One of the January Books I Loved
True Places
An Emotionally Gripping and Beautifully Descriptive Must Read
January is a fabulous month to cuddle up with a good book! BSR is sporting twelve new reviews this month, four of which were five stars! It is so hard to pick just one, but one of my favorite books in January was True Places by Sonja Yoerg.
True Places is remarkable descriptive novel that will lose you in its emotionally gripping pages. The protagonist, Suzanne Blakemore is hurtling through her typically busy day when she spots a figure lying in the middle of the road. She stops her car and discovered a young malnourished girl in need of medical attention. As she rushes the girl to the hospital, she never imagines how this encounter will change her life, a change that is desperately needed. True Places was published January 1, 2019. BSR will be hosting a GIVEAWAY for True Places in February! Stay Tuned!
"Sometimes it takes a stranger to show you what should be obvious, how far you've drifted from who you want to be, from what's right for you, your true place."
-True Places
Author of Note
SONJA YOERG
Sonia Yoerg grew up in Stowe, Vermont, where she financed her college education by waitressing at the Trapp Family Lodge. She earned a PhD in biological psychology from the University of California, Berkeley and published a nonfiction book about animal intelligence, Clever as a Fox in 2001. She started writing full-time when her daughters were heading to college. She has now written four novels. Her debut novel, Housebroken was released in January 2015, followed by Middle of Somewhere in September 2015, and All the Best People in May 2017.
I have read All the Best People and loved it as much as True Places. Sonja's said her favorite scenes to write involve family dynamics, especially with teens in the mix. With all the family members present, and all the conflicts and alliances laid bare, the scenes, write themselves. Sonja writes in a beautifully descriptive manner and I highly recommend anything and everything she writes!
Other Great Books Published in January
Books Publishing in February
The Night Olivia Fell is a fabulous suspenseful story of a mother's fight for the truth. Abi Knight is startled awake by the ringing of the phone in the early hours of the morning. It’s a call no mother ever wants to get. Her daughter, Olivia, is at the hospital. She had fallen off a bridge. Olivia is not only brain dead, but she is also pregnant and must remain on life support to keep her baby alive. The police are not investigating the fall, despite bruises on her wrists. Abi is livid by the lack of action and is determine to find out what happened on the bridge. (5 Stars)
The Girls at 17 Swann Street is a beautiful and yet haunting tale. Anna Roux was a professional dancer who followed the man of her dreams from Paris to St. Louis, Missouri. There, she spirals down anorexia and depression until she weighs a mere 88 pounds. Forced to seek treatment she is admitted as a patient at 17 Swann Street, a peach, pink house, where pale, fragile women with life-threatening eating disorders live. Anna, together with the other women in the house must fight their demons every minute of every day to survive.
January Reviews of Older Books
Love and Other Consolation Prizes by Jamie Ford was published in September 2017. It was recommended by a good friend so I thought I would give it a try, and I am so glad I did. It's inspired by a true story of an Chinese orphan boy who was raffled off at Seattle's 1909 World's Fair. Ernest becomes a houseboy in one of the most famous brothels in Seattle. Ernest's story, both past and present (1962) is touching and spellbinding. I listened to this book on audible and loved it. 4 Stars!
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid was published in June 2017. It was a mesmerizing historical fiction story of the intimate life of one of Hollywood's most glamorous icons. I was totally enamoured with Evelyn's larger than life story and her character. A truly strong woman. She was full of flaws and questionable decisions, but those are the things that brought her to life on the pages of the book. I listened to this book on audible and found it fascinating. 4 Stars!
"No matter how strong you are, no matter how smart you are or tough you can be, the world will find a way to break you. And when it does the only thing you can do is hold on. “ -The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Great Audible Listens
Several of the books I listened to in January were Audible books. If you like listening to books, check out these two wonderful picks. There is nothing better than listening to a book when you are walking off those extra holiday pounds! You'll lose two pounds for every book you read while walking.
The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict was published on Audible January 8th and if you like strong women characters in books, this is the author and the book for you! It's an historical fictional account of Hedy Lamarr's early life, her disturbing marriage, her glamourous Hollywood stardom and her brilliant inventions to help the Allies defeat the Nazi's. But its really about so much more. Marie Benedict is passionate about shining the light on hidden roles of women in our history and rewriting them back into the narrative. She has also written female historical fiction novels, The Other Einstein (2016) and Carnegie's Maid (2018). (5 Stars)
Another of my favorites audible book this month was No Exit by Taylor Adams. It was released on Audible January 15. This was a relentlessly scary thriller with an unlikely heroine. Darby Thorne is a college student stranded at the Colorado mountain rest stop in the middle of a blizzard. She’s on her way home to see her sick mother. She’ll have to spend the night at the rest stop with four complete strangers. Then she stumbles across a little girl locked inside one of their cars. There is no cell phone reception, no telephone, and no way out. Darby can’t even imagine which one of the travelers is the kidnapper or how she could possibly help this little girl. The movie rights for No Exit were purchased by 20th Century Fox in 2017. Can't wait! (4 Stars)
"Sometimes God puts people exactly where they need to be. Even when they don't know it.” -No Exit
What's On My Nightstand!
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And don't forget to stay tuned for an upcoming giveaway for True Places. Thanks for reading!
Lisa Harvey
