Book and Product Reviews by Roundtable Reviews

Genre: Teen/Young Adult Fiction Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers Release Date: October 4, 2016 Quick parent moment. Everything within Wrecked captures my biggest fear each time my daughter leaves the house to go to college. The novel scared me, made me angry, and at the same time left me hopeful that teens will read it and realize they can change things. This novel, however, is for the young adult reader, so it will evoke similar, yet I'm sure different, emotions. Haley's geeky roommate has always been a little different, but since Jenny came home in the wee hours, she's never been the same. After hearing her roommate's been raped at a college party, Haley agrees to be Jenny's support person, even if her parents think Haley needs to back off and let someone else handle it. Richard knows his friend hooked up with a freshman during a party. When Jordan asks him to hide that he ever said that, Richard agrees to keep silent, but only if authorities don'

Setting: Georgia Genre: Women's Fiction Publisher: Lake Union Release Date: September 27, 2016 Shelby Preston is a single mom and currently living with her mother. She needs a change from the life she's always led in rural Georgia. This isn't the life she wants, so when she sees an ad looking to send one lucky person to culinary school, she jumps at the opportunity. Mallory Lakes is still mourning breaking up with her boyfriend. Her job as a food writer seems to be on tentative ground. She comes up with an idea that she hopes will boost her career. That's the main premise of The Promise Kitchen . Characters come to life on the pages, each having her own quirks, weaknesses, and strengths. The settings of Atlanta and rural Georgia also drew me in. Despite liking the characters and the setting, there's something about the writing style that just never grabbed me. I think it came down to some of the descriptions becoming too wordy. I wanted to experience t

Setting: California Genre: Women's Fiction Publisher: Lake Union Publishing Release Date: September 13, 2016 Amy O'Hara's built a career in find the very best coffee beans. Her latest trip is cut short when her boss calls her into the office. She's going to miss her flight, but she goes there and learns she's being laid off. Her days of tastings and negotiating deals with farmers are over. Instead, she's now the stay-at-home parent while her husband attempts to revitalize his career as a writer. Her kids are not thrilled with her rules, and area moms certainly don't warm up to her quickly. When a former ex offers to give her husband a chance writing scripts for a new television series, Amy's appreciative, but it looks like her ex has more in mind than simply hiring her husband. He seems to want Amy back in his life, even if they're both married with kids. I've loved many of the books coming from Lake Union Publishing. Life After Cof

Setting: Cornwall Genre: Mystery/Suspense Publisher: Thomas & Mercer Release Date: September 27, 2016 When she was just six years old, Eleanor witnessed her mother's murder. She's all grown up and back teaching in her hometown. On the anniversary of her mother'd murder, she takes a jog through the woods where her mother was killed. Her usual route's been shut, so she takes the path that leads right by the site where her mother died. To her shock, she finds the body of a woman with "3" written on her forehead. Police reach the scene after interviewing Eleanor. There's no body. They suspect Eleanor is imagining things. When Eleanor does find another body, this one with a number 2, it's clear that Eleanor's past is catching up with her. Girl Number One is pretty creepy. The pacing keeps you hooked, and the characters are likable. The killer's identity didn't stump me. The ending had a few holes that bugged me. If I could see th

Within a two-week span, Chronicle Books has a trio of delightful children's pictures books coming out. The first comes out today, September 20th, and is a whimsical story about Santa delivering presents, but he makes many mistakes along the way. Presents Through the Window: A Taro Gomi Christmas Book has "windows" that Santa peeks in to determine who lives in each house. To a child's delight, Santa is often wrong. See what happens as you work your way through this book that's geared for ages two to five. The Wish Tree  by Kyo Maclear and Chris Turnham comes out on September 27th and is a charming tale of a boy's quest to find a magic tree that will grant him wishes. This book is also for ages two to five. A young boy heads out to find a magic tree, despite his siblings' disbelief. Alone with his sled, the young boy finds far more than he ever expected. The final book in this trio is Claudia Rueda's Bunny Slopes , also for ages

Setting: Australia Genre: Mystery/Suspense Publisher: MIRA Release Date: September 20, 2016 Only Daughter is best described with one word: creepy. This novel had me completely hooked from the start. This is Anna Snoekstra's first novel , and she has a release due out in 2017 that looks just as suspenseful. I cannot wait! Eleven years ago, Rebecca Winter vanished. She was 16, and her body's never been found. Police never found any trace of her. It's 2014. A young woman with a strong resemblance to Rebecca is held for shoplifting. Not wanting to face the other crimes she's committed, the young woman claims to be Rebecca. Welcomed back into a warm, loving home. She seems happy to take on this new role. It isn't long, however, before she receives alarming messages warning her to leave now, while she can. Keeping up her ruse is hard enough, but Rebecca's fate has never been discovered. She may have put herself into danger by filling Rebecca's shoes.

Setting: Paradise, Massachusetts Genre: Crime Drama Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Release Date: September 13, 2016 It all starts with the murder of mobster Gino Fish. Peepers is back and he's looking to get even. With Gino Fish taken care of, Peepers is looking at Jesse Stone next. Jesse doesn't seem to be taking a hint though, which is not pleasing Peepers one little bit. Stone has his own issues. His romance with former FBI agent Diana Evans is picking up, and he's pretty happy about that. His ex-wife, Jenn, is set to marry down in Dallas and really wants him to attend her wedding. He's reluctant, however, and can't understand why she's so insistent. When it becomes clear that Peepers is back and planning his revenge, Stone decides he has no choice but to head to Dallas to keep Jenn safe. I've never really delved into the Jesse Stone series, so I admit I did feel lost. The story itself is whole, but I felt as though I'd missed a lot o

Genre: Travel Guide, Beer Guide Publisher: Abrams Release Date: September 20, 2016 Looking for a great gift idea for the beer enthusiast? Your search is over. Fifty Places to Drink Beer Before You Die is a bucket list for every beer enthusiast. The pictures, information, and manner in which this book is set up make it all what I consider one of the best beer-related travel guides I've ever seen, and I have seen a few. Each state is represented in Chris Santella's book. I haven't reached every state, but I've worked my way through much of New England, so I am basing my opinion on his suggestions versus my knowledge as a local. He does start his focus on Vermont beers with The Alchemist's Heady Topper. The Alchemist is once again open, now in Stowe. I haven't bothered going, but my brother did. After a two-hour wait in line, he was able to get Heady and Focal Banger (the far superior beer in my opinion), but The Alchemist's new DIPA was already gon

Setting: California Genre: Mystery/Suspense Publisher: Thomas & Mercer Release Date: September 20, 2016 If you haven't read the first book in the Faith McMann Trilogy titled Furious , stop reading this review. Spoilers do follow. ------------------ Faith McMann's husband died in a brutal attack. She's left with physical and mental scars. Plus, her children are still missing. She knows her 10-year-old daughter is in the hands of human traffickers, and she'll do everything in her power to stop them and get her daughter back. Her nine-year-old son's whereabouts are unknown to her. While Faith has returned a few girls to their families during a raid on a ranch house where many girls were held captive, her own daughter was whisked away moments before the raid. Only one woman knows where the girl is now, and she's not about to tell. Meanwhile, Faith's son managed to escape, but he's lost in the mountains. He's using every camping lesson

Setting: California Genre: Women's Fiction/Romantic Mystery Publisher; Lake Union Publishing Release Date: August 1, 2016 So far, I've loved just about every book to come from Lake Union Publishing. It's providing itself to be a force to be reckoned with in the world of fiction. Kerry Lonsdale's Everything We Keep is another gripping read. It's a touch romance, women's fiction, and mystery. Aimee Turner has it all. She's a chef, her parents own a restaurant, and she's about to marry the love of her life. That's not how the story goes, however. Instead, on the day she's meant to be marrying James Donato, she's instead attending his funeral. In a surprise, last-minute trip to Mexico, James falls into the water and drowns. It's just not that easy though. A mystery woman comes up to Aimee as she leaves the church and announces that James is alive. Hoping to move on with her life, Aimee finds herself questioning what she's b

Setting: California Genre: Mystery/Suspense Publisher: Thomas & Mercer Release Date: March 22, 2016 Her son's ninth birthday is a day away. Faith McCann, a fourth grade teacher, just needs a moment to herself. Her husband is home, but he failed to mow the lawn. Sending her kids inside ahead of her is one of the worst decisions Faith could make. Inside, three men hold her husband and children captive. Faith walks in and finds herself attacked while one of the men asks her, "Where is it?" Faith has no idea what he's talking about. Within a short time, the attackers slit her husband's throat and then try to kill her. Faith wakes up in the hospital. Her children are missing, her husband's dead, and she must summon the courage to go on. Days later, Faith is angry. No, she's Furious, hence the book's title. Police aren't putting everything she thinks they have into the investigation. The lead detective can't even get her daughter'

Genre: Young Adult/Teen Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Release Date: October 4, 2016 At 16, Caraway, she prefers Carrie, has seen far too much sadness. Her passion for astrophysics once ruled her life. After her older sister died, Carrie's spent a lot of time with her sisters friends, doing drugs and having sex with any guy who offers. She's on a destructive path with an absentee mother and a father whose disciplinary measures simply fuel her rage. Things begin to change when a mysterious neighbor moves in. Dean seems just as lost as she is. He may be the answers she's been seeking. Pair that with a wilderness-related job her father forces her to take, Carrie starts to question the path she's on and if she has the power to change things. I loved Lost Stars . This poor girl has been through a lot, so it's easy to sympathize with her anger, frustrations, and fears. The book does have realities today's teens - and teens of the 1980s when the book is set -

Setting: Long Beach, California Genre: Mystery Publisher: Thomas & Mercer Release Date: August 23, 2016 Detective Danny Beckett is finally seeing things go right. He and his partner, Detective Jennifer Tanaka, have successfully closed cases handed to them. He's also finding himself head over heels with his girlfriend, Julia. It's simply too good to be true. Danny's latest investigation isn't as cut and dry as one would hope. The suicide he and Jennifer investigate isn't a suicide at all. Shortly after questioning the victim's daughter, Danny learns someone planted a bomb and blew his car up. He's pushed to the sidelines until the Long Beach Police Department can solve the suicide case and figure out who is after Danny and why. This is my introduction to Danny, so I did feel as though I was jumping in a bit. His backstory definitely takes shape over the previous five novels, so I have some catching up. Given that, I still found myself engros

Genre: Adult Coloring Book Publisher: Lark Crafts Release Date: September 6, 2016 Coloring eases stress, as proven in a 2006 study of cancer patients given coloring books. I love coloring and know many other moms in my circles who agree. We loved getting down on the floor with our kids and spending hours coloring. In recent years, an explosion of adult coloring books hit the market. From books with patterns to those with animals, coloring books tap into all interests. Edgar Allan Poe: An Adult Coloring Book is a recent release that my daughter, a graphic design major, immediately called one of the best coloring books she's ever seen. Throughout the coloring book are intricate pictures to color and some of Poe's greatest works. Some of them were new to me, such as The Black Cat , while favorites like The Tell-Tale Heart and The Pit and the Pendulum made appearances. Edgar Allan Poe: An Adult Coloring Book is a must-have. You'll find dozens of images to colo

Setting: Detroit/Burtchville, MI Genre: Coming of Age Publisher: Lake Union Release Date: August 23, 2016 Told from the viewpoint of nine-year-old Jasper, The Buried Book is part coming of age and part mystery. It's a historic fiction novel for adults, but I'd say it's suitable for older teens. Jasper's awoken and urged by his mother to get ready. She quickly packs him up, takes off to her brother's farm in Burtchville, and then leaves him there saying she'll return when she can. Her urgency worries Jasper. When she doesn't return as quickly as he expected, he becomes very concerned. On his uncle's farm, Jasper is expected to help with the daily chores. He does what he's told, but he still wonders what happened to his mother. He's told to keep his nose out of it, but for Jasper that's impossible. When he stumbles upon his mother's diary, he finds himself questioning her disappearance even more. The Buried Book is long. It

Setting: Chicago Suburbs Genre: Women's Fiction Publisher: Lake Union Release Date: September 20, 2016 Leona Accorsi hasn't really gotten in far as life as she expected to be. At 39, she's a college dropout, returning to school to gain a nursing degree. She lives in her sister's basement and helps with her nieces and nephew. She's never really found Mr. Right. Everything goes haywire when a visit to the doctor informs her she's in the early stages of menopause. Leona still wants to have a child, and it's clear that time is running out. With this new knowledge, Leona decides it's time to tackle her future, and all she needs is a sperm donor. There are not many men in her life, but she has it narrowed to three options: a guy in her online class, the local homeless man who is tutoring her niece, or spend the money and by some sperm from a sperm bank. Armed with a DIY insemination kit, Leona sets off on a mission to become a mom. From the plot, y

Setting: Minnesota Genre: Women's Fiction/Romance Publisher: Lake Union Release Date: September 6, 2016 I have to say, the number of books issued by Lake Union Publishing that have delighted me has been pretty amazing. Finding Libbie is another winner from this division of Amazon's publishing services. While helping her grandmother organize for a move to a senior living community, Emily Prentice stumbles upon some pictures of her father with a mystery woman. She's stunned to learn her father was married to another woman, long before she was born. Emily sets out to learn everything. Jack Prentice fell in love with Libbie long before she even acknowledged him. As a car mechanic's apprentice, Jack's social status was clearly not acceptable enough for Libbie's wealthy family. Despite it all, the pair fell in love and married shortly after graduation. Before the newlyweds really have a chance to settle into their lives together, Libbie's personality

Two children's picture books come out today. The first is a charming wintry story and the other is a board book that offers a new spin on a classic tale. First Snow caught my eye thanks to the illustrations. Bomi Park's debut shares a tale of a young child who wakes up after hearing snow crystals hitting the window. The child heads off into the night to explore the wintry wonderland. The recommended age group for this one is two to five years. Cozy Classics' The Nutcracker is a board book for one to three year olds. Each left-side page has one word describing the scene. Both pages have vivid photographs that tell the story of The Nutcracker , a popular holiday movie and tale. Both of these books have great appeal with the eye-catching art found within. The board book is ideal for teaching a child to read, while First Snow is a little more challenging only because it has more words. They're often simple words, however, that are ideal for a child who is in

Setting: Texas Genres: Women's Fiction Publisher: Lake Union Publishing Release Date: September 6, 2016 It's seriously a parent's worst nightmare. Sandy Cline gets a call that her son and nephew have been in a car accident. It's a bad accident and things do not look good. Sandy and her husband arrive at the hospital to learn the both young men have serious head injuries, and Sandy's son is suspected of drunk driving. Sandy's sister is furious that her son is in critical condition all because of her nephew. This seems like enough to handle, but there are secrets about to come to light that may tear multiple families apart. The book is told from two points of view. There's Sandy, who is desperate to prove her son couldn't be the monster so many feel he is. There's also a mystery woman whose role is made clear a few chapters into the story. Her presence really starts kicking the novel into high gear. I read every page of Faultlines on the e

Setting: New York City and Ireland Genre: Women's Fiction Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Release Date: August 30, 2016 In Ashes of Fiery Weather , readers meet different women in the O'Reilly and Keegan family. The story begins in the early 1980s as Norah O'Reilly attends her husband, a firefighter's, funeral. While others give their condolences, Norah can't help but worry about her and her children's futures, especially the future of her unborn child. The story ranges from the early part of the 20th century all the way to present day. Also featured in Ashes of Fiery Weather is Delia, Norah's mother-in-law, who keeps her children close and hides her own secrets. Eileen, Norah's sister-in-law is the first female to make it onto the NYFD, and her experiences on 9/11 also play a part in this story. There's Norah's daughter, Maggie, and a mystery woman who has her own place in the story. These are just some of the characters, in orde