Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng


I was immersed in this book during a recent trip to Maui, hence the scenic photos :)

If I could rate this 6 stars, I would. Wow...I am an avid reader and usually can finish a good book pretty quickly.  However, due to the intensity and depth of the writing, it took me a bit longer to finish.

The book starts out with one of the characters, Lydia, being dead. It is basically in the first sentence of the book. She is the daughter of 3 children born from a Chinese father and an American mother. The whole story goes back and forth from past to present about what lead to her death. The book digs deeply into racial issues from the 60s and into the past of both parents. The story also focuses on the relationships between the 3 siblings (before and after Lydia's death). That is the basic premise of the story, and there is not much more I can say without spoiling it.

Not only was this book intensely deep and well-written, but it really really makes you think about the reality of life and family dynamics (especially bi-racial families). Every single sentence in this book was significant, and the book alternated a lot between past, present and future. It's a book that definitely needs your undivided attention! The writer does an amazing job allowing you to truly connect with each character and what shaped them to be who they are. I highly recommend this book and would LOVE to see it on the big screen. 

The only negative thing I could say~ it's very depressing , but worth it. Beyond amazing!

Into The Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes

Into The Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes

I had the pleasure of chatting with another fabulous author about some of her books that I read a few years ago. Elizabeth Haynes is from the UK and also a police intelligence analyst, so of course you can imagine she knows what she is talking about! Into the Darkest Corner was her very first novel, which is so impressive, as it was a UK and NY Times Best Seller.

I enjoyed Into The Darkest Corner because I love psychological thrillers, suspense and mystery. This book grabbed me from the first few pages, which starts with a court interrogation of Lee Brightman. It then shifts into a disturbing murder scene of a young woman. The story then jumps into the life of a young woman, Catherine, that had a violent ex-boyfriend (Lee Brightman) and so she suffers from  severe symptoms of OCD and PTSD. The book alternates between 2 different time periods: when Catherine was in the violent relationship and her current life filled with anxiety and paranoia. It's one of those books that actually gives you anxiety as you read it!
I would definitely recommend this book if you enjoy suspense and dark books. I don't want to give too much away , but this is a very entertaining read. The police and detective references are a bit different since the writer is from the UK, but you get the idea once you read further.

I also really enjoyed Human Remains by Elizabeth Haynes. This is another dark, disturbing story that does a great job grabbing your interest. I find that Elizabeth's writing is very unique and I look forward to reading other books by her soon!

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

I felt compelled to write this review today for 2 reasons. First, I just finished the book last night. Second, the trailer just came out today for the movie. I am so excited and I must write about this NOW!

 Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

OK, so I have read some reviews already for this book, and it's very important to keep in mind that it is a very sensitive and controversial topic. It is not your conventional love story, but it is FICTION. Many people had negative and biased reviews due to the fact that one of the main characters is a highly depressed, quadriplegic man; debating euthanasia. So yes, it is a very sensitive topic , but also bear in mind that this is a fictional story. If you cannot handle that, then this is not the book for you.

The majority of the story is told from the main character, Louisa Clark's perspective. She is a working class girl that is desperate for a job; so she  signs a 6 month contract to work for Will Traynor as a "companion and caretaker." Will  comes from a very wealthy family, and is an ex-business man who survived a bad motorcycle accident that left him paralyzed, with the limited use of one hand only.  Will had a pretty active life before the accident and was a player with the ladies. He was also an avid traveler who loved doing physical activities. When Louisa starts the job, she is in a 7 year relationship that has gone pretty stale. Her and Will don't necessarily hit it off from the beginning, but as time goes by, they start building a very unique friendship. This story is unique in that you can feel their chemistry building up , but without much physical interaction obviously. However, the connection is so strong that it really touches you. I actually got butterflies in my stomach reading some parts!
This story goes through many ups and downs as Louisa accidentally finds out why her contract is "limited" to 6 months. The second half of the story is basically Louisa trying everything in her power to convince Will to accept and adapt to his limited, new life style. I don't want to say too much more without spoiling the story. Again, keep in mind that it's fiction and try not to analyze the medical stuff behind it too much. The author is not an expert on quadriplegia and is just trying to tell a complicated love story. Prepare to shed some tears!!!!! I really enjoyed this and hope you will too!

"You only get one life. It's actually your duty to live it as fully as possible"- Jojo Moyes

These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf

I am so grateful for social media! Not only does it allow you to add and follow your favorite authors (not an option in my childhood), but some authors are gracious enough to engage in conversations with you! This morning, I had the pleasure of chatting with Heather Gudenkauf and she was so very sweet. I was entering a contest to win a signed copy of her book that was just released today, Missing Pieces, then we just started chatting. I also realized that I have already read 2 of her books!!!! It has been a while, so bear with me. I have read these two books, The Weight of Silence & These Things Hidden, and I also have a copy of Little Mercies. I truly enjoyed both books, but I have to say These Things Hidden is my absolute favorite!

I distinctly remember when I was immersed in These Things Hidden! I was in Palm Springs at the ACE Hotel pool, relaxing and ignoring my friend as I read this book! I think I was reading it the entire time we were there and I finished it in like 2 days! If you like suspense/mystery/thriller, this is right up your alley. The story is about 2 sisters with a major secret and one of them is in prison paying for it. The question is; is the right person in prison? and what was the crime? The story is told from a few different perspectives and goes back in forth in time, yet nicely weaves all the characters and stories together. It's difficult to say much more about the plot without any spoilers, but I want to praise the author! This book grabbed my attention from page 1 and I am a huge fan of books that are written from a few different character perspectives. I can imagine how hard it must be to do that and keep the reader guessing for the majority of the book. It is filled with many surprises and twists. Get your copy NOW!

I also really enjoyed The Weight of Silence and can't wait to read other books by Heather Gudenkauf! I am looking forward to reading her latest release, Missing Pieces!

All Fall Down by Jennifer Weiner

I have only read 2 books by Jennifer Weiner, but I have always heard great things about her and her novels. I truly enjoyed both of these books, so I want to share my thoughts about them! I am not surprised she is a New York Times Bestselling Author. I chose to mainly discuss the first book in depth, since I have much more to say about it. The book titles: All Fall Down & Who Do You Love. Next up on my list for this author is: Goodnight Nobody.


All Fall Down by Jennifer Weiner

 

Being a pharmacist for over 11 years in Los Angeles, this book really hit close to home and touched me. It is about a mother who gets addicted to a popular "painkiller", Percocet (Acetaminophen plus Oxycodone), a highly controlled narcotic. This is one of those pain killers that is locked up in the pharmacy cabinet due to it's dangerously high potential for abuse & addiction. This drug is also very dangerous because many people that take it, do not realize that it is combined with Tylenol(Acetaminophen), which can affect the liver in high doses as well. In fact, most people that are inflicted with a lethal overdose may actually die due to the high dose of Tylenol. Also, many people that take narcotics are concurrently consuming alcohol, another substance that has a large negative impact on the liver. So, as you can see from a health perspective, this is why so many people are affected by addiction. It is a huge, under-estimated issue that has been on-going for many years, despite all the stringent laws in place by the DEA.

Not to give too much away, but this book basically tells the story of a mother dealing with marriage and career issues, raising a young child, and dealing with drug addiction. Despite the depth of the topic, the author still maintains her sense of humor throughout the book. Although this is not based on a true story and may have some moments of exaggeration, I must say most of it can be very true. I see a lot of patients struggling with this same problem, but what I don't see is their "background story" and what led them to this point. In this book, the main character is constantly trying to battle her addiction, while keeping it a secret from her close friends and husband. This also adds extra strain to her marriage. She finds all sorts of creative, yet illegal ways to obtain her medication. This is not the "typical" addict one would imagine (based on unfortunate stereotyping), which makes the story even more interesting. This book also taught me that any type of person is capable of becoming an addict, regardless of what you may imagine. With all that said, it is a very interesting topic to read about and the author does a great job keeping her story funny and as lighthearted as possible. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it!




Who Do You Love by Jennifer Weiner

This was a very fun, "chick-lit" type love story. I read it in maybe 3 days as it was very fast-paced. I got really into the story and fell more in love with the male character, Andy. There were actually a few times I got really irritated with the female character, Rachel, and you will see you why- if you read it.
It is basically a love story that starts when these 2 characters meet in a hospital waiting room when they are children. Both characters come from completely different backgrounds and upbringings, and meet later in life by coincidence. They try hard to work on maintaining a long distance relationship.....with many struggles and emotional scenarios throughout the book....I can't say too much more about without ruining the story...I loved it and wanted more at the end!!!

Defending Jacob by William Landay

Defending Jacob by William Landay, A New York Times Best Seller!!!

Ok, so it's been a while since I read this book, so bear with me. I have to say...this is probably one of the BEST BOOKS EVER!!! If you like crime drama, courtroom based dialogue, and suspense, this is the book for you. I am proud to say I convinced 5 people to read this book, one of them being a criminal defense attorney. I don't want to give too much away, but basically it's about a young boy who is "accused" of murdering another kid at his school. Ironically, his father is also a criminal defense attorney and must make certain choices to help his son, not knowing if his son really committed the crime. It's about complicated choices that must be made by parents to protect their son. This is a major page turner, intellectually stimulating, and very suspenseful. It is highly unpredictable with many unexpected plot twists. I am aware this book is also available in different languages, and I believe a movie deal is in the works. ENJOY! 

My Interview with Diane Chamberlain

I had the pleasure to connect with one of my favorite authors and was given the opportunity to interview her via email. I am so grateful and honored for her time and her words. She is an inspiration and the best writer!!! Although I have not read all of her books, I have read the majority! I have to say my top 2 favorites are: The Bay At Midnight  & The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes. I also loved her trilogy series, The Keeper of The Light, Kiss River, Her Mother's Shadow. If you are a book lover and haven't ever read a book by Diane Chamberlain, GET ON WITH IT!

The Interview


1. What inspired you to become a writer of fiction and a writer in general? At what moment in your life did you realize this was your calling?

When I was in the first grade, our teacher read Charlotte’s Web aloud to us. I was used to simpler books and simpler stories and was amazed that the story made me laugh and cry. For the first time, I realized an author could do that—create an emotional and entertaining story. I knew then what I wanted to do. However, when I got to high school, I thought that I couldn’t possibly make a living as a writer and decided to study social work when I went to college. I focused on getting my bachelor’s and master’s degrees and then starting my career. When I was thirty-one though, I was waiting a long time for a doctor’s appointment. I started writing then and I’ve never stopped.

2. In some of the books I have read, I felt the need to want to know more about the ending! I would have to say with The Escape Artist- I really wanted to know what happens with Cody/Tyler and the custody. I am sure you meant to leave it to our imagination, which I loved as well. If you were to keep writing, or to do a sequel, what would you have done? I also felt that way about Summer’s Child-very curious about the Pilot’s family and their re-union with other daughter !!!

The problem with books is that they have to end somewhere! A second problem is that it’s impossible to end things in a way that will please all readers. I tend to love epilogues in many of my later books for the reason you state: I want to know what happened to my characters. Many of my readers are grateful for the epilogues, but there are also readers who dislike them intensely. So I do what I feel a particular story demands. If I have a need to know what happened to the characters, I will add an epilogue. Otherwise, I’m afraid, it is up to you as a reader to decide.

 3. How long would you say each novel takes you to write? I am sure this might be something that changes over time with experience? Or does it take about the same duration regardless of your experience?

Well, the honest answer is that it takes me a year because that’s what is written into my contract. If my publisher gave me two years, it would take me two years. My first novel, when I was working as a hospital social worker and had no contract, took me about four years. So as you can see, it’s really determined by things outside myself.

 4. If you were contacted for a movie deal for just ONE of your novels, which one would you choose and why?

That is a really tough question. I think many of them would make good movies, but I’d really like to see Necessary Lies on the big screen. I’d love that important story to reach a new audience, and I think the tight pace would work well on film.  

5. I’ve noticed a trend with most of your stories about family secrets, adoption and babies. Have any of these come from your personal experience as a social worker? 

Not specifically, but certainly my work as a hospital social worker and psychotherapist with teenagers has influenced my writing. I’ve always been careful to avoid incorporating any of my clients’ experiences in my book, but I’ve learned so much from them about how strong people can be under difficult circumstances. I’m grateful that I have that background.

 6. Have any of your stories been inspired by any personal life experiences? Or do you relate to any specific character or plot in your own life?

I was agoraphobic as a young person. I had to drop out of college the first time around and couldn’t hold a job. So as I created the character of Kate in my third novel Secret Lives, I shouldn’t have been surprised that she became agoraphobic. I love Kate, and Secret Lives will always be one of my favorite books.  

7. What advice would you give a new writer?

The main thing is simply to write. Don’t put it off. Sit down at the desk and do it. If you don’t know how to write, take classes in which you can get feedback. Don’t expect to create a good book in one draft or even three. Get feedback from friends and take the criticism to heart. But the bottom line: write!  

8. Which one of your books has been the ultimate best seller?

The Silent Sister made the USA Today Bestseller List, which was a thrill. Readers really connected with the story of a young woman who discovers her long-dead sister is really alive. I love my readers!

BIG THANKS to Diane Chamberlain!