Book Reviews | Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™

FALLING by Jane Green

July 19, 2016

Click to purchase

Emma Montague is a British transplant of the manor born. She moves to New York to pursue a high powered career in banking until she just burns out on it. She then moves to Westport, Connecticut and finds an old, very dated house for rent near the beach. The landlord, Dominic, is a good looking single father who, as it turns out, lives right next door with his 6 year old son, Jesse.

There is instant chemistry between them, but not the fireworks kind, more the comfortable kind. When you meet someone and you feel like you’ve known them forever, somehow.

Emma is trying to figure out what to do with her life and for the first time, finally feels like she’s found a home. The house is so dated with it’s pink shag carpeting that it gives Emma something to do, something she loves. She decides to start looking for work in interior design.

Dominic is a carpenter and a bartender, and he invites Emma to visit him at work. He buys her drinks, but is dating a young hottie. Eventually they both realize that there is something undeniable between them, and they fall into bed and in love.

Jesse loves Emma, until he finds her sleeping in his father’s bed. It’s just been the two of them since his mother took off after he was born, and he doesn’t want to share. Their relationship is rocky but Emma works hard at it and eventually wears the little fella down.

This is not a romance, happily ever after type book but instead a look at the different relationships we form in our lives and how they grow and change. The characters are so well drawn that I was completely hooked, but I couldn’t see where it was going until I reached the stunning conclusion. Another excellent read from Jane Green.

7/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

FALLING by Jane Green. Berkley (July 19, 2016). ISBN: 978-0399583285. 384p.

Kindle

Audible

Comments Off on FALLING by Jane Green | Book Reviews, Fiction, Women's Fiction | Tagged: Audiobook | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

NIGHT AND DAY by Iris Johansen

July 18, 2016

Click to purchase

An Eve Duncan Novel, Book 21

The action starts on page one as Eve is pregnant, Joe Quinn is hovering about, and they are protecting a young girl, Cara, from her murderous mother. They are all hiding in Scotland; Jock is keeping a close eye on the girl, Eve’s daughter, Jane, is there as well, helping MacDuff look for Cira’s gold.

Eve’s deceased daughter, Bonnie, still speaks to her, Jane hears things in the Scottish mists, and Caleb can do things to people’s blood from killing men to making Jane lust for him. There are a lot of paranormal elements going on in this story that moves from Scotland to Russia as Cara is snatched by her mother, Natalie, a complete sociopath who is planning her demise. Jock is hot on her trail, Eve is too, and all confusion is laid to rest by novel’s end.

Iris Johansen fans will undoubtedly enjoy the conclusion to this story arc in the Eve Duncan series while new readers will be best served starting with book 19, Shadow Play, where this story arc begins, or even book 20, Hide Away.

7/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

NIGHT AND DAY by Iris Johansen. St. Martin’s Press (July 19, 2016). ISBN 978-1250075833. 352p.

Kindle

1 Comment | Book Reviews, Crime Fiction, Fiction | Tagged: Thriller | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

SUMMIT by Harry Farthing

July 15, 2016

Click to purchase

The first time author trying to write a novel is normally advised to utilize the known parameters of his or her own experience. Harry Farthing has done just that in coming out with a book revolving around attempts to climb Mount Everest, the highest peak currently known to man.

Farthing’s background includes a try at Everest as well as climbs up many of the famous peaks of the world. His intimate knowledge of the skills, tools and equipment needed for what appears to be the most exacting task possible come out in what is an excellent novel centered on reaching Everest’s peak.

The book revolves around two separate attempts on Mount Everest about 70 years apart. The first try centers on Josef Becker, who was a soldier in the German army at the beginning of World War II. He committed an infraction and awaited a punishment of death.

Coincidentally, Heinrich Himmler came up with the idea that scaling Everest and planting the Nazi flag on the summit would be a blow to the British. Becker had grown up in an area of Germany in which mountain climbing was widely practiced and was considered an expert. Himmler assigned Becker to make a climb on Everest with punishment for his family probable if the attempt was not successful, but pardon for him if successful and the Nazi flag planted.

Seventy years later Neil Quinn, a professional guide with eight successfully led expeditions to Everest’s peak, loses a customer, the young son of a wealthy American business man. In that unfortunate climb, Quinn finds an old ice axe embellished with a Nazi swastika and due to a decline in his reputation, has time to begin attempting to find out what happened 70 years ago to Becker.

Equipment and events revolving around a climb are explained quite well by Farthing, and the stresses and strains are described obviously by a person involved with these. The writing goes back and forth between Becker and Quinn, with no loss of continuity. The ending is not at all telegraphed, but so appropriate for the book that it becomes a capstone of what the reader has in all probability stayed up at night to read.

Extremely well done and surely the first of many books by Harry Farthing.

7/16 Paul Lane

SUMMIT by Harry Farthing. Blackstone Publishing; Unabridged edition (June 14, 2016). ISBN 978-1504710213. 496p.

Comments Off on SUMMIT by Harry Farthing | Book Reviews, Crime Fiction, Fiction | Tagged: Adventure | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

NINE WOMEN, ONE DRESS by Jane L. Rosen

July 13, 2016

Click to purchase

I don’t know if you’ve flown anywhere lately, but JetBlue asked me to get to the airport at least two hours early. My cab driver took a direct route, we missed the traffic on the George Washington bridge and I got to the airport a little earlier than I needed to. Of course I zipped right through TSA and got to spend all that time before my flight reading this fabulous book. Let me tell you I have never enjoyed waiting at an airport more!

It seems like once every year or so, an enchanting book falls into my lap. Books like The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin, or Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple. I am delighted to add Rosen to this list. Nine Women, One Dress is a completely compelling, utterly charming book and I loved every page.

So, the dress. The little black dress, the “it” dress that everyone (i.e. everyone important) has to have. Honestly, I kept thinking of the “blue and black or white and gold” internet sensation last year, but I digress. This book starts with the soon to be retired Morris, the pattern maker of this year’s dress. His family sent him to America on his own from Poland when he was 13 years old, and you can fill in the rest. The model who wore the dress is a fresh face right out of the deep South, and it makes her career.

Some of the other women are Felicia, who’s been in love with her married boss for almost as long as she’s worked for him. Recently widowed, Arthur is oblivious and dating a woman his daughter’s age. Until the sales folk at Bloomingdale’s get involved. One of them, Natalie, wears the dress as the hot date for a Hollywood celebrity who’s been outed.

Each chapter is told from the point of view of a different character, and the story becomes richer and more complex as the pages turn in what is also a love letter to New York City. And Bloomingdales – I was happy to see that storyline, I’m a long time fan of the store.

If I could gift every one of you a copy of this book, I would. I was so sorry to turn the last page and spent the ride home from the airport telling my family all about it. I still can’t shut up about it – I’ve reserved it for several of my library patrons today.

I can guarantee that Nine Women, One Dress will be on my Best Books of 2016 list. Don’t miss it.

7/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

NINE WOMEN, ONE DRESS by Jane L. Rosen. Doubleday (July 12, 2016). ISBN: 978-0385541404. 272p.

Kindle

Audible

Audio CD

Comments Off on NINE WOMEN, ONE DRESS by Jane L. Rosen | Book Reviews, Fiction, Women's Fiction | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

WITH MALICE by Eileen Cook

July 11, 2016

Click to purchase

Jill was looking forward to her trip to Italy – a chance to walk the very streets and alleys as some of her intellectual heroes. It was also a chance to spend some time with her best friend, Simone, with no parents over their shoulders. It was to be a true adventure.

But Jill is in the hospital with no memory of how she got there. She’s told she was in an accident in Italy. One so bad that the last six weeks or so have been wiped from her memory. She doesn’t remember the accident, she certainly doesn’t remember the trip, and she definitely doesn’t remember killing Simone. Without her memory to help her, she has no way of proving that the crime she’s been accused of never took place, but she knows without a doubt that she would never have killed her best friend. Never.

A trip to Italy and an American girl accused of murder might sound familiar but interestingly Cook says With Malice was not actually inspired by the Amanda Knox case, only somewhat shaped by it as the story progressed. And the story itself bears little similarity to Knox’s except for the basics: setting and the accused.

Much of the book is focused on Jill’s time in therapy and her attempts to unravel the truth about her final days in Italy. Reports claim there was a boy involved. They also claim that Jill and Simone had been arguing for much of the trip. And since Jill’s father had her quickly shipped back to the States, the Italian police are desperate to make a case for bringing Jill back to Italy to face trial. The pacing is quick and intensified by the fact that our own main character’s resolve about her innocence is shaken as the story progresses.

With Malice is an excellent psychological suspense tale, one that is sure to appeal to teens and adults alike.

7/16 Becky LeJeune

WITH MALICE by Eileen Cook. HMH Books for Young Readers (June 7, 2016). ISBN: 978-0544805095. 320p.

Kindle

Comments Off on WITH MALICE by Eileen Cook | Book Reviews, Crime Fiction, Fiction | Tagged: Young Adult | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

THE HATCHING by Ezekiel Boone

July 9, 2016

Click to purchase

The Hatching Series, Book 1

Boone proves himself a master craftsman in the first book in a series about a hatching and emergence of a species that has lain dormant for hundreds of thousands of years.

Descriptions are posted about the sudden appearance in different areas of the world of a black slithering mass that attacks every living thing it encounters. A tourist in the interior part of Peru is actually eaten by the mass. The Chinese government “accidentally” drops a nuclear bomb in a section of their country. Strange seismic activity registers in India.

While the world is shaken by these events, a package is delivered to a laboratory in Washington, D.C with something contained that is definitely trying to get out. The developing of the narrative offers a crescendo of horror that will shake the reader.

Emanating in all probability from a millennium old hibernation period starting in prehistoric times what it is becomes a logical event when the life forms of that period are considered. It is huge, predatory and determined to resurrect its place in nature’s scheme of things.

A brilliantly conceived and developing scenario what it is will just straight out keep the reader up and looking behind him or her while engrossed in the book. This, the first book of the series, sets the stage for what is obviously to develop into a fight for survival by the human race with the cards stacked against it.

7/16 Paul Lane

THE HATCHING by Ezekiel Boone. Atria/Emily Bestler Books (July 5, 2016). ISBN 978-1501125041. 352p.

Comments Off on THE HATCHING by Ezekiel Boone | Book Reviews, Fiction, Horror | Tagged: medical thriller | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

HOUSE OF SECRETS by Brad Meltzer & Tod Goldberg

July 7, 2016

Click to purchase

Brad Meltzer has demonstrated his lifelong interest in discovering hidden aspects of historical events. In addition to books dedicated towards fact, he has also written fiction utilizing Beecher White. a young archivist employed by the National Archives in Washington. White is shown discovering hidden stories, unknown facts tied to historical events.

In House of Secrets, Meltzer introduces a new protagonist, Hazel Nash, who has been taught from the age of six that mysteries need to be solved. Her father/teacher, Jack Nash, had hosted a long term show exposing conspiracies called, “The House of Secrets”.

We meet Hazel as she is recovering from an auto accident which killed her father and injured her brother. She has completely lost her memory from the trauma. She is visited in the hospital by an agent from the FBI who begins questioning her about her father and the body of a man with a book stuffed into his chest. The book is believed to have belonged to Benedict Arnold, the most famous traitor in American history.

Leaving the hospital, Hazel finds material in her house that she cannot remember obtaining nor have any reason to get. There is a large collection of guns and she has scars on her face that she doesn’t recall suffering. When Hazel digs into these mysteries, she begins to discover facts about her father that show him to be a very different person than he seemed to be.

What does Benedict Arnold’s book have to do with her father and why was it sewn into a dead man’s chest? What are the realities of her father’s directing the TV show?

A very engrossing novel, and one that leads the reader through an apparent maze into a logical conclusion with the possibility of a different direction in one of history’s events than normally perceived. Hazel appears to be developed into another protagonist for Brad Meltzer and his new writing partner, Tod Goldberg, that can expand the horizons of historical discovery into the international sphere.

7/16 Paul Lane

HOUSE OF SECRETS by Brad Meltzer & Tod Goldberg. Grand Central Publishing (June 7, 2016). ISBN 978-1455559497. 368p.

Comments Off on HOUSE OF SECRETS by Brad Meltzer & Tod Goldberg | Book Reviews, Crime Fiction, Fiction | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

ONCE UPON A MOONLIT NIGHT by Elizabeth Hoyt

July 6, 2016

Click to purchase ebook

A Maiden Lane Novella

Hippolyta Royle has just escaped from a kidnapper. This is no ordinary kidnapper, however. No ransom was involved; instead the kidnapper, a Duke, wants to marry the wealthy heiress, but she’s not interested. More to the point, she wants out and with the help of a kind maid, makes her escape, wearing borrowed, ill fitting clothes and running through the rainy woods, the hounds after her.

Eventually she makes it to the road, a mud splattered mess, where she flags down a passing coach, begging a ride. The occupant, Mr. Matthew Mortimer, takes pity on her, thinking her to be a poor beggar girl or perhaps even a prostitute.

They have quite the adventure as they travel to London, where they each find out the other’s true identity and realize they are meant to be together.

This is a novella and available as an ebook or audiobook only, so I can’t say how long it is exactly. I can say I read it in an hour or so and enjoyed it. Hoyt is a good storyteller, and that comes across even in this abbreviated format.

7/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

ONCE UPON A MOONLIT NIGHT by Elizabeth Hoyt. Forever Yours (July 5, 2016). ASIN: B01CDDAF88. 464p.

Audible

Audio CD

Comments Off on ONCE UPON A MOONLIT NIGHT by Elizabeth Hoyt | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance | Tagged: Novella | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

THE TRAP by Melanie Raabe

July 5, 2016

Click to purchase

Linda Conrads is agoraphobic, suffers from depression, anxiety, hallucinations and panic attacks, and hasn’t left her home since her sister was murdered eleven years earlier.

Fortunately, Linda is a very successful novelist so she has the means to live her life isolated on a luxurious estate. Unfortunately, Linda had discovered her sister’s body, caught a glimpse of the murderer as he left the apartment, and been haunted by the scene for years.

Her only links to the outside world are her editor, her part time assistant, and the television. She is watching the news when she suddenly realizes the reporter, Victor Lenzen, is her sister’s murderer.

She decides to set a trap; she writes a thriller utilizing all the details of her sister’s murder, then arranges for her first interview in twelve years – with Victor Lenzen. Linda hopes to maneuver him into a confession, but her careful plan goes horribly awry.

A fast, twisty read for fans of Paula Hawkins and Gillian Flynn. Not for me.

7/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE TRAP by Melanie Raabe. Grand Central Publishing (July 5, 2016). ISBN 978-1455592920. 352p.

Kindle

Comments Off on THE TRAP by Melanie Raabe | Book Reviews, Crime Fiction, Fiction | Tagged: Thriller | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

HAMILTON: THE REVOLUTION by by Lin-Manuel Miranda & Jeremy McCarter

July 4, 2016

Click to purchase

Last fall, I was watching The View and Whoopi Goldberg raved about this new Broadway musical she had just seen. I was intrigued, and since I was planning a trip to NY this summer, looked into buying tickets. They were out of my price range, around $300 a ticket, so I didn’t buy them. That was a mistake – the weekend I was looking at coincides with Lin-Manuel Miranda’s last performance and that $300 ticket is now selling for thousands of dollars. I still wouldn’t have seen the show but I could have made enough to see several other shows!

My library offers Hoopla, a streaming service that offers music, movies, audiobooks and more. They have the Hamilton soundtrack, and I’ve checked it out several times now. This book is just the icing on the cake for me. It’s really gorgeous, the paper is just perfect for the subject, and there are dozens of interesting pictures. If you’ve seen the show, you will want this book (or so I hear!) and if you haven’t, like me, you can enjoy it vicariously through this book. Add the soundtrack and you can have Hamilton magic without ever leaving home!

From Amazon:

Winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Eleven Tony Awards, including Best Musical

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s groundbreaking musical Hamilton is as revolutionary as its subject, the poor kid from the Caribbean who fought the British, defended the Constitution, and helped to found the United States. Fusing hip-hop, pop, R&B, and the best traditions of theater, this once-in-a-generation show broadens the sound of Broadway, reveals the storytelling power of rap, and claims our country’s origins for a diverse new generation.

HAMILTON: THE REVOLUTION gives readers an unprecedented view of both revolutions, from the only two writers able to provide it. Miranda, along with Jeremy McCarter, a cultural critic and theater artist who was involved in the project from its earliest stages–“since before this was even a show,” according to Miranda–traces its development from an improbable performance at the White House to its landmark opening night on Broadway six years later. In addition, Miranda has written more than 200 funny, revealing footnotes for his award-winning libretto, the full text of which is published here.

Their account features photos by the renowned Frank Ockenfels and veteran Broadway photographer, Joan Marcus; exclusive looks at notebooks and emails; interviews with Questlove, Stephen Sondheim, leading political commentators, and more than 50 people involved with the production; and multiple appearances by President Obama himself. The book does more than tell the surprising story of how a Broadway musical became a national phenomenon: It demonstrates that America has always been renewed by the brash upstarts and brilliant outsiders, the men and women who don’t throw away their shot.

hamilton 2 hamilton 3 hamilton 4

7/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

HAMILTON: THE REVOLUTION by by Lin-Manuel Miranda & Jeremy McCarter. Grand Central Publishing; First Edition edition (April 12, 2016). ISBN: 978-1455539741. 288p.

Kindle

Audible

Audio CD

Comments Off on HAMILTON: THE REVOLUTION by by Lin-Manuel Miranda & Jeremy McCarter | Book Reviews, Nonfiction | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi