Small Town Wisconsin

Everyone likes to read books that take place in their home state.  It's fun to see how authors use scenery that we are so familiar with to create these marvelous stories (and it's fun to check their accuracy!).  Being a Wisconsin girl, I enjoy picking up books not only by Wisconsin authors, but books that are set throughout the state.  What's funny is most Wisconsin books tend to take place in "small town" Wisconsin.  Since I grew up in Green Bay, I've never lived in a rural area, but I've definitely seen my fair share of small town life.  I love the way many books that take place in these small Wisconsin towns show what an effect an incident or story can have on an entire town. 

Two novels that I would highly recommend for this "small town" Wisconsin feel are:

The Mourning Hours by Paula Treick DeBoard
5 of 5 Stars

I discovered this book before its release while looking through an advance magazine at work.  I saw the words Manitowoc, Wisconsin and had to stop and read the description (I mean honestly how many books take place outside Manitowoc, WI??).  The Mourning Hours is the story of a teenage girl, Stacy, who goes missing from her small town.  The last person to see her was her boyfriend, Johnny, the local high school's star wrestler.  The thing I love the most about this book is the narrator is Johnny's younger sister, Kirsten, who at the time of Stacy's disappearance is just nine years old.  The reader only knows and sees what Kirsten experiences, which adds such an unique element to the story.  
The mystery of Stacy's whereabouts tests the entire town and basically splits it in half.  It really shows how one event impacts everyone, since everyone knows with everybody else, and can leave even those who think they know Johnny and Stacy reevaluating their opinions.
Bottom line: This book kept me turning pages way past my bedtime.  I was addicted to the storyline and Paula's writing.  I recommend it for anyone looking for a great mystery/family drama... anyone who lives/lived in Wisconsin... anyone who likes books that feel like they're ripped from the news headlines... anyone who likes well written novels...really to anyone.
The best news: Paula's second book, The Fragile World, comes out exactly two months from today!  I *might* have a countdown going for this release date... and I *might* have to take off from work and read it all day!

Shotgun Lovesongs by Nickolas Butler
4.5 of 5 Stars

This book was actually a book club pick.  It was one of those books that I had heard wonderful things about, but had I not been told to read it for book club, I probably would have never picked it up.  One of the many reasons I adore my book club!  
How much I enjoyed Shotgun Lovesongs actually surprised me.  The novel is told from alternating perspectives of four men and one woman who grew up together in a small town just outside Eau Claire, Wisconsin.  There isn't a lot of action or anything overly dramatic about the plot, and I loved that.  It's a down-to-earth story of friendship, love, and real life.  Nickolas Butler does an amazing job creating the characters and setting for his novel.  I was completely immersed in this small town and the lives of those living in it.  I felt what the characters felt because the emotions and struggles they were facing are so universal... it could have been a story about anyone's life.  
Bottom line: I really hope Nickolas Butler is working on something new, because I would love to read another book by him.  I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an escape from the action-based, thrill-seeking, drama of many novels to a quiet little town filled with characters with human hearts and minds.


What are some of your favorite Wisconsin books?  Or books from your home state that you've enjoyed?

Mary Kubica Author Event (and some of her recommendations!)

What an amazing start to the week!!  Mary Kubica, author of THE GOOD GIRL, came to Appleton!  I know I already mentioned her book in a previous post, but in case you missed it... here's my little blurb about THE GOOD GIRL: 

5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book!!! It's been getting a lot of comparisons to "Gone Girl," and I can see why, but I liked "The Good Girl" more. I felt the storyline was more realistic, and the reader actually has a reason to care for the characters. And I must say... the ending... perfect. Can't wait to read more of Mary Kubica's writing in the future!

To expand on this "review," the book is about a girl in her early 20's named Mia who is kidnapped.  The novel is told from multiple perspectives (including Mia's mom, the detective in charge of her case, and her kidnapper), and the chapters fluctuate through time from both before she is found and after she comes home (this is not a spoiler... you find out she comes home very early on!).  Throughout the novel the true story of what happened to Mia unravels, and just wait until you find out the whole story!  Seriously... so good.  This book deserves all of the wonderful press and publicity it has been receiving.

Tonight, I was fortunate enough to meet Mary Kubica (and the wonderful readers who came to her event!) and hear her talk about her book as well as her writing process and future plans.  She talked about how THE GOOD GIRL was written over the course of many years while her children were young.  It then took a few years before she got a wonderful phone call that changed her life: someone wanted to publish her book!  

Now that THE GOOD GIRL is out in the world for all to read, Mary has been working on finalizing her next novel which should be released sometime next fall (seriously cannot wait!).  She told the audience that her new book is about a young, homeless mother who meets a woman one day who decides to take the homeless mother and her baby home.  Both characters then realize the impact this decision will have on their lives.  I can't wait to see where this storyline will go!

After a reading from her book, Mary was asked so many wonderful questions by the audience.  Including:  How do you write? (Whenever she has time, on a computer... and if she's stuck she puts it away for a while and comes back after some time away which seems to help);  Did you write each character's chapters in order? (She wrote the book in different chunks... she wrote one character's section and then moved on to a different one.  After each was done, she reorganized the stories into chapters and moved the time sequence around);  What books have you enjoyed reading lately? (The Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline, Little Mercies by Heather Gudenkauf, Forever Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid, and The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien (one of her all time favorites)).

Mary will be back next spring in the Fox Valley area for the Fox Cities Book Festival, and I highly recommend seeing her if you get the chance!  For more information on Mary and her upcoming events and books visit her website here.

I hope everyone had a wonderful beginning to your week!

Everett's Top 5

Everett and I got to spend the entire day together, and that always means we got to enjoy more books together :)  Some of his favorite requests right now are:

1. Richard Scarry's Cars and Trucks from A to Z 

by Richard Scarry

This book was recommended to us by a mom Ev and I met at a bookstore one day.  She had a little boy about 2 years old who also loves cars and trucks.  She said this book was perfect for little hands and for learning letters.  She was right!  It's small size makes it easy for Everett to hold, and the different vehicles for each letter (such as the pickle car and egg car) teach him the alphabet and the sounds that go with each letter.

2. Orange, Triangle, Fox by Sarah Jones

The cute illustrations in this book are what first caught my eye.  Each page consists of an animal that is a certain color and shape (ex. one page has an orange fox in the shape of a triangle).  The only words are the color, shape and animal shown on the page, and Everett loves it!  I've been looking for books that teach shapes, and this works wonderfully because Ev can tie in his knowledge of colors and animals while learning his shapes!  

3. The Berenstain Bears and the Big Road Race 

by Stan and Jan Berenstain

I LOVED Berenstain Bear books when I was growing up, and while Everett is still too little for most of the stories, he adores this particular book.  This is one of the Berenstain's "First Time Readers" books, so it's not as lengthy as the average Berenstain Bears book.  It teaches things such as colors, rhyming words, and opposites, while telling a cute story about a car race.  It also has the message that you don't have to be the biggest or fastest, but with persistence and by playing fair you can win the race.

4. I Love You, Stinky Face by Lisa McCourt

We received this book through a book swap, and I figured it would be a while before Everett had any interest in it.  But, I picked it up and read it to him one night to find that he really enjoyed it.  It's a bit longer than the books he usually sits through, but he loves to say "But mama, but mama" for each page.  It's a super cute story about a mom loving her child no matter what.

5. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr.

"A told B and B told C, I'll meet you at the top of the coconut tree!"  How can anyone not love this book?  The sing-songy rhymes and repetition of words (especially BOOM BOOM) make Everett request this book a lot.  The best part, it comes in a board book, AND there's now a version with numbers (Chicka Chicka 1-2-3)!

Hopefully you've enjoyed Everett's latest book round-up! :)  And, Everett's always looking for recommendations (especially if they come in board book form!).  Happy reading!

Daughter of Smoke and Bone Triology

Trilogies are beyond huge right now, especially in YA... You've got The Hunger Games, Divergent, The Maze Runner, and sooo many more.  Then someone buys the rights to these addicting trilogies and turns them into movies, and the hype begins all over again!  Therefore, I'm dedicating this post to a trilogy that I absolutely 110% recommend.  It is classified YA, but it definitely doesn't read the same as most YA novels.

The Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

I actually found this book on my nook and the cover caught my eye.  A black and white face with the bright blue mask... looks pretty intriguing.  Then I read the description: 

"Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?"

And... BUY.  I immediately started reading because, based on that description, I had to know what this story was.  And I found out that Laini Taylor can write.  She can write so beautifully at times you have to reread a sentence twice... or three times... just so it can linger in your mind a moment longer.  This is not your stereotypical YA writing, as a matter of fact, if the main character wasn't a teenager I'm pretty certain this novel would be classified adult science-fiction.

Taylor's novel starts in Prague, journeys through hidden caves, far off countries, and to worlds unbeknownst to humans.  The characters that Taylor creates (from angels to demons to the marvelously described Chimaera) are so unique and their stories written with so much heart that you cannot help but feel them as if you know them personally.  The magical system that develops throughout the books and the way Taylor explores the concepts of good and evil and how the lines between the two blur and shift is outstanding.

In the first novel, readers meet the main character, Karou, a pretty typical seventeen-year-old girl (well perhaps her bright blue hair makes her a *bit* more noticeable) who is very artistic and reserved, and her very small, but very bold, best friend, Zuzana.  Zuzana knows that Karou randomly disappears for periods of time, but Zuzana doesn't know that when Karou is gone, she is hunting down teeth for her guardian Brimstone.  Yes, teeth.  Are you curious?  Good... because I seriously don't want to give any more away. 

Perhaps the most beautiful thing for anyone who has not started this trilogy is that all three books are available now.  I had to wait a painstakingly long time between each novel... okay so it was only a year and a half between each, but honestly that was torture.  The second novel is entitled Days of Blood and Starlight and the finale is Dreams of Gods and Monsters.

And, if you finish these mesmerizing novels and crave more, Laini has a couple other books available including a novella from the series entitled Night of Cake and Puppets.

What are some favorite trilogies you've read (YA or not)?  

I hope everyone had time to enjoy a bit of a good book this weekend :)

 

A Little Bit of Magic...

One of my favorite fiction genres is magical realism.  I recently picked up the Creativity Issue of Writer's Digest magazine, and there was a fun article all about writing and reading magical realism.  The author of the article defines this genre as "a literary genre grounded in reality and imbued with mystical elements," which I think sums it up rather nicely.  The author included a reading list for those authors/readers interested in exploring the genre, and although I haven't read all of the selections, I loved the list and thought I would review a few that I have read.

The list included:

• One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
• The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
• Beloved by Toni Morrison
• 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
• The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen
• The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
• The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
• Life of Pi by Yann Martel
• Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
• The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
• Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
• The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
• The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht
• The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman
• The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
• Swamplandia! by Karen Russell
• Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
• The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

I thought I'd pick my top three favorites from this list and share my thoughts about them (it wasn't easy to narrow down to three, but I also didn't want to make this post a million words long).

1. The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman

Alice Hoffman is one of my absolute favorite authors of all time.  I count the days between each of her amazing books and seriously can't get enough once I pick one up.  Her writing is stunning, and The Museum of Extraordinary Things is no exception.  The novel takes place in New York during the early twentieth century when Coney Island was new and sideshows were all the rage.  The story is of a young girl, Coralie, whose father operates the Museum of Extraordinary Things in NYC.  Coralie is raised in a world of different characters with talents and oddities, and eventually becomes the main attraction in her father's museum.  On the other side of town (away from the city), immigrant Eddie, with talents of his own, becomes involved in a case of a missing girl who was thought to have been in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire. 

This novel is bookended by tragic fires (which are historically true and accurate) and tells a story that you will easily find yourself getting lost in.   You will root for the love story, cry for the individuals who are caught in tragic circumstances, and wonder what it would have been like to live through it all yourself.  

I have loved many of Alice Hoffman's books, but this one is definitely in my top 5 by her.  (Other top choices by Alice Hoffman include: The River King, The Probable Future, and for YA Incantation.  But ANY Alice Hoffman book is worth a read!)

Find out more about Alice Hoffman and her books here.

2. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

This book is incredible.  I was mesmerized from start to finish.  The novel is a story about two young magicians who are trained as a part of a competition between their instructors.  The scene of their duels: the night circus.  The night circus only opens after sundown, and the world Morgenstern creates within this circus is spellbinding.  With the most glorious and unique characters and descriptions, this circus is anything but ordinary.  I don't want to give details away, because I want everyone who hasn't read it yet to discover it for the first time without any pretense.   It's a world to easily become immersed in and one that is sad to leave once the last page has been turned.

The upsetting news: this is Erin Morgenstern's first and only novel.  She published short works entitled "flax golden tales" (which are also very fun to read) on her website and blog for many years, but has now stopped posting those as well.  Hopefully this means she's working on her next novel...?

Check out Erin Morgenstern's website here.

3. The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

This book immediately caught my eye when it was released because I was in love with the folktale The Snow Child as a child.  Specifically the version by Freya Littledale.  So, I had to read this novel.  I'm so glad I did.  This is Eowyn Ivey's debut novel, but her writing is that of an established author.  The way she spins the folktale to fit a more "realistic" storyline is fantastic.  The story begins with a man and his wife moving to Alaska in 1920 to establish a homestead.  They endure difficult times and despite desperately wanting children, have born none.  One night they build a child of snow, and in the morning their snow child is gone, but the woman sees a young girl running behind the trees.  Thus begins a marvelous tale of family, overcoming hardships, loss, and love.  I'm still in awe of how Eowyn Ivey keeps the beauty of magic from the folktale, yet gives the story some twists that make a reader think... this may have truly happened.

Eowyn Ivey supposedly has a new novel in the works, but no release date has been given.

But, you can keep tabs on developments on her website here.

There are a lot of incredible authors of dabble, or write exclusively, in the magical realism genre.  Alice Hoffman was probably my first addiction when it came to this writing style (and she's never let me down), but I have also enjoyed the works of Sarah Addison Allen and Lisa Van Allen (two newer authors who are very similar to Hoffman).  And now, thanks to Writer's Digest, I have even more titles to add to my never ending list of books to read.

What are some of your favorite magical novels?  Have you read and enjoyed any of the books mentioned in the Writer's Digest article?  

**If you'd like to read the rest of the article I mentioned, be sure to check out Writer's Digest's website, or here's the bibliographical information for the print article:  Bair O'Keeffe, Kristin. "Making Magic." Writer's Digest July 2014: 30-33. Print.

Everett's Top 5

Photo by Megan Marie Photography

I feel extremely fortunate that my son Everett seems to have picked up on my bookworm ways.  That's not to say that he doesn't run around like crazy throwing balls in the house while yelling at the top of his lungs like any another 1 1/2 year old, but luckily he seems to settle right down when you mention the word "book."  We read with him at least twice a day (once in the morning and once at night) for 15-20 minutes, but often he grabs books from his bookshelves and brings them to us saying "book?"  We really can't refuse, so he's read to quite a bit throughout the day as well :)  

Although we own TONS of children's books, Everett tends to play favorites.  He'll choose a top 5 (or so) and want to read those titles every day (over and over and over).  Therefore, I've decided to dedicate some posts to "Everett's Top 5"... aka the current books my husband and I know by heart because we've read them sooo many times.

1. Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle

This is his FAVORITE right now by far.  Every time we mention books, he says, "Blue truck?"  I love this book because it teaches animal noises, colors, and the importance of kindness.  He loves this book because of animal noises, colors, and the fact that he can say "beep!"  There is also a sequel Little Blue Truck Leads the Way which Ev is also crazy for, but I personally like the story of the original better.

2. Drop It Rocket! by Tad Hills

ANYTHING by Tad Hills is a favorite in this house.  Everett has always loved Duck and Goose books (although the picture books are still a bit lengthy for him), but a couple weeks ago we took him to the bookstore and he found this beginning readers Rocket book and fell in love.  No, it's not in board book form, so it's already pretty beat up, but he loves the story.  The repetitive words and the simple sentence structure makes it fun for him because he can memorize the words to "read" along.


3. Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See by Bill Martin, Jr. and Eric Carle

We have the slide & find version of this book, and I highly recommend getting this rather than the basic board book.  It's slightly more expensive, but Everett loves sliding the little door open to reveal the next animal.  This book definitely helped Everett learn his primary colors and animal names.  After each page we make the animal noises for each animal too which he loves.  He also loves Panda Bear, Panda Bear What Do You See in the same format.

4. Fox In Socks by Dr. Seuss

The board book version of this book is great (and not *quite* as tongue twistery as the complete story).  The book makes zero sense to me, but Everett laughs every time I read it. It does focus on rhyme which makes it fun, and Everett likes to experiment with different sounds after hearing it.  One day he was walking around the house saying "bluey... gooey...ooey," and it wasn't until bedtime when we read this book that we realized why!  So fun!



5. Hug Time by Patrick MacDonald

This book might be my favorite board book ever.  I bought it for Everett before he was born and read it to him practically every night since he was born.  It's the story of a kitten who is determined to make everything better by giving the whole world a hug.  He travels through different places and hugs all kinds of animals/plants.  It is the sweetest story.  
Fun mommy memory for me: there's a page in Hug Time with no words that shows the kitten hugging a polar bear, and I would always say "awwww..." when we got to that page.  One night when we were reading (Everett must have been about one or a little younger) we get to that page and he suddenly says "AWWWWW."  Melt my heart.  He doesn't want to read this book every night anymore, but he still requests it a decent amount (and I love it when he does!).

I'm sure I'll post more children's books soon as Everett's favorites tend to change each week!  What are your little one's favorite books?  Or what was your favorite book as a child?    

John Green... Perhaps you've heard of him?

I must admit I jumped on the John Green bandwagon late.  I didn't start reading until The Fault In Our Stars came out.  But, I have now breezed through most of his books (the only exception being Will Grayson, Will Grayson) and can see where the attention he's getting comes from (and it's well deserved).  Each of his books have a quirkiness about them that is wonderfully entertaining, but there are such strong messages at the heart of each novel that he ultimately blows you away. 

Since so many people have read, loved, and cried over The Fault in Our Stars, I thought I'd post a review for two of his other books that I've read in the past couple weeks instead.

The first is An Abundance of Katherines. 

 

3 of 5 Stars

I started off really liking this book: the quirkiness of it and how different the story is from today's typical teen read (no post apocalypse! no tears shed! no zombies!). However, I was hoping for more than what it ended up being. That's not to say that I didn't like it, because I did. I loved the main character, Colin, and the way he told his story of the summer he was dumped by the 19th girl named Katherine. I loved the message that sometimes we need to find meaningfulness in our every day actions and situations. But, I think reading "The Fault in Our Stars" and "Looking for Alaska" prior to this was not to this book's advantage (I liked them both better).

Long story short, this is a sweet story about a wonderfully smart boy named Colin and his desire to get over his broken heart by taking a road trip with his best friend. I recommend it for teens and those looking for a fun, quirky summer read.

One of my favorite things about John Green books is that my highlighter or post-its really get a good workout marking quotes.  I think the quote collection that would come out of John Green novels would be an easy 5 of 5.  But let's move on...

The second book is Paper Towns.

4 of 5 Stars

I really thought Paper Towns was going to be my favorite John Green book (thus far). And it is very close between this and The Fault in Our Stars... Paper Towns totally had an edge over The Fault in Our Stars, because I loved the concept of it (and it didn't make me sob into my pillow). The mystery of what happened to Margo and Q's journey to figure everything out was so well executed. John Green is a master of creativity when it comes to how he tells his stories (the use of classic literature and random facts thrown into his novels are excellent... I now know what a "paper town" is!) and this book is definitely no exception. I'm just not convinced it ended in a way I liked. It wasn't a bad ending, but I'm just not sure it was the ending I would have chosen. I don't want to go into detail because I hate spoilers... so I'll let you read it and figure out the ending (and whether you liked it or not) yourself. I will say though the book is definitely worth a read... I love the way Green talks about the future and how fixated we are on how to get there and get what we want out of life... when really we should be focused on this moment.

I just finished Paper Towns last night, so it's still fresh in my mind.  I really do think this may be my favorite of John Green's books.  The idea that so many of us are caught up in having the perfect future, that we don't always appreciate the moment we're in is a really powerful message.  I also loved that Green made each character have flaws, and emphasized the fact that either you must ultimately accept a person as they are even if they might not be who you thought/wished they were.

To all of you have read John Green... what were your favorites by him?  Your favorite quotes?  

Get more info on John Green and his books on his website.

Summer is the perfect time for reading... and author events!

One of the perks of my job is that I sometimes get to work with and/or meet authors.  This summer I have been extremely fortunate to be able to meet three talented authors so far.  I've read each of their books, so I thought I'd share details about the events and some reviews for their works :)  Brace yourself... this may be a long post!

First:  Ann Wertz Garvin.  To be honest I hadn't heard of Ann Wertz Garvin until she was part of the Fox Cities Reads book festival this past year.  At the time she had published her first book, On Maggie's Watch, and was awaiting the release of her second book, The Dog Year.  Ann contacted our store after the book festival to see if we'd be willing to have her stop in once The Dog Year was released and have a signing/workshop with her (Ann runs workshops on getting published in New York while living in Wisconsin... definitely helpful for any aspiring midwest writers!).  

Jump ahead... Ann's novel about a Wisconsin surgeon coping with the loss of both her husband and unborn child was released in early June, and we were fortunate enough to have her come visit us at the end of June.  I wasn't sure what to expect from this book... the cover has the most adorable picture of a Dalmatian on it...

...but, as much as I love animal books, I really wasn't wanting to read another dog story at the moment (loved Art of Racing in the Rain and Finding Jack is an unforgettable book, just have to be in the right mood).  But, I wanted to have read the book before I met the author. Let me tell you, Ann surprised me 100%.  Yes, this is a story about a dog named Little Dog, but more than that it's a story about grief and the different ways people deal with this emotion.  My official Goodreads review ended up being:

4 of 5 Stars

The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is because I wanted more from each character's storyline. The author has such awesome, off-the-wall characters and I wanted complete stories for them all. Each character is struggling with something (grief, alcoholism, loneliness, addiction, etc) and they all tie into the main character's storyline (a surgeon who copes with the loss of her husband and unborn child by stealing) wonderfully... I just wanted individual books for each character I was introduced to! This says something about how strong the characters are.
I would definitely recommend this book for fiction readers... it's not "another dog story"... yes there are dogs (cute ones and many of them!), but this book is much more than that! Enjoy!

((Side note:  I'm not all about lengthy reviews... I hate spoilers and don't like to tell the entire plot line of a book, so my reviews will typically be a couple paragraphs at the very most.))

So now I was pretty excited to meet the creator of this entertaining book.  I was not disappointed.  Ann is one of the most genuine people I have ever met.  She is full of stories and laughs, and I absolutely adored her.  I seriously could have talked to her for hours.  One of my favorite stories she told was about how she got the idea for the main character of The Dog Year dealing with grief by stealing:  She was shopping at a TJ Maxx store one day and a nicely dressed woman set off their door alarms on her way out.  Ann was expecting the woman to either 1. act shocked that the alarms were going off, or 2. run.  Instead the woman's shoulders slumped as if she knew she was caught, and she was just sad.  Ann said she wanted to run up and hug the woman rather than judge her for whatever she had done wrong.  This got Ann to wondering what the woman's backstory could potentially be... thus The Dog Year was born.  

Get to know Ann and all of her wonderfulness on her website here.  And pick up a copy her her book at your local bookstore or order it here.  

Second:  So my boss and I *might* both be huge Heather Gudenkauf fans.  We *might* always read her books right when they come out and then spend the next year or two checking for her name to pop up with a new title and wishing we hadn't read so fast.  One marvelous day we saw that Heather had a new book coming out this June titled Little Mercies.  We instantly put in our pre-orders and started a countdown.  While doing this we were discussing where exactly Heather Gudenkauf was from... my vote: east coast, her vote: west coast.  To settle this debate we went on Heather's website and checked.  She's from Iowa.  Iowa and Wisconsin share a border!  I instantly started figuring out who I could contact to see if she does events in Wisconsin, and if so would she like to do an event at our store.  The email response I got... YES.  Commence jumping up and down in my office like the booknerd I am.

The countdown was on.  While impatiently awaiting my chance to meet one of my favorite authors I read her novella (and prequel to Little Mercies) Little Lies.  My snippet of a review for that was:

4 of 5 Stars

I always look forward to new books, and in this case stories, by Heather Gudenkauf. Her writing style always keeps me wanting more (aka not putting the book done until it's finished). Although this was a novella, it still sucked me in, and now I can't wait until her next novel "Little Mercies"!

Then Little Mercies finally came into my possession, and although I attempted to savor it, I still read it in a matter of a few days (with a 1 1/2 year old, that's saying something).  My Goodreads review when I finished went something like this:

5 of 5 Stars

I LOVED this book. I always love picking up a new Heather Gudenkauf book for many reasons. First, I always know it will be wonderfully written and her characters will jump from the pages ... you feel right along with them and are compelled to keep turning pages to find out what happens to them next. Her books always tackle such interesting story lines from perspectives you might not think to look at. This particular book about a social worker who ends up being investigated by child services herself really takes a different look at a situation: What happens if the children she tries to protect every day suddenly leads to a horrifying situation in her own life? Paralleling that story with the story of a young girl who desperately needs someone to watch over her and help her through her own unexpected situation makes for a book you won't want to put down. Enjoy it, and remember to savor it (we still have a while to wait for her next page-turner!).

Days passed until finally... Heather Gudenkauf event day was upon us!  If I wasn't a big enough fan before the event, Heather's presentation and reading absolutely sealed the deal (I am a fan for life).  If you ever have the opportunity to see her speak, DO. IT.  My father came to the event and said, "Well I guess I'll be reading her books now, because I just need to hear more."  So for those of us who had read Heather's books or read fiction on a regular basis, we were in awe.  She spoke of her life, her writing process, and her love of books and reading.  I think almost everyone in the audience had a question for Heather, and she answered them all (including the fact that yes, she is working on her fifth novel and so far it's told from one point of view (her books are typically told by multiple characters in alternating chapters)).  Then we each got to chat with her and get our books signed.  Check this life goal off my bucket list... maybe not because I'd love to see her again.

Bottom line:  If you're a fiction reader and you haven't read a Heather Gudenkauf novel yet, why??  They are all excellent.  She takes very difficult topics and explores the story from multiple sides.  I love that she gives a voice to every point of view without turning certain characters into automatic villains.  That's pure talent.

Heather currently has four books: The Weight of Silence, These Things Hidden, One Breath Away, and Little Mercies.  She also has the prequel to Little Mercies: Little Lies (which is only available as an e-book).  Pick them up today, and I hope you enjoy!

Third: Mr. Patrick Rothfuss.  

Let me start this with a little story... Once upon a time I was told by a fellow manager to read Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.  "He's the most incredible author... He's from Wisconsin... His writing will amaze you,"  I was told.  But, all I could think was no science-fiction please, I'm still getting over my reading of The Hobbit (okay, I'm sure if I went back and read it now I might have a different opinion, but as a 13 year old girl reading two pages about a tree was too much detail for me.)  "I don't read sci-fi," I said, "It's not my thing."  After about a year or so of being told I need to read it (he was very persistent with his recommendation)... I finally gave in. 

Life changed.

"Hi my name is Holly, and I enjoy reading science-fiction."  What?? 

Reading Patrick Rothfuss's incredible (understatement) books opened so many doors that I hadn't wanted to even knock on in the past.  Patrick's writing, in particular, is phenomenal.  A work of art.  

Now partnering with the manager who recommended these books to me oh so long ago... we had a mission.  How do we get to meet Patrick Rothfuss?  Long story short... we happened to contact the right people at the right time, and Patrick wanted to come to our store and do an event in one month.  Wait... one month??  Umm... okay... breathe... we can totally pull this off.  Order more books!  Get posters/flyers/ads out there!  Let every customer who walks in the door know!  

Now, you should know, Patrick Rothfuss has *quite* the following.  His blog and website are followed by TONS of people from all over the world, and his charity Worldbuilders raises thousands of dollars to defeat hunger and poverty.  If you check out his website, you'll find out why.  His blog makes him relatable, yet his talents for writing (and gaming) make him someone to revere. 

So we were ready.  We pulled out all of the stops to make sure he had a successful event.  We ended up having about 200-250 people show up and everyone had a marvelous time.  He did an hour long chat with the audience during which I learned I could listen to him talk all day (Why did I not attend University of Stevens Point just so I could have had him as a professor??).  I LOVED the way he talked about writing.  He is a firm believer that anyone can write... you just need to do it.  Put pen/pencil to paper or start typing and tell your story.  It might not end up being perfect, but at least you did it.  The worst book in the world is better than something that was never written.  After his talk, he signed the audience's books. When everyone had signatures he stayed to chat and take photos with fans willing to stay longer and visited with our staff.  As if that wasn't enough, he then proceeded to sign hundreds of books in our store so we could have some signed copies on the shelves for customers who couldn't make it to the event.  All of this and he was leaving for San Diego for Comic-Con in the morning.  What an awesome guy.  Seriously.

Now I haven't written reviews for Patrick's books, The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man's Fear.  I don't know what I'd say other than read them now.  Even if you don't read science-fiction.  Even if they look waaaay too long.  If you don't like lugging around large books (check out the e-book... or the audio... I have personally listened to the audiobooks and really enjoyed them, the reader is very good).  When you're done with those, you can start your own countdown for his new novella coming out October 28th, The Slow Regard of Silent Things, because my guess is you'll be addicted too (T-Minus 79 days).

So my summer has been pretty spectacular.  

Next author I get to meet: Mary Kubica on August 25th!!  I just finished her debut novel The Good Girl, and it kept me reading well past my bedtime.  My quick review is: 

5 of 5 Stars

I really enjoyed this book!!! It's been getting a lot of comparisons to "Gone Girl," and I can see why, but I liked "The Good Girl" more. I felt the storyline was more realistic, and the reader actually has a reason to care for the characters. And I must say... the ending... perfect. Can't wait to read more of Mary Kubica's writing in the future!

Cannot wait to meet her and hear her talk about her book!

I hope you pick up a book from at least one of the authors above and enjoy it!  I'd love to hear your thoughts about their books or any encounters you've had with authors yourself!  Or, if you could meet any author who would it be and why?

Happy reading :)