The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes By Diane Chamberlain

Have you ever had a moment where you're completely swept off your feet? Doesn't necessarily have to be with love, but where you're caught in a moment in which your judgement is taken out of the picture and everything you do or say becomes a blur.

In Diane Chamberlain's book The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes this became a reality for CeeCee. At the ripe age of 16 CeeCee's life wasn't sunshine and roses, she was alone and naive in the context of love and life. When she meets Tim she finds herself spiraling into an abyss of kidnapping, abandonment, and love. The last of those three being the ultimate lesson for someone so young.

This book is very well written and a page-turner at that. When you start reading this book you may think that the ending is cliche and overdone, but you will find yourself asking for more as the past life of CeeCee unravels. CeeCee faces challenges and consequences based on the choices of her past that affected the innocent and guilty, yet her personality, love and strength shine through with the hope of making everything better.

As I explore the world of reading and finding new authors, this again was a book that broke me into the world of a new author for me. I'm picky when it comes to my reading, if I don't like the book, I'm less likely to give you a second try, therefore when your first book pulls me into the emotional state of the character and I'm asking for more even on the last page you have me as a life long fan. This is exactly what Chamberlain achieved with this book.

I recommend this book without a second thought.

Holocaust Remembrance Day

More than 70 years ago the world changed. We saw what hate and anger can do to a nation by one man and lost millions of people who were innocent individuals. Through this horror we learned about survival, love and faith as those liberated made their way back into a world that so vastly exiled them.

If you have followed my blog I write many reviews of survival memoirs of the Holocaust. As a reader you find genres that grasp you and you get lost in them for one reason or another. I have my own personal reasons I believe I'm drawn to the memoirs and stories of the Holocaust while others may want to learn and understand what happened to their relatives. 

Throughout my life I have read numerous Holocaust memoirs, ones I have even forgotten at this point. But each has left a small impact on my life, so whether I have reviewed them yet or not here is my list of Holocaust memoirs and stories that have changed my view on humanity and evil.

1) Rena's Promise

2) Night

3) Anne Frank's Diary

4) The Pianist

5) Hidden in the Spotlight

6) Sarah's Key

7) Auschwitz: A Doctor's Eyewitness Account

8) The Book Thief

9) The Pink Triangle: The Nazi War Against Homosexuals

10) Survivors: True Stories of Children of the Holocaust

11) In our Hearts We Were Giants: The Remarkable Story of the Lilliput Troupe - A Dwarf Family's survival of the Holocaust

12) Doctors from Hell

13) The Zookeepers Wife

14) The Boy in the Striped Pajama's

15) The Lost: the search for six in six million

All of these books have brought a piece of closure and education to me. I can't explain to you or myself exactly what this means. Nor do I want to attempt too. But it's a piece of the world's history that we cannot repeat. Religion, race, color, whatever the issue it cannot be repeated. 

These books have allowed me to expand my genres of reading other memoirs and brought acceptance of a different life outside of my own into my world.

Today marks 70 years for the liberation of Auschwitz, today marks the change of a new world. For the 11 million victims killed by one man's reign and anger, I remember your sacrifice so my children will never have to go through the horror you did. 

Google has some great stories for the public and world to read. Here is a link in case you missed it!

Lessons from the Lion, the Ox and their little friends by Aesop

Growing up we are all taught or read fairy tales by one person or another. I had a conversation with my boyfriend about this recently and found that the stories I am so familiar with from my childhood he is not. It showed a comparison of different cultures as he is Russian and I am American. He told me of the stories his mom used to tell him and the ones he learned when he moved to the states, but little of them were similar to those I grew up with.

In Aesop's Lessons from the Lion, the Ox and their little friends I had found the parallel between my world and my boyfriends. The stories are short, sweet and packed with moral decency that should be spread to each individual. These stories are easy to read and the illustrations are very simple yet intriguing to grasp a child's attention.

While this is a quick read for me, but one I feel that a young child could enjoy reading over and over again. There is plenty of room for creative improvisation for adults to continue the story and allow for growth based on the child. I could honestly picture my dad reading me these in funny voices or myself asking my niece to point out things within the pictures that went along with the story.

Great read, great price (FREE), overall great time!

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl

How can you review such an iconic piece of history? I asked myself this numerous times before determining I wanted to review it. It's not because of the literary excellence or the historical significance that I decided on reviewing this. It's the fact that as a child had to endure so much terror that her lasting legacy is that of the written word. Her story of survival is a window into the heart, soul and horror that reigned over Germany and Europe between 1933-1945. Anne didn't know her fate or future when she decided to keep some normalcy in her life as she wrote. All she knew was that her world was changing & she wanted to capture it.

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Each entry brings you into the mind of Anne, at thirteen years of age her life changed forever. The decision to go into hiding was for protection of the family. Her studies and dreams put on the back burner at an attempt to save her life, she had difficulty understanding the need for this change. She wanted to be outside, remembering the beauty of gardens and walks home from school, and to play music without fear of the SS or Gestapo. She wanted to be a teenager.

Anne had the typical dreams of a teenage girl, from boys to being a famous star. She was innocent and naive in her young age. When Anne started writing it was about her typical day, when slowly the war creeped into her entries. Ironically, Anne wanted to be famous, but her fame came in a different format than she could have imagined. The moment she was placed into the annex her life had changed, she found it to be a nuisance more than a lifesaving measure. Her complaints of everyday life where slowly interrupted with fear of being captured, fear of death and the loss of the future. From the tinest squeak of the floorboards to lighting the candles on the menorah, her life changed piece by piece inside the annex.

I cannot review her writings, for they are her thoughts, life and passions of the moment. But as a book I find that this is a great way to look at the changing mindset of a teenager stuck in the horrors of one person's ideal expectations of race. Anne expresses her misunderstanding of the hate that is shown towards her religion and race. Something that many cultures face even today.

The lessons learned from the words Anne leaves behind are needed now as the world faces distress and strife between countries and races. We need to learn from the past to move forward and find peace in the world. This was the ending lesson that Anne's diary held. To repeat history is to fail the victims of the past; whether it's over race, religion, or space in time; learning from the fear and innocents written in the past is where Anne Franks Diary comes into our history lives.

I wish that I had read this book as a teenager more than an adult, because I would understand Anne's mind more. But as an adult reading this, I realize that the innocents we all have had is one that is taken away quickly by the actions of others. So whether you're a teen or an adult, I recommend this book as history and humanity lesson for the future.

Monster Diaries 1: The Negative Monsters!: Negative Nelly & Negative Ned by Bolaji O.

I downloaded this book after browsing the free section of Amazon in the hunt for some research. I thought it was a cute cover and I was extremely interested.

The lesson from this book is pretty awesome. The idea of building self-esteem in children is one that is always a question of debate. Do you teach them to fight or walk away? In Bolaji O's Monster Diaries 1: The Negative Monsters! there are lessons not only for children, but also for parents.

To build the self-esteem of children with their own minds is one that was never taught to me. I was praised for what I did right and punished for what I did wrong. Simple and easy, nothing more than what my parents were taught truthfully. Bolaji O's however gave me a different perspective to look into giving confidence to my future children.

However, this book needed some additional editing. Towards the end there were a few sentences cut off or repeated on my copy of this book, but overall it was an extremely easy read.

I recommend this book, but warn readers that there are some grammar issues.

The House on Mango Street By Sandra Cisneros

I was suggested this book a while back by a writing professor of mine. I don't remember her exact reasoning on why she thought I would like it, but the title stuck out in my mind The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros seemed interesting and inviting.

When I finally came across a copy at the library I felt it was a destined read. It had been floating in my head for a few years and here it was staring me straight in the face. However, what I found was extremely dissatisfying.

The House on Mango Street is a coming of age story within the confines of the Hispanic section of Chicago. The house is nothing of her dreams and she's truly embarrassed by the rundown building her family calls home.

At the beginning of the book, it was very easy to read and understand, however as the book progressed I found myself avoiding it. While the book is short at only 110 pages I did not finish the last 10 or so pages because my mind was bored. Esperanza, the main character, became nails on a chalkboard with her life comparisons and no explanations. Her story has no conclusion for the reader and each chapter in itself is truly just a small story of a piece of time. There are no crossroads from one chapter into the next, vignettes, with random placement for Esperanza's story.

While Cisneros does a great job of describing the surrounds and characters with vivid expressions, I felt lost through most of the book. Each description was a vast comparison to what was truly happening. My frustration came to a head when Esperanza was describing her aunt and the day she died. I was lost in her descriptions until the part of mocking began, Esperanza's emotions became real when she expressed how they held their arms and laughed, not knowing that her aunt was dying.

All the fluff that Cisneros placed between the here and now facts felt like filler for a short story. Things that while beautiful by themselves became confusing in the storyline. I know that my review on this book is vastly different compared to those posted on GoodReads & Amazon, but truthfully I would not pick up this book again.

Paris Hop! by Margie Blumberg

I loved this book from the beginning to the end. The fact that there is a glossary of French words made me squeal a little as the thought of education in a book is slightly exciting for me, but for a children's book its extremely delightful.

Paris Hop! by Margie Blumberg was easy to follow and gleefully enthralling. I was able to read this book through NetGalley and I was truly not disappointed.

Grandma Goldie is on a mission to get her granddaughter Aimee to the Eiffel Tower before the sun goes down, but Aimee has different plans. The adventure ensues that the duo find amazing wonders throughout the city of "Paree" that all tourist should experience.

The relationship between Grandma Goldie and Aimee was well defined and loving. In a sense I was jealous, but this isn't a place for therapy sessions. Blumberg did a great job of bringing the story to life with the adventure and Renee Andriani did a great job of bringing the characters off the page and into my heart with her illustrations.

I highly recommend this book for any child. My only complaint is that I wish I had a physical copy vs. a digital for I feel that a physical copy of this book would portray the story a lot easier for a child to read.

Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner

I've never been pregnant and I don't plan on it in the near future despite family objections. However, I found Little Earthquakes, by Jennifer Weiner, to be a delight in comedy and drama of the trials and tribulations of pregnancy. 

In Little Earthquakes, Weiner takes the reader on the ride of four women all in different points of their lives facing the impending birth of their children. 

From emotionally absent husbands to monster mother in laws, each woman learns to ride out the storm of hormonal emotions as the days tick by for each of their delivery dates. 

Weiner does a great job of bringing comedy into sometimes a very stressful situation. Her characters each grow both physically and personally through the journey of pregnancy. Acceptance of what they cannot control becomes a large hurdle for each. 

I don't want to give too much of this book away as Weiner has a great sense of humor in the context of what pregnancy can do on all relationships, not just with the father. Many reviews state that this would be a great book for new mothers or the complete contrast. Honestly I think this would be a great book for anyone with a sense of humor to the process of life. While the story is wrapped around motherhood and pregnancy, the outlook of life's "little earthquakes" is what brings the reader into the story. 

I truly loved this book, but I will admit it took me three attempts to read it. I started this book years ago as an impulse buy at the grocery store. A few years and a third attempt later I have become a true fan of Jennifer Weiner's. This is one of my go-to books for any of my female friends looking for reading recommendations from my "read" box of books. And truthfully it has turned many of my friends into Weiner fans as well.

As I have read many of the recommendations for this book I feel its likely a book that requires one to build their own personal opinion on. I recommend this book highly, but everyone sees life events such as pregnancy differently. I laugh at every event in my life. From death to illness to birthday parties, I find comfort in laughing and make those laugh around me. Which I'm assured is why I love this book so much. 

If you have read this book let me know what your opinion was in the comments. 

Lily Lemon Blossom Welcome to Lily's Room by Barbara Miller

This is my first Children's book review. I decided to add these into my reviews as I've been studying children's books for a while now. I'm in the process of writing two children's book series and since I am only a parent to a fur child I don't have children to read too. However, I'm pretty sure that Charlie isn't arguing with me reading to him like a two legged human.

On with the review!

Lily Lemon Blossom the title in itself is a mouthful, this book by Barbara Miller brings you into the descriptive details of Lily's room.

I found the illustrations to be inviting and easy to follow. The descriptions given for each aspect of a child's room, such as the music box are simple and sweet. They allow for the reader to understand each aspect of the story.

Lily's adventures with her toys and room decor brought me back to my own childhood with tea parties and dress-up. However, I found no story behind the book. I was expecting reasoning behind the dolls and dresses, but the description itself provided nothing more than the idea that this was Lily's room.

This is great for children age 5 and under in my eyes, as there is not much to be gained from a storyline. Truthfully for some children who read this, they may find some type of jealousy inside for Lily has a lot of toys in her room. Some of which many children will never see or play with.

At a price of Free for Amazon Kindle I would recommend this for two things alone. The illustrative drawings and price. The story needs more fluff and understanding for me to enjoy it further. I was hoping that Lily would have gone on an adventure instead I felt empty with just a description of her room.

I do feel that this is a great start to a story line for Lily Lemon Blossom and will have in inquire about Miller's other books based on this character to maintain a further opinion on the series.

Overall for a price of free, its worth seeing if your child will like it before investing in the series.

New For 2015

First I want to say Thank you to all of my readers! Whether you subscribe, follow me through social media or word of mouth I want to say thank you to all of you for hanging in there with me through the last year.

This is the first time in all of my blogging years that I have ever reached over 1000 views and I wouldn't have been able to do it without all of you!

Onward, a new year brings on new challenges. After some careful consideration, I have decided to add reviews of Children's and Young Adult books this year as well. My reviews for this genre will be posted every Tuesday (Tot Tuesday as I call it). I'm excited about this because I have been working on my own children's book series and find this is just one more addition to my own personal study of the art of writing.

If you are an author and have a book that you would like a review please drop me a comment with the title and a link where I can find it for purchase.

You can also log onto my other blog The Queen Bee where I talk about writing, reading, and the world of working in communications and marketing.

And don't forget to find me on facebook and twitter.

Mrs. Whippy By Cecelia Ahern

Have you ever experienced utter despair where you can't even think of the idea of functioning let alone find the courage to do so?
In Mrs. Whippy by Cecelia Ahern, Emelda finds herself at the depths of broken relationships and swimming in self-pity.

Emelda spent her whole life devoted to her husband, Charlie, and five boys. Suddenly her life is turned upside down with a divorce and the fight to find a balance between her new life, her difficult children, and her scathing ex-husband becomes all too consuming. Cliche to breakups, Emelda finds comfort in her only joy, ice cream, but with that Emelda soon finds something much more,

Emelda finds new pieces of herself in this remarkably well-written short story as she enters into a new life on her own.

This is my first piece by Ahern, best known for PS. I Love You. But after finishing this I quickly ordered a few others for my Kindle that will be read sometime throughout the year.

Ape House by Sara Gruen

I love books that I can't put down, Ape House by Sara Gruen was exactly one of those novels. Truthfully I didn't even realize that this was the same author of Water for Elephants until I was halfway through the book.

Sara's career as an author seems to creep up on me in an extremely good way. I loved Water for Elephants, so I was not surprised by her talent in this tantalizing story.

John Thigpen, a journalist, who's career and marriage is on the rocks when he is brought to the Ape House after an explosion in which the caretaker of the Ape's, Isabel, is injured. Isabel's family is with the Apes, she understands them, she loves them and cares for them as if they were her own. So when the Apes are captured and blasted over media for entertainment she has to get her family back.

The story is full of twist and turns for both John and Isabel who are both on a journey of holding their families together in this disaster of animal rights protests. This book is vastly different in Water for Elephants and I feel that comparing Gruen's work is unnecessary in that aspect. Her love for animals is honest and true which is well seen in both books. However, the relationships she has built are challenging in both stories and therefore Ape House cannot be truly compared to Water for Elephants.

Ape House provides the reader a look into a man's mind as he worries and wallows in his misfortunes that are of his career and marriage. The thoughts and feelings of a man in these situations are usually hidden, even in real life, so to have them brought forth gives the reader an understanding that man are not robotic non-emotional humans.

I recommend Ape House time and time again to those who ask for suggestions. It's not your viral best seller (as I call them), but this is a well established author with her own political and personal beliefs weaved into each book, something that I find makes for a great author in general.