All the Missing Girls - Megan Miranda

Synopsis from Goodreads:
It’s been ten years since Nicolette Farrell left her rural hometown after her best friend, Corinne, disappeared from Cooley Ridge without a trace. Back again to tie up loose ends and care for her ailing father, Nic is soon plunged into a shocking drama that reawakens Corinne’s case and breaks open old wounds long since stitched.
The decade-old investigation focused on Nic, her brother Daniel, boyfriend Tyler, and Corinne’s boyfriend Jackson. Since then, only Nic has left Cooley Ridge. Daniel and his wife, Laura, are expecting a baby; Jackson works at the town bar; and Tyler is dating Annaleise Carter, Nic’s younger neighbor and the group’s alibi the night Corinne disappeared. Then, within days of Nic’s return, Annaleise goes missing.
Told backwards—Day 15 to Day 1—from the time Annaleise goes missing, Nic works to unravel the truth about her younger neighbor’s disappearance, revealing shocking truths about her friends, her family, and what really happened to Corinne that night ten years ago.
Like nothing you’ve ever read before, All the Missing Girls delivers in all the right ways. With twists and turns that lead down dark alleys and dead ends, you may think you’re walking a familiar path, but then Megan Miranda turns it all upside down and inside out and leaves us wondering just how far we would be willing to go to protect those we love.

My Thoughts:
I was confused through the first part of this book as it was written in such an interesting format.  At one point, the present jumps two weeks prior.  Then the author spends the rest of the book running the present day narrative backwards with flashbacks into a decade past.  It was an interesting format. 
I will say that I had good portions of the suspense figured out by the time they were revealed.  But not all. 
I did like exploring the deeper themes of who we are (or aspects of it at least) disappears over time as we grow and change. 
I think this would be a great book club book as it has a lot of fodder for discussion.

Next to Love - Ellen Feldman

Summary from Goodreads:

For fans of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, The Postmistress, and Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, a story of love, war, loss, and the scars they leave set during the years of World War II and its aftermath.
  Set in a small town in Massachusetts, Next to Love follows three childhood friends, Babe, Millie, and Grace, whose lives are unmoored when their men are called to duty. And yet the changes that are thrust upon them move them in directions they never dreamed possible—while their husbands and boyfriends are enduring their own transformations. In the decades that follow, the three friends lose their innocence, struggle to raise their children, and find meaning and love in unexpected places. And as they change, so does America—from a country in which people know their place in the social hierarchy to a world in which feminism, the Civil Rights movement, and technological innovations present new possibilities—and uncertainties. And yet Babe, Millie, and Grace remain bonded by their past, even as their children grow up and away and a new society rises from the ashes of the war.
 Beautifully crafted and unforgettable, Next to Love depicts the enduring power of love and friendship, and illuminates a transformational moment in American history.

My Thoughts:

Okay, first of all, this book is *nothing* like The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.  I mean, other than they’re both set (sort of – Next to Love spans more years) in the same time frame.  But I think the similarities end there. 

Next to Love is the story of three friends as they go and grow through World War II and beyond into the 1960’s.  As they face love and loss and everything in between. 

It took me awhile to get into the book and the characters.  Even towards the end, they were doing things and things were happening that made me say “What?”  However, towards the middle and end I was more able to overlook those as I wanted to know where the story was taking the characters. 

Here are my caveats on why I maybe struggled with this book:

1.       I read it on my Kindle.  So I couldn’t easily flip back and forth to line things up as the timeline and story jumped around in and between characters.

2.       I read it in the midst of moving my family a few states away.  So chaos was in my head, and I perhaps transposed some of that to the book.

As I’ve said, I was thoroughly engaged with the characters as the book progressed.  All of the main characters were incredibly nuanced, which I appreciated. 

There are a lot of triggers in this book:  sex, drinking, violence, rape, some language.  So I’m not sure I would necessarily recommend it.  It was interesting but not my cup of tea. 

Also, I read the e-version from my library that had these great hyperlinks throughout.  You could click on one, and it would jump to the appendix and tell you more about Western Union or a particular location or whatever.  So that was a neat feature.  Although now that I think about it, that could have kept me from delving into the story sooner as well. 

Shakespeare Update

It's mid-August.  On my "Shakespeare in a Year" reading plan, I'm only at the beginning of July.  I've learned that Shakespeare apparently didn't have much use for women and was quite ribald.  I liked several of the histories, none of the tragedies, and most of the comedies thus far.  And I completely didn't get the sonnets.  I just trudged through them.

Shakespeare is definitely meant to be watched, not read.  So much more understandable and interesting that way. 

Here's hoping I get them all finished...

The Wedding Shop - Rachel Hauck

Synopsis:

Two women separated by decades. Both set out to help others find their dreams when their own have crumbled.
It’s the 1930s, and Cora is taking the reins at her family’s wedding shop in Heart’s Bend, Tennessee. Brides come from far away to be doted on by Cora and her family while they find the perfect wedding dress. Meanwhile, Cora has found her true love, Rufus, a riverboat captain. Cora counts the days until his return from the river, and she continues to wait for him as days turn into months and months turn into years. When he finally returns, she receives the shock of a lifetime: he is married to another. Nursing her heartbreak, she must find a way to continue pouring her heart into the hopes and dreams of the brides who visit her shop, all while wondering if she will ever find true love or if it has passed her by.
In present day, Haley has finished her time as a soldier, and suffering from PTSD, wants nothing to do with the heartbreak of this world. She sets off for Heart’s Bend, Tennessee, and in order to honor the memory of a fallen friend, she takes on the task of reopening an abandoned and long-forgotten wedding shop. Perhaps through helping others, she can forget the pain and disappointment in her own life.
Haley isn’t looking for love, but when her friend’s former fiancé becomes involved in the shop’s renovations, they both find that healing and restoration can perhaps happen in their lives too.

My Thoughts:

I loved this book.  The only reason it didn’t get 5 full stars (I’m going with 4.5) is that it felt rushed towards the end, and I wanted more explanation on some things.  But this book made me smile, chuckle, tear up, and even go “What?!?” once.

I enjoyed visiting a bit with the characters from The Wedding Dress and The Wedding Chapel too.  Those books (plus Hauck’s Royal Wedding Series) made me want to read this next book of hers.

I did read it as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy), so there were several typos and a few inconsistencies.  However, my hope is that those were fixed for the final copy.

With the dual narrative of present and past, there were multiple main characters.  I feel like they were all fleshed out adequately.  Going back and forth in time and with perspective didn’t create any issues or challenges with the flow of the story.  Although there were times I wanted more of one story line instead of taking a break to transition to another.  I chalk that up as a hallmark of a good writer, keeping you wanting more.

For most of the book, I thought the pacing was great.  It was engaging, characters were growing, it didn’t drag.  Like mentioned previously, my complaint is that it wrapped up too quickly.  I would have liked to see more character and plot development in some of the main and secondary characters who were affected by revelations and events in the story.

The book focuses a lot on grace and forgiveness, something I believe we all could use regular reminders of.  The characters were well drawn and relatable. 

Another well written book.  I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

Salt to the Sea - Ruta

Summary from Goodreads:

Winter, 1945. Four teenagers. Four secrets.

Each one born of a different homeland; each one hunted, and haunted, by tragedy, lies…and war.

As thousands of desperate refugees flock to the coast in the midst of a Soviet advance, four paths converge, vying for passage aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship that promises safety and freedom.

Yet not all promises can be kept.

Inspired by the single greatest tragedy in maritime history, bestselling and award-winning author Ruta Sepetys (Between Shades of Gray) lifts the veil on a shockingly little-known casualty of World War II. An illuminating and life-affirming tale of heart and hope.

My Thoughts:

LOVED this book!

First of all, why have I (nor anyone else in my book club or who I've talked to about it) heard of the sinking of this ship? It was a huge loss of life yet gets no coverage in any of the history classes I've taken. That is not okay.

Ruta Sepetys is such a gifted character builder. I was drawn in from the first. It did take a little bit to get into the rhythm of the multiple voices (switched each chapter), but I couldn't put this book down. Engaging. Compassionate. Beautifully written.

Gone with the Wind Book Flight

I first heard of a "Book Flight" via Modern Mrs. Darcy's blog a year or so ago.  Since then, I've wanted to give one a try. 

Basically, a book flight is a collection of books your read that follow a common theme.  They are different genres, different authors, etc. but have something tying them all together.

When I came across Ruth's Journey last fall, I decided to do a Gone with the Wind book flight consisting of the following:

• Ruth's Journey
• Rhett Butler's People
• Gone with the Wind
• Scarlett

I have previously read the last two (GWTW several times) but probably not either in the last decade or so.  Perfectly acceptable for a reread at this point. 

Since I began Ruth's Journey mid-April, I have expanded my flight list.  It now also includes (in no particular order)

• Road to Tara:  The Life of Margaret Mitchell
• Scarlett Rules:  When Life Gives You Green Velvet Curtains, Make a Green Velvet Dress
• Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind Letters
• Vivien Leigh:  A Biography
• Gone with the Wind as Book and Film
• Stars Over Sunset Boulevard

The flight is off to a rocky start.  I did not love Ruth's Journey.  I liked Rhett Butler's People even less.  (Reviews on those to come).  I already quit one biography that seemed promising but ended up being dry and confusing and slow reading.  But I'm determined to push through.  If nothing else, I have the original GWTW to look forward to.

Dad Is Fat - Jim Gaffigan

From Goodreads:  In Dad is Fat, stand-up comedian Jim Gaffigan, who’s best known for his legendary riffs on Hot Pockets, bacon, manatees, and McDonald's, expresses all the joys and horrors of life with five young children—everything from cousins ("celebrities for little kids") to toddlers’ communication skills (“they always sound like they have traveled by horseback for hours to deliver important news”), to the eating habits of four year olds (“there is no difference between a four year old eating a taco and throwing a taco on the floor”). Reminiscent of Bill Cosby’s Fatherhood, Dad is Fat is sharply observed, explosively funny, and a cry for help from a man who has realized he and his wife are outnumbered in their own home.

My Review:
I started this books by Jim Gaffigan after reading about it on my library's blog. I had been looking for something unstraining to my intellect yet entertaining for reading during baby girl's middle fo the night feeding sessions. And this book (which I read as an ebook) initially fit the bill. It was so funny I recommended to my husband he get it on audio (his preferred "reading" method).
However, somewhere towards the middle and onward, the reading became redundant and no longer entertaining. I had to force myself to finish it.
I will say the husband thoroughly enjoyed the full audio.

2/5 stars (just okay)