The Revenge List: A Novel by Hannah Mary McKinnon

 

(Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

As a therapy exercise, a woman writes a list of people she wants to forgive, and thinks nothing of it when she loses it in an Uber…until one by one the people on the list become victims of freak accidents. Set in Portland, Maine, Hannah Mary McKinnon’s breakout suspense novel THE REVENGE LIST will appeal to fans of Lisa Unger, Joshilyn Jackson, and Tarryn Fisher.

Following an epic run-in with a client who threatened to pull out of a contract at her father’s company if she doesn’t suffer some consequences, Frankie Morgan agrees to go to anger management. With the business struggling with cash-flow and her brother needing help with the medical bills for his sick daughter, she can’t risk harming the business further. But that doesn’t mean she’ll be happy about attending.

During the first session, the group is asked to spend some quiet time exploring their pasts and sitting with the emotions that generates, before making a start on a Forgiveness List—a list of people with whom they’re angry and might work on forgiving. She begrudgingly goes along with it and doesn’t worry too much when she forgets the list in an Uber on her way home. It shouldn’t matter—it was just a therapy exercise—except a few days later the first person on that list is injured in a freak accident. When the second person gets hurt, she hopes it’s coincidence. After the third is targeted, she knows it’s a pattern. And she’s in trouble. Because the next name on that list is…hers.

my thoughts:

Fun, fun, fun! What a thrilling and exciting story! I LOVED The Revenge List by Hannah Mary McKinnon - it it this summer's MUST-READ!!

Frankie's been sent to anger management thanks to her dad - she works at her dad's construction company and had an incident with a client. She says he sexually harassed her, but he denies it and her father doesn't want to lose his business, so Frankie has to suffer the consequences in the form of therapy - anger management.  She knows they need the business, so she unhappily agrees to go. At their first meeting, they are asked to write out a Forgiveness List consisting of people that have hurt them but that they can find a way to forgive. So, Frankie writes her list and winds up losing it on the way home. She doesn't think much of it at the time, except a few days later, the people on her list start getting hurt. Say what? Yep, someone is using Frankie's Forgiveness List as a Revenge List - whoa! And she is freaking out, because her name is on the list. Who stole her list? Why are they doing this? What is going to happen to Frankie? So many questions and so many twists and turns make this suspenseful story unputdownable. I mean it, this is one book you can't stop reading - you have to find out whodunit and why. I know, I enjoyed getting caught up in Frankie's drama and trying to figure out what was really going. The writing was top notch and had me hooked right from the start. The characters were flawed and unlikeable and annoying and just the best kind to love and hate. Oh, and the story was terrific - I loved the mystery and the tension from the suspense of it all. Such a great read!

I would happily recommend The Revenge List to anyone and everyone - you will LOVE this book! Make sure to check it out!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!

Path Of The Panther: New Hope For Wild Florida by Carlton Ward Jr.

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

 

about book: (summary from Goodreads)

Path of the Panther is a story of new hope for the recovery of an iconic endangered species and its Everglades home – and a global example of how protecting wildlife corridors can sustain balance for nature and people.

The panther is the state animal of Florida, the last big cat surviving east of the Mississippi River, and an emblem of the Endangered Species Act. It was driven to extinction in the eastern United States, except for a small remnant population that persisted in Florida’s Everglades. Panther numbers had dwindled to fewer than 20 individuals by the 1980s, but heroic conservation efforts have helped panthers come back to nearly 200 today. The biggest obstacle for the panther’s continued recovery is access to enough of its historic territory throughout Florida and beyond. 

The tale of the Florida panther has grown from the unlikely survival of a rare cat to a story of hope for all of wild Florida. Path of the Panther in now a call to action to recognize and protect the Florida Wildlife Corridor – a network of public and private land that connects the panther’s current range in south Florida to suitable habitat throughout the state of Florida and adjoining states. 

The Florida Wildlife Corridor is the panther’s path to recovery and a western-scale conservation opportunity that remains largely hidden in the east. It is now as a Last Wild Places partnership with the National Geographic Society. With 27 percent of Florida already protected as public land, this project aims to inspire the additional one million acres of conservation needed over the next decade so that Florida can be a leader in the goal of protecting 30 percent of the plane by 2030. 

Photographer Carlton Ward helped put the Florida Wildlife Corridor on the map by trekking from the Everglades to Georgia in 2012 and from the Everglades Headwaters around the Gulf of Mexico to Alabama in 2015. Through these National Geographic–supported expeditions, he and his team have witnessed that a path for the panther’s recovery still exists. But with 1,000 new residents moving to Florida every day, and more than 100,000 acres of habitat lost to development each year, to window to save it is closing quickly. Through Ward's intimate photographs, expert essays and compelling maps, the Path of the Panther book, combined with a National Geographic magazine article, National Geographic Society Last Wild Places campaign, and feature documentary film, is poised to awaken people to wild Florida and inspire them to save it.

my thoughts:

Wow! What a beautiful and fascinating book. As a Floridian, I absolutely LOVED reading Path Of The Panther: New Hope For Wild Florida by Carlton Ward Jr. - it was such a special book to get lost in. I really enjoyed learning so much about my state - history, nature, the panther, the Everglades, and the hopes/plans for the future of wild Florida. Oh, and did I mention that this is a National Geographic book? Well it is, and that means top notch quality. The kind of book that will inspire and that you will eagerly set out on your coffee table or bookshelf. Yep, a definite must-read!

Ward has created a wonderful book chock full of informative essays, gorgeous photographs, amazing maps, and so much more. This book has it all! I mean it, this book makes for a compelling and motivating read - the information regarding conservation and recovery is just awe-inspiring. And learning about the history of the panther and its home in Florida is fascinating. I really enjoyed my reading experience with this book. I just loved getting to know so much about the state I call home. 

I would happily recommend Path Of The Panther to anyone and everyone looking for their next nonfiction read - you are going to fall in LOVE with this book! Make sure to get your hands on a copy and check it out! 

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!

The Daydreams: A Novel by Laura Hankin

(Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!)

 

about book: (summary from Goodreads)

A deliciously entertaining novel about the stars of a popular teen show from the early 2000s—and the reunion special, thirteen years after their scandalous flameout, that will either be their last chance at redemption, or destroy them all for good.

Back in 2004, The Daydreams had it all: a cast of innocent-seeming teenagers acting and singing their hearts out, amazing ratings, and a will-they-or-won’t-they romance that steamed up fan fiction forums. Then, during the live season two finale, it all imploded, leaving everyone scrambling to understand why.

Afterward, the four stars went down very different paths. Kat is now a lawyer in Washington, DC. Liana is the bored wife of a famous athlete. Noah, the show’s golden boy, emerged unscathed and is poised to become a household name. And Summer, the object of Noah’s fictional (and maybe real-life) affections, is the cautionary tale.

But now the fans are demanding a reunion special. The stars all have private reasons to come back: forgiveness, revenge, a second chance with a first love. But as they tentatively rediscover the magic of the original show, old secrets threaten to resurface—including the real reason behind their downfall.

Will this reunion be a chance to make things right? Or will it be the biggest mess the world has ever seen? No matter what, the ratings will be wild.

my thoughts:

Whoa! The Daydreams by Laura Hankin is this summer's must-read! It's chock full of drama, fractured relationships, a teen show that imploded, a reunion special that spells TROUBLE, secrets - big and small, and a romance that may or may be dead...and did I mention it's all for a televised reunion special - oh, my! Hankin has written an unputdownable story that will have you craving all the details over what happened then and what will happen now with this foursome of exes. 

A musical teen show hit the scene in the early 2000s and it was HUGE HIT. The stars of the show became famous, their friendships grew, and their lives changed in so many ways. And then, at the live taping of the season 2 finale, everything fell apart. The show ended and the foursome went their separate ways. Fast forward and they have all wound up in very different places: Kat is a successful attorney, Noah is a famous actor, Liana is a housewife, and Summer's been in and out of rehab. Yep, their lives are about to change once again thanks to the reunion special that fans have been clamoring for. Of course, time heals wounds, so maybe it will all work out for the best. Or, maybe this foursome will wish they had never agreed to meet up again? All I know, is that this story is one you won't want to miss out on - it's so damn good! 

Hankin's new novel is a delicious treat to read - so entertaining and engaging. I loved every second I spent with this book. The characters were unlikable, but so interesting - I couldn't help but get caught up in their dramas. And, the idea of a reunion special bringing them back together after being apart for so long was the best - definitely made getting to know them so much fun. I really enjoyed The Daydreams and would happily recommend it to anyone and everyone looking for their next great read - you are going to love it to bits! Make sure to get your hands on a copy ASAP. 

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!

Meet Me At The Lake: A Novel by Carley Fortune

(Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!)

 

about book: (summary from Goodreads)

Fern Brookbanks has wasted far too much of her adult life thinking about Will Baxter. She spent just twenty-four hours in her early twenties with the aggravatingly attractive, idealistic artist, a chance encounter that spiraled into a daylong adventure in Toronto. The timing was wrong, but their connection was undeniable: they shared every secret, every dream, and made a pact to meet one year later. Fern showed up. Will didn't.

At thirty-two, Fern's life doesn't look at all how she once imagined it would. Instead of living in the city, Fern's back home, running her mother's Muskoka lakeside resort--something she vowed never to do. The place is in disarray, her ex-boyfriend's the manager, and Fern doesn't know where to begin.

She needs a plan--a lifeline. To her surprise, it comes in the form of Will, who arrives nine years too late, with a suitcase in tow and an offer to help on his lips. Will may be the only person who understands what Fern's going through. But how could she possibly trust this expensive-suit wearing mirage who seems nothing like the young man she met all those years ago. Will is hiding something, and Fern's not sure she wants to know what it is.

But ten years ago, Will Baxter rescued Fern. Can she do the same for him?

my thoughts:

Love, love, love! Meet Me At The Lake by Carley Fortune is romance at its very best! A whirlwind encounter, a broken pact, a messy life, a blast from the past, and a hidden secret - oh, my! Talk about a story chock full of drama, romance, and hope. 

Fern and Will spend twenty-four hours together and in that short time they click on every level - it's kismet, right? So, they plan on meeting up in one year - cool, eh? Except, Will does not show up and Fern does. Ouch! Fast forward and Fern is living her worst life. Okay, not worst, but definitely not her best. Actually, she's living a life, just not the one she dreamed of. And she needs help...fast! Enter, Will. Yep, the man from her past who stood her up. He's back and promising to help her. Except, he's not the same Will she knew from long ago and Fern has a feeling that he's hiding a BIG secret. Hmm...can she trust him? Will she find out what he's hiding? Should she follow her heart? Can Will help Fern? Will this reunion bring them together or drive them further apart? So many questions! And, I will not answer any of them - you need to read this awesome book for your self to find out. Just know that Carley Fortune's latest story is unputdownable and such a treat to read - you will LOVE it to bits! Make sure to check it out ASAP! It's the perfect book to take on vacation or to the beach - a must-have summer read!

I would happily recommend Meet Me At The Lake to fans of Carley Fortune and to anyone looking for their next great read - you are going to fall in deep with this one!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!

Portraits Of Red And Gray: Memoir Poems by James C. Morehead

(Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!)

 

about book:

Take an unforgettable journey from the Cold War USSR to Savery, Wyoming, from the mountains of Tuscany to the peak of Yosemite’s Half Dome, from the Canadian wilderness to the beaches of Normandy. James Morehead’s (Poet Laureate – Dublin, California) acclaimed collection is built around a series of memoir poems that takes readers into pre-perestroika Soviet Union through the eyes of a teenager, from Moscow to Tbilisi to Leningrad (and many stops in-between). The striking cover, designed by Zoe Norvell, is based on a 1982 lithograph by Igor Prilutsky.

my thoughts:

Portraits Of Red And Gray: Memoir Poems by James C. Morehead is a smart and moving collection of poetry. I loved it. 

The poems evoke a sense of nostalgia and provide such a clear picture of life, that you can't help but get caught up in them. I really enjoyed reading about Morehead's life through his careful and clever prose. His poems are like time capsules from various moments of his life history and it is fascinating. 

I would happily recommend Portraits Of Red And Gray: Memoir Poems by James C. Morehead to anyone and everyone looking for their next great poetry read - you will LOVE this book bits! Make sure to check it out!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!