Wednesday, April 29, 2020

#MMBBR #Review #FirstLine --- Feels Like Falling by @kristywharvey is one of @ParadeMagazine, @_workingmother_ and @SheKnows' Most Anticipated Reads of 2020! Pick up a copy on your @Walmart or @Target run. Available NOW wherever books are sold! @GalleryBooks @simonschuster #tallpoppywriter #feelslikefalling #books

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Back Cover Copy:

A Spring 2020 Okra Pick
Parade’s 20 Most Anticipated Books of Early 2020
SheKnows’ 10 of the Most Anticipated Books Coming in 2020

Mary Kay Andrews’ Reading Challenge Women’s Fiction Pick
Working Mother’s 20 Most Anticipated Books of 2020 for Working Moms



From “the next major voice in Southern fiction” (Elin Hilderbrand) and the bestselling author of the Peachtree Bluff series comes an odd-couple tale of friendship that asks just how much our past choices define our happiness. 



It’s summertime on the North Carolina coast and the livin’ is easy.



Unless, that is, you’ve just lost your mother to cancer, your sister to her extremist husband, and your husband to his executive assistant. Meet Gray Howard. Right when Gray could use a serious infusion of good karma in her life, she inadvertently gets a stranger, Diana Harrington, fired from her job at the local pharmacy.



Diana Harrington’s summer isn’t off to the greatest start either: Hours before losing her job, she broke up with her boyfriend and moved out of their shared house with only a worn-out Impala for a bed. Lucky for her, Gray has an empty guest house and a very guilty conscience.



With Gray’s kindness, Diana’s tide begins to turn. But when her first love returns, every secret from her past seems to resurface all at once. And, as Gray begins to blaze a new trail, she discovers, with Diana’s help, that what she envisioned as her perfect life may not be what she wants at all.


In her warmest, wisest novel yet, Kristy Woodson Harvey delivers a discerning portrait of modern womanhood through two vastly different lenses. Feels Like Falling is a beach bag essential for Harvey fans—and for a new generation of readers.


Feels Like Falling

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
#FirstLine - I had always been a bad planner.

Kristy Woodson Harvey is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to Southern Fiction. She has managed to find her voice in that genre and she continues to knock it out of the park with each and every one of her new books. I loved Feels Like Falling, so much! It may be a new favorite of mine. This book was like taking a vacation you never want to come home from. I did not want this book to end, as I savored it cover to cover. It was a breath of fresh air during a time when it was needed more than ever before!

Kristy Woodson Harvey captures the charm of the South, the essence of life for her individual characters and creates a depth in characters that make her stories both memorable and meaningful to her readers. It is bringing together those elements in perfect unison that creates a page turning and an emotional read. This story causes you to search within your heart and to think about yourself as if you were one of the characters. You think about what you would do, how you would react and how you would proceed if you were in the story.

5 stars


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Advance Praise:
"Two women in turmoil, two lives at a crossroads. Only Kristy Woodson Harvey can make sense of the sometimes devastating, often-times delicious dilemmas faced by the protagonists of her newest perfect beach read FEELS LIKE FALLING. Readers will fall in love with entrepreneur Gray, whose husband’s betrayal leaves her feeling adrift and looking for something beyond career success, while plucky down-and-out Diana will win the hearts of those of us who always root for the underdog. Buckle up, buttercups, because FEELS LIKE FALLING feels like your next summer sizzler!" —Mary Kay Andrews, New York Times bestselling author of Sunset BeachThe High Tide Club, and The Weekenders

"Kristy Woodson Harvey has the voice of a best friend; a storyteller of the finest sort. Feels Like Falling takes us on a page-turning journey with two very different women who must somehow find their way together. Harvey asks the important question — how do we let go of the preconceived notions of our life ? And she answers that question with lyrical prose, an uncommon wisdom and a sharp wit. This is more than a novel about friendship, it is also a story for friendship: you will find yourself sharing it with everyone you love. Dive in; the storytelling is delicious!" —Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times Bestselling author of Becoming Mrs. Lewis  


“Harvey creates genuine, capable, flawed protagonists and fun secondary characters, and readers will appreciate the thoughtful depiction of women supporting one another in an easy, breezy story. Fans of Mary Kay Andrews and Mary Alice Monroe should add this to their beach read lists.” Booklist



“In pitch-perfect tones, Harvey creates two Southern women doing their best to deal with everything life throws at them, and her able plotting will keep readers turning the pages…Harvey’s optimistic tale just might convince readers that bouncing back can actually land a person in a better place than where they started.” Publishers Weekly



“A major new voice in southern fiction.” —Elin Hilderbrand, New York Times bestselling author



“[A] rising star of southern fiction.” —Mary Alice Monroe, New York Times bestselling author



“Kristy Woodson Harvey really knows how to tell a southern tale.” —Cathy Lamb, New York Times bestselling author



“One of the hottest new southern writers.” —Parade



“My prediction is that writers come and writers go, but Kristy Woodson Harvey is here to stay.”  The Huffington Post

Saturday, April 25, 2020

#MMBBR #Review #FirstLine #TheLastDay by @andrewhunterm via #partner @DuttonBooks and @NetGalley #NetGalley who provided a #free #reviewcopy

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A visionary and powerful debut thriller set in a terrifyingly plausible dystopian near-future--with clear parallels to today's headlines--in which the future of humanity lies in the hands of one woman, a scientist who has stumbled upon a secret that the government will go to any lengths to keep hidden 

THE WORLD HAS STOPPED TURNING. THE HUNT HAS JUST BEGUN.

It is 2059, and the world has crashed. Forty years ago, a solar catastrophe began to slow the planet's rotation to a stop. Now one half of the globe is permanently sunlit, the other half trapped in an endless night. The United States has colonized the southern half of Great Britain--lucky enough to find itself in the narrow habitable region left between frozen darkness and scorching sunlight--where both nations have managed to survive the ensuing chaos by isolating themselves from the rest of the world.

Ellen Hopper is a scientist living on a frostbitten rig in the cold Atlantic. She wants nothing more to do with her country after its slide into casual violence and brutal authoritarianism. Yet when two government officials arrive, demanding she return to London to see her dying college mentor, she accepts--and begins to unravel a secret that threatens not only the nation's fragile balance, but the future of the whole human race.
 



The Last Day
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

FirstLine ~ PROLOGUE - JUNE Two thirty a.m., and no signal yet.

This book was one of those books that causes you to think, really think about the things we tend not to think about day to day. I think this book really affected me because of the current state of the world. I thought what we were going though now was awful...but that is not the case when you compare it to the adventure of survival in The Last Day. I have always valued and marveled at sunsets and sunrises, but what if they were gone? In this environmental dystopia novel you will think about that and so much more! A book that will suck you in and not easily let you go. A must read for lovers of this genre.



Friday, April 24, 2020

#MMBBR #Review #FirstLine #VersionsOfHer by @AndreaLochen #RedAdeptPublishingLLC #BookConnectUs

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About the book:
On the surface, Melanie Kingstad-Keyes’s life is the picture of success. She’s a tenure track professor at a prestigious university and has a perfect husband. But a recent miscarriage has left her reeling and her marriage tenuous. Selling her family’s Lake Indigo summer home, which she hasn’t visited in fifteen years, feels like the perfect distraction from her problems. Now, she only needs to persuade her younger sister, Kelsey, to go along with her plan.

Stuck in a dead-end job, Kelsey Kingstad bounces from one doomed relationship to the next as she struggles to jumpstart her adult life. Carrying the guilt of her mother’s untimely death, Kelsey is reluctant to let go of the Victorian house filled with memories of her mom and their childhood.

When the sisters find a mysterious hidden door, Melanie and Kelsey discover that they can directly view their mother’s younger years and learn all the secrets she never shared with them. Delving into her memories is fun at first, but Melanie and Kelsey quickly uncover difficult truths, throwing their own life choices into question and making them wonder if they ever truly knew their mother. Visiting the past may help them find closure, but the cost could be steeper than they realize.


Versions of Her
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
FirstLine ~ Kelsey was running late, of course.

Such a powerful story about a mother and her daughters. A story that spans time and place, tugging at the heartstrings the entire time. Deeply written with multidimensional characters that are believable and those you can relate to. It was a powerful and thought provoking book that kept me buzzing through the pages! I loved it!


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Author Bio: Though Andrea Lochen had dreamed of being an author since the third grade, she didn’t realize creative writing was “an actual thing” until she stumbled upon the program at the University of Wisconsin as a college freshman.  After graduating from college, she earned her Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from the University of Michigan and later achieved her dream of becoming a published author.

Andrea is now the author of three novels: The Repeat YearImaginary Things, and Versions of Her.  She teaches creative writing at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee at Waukesha, encouraging young writers to learn the craft and pursue their own writing dreams.  She lives in Wisconsin with her husband, two small children, and their adorably fluffy dog, Maddy.  In her free time, she likes to bake cupcakes and cakes, see musicals and plays, and read as much as humanly possible.

Helpful Links:

Author website: HERE
Facebook: HERE
Twitter: HERE
Goodreads: HERE
BookBubHERE
Publisher: Red Adept Publishing,HERE
Release Date: July 23, 2019
Amazon: HERE


Thursday, April 23, 2020

#MMBBR #Review #FirstLine #ChildrensBook #PictureBook #BelovedandthePepperTree by #AnnGonzales illustrations by #ManuMontoya via #partner #OllieMedia @TriciaHedman who provided a #free #reviewcopy


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ABOUT THE BOOK: Beloved is best friends with the Pepper Tree who lives down the hill from her house. She loves the Pepper Tree because it gives her shade to read in and branches to climb. When Mama tells Beloved they are moving away, Beloved is heartbroken. But the Pepper Tree has one last gift: a gift to help Beloved cope when everything changes.



My rating: 5 of 5 stars

#FirstLine ~ Beloved was a little girl who lived in a house on the hill.

This book is adorable; both the story and the illustrations. I adored the sentiment of the love between the girl and her pepper tree. There was a realness of the innocence of childhood and the beauty of nature. It was a darling story to teach young kids to tend to nature and the abundance of the splendor that nature provides. I adored this book, cover to cover!



Wednesday, April 22, 2020

#MMBBR #Reviews / #SelfHelp #The5MinuteHappinessJournal by #LeslieMarchandLCSW / #Cookbook #KetoIntermittentFasting by #BrianStanton with #MichelleAnderson / #Inspiration #WonderfulYou by @carinrockind / via #partner #CallistoPublishersClub who provided #free #reviewcopies --- #QuarantineBetterment #BooksConnectUS


So how is Quarantine 2020 going for you? 

For us, here in Wisconsin, our Safer at Home Order has been extended to May 26th and my kids will not return to school this school year. These are strange and uncertain times for many of us. I never dreamed we would live through something like this! 

If I am looking on the bright side if things, I can look at the Safer at Home Order as a time to do things to improve myself. I have to admit something though, that is not always easy to do. I am still trying to adjust to working at home while trying to help my kids learn remotely, stressing that I am not doing enough. 

Below are some books that have TRULY helped me through these tough times. I love the journal because it does not take a lot of time to do something to make yourself feel a bit better. I love the cookbook because it has given me new and fun mealtime ideas, that EVERYONE likes! The inspirational book brings a smile to my face everyday when I take a few moments to page through it. I am certain these books will help you too. 

I have been reading a lot, so there will be many great titles being reviewed on the regular here on Mrs Mommy Booknerd's Book Reviews. Thanks for taking a few moments to look around!



A 5-minute journal for everyday happiness and gratitude
Experiencing happiness, or the ability to embrace joy and find meaning, may seem difficult with the stress of the daily grind―but all it takes is a little bit of practice and a commitment to make a habit of gratitude. Using mood-lifting prompts and practices, The 5-Minute Happiness Journal helps you build an enduring satisfaction in who you are.
Beautifully designed in an easy-to-navigate format, The 5-Minute Happiness Journal will help you explore what joy and fulfillment mean to you and how to achieve them. Learn how to embrace the highs and lows of the here and now and build a connection to the world around you. Plus, discover how to improve your happiness from the inside out, be grateful for what you have, and find inspiration in uplifting quotes.
The 5-Minute Happiness Journal includes:

  • All the feels―Thought-provoking prompts in this happiness journal will help you learn how to allow yourself to feel, heal, and deal on your journey toward joy.
  • Happy state of mind―Change your perspective with practices like the Memory Lane Meditation and Embracing Life Mindfulness Practice.
  • Words of wisdom―Find peace with the past, contentment in the present, and hope for the future with quick, motivational quotes in this happiness journal.

Let The 5-Minute Happiness Journal guide you on your journey toward a deeper sense of joy, meaning, and gratitude.

Keto Intermittent Fasting: 100 High-Fat Low-Carb Recipes and Fasting Guidelines to Supercharge Your Health by [Brian  Stanton]

Keto and intermittent fasting—a supercharged one-two punch for your health
Keto and intermittent fasting are two of the most popular nutritional programs around, and together, they form a powerful high-fat, low-carb, pound-shedding team. Both get you running on fat. Both get you making ketones. And when combined, they propel you into fat-burning mode faster than either alone.
Filled with 100 keto recipes like Chicken Avocado Omelet and Portobello Mushroom Margherita Pizza, Keto Intermittent Fasting includes delicious recipes tailored to a fasting lifestyle. You’ll see numerous health benefits including weight loss, stable energy, and improved gut health. Prepare your body and mind for the journey with tips for success and navigating the most common side effects, as you unleash your inner fat combustion engine.
Inside Keto Intermittent Fasting, you’ll find:

  • Start strong—Get a 7-day meal plan for each Keto intermittent fasting regimen, whether you are starting with a daily fast or weekly fast strategy.
  • Prepare your pantry—Discover a list of foods to love, to eat in moderation, and to eliminate.
  • Powerful knowledge—Dive into the science behind how keto and intermittent fasting work together.

If you have struggled with results in the past or are looking for a diet that works, consider Keto Intermittent Fasting. Calorie counting alone isn’t the key to weight loss—keeping blood sugar and insulin low is.


Reflect on your own awesomeness with 100 inspirational quotes
Sometimes we just need a quick reminder to pick us up, turn us around, and point out that we are valuable and capable beyond measure. Wonderful You! is full of inspirational quotes and fun facts to help you get through tough times or simply brighten up your days with a little positivity.
You’ll find 100 beautifully illustrated, inspirational quotes that help you appreciate the small stuff, recognize your self-worth, get through tough days, refresh your perspective on life, and just have fun. Draw inspiration from motivational figures like Maya Angelou, Roald Dahl, Mae West, Michael Jordan, and many more. Here’s your new happy place!
This book of inspirational quotes includes:
  • Stunning artwork―Every quote is uniquely and artfully illustrated to help add meaning to the words and give you an extra boost in your mood.
  • Quotes by category―Inspirational quotes are conveniently organized by five categories―including Little Things, Just for Fun, and Just One of Those Days―so you can quickly find the type of encouragement you need.
  • Fun facts galore―Discover intriguing facts about positive psychology, carefully curated by positive psychologist Carin Rockind.
Infuse a bit of levity and light into your day with Wonderful You!: 100 Inspirational Quotes for a Little Pop of Joy.

Friday, April 10, 2020

#MMBBR #Reviews #SelfHelp #EverydayLegacy by @codishewan #YouveGotThis by @margiewarrell #BeFreeBeYou by @MrsAcheaRedd #MindfulnessForTeens #Journal by @JennieMarie_MFT via #partner @SmithPublicity who provided #free #reviewcopies --- #QuarantineBetterment #BooksConnectUS



So, let's get real for a second. These are hard times and we are all trying to do our best while socially distancing and staying at home during this worldwide pandemic quarantine. But, it is hard. That is the simple truth of the matter. These are unknown times and we are working through each day as it comes. We can wallow in our own self pity or we can try to find ways to better ourselves. 

I have to admit, I have done some wallowing. It has been hard to work from home as an Executive Director of a volunteer organization that would normally be assisting local law enforcement while helping victims/survivors of crime and those in crisis, but we are now only assisting remotely. It is hard to not be out there. The volunteers are angels and they want to be helping, but our hands are tied. These are hard things to cope with.

I am also trying to help my kids with their remote learning. It is also a real and trying struggle. It is nothing like home schooling and balancing all the expectations can really wear a person out. Again, these are strange and hard times.

Then to add the cherry on the sundae...we are all dealing with the emotional losses of being not being able to go where we want when we want and not seeing all the people we love so dearly. 

So, what can we do to help us through this??? I have a simple answer...look to the books! Books are always there to take our minds off of the things that weigh heavy on our hearts. I have heard some people are struggling to maintain attention to reading, which I totally get. 

The books listed below can be read straight through or bits a time. The books below cover all the things we may be struggling with right now. You can learn to really trust who you are and what you can accomplish. These books can help you live a life of legacy while embracing everyday. The books can help you break away from preconceived notions and help you accomplish what is meant for you. The books can help your teen (or yourself) become more mindful and therefore making life more meaningful and fulfilling! 

I have enjoyed exploring bit and pieces of each of these amazing books and incorporating them into my life. I will be honest with you, some days are better than others and some days are really hard. I have had to set time aside time each day to put things into practice. I must make a concerted effort to create the life I want. These books have helped guide me through all my insecurities, setbacks and fears I have. I promise you, you will love them and learn about yourself along the way.

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What if you started acting the way you want to be remembered―right now―and shared your unique gifts with the world? In Everyday Legacy, Codi Shewan inspires readers to redefine how they live and embrace the idea of living―not leaving―a legacy. His message is simple, yet powerful: In each moment, you have the ability to change yourself and those around you, in profound ways.
This book is for anyone who wants to rethink their own legacy and start living it now. Everyday Legacy shares vital lessons for living, informed by Shewan’s experiences as a funeral director who developed a deep understanding of the reality of death. From tales of unexpected friendship as a young volunteer in palliative care to what he learned through his estranged father’s funeral, Everyday Legacy shows us what it means to be deeply human, undeniably mortal―and how to choose a life that matters.

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In today's culture of stress, competition, and perfect images, it's all too easy to hit rock bottom. Confronted by anxiety about our appearance, our performance, and ourselves, we can feel trapped, imprisoned by the person society expects us to be. The only way to escape that prison is to learn to love who we are--who we really are.
Be Free. Be You. is all about the journey to wholeness and happiness through loving and embracing the real you. With humor, empathy, and honesty, Achea Redd takes you through the ups and downs of her own life and uses her story to show you the path to self-love and authenticity. Let this book be your guide to finding happiness in the person you really are.


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Called a "high-five to the human spirit," You've Got This a handbook for learning to thrive in today’s pressure laden and uncertain world. A personal masterclass in unleashing true potential and conquering the fears that keep us from thriving, written with heart and humor but grounded in research, the 12 principles in this book will liberate you to pursue what lights you up and persevere amid the challenges that might otherwise pull you down. 

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Mindfulness for Teens in 10 Minutes a Day shows you how to take control of stress and become the boss of your feelings―and boost your focus while you’re at it. Start feeling better with mindfulness, the practice of being fully present and cultivating calm, one moment at a time. Including 60 practical guided mindfulnessexercises with names like “Show Me The Love” and “Procrastination Pit”, teens will learn how to bring focus and joy back to their day, and equip them with stress combatting tools they’ll carry well beyond their teen years. Battistin also released an accompanying journalThe Mindfulness Journal for Teens: Prompts and Practices to Help You Stay Cool, Calm and Present.

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#MMBBR #Review #FirstLine #WhatILikeAboutMe by @JennaGuillaume via #partner @mediamastersbks who provided a #free #reviewcopy #BooksConnectUs


"Heartfelt and unexpectedly deep under its sparkling exterior, this novel features an authentic teen voice, a diverse cast of genuinely likeable characters...and a charming protagonist." —Readings

What I Like About Me by Jenna Guillaume (Peachtree Publishing; April 2020; ISBN: 978-1-68263-160-7; Hardcover $17.99; Ages 12+), hailed as “funny and heartfelt” by Melina Marchetta (author of On the Jellicoe Road).

From a former journalist covering pop culture, identity, feminism, body image and more, comes a humorous, romantic novel all about embracing your body and celebrating yourself.

The last thing 16-year-old Maisie thought she’d be doing over vacation is entering a local beauty pageant. Not when she’s spent most of her life hiding her body from everyone and masking her insecurities with self-deprecating humor. Not when her Dad is AWOL and her gorgeous older sister has returned to rock Maisie's already shaky confidence. And especially not when her best friend starts flirting with the boy she's always loved. But Maisie’s got something to prove.

As she writes down all the ways this vacation is going from bad to worse in her school-assignment journal, what starts as a homework torture-device might just end up being an account of how Maisie isn’t letting anything, or anyone, hold her back.

Jenna Guillaume’s American debut, What I Like About Me, features a relatable plus-size protagonist with a compelling, funny, and authentic narrative voice, and portrays a variety of complex, empathetic characters and relationships. Universal themes of friendship, bravery, and self-love will draw readers in as Maisie’s realistic emotional journey unveils the importance of embracing one’s body and finding the confidence to step into the spotlight and love one’s whole self.



My rating: 5 of 5 stars

#FirstLine ~ 3 things I discovered today:

I adored this book so much. I loved the characters and the rich dialogue, as well as the abundance of lessons about becoming who you were meant to be on your own terms. It is one of those books that grabs you by the heart and it doesn't let go. You cannot help but root for the characters. I highly recommend this book to those who want to be pulled into a delightful, funny and deeply moving book!




Jenna GuillaumeAbout the AuthorJenna Guillaume was the editor-at-large for BuzzFeed Australia, where she wrote about pop culture, identity, feminism, social media, and, most importantly, Chris Hemsworth’s biceps. Previously, she worked in the features department of Girlfriend magazine in Australia, writing about everything from bullying and body image to bad kisses and boy bands. She also contributed to Girlfriend Life Hacks, an essential guide to navigating a girl’s completely-awkward-but-totally-awesome teen years. Guillaume lives in Australia. Visit her website at www.jennaguillaume.com.
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