Outlander (Outlander #1) - Diana Gabaldon

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I keep waffling between 3 and 4 stars. So I'm glad I finally read it. I'm definitely going to read the second book as I have some lingering questions for sure.
Others were right to warn me about All.The.Sex. And not just normal, passionate sex. There is some messed up stuff and a lot of triggers if you're sensitive to violence, abuse, etc. My "women are equals" dander was put up a number of times; I had to keep reminding myself we're in 1700's Scotland.
But the writing was captivating. The character development amazing. Some of the concepts and ideas had me thinking between reading sessions. And I hear the racy isn't so much in the following books.
It took me almost 2 weeks to read, which is quite a bit of time for me to devote to one book. I'd say it was worth it, though, and I was moving homes during those weeks. So reading time was in shorter supply.
If you've been on the fence like me, go ahead and give it a try.

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The Class: A Life-Changing Teacher, His World-Changing Kids, and the Most Inventive Classroom in America - Heather Won Tesoriero

The Class: A Life-Changing Teacher, His World-Changing Kids, and the Most Inventive Classroom in America by Heather Won Tesoriero
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I am usually a sucker for inspiring teacher stories. And I usually try to push through books for review (Thanks, NetGalley and Random House) even if I don’t enjoy it. However, this book (sort of) focusing on Andy Bramante and his super smart, motivated Greenwich students just was not my cup of tea. I abandoned it 30% of the way in.
Some of my issue was with the writing itself. There was weird time and pacing throughout and no clear organizational method. It seems like it would be organized by Andy or individual students as that was used for the chapter names. However, in those chapters they’d take lengthy tangents to other students, random information, or jumps in time. It was just poorly organized, making it hard to follow and get into a reading groove. Pieces of information are redundant. I got it the first 5 times that one competition is only for seniors. Add in the contradictions, and I just couldn’t do it any longer.
Then there’s my question regarding the point of the book. Is this about an inspiring teacher or an ad for Greenwich, CT? A lot of times it seemed like the latter.
Maybe it got into this after I quit, but what makes Andy a successful, effective teacher? The reasons brought forth in the first part of the book are that he’s working with gifted kids who are motivated and have parental support. Plus, he has a background in the sciences outside of teaching, leading to additional resources and connections for his students. But what is it about *him* that makes him such an exceptional teacher? What sets him apart that other teachers can emulate?
Some of the research the students were conducting was really interesting. However, overall, this book was a miss for me.
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It Ends with Us - Colleen Hoover

It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover


Holy Smokes! I loved, loved, LOVED the lessons and main character (and most of the side characters) in this book. However, I HATED all the graphic sex. And the profanity. If you’re like me, prepare to skip a lot of pages. I would love to recommend this book to everyone but don’t feel like I can recommend it to anyone. I'm not even sure how to rate it with stars. The writing and message and characters are a 5. But not being able to recommend it...
Lily didn’t have a great childhood. But she’s opening a whole new chapter in Boston, starting her own floral shop. A chance encounter with Ryle changes the course in both their lives. She’s head over heels. Then her first love reappears in her new life and things devolve from there.
Lily is one tough cookie. She opened up my mind and heart to things I thought I knew but didn’t fully understand until witnessed through her experiences. I was rooting for her throughout. There was one piece at the ending of her story that left me a bit disappointed. I didn’t need my loose ends tied up that neatly.
Ryle’s sister and Lily’s mom are both great women and characters in their own right.
It is hard to write a detailed review on this book as there are so many things that would be spoilers. I have a lot I would like to say though. The lack of review length doesn’t reflect a lack of thoughts on the book. I’m still thinking about it several weeks later.
This was a book club pick this month. Definitely a lot of fodder for discussion.

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Trigger Warnings: several.


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Sold on a Monday - Kristina McMorris

Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This historical fiction novel was inspired by an actual Depression Era photograph. It follows the story of Ellis Reed, a struggling reporter, whose photograph and accompanying article launches his career and complicates his life. The photograph? Two children with a sign in front of them: Two Children for Sale. Lilly Palmer is Ellis’s coworker and is involved in a way Ellis doesn’t even know. From the countryside to the city; from news desks in Philadelphia and New York – the story moves along making you want to keep turning pages.
It did take me several chapters to get into the characters of Ellis and Lilly and to be invested in the story. However, once I was there, I finished the rest of the book pretty quickly. The fact that this novel is based on a photograph actually printed and that people were so desperate that all they could think was to sell their children saddens me. It made me wonder what I would do in a similar situation.
One of the reasons I like reading historical fiction is to get a glimpse of the past. This did that with the photograph, a look into gender roles, glimpses of newspaper life, and even some Mafia interaction.
It was a good book. I’d recommend it to others who like historical fiction or books inspired by something true in the past.
There are more points I would like to expound on but don’t want to have spoilers. So I’ll leave it at that.
Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the review copy. If you would like to read more of my reviews, please visit mommyreadsbooks.blogspot.com.


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The Memory House - Rachel Hauck

The Memory House by Rachel Hauck


Oh man. So I only received a sneak peak at the first chapter from the publisher via NetGalley. The introduction to one of the main characters seems like a major departure from Rachel Hauck's usual work...and I think I'm going to love it. I can't wait to get my hands on the rest.

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