Callie McGraw is an overachieving lawyer in New York City who just got laid off.  Now, Callie is listless, drifting through life when an old friend gives her a job opportunity in San Francisco in six months. Callie makes a last minute decision to spend her six months in Spain thanks to a strange phone call from her favorite deceased author, Ernest Hemmingway.  Callie begins in Barcelona where she quickly finds fellow aimless American, Trevor.  The two hit it off and enjoy Spain in all of it's excess, always with a glass of wine in hand.  Soon, Claudio, a Spaniard also in transition joins their group.  The trio journey to Madrid and Pamplona, taking in all the comforts Spain has to offer.  Following Hemmingway's advice, they find themselves at the Running of the Bulls where Callie decides to face her fears.

Finding Hemingway is intriguing  contemporary fiction with a dash of magical realism.  I really loved the plot device of Callie receiving phone calls from Hemingway, I wish one of my favorite authors would call and give me advice!  Callie was a difficult character to like.  Right from the beginning, Callie came off as boastful, selfish, and judgmental.  Though the story was a journey of growth for Callie, she seemed to grow in fits and spurts, often revealing more unflattering parts of herself before working on another.  I was more compelled by Callie's travelling companion's Trevor and Claudio.  Trevor and Claudio both had an air of mystery about their lives, backstories and why they are aimlessly travelling around Spain.  I did enjoy reading about the many different locations that the group explored, especially the museums, restaurants and clubs.  I especially liked the in-depth descriptions of the traditions surrounding the Running of the Bulls and the course itself.  The ending was satisfying and I'm glad Callie found her Hemingway.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. ​

​Jessica Wheaton is constantly bullied by Denise Bower.  The last thing that Jessica ever expects is to wake up in Denise's bed and in her body.  She is immediately accused of drug usage and assaulted by Denise's father then further chewed out by Denise's mother.  Jessica, who is usually a straight A student, struggles in Denise's body as teachers only expect the worst from her.  Jessica in Denise's body also can't get Denise to admit that she is in her body and Jessica quickly spirals into self destruction and drugs in Denise's body.  Jessica takes Denise's through a series of risky choices, prostitution and illicit drug uses and she spirals out of control, reliving Denise's memories and forgetting herself. 

Enemy Self is an intriguing read with a lot of potential; however, had me confused throughout.  I liked the premise of being switched into your bully's body to gain perspective on their life.  This story only focused on Jessica as Denise though, so the perspective Denise as Jessica gains is completely lost.  There is a hint of how Jessica and Denise switched bodies in the very beginning, but nothing was fully explained until a large info dump at the end.  I think things would have been far less confusing if the paranormal element was carried throughout the story.  Jessica as Denise seemed like a very weak character, she immediately forgot every character trait that Jessica had: hardworking, kind, intelligent and embodied everything she disliked about Denise. Jessica's voice was also odd for a teenager who was supposed to be in middle school as she says things such as " Golly, I felt like a goofy kid again."  A firmer setting also would have lent more understanding to the story, a single mention of the year being 1969  more than half way through is the only mention of the time period, which instantly made many things make more sense.  Even with all this, the story pulled me forward as I desperately wanted to know what was going on and if the two girls would ever switch back.  The whole story is an interesting examination of a teenager's downward spiral and the dangers of unsupportive parents and teachers. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

Fifteen year old Laurel Summers has just lost her mother, her brother, Rowan and sister, Tansy in a horrific car accident.  Now, all that's left of their family is Laurel and her father.  Laurel's father is dealing with severe depression and grief as he leaves Laurel to attend a bereavement camp and improve his mental health.  Laurel's father leaving her is just a little too much for her to handle, Laurel begins to spiral.  She has her best friends to lean on, Hanna, who is practical and knowledgeable and Lyssa who is unpredictable and insightful to help ground her in reality as she tries to help her father by finding a rowan leaf and tansy flower that he was so desperately searching for. 


Laurel Everywhere is an insightful exploration into a teenager's grief.  From the very beginning, when Laurel was left in her namesake bush, I could feel her grief, frustration and anger rolling off of the page.  Laurel sees herself as the family peacekeeper between her older brother Rowan and younger sister Tansy but can't seem to find her own peace as she still sees the ghosts of her deceased family members.  It was interesting to read Laurel's thoughts and mental breakdown as she not only dealt with the death of her siblings and mother, but what she felt like was abandonment from her father as dealt with his own grief.  Laurel's inner dialogue also deals with her coming to terms with her sexuality while dealing with the fact that Hanna is someone she can reliably lean on, but does not want to talk about their relationship.  I liked that Laurel's sexuality was not at the forefront of the story, rather just one more normal thing that a fifteen-year old girl is dealing with.  The ending did not tie everything up neatly, since dealing with grief is a long process, yet it showed hope and healthy steps in the right direction for Laurel and her father.  

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. ​

​Graham's life has not been easy. His parents died when he was young, then Graham was placed with an abusive foster parent. Now, Graham has found himself in jail.  However, he has been offered a deal to live in The City, hidden away from the outside world, given a job and a home, but bound forever to The City.  The City is ruled by The Man, a monstrous figure with many robotic arms.  The Man wants Graham to have a job in advertising and eventually becomes a tester for the new Pow! sodas.  With one sip of the orange Pow! soda Graham feels intense emotion and addiction.  With each new flavor he tries, Graham's emotional world is opened up as well as the reality of The City and the lives of the people imprisoned there. 


Orange City is an emotional journey through a dystopian future.  The City itself drew me in and is created as a grim reminder of how humanity could end up- constantly monitored, fearing an unseen leader and enslaved by consumerism and drugs. I had so many questions about The City, The Man and the Grand Plan.  Graham's story was intriguing as he discovered that he was not just another cog in the wheel. The idea of the Pow! sodas controlling emotions was fascinating as Graham was led down a rabbit hole of emotion and color with each corresponding flavor.  The flavors and colors almost seemed to go along with the sins; however, it is only through these sins that Graham realizes the truth behind The City.  Orange City ended a little abruptly and a little too easily; however, with Graham's discovery it seems that the power of POW! isn't going to stop at The City.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review

​ A devastating earthquake hits Portland in the year 2030.  The earthquake instantly kills, injuries and cuts off many from clean water, food and medical help.  Among the survivors are the dysfunctional Sparrow family. Eldest sibling, Olivia, the keeper of the family trauma, is attempting to get out of downtown and back to her daughter and family home.  Sherman, owner of a dispensary bed and breakfast and Morgan, the family risk taker are both at the family home taking care of their aging father, Clyde along with Olivia's daughter, Melanie and Clyde's nurse, Wanda when the quake hits. The unlikely team of survivors now must make decisions that impact others as well as themselves.  While they are trying to sort through the trauma, the Sparrows uncover the source of their family strife, a secret that their family kept for decades that hurt many others along the way. 

Faultland is an unexpected family drama that slowly unfolds after a major earthquake Portland. Set ten years in the future, the consequences of the current COVID-19 pandemic and fallout from the Trump presidency play a large part in how the world now works. It was interesting to see how this impacted daily life in the not too distant future.  Faultland is carried by the characters. None of the characters are especially good, and I didn't find myself rooting for anyone in particular.  The earthquake forced the Sparrow siblings to come to terms with their childhood and make decisions for the greater good that they would have never made before.  The secret that Clyde had kept had far reaching effects. The author weaves parts of the secret through the story through the memories of each character so that it seems more important to their personal stories than the whole at first and does not fully connect till the end.  

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

​An assortment of thirteen objects washed ashore on Traigh Lar Beach inspired this collection of short stories and a novella as the author explores the stories of the people behind the objects and how the objects found their way to the water.  Every story had very well developed characters and I felt immediately transported to each of the different settings.  In many instances, the objects were not the main focus of the story, rather the character's interactions with the object.  The stories were tied together by the emotional impact, the objects held memories of grief, sadness or melancholy and releasing those feelings. The last object, a concert badge, led to a novella called The Fan Girls.  I was absorbed into this story that centered around four women's varying degrees of obsession with the lead singer of a Scottish band, Datha.  The four women all came from different backgrounds and led very different lives, but were all able to bond and come together surrounding Datha's music.  However, obsession has many forms and some can be dangerous. Overall, On Traigh Lar Beach is a thoughtful, moving and genuine short story collection.  

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

Portia Malatesta is an art dealer who was utterly devastated by the theft of thirteen pieces of art from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum where she is a docent.  Portia is even more upset that The Concert, a piece that reminded Portia of her deceased brother, Antonio is one of the missing pieces.  In an attempt to help find the missing pieces and make sense of the theft. Portia begins to analyze the pieces and put together a profile of the thief.  A chance meeting leads Portia to the FBI, who is interested in her profile.  When her information leads the FBI to a credible suspect, Portia is recruited to take part in the mission to recover the artwork.  The suspect is the son-in-law of a Columbian drug lord, leading Portia to one of the most dangerous places in Mexico. 

In 1990, thirteen pieces of art were stolen from the Gardner Museum.  However, unlike this story, they were never recovered.  The Gardner Museum theft is still an active and ongoing investigation.  The story pulled me in with Portia's passion for artwork and the author's ability to describe the pieces I have never seen.  The pacing is a little slow at first with a lot of discussion about art and why someone would have stolen the specific pieces.  While this is all fascinating, it was a lot of dialogue and rehashing some of what the reader already knew.  The pace did pick up as Portia was scouted by the FBI and sent to Mexico.  The suspense of Portia being up close and personal with the suspected thief and his family added danger as well as a sense of humanity to an art thief.  Portia's time in Mexico revealed how the drug trade transformed some Mexican cities as well as the lifestyles of everyone nearby.  It seemed almost impossible to stay out of the business as everything was connected.  I was compelled by the psychology of the pieces and what they would have meant for the thief.   Portia's insights pay off for an exciting and satisfying conclusion, if only this were true for the real pieces of stolen artwork. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

Fresh water has become scarce and is now a commodity.  The Water Train brings water to the city, but is constantly being sabotaged and must be closely guarded.  Glaciers are now being towed in as a source of fresh water.  An Ice Dock must be constructed to support the giant glacier, moving entire communities in its wake.   As news of the displacement from the Ice Dock spreads, the lives of several people become entwined by the element that keeps us alive. 

Stillicide is defined as:  a continual dripping or the servitude of eavesdrop binding a servient tenement to receive from the dominant tenement rainwater from the eaves of a building located on the latter.  Stillicide is a collection of short stories all taking place within the same time frame around a future dystopian city in England struggling to receive fresh water.  At first, the stories all seem a bit disjointed, but they do give a good sense of place.  Through the eyes of the storytellers, a world where humans continue to live their daily lives as yet another catastrophe of our own making threatens to dismantle everything.  To make coffee, we harvest the respiration from trees, protests emerge as the impact of the Ice Dock is made imminent.  The writing creates the feeling of a slightly off-kilter normal or a boring dystopia.  Despite the world crashing down and the inherent risk of running out of fresh water, people are continuing on with their own drama, motivations and human needs.  As the stories continue, the connectedness becomes apparent and the power of nature over human life is shown.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

Twelve year old Abbey is starting the school year at a new school once again.  This time she is in Tennessee and her school is farther from her father's Army base than usual.  Abbey has also managed to make a friend in happy and athletic Camille.  She might even make friends with the artistic and cool Jiman.  Then, September 11, 2001 comes.  Abbey wakes up with her first menstrual cycle along with the news that will change her life forever.  Once the news hits, Abbey's mother rushes to New York, her sister Rebecca is missing.  Abbey is left with her father, her new body and a new world to navigate.  As time passes, Abbey's father is deployed, and kids change their opinion about her at school, all the while her body keeps on schedule, slowly marking the months. 


Uniquely written in narrative verse, The Places We Sleep beautifully captures the thoughts of a preteen experiencing the trauma of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The writing immediately took me back to that day that connected so many of us across the country in fear.  Just like Abbey, the day has been cemented in my mind.  The verse perfectly captures the raw emotion at the time paralleled with coming of age. Through Abbey's eyes there is a deep look at the grief, depression and confusion that defined the months following the attacks. Between Abbey's Aunt, parents, and classmates there is a wide cross section of representation of how people reacted and were effected by many aspects of 9/11.  Abbey shows that while an event may seem defining, the support of friendship and love can help you through. 
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This book was received for free in return for an honest review.