not stop worshiping. 
The book is indeed captivating and well written, however, there seems to be little plot other than the obsession of Cece with Joan.  About half way through it I wondered if this would be it.  Eventually the novel takes a sharp turn and reveals the tragedy behind Joan's erratic alcoholic behavior.  I received this book in exchange for a review from www.firsttoread.com. 

the atonement review

"The Atonement" by Beverly Lewis is a stand alone novel about an Amish woman who has yet to forgive herself for her past.  Lucy devotes large amounts of time to several different charities and even takes on some of the charitable personally.  She has ceased to attend church activities and dating of any kind.  Though Tobe, her admirer, hasn't completely abandoned the idea of courting her and Dale, a non-Amish man who is in her grief group, has taken a liking to her as well, she is keeping both of them at arms length convinced that she is no good for either of them.
This is a good book.  The characters are well written and the plot is good.  Lewis doesn't do anything spectacular or different here than in any of her others.  If you liked them, you'll like this one just as well.  I received this book in exchange for a review from Bethany House Publishers. 

Drew Farthering Review

"Dressed for Death" by Julianna Deering is the fourth book in the Drew Farthering Mystery series.  In this novel Drew and Madeline have been invited to a Regency party at the Cummings'.  The Regency party is where the 1930's upper crust crowd spend a week dressing, dancing and playing as if they were in Austen era 1830s.  When the party begins to wind down and the final ball is being had, Tal Cummings fiancé overdoses on cocaine.  Swearing that she would never take it herself and that she must have been murdered, Tal asks Drew, a known amateur sleuth to take on the case and find the real killer.  Soon the murder is tied to a major cocaine smuggling ring and the bodies keep adding up. 

Since I don't normally read books of this style it usually takes me a little while to get used to the mannerisms of the characters.  But once I do, the story keeps my interest.  It has a quick pace and the characters are well developed.  The only fault I had was that I solved the mystery before Drew.  I received this book for free from the publishers, Bethany House.

feathered bone review

"The Feathered Bone" by Julie Cantrell is the telling of one tragedy after another.  Amanda and her daughter Ellie, are on a field trip with the 6th grade class when one of the girls, Sarah, is kidnapped.  The novel then follows Amanda through the years following "the day".  Sarah is taken into sex trafficking while Amanda and Ellie are left to deal with the guilt.  Amanda also has an abusive, cheating husband to deal with.  This book keeps the tragedies happening.  From kidnapping, rape, abuse, divorce, suicide, Hurricane Katrina, etc., if you aren't clinically depressed by the end of this book you have a heart of stone.  Though all of the tragedies are well told, the suicide especially, putting them all in one book was a little much.  However, reading the suicide in a public place, as I did, is highly not recommended.  It was written beautifully.  I received this e-book in exchange for an honest review from www.booklookbloggers.com.   

Clean, blech

"31 Days to Clean: Having a Martha Home the Mary Way" by Sarah Mae is a daily devotional about getting the house in order.  Each day is given a quote, a devotional story, a scripture, and a Mary Challenge and Martha Challenge.  The author is a self described non-housecleaner.  The ideas she comes up with for cleaning are not the scrub and dust type, but the getting things in order, taking out the chaos.  She also incorporates the children.  They made the mess; why shouldn't they be helping clean it up.  I did the days in order.  Some of the days I didn't want to do the challenge and so I didn't.  Some days I was like "you know, I do need to clean the bathroom cabinet."  I liked the book.  I received a copy of this paperback from Tyndale Publishing in exchange for an honest review. 

Breathe Prayers

"Whispers:  Being with God in Breathe Prayers" by Jeanie Wise is a small book that makes praying as easy as breathing.  If you are familiar with yoga than you are familiar with using your breath to move or chant.  Wise takes a similar approach to praying.  The praying will use his or her breath to focus on the words that the person is to concentrate on. 
I liked this idea.  I have begun to use it frequently in daily life.  If you have ever tried Christoga, a form of yoga and worship for Christians, the two are very similar.  You will receive all of the physical benefit from yoga as well as the spiritual.  A twofer.  The book is very short, but the benefits are long.  I received this book in exchange for a review from the author. 

Zelda the Flapper

"Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald" by Therese Anne Fowler is the fictionalized biography of Mrs. Fitzgerald.  Though Fowler sticks with the truth for the most part, where the holes in the story lie, she fills them and where the views differ, she picks one.  I have read two other books where Zelda was a major player and she varies from book to book.  In one she was openly a bitch, in another she was out of her mind, and in this one she is a rather pleasant party girl.  So the only people who would know the real Zelda would be the ones who were there.  In this novel, Zelda loves a good time and F. Scott Fitzgerald is the perfect partner.  The two took the literary world and party scene by storm.  However, as time goes on and the partying doesn't stop, the literary world takes notice.  The end result becomes sad.  The label 'artist' becomes just as excuse for an unemployed alcoholic.  This book is the brilliant look at the rise and fall of a literary giant.  When Zelda  becomes mentally ill, rather than actually treat her, the men around her, doctors and husband, instead use her illness against her to their benefit, be it financially or for authoritive control.    The poor woman didn't have a chance.  Though sad, this is a well written book and reading about Zelda's wilder days is greatly entertaining.  BTW, Amazon is making a series based this book, if you are interested.  I received this book in exchange for an honest review from www.netgalley.com.