Before and Again by Barbara Delinsky

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Before and Again is the first novel of Barbara Delinsky that I've got to read, thanks to the publisher for providing a reading copy of the book. Maggie's traumatic past and on how she tries to handle her new life is an engrossing story, however, there are some parts that I found too slow or a bit boring to read. Perhaps those portions could have been omitted without making a big difference in the flow of the story.

Maggie's story will touch readers in some way, and it is also another great novel about loss, grief, friendship, moving forward and forgiveness. Several people could be able to connect with Maggie particularly on the aspects of loss and grief. Lastly, there are a handful of remarkable quotes that I think are really relatable such as,

"Parents can be narrow-minded when it comes to the dreams they have for their kids."

The Retreat by Mark Edwards

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

First time to read a novel written by Mark Edwards and I was absolutely amazed by all those plot twists in the narrative. While reading this psychological thriller and mystery book, I have three characters that I suspect who might be the culprit in the sudden disappearances of two kids from 1980 and after 35 years. One of my guesses was correct, but what I didn't expect is that there are a lot more astonishing revelations.

I was really fascinated by how intriguing and mind-boggling the story of Lucas Radcliffe and his experience in the retreat house named Nyth Bran, which is located in the village of Beddmawr. The setting is very ideal to the plot of the story and anyone can visualize it easily because of how the author perfectly describes it. Moreover, I was taken by surprise by the ending and I surmise that readers will also have the same reaction once they read it. I highly recommend it to anyone because you will be bewitched immediately, even if you are not into this kind of genre.

After Anna by Lisa Scottoline

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After Anna is another great mystery/thriller novel that I've read this year. I was not exactly a fan of this genre but when I have read this book, it is one of the reasons why I included mystery and thriller to my list. What I like about it is that it will make readers make wild guesses about what's really happening. From beginning till the end, readers will never be disappointed because of a lot of unexpected twists were put in the story, especially in the ending. Thanks to the publisher because I was given the chance to read this amazing book by Lisa Scottoline.

The Book of Pearl by Timothée de Fombelle

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Without checking out the synopsis, the title and cover of this book piqued my interest. I was really drawn into the story once I've started reading it; from beginning till the end, I highly anticipated the succeeding scenarios in the book.

The narrative of The Book of Pearl is a mix of fantasy and historical fiction that will get the attention of young adults and even much older readers. Even though the start of the story is a little bit confusing, I was able to comprehend what was happening as I continued to read through the succeeding chapters. I was engrossed in the story that is why I was able to finish it within almost 6 hours of reading.

This book of Timothee de Fombelle was first published in French in 2014. Thanks to the translators that it was finally translated into English, so that more readers could be able to read the wonderful story of Joseph “Ilian” Pearl and his adventures from the Kingdoms into our world.

Shug by Jenny Han

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was looking for a light read and this book was in my Kindle for a quite a long time. So, I've decided to give this a chance and I'm really glad that I checked it out. It was really worth the time to stay up late and it's also absolutely fine that I was slightly sleepy during the day just to be able to finish this book.

This sort of reminds me of the book Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen because of the age of the protagonists, which is middle-graders. However, I'm slightly leaning to Van Draanen's work because of the ending and that the two-POV in the story is much better. Also, the conclusion to the story of Shug is a bit disappointing. For me, it's a bittersweet ending and I was even hoping that maybe there's a second installment to the story. But looks like it is to the reader's imagination on what happened to Shug and Jack, if they could see each other again in the future and if they will have a happy ending.

The Summer of New Beginnings by Bette Lee Crosby

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Summer of New Beginnings is a marvelous women's contemporary fiction. It tells the story of the Briggs family, notably of Meghan, and how they try to deal with several problems after her father died. One of the reasons why I've requested for a reading copy of this novel is because of the dog, "Sox" , in the story. Although the dog was not immensely mentioned because the story centers on Meghan, dog lovers such as I will be deeply moved by how huge the part of our furry friends plays on helping us through our ordeals.

If you are looking for a light read and a little motivational story, try to check out this astounding novel of Bette Lee Crosby. It is also a great summer-read or even a weekend-read that will also make you reflect on whether you're still living in the past and needs to move on.

The Scar by Pittacus Lore

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This short story is definitely the best among all the journals and the lost files bonus because aside from the fact that it was written on Six's point of view, it gave us some spoiler on what might happen (in the case that if you still haven't read the rest of the series). Well, I and every follower of this book series are hoping that spoiler that there could be another garde who died is not true. Or maybe there could be a chance that it will reverse.

Crossing Oceans by Gina Holmes

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Amazing, outstanding, excellent, remarkable and highly recommended. Those are just some of the things I could say about this debut novel of Gina Holmes. When I bought this, I wasn't expecting that I will not stop turning the pages once I start reading it. I stayed up till 3 in the morning just to be able to finish this novel because I was really curious and excited about what will happen next.

This is the very first novel of Gina Holmes that I've read and I'm looking forward to reading her other books such as Dry as Rain and Wings of Glass.

The Enchantress by Michael Scott

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Finally, I could move on after I finish reading this last installment of the book series. I was quite surprised that it was Josh and not Sophie who save the modern world and destroyed the Danu Talis. I was really rooting for Sophie to be the chosen one because I don't like Josh's attitude on the 4th and 5th book. But after contemplating on Josh's journey, I think it really suits him to make the biggest sacrifice and become a hero.

Josh experienced a lot of emotions such as anger, jealousy, uncertainty, and pride. But after all of these, Dee made him realized that whenever he was in doubt; he should always use his heart. The biggest revelation, I guess, is that Josh became Death or also called Marethyu and who gave the book of Codex to Nicholas.

I am curious about what happened to Sophie who isn't really related to him by blood, which was also revealed in this last book. If it's true that the author will be writing a sequel to this series, hopefully, there could be a chance that Sophie and Josh will meet again.

Gap Creek by Robert Morgan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I rated this 5 stars because of the way it was written and the twists in this couple's story. But if I have to rate the characters in this novel, I would definitely rate Julie 4.5 stars and her husband Hank only 1 star. This couple is two different souls who just hurriedly tied the knot without even has the slightest idea about each other. Hank was just strong in physique but not on the inside because of how he easily snap and breakdown during problems.

I know that other reviews on this book were not that good but for me, I enjoyed reading it. It showed us that marriage is not pure bliss and that couples must be headstrong and should help each other in times of struggles. And before I could forget, I was really amazed that a man written this because of how he portrayed women/wives stronger than them, guys.

Two Women by Marianne Fredriksson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What I love about this book is on it show that sometimes we meet someone or some people who unexpectedly help us along the way.

Both ladies, Inge and Mira, had a tragic or unpleasant past that they still haven't resolved. But with the help of each other and their families, they were able to settle and overcome what happened in the past.

The story of the friendship of Inge and Mira was broadened up to their sons and daughters. And they found not only friendship but a family among them.

Honolulu by Alan Brennert

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

From the beginning till the end, this book will surely captivate any readers by heart. It is filled with stories on how women live during the early 19th century and how they were to able to cope with every struggle they've encountered. If you like reading stories about women empowerment, then you must not miss adding this book to your to-read list.

Dear John by Nicholas Sparks

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had the chance to watched the movie version first and now that I've finally read the book, I must admit that the latter is much better. I felt that Savannah was impatient in the movie version. But in the book, Savannah's reasons and her story was further explained. For me, this is one of those books that tells us that some things are just not meant to be.

The Shipping News by Annie Proulx

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I understand why is that there are negative reviews about this book. I also had a hard time finishing this book because there are some parts that are dull or not that interesting. But overall, I enjoyed the 3/4 of the novel and I guess I could only recommend this to those who can devote a lot of time to be able to finish this book.

Miss Chopsticks by Xinran

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The title of this novel piqued my interest, hence I made sure to add this to my to-read list. I could have finished this within two days if only I was not that busy during the time I decided to read it. What I love about this book is on how it showcases women spreading their wings in today's era and competing and making their own mark just like the opposite sex. I reckon any women out there could relate to one or two characters in this book just like I did. In my case, I see bits of myself on Three, Five and Six. How about you?

The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Wife Between Us is a contemporary, mystery and suspense fiction novel that will hook anyone to read what will happen next. I'm not really into this genre and I was not expecting that this book will be this exceptionally amazing. However, after reading this, I was really amazed by how good and riveting it is. It was a page-turner, chilling, intriguing, and mind-boggling till the end.

No, I'm not going to write anything about the story as I don't want to give spoilers to this surprisingly impressive novel. Just take my advice to never miss the chance to read this!

The Runaway Children by Sandy Taylor

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Runaway Children is a riveting, poignant and inspiring fiction novel about the Patterson family — emphasizing the story of Nell and Olive's remarkable story. The story was set during the World War II; it narrates how the Patterson siblings from East End was able to endure being refugee kids, and on how they showed courage and still hopeful amidst some of the trials they have encountered.

Nell and Olive's personalities are to easy to like because they are both charming; Nell is a strong older sister, while Olive's candidness and amusing words could capture the hearts of the readers of this novel. There was a bit of romance in it also that will reminds us that love isn't forced, instead, it just blossoms over time.

I consider this historical fiction a mild narration describing the refugees' experiences during the time of the war. A great read that could even be recommended to high school students; reading this can be finished in a day or two because I'm sure that they will be engrossed with the story.

The Good Liar by Catherine McKenzie

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Good Liar is one compelling novel that will definitely make anyone look forward to what will happen next. The story was split into three accounts: the interview transcripts between Teo and Franny Maycombe; the tale of Cecily and her Grayson family; and the narrative of Kate and her Rings family. It is about the story one year after the massive explosion in downtown Chicago that killed 513 people and also left a lot of injured.

The Initiative was formed in order to regulate the compensation package to be given to the victim’s family; they decide who should be approved and how much they are to be compensated. It was funded by the outpour of monetary donations and the group was worried about the drop off of support. Hence, they come up with the idea to release a documentary about the three victim’s family: the Grayson, the Rings, and about Franny’s family.

Cecily is the chair of the recommending body of the Initiative, while Franny is the co-chair of it. Cecily loss her husband, Tom, in the accident; whereas Franny loss her mother, Kaitlyn. All three women: Cecily, Franny, and Kate, has their own dark deep secrets they try to hide. But circumstances made two of them come out and try to change the fate and protect their loved ones.

Although I found the story of The Good Liar a bit predictable, especially in the story of Cecily and Kate, the ending is rather unexpected. I just wonder what happened to Kate in the end because readers could surmise Cecily and Franny’s story, but as for Kate, it’s quite hard to guess.

The Good Liar is an addictive, interesting, and gripping novel that I really enjoyed. The story of these women, particularly Cecily and Kate, is about the tale of forgiveness, moving forward, friendship, honesty, love for the family, and bravery. One gripping book that is not only very entertaining but also truly astounding.

The Wake Up by Catherine Ryan Hyde

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Wake Up is a compelling fiction novel written by Catherine Ryan Hyde. This is my first time to read a book by Hyde so I didn't set any expectations before reading this. The plot and Hyde's storytelling ability are both unexpectedly exceptional, hence I was able to finish this book within 2 days.

This novel is about Aiden Delacorte and the so-called recent "wake up" that happened to him. Because of the said incident, his life had a 180° turn and one of the changes was how to cope with his girlfriend's younger kid named Milo. In the end, Aiden finally realized that he was like Milo when he was still young, though Milo's case is more severe than his. He was able to sympathize and understand what the kid's going through because of their similarity, and also because of the wake up he experienced.

Probably it's just me, but I believe that Hyde wasn't able to fully impart the intensity of emotions in the characters. Although there's a shortcoming, it didn't greatly affect the entirety of the story of this novel. In general, I had a great time reading this book and would still recommend this to anyone who enjoys this kind of stories.

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I've finished this book months ago but I have to re-read it so I could refresh my memory. I understand that a lot of readers, notably his fans, were raving about this latest novel by John Green — he vividly depicts how those who experience some mental illness, such as OCD and anxiety, suffers and struggles in their everyday lives.

Green's writing skill is undeniably highly praiseworthy and impeccable but I find that the story of Turtles All The Way Down trying-to-be melodramatic, especially on the love story of Aza and Davis. I've read some of his past works and he became well-known because of this kind of stories. However, I believe that this recent novel of Green is trying too much to be sentimental when it should not; it is like pushing readers to cry or to feel sorrow but there are several that just weren't able to grasp the emotions that he wants to convey.

I still anticipate the novels that John Green would be releasing and I'm looking forward that there might be a happy ending to one or two of his stories in the future.