Evidence of Life

Barbara Taylor Sissel

On the last ordinary day of her life, Abby Bennett feels like the luckiest woman alive. But everyone knows that luck doesn't last forever...

As her husband, Nick, and daughter, Lindsey, embark on a weekend camping trip to the Texas Hill Country, Abby looks forward to having some quiet time to herself. She braids Lindsey's hair, reminds Nick to drive safely and kisses them both goodbye. For a brief moment, Abby thinks she has it all-a perfect marriage, a perfect life-until a devastating storm rips through the region, and her family vanishes without a trace.

When Nick and Lindsey are presumed dead, lost in the raging waters, Abby refuses to give up hope. Consumed by grief and clinging to her belief that her family is still alive, she sets out to find them. But as disturbing clues begin to surface, Abby realizes that the truth may be far more sinister than she imagined. Soon she finds herself caught in a current of lies that threaten to unhinge her and challenge everything she once believed about her marriage and family.

My Thoughts

I thought this was an interesting story. I did find myself wondering how I would handle it if someone in my life just suddenly disappeared and was considered presumed dead. Presumed being the key word here. I think not knowing with 100% certainty would drive me nuts, and I thought the author did a good job of portraying how this impacted Abby.

I was miffed at how some of Abby’s support team treated her. I was annoyed with Abby’s wishy-washy behavior - although I think this was reflective of her desire to know what happened versus moving on with the life. I always maintain that when an author can evoke these kind of feelings from me, then they have done a good job writing the story.

This was my first book by this author and I am definitely interested in checking out some of her other writings.

My thanks to Harequin Mira, via Netgalley, for allowing me to read this in exchange for an unbiased review.

Published date: March 26, 2013.

Sorry I Barfed on Your Bed(and Other Heartwarming Letters from Kitty)

Jeremy Greenberg

The cat's answer to Sorry I Pooped in Your Shoe, Sorry I Barfed on Your Bed is a hilarious collection of full-color photos and letters of excuses and suggestions from cats to the people who love them—no matter what bad thing they’ve done!

Inside Sorry I Barfed on Your Bed, writer and comedian Jeremy Greenberg presents a collection of laugh-out-loud letters and photographs that offer a cat's eye view on common feline vs. human cohabitation conundrums. It's the perfect gift for crazy cat lovers and anyone who appreciates hilarious (and so true!) insights into cat—and human—nature, including:

Your cat sits on your laptop not just for warmth or attention, but to prevent you from interacting with the outside world. After all, isn’t the main reason to have a cat so you don’t have to waste time developing normal human relationships? If you spent a third of your life licking yourself, you too would occasionally forget to stick your tongue back in your face. Eating grass has medicinal purposes, and most cats believe grass should be legalized. The cat feels bad about barfing on your bed…because now it must get to up to go sleep on your clean laundry instead.(Cover image and synopsis from Netgalley)

　

My Thoughts

Ok - yes - I wanted to read this book because of the title and the cover.   I thought this would be a book that I would look at once and that would be that.

As it turns out, I’ve looked at this little gem of a book several times already - mostly when I need a good laugh. The author is spot on about cat behavior. The pictures go along perfectly with each little tale. This book is a keeper. Have a friend who is also a cat lover and could use a chuckle - consider giving this as a gift. You won’t go wrong!

Thank you to Andrews McMeel Publishing for allowing me to read this in exchange for an unbiased review.

Publish date: April 2, 2012.

Dark Triumph (His Fair Assassin #2)

Robin LaFevers

Sybella arrives at the convent’s doorstep half mad with grief and despair. Those that serve Death are only too happy to offer her refuge—but at a price. The convent views Sybella, naturally skilled in the arts of both death and seduction, as one of their most dangerous weapons. But those assassin's skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to a life that nearly drove her mad. And while Sybella is a weapon of justice wrought by the god of Death himself, He must give her a reason to live. When she discovers an unexpected ally imprisoned in the dungeons, will a daughter of Death find something other than vengeance to live for? (Cover image and synopsis courtesy of Netgalley).

My Thoughts

 

I remember when I found out at the end of Grave Mercy - His Fair Assassin #1 (one of my most favorite reads in 2012) that book #2 would be about Sybella, I wondered exactly how the author was going to incorporate this character into the story line. Was it even possible for this to be as good as book #1?

Oh - not only was it possible, but Dark Triumph surpassed any and all expectations. It has all the mystery and intrigue of life within the Brittany court. The politics and back stabbing (both literally and figuratively). The suspense and infighting. And best of all, the story of Sybella and the Beast. This was beautiful. I don’t want to ruin it for future readers, but suffice it to say that this part of the story brought a tear to my eye. The only thing I am sad about is that I am at the end of this delightful book and have to wait patiently for book #3.

I am eternally grateful to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Publish date: April 2, 2013

Toms River

A Story of Science and Salvation

Dan Fagin

The riveting true story of sixty years in the life of a small town ravaged by industrial pollution, Toms Rivermelds hard-hitting investigative reporting, a fascinating scientific detective story, deep historical research, and an unforgettable cast of characters into a sweeping narrative that leaves us asking: Could it happen in my town, too?

One of New Jersey’s seemingly innumerable quiet seaside towns, Toms River became the unlikely setting for a decades-long drama that culminated in 2001 with one of the largest legal settlements in the annals of toxic dumping. A town that would rather have been known for its Little League World Series champions ended up making history for an entirely different reason: a notorious cluster of childhood cancers scientifically linked to local air and water pollution. For years, large chemical companies had been using Toms River as their private dumping ground, burying tens of thousands of leaky drums in open pits and discharging billions of gallons of acid-laced wastewater into the town’s namesake river.

In an astonishing feat of investigative reporting, prize-winning journalist Dan Fagin recounts the sixty-year saga of rampant pollution and inadequate oversight that made Toms River a cautionary example for fast-growing industrial towns from South Jersey to South China. He tells the stories of the pioneering scientists and physicians who first identified pollutants as a cause of cancer, and brings to life the everyday heroes in Toms River who struggled for justice: a young boy whose cherubic smile belied the fast-growing tumors that had decimated his body from birth; a nurse who fought to bring the alarming incidence of childhood cancers to the attention of authorities who didn’t want to listen; and a mother whose love for her stricken child transformed her into a tenacious advocate for change.

A gripping human drama rooted in a centuries-old scientific quest, Toms River is a tale of dumpers at midnight and deceptions in broad daylight, of corporate avarice and government neglect, and of a few brave individuals who refused to keep silent until the truth was exposed.(Cover image and synopsis from Netgalley)

My Thoughts

Who knew a book about toxic waste dumping could be such a fascinating read?

By the first 50 pages, I had lost count of the number of times I said “holy crap!”. It was hard for me to wrap my brain around the massive quantity of dumping that was going on. I know this was in the late 1950s and early 1960s when the EPA was in it’s infancy and OSHA was non existent, but even so, I found it appalling. The company responsible already had troubles for dumping in one other U.S city and in Europe, so why should things have been any different in Toms River? To me, this is the standard story of a large corporation coming into a small town and hoping that their offerings of good paying jobs would mean the locals would want to overlook any hazards that might be associated with those jobs. As was often the case, the workers and residents were often kept in the dark about their exposure to toxic chemicals and eventually had to fight tooth and nail for information.

What was so interesting about this book was how the author presented the information. Intermixed with the story of Toms River, he educates the reader on topics such as epidemiology, cancer research, cluster studies and so much more. I can’t even images how much time and effort went into writing this. And while it could have been overwhelmingly scientific, I have to say I felt the informations was presented in a very readable and understandable manner.

My thanks to Random House/Bantam and Netgalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an unbiased review.

Publish date: March 26, 2013.