“Forget You Know Me” has been labeled as a thriller by the publisher. I would have to disagree with this. I’ve had this occur with several books recently: The genre label for marketing the book is, in my opinion, inaccurate, which results in a lower rating than it probably deserves. This novel is labeled as mystery and thriller, and I didn’t see it as either. 



There is a lot going on in this book. Too much. Think extortion, deadly fire, adultery, mystery medical issues, embezzling, romance, as well as deadly loan sharks. I had a difficult time getting into the book, starting it several times and putting it aside. I eventually did get into it, but must state that there was simply too much in this novel to really enjoy it. I didn’t like any of the characters, except for the kids. It was difficult to invest in caring what happened to any of them, and caught myself more than once, skimming ahead. I would have trouble recommending this book to anyone, with so many excellent books out there that demand more from the reader than sloshing along waiting for it to be over. I am not typically one to give poor reviews, as I feel an artist’s work should be respected and set aside for those who can appreciate it better than I. This time, I just want to state that this one should likely be skipped.
Forget you saw it. 

​Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. #ForgetYouKnowMe

My Mom Always Looks After Me So Much is a delightful book for young children.  The story is about a young gorilla and his mom, on a journey to get a shot, hence the mom taking care of him. The main character is scared, but knows mom always takes care of him. 
The book tries to take on more themes which leaves the reader a bit confused. Children won't notice it and the main theme of mom taking care of her child is prevalent.  

​The illustrations are lovely and there are many opportunities for families and teachers to discuss other things in the book.  As a speech language pathologist, there are many opportunities to encourage spatial concepts, colors, and overall language development. 

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Wedding Guest by Jonathan Kellerman continues the legacy of Alex Delaware, the psychologist working with LAPD.  The book is written in true Kellerman style, but I found this one to be slightly confusing. More than once, I found my self flipping back and forth to determine who was who. As a successful writer, Kellerman shouldn't still be having those concerns. A little editing would have helped immensely. 

The book is about a wedding "crasher" who is discovered in the ladies room dead. Let the games begin. While the character of Alex Delaware is a recurring character in many of Kellerman's books, this book can and will stand alone. You don't need to reed the other, what 30?, to understand the character. Called in to work along side the LAPD, Dr. Alex Delaware, assists with the psychological profiling and understanding the why of the murders.  And there are MURDERS.  Dr. Delaware leads us through the mind of a serial killer as he helps to solve the crime, and make connections with other murders. 

You won't confuse this with literary fiction, but consume it as I did, in a single reading on a rainy Sunday. It's fun, and you will want to stay up late until you find out whodunit.  I totally enjoyed the book, even though there were slow points in the book.  It's a great escape novel, which is exactly what it was meant to be. 

Thanks to #TheWeddingGuest #NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.  4 Star read! 

​Even If I Fall, written by Abigail Johnson, is written well for a YA story, but had some flow concerns.  Starting out with an odd scene with the main character and a friend driving a new car, which looking back was relevant, but oddly placed within the book. The author didn’t reveal names for the characters for a while and it was difficult to be drawn in to the book as a result. The scenes were choppy for the first 25% of the book, but did start to make sense after that. It took away from the story, in my opinion. 

The story  was about a family member who committed murder, which may be relevant for many teens. This book addresses the bullying and survivor guilt.  The characters were moderately well developed, but most were unlikeable. 

The story within the book, Even If I Fall, is heartbreakingly beautiful and compelling. Overall I didn't love the book but I did like it. I don’t often read YA books, but on occasion, I enjoy them. This was one that I did enjoy and would recommend to young people. 

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for a free e copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had a great month of reading. I highly recommend the two favorite books I read this month. John Boyne, who wrote "A Ladder to the Sky" is becoming my new favorite author. An Irish author, I have yet to read less than a five star book he's written. 
"The Road to Jonestown" is about the cult leader Jim Jones, who murdered his follows in Guyana. I remember watching that horror unfolding on TV in November 1978, as a very young Speech Language Pathologist in Terre Haute, Indiana.  I learned quite a few new facts about this cult and their leader and really couldn't put the book down.  

I have managed to pull five books off the bookshelf this month and sent them to loving homes, having only fostered them for a while.  Each month, I want to get more out of our space, so that I won't have to be sad in December, when very, very few books will be saved to my tiny library. I have been donating to different charities each month, Broward County Florida public library being the latest recipient for their library sales. 

What have you read lately that thrills you?  

​#MountTBR