Weekly Recap #73: Week of 9/30-10/6
/38 Comments/by Suzanne
It’s time for another weekly recap post of all things happening on and off the blog. This week I’ll be linking to the Sunday Post, which is hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer and to Stacking the Shelves, which is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews.
I don’t have much to write about this week. I’ve been busy at work with our last two major deadlines of the year looming on October 15th. So I’ve been working, working, working all day and sitting around like a slug all evening, lol. On the plus side, I do have a trip to NYC coming up in a couple of weeks that I’m stoked about. I still need to come up with a few more things to do, which sometimes gets challenging since I’ve already done most of the obvious touristy activities. What I do know so far is that I’ll be seeing Hamilton and Springsteen on Broadway while I’m there, celebrating my birthday which happens to be that week, and hanging out with one of my best friends so I’m really looking forward to it.
Because of my work deadlines, I didn’t really get much reading done this week either. I finally finished Wildcard last night, and it was my only read for the whole week. I don’t know if it’s just because I was so tired all week, but it took me a lot longer to read that one than Warcross and I found myself skimming at times. I still ended up really liking it in the end thankfully, but I was surprised that I didn’t find it more riveting since I thought Warcross was so epic. My library loans for Sea Witch and Good Luck with That also came through at the end of last week, so I’m shuffling up my upcoming reads to try to fit those in before they’re due to go back to the library.
Aside from that, I did find one new TV addiction. I’m two years late to the party, but I’m officially obsessed with This is Us. As I’ve been sitting around like a lump this week, I’ve watched 12 episodes from season 1 and can honestly say that all the hype surrounding this show is real. I’ve loved every minute of it so far. I still haven’t watched a single new fall show yet and at the rate I’m going, that probably won’t happen until after my trip. If you’ve discovered any good ones though, let me know. Almost all of my shows got cancelled so I’ll be looking for new ones to watch.
Oh well, that’s it for me. I hope everyone else has a great week!
WHAT I POSTED LAST WEEK
- [30 Sep] Weekly Recap #72: Week of 9/23-9/29
- [2 Oct] Top Ten Tuesday – 10 Authors I’d Love to Meet
- [3 Oct] Can’t Wait Wednesday – THE GIRL KING by Mimi Yu
- [5 Oct] The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain ★★★★★
WHAT I’M READING THIS WEEK
UPCOMING REVIEWS
STACKING THE SHELVES
TOTALLY RANDOM
Five Reasons Why Diane Chamberlain’s THE DREAM DAUGHTER is a Must Read
/30 Comments/by SuzanneAlso by this author: Big Lies in a Small Town
Published by St. Martin's Press on October 2, 2018
Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Science Fiction
Pages: 384
Source: Netgalley
Amazon
Goodreads
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Before The Dream Daughter caught my eye, I have to confess that I had never given Diane Chamberlain’s novels a try. I always thought the synopses of her books sounded interesting but somehow just never got around to reading one. Well, let me tell you that I’m seriously kicking myself right now because I have clearly been missing out on some amazing books. The Dream Daughter is one of the most exquisite novels I’ve ever read. I devoured it and know for certain that it will make my Best of 2018 list at the end of the year. It’s just that good.
It’s also one of those books that is best read without knowing too much going in, so instead of writing a full fledged review here, I’m just going to give you five reasons why I loved this book and think you’ll love it too.
5 Reasons The Dream Daughter Should Be on Your Reading List
- I’m a huge fan of time travel novels when they are well written and Diane Chamberlain writes time travel to sheer perfection in The Dream Daughter. Using precise scientific calculations to locate portals that will take you to a date and location of your choice, Chamberlain creates a brilliant and logical time traveling premise that will stretch the bounds of your imagination but, at the same time, will make you seriously think about whether such a thing could actually be possible.
- The Dream Daughter is a unique blend of science fiction and historical fiction, as well as a heartwrenching domestic drama. It has a little bit of everything, and for someone like me who enjoys all three of these, having them so beautifully woven together in one story was reading heaven. What I think Chamberlain does especially well with this is that none of these elements takes over the story so I think even someone who loves historical fiction, for example, but not necessarily sci-fi, would still love the book.
- The Dream Daughter is a poignant read that is sure to capture your heart. Chamberlain explores the lengths that a mother will go to and the sacrifices she is willing to make in order to save her unborn child. I was just so moved by the main character’s plight and the strength she displayed at every step along the way.
- Speaking of characters, I was so impressed by the way both of the main characters in this book were written. The story is told from the point of view of Carly, a widowed soon-to-be mom who is in danger of losing her baby, and Hunter, a physicist who just appears in Carly’s life one day and ends up having a massive impact on her life. It’s immediately easy to feel sympathy for Carly because we learn that not only is her husband killed in the Vietnam War, but her unborn child also has an untreatable heart defect that is destined to be fatal soon after the baby’s birth. Carly’s desperation is palpable and it’s impossible not to root for her as she tries to find a way to save her child. Hunter, however, is equally sympathetic but he’s also a tad mysterious, which makes him all the more interesting. When we (and Carly) meet him, he is at a rehab facility recovering from a fall off a roof. There is some question as to his mental health and whether or not the fall was actually a jump. Although he is initially completely uncooperative with his physical therapists, he warms up to Carly right away and they become friends. Their lives further intertwine when Hunter falls for and marries Carly’s sister and then later when he approaches Carly with a possible solution on how to save her unborn child…if she’s willing to take a giant leap of faith. I thought Chamberlain did such an incredible job of developing compelling, layered stories for each of these characters and ultimately entwining them together into one beautifully complex story.
- As you’ve probably gathered by me gushing about Chamberlain’s character development, I’m a big fan of her writing style. Not only was the character development wonderful, but everything about the story was. The prose was gorgeous, without being purple, and the pacing was perfect. The need to save the unborn child also added such a sense of urgency that I truly could not put the book down until I knew how it ended.
GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:
From bestselling author Diane Chamberlain comes an irresistible new novel.
When Caroline Sears receives the news that her unborn baby girl has a heart defect, she is devastated. It is 1970 and there seems to be little that can be done. But her brother-in-law, a physicist, tells her that perhaps there is. Hunter appeared in their lives just a few years before—and his appearance was as mysterious as his past. With no family, no friends, and a background shrouded in secrets, Hunter embraced the Sears family and never looked back.
Now, Hunter is telling her that something can be done about her baby’s heart. Something that will shatter every preconceived notion that Caroline has. Something that will require a kind of strength and courage that Caroline never knew existed. Something that will mean a mind-bending leap of faith on Caroline’s part.
And all for the love of her unborn child.
A rich, genre-spanning, breathtaking novel about one mother’s quest to save her child, unite her family, and believe in the unbelievable. Diane Chamberlain pushes the boundaries of faith and science to deliver a novel that you will never forget.
About Diane Chamberlain
Diane Chamberlain is the New York Times, USA Today and Sunday Times bestselling author of 26 novels published in more than twenty languages. Her most recent novel is The Dream Daughter. Some of her most popular books include Necessary Lies, The Silent Sister, The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes, and The Keeper of the Light Trilogy. Diane likes to write complex stories about relationships between men and women, parents and children, brothers and sisters, and friends. Although the thematic focus of her books often revolves around family, love, compassion and forgiveness, her stories usually feature a combination of drama, mystery, secrets and intrigue. Diane’s background in psychology has given her a keen interest in understanding the way people tick, as well as the background necessary to create her realistic characters.
Diane was born and raised in Plainfield, New Jersey and spent her summers at the Jersey Shore. She also lived for many years in San Diego and northern Virginia before making North Carolina her home.
Diane received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in clinical social work from San Diego State University. Prior to her writing career, Diane worked in hospitals in San Diego and Washington, D.C. before opening a private psychotherapy practice in Alexandria Virginia specializing in adolescents. All the while Diane was writing on the side. Her first book, Private Relations was published in 1989 and it earned the RITA award for Best Single Title Contemporary Novel.
Diane lives with her partner, photographer John Pagliuca, and her sheltie, Cole. She has three stepdaughters, two sons-in-law, and four grandchildren. She’s currently at work on her next novel.
Please visit Diane’s website dianechamberlain.com for more information on her newest novel, The Stolen Marriage, and a complete list of her books.
Can’t Wait Wednesday – THE GIRL KING by Mimi Yu
/34 Comments/by Suzanne
“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, which encourages fellow bloggers to spotlight upcoming releases that we’re excited about. It is a meme that I have loved participating in for over a year now, but as Jill is no longer actively posting, from now on I’ll just be linking to Can’t Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, which is a spinoff of the original WoW meme.
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My selection for this week is THE GIRL KING by Mimi Yu. Unwitting sibling rivalry, a wolf shapeshifter, and deadly forbidden magic?! Yes, please!
THE GIRL KING by Mimi Yu
Publication Date: January 8, 2019
From Goodreads
Two sisters become unwitting rivals in a war to claim the title of Emperor in this sweeping tale of ambition, sacrifice and betrayal for readers of Sabaa Tahir and Alwyn Hamilton.
All hail the Girl King.
Sisters Lu and Min have always understood their places as princesses of the Empire. Lu knows she is destined to become the dynasty’s first female ruler, while Min is resigned to a life in her shadow. Then their father declares their male cousin Set the heir instead—a betrayal that sends the sisters down two very different paths.
Determined to reclaim her birthright, Lu goes on the run. She needs an ally—and an army—if she is to succeed. Her quest leads her to Nokhai, the last surviving wolf shapeshifter. Nok wants to keep his identity secret, but finds himself forced into an uneasy alliance with the girl whose family killed everyone he ever loved…
Alone in the volatile court, Min’s hidden power awakens—a forbidden, deadly magic that could secure Set’s reign…or allow Min to claim the throne herself. But there can only be one Emperor, and the sisters’ greatest enemy could turn out to be each other.
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I’d love to hear what upcoming book releases you’re waiting on this Wednesday? Leave me your link in the comments below and I’ll stop by and check out your CWW selection for this week. 🙂