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Book Review: The Nearest Faraway Place, by Hayley Long

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Image belongs to Hot Key Books.

Griff and Dylan—Thomas, like the poet—are almost back from vacation with their parents when the unthinkable happens: a horrible car wreck kills their parents and injures Griff. Now the two boys are alone in the world and struggling with grief and tragedy. Dylan is just worried about Griff, who’s not dealing well with their reality, and Dylan must make sure his brother gets through this in one piece.

When an aunt and uncle they’ve never met offer them a home in Wales, the boys end up in a world they’re not used to, still reeling from the loss of their parents. Griff bravely starts to adjust to their new reality, but he’s not the only who needs to be brave:  Dylan has to face up to something if he’s ever going to embrace his own reality.

So. This book. This book. It’s sad, I’m not going to lie. I expected that, but I did not expect the wrenching sadness of both boys, and Griff’s horrible grief. The brothers are so different, and yet the same, and the memories threaded throughout the book—the nearest faraway places—are poignant and make the reader aware how great the boys’ parents were. The writing is strong and evocative, pulling the reader right into every single emotional moment. This is well-worth reading.

Hayley Long lives in Norwich with her husband and her rabbit. The Nearest Faraway Place, available July 13th, is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Hot Key Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

Books I Read in June

June was a really good reading month for me:  I read 16 books, and started two more that I stopped reading. Several of these books I thought were fantastic!

the rules of half

The Rules of Half, by Jenna Patrick. (Read to review.) Loved this! It deals with mental illness respectfully and accurately, and the characters were great:  flawed and believable.

internet famous

Internet Famous by Danika Stone. (Read to review.) I liked this a lot. I liked the MC–and envied her life–and found the whole set-up of her being a famous blogger being persecuted by a troll very interesting.

the sixth victim

The Sixth Victim, by Tessa Harris. (Read to review.) I was intrigued by the Jack the Ripper connection, but found this just “meh”.

Love, Alabama

Love, Alabama, by Susan Sands. (Read to review.) A cute romance with a history, plus a narcissistic, manipulative ex-husband, set in a small Southern town. Enjoyable.

patchwork

Patchwork, by Karsten Knight. (Read to review.) Loved this! Unique concept with likeable characters, and a neat twist on the phoenix mythos.

Silence Fallen, by Patricia Briggs. (Just because I love this series.) Yep. Love me some Mercy Thompson.

Part ofthe Silence

Part of the Silence, by Debbie Howells. (Read to review.) Another “meh” read, although I loved the Cornwall setting, and the mystery was somewhat interesting.

murder on black swan lane

Murder on Black Swan Lane, by Andrea Penrose. (Read to review.) A pretty good read, with a Regency-era murder mystery. The interactions between the two main characters were very entertaining.

girl on the verge

Girl on the Verge, by Pintip Dunn. (Read to review.) Another book I loved! A multi-cultural MC who struggles to bridge the gap between her cultures, plus a creepy-as-all-get-out “friend” who tries to be just. exactly. like. her. and take over her life.

All the Feels:  All is Fair in Love and Fandom, by Danika Stone. I read this because I enjoyed Internet Famous, and found this to be an entertaining read as well.

Being Dead is Bad for Business, by Stanley A Weiss. (Read to review). Stopped reading about 5% in due to a lack of interest in the character. He was pretty self-absorbed.

Betrothed, by Wanda Wiltshire. (Read to review.) Stopped reading after about 20% because the characters seemed too juvenile for YA, and because the whole plot felt too “done” (I’m tired of the fated lovers concept, to be honest, at least done like this, plus she only knows him from her fluffy dreams….come on.)

Dream Me, by Kathryn Berla. (Review forthcoming.). Another great read! Ironically, this, too, has the MCs knowing each other in their dreams, but this one is totally different, with one of them being from a desolate future earth who chose to try to come back in time instead of escaping with his family.

The Nearest Faraway Place, by Hayley Long. (Review forthcoming.) Okay, so….This is about two brothers who lose their parents in a horrible car wreck and have to learn to live with their new reality. I…figured out what was going on about 60% of the way through, and just didn’t know what to think. This is a good book, but it is sad/emotional, so be warned if you pick it up.

Crazy Love, by Francis Chan. (Spiritual book of the month.) Awesome read.

Across Many Mountains, by Yangzom Brauen. (From the TBR pile.) Interesting look at Tibet’s culture.

Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. (Classic book of the month.) How have I never read this before?

Pastel Orphans, by Gemma Liviero. (Cultural book of the month.) Set during the Holocaust. Not an easy book to read.

 

To Capture What We Cannot Keep, by Beatrice Colin

 

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Image belongs to Flatiron Books.

Beatrice Colin is a former journalist turned author. Her newest novel is To Capture What We Cannot Keep.

In February 1887, Caitriona Wallace is a down-on-her-luck widow tasked with keeping two wealthy Scottish teenagers out of trouble in Paris. Emile Nouguier is building the Eiffel tower. The two meet in a hot air balloon, where magic seems possible. But back on the ground, their different social classes and societal expectations interfere.

Cait must either re-marry or find a permanent position if she is to survive. Emile, heir to his father’s company, is expected to take a suitable bride along with his place in the family business. As the Eiffel Tower rises above Paris, Cait and Emile must decide just how much their love is worth.

To Capture What We Cannot Keep is a vividly rendered picture of the conflicted Paris of the late 1800s. Social strata dominates everything, and the characters face the conflict of their different social stations, as well as their own conflicts over love.

(Galley provided by Flatiron Books via NetGalley.)

How Many Letters Are in Goodbye? by Yvonne Cassidy

 

how many letters
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Flux.)

Yvonne Cassidy is an Irish author who loves the thrill of forging a connection with her readers. Her newest novel, How Many Letters Are in Goodbye? hit shelves on March 8th.

Rhea Farrell has a lot of scars, some visible, some not-so-visible. From the accident that cost her an arm. From her father’s drinking. From her struggle to come to terms with her sexuality. But the biggest scar is the death of her mother.

When a completely-overwhelmed Rhea runs away, she is sure no one will miss her. She’s scared. She’s angry. And she doesn’t know where to turn next. So she turns to the only person she can, writing letters to the mother she never knew. On the streets of New York, where her mother was from, Rhea searches for information about her mother as she struggles to forge a new life for herself.

How Many Letters Are in Goodbye? is an emotional, poignant novel about loss and secrets, but also about learning to trust and heal. Rhea is a complex character haunted by pain and betrayal, but searching for a way out. A gritty novel that is well-worth the read.

(Galley provided by Flux via NetGalley.)

The Greatest Zombie Movie Ever, by Jeff Strand

 

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(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Sourcebooks Fire.)

 

Jeff Strand is the author of numerous novels and short stories, many of them macabre. And funny. His new novel, The Greatest Zombie Movie Ever hit shelves on March 1st.

Justin and his buddies have been making movies for a while. Well, they’ve been starting movies for a while. But now they’ve decided to actually finish a movie: The Greatest Zombie Movie Ever.

They have a month to make the movie, the script is initially unfinished…and then merely horrible, a budget that depends on the goodwill of family, and they don’t have permission to film in the high school. Not to mention, Justin’s crush has been cast as the star, so he really needs to make this happen if he has a chance with her. What could possibly go wrong?

The Greatest Zombie Movie Ever is a hilarious misadventure of filmmaking at its best, er, worse.

(Galley provided by Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley.)

Stone and Silt, by Harvey Chute

stone and silt
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Red Adept Publishing.)

Harvey Chute’s first published novel, Stone and Silt, is a historical mystery set in British Columbia.

Sixteen-year-old Nikaia Wales has a white father and a native mother, so she’s always been called a “half-breed.” But her family’s love is strong, and she has a best friend that’s Chinese, so she’s used to being on the outside. Until she ends up on the bad side of the Doyles, a family known for their violent natures.

When she finds a hidden cache of gold and then a body, her troubles only grow worse. Soon her father is a suspect and Elias Doyle is eager for revenge on whoever murdered his brother. Nikaia races to find clues to clear her father’s name, before something even worse can happen to her family.

Stone and Silt is an entertaining middle-grade novel about the power of family, friends, and love.

Suddenly Spellbound, by Erica Lucke Dean

suddenly spellbound
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Red Adept Publishing LLC.)

 

Erica Lucke Dean dropped her career as a business banker to pursue writing in the North Georgia Mountains. Her newest book, Suddenly Spellbound, is the second book in the Ivie McKie Chronicles.

Ivie McKie has a lot going on. Her job as a kindergarten teacher is always hectic. Her marriage to Jackson is fast approaching. And her father is back from the dead. A little magic would make things so much easier. Too bad she promised Jack she wouldn’t use magic.

But growing up without her father means when her dad asks her for help with a spell, she reluctantly agrees, and finds herself in the wreckage of her dad’s lab with his hot new apprentice. Soon she finds herself drawn to the mysterious stranger with forces beyond her control, as a promise made long before she was born threatens to alter her life forever, and a clan of Scottish sorcerers appear to make sure someone gets a happily-ever-after.

Suddenly Spellbound is a light-hearted read full of Ivie’s mishaps and mistakes, as she struggles to get her life back on-track despite her father’s interference. Disasters abound, in the spirit of Bridesmaids and the Stephanie Plum novels.

(Galley provided by Red Adept Publishing LLC.)

Where My Heart Used to Beat, by Sebastian Faulks

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(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Henry Holt & Company.)

Sebastian Faulks is the award-winning author of Charlotte Gray, Devil May Care, and A Trick of the Light. His newest novel is Where My Heart Used to Beat.

Robert Hendricks, a doctor who works with psychiatric patients, has seen many things in his life, from the English countryside of his childhood to Italy in World War II. But a letter from a stranger asks him to confront everything in his past to get answers about the father he never know.

Robert’s new acquaintance leads him down memory lane as he remembers his childhood, school, war, and love in Italy during the war. Sometimes it seems he knows more about Robert than Robert does, and the painful memories bring back the hurt and loss that Robert has experienced throughout his life, as he grows ever closer to learning who his mysterious father really was.

Where My Heart Used to Beat is a poignant, introspective novel that takes the reader to the English countryside and a life that was forever changed by loss and the war.

(Galley provided by Henry Holt & Company via NetGalley.)

Storm Damaged, by Kerry Adrienne

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(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Loose Id, LLC.)

Kerry Adrienne is the author of several novels in different genres. Her newest book, Storm Damaged, is a fantasy/sci-fi romance.

Humans don’t know that mermaids exist, but they have a large tribal society and prefer to keep themselves apart from humans. Except for Mari. Desperate to get away from her domineering mother and her controlling fiancé, she left life under the sea behind to open a tiny souvenir shop on the island. She’s happy there, until her landlord, Chase tells her he’s selling the bar under which her shop is located.

Suddenly Mari’s happy fantasies of a relationship with Chase, the former Navy diver who lost his brother in a diving accident and is now afraid of the ocean, go up in smoke. Chase wants to get as far away from the ocean—and memories of his brother’s death—as possible, but before he can, a hurricane moves in, trapping him and Mari on the island. Will she be able to convince him to stay, or will her sea life come back to haunt them both?

Storm Damaged is a breezy story of two people both running from something. Mari has struggled for years against her family’s expectations, as well as her fiancé, while Chase is intent on running away from what haunts him. Their journey towards each other is a fun, engaging read touched with a little bit of magic.

(Galley provided by Loose Id, LLC via NetGalley.)

Night Study, by Maria V. Snyder

B&ENight-Study
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Mira.)

 

Maria V. Snyder is the author of Study Series, the Glass Series, and the Insider Books. Her newest book, Night Study, is the second book in the new Study Series. It released yesterday.

Yelena Zaltana has always lived a dangerous life. But now, with her Soulfinder abilities gone, her life is even more dangerous than usual. Not to mention the assassins, psychopathic grudge-holding mages, and threat of war between Ixia and Sitia. Oh, and the Commander, ruler of Ixia, seems to be making questionable decisions of late. Decisions that put Yelena, Valek, and everyone they love in grave danger.

Valek has always been loyal to the Commander. But the Commander is keeping secrets. Dangerous secrets. Secrets that could cause the death of Yelena and their future as war looms. Valek must find out the truth as he struggles to protect Yelena, bereft from her magical protection, and try to prevent the war that seems inevitable as violence and betrayal looms on the horizon.

Night Study is the fifth book in the Study series of books. It picks up the tale of Yelena, former poison taster but now Soulfinder, as she struggles with the loss of her powers, trying to find out what caused the loss and how she can counteract it. The relationship between her and Valek is deeper as they fight their unseen enemies together amidst a world torn apart by lies and deception.

(Galley provided by Mira via NetGalley.)