Q is for Quindlen...Anna Quindlen

by Susan Roberts

Anna Quindlen is a novelist and journalist whose work has appeared on fiction, nonfiction, and self-help bestseller lists. She is the author of eight novels: OBJECT LESSONS, ONE TRUE THING, BLACK AND BLUE, BLESSINGS, RISE AND SHINE, EVERY LAST ONE, STILL LIFE WITH BREAD CRUMBS, and MILLER'S VALLEY. Her memoir LOTS OF CANDLES, PLENTY OF CAKE, published in 2012, was a number one New York Times bestseller. Her book A SHORT GUIDE TO A HAPPY LIFE has sold more than a million copies. While a columnist at The New York Times she won the Pulitzer Prize and published two collections, LIVING OUT LOUD and THINKING OUT LOUD. Her Newsweek columns were collected in LOUD AND CLEAR.

Have you ever read any Anna Quindlen books or seen one of the movies made from her books?  My favorite of her books was Still Life with Bread Crumbs (see review below) and my favorite movie was ONE TRUE THING (1998) starring Meryl Streep and Renee Zellweger.  If you have a favorite, please share in the comments below.

Amazon affiliate links are used in this post.

October 2014; Random House; 978-0812976892
ebook, audio, print (288 pages); women's fiction 

Still Life with Bread Crumbs 

Still Life with Bread Crumbs begins with an imagined gunshot and ends with a new tin roof. Between the two is a wry and knowing portrait of Rebecca Winter, a photographer whose work made her an unlikely heroine for many women. Her career is now descendent, her bank balance shaky, and she has fled the city for the middle of nowhere. There she discovers, in a tree stand with a roofer named Jim Bates, that what she sees through a camera lens is not all there is to life.

MY REVIEW:  It isn't often that you get to read a novel with a main character in their 60s. Younger people always think that they will have life figured out by the time they reach their 60s. This novel shows that women at that age are still struggling to be what and who they want to be.

It was a refreshing and fun read. There are quirky characters but the main character, learning to live her life is the best. This was a great, easy, fun book to read. Its very different from her other novels but its another winner for Anna Quindlen!

Buy Still Life with Bread Crumbs at Amazon

April 2016; Random House; 978-0812996081
ebook, audio, print (272 pages); women's fiction

Miller's Valley

For generations the Millers have lived in Miller’s Valley. Mimi Miller tells about her life with intimacy and honesty. As Mimi eavesdrops on her parents and quietly observes the people around her, she discovers more and more about the toxicity of family secrets, the dangers of gossip, the flaws of marriage, the inequalities of friendship and the risks of passion, loyalty, and love. Home, as Mimi begins to realize, can be “a place where it’s just as easy to feel lost as it is to feel content.”

Miller’s Valley is a masterly study of family, memory, loss, and, ultimately, discovery, of finding true identity and a new vision of home. As Mimi says, “No one ever leaves the town where they grew up, even if they go.” Miller’s Valley reminds us that the place where you grew up can disappear, and the people in it too, but all will live on in your heart forever.

MY REVIEW:  I have read all of Anna Quindlen's books and every time I read one, I say that its the best one yet. I think that this time....this book is the best one yet FOR SURE. From the first page, I was caught up in the coming of age story of Mimi. She lives on a farm in Miller's Valley with her two older brothers and parents. From the very first, we learn that the government plans to flood the valley for a recreation area and that plays a huge part in the story but the story is so much more than that. Its all about family dynamics - a brother in Vietnam, Mimi's first love, her plans for college, her friends and so much more. I loved the story but more than that I loved the main characters - they felt like people that I know in my day to day life - especially Mimi and her mother. During the book, I laughed with them and cried with them and now that the book is over, I miss them. This is a fantastic book - one that I won't soon forget.

Buy Miller's Valley at Amazon


Movie Trailer for One True Thing:

Susan Roberts lives in North Carolina when she isn't traveling.  She and her husband enjoy traveling, gardening and spending time with their grandson.  Susan reads almost anything (and the piles of books in her house prove that) but her favorite genres are Southern fiction, women's fiction and thrillers. Susan is a top 1% Goodreads Reviewer. You can connect with Susan on Facebook.

Get even more book news in your inbox by signing up for our newsletter: http://eepurl.com/mHTVL. Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.

Photos: Post, Prompts, and Challenges

by Donna Huber

Pictures can say a thousand words and it can be more eye-catching than a screen of words. Using photos and other images is important to blogging. It can also be fun to find the perfect picture that conveys your post's meaning.

Post Photos

It is imperative that we use images responsibly. Like any other created work (also known as intellectual property) photos, drawings, digital images, etc are protected by copyright law. That pretty photo or fun clipart belongs to someone. And unless you created it, that image you want to use may not be free to use. Just because it came up on Google images, it doesn't mean you are free to use it.

There is a clause in the copyright law that allows for "fair use", but there are stipulations to what can be used. If you are doing a review of a book, movie, or album then you can use the cover because it provides a visual reference to what you are discussing.

Beyond fair use the easiest way to use images freely is to use ones that are in the public domain or have a creative commons license that the owner specifies how their images can be used. There are a few different creative commons licenses so be sure you understand the agreement before you use the image. I use images that have a CC0 license because I can use it for personal or commercial projects, I can modify the image, and I don't have to provide attribution (though it is still nice to do so).

Where do you find these free stock images? I mostly use a site called LibreStock which searches a number of sites with free stock images. But in truth, most of my images come from Pixabay. Wikimedia Commons is another good source for public domain images. Be sure to read the details with the image as there may be requirements such as linking to a specific site.

A word of caution: Protect yourself when even when using an image from a free stock site. I have read about 2 instances where the blogger claimed to get an image from a free stock site with a free to use license (public domain or creative commons), but then was sued for copyright infringement. They had no record of where they got the image or proof that it was listed under a creative commons license.

Whether is a person taking an image that isn't free, claiming it is theirs and then publishing it on a free stock site under a CC license or the person who owns the photo posting it under CC and then pulling it, it is your responsibility to protect yourself. To do that it is recommended that you take a screenshot that shows the website and license. With this 'proof' you may be able to show that you, in good faith, used the image as the license allowed and that the offending party (the person who uploaded the image or perhaps the website) are responsible. **I'm not a lawyer so it would be best to get the advice of a lawyer if you are concerned about the images you use and your liability.**

According to CreativeCommons.org, CC licenses are irrevocable. If you use an image that is under the license and later the owner of the image decides to stop distributing the image under the CC license, you can continue to use the image. Again, this is why it is important to take a screenshot to show that when you got the image it was under the license.

Of course, using your own images can eliminate this headache. You can dress up your photos with online programs like Picmonkey. So simple staging can also yield a nice picture. I used a pillowcase for the background and some glass rocks for a bit of sparkle.

Photo Prompts

Another great thing about photos is using them for inspiration. A number of sites, mostly geared towards fiction writers, have weekly photo prompts. Have you used a photo prompt for inspiration?

I have thought about doing a photo prompt that would be open to any bloggers. Would you be interested?

Here's the deal. There would be a photo with a link up and then you could write a short post on whatever would fit your site and the photo. For me, the image might remind me of a favorite book and I would write about it. A fiction writer might create a short story, a mommy blogger might share a family memory the image invoked. After doing your post, you would add it to the linky. Everyone participating would be encouraged to visit the other blogs.


Photo Challenges

Since today is the Letter P in the A to Z Challenge I tried really hard to come up with all P words (plus I like alliteration), but I couldn't find anything to substitute for challenges.

Photo challenges can be a fun way to create your own database of photos to use on your blog. I've done the Photo A Day challenge a few times. In this challenge, you are given a word for each day of the month and then you find something to take a picture of that day. Sometimes they are easy, like the flowers, or they can be difficult, like cascade.

I have thought about doing a bookish Photo A Day challenge. Anyone interested?

The challenge really got me thinking creatively. Both to take a great photo, but also to creatively think about the challenge that day.


Post your photos!

Having great photos is just the first step. Even if they don't go into a blog post, sharing them on your social media sites is a great way to encourage engagement. Instagram is all about the picture. But Facebook and even Twitter are becoming more image-centric. On Facebook, if I ask the question "what you are reading? and then upload a cute picture to go with it, I get much more interaction than if I just posed the question alone (plus Facebook shows it to more people).

You don't have to have a fancy camera or much photography knowledge to take a great photo, so don't be afraid to snap a few dozen each day.

How do you use photos in your blogging?

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.

Get even more book news in your inbox by signing up for our newsletter: http://eepurl.com/mHTVL. Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.

Outstanding Suspense Novel: Duplicity by Jane Haseldine

by Susan Roberts

Today I am going to review an outstanding suspense novel.  It's book 2 in the Julia Gooden series but can be read without reading the first book.  Do you enjoy reading suspense novels or watching suspenseful TV shows that keep you guessing until the end?  What are some of your favorite suspense novels and/or TV shows?

Amazon affiliate links are used in this post. A free book was provided for an honest review.

March 2017; Kensington Publishing; 9781496704078
ebook, audio, print (352 pages); suspense
a free book was provided for this review

This is the first book that I've read by Jane Haseldine. Even though you can read Duplicity as a stand alone, I enjoyed it so much that I want to go back and read book 1 and am already anxious for the next book in the series.

Julia Gooden is a reporter for one of the major newspapers in Detroit. She covers some of the worst stories in the city and lives in the suburbs with her two young sons. She still struggles with the memory of her brother who disappeared when he was eight years old and tries to overprotect her children because of that memory. She and her husband, David, are trying to reconcile their marriage despite the stress of him starting a big trial as lead attorney to try to convict Nick Rossi for a number of crimes. A bomb at the courthouse that critically wounds David, throws their lives and the criminal trial into chaos.

This is a wonderful page turner. On a personal note, I loved it because I grew up in the Detroit area and recognized many of the places that the author wrote about in the book. From a reader's perspective, once I started this book, I couldn't put it down until I was finished. Just when I thought that everything was solved, there were more revelations still to come. This was a great story and I am anxious to see where the author takes Julia (and her readers) in her next book

Buy Duplicity at Amazon 
Also available at Kensington Publishing and Barnes & Noble

Jane Haseldine writes the Julia Gooden mystery series for Kensington Publishing, including The Last Time She Saw Him (July 2016) and Duplicity, which will be published in April 2017. Jane is a journalist, former crime reporter and deputy director of communications for a governor. She lives in Southern California with her husband and two sons.


Author Links: janehaseldine.com, Twitter, Goodreads, and Facebook.

Susan Roberts lives in North Carolina when she isn't traveling. She and her husband enjoy traveling, gardening and spending time with their grandson. Susan reads almost anything (and the piles of books in her house prove that) but her favorite genres are Southern fiction, women's fiction, and thrillers. Susan is a top 1% Goodreads Reviewer. You can connect with Susan on Facebook.

Get even more book news in your inbox by signing up for our newsletter: http://eepurl.com/mHTVL. Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.

Nonfiction Review: Neurodiversity by Barb Rentenbach and Lois Prislovsky

by MK French

Amazon affiliate links are used in this post. A free book was provided for an honest review

May 2016; 978-0988344914; ebook & print (246 pages)
nonfiction; health

Barb Rentenbach is a woman with autism spectrum disorder that renders her mute, and she communicates by typing. Lois Prislovsky is her therapist, and also has ADHD. The two have collaborated on a number of projects, including a podcast where Barb's typed sections are read by her psychiatrist. The two alternate chapters in this book, discussing aspects of their personal lives and then giving practical advice on how to deal with similar situations. Their focus is on celebrating and respecting all people, regardless of how their brains function.


There is a lot of humor in this book, and the chapters are short and easy to read. It can sometimes feel disjointed, as the brevity of the chapters means that sometimes a topic first mentioned in one chapter isn't dealt with until later ones. The humor helps, as they are addressing concerns that many people have, even if they don't have the specific label.

Someone doesn't have to be autistic or have been diagnosed with ADHD or anxiety in order to appreciate this book. There are excerpts of therapy sessions as well, so people that might find the idea of seeing a therapist intimidating can see that it really is a conversation about how to be the best person that you can be. This is a very approachable and easy to read book, and helps bring humanity back to the labels that people carry.

Buy Neurodiversity at Amazon

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and golden retriever.

Get even more book news in your inbox by signing up for our newsletter: http://eepurl.com/mHTVL. Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.

Two Books About Two Different Kinds of Wars

by Susan Roberts

We've all heard the saying that 'war is hell' and I have reviews of two war books today, each from a totally different perspective.  We were the Lucky Ones is a novel about a Polish family during WWII.  The Weight of this World is about PTSD suffered by a soldier who fought in Afghanistan.  Both books show not only the horror of war but also the struggle by people who are trying to go back to their normal lives after suffering the trauma of war.

Amazon affiliate links are used in this post. Free books were provided for honest reviews.

February 2017; Viking; 9780399563089
ebook, audio, print (412 pages); historical fiction
a free ARC was provided by Netgalley

We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter

This is a wonderful historical fiction novel based on the true story of the author's family. As with all books about the Holocaust, it's difficult to read in parts but these are facts in our history that we don't want to forget if we don't want them to happen again.

It's the story of the Kurc family, parents and five children who are Polish Jews and the story begins in the late 1930s. The Nazis are gaining power but the family continues to feel safe because they are prestigious members in their community. As the Nazis continue to take over Poland with their goal being to wipe out the Jewish community in the country, the family travel to different places in Europe. For the duration of the war, most of them have no communication with each other and no idea if any of the family is still alive. It's a well-told story and follows each member of the family as they struggle to survive the horrendous conditions that were going on during these years.

I strongly recommend this book. It's a story about WWII but more importantly, it's the story of a family's love for each other and their ability to survive the worst conditions imaginable through their love and strength.

Buy We Were the Lucky Ones at Amazon

March 2017; G.P. Putnam's Sons; 9780399173110
ebook, audio, print (270 pages); crime fiction
a free book was won through Goodreads.com

The Weight of This World by David Joy

A combat veteran returned from the war, Thad Broom can't leave the hardened world of Afghanistan behind, nor can he forgive himself for what he saw there. His mother, April, is haunted by her own demons, a secret trauma she has carried for years. Between them is Aiden McCall, loyal to both but unable to hold them together. Connected by bonds of circumstance and duty, friendship, and love, these three lives are blown apart when Aiden and Thad witness the accidental death of their drug dealer and a riot of dope and cash drops in their laps. On a meth-fueled journey to nowhere, they will either find the grit to overcome the darkness or be consumed by it.

This was a beautifully written but hard-to-read novel. It's very dark and pretty depressing but gives a fair portrayal of life with PTSD. It's the story of love and friendship despite the life that these characters are living.

Buy The Weight of This World at Amazon

Susan Roberts lives in North Carolina when she isn't traveling.  She and her husband enjoy traveling, gardening and spending time with their grandson. Susan reads almost anything (and the piles of books in her house prove that) but her favorite genres are Southern fiction, women's fiction and thrillers. Susan is a top 1% Goodreads Reviewer. You can connect with Susan on Facebook.

Get even more book news in your inbox by signing up for our newsletter: http://eepurl.com/mHTVL. Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.

Maria Murnane: How one particular friendship helped Bridges come to life!

Amazon affiliate links are used in this post.

Bridges is a story about how friendship can overcome differences such as geography, age, income, even marital status. In my own life, friendship helped me overcome the fear that my success as an author had come to an end. I make a living off my novels, so after I finished Wait for the Rain, which I absolutely loved writing, I put a lot of pressure on myself to begin another book right away. That proved to be a terrible decision because I didn’t have a good idea for an interesting plot. As a result, I ended up spending more than a year working on––forcing, actually––a lackluster story that was going nowhere. In the process, I not only lost my joy for writing but my confidence. When I finally decided to pull the plug on the book, I honestly didn’t know if I had it in me to write another one.

Fast-forward a few months, and during a visit to see my parents back to California I met up with my dear friend Annie Flaig, who may be the most kind-hearted person I have ever met. A devoted fan of my books—as well as the inspiration for the globe-trotting, ultra successful saleswoman Skylar character in both Wait for the Rain and Bridges—Annie convinced me to get back on the horse, and over dinner, we put our heads together and came up with the idea for Bridges. It was a bare bones outline, but it got me motivated to try again.

As soon I returned to Brooklyn, I sat down and started writing. For months I wrote and wrote, and when I finished the first draft I emailed it to Annie to see what she thought.

The very next day I got this email from her:

OMG!!!  Maria…it is 554am here in the Canary Islands and I stayed up all night reading your book!!!  I was going to just start it by reading a couple of chapters and fall asleep (on my iPhone…not even my iPad) and ended up reading the entire thing on my phone!  I was pretty much crying or had tears in my eyes the whole book (in a good way!) so I had to expand the text on my phone a bunch of times to read through the water works!

I absolutely LOVE it!  You are an amazing writer (as I already knew) but I agree with you that this one is very special.  You really got to the bottom of these characters and I am with you…I want to be friends with them too!

My book made Annie cry, and Annie’s reaction to it made me cry. How wonderful is that? I never would have been able to write Bridges without her help and support, and I can only hope those who read it enjoy it a fraction as much as she did. Here’s to the power of female friendship!

Buy Bridges at Amazon

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Maria Murnane spent several years working in high-tech PR before deciding she needed a change. She quit her job and went to Argentina by herself for what was supposed to be a two-week trip before figuring out what to do next. Instead, she ended up staying for a year to play semi-professional soccer, and while down there she also decided to write a humorous novel called Perfect on Paper based on her experiences as a single woman in San Francisco. Fast forward a few years, and she’s now the best-selling author of the Waverly Bryson series (Perfect on Paper, It's a Waverly Life, Honey on Your Mind, Chocolate for Two), as well as Cassidy Lane, Katwalk, Wait for the Rain, and Bridges.

Visit Maria on Facebook, Twitter, and website. 


Get even more book news in your inbox by signing up for our newsletter: http://eepurl.com/mHTVL. Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.