The Lost Sisterhood - Anne Fortier

The Lost Sisterhood tells the story of Diana, a young and aspiring--but somewhat aimless--professor at Oxford. Her fascination with the history of the Amazons, the legendary warrior women of ancient Greece, is deeply connected with her own family's history; her grandmother in particular. When Diana is invited to consult on an archeological excavation, she quickly realizes that here, finally, may be the proof that the Amazons were real. The Amazons' "true" story--and Diana's history--is threaded along with this modern day hunt. This historical back-story focuses on a group of women, and more specifically on two sisters, whose fight to survive takes us through ancient Athens and to Troy, where the novel reinvents our perspective on the famous Trojan War.

Received an e-galley from Ballentine 

I read Fortier's Juliet pretty much in one day at the beach, so I was looking forward to seeing how she  captured the same intensity with the Amazons.  I wasn't disappointed.  I was drawn into the mystery of the story right away.  While I had some knowledge of Greek mythology and the Amazons, I found myself learning more about that civilization.

Readers looking for a romance along with a good mystery will enjoy this book.  The main characters definitely have a romantic comedy relationship (on again off again) for most of the book.  At times, I did wish Diana would be a bit stronger and thoughtful about her actions.  She did grow from a bookworm type professor into a confident and well published professor by the end of the book.

The style of the book goes between the present day and the past story. This back and forth didn't happen every chapter which sometimes confused me.  Also in the last quarter of the book, there is less past story and more present. I found myself wanting to read more about the past heroine than Diana.

Fortier delivers another strong novel with twists, turns and romance all wrapped into one.

The Fever by Megan Abbott

The Nash family is close-knit. Tom is a popular teacher, father of two teens: Eli, a hocky star and girl magnet, and his sister Deenie, a diligent student. Their seeming stability, however, is thrown into chaos when Deenie's best friend is struck by a terrifying, unexplained seizure in class. Rumors of a hazardous outbreak spread through the family, school and community. As hysteria and contagion swell, a series of tightly held secrets emerges, threatening to unravel friendships, families and the town's fragile idea of security. 

Read an e-galley from Little Brown

I haven't read any other books by Abbott, but something about this description and the cover of this book drew me in.  As a mysterious illness slowly starts to impact a high school class, everyone is questioning will I be next? Abbott tells the story from each character's perspective.  The confusion, the uncertainty, the gossip, the social media impact is spot on.  It's easy for the reader to relate with either the students or the parents or just as someone in the community.  I could see this book adapted into a long CSI episode - all the elements can be found.  There is even a little science fiction/fantasy element to this book.  A few times I got the chills from reading a passage here and there.  In the end the root cause is because of basic human emotions.  High school never changes when it comes to girls who like boys and boys who like girls.

CBR5 #10 The Geneva Decision by Seeley James

Until a few weeks ago, she was an international soccer star. But now she's taken the helm of her billionaire father's private security company, and she's playing against a whole new set of opponents: the kind who shoot to kill. On her first day on the job, Pia's client is assassinated in front of her. There's no time for training, so Pia must trust her instincts and athletic skills to unravel the complicated maze of money laundering and piracy that will take her from Swiss mansions to the jungles of Cameroon. Her battle-hardened employees suspect she's just a spoiled rich girl with a mean corner kick. But Pia's got some unexpected moves of her own. Will they be enough to bring her team through its mission?

I don't remember exactly how this book made it into my e-book queue, but it was an unexpected find. Something about the Pia character reminded me of the Vanessa Michael Munroe character from Taylor Stevens' series. Perhaps it is the mysterious past, or the need to demonstrate her defense skills.  I felt that the soccer angle didn't really add anything to the plot overall.

This book has a good old-fashioned mystery at the core with modern day twists. If you are looking for a good read with mystery, intrigue and a touch of romance this book is for you.

CBR5 #8 The Doll by Taylor Stevens

Haunted by a life of violence and as proficient with languages as she is with knives, Vanessa Michael Munroe, chameleon and hunter, has built her life on a reputation for getting things done—dangerous and often not-quite-legal things. Born to missionary parents in lawless Africa, taken under the tutelage of gunrunners, and tortured by one of the jungle’s most brutal men, Munroe was forced to do whatever it took to stay alive.  The ability to survive, fight, adapt, and blend has since taken her across the globe on behalf of corporations, heads of state, and the few private clients who can afford her unique brand of expertise, and these abilities have made her enemies.  On a busy Dallas street, Munroe is kidnapped by an unseen opponent and thrust into an underground world where women and girls are merchandise and a shadowy figure known as The Doll Maker controls her every move. While trusted friends race to unravel where she is and why she was taken, everything pivots on one simple choice: Munroe must use her unique set of skills to deliver a high-profile young woman into the same nightmare that she once endured, or condemn to torture and certain death the one person she loves above all else. Driven by the violence that has made her what she is, cut off from help, and with attempts to escape predicted and prevented, Munroe will hunt for openings, for solutions, and a way to strike back at a man who holds all the cards. Because only one thing is certain: she cannot save everyone. 

read as a e-ARC via NetGalley

This book is the third in Taylor Stevens' Munroe character series.  I've been a huge fan of Stevens since I heard about her first book, The Informationist, back in 2011.  Her second book, The Innocent, continued to impress me and this third book did not let me down as well.

The character Vanessa Michael Munroe has been described as a female Michael Borne and Stevens continues to demonstrate that likeness in each of her books.  In the first book, the reader is intrigued by Munroe's past.  In the second book, the reader learns more about the decisions she had to make in order to survive let alone help others.  In this third book, the reader continues to see how past decisions have hurt and helped Munroe in her life. This third book also allows the reader to see how the few people Munroe allowed into her life are impacted when she is in danger.

Stevens continues to put the reader directly in the action as well as within the characters' minds. At the same time she exposes a real-world problem and situation in a creative way.  If you are looking for a good set of books for your beach reads this summer, I recommend picking up these 3 books from Taylor Stevens.

Check out this recent article where Stevens shared instances of real-life women who disguised themselves as men similar to the Munroe character.

CBR5 #7 The 500 by Matthew Quirk

Mike Ford is a former con artist who's been plucked from his Harvard Law School classroom to be an associate at The Davies Group, Washington's most high-powered and well-respected strategic consulting firm. Their specialty: pulling strings and peddling influence for the five hundred most powerful people inside the Beltway, the men and women who really run Washington -- and by extension the country, and the world. The namesake of the firm, Henry Davies, knows everyone who matters; more importantly, he knows their secrets. Davies' experience goes back 40 years -- he worked for Lyndon Johnson, jumped shipped to Nixon, then put out his own shingle as the Hill's most cut-throat and expensive fixer. Now he's looking for a protégé to tackle his most high-stakes deal yet, and Mike fits the bill. Quickly pulled into a seductive, dangerous web of power and corruption, Mike struggles to find his way out. But how do you save your soul when you've made a deal with the devil?

I found this book via Amazon's Kindle Deal of the Day.  Any book that deals with politics, intrigue and the DC metro area usually grabs my attention.  To me this book was 1 part Nicolle Wallace Washington politics with 1 part David Baldacci thriller.

I had a hard time putting this book down, but at the same time the plot seemed familiar.  If you are looking for a Washington thriller then this book is for you.  I was surprised by the ending, but in a way I kinda knew that was the way the book was going to end.

CBR5 #6 Faking It by Elisa Lorello

What happens when a writing professor and a male escort become friends? Thirty-four-year old professor Andi Cutrone has broken up with her fiance in Massachusetts, moved back to her native New York, and wants to be a better lover. So after meeting Devin, a handsome, charming escort, she proposes an unusual arrangement: lessons about writing in exchange for lessons about sex. When Devin accepts Andi's proposal, he draws up a contract in which the two are forbidden to see each other socially. There's just one problem: Andi also wants Devin. Faking It is a witty, sometimes hilarious, sometimes heart-wrenching story about relationships, writing, and getting real

I'm not sure where I heard about this book, but it was the first book I read as my hour commute started up. Andi is a likeable character and the reader is immediately drawn into the proposal between her and Devin. I was glad to see that Lorello provided some depth to her characters.  This book is more than a normal romantic comedy/chick lit book.

Without giving away too much of how the book ends, I was glad to see that Lorello didn't take the traditional approach with her characters.  But there was a nice twist at the very end that definitely will keep the reader guessing.  This book is another good beach read.

CBR5 #3 Preemie Parents by Tami Gaines

Tami Gaines addresses the emotional aspect of being a preemie parent and delivers a positive message of hope and action. She is truly an authority on this subject as she has lived the experience firsthand. Both her children were preemies (she gave birth to twins after only 25 weeks (her daughter spent 3-1/2 months in the neonatal intensive care unit, her son spent over 18 months). Preemie Parents is an inspiring, personal guide that will help parents of preemies learn valuable lessons in coping and becoming effective advocates for their children.

I found this book looking for a preemies book that would share experiences with raising premature children. At first, I found Tami's story interesting, but as I read more and more of the book I just felt sad for her.  Tami's story is extreme and not like the average preemie story.

This book could be a one part of any education for a new parent of a preemie just starting their NICU journey, but it shouldn't be the only story they read. For me at our stage of our journey, I didn't learn too much that I already knew. Some of her advice would not be realistic for every parent of a preemie. Overall this book didn't satisfy the need I was trying to fulfill.

CBR5 #2 Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling

Mindy Kaling has lived many lives: the obedient child of immigrant professionals, a timid chubster afraid of her own bike, a Ben Affleck–impersonating Off-Broadway performer and playwright, and, finally, a comedy writer and actress prone to starting fights with her friends and coworkers. Mindy invites readers on a tour of her life and her unscientific observations on romance, friendship, and Hollywood, with several conveniently placed stopping points for you to run errands and make phone calls. Mindy Kaling really is just a Girl Next Door—not so much literally anywhere in the continental United States, but definitely if you live in India or Sri Lanka.

As I am just jumping into this e-book world, one of my friends suggested that I read this memoir for some lighter side reading on my iPad. I have watched Mindy on The Office, but I didn't know much more about her.

I enjoyed this book and read it over a few early morning while rocking my daughter to sleep. The book is part storytelling part stream of consciousness that pulls the reader in.  If you read Tina Fey's Bossypants, then you would like this book as well.

CBR5 #1 Nurture Shock by PO Bronson and Ashley Merryman

One of the most influential books about children ever published, Nurture Shock offers a revolutionary new perspective on children that upends a library's worth of conventional wisdom. With impeccable storytelling and razor-sharp analysis, the authors demonstrate that many of modern society's strategies for nurturing children are in fact backfiring--because key twists in the science have been overlooked. Nothing like a parenting manual, NurtureShock gets to the core of how we grow, learn and live.

January Book Club Selection

"It's when children are at their most mysterious that we, their caregivers, can learn something new." This sentence is the very last one in the conclusion of this book and it really captured the tone of the book well.

During my pregnancy, I didn't read many parenting or twin books.  It was hard for me to think about what life with my two girls would be like.  Now that they are born and I'm learning what it means to be a full-time (right now) mom, I am curious to read more parenting books.  So when Nurture Shock was chosen for book club, I dove right into the book.

The term "Nurture Shock" refers to the panic, common among new parents, that the mythical fountain of knowledge is not magically kicking in at all. Reviewing many different research studies, the authors found that most of the noteworthy insights into child development were revealed when two assumptions were dropped:

1. Things work in children the same way that they work in adults.
2. Positive traits necessarily oppose and ward off negative behavior in children. 

The authors explore the effect of losing one hour of sleep, why children lie, the impact of siblings, language development, talking about race, the inverse power of praise and testing for the gifted program.  Even though a lot of research was presented throughout the book, the authors had a way of framing the studies with real world examples to help explain what the research found.  

While some of the topics are not relevant for my parenting situation right now, I do feel that I learned more about how a child's brain works.  The language chapter was extremely interesting to me as it explained different methods to helping increasing your child's vocabulary. The chapter on praise definitely was eye-opening as well.  Even someone who is not a parent, but is interested in how a child's brain works would find this book interesting. 

This book was also my first adventure with an e-book.  As the e-book craze has grown over the past couple of years, I resisted getting an e-reader and continued to just read paper books.  But after reading magazines on my iPad, I decided to try out reading a book on the iPad.  I like that I can highlight different sentences as I read - which is helpful for non-fiction reading. And reading e-books has been easier than paper books while holding my daughter.