Book Review: Forgiving My Daughter's Killer by Kate Grosmaire

As a parent it is so very hard to know how to best react when someone hurts your child. What if someone killed your child? What would your reaction be?
This is an amazing, inspiring story of how a mother and father are able to forgive their daughter's murderer. They even go so far as to help the killer get a less stiff sentence. They also visit him in jail. The most surprising part is that they were not church-goers, or very spiritual people. How in the world they are able to forgive him is beyond comprehension!
Reading this book may change the way you view punishment and forgiveness forever!



*Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free arc copy of this story in exchange for an honest review*

Book Review: Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix

This my friends, is how you write a novel!! Grady Hendrix is so inventive and imaginative! The book itself adds so much to the storyline. The novel is a story told in the form of a store catalog complete with maps and diagrams.
The story is a haunted house mystery hidden within the story of workers employed at a big box furniture store. I know, I know, what in the heck am I talking about?? Most of this book is just beyond description and you must pick it up just to see how unique it is.
The storyline itself is very well done. The story moves at a fast pace and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Every time you feel you know what is going on, you are surprised by what is happening! The ending is perfect! Mr. Hendrix, Can we look forward to a sequel?

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Books Set Outside The US

This weeks topic is Ten Books Set Outside the US. You can find all the top ten lists here: http://www.brokeandbookish.com/2016/07/ten-books-set-outside-us-that-weve.html

Thank you to The Broke and The Bookish for coming up with all these Awesome Top Ten's!!!!


10.  The Kitchen God's Wife by Amy Tan (China)     A mother tells her daughter about the past.

 9.    Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse (Netherlands)      Hanneke helps people find what they need. How far will she go when asked to find someone?

 8.    Cuckoo Song by Frances Hardinge (England)        Two sisters band together against a world that is not as it seems.

 7.   The Ice Twins by S. K. Tremayne (Scotland)       What really happened on the day that Sarah's daughter died?

 6.  The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure (France)     An architect is offered large sums of money to construct hiding places for Jews.

 5.  Property of a Lady by Sarah Rayne (Shropshire)      Michael is looking after an estate for his friends. What will he find there? Will he ever be the same?

 4.  Slade House by David Mitchell (Britain)     Welcome to Slade House! At first you won't want to leave, and then you will realize that you can't!

 3.  Frozen Charlotte by Alex Bell (United Kingdom)      Sophie is spending the summer with her cousins, Cameron, Lilas, and Piper, and also the girl who died, the girl with a room full of dolls, the girl who should not be there.

 2.  Life After Life by Kate Atkinson (England)      As Ursula grows, she dies, and is born again, over and over.

 1.  Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys (Siberia)     Lina is forced to work in a camp in Siberia.

Pre-Publication Review: Baby Doll

In Baby Doll, Hollie Overton's debut novel, Lily is kidnapped as a teen. She amazingly escapes, eight years later, along with her daughter, who was fathered by her captor. This novel is told in the voices of Lily, Eve-her mother, Abby-her twin sister, and Rick-her captor.
The storyline moved quickly and held my interest throughout. There were a few unbelievable events, but I still liked the story. There were a few things that bothered me about Lily. She seemed to heal awfully fast. Also, her mother's story was boring. She was selfish, and really added nothing to Lily's story.
I did enjoy the twists and turns, and the fact that the novel was written about the aftermath of the crime and how it affected all those involved. I liked that Abby would do whatever it took for her sister.
For a debut novel I thought it was very well done. I am sure Overton will improve on her second try. I am looking forward to reading more.

*Thank you to NetGalley and RedHook for providing me with a free uncorrected e-copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review

Movie Review: The Other Side of the Door

I was expecting a grade B bore fest, what I got was a surprise. The plot moved at a slow pace, but that only built the sense of dread. I would not consider this a horror movie, more of a suspense film, in my opinion. There were a few jump scares and blink and you will miss it moments. While the acting was not stellar, the plot was interesting. This could have been a 5 star film. It was middle of the road for me. I did like it and thought it was unique. I thought the ending was perfect.

Book Review: Stolen Years by Kazia Myers

Stolen Years is based around a little known and little talked about period of history. During World War II teens were forcefully taken from their homes in Poland and forced into slave labor in Austria. This story focuses around a teen named Anna and the other teens she works with on the farm.
The farmer is abusive and neglectful and the teens are forced to work for several years. Many of the workers are killed or left to die. The story is heavy and depressing at times.
I did like the story line, but I think it would have benefitted from some trimming. I found myself getting bogged down by all of the cruelty and repelled slightly by the storyline. I did not really feel myself connecting with any of Anna's friends. I did enjoy reading about Anna but I also felt a disconnect from her. All of these things made the story hard to finish. I would only recommend it to those interested in WWII, little known stories in history, and fans of Austria.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.