Peri June's Blog, page 3

It's All Your Fault Review

It's All Your Fault by Paul Rudnick

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


"Of course I love Heller because we're related so my mom says I have to..."

That one sentence aptly describes the relationship between the two girls, Caitlin and Heller.
Picture this: A conservative, home-schooled 17-year-old is sent to "babysit" her ultra famous cousin for the weekend of her biggest movie release. All she's told is to keep an eye on Heller and not get in trouble, which was like shoving a baby deer into a loud supermarket and ordering it not to knock anything over. Not going to happen. Of course Caitlin got in trouble.

This book was pure entertainment and a literal laugh-out-loud romp. I laughed so much my stomach started aching! (Chapter 17 was simple comedic genius!!!)

It involves two Hollywood hunks, a crazy aunt, crazed fans, and a break-in. What more do you need?

Highly recommend.




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Everything You Want Me To Be Review

Everything You Want Me to Be by Mindy Mejia

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book really surprised me. I didn't expect to be so immersed in a book that tells you in the synopsis outright that the main character gets killed. We start out with Hattie's murder, then the author takes us back and forth between the year leading up to the girl's death and her current murder investigation.

This is the kind of book that stays with you long after you've turned the last page. A part of me was hoping that by the time I got to the end it will be magically revealed that Hattie wasn't really dead so she could have her happy ending, but...
The story is told from three POVs, so the reader has a 360 look at all the events that led to the murder. I suspected several characters at once, all for different reasons.
As for Hattie herself, she was kind of a difficult character to like at first; you never really knew her since she was always putting on a performance for the people around her. She never let anyone know who was the real Hattie. Not even her own parents.
Ironic that it was Hattie's decision to finally reveal her true self that ultimately led to her being killed.
Fascinating book that shouldn't be missed by any mystery fan.



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When Dimple Met Rishi Review

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


"Hello, future wife," he said, his voice bubbling with glee. "I can't wait to get started on the rest of our lives!"

This book was so delicious.

Being from a traditional family, Dimple's parents are eager to secure her future by setting her up with the Ideal Indian Husband or the I.I.H. Dimple is, of course, very opposed to the idea. Her parents' solution? Not tell her they've already arranged for her possible future husband to meet her at the summer program she's on her way to.

Dimple and Rishi's first meeting was hilarious!! Imagine, a complete stranger approaches you and announces that you're his future wife. I bet you'd react exactly like Dimple had:

Serial killer? Loony bin escapee? Strangely congenial mugger? Nothing made sense. So she did the only thing she could think to do in the moment--she flung her iced coffee at him and ran the other way.

I read this part and completely lost it--I knew then I was in for a very fun ride with this book. Things, slowly but surely, started to become less awkward between Dimple and Rishi. They were complete opposites--he was as traditional as her parents, wanting to marry young and multiply, whereas she was concerned with building her career and making a name for herself in the coding business. The last thing Dimple expected was to actually like Rishi, which put a massive wrinkle in her plans.

If you're in the mood for a heartwarming, cute romance, don't miss this!




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Weightless Review

Weightless by Kandi Steiner

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


"If my life was to be a story, I wanted to take control of the pen."

The amount of pain packed into this book is difficult to put into words.
I went into this book blind, which I recommend you do to get the full emotional impact.
I loved the many different connotations of weight in this book. Weight is not necessarily only physical, but mental and emotional as well. While shedding your physical weight is no easy task, the author was able to also show that getting rid of your emotional and mental weights can often be more difficult than losing pounds on a scale.
The writing was so evocative I felt like I was with the characters in the story.
Highly recommend!



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The One Memory Of Flora Banks Review

The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


"I'm useless," I tell him. "I can't do anything. I'm not really a person because I don't know what's happening."
"I am not human," I say. "I just exist, like an animal."

I have so many feelings about this book that I don't think I will be able to articulate them all, but I guess I'll try.

Flora Banks is a 17-year-old with a very unique type of amnesia--she has no memories beyond her 10th birthday. She does make new memories, but after three hours or so, her brain wipes them away, leaving her floundering. So every few hours, she looks down on her body, panicking because she's only 10, so why is she trapped in the body of a grown up?
Every time her parents had to sit her down and explain, making her read her little notebook which contained all the pertinent information about her condition, my heart broke just a little bit.
All of that changes when she kisses a boy on a beach, and remembers it the next day, and the next, and the next.
Here begins Flora's adventure: with only the phrase Flora be brave tattooed on the back of her hand, and her trusty notebook, she evades her parents and goes to find the boy who kissed her. Maybe he's the answer to helping her memory problems.

I had suspected from the start that there was something Flora's parents were keeping hidden, something that became more apparent when Flora traveled to Svalbard, Norway to find Drake. I loved how independent she was, and how, despite all her issues, she was able to achieve the goal she'd set for herself. I really felt for Flora. At times I wanted to give her a big, fat hug while simultaneously strangling her mother.
Reading this book made me realize how faulty a person's memory is. I mean, do I really remember the things I do as they actually happened, or did I smudge them a bit in my head?
Scary thought, or what?!




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Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine review

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


"Human mating rituals are unbelievably tedious to observe. At least in the animal kingdom you are occasionally treated to a flash of bright feathers or a display of spectacular violence. Hair flicking and play fights don't quite cut the mustard."

This is only a small sample of what it was like to be in Eleanor Oliphant's head, and I loved every second of it.
I stayed up really, really late to finish this book. My bleary-eyed, zombie-like appearance today was so worth it!

Eleanor is a thirty-year-old working woman with the social graces of a kid still in school. She was incredibly forthright, did not care what others thought of her, or what they whispered behind her back, or, sometimes, right to her face. Considering it was human nature to dissemble in an effort to fit in, Eleanor was a true anomaly. It was very refreshing.
Eleanor's past is shrouded in mystery; she revealed it in bits and pieces throughout the book until you get a full picture of why she is the way she is. Calling her relationship with her mother unhealthy would be a huge understatement.
Her relationship with Raymond, on the other hand, was downright hilarious and sweet. Raymond is the kind of guy who is usually overlooked or friend-zoned, so having him as a central character here was wonderful, in my opinion.

I recommend this book to everyone, really. You'll laugh out loud multiple times, you'll be touched by the way Eleanor has managed to live her life by her standards, and the way she changed it when it became necessary.
If I could give this book 10 stars, I would.





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New 5 star Review for My Life As I Knew It!!!

(Copied and pasted from Amazon UK)



***** This author has a gift, 17 July 2017
By Jessica
This review is from: My Life As I Knew It (Kindle Edition)
I was referred to this book and author via @Readers_Tweets in an exchange for an open and honest review. I would like to acknowledge that I did not receive any payment for this Review.
I found the plot, in fact the entire package surrounding this novel really relatable and at times emotional as I could relate to Maggie, the strong, female heroine in this book and I have to say she’s my favourite character. As for how I can personally relate to this book, I have suffered verbal abuse from people my age and younger than me cos of the choice of my size and how I life my life, they bully me on and off openly in my own street, but alike Maggie I have an inner strength of my own that simply refuses to let them or others dictate to me and tell me how I can live my life. 6 months ago like Maggie I was worn down, frightened and afraid to leave my home alone, I had to walk with my mother for 6 almost 7 months until I learned that they don’t have the power to hurt me anymore than they had already had, that I was better and stronger than they, that everything they did was a mind game to them and that letting them pray and play on my mind was wrong and that I was dammed if I accepted that from them. So I found a way to ignore them, fight back and even though I couldn’t get justice I could at least claim my freedom and my life back. The book speaks to my heart and my soul and my memories and this is why this book affects me so much and so powerfully and this book does relate to the world today, especially with those in a abusive relationship or just fresh out of one and those who are persecuted for their life choices or any other reason. The fact that her strength sees her claim her life back as her abuser takes total control of her life, a real loss of control for her and her fear, makes me feel as if I could have been her, if I let everyone walk all over me like a doormat like I did in the beginning, back in September last year. Now thanks to the love and support of the medical profession and my parents I am slowly healing with a guiding hand.
I saw too many themes to say here as I didn’t note them down, Except the theme of pain, pressure, fear and hope, the abuse took many forms in Maggie’s life and the monster in hers was the pain of witnessing the unspeakable crime of murder and seeing death first hand. Now seeing death at any age is a shock and pain that defies description and unable to describe with words as I know only too well. I worked in a home when some people died on my shifts and also saw the body of my own granddad which wounded me greatly and to this very day and everyday I still miss him with all my heart but missing him won’t bring him back so I cleave to every good memory I have of him and every Sunday as I sing my praises to my god, I also sing for him in heaven. At seventeen there are so many pressures, such as the pressure to pass and succeed that no 17 year old needs to add more pain and fear on top of all that, I can sympathise with her cos 10 yrs ago I was going through those pressures myself and a whole lot more besides along with some memories of pain. Maggie and I have also experienced hope in some quota in our lives but I struggle to names a few examples here.
The author must have insight or experience to right such a story that is so touching and emotive as this one, this story has left its mark on me and I hope for those of you that read this (which I wholly recommend you do) that this is true for you also. This author has a gift and that’s a fact. A 5 star book!

You can view the original review here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R1CXZ...

and here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01N5SYA3R

When It's Real review

When It's Real by Erin Watt

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I love books about celebrities falling for a "normal", even if it's simply a publicity stunt.
In order to pretty-up Oakley Ford's image, his management suggests they hire a regular girl, the quintessential girl-next-door type to be his girlfriend for one year. The pop star balks at first, but eventually they manage to bring him around.
Enter Vaughn, whose parents left her and her siblings in a pile of debt, which led her to take a year off before going to college to get a job and help her big sis with the bills. When the idea of dating the famous bad boy is presented to her, she laughs it off at first, until she realizes how desperate her sister, Paisley, is for her to accept the job for the huge paycheck. After all, twenty-thousand-dollars a month is nothing to sneeze at. It'd be enough to settle all of their debt AND put money aside for her twin brothers' college tuition.
There's only one hiccup, though. And that is Vaughn's boyfriend, W.
I loved how funny this book was. When they informed Vaughn that she would have to publicly break up with her boyfriend and that there might be a few "mild" kisses between her and Oakley, I giggled with glee. I knew then that this book was going to be good.
Vaughn and Oak's first meeting was a reader's heaven--it was pure antagonism from the start. Uncontrollable sounds were spewing out of my mouth by that point!
I appreciated the emotional undertones of both main characters, and how even a famous guy like Oak had his moments of self-doubt.
Random thoughts:
-My favorite scene was when they were buying ice-cream, for some reason. (Yes, it did make me crave ice-cream at two in the morning but that's not why it stood out to me).
-Favorite character is Ty. Kind of hope he and Paisley get their own book at some point.
-Least favorite character is W. I don't like to use the word "hate" especially when talking about a fictional character, but, dude, you really need to grow up!
- I wish Oak had fired his team.
-Finally, this book highlights how much power social media wields in our life, and THAT is a scary thing indeed.



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The Traitor's Kiss REVIEW

The Traitor's Kiss by Erin Beaty

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Fantastic start to a new series!
The idea of using matchmaking to control the world around you is an intriguing one. Of course, the practice of entering into a marriage for political alliance and gain is something that's been around since practically the dawn of time, but this book takes it one step further.
Imagine an entire empire that is required by law to submit to matchmaking, and any "self-matched" couples are shunned and treated like lepers.
Our heroine, Sage, is the offspring of self-matched parents, which resulted in her mother's parents disowning their daughter. Sage and her parents live a pleasant life, even though everyone around them looks upon them with disdain.
When her parents die, Sage is forced to go live with her uncle, who tries--and fails--to make her conform to the society's notion of a marriageable miss. I mean, could you imagine the horror of a female who is interested in the sciences instead of how best to tilt her head in order to catch a husband. *rolls eyes*
When Sage is recruited to be the high matchmaker's apprentice she dives into her job with gusto. She never imagined that her powers of observation would capture the royal army's notice, leading them to enlist her help as their spy.
Here the story takes so many twists and turns that I don't want to spoil. Suffice to say, it was a white-knuckling experience.
I loved all the secret identities and code names, although I did suspect that "Mouse" wasn't exactly who he claimed to be. The only thing that bummed me out and made me yell at the book (true story!) was Charlie (If you've read the book you know what I'm talking about).
Recommend to all fantasy lovers.



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Author Karen Ingalls

Today's interview is with the inspirational Karen Ingalls. So happy to have you!







-Tell us about yourself. Do you have any weird habits?

I am a retired registered nurse, ovarian cancer advocate, blogger at two sites, and author of
three books. I was born in San Diego; lived in Minnesota for 40 years; and now a happy retiree in central Florida. I have been writing since childhood but never showed anyone my writings which were poetry, short stories, and one novel. I am so glad that I finally had the courage to share my writing and have
confidence in this gift.
I suppose my only “weird habit” is that I like things orderly. I have my spices alphabetized, each golf club in a certain place, and my utensil drawer separated according to each utensil’s use. It keeps my life orderly.

-Tell us about the first time you decided to sit down and record your experience with cancer.

I have always journaled. Sometimes I did daily entries and other times the journal covered
several days or weeks. When I first found out that “something was wrong” I journaled in earnest expressing my fears, asking questions, and writing down words of affirmation. This process was ongoing
on an almost daily basis from day of diagnosis, surgery, chemotherapy, and start of remission. With each of these events there were emotions, more questions and searches for answers, and to come to an understanding and acceptance of having cancer.
I believe journaling is one of the healthiest things we can do to help us through any challenge, problem, or fear.

-What has surprised you the most since sharing your journey with others?

I suppose that which has surprised me the most is how little the average person and medical person knows about ovarian cancer. Even as a nurse I never learned anything in training about gynecologic cancers, except for one paragraph on cervical cancer. Most women falsely believe that their annual PAP smear will detect any cancer in that area of the body.
It has been disheartening to hear of so many ovarian cancer survivors passed from one specialist to another before finally being diagnosed. I call it the Gilda Radner syndrome. If our primary physicians
would consider ovarian cancer first then it is possible more lives could be saved. This silent disease quickly invades and spreads so immediate attention to any symptom is of paramount importance.

- What is your ideal writing location?

I am blessed to have two locations that are ideal for me. The first one is in my home office which looks out at beautiful Lake Dora. There I can look at the water, watch wildlife, and enjoy the everchanging sky.
However, I do best when there is no one home. Distractions can easily break the rhythm and thought processes when writing.
My second ideal writing place is a coffee shop in the next town. The ambience is peaceful and quiet, plus they make the best chai latte. Even if the coffee shop is filled with people they do not distract me. I put my earplugs in, play my favorite music, and let my fingers dance across the keyboard.

-What are some of your favorite authors?

I have always been a big fan of James Michener, Mitch Albom, Leon Uris, Leo Tolstoy, and Jodi Piccoult. They each write about social issues and using history and fiction to bring the subject(s) to the
reader’s attention.

- What advice would you give new authors?

Do not be discouraged. Keep on writing and have the good discipline to market your book. For me that is the hardest and often most frustrating part of being an author. The competition is great but that is all the more reason to keep writing and believe in yourself.
I encourage Indie authors to join book clubs. I especially like Rave Reviews Book Club which is found on the Internet.

-Do you have any guilty pleasures?

My goodness! I have not been asked that before. One guilty pleasure I have is the pure
enjoyment of watching The Real Housewives of “Wherever”. Their lives are so foreign to me; their wealth is amazing; and their behaviors are astounding. It is a world to which I like to escape sometimes.
Another guilty pleasure is to play games…any game. I do not need to win, but I love the
challenge to win or play my best. My favorite is with a group of friends where we laugh, tease, and play for the pure fun of it.
Lastly, I enjoy a glass of white wine while I am cooking. There is something natural and nurturing about sipping the sweet wine. I have not been able to do that much for the past 3 years since chemo and wine do not always do well together.

-Can you describe your dream vacation?

My dream vacation came true two years ago when we flew into Paris and spent a week there.
Then I actually drove out of Paris to Normandy Beach, Mt. St. Michel, and down the coast to the village
of Aspet in the Pyrennes Mountains. This is the birthplace of my great-grandfather. We spent 5 wonderful days there before traveling on to Barcelona. There I met an ovarian sister who taught at the University. Our time together was only a few hours, but a deep friendship developed. Unfortunately, she
passed away the following year.
We hope to make a similar trip this fall to Aspet and Toulouse, France and then down to Venice, Florence, and Rome.

-Based on your experience, what is the best way to promote your books?

Everything I read says to use Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Promoting my book, Outshine: An Ovarian Cancer Memoir has been easier because of my target audience and many organizations.
Promoting the novels has been more challenging and requiring more effort. I try to do guest blogs, interviews, and again through Rave Reviews Book Club I have gained recognition and support.

-What’s your next project? And where can readers connect with you?

I have two projects I am working on. One, is a short story specifically written for one of my eight grandchildren. Each story will tell them about me…as a child, young mother, nurse, cancer survivor, or as a wife. I gear the story to each grandchild’s age and interests. I love doing this as a gift to them.
My second writing project is about abuse, especially of children. This is very challenging and many books are out about this subject. I am trying to tell it from my one personal experiences and ways I coped (healthy and not) plus what I have learned from the power of forgiveness.
Here is a list of links plus my email. I welcome any comments or questions. I am offering a signed paperback copy of my award-winning book, Outshine: An Ovarian Cancer Memoir to anyone who will send $3.99 to PayPal. This is the only charge and it is to cover shipping and handling. All proceeds from
this or any of my books go to gynecologic/ovarian cancer research.
I invite everyone to follow me on my weekly blog about health/wellness, relationships, and
spirituality at www.outshineovariancancer.blogspot.com.

LINKS:

Email: kareningalls1941@gmail.com

Website: http://www.kareningallsbooks.com

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Davida-Model-M...

Blog: http://www.kareningalls.blogspot.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNLHv...

Twitter: http://twitter.com/KIngallsAuthor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karen.ingalls.5

Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/kareningalls

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/vie...

Google Plus: http://plus.google.com/+KarenIngalls1941

Book website: http://www.outshineovariancancer.com

http://www.outshineovariancancer.blog...