Must Reads 9th January 2019
Here's a selection of new books I've added to my To Be Read list this week - now where to begin?
The Heart of a Sinner by Lynn Shurr
The Heart of a Sinner by Lynn Shurr
(Romance)
A tiny premature infant is delivered into the caring hands of NICU nurse, Annie Billodeaux. His father, Matthew Keaton, is the newly hired running back for the New Orleans Sinners football team. His mother is deceased, victim of a stray bullet fired in a gang war. Matt blames himself for having brought his wife to the city. Annie's heart goes out to little Daniel and his suffering father. As she teaches Matt the ins and outs of the NICU and the handling of his child, her affection for both grows into a love she cannot confess so soon to the grief-stricken man. Matt feels the pull of Annie's tenderness, but won't act on it out of respect for his wife's recent death. When Daniel is able to go home, how can Matt keep Annie near until the right time comes for him to voice his love for the Angel of the NICU?
Ladies in Time
(Romance / Sci-Fi & Fantasy)
At Lavender House, Evie McIntyre is haunted by the whispers from her bedroom closet. Before she can make sense of their murmurs, the house "warbles" between times and transports her to the Civil War. Past and present have blended, and Evie wishes she'd paid more attention to history. Especially since former Confederate officer, Jack Ramsey, could use a heads up. Torn between opposing forces, Jack struggles to defend the valley and people he loves. Meeting Evie turns his already tumultuous world upside down. Will solving the mystery of the whispers return her home, and will the handsome scout be by her side? Against the background of Sheridan's Burning of the Shenandoah Valley, Jack and Evie fight to save their friends and themselves – or is history carved in stone?
(General Fiction / Sci-Fi & Fantasy)
After Mike goes through a gut-wrenching betrayal by his fiancée, he finds himself in what he thinks might be the afterlife. But this is no heaven. The gods made a mistake and created another Earth in a parallel universe, putting both universes in peril. They need someone from his planet to destroy the alternate, and Mike is randomly selected for the job. Trapped in an impossible choice, Mike accepts his mission and is returned to an Earth - and a body - so unlike his own. There, he meets Jane, who is - unbeknownst to him - the secret leader of an organization bent on tracking down Earth's saboteur. In the face of her passion for humanity, Mike's resolve falters. If Mike won't complete his mission, the gods will.
(General Fiction)
From the New York Times bestselling author of the smash hit One Second After series comes 48 Hours, a nail-biting and prescient thriller about a solar storm with the power to destroy the world's electrical infrastructure
In 48 hours, the Earth will be hit by a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) from the Sun, a "Carrington Event" that has the power to shut down and possibly destroy the world's electrical infrastructure. To try and prevent permanent damage, everything goes dark prior to the hit: global communications are shut down; hospital emergency generators are disconnected; the entire internet, media broadcasting, and cell phone systems are turned off.
Will the world's population successfully defend itself in the wake of the CME, or will mass panic lead to the breakdown of society as we know it?
William R. Forstchen is at his best in 48 Hours, a tale of human resilience when faced with a crisis.
In 48 hours, the Earth will be hit by a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) from the Sun, a "Carrington Event" that has the power to shut down and possibly destroy the world's electrical infrastructure. To try and prevent permanent damage, everything goes dark prior to the hit: global communications are shut down; hospital emergency generators are disconnected; the entire internet, media broadcasting, and cell phone systems are turned off.
Will the world's population successfully defend itself in the wake of the CME, or will mass panic lead to the breakdown of society as we know it?
William R. Forstchen is at his best in 48 Hours, a tale of human resilience when faced with a crisis.
(Literary Fiction)
A school shooting in a Texan border town leaves a family in crisis, a community torn apart, and the boy who holds the secret cocooned in a coma for ten years.
For ten years, a secret has slept with Oliver Loving. One moonless November night, Oliver shyly joined his classmates at Bliss County Day School's annual dance, hoping for a glimpse of the object of his unrequited affections, an enigmatic Junior named Rebekkah Sterling. But as the music played in the gymnasium, a troubled young man snuck in through the school's back door with a gun. It was all over in a few terrible minutes; the dire decisions this man made that night, and the unspoken story he carried, forever transformed Oliver's world and tore the town of Bliss, Texas apart.
Nearly ten years later, Oliver Loving still lies wordless and paralyzed at Crockett State Assisted Care Facility, the fate of his mind unclear. Meanwhile, his parents and his brother try to cope in their own disparate self-destructive ways, whilst Rebekkah, who left Texas long ago, still refuses to speak about her own part in that tragic night. Oliver Loving is a brilliant and beautifully told story of family, as heart-breaking as it is profound. It is a novel of the myths we make; the ties that bind us and the forces that keep us apart.
For ten years, a secret has slept with Oliver Loving. One moonless November night, Oliver shyly joined his classmates at Bliss County Day School's annual dance, hoping for a glimpse of the object of his unrequited affections, an enigmatic Junior named Rebekkah Sterling. But as the music played in the gymnasium, a troubled young man snuck in through the school's back door with a gun. It was all over in a few terrible minutes; the dire decisions this man made that night, and the unspoken story he carried, forever transformed Oliver's world and tore the town of Bliss, Texas apart.
Nearly ten years later, Oliver Loving still lies wordless and paralyzed at Crockett State Assisted Care Facility, the fate of his mind unclear. Meanwhile, his parents and his brother try to cope in their own disparate self-destructive ways, whilst Rebekkah, who left Texas long ago, still refuses to speak about her own part in that tragic night. Oliver Loving is a brilliant and beautifully told story of family, as heart-breaking as it is profound. It is a novel of the myths we make; the ties that bind us and the forces that keep us apart.
Bloody January by Alan Parks
(General Fiction / Scottish)
(General Fiction / Scottish)
HOW MUCH IS THE TRUTH WORTH?
When Detective Harry McCoy arrives at the scene of a double shooting in the middle of a busy Glasgow street, he is sure of one thing. This was not a random act of violence.
McCoy must enlist the help of his criminal underworld connections to find out the truth. How long will it be before McCoy himself ends up on the wrong side of the law?
When Detective Harry McCoy arrives at the scene of a double shooting in the middle of a busy Glasgow street, he is sure of one thing. This was not a random act of violence.
McCoy must enlist the help of his criminal underworld connections to find out the truth. How long will it be before McCoy himself ends up on the wrong side of the law?
(Romance)
Every family has its secrets, and the March family is no exception.
For the March sisters, Match Made in Devon, the bridal shop opened and run by their parents, was a real-world representation of what true love was all about. But for eldest sister Alexandra that kind of perfection has always seemed unreachable.
Alex has spent over fifteen years in Boston, building up an impenetrable shell of confidence and taking control over her own destiny. If there’s anything missing from her life, it isn’t important anyway. But with her mother’s unexpected death Alex is forced to leave her life in the big city behind and return to her hometown of Devon…and a past she’s been running from for years.
As the March sisters try to salvage the bridal shop their parents loved, Alex is forced to confront her painful past and the real reason she left Devon so many years ago…including childhood sweetheart Jonah Dufort. Jonah represents everything Alex has tried to forget and conceal. But sometimes secrets demand to be revealed, and when the past returns again in the form of a long-lost sister, it’s a shocking reminder to Alex that even a perfect marriage can have something to hide. With her world falling apart around her, Alex loses control of the perfect life she has built for herself. Now, the only thing that Alex can be certain of is that things will never be the same.
Bound by fate, three sisters will have to redefine the meaning of family and discover the raw power of forgiveness and love.
For the March sisters, Match Made in Devon, the bridal shop opened and run by their parents, was a real-world representation of what true love was all about. But for eldest sister Alexandra that kind of perfection has always seemed unreachable.
Alex has spent over fifteen years in Boston, building up an impenetrable shell of confidence and taking control over her own destiny. If there’s anything missing from her life, it isn’t important anyway. But with her mother’s unexpected death Alex is forced to leave her life in the big city behind and return to her hometown of Devon…and a past she’s been running from for years.
As the March sisters try to salvage the bridal shop their parents loved, Alex is forced to confront her painful past and the real reason she left Devon so many years ago…including childhood sweetheart Jonah Dufort. Jonah represents everything Alex has tried to forget and conceal. But sometimes secrets demand to be revealed, and when the past returns again in the form of a long-lost sister, it’s a shocking reminder to Alex that even a perfect marriage can have something to hide. With her world falling apart around her, Alex loses control of the perfect life she has built for herself. Now, the only thing that Alex can be certain of is that things will never be the same.
Bound by fate, three sisters will have to redefine the meaning of family and discover the raw power of forgiveness and love.
From Resentment to Contentment - The Power of Grudges to Transform Your Life
(Health, Mind & Body / Self-Help)
What if grudges are not just good for us but great?
How often have you held a grudge and felt guilty about it? 'Forgive and move on' is the received wisdom, and that's what many of us try to do.
Positive thinking is essential for a happy life, but how we get to that positive is even more crucial.
What if grudges can ward off danger, and help us live better lives?
What if they can act as stepping stones, pointing us in the right direction?
This ultimate guide will give you all the tools you need to analyse, process and embrace your grudges in order to be your best possible self.
How often have you held a grudge and felt guilty about it? 'Forgive and move on' is the received wisdom, and that's what many of us try to do.
Positive thinking is essential for a happy life, but how we get to that positive is even more crucial.
What if grudges can ward off danger, and help us live better lives?
What if they can act as stepping stones, pointing us in the right direction?
This ultimate guide will give you all the tools you need to analyse, process and embrace your grudges in order to be your best possible self.
(Non-Fiction)
A single promise can change a life forever.
We all make promises constantly. “Yes, I’ll be there.” “Sure, no problem!” But do we really mean what we are saying? What is the impact of a broken promise? And what happens to a life when a promise is honoured?
Because I said I would is the international social movement at the forefront of shifting how the world views commitment and accountability. With over 9.81 million Promise Cards distributed, this cause has played a unique role in changing lives around the world. Heart-warming, humorous, inspirational, and tragic - these stories will challenge readers to look deep within themselves and consider the importance of the promises they make.
Through a collection of inspiring short stories and concise philosophical chapters, readers will gain the following:
• Practical life lessons from surprisingly raw stories of everyday people with incredible determination
• Useful advice on how to get better at keeping promises
• Inspiring perspectives that can be utilized in leadership and character development initiatives
One hundred percent of the author’s proceeds go to because I said I would, a non-profit organisation that is bettering humanity through chapters of volunteers, character education in schools, accountability programmes, and awareness campaigns with global reach.
We all make promises constantly. “Yes, I’ll be there.” “Sure, no problem!” But do we really mean what we are saying? What is the impact of a broken promise? And what happens to a life when a promise is honoured?
Because I said I would is the international social movement at the forefront of shifting how the world views commitment and accountability. With over 9.81 million Promise Cards distributed, this cause has played a unique role in changing lives around the world. Heart-warming, humorous, inspirational, and tragic - these stories will challenge readers to look deep within themselves and consider the importance of the promises they make.
Through a collection of inspiring short stories and concise philosophical chapters, readers will gain the following:
• Practical life lessons from surprisingly raw stories of everyday people with incredible determination
• Useful advice on how to get better at keeping promises
• Inspiring perspectives that can be utilized in leadership and character development initiatives
One hundred percent of the author’s proceeds go to because I said I would, a non-profit organisation that is bettering humanity through chapters of volunteers, character education in schools, accountability programmes, and awareness campaigns with global reach.
(General Fiction)
One girl missing, one woman searching, both equally lost. Will a shared tragedy help them find their way home - even in the face of imminent danger?
Renowned archaeologist Richard Mathis is half a world away on the island of Crete when he learns his daughter, Bella, has gone missing. Within twenty minutes, he’s on his way back to the States. Two days later, he’s dead.
Richard’s young assistant, Angela Chase, is devastated by the loss of the man who had become both mentor and friend, and she’s determined to find the missing girl, who seems to have made dangerous connections - and whose lonely childhood so resembles Angela’s own. Born Laurel Springfield, Angela now spends her days digging up the origins of a lost civilization while struggling to keep her own past buried. But will the search for Bella expose Angela’s carefully disguised identity - and will she find Bella before she’s lost forever?
Renowned archaeologist Richard Mathis is half a world away on the island of Crete when he learns his daughter, Bella, has gone missing. Within twenty minutes, he’s on his way back to the States. Two days later, he’s dead.
Richard’s young assistant, Angela Chase, is devastated by the loss of the man who had become both mentor and friend, and she’s determined to find the missing girl, who seems to have made dangerous connections - and whose lonely childhood so resembles Angela’s own. Born Laurel Springfield, Angela now spends her days digging up the origins of a lost civilization while struggling to keep her own past buried. But will the search for Bella expose Angela’s carefully disguised identity - and will she find Bella before she’s lost forever?
(General Fiction)
For some people in post–World War II Germany, the battle is not over.
August 1945. As Stefano, an Italian POW, heads towards home across war-ravaged Germany, he encounters a young child beside his dead mother. Unable to leave him to an unknown fate, Stefano takes the boy with him, finding refuge in a seemingly abandoned house in a secluded woodland.
But the house is far from vacant. Stefano wakes at the arrival of its owner, Erich, a former German soldier, who invites the travellers to stay until they can find safe passage home. Stefano cautiously agrees, intrigued by the disarming German, his reclusive neighbour Rosalind, and her traumatised husband, Georg. Stefano is also drawn to Monique, the girl in a photograph on Rosalind’s wall, who went missing during the war.
But when he discovers letters written by Monique, a darker truth emerges. This place of refuge could be one of reckoning, and the secrets of the past might prevent the travellers from ever getting home.
August 1945. As Stefano, an Italian POW, heads towards home across war-ravaged Germany, he encounters a young child beside his dead mother. Unable to leave him to an unknown fate, Stefano takes the boy with him, finding refuge in a seemingly abandoned house in a secluded woodland.
But the house is far from vacant. Stefano wakes at the arrival of its owner, Erich, a former German soldier, who invites the travellers to stay until they can find safe passage home. Stefano cautiously agrees, intrigued by the disarming German, his reclusive neighbour Rosalind, and her traumatised husband, Georg. Stefano is also drawn to Monique, the girl in a photograph on Rosalind’s wall, who went missing during the war.
But when he discovers letters written by Monique, a darker truth emerges. This place of refuge could be one of reckoning, and the secrets of the past might prevent the travellers from ever getting home.
(General Fiction)
A girl emerges from the woods, starved, ill, and alone…and collapses.
Suzanne Blakemore hurtles along the Blue Ridge Parkway, away from her overscheduled and completely normal life, and encounters the girl. As Suzanne rushes her to the hospital, she never imagines how the encounter will change her - a change she both fears and desperately needs.
Suzanne has the perfect house, a successful husband, and a thriving family. But beneath the veneer of an ideal life, her daughter is rebelling, her son is withdrawing, her husband is oblivious to it all, and Suzanne is increasingly unsure of her place in the world. After her discovery of the ethereal sixteen-year-old who has never experienced civilisation, Suzanne is compelled to invite Iris into her family’s life and all its apparent privileges.
But Iris has an independence, a love of solitude, and a discomfort with materialism that contrasts with everything the Blakemores stand for - qualities that awaken in Suzanne first a fascination, then a longing. Now Suzanne can’t help but wonder: Is she destined to save Iris, or is Iris the one who will save her?
Suzanne Blakemore hurtles along the Blue Ridge Parkway, away from her overscheduled and completely normal life, and encounters the girl. As Suzanne rushes her to the hospital, she never imagines how the encounter will change her - a change she both fears and desperately needs.
Suzanne has the perfect house, a successful husband, and a thriving family. But beneath the veneer of an ideal life, her daughter is rebelling, her son is withdrawing, her husband is oblivious to it all, and Suzanne is increasingly unsure of her place in the world. After her discovery of the ethereal sixteen-year-old who has never experienced civilisation, Suzanne is compelled to invite Iris into her family’s life and all its apparent privileges.
But Iris has an independence, a love of solitude, and a discomfort with materialism that contrasts with everything the Blakemores stand for - qualities that awaken in Suzanne first a fascination, then a longing. Now Suzanne can’t help but wonder: Is she destined to save Iris, or is Iris the one who will save her?
(General Fiction)
A mystery, a love story, and a search through a shadowy past. Two strangers unite in this novel of family secrets by international bestselling author Marc Levy, the most read contemporary French author in the world.
When London journalist Eleanor-Rigby Donovan receives an anonymous letter alluding to a crime committed by her deceased mother, her life is turned upside down. It points her to a bar on the Baltimore Harbour, where she finds a stranger who has received the same mysterious letter about his own mother. Together, Eleanor-Rigby and this young man, George-Harrison Collins, embark on a quest through the shadowy past of the Stanfields, a moneyed Maryland family full of unimaginable secrets. These secrets will transport them back decades, across continents, and to a mysterious crime long buried…until now.
When London journalist Eleanor-Rigby Donovan receives an anonymous letter alluding to a crime committed by her deceased mother, her life is turned upside down. It points her to a bar on the Baltimore Harbour, where she finds a stranger who has received the same mysterious letter about his own mother. Together, Eleanor-Rigby and this young man, George-Harrison Collins, embark on a quest through the shadowy past of the Stanfields, a moneyed Maryland family full of unimaginable secrets. These secrets will transport them back decades, across continents, and to a mysterious crime long buried…until now.
Finding Happy by Chad Kneller
(Self-Help)
(Self-Help)
Since the beginning, men and women have desired happiness. Why is it that so few have discovered it? Happiness is a treasure that is available to all and yet it remains elusive for most. The tragedy of life is not that it ends too soon, but that we wait so long to begin. As a young man Chad Kneller was lost and depressed, running 100 miles an hour in the wrong direction. "By age 28 I had ruined every area of my life and it seemed like my story was over," he says. "I was ready to end it all." Fortunately, this wasn't the end but a new beginning. He met some incredible people who helped him see life with new perspective and learned to not just see where he was but where he could be. Chad writes about the 10 keys to assist men and women in designing an extraordinary life full of happiness. These 10 keys led him from a deep depression to total joy. Today, Mr. Kneller is a rewired Army Officer who mentors entrepreneurs all across the country and enjoys spending much of his time with his three children and wife Jaree.
(Poetry / Teen & YA)
Josh Baker isn’t sure why his brain tells him to do things that other people don’t need to do: checking his locker again and again, counting cracks in ceilings, and always needing to finish a song, for starters. He is a talented drummer, a math genius, and he knows everything about rock and roll. Yet, he knows his problems have the power to hurt his family and make him fail at school. When Josh is diagnosed with OCD, it’s a blessing and a curse. Can he overcome his thoughts, or will they break him?
I can't wait to read and review these books so watch this space!
If you liked this post have a look at my complete list of Reading Lists or my complete list of What I Learned full review posts.
Happy Reading!
If you liked this post have a look at my complete list of Reading Lists or my complete list of What I Learned full review posts.
Happy Reading!
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