An Irish Country Wedding by Patrick Taylor

Title: An Irish Country Wedding
Author: Patrick Taylor
Genre: Fiction

Synopsis: The story of a country doctor, Fingal Flattery O'Reilly, and the people of the small Irish town of Ballybucklebo that he serves. Once young lovers, Fingal and Kitty O' Halloran, reunite in their 60's and are getting married. This is the 7th of 10 Irish Country novels.

My Thoughts

This is the second novel in the series that I have read (Fingal O'Reilly, Irish Doctor). I was excited to find it in the clearance section because I enjoyed reading the first one as well. The books in this series are nice simple reads that move along smoothly. 
It is always nice to come back to familiar characters, and a simple storyline. There are a few suspenseful moments in this novel, but they are resolved quickly. It occasionally flashes back to when Fingal and Kitty were young, which contributes to the backstory nicely.
Overall, it is a good book to help you relax and laugh at the lovable characters.

Let me know if you agree in the comments below!

To buy this book from amazon now, click on the image at the top of the post.
To see more from Patrick Taylor, visit her website linked above.

Mrs. Lincoln's Rival by Jennifer Chiaverini

Title: Mrs. Lincoln's Rival
Author: Jennifer Chiaverini
Genre: Historical Fiction

Synopsis: A beautiful and intelligent young woman brought up by a father with presidential aspirations, Kate Chase works to establish her widowed father as a member of Lincoln's cabinet. As the people of Washington City praise her, Mary Todd Lincoln feels threatened and the two become rivals as they help the men in their lives to achieve greatness.

My Thoughts

This is the third novel that I have read by Jennifer Chiaverini (Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker, The Spymistress). Mrs. Lincoln's Rival had exactly what I liked about her other novels as well; a strong female lead living during the American Civil War offering a historical perspective different from the one told in history class. 
It was really interesting to learn about Kate Chase and her father, Salmon P. Chase, especially because they were from Ohio. Mr. Chase was governor of Ohio before being elected to represent Ohio in the Senate and then being selected by Lincoln to be Secretary of the Treasury. 
The reader gets inside information into how the government is being run as S. Chase solicits advice and confides in his daughter. Kate also gives a window into the social aspects of life as Washington City elite, holding dinners and attending parties hosted by the president and first lady. Of course, with Kate being a young woman, there is a large portion dedicated to courting rituals of the time as well.
Kate's friends also keep her informed about the happenings at the White House. I find the author's take on the Lincolns to be very intriguing because she does not idealize them, but rather focuses on the fact that they were real people.
Chiaverini chooses to showcase the less desirable aspects of Mary Todd Lincoln's temperament and the fact that Abraham Lincoln was not a strong abolitionist when he first took office.

If you are looking for a historically accurate piece of Civil War fiction then this book is for you! If you have read this novel, let me know what you think in the comments below!

To buy this book from amazon now, click on the image at the top of the post.
To see more from Jennifer Chiaverini, visit her website linked above.

The Martian by Andy Weir

Title: The Martian
Author: Andy Weir
Genre: Science Fiction

Synopsis: A man is stranded on Mars after an aborted mission when he is believed dead by his fellow astronauts. He chronicles his attempt to survive until the next mission to Mars arrives, in four years.

My Thoughts

As you can tell from my quick turn around on this post, this book is a really quick read. I'm not usually one for science fiction, as a science teacher the inaccuracies often really bother me. Andy Weir really knows his stuff, and I appreciate the research that had to go into keeping this novel realistic. It is a little science heavy at first, but it is needed to show how our stranded astronaut, Mark Watney, is well trained and creative enough to survive on Mars alone.

 Watney maintains a light and humorous tone as he keeps a log of his time on the red planet. The reader also gets to understand the situation from the perspective of officials at NASA and the team of astronauts who left Watney behind, as they work to save him. The best part is that even with careful scientific planning, things sometimes go awry for our protagonist; it is what keeps the reader totally engaged and invested in the story.

All in all, this a really good read. If you are not sold on science fiction but want to be converted, I recommend this book. I could not put it down, I just had to know if Mark Watney was going to make it back home to Earth.

To buy this book from amazon now, click on the image at the top of the post.
To see more from Andy Weir, visit his website linked above.

The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street by Susan Jane Gilman

Title: The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street
Author: Susan Jane Gilman
Genre: Fiction

Synopsis: This novel follows the life of a woman who immigrated to the United States from Russia as a young child. She encounters many hardships on her way to becoming a famous ice cream mogul.

My Thoughts

I have to admit, the cover and title of this book are what really drew me in. It looked so good to me I even paid full price (gasp!) for it. This novel was worth every penny. 500 pages and not once did it feel too long. It is seriously so, so good.
While the ice cream cone is why I picked it up, this story is about so much more than ice cream. An elderly Lillian Dunkle (aka. Lillian Dinello, Malka Bialystoker, Malka Treynovsky) narrates her life, semi-chronologically. While it jumps around a little in time, it is still easy to follow and keeps the reader wanting to know more.
 I really loved how this story is packed with history. As we move through Lillian's life the effects of each decade change how she lives and runs her business. It is so interesting to see how much changes in one person's lifetime. And all of this is intertwined with the evolution of ice cream in America, what could be better?
I could not recommend this book more. I think everyone should go out and get this one, it is a great summer read. (or an anytime read!) 
Let me know what you think of this book in the comments below!

To buy this book from amazon now, click on the image at the top of the post.
To see more from Susan Jane Gilman, visit her website linked above.

A Different Sun by Elaine Neil Orr

Title: A Different Sun: A Novel of Africa

Author: Elaine Neil Orr

Genre: Fiction

Synopsis: A young woman raised on her parents' southern slave-holding plantation travels to Africa as a missionary. The story is based loosely on the writings of missionaries Lurana Davis Bowen and Thomas Jefferson Bowen.

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed reading this novel. I haven't read many books set in Africa and I'm really glad I grabbed this one off the shelf! I loved following the protagonist, Emma, as she grew up on a plantation in Georgia, became a missionary in Africa, and began her family. 

Emma is a character I found myself rooting for as she figures out life in a new country on a new continent. She is an unconventional woman living in the mid-to-late 1800s who wants more from life than to inherit her father's plantation. As you may notice, I love a good, strong, female lead.

 While most of the story is from Emma's point of view, we get the perspective of a few other main characters throughout the story as well. This allows for well-developed characters and helps the reader get a better understanding of life missionaries and native people in Africa.

The story takes unexpected turns, keeping the reader engaged and wanting more. If you are looking for something different, interesting, and with an ending that makes you wonder, this novel is a great choice.

To buy this book from amazon now, click on the image at the top of the post.

To see more from Elaine Neil Orr, visit her Amazon site linked above.

King's Mountain by Sharyn McCrumb

Title: King's Mountain: A Ballad Novel
Author: Sharyn McCrumb
Genre: Historical Fiction

Synopsis: A battle of the American Revolutionary War from as told from the perspective of residents of Appalachia who decide to fight on the side of the American rebels to defend their land, and an officer of the English forces. The characters are based on McCrumb's ancestors, whom she researched for this work.

My Thoughts

I really wanted to like this book, I was excited to hear about The Revolutionary War from a new perspective as I read the inside of the book jacket. Unfortunately, I just could not get into it. 

The author provides an immense amount of backstory on two men, Col. John Seiver, and Major Patrick Ferguson. The main chapters are told from the perspective of Col. Seiver, one chapter is told from Major Ferguson's perspective while the rest of Ferguson's story is told from the perspective of a young woman servant. To provide all this background information McCrumb moves back and forth between past and present, often without warning. The lack of transition feels awkward when trying to figure out what is occurring in the story. In addition, the fact that the story rarely comes back to this in-depth background leaves the reader wondering why the first 200 pages were important at all.

About 200 pages in is where I started to get interested in the story because it was finally moving forward. I was still finding myself having to re-read pages that lost my attention as the militia wandered trying to find Major Ferguson's army. The great number non-descript of characters makes keeping track of who is who quite difficult.
All-in-all, this one was just not for me. If you have read it and experienced it differently, please feel free to comment below and share your insight!


To buy this book from amazon now, click on the image at the top of the post.
To see more from Sharyn McCrumb, visit her website linked above.

2016 Reading Challenge

I found this on PopSugar, and I want to see how many I can get! Follow the link to find a larger version. See if you can get all of these in 2016! Let me know how your challenge is going in the comments below.