February was a good month of reading with nine more books under my belt! Be sure to check out Notorious RBG, my favorite book in February!
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| 4 stars |
I have absolutely loved this series and this book was no different. Best Kept Secret is the ongoing tale of the Barrington and Clifton families. The House of Lords is set to decide whether Giles Barrington or Harry Clifton is the heir of Hugo Barrington, and therefore, if Harry can finally marry Emma Barrington. Meanwhile, Emma begins searching for her father's illegitimate daughter, Jessica. Giles runs for a seat in the House of Commons, falls in love with a beautiful, but extremely manipulative woman, and marries her despite the pleading of his family. Sebastian Clifton, covering for school friends Bruno Martinez and Vic Kaufman, thinks he's been expelled from school and accepts a job offer from Bruno's dad, Don Pedro Martinez. With two new love-to-hate-them villians, Best Kept Secret kept me turning the pages late into the night.
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| 4 stars |
Before I read Notorious RBG, I didn't know much about Justice Ginzburg. What I did know was that we wouldn't agree on everything. But the idea of disagreement should never prevent you from hearing out those with whom you disagree. I loved learning about her early years as a lawyer, arguing equal rights before the Supreme Court; her time serving on the U.S. Court of Appeals (appointed my Jimmy Carter); and her tenure as a Supreme Court Justice (appointed by Bill Clinton), only the second woman in the history of the Court. I was struck by the truth of her idea that real and lasting change is made incrementally and impressed by her life-long commitment to it. What really resounded in my heart was her friendship with recently passed Justice Scalia. Despite their differing opinions on what seems like every divisive issue, they were real and true friends. I really enjoyed reading this account of her life and work. It was witty, thorough, and very interesting. Definitely worth the read!
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| 4 stars |
The third book in this series left us with a huge cliff hanger - who died in the fatal car crash, Sebastian Clifton or his friend Bruno? Be Careful What You Wish For begins with the answer to that question (thank God - cliff hangers are the worst!). Meanwhile, our two delicious new villains are conspiring to keep Emma Clifton from her much desired seat as Chairman of Barrington Shipping and are attempting to bankrupt the company while they're at it. We're also introduced to new a new character in Jessica Clifton's boyfriend, Clive Bingham, fellow student at Slade Academy of Art. (I loved this story line until it took a turn I didn't particularly care for although I understand it in the overarching plot of the series). We also meet Cedric Hardcastle, owner of Farthing's Bank, who plays a major role in the series as Sebastian's Old Jack. What I don't love is that Harry Clifton, the original main character of the series, plays a very minor and even passive role in this book. Overall, Be Careful What You Wish For is still an up-all-night page-turner that I really enjoyed.
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| 4 stars |
This memoir is Laura's story of her perseverance in marriage. When her husband comes home one night and states that he's not sure that he loves her anymore, Laura decides that she won't suffer. She knows her husband and knows that what he's struggling through is about him, not her. She journals through this season of her life with an honesty and vulnerability that surprised me. I bought and read this book originally probably five or six years ago and it was fun to re-read and see what this book meant to me now that I'm very happily married. Originally, I clung to the much needed truth that I am enough; other people only define you if you let them. This time, I was struck by the strength and courage it takes to fight for your marriage when your spouse won't. But even more than that, she fought for him, for his happiness and more importantly, his wholeness, when he couldn't see that for himself. In a world where divorce is so commonplace, it was refreshing to read about love, for yourself and for your spouse, as a choice, not just a feeling.
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| 3.5 stars |
Be Careful What You Wish For ended with the IRA detonating a bomb aboard the Buckingham, Barrington Shipping's new luxury liner, and of course, Mightier than the Sword opens with more details on that story line and the repercussions to Emma's seat as Chairman of the Board. Harry once again emerges as an actual main character of this book. He's elected president of the PEN and uses his position to advocate for the release of author Antony Babakov, translator for Josef Stalin. Interestingly enough, we discover he has a photographic memory which ends up being a big part of this story line. Meanwhile, Giles Barrington makes a huge personal mistake in Russia which could jeopardize his seat in the House of Commons. I'll be honest and say I absolutely hated this story line and may never like this character again. Sebastian is quickly making a name for himself at Farthings, under Cedric Hardcastle's mentorship. He also becomes engaged to Samantha, a curator at a local art gallery who is familiar with Jessica's work. Their story in this book is good, then questionable, then somewhat redeeming. Cedric's story line, however, and his courage, is one of my favorites in Mightier than the Sword. I also loved-to-hate what has turned into a team of villians desperate to decimate the Barrington and Clifton families. (Occasionally I think a book is better than one number but not as good as the next number, hence my rating of 3.5 stars. Halves aren't possible on Goodreads, so I've rounded up to 4 in my rating there.)
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| 4 stars |
No Second Chance is the story of Marc Seidman, a do-gooder plastic surgeon who is almost fatally wounded when an intruder kills his wife and kidnaps his infant daughter. When he wakes up in the hospital a couple weeks later, he's distraught when he learns not only of the tragic events, but that there's been no ransom demanded. But when a ransom is demanded and goes badly, the kidnappers are sure to let him know, he'll get no second chance. Marc's search for his daughter leads him to discover the truth, but it's something you'll never see coming. It's no secret: I love reading Harlan Coben's work. There's always a didn't-see-that-coming plot twist that can actually become a little predictable after you've read a few of his books, but that was not the case here. The ending left me stunned!
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| 3 stars |
Being born in the early 80's, I didn't know much about the details of JFK's presidency. I was fascinated by the story of President Kennedy's personal life and time in office. I learned of his friendship with Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby; his closeness and dependency on brother, Bobby Kennedy, usually to the exclusion of Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson; His relationship with wife, Jackie Kennedy; the loss of their son born during the Presidency; the Bay of Pigs and Cuban Missile Crisis and the President's response to both. I could see how he'd grown in confidence and skill as his presidency progressed. But I just could not reconcile the respect one should have for the President and the integrity with which a President should serve his or her country with the volume of extramarital affairs had by JFK. For me, not only did it dishonor his wife, it tainted the good work he did as president. I did know most of the details of the assassination, but I was surprised by the humanity revealed in this particular telling. Of course JFK's death not only affected the country, but those closest to him as well, and I didn't know much about those details. Despite the low ratings I usually give Bill O'Reilly's books, I keep reading them and am usually glad for it.
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| 3.5 stars |
Jordan Weiss, a State Department intelligence officer, has spent her professional life on the move. When her college boyfriend, Jared Short, drowns in the River Cam right before graduation, she knows her idyllic Cambridge will never be the same and that she'll never return. But when Sarah, a close friend from college suffering from ALS, asks her to return to London, Jordan requests a transfer to the London office. She's immediately assigned to a task force responsible for finding English corporations that might be involved with the Albanian mob. Chris, another friend from college, also quickly makes contact and shares with her his theory that Jared, a strong swimmer, did not drown but was killed. Jordan is quickly caught up in two cases that seem inextricably linked. But who can she trust to help her? Almost Home was better than three stars, but not quite four.
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| 3 stars |
At the end of Almost Home, Jordan learns she has been betrayed by those she trusted most. And she learns that not only did Jared, her college boyfriend, not drown in the River Cam, he's still alive and on the run from the Albanian mob. She immediately quits her job at the State Department and begins her search for him. She heads to the French Riveria to find Nicole, one of his known contacts, and quickly realizes she isn't the only one looking for her. Aaron, an Israeli, is searching for Nicole for his own undisclosed reasons and while neither of them fully trust the other, they quickly discover they are better off searching as a team. This story has some elements that I really enjoyed, but mostly, for some reason I just can't put my finger on, the whole thing fell flat.
Two months into 2016 and I've knocked out 20 books - 25% of my goal for the year!
How's your reading going? Did you set a goal? Have you read a really good book? I'd love to hear all about it!
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