'The Bird House' by Kelly Simmons (TLC Tour Book) + Autographed Copy Giveaway

 

 

 

 

Synopsis: This is a story of one woman's inexorable slide into dementia and her growing bond with her granddaughter. Together, they uncover family secrets of both the past and the present that have the power to either destroy---or heal.

 

 

 

 

 

 "Beneath the surface of any problem, if you scrabble a bit, you'll find a secret. 

  It may take a while-decades perhaps-not for your excavation, mind you, but for your desire to appear; for that childlike curiosity to float up again. Indeed, you may need an actual child to summon it, as I did.

  But this is what drives us--the historians, the trash pickers, the gossips, the shrinks. And yes, the readers of books. We're all rooting around, teasing out other people's hidden reasons." [p.1]

......I absolutely fell in love with the opening sentences of The Bird House. Why? Because as a reader I do want to find out that deep, dark secret someone is hiding or learn what motivated someone to betray a friend or a lover. This is one of the biggest reasons why I love to read. The other reason? Is to find wonderful gems that touch me emotionally as this one did. I could go into detail about the book and why I found it to be a stellar read, but I really feel that would be robbing you, the new potential reader, of experiencing this one without knowing much beforehand. Suffice it to say that you will come to love Ann and her granddaughter Ellie. I really enjoyed seeing this story unfold through Ann's eyes because you were never quite sure if what you were seeing had actually taken place or not, due to her dementia. Ellie became the grounding force for me. She was sort of the guiding light in the story and helped fill in the gaps or missing pieces. I thought the author's use of a family project was genius in bringing two generations together. The author took this plot device and really worked it seamlessly into the story. I finished this book over the period of 24-hours. In fact, I had a hard time turning the light off Sunday night to go to bed and couldn't wait until my free time on Monday to finish the book. 

Recommend? Oh yes!! I know that my review really didn't go into depth and honestly I hate to tell a reader too much about any book I read. I will say this, I loved the characters, even the ones I didn't care for very much (daughter-in-law) because the author made them REAL. The story could happen and has happened to many, many people. I was intrigued, captivated, and couldn't put this one down!! 

Rating: 9/10

 Giveaway

*** Let me know in the comment section if you would like to be put in the hat 

for the chance to win an autographed copy of "The Bird House." 

Please leave me your email address or a way to contact you!! 

** Open to U.S. and Canada only

Closes March 16th

About Kelly Simmons

Kelly Simmons is the author of the critically acclaimed Simon & Schuster novel, Standing Still, and coming in February, The Bird House. She is a former journalist and advertising creative director who lives in the Philadelphia area with her family, and divides her time between writing, teaching, public speaking, and vacuuming up dog hair. She was born and raised in Waukegan, Illinois, and credits weekly visits to the Waukegan Public Library for her literary prowess. (Her determination to succeed, however, could only come from being a Cubs fan.) Visit her website at www.bykellysimmons.com.
Connect with Kelly on Facebook and Twitter.

Kelly’s Tour Stops

 

Published: 2011

Publisher: Washington Square Press

Pages: 272

Genre: Family Drama in a good way

ISBN: 9781439160930

 
Disclaimer:Thank you to TLC Book Tours for sending me a review copy. I was not compensated for my review. My thoughts on this book were in no way influenced by the author or publicist.They are my personal reflections based solely on MY experience while reading this novel

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© 2011, Staci of  Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

   

 

 Winner has been notified 3/20/11

'Hush' by Kate White (TLC Tour Book )

 Synopsis from TLC Book tours:

Four months after their separation, marketing consultant Lake Warren faces a tough legal battle with her husband, Jack, for custody of their two kids. Though the timing couldn’t be worse, she finds herself responding to the flirtations of Dr. Mark Keaton, her handsome colleague at the Advanced Fertility Center. But the morning after their one-night stand, Lake discovers Keaton with his throat slashed. Afraid of losing her children forever, Lake lies to the police—and begins searching for the truth on her own before she can be charged with the heinous crime. She starts getting hostile treatment from her coworkers, and strange clues start appearing, quite literally, on her doorstep. Soon Lake is pulled dangerously close to the very dark secrets surrounding the slain man and the clinic where they worked. And suddenly the police are not the only ones hunting Lake Warren.

"Lake opened her mouth to scream but nothing came out. her breath seemed dead-bolted in her chest. She knew she needed to get closer, to check if Keaton was alive. But she couldn't move." [p.37]

....With that kind of writing this book had me turning the pages and not wanting to stop reading until I had finished the story. I really needed to know who killed Keaton and why. At the beginning I liked Lake and could totally commiserate with her in regards to having a vindictive ex-spouse. But as the book progressed I wondered if her actions were really what any of us would have done had we been in her shoes. The further into the story I read, the more improbable the plot became.  About 3/4 of the way into the story, my desire to know the outcome sort of petered out and I was getting a bit weary of all the running, strange phone calls, and Lake's ability not to fall apart. Come on....she woke up to a man who had his throat slashed. I'd be calling someone!!! After all of the time I invested in reading this story I was the most disappointed in the way the author conveniently wrapped everything up within the last 18 pages. It almost felt like the author realized that she didn't want to go past 341 pages so she better tie up all the loose ends, make Lake into a hero, and call it good.

Recommend? I'm on the fence... it didn't knock my socks off, but it wasn't terrible either. So what to say? If you enjoy thrillers and have liked Kate White's work in the past then I believe you will enjoy this one. I would certainly read another book by White because I never judge an author by one body of work.

Rating: 6.5/10

About Kate White

Kate White is the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine and the New York Times bestselling author of the Bailey Weggins mystery series and several popular career books for women, including Why Good Girls Don’t Get Ahead but Gutsy Girls Do. She lives in New York City.
Find out more about Kate at her website, like her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter: @katemwhite.

Kate’s Tour Stops

Published: 2011

Publisher: Harper Paperbacks; Reprint edition (February 1, 2011)

Pages: 341

Genre: Thriller

ISBN: 9780061576652

 
Disclaimer:Thank you to TLC Book Tours for sending me a review copy. I was not compensated for my review. My thoughts on this book were in no way influenced by the author or publicist.They are my personal reflections based solely on MY experience while reading this novel

© 2011, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Mailbox Monday and It's Monday....What are you reading?

Mailbox Monday

is hosted by Library of Clean Reads (February Host)

We share the books that we found 

in our mailboxes last week.

Think of a Number- received from my blogging friend Stacy @ Stacy's Books
The Girl Who Would Speak for the Dead- Shelf Awareness and Amy Einhorn books

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Hosted by Sheila @ One Person's Journey Through a World of Books

We discuss the books that we've read and what we're planning to read for the week.

Read and reviewed this week:

The Devil's Star- my first taste of Scandinavian police thrillers...I'll be back for more! 4.5/5

Fierce Eden- good historical fiction romance...made me think fondly of "The Last of the Mohicans"  8/10

Reviews for this week:

Hush by Kate White- Monday (TLC Tour stop book)

The Bird House by Kelly Simmons- Wednesday (TLC Tour Stop and Book Review Club)

On my nightstand:

These books are seriously overdue to be read by me!!

I want to publicly apologize to the authors!!! 

Forgive me!

'Fierce Eden' by Jennifer Blake- Sourcebooks Casablanca Classic Reissue

Synopsis:

She was certain all men were beasts--until she met the half-breed gentleman...

A widow at 25, Elise Laffont is happy to be free of the brutish duties of the marriage bed. She is quite content to live alone on her small holdings in French Louisiana—until forced to flee the deadly uprising of the Natchez. Rescued by savagely handsome Reynaud Chavalier, son of a French nobleman and a Natchez sun-princess, she is given a fearful proposition. In exchange for safe passage out of Natchez territory for herself and her neighbors, lovely Elise must become the half-breed’s bedmate.

My thoughts:

I have to admit that I've really enjoyed reading Sourcebooks Casablanca Classics. I'm not usually one for romance books but 'My Love, My Enemy' and now 'Fierce Eden' have been great reads for me this month. Just goes to show you that covers can sometimes be misleading in regards to content.  I thought this story was a great blend of romance, adventure, sexual tension, and historical information. I will own up to having fantasies (when I was younger and more naive) of wanting to be swept away by an Indian Chief who crackled with virility and smoldering hotness. Every time I watched 'Last of the Mohicans,' I would often catch myself sighing and dreaming of Unca (Daniel Day Lewis's Indian brother) coming to my rescue and saving me from the brutal British. But I digress....so anyway.....I found myself at many, many times with a huge grin on my face as I read the passionate love scenes between Elise and her half-breed Reynaurd. But the story isn't just about their romance, it's also about the history of Louisiana, the French, and the Indian tribes that lived there during the early 1700's. Jennifer Blake took a few historic occurrences and then wrote a story that firmly plants the reader into the past.

Recommend? Yes..I would recommend this one especially for those readers that enjoy some great historical fiction with a tastefully written love story intertwined within the pages. There honestly isn't one cheesy thing going on here, it's not a Harlequin romance, or a book with just sex. Actually, the sex is fairly minimal and like I wrote above it's very well done. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon...not at all.

Rating: 8/10 (I've decided to go to the 10 point scale as it gives me more room to judge a book rather than 1-5)

Disclaimer:Thank you to Danielle @ Sourcebooks for sending me a review copy. I was not compensated for my review. My thoughts on this book were in no way influenced by the author or publicist.They are my personal reflections based solely on MY experience while reading this novel

Published: February, 2011

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Pages:249

Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance

ISBN: 9781402238482

*Uncorrected Advance Copy

 

© 2011, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

 

'The Devil's Star' by Jo Nesbo

  Synopsis from TLC:
In the heat of a sweltering Oslo summer, a young woman is found murdered in her flat-with one of her fingers cut off and a tiny red star-shaped diamond placed under her eyelid. An off-the-rails alcoholic barely holding on to his job, Detective Harry Hole is assigned the case with Tom Waaler, a hated colleague whom Harry believes is responsible for the murder of his partner. When another woman is reported missing five days later, and her severed finger turns up adorned with a red star-shaped diamond ring, Harry fears a serial killer is at work. But Hole’sdetermination to capture a fiend and to expose Waaler’s crimes is leading him into shadowy places where both investigations merge in unexpected ways, forcing him to make difficult decisions about a future he may not live to see.

 

His finger continued down the column. Leave, leave, sick leave. The Chief Inspector sighed when his finger stopped against the name he had been hoping to avoid.

  Harry Hole.

  The lone wolf, the drunk, the department's enfant terrible and, apart from Tom Waaler, the best detective on the sixth floor. [p.13]


.....this is the sentence where the reader firsts encounters Harry Hole and how he is perceived by his boss. I was immediately drawn to him for some reason. I like characters that aren't perfect and seem to be fighting demons in their life. It makes them real, gives them flaws, and makes you care about them, because they sound a bit like yourself in ways. This book was my first introduction to the whole Scandinavian crime genre that seems to have really taken off with the introduction of Stieg Larsson's Millenium series.

There were many reasons why I loved this book and couldn't put it down until the very last page. Here's just a few of them:

• Harry Hole is a character that I needed to learn more about what made him tick and his complex layers. I found myself at times wanting to hug him, smack him, follow him, learn from him, and just to be in his presence. He's driven by demons, but by also what he believes to be right. He's one step ahead of his enemies and he keeps his cards close to his vest, yet he's still so very vulnerable. This character bored a hole into my head and heart and now I need more!!!!!
• The storyline was taut, intricate and brilliantly woven together. At times I actually thought I was on to something, but the ending totally blew me away.

• This police procedural is fantastic reading and there was never a dull moment or a time when I didn't want to get back into this story.   

Recommend? Absolutely with no hesitation. This book kept me on the edge of my seat and I really didn't want it to end. The plus side- there are two Harry Hole's stories prior to The Devil's Star that I will be getting my hands on soon. Must read book for those that love an exciting, bit gritty and gruesome police thriller!!

P.S. While I read this book I used the author as my visual for Harry Hole...no wonder I loved him so much huh?

Rating: 4.5/5

About Jo Nesbø

A musician, songwriter, and economist, Jo Nesbø is also one of Europe’s most acclaimed crime writers. Nesbø is the winner of the Glass Key Award, northern Europe’s most prestigious crime-fiction prize, for his first novel featuring Police Detective Harry Hole. The author of The Redbreast and Nemesis, he lives in Oslo.
Find out more about Jo Nesbø on his website. You can also like him on Facebook.


Please stop by these blogs on this tour.

Published: 2010

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Pages:452

Genre: Fantastic Police Procedural/Thriller

ISBN: 9780061133985

 
Disclaimer:Thank you to TLC Book Tours for sending me a review copy. I was not compensated for my review. My thoughts on this book were in no way influenced by the author or publicist.They are my personal reflections based solely on MY experience while reading this novel

© 2011, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Mailbox Monday and It's Monday...What are you reading?

Mailbox Monday

is hosted by Library of Clean Reads (February Host)

We share what books that we found 

in our mailboxes last week.

 

Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult- review copy from Shelf Awareness ( I'm totally excited about this one!!!!!)
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah harkness- review copy from Viking

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Hosted by Sheila

One Persons Journey Through a World of Books  

   Weekly meme where we discuss the books
you've read and those you plan to read in the coming week.

 

Read and reviewed this week:

When We Were Strangers- excellent historical fiction 5/5

Mr. Darcy's Secret- a favorite P&P variation 4/5

Reviews coming this week:

The Devil's Star- TLC Tour stop Monday

Fierce Eden- Tuesday

Darcy and Fitzwilliam-Thursday

On my nightstand:

 

Six Sentence Saturday

Welcome to Six Sentence Saturday.

Where I try to express my thoughts on recent reads using only 6 sentences!!!!.
At the end of each review I will post a
rating scale of 1-5 using the cute and original (lol) Playing Cards.
Rating scale will be as follows:

5 of Hearts- You must read this book NOW!!
4 of Hearts- A great read, put it on your TBR list.
3 of Hearts- Happy that I read it...a good read.
2 of Hearts- Just O.K but nothing to write home about.
Joker Card - Don't bother (why did I?)

Mr. Darcy's Secret by Jane Odiwe

Mr. Darcy has a secret and Elizabeth is torn about wanting to know the truth and pretending that nothing is amiss. This story line captured me from the very first page and kept me turning the pages excited to find out what Darcy was hiding from Lizzy. I felt as if the author had the spirit of Jane Austen residing within her because the language, tempo, flavor, and the actions of the characters so closely resembled Austen's. I also really enjoyed the inclusion of Georgiana's own love story and how it made Darcy really stop and wonder if his pride was something of the past or not. This book felt very cohesive and put me right into the spirit of Pemberley and what "may" have happened after Darcy and Elizabeth married. This book will make any Austen fan happy and I feel that it takes the variations of P&P to a new level.

My Rating:

Published: February 1, 2011

Publisher: Sourcebooks

Pages: 368

Genre: P&P Variation

ISBN:  9781402245275

*Uncorrected Advance Copy

 
Disclaimer:Thank you to Danielle @ Sourcebooks for sending me a review copy. I was not compensated for my review. My thoughts on this book were in no way influenced by the author or publicist.They are my personal reflections based solely on MY experience while reading this novel

© 2011, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.