Waiting on Wednesday: Gray Mountain by John Grisham

{Releases 10.21.2014}

John Grisham has a new hero . . . and she’s full of surprises

The year is 2008 and Samantha Kofer’s career at a huge Wall Street law firm is on the fast track—until the recession hits and she gets downsized, furloughed, escorted out of the building. Samantha, though, is one of the “lucky” associates. She’s offered an opportunity to work at a legal aid clinic for one year without pay, after which there would be a slim chance that she’d get her old job back.

In a matter of days Samantha moves from Manhattan to Brady, Virginia, population 2,200, in the heart of Appalachia, a part of the world she has only read about. Mattie Wyatt, lifelong Brady resident and head of the town’s legal aid clinic, is there to teach her how to “help real people with real problems.” For the first time in her career, Samantha prepares a lawsuit, sees the inside of an actual courtroom, gets scolded by a judge, and receives threats from locals who aren’t so thrilled to have a big-city lawyer in town. And she learns that Brady, like most small towns, harbors some big secrets.

Her new job takes Samantha into the murky and dangerous world of coal mining, where laws are often broken, rules are ignored, regulations are flouted, communities are divided, and the land itself is under attack from Big Coal. Violence is always just around the corner, and within weeks Samantha finds herself engulfed in litigation that turns deadly.

Why I’m waiting:

You may know I grew up reading John Grisham.  I’m excited about getting back to my roots, to read something that hopefully will feel like coming home.  I also have Sycamore Row (released in 2013) in my queue.

What are you waiting on?

Review: The Future of Us by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler

The Future of Us
Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler
Publisher: Razorbill; First Edition edition
Publish Date: November 21, 2011
Source: Audible Goodreads | Amazon | Audible

It's 1996, and Josh and Emma have been neighbors their whole lives. They've been best friends almost as long - at least, up until last November, when Josh did something that changed everything. Things have been weird between them ever since, but when Josh's family gets a free AOL CD in the mail, his mom makes him bring it over so that Emma can install it on her new computer. When they sign on, they're automatically logged onto their Facebook pages. But Facebook hasn't been invented yet. And they're looking at themselves fifteen years in the future.

By refreshing their pages, they learn that making different decisions now will affect the outcome of their lives later. And as they grapple with the ups and downs of what their futures hold, they're forced to confront what they're doing right - and wrong - in the present.

Ok you guys…I’m a little late to the party on this one.  It’s been on my TBR forever, and I finally got it it the other day and listened during my commute.  I finished it.  And now I’ve mulled it over. 

I LOVED Thirteen Reasons Why, so when I heard about this one, I added it ASAP to my TBR.  However, I was a little bit letdown.  I don’t know exactly what I expected from TFoS, but I don’t think I got it. 

I did not like Emma for most of the book.  She’s bratty and annoying.  Josh seems very levelheaded and real about things, albeit a teenage boy.  Asher/Mackler wrote both characters very honestly and genuine, and I appreciated that.  But the story as a whole just lacked something.

I think that maybe there needed to be a prologue with a glimpse into the actual futures of Josh and Emma.

Excerpt and Giveaway: Charming by Krystal Wade

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They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and that's great . . . as long as you don't die.

Sixteen-year-old Haley Tremaine had it all: top-notch school, fantastic family, and a bright future, but all of that changed when an accident tore her family apart. Now, an alcoholic father, a bitter younger sister, and a cold headstone bearing her mother’s name are all she has left.

Chris Charming has it all: a powerful CEO for a father, a prestigious school, and a fortune at his fingertips, but none of that matters when he lands a reputation as a troublemaker. Struggling to follow in his father’s footsteps, he reaches out to the one person he believes truly sees him, the one person he wants: Haley.

Little do they know someone's determined to bring the two together, even if it means murder.

Available at: Smashwords - Barnes & Noble – Amazon – Goodreads

 

Excerpt: CHARMING by Krystal Wade

 

“Hey, kids.” Mrs. Charming stood by their feet, smiling down at them, still linked to her husband. “We should head out. Park closes at dark. Plus your dad and I have a movie to go see.”
 
Chris drove Haley back to his house; both sat quietly, leaning somewhat toward the center of the small Porsche. He pulled up next to Dad’s truck and sighed. “Thank you for being so good to them.”
 
“Chris—”
 
“No, I mean it.” Chris opened the truck door for her, then closed it as she slid onto the cold leather seat.
 
Haley rolled down the window and leaned on her elbow, so close to him, so freaking close. “They’re good people.”
 
And deserve better than me in their life.
 
“Most people treat them as if they’re just money bags from which to draw upon when they have a need.”
 
“I don’t need anything from them. I just want your family to be happy, you to be happy, Chris.”
 
“You’re different, Haley Tremaine.”
 
“So are you, Chris Charming.” Haley turned the key in the ignition, but the truck wouldn’t start. Cold, stabbing panic ripped apart her lungs.
 
“Guess I’ll need to walk.”
 
“You’re nuts if you think I’m letting you walk. Murderer on the loose, remember?” Laughing, Chris opened the door and took Haley by the hand, then guided her to the driver’s side of his car. “In fact, I’d really like you to drive.”
 
She smiled and snatched the keys. “Okay. Fine, but you better wear your seatbelt.”
 
He did, and she drove, and they laughed, winding down country roads, passing cars as though they sat still and Chris and Haley were in a speeding bullet. Haley downshifted and squealed the tires as she stopped in front of her house on Main Street. But when she glanced at the front of the house, her heart skidded to a halt.
 
Niles sat on her porch, bouquet of flowers in hand, scowling.
 

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Meet Krystal Wade, author of CHARMING

About Krystal Wade: Krystal Wade is happily married to the love of her life (don’t gag) and raising three beautiful children in the gorgeous state of Virginia. They live just outside Washington, D.C., and every day she wakes up to find herself stuck in traffic trying to get there. When she’s not working, commuting, or chasing after her three children (four if you count the man), you can usually find Krystal outside talking to her chickens like they’re the cutest things in the world (they are), or training her amazing dogs how to herd said chickens (which they love), or curled up on the sofa with a good book (why can’t that be 100% of the time?).
Website – Facebook – Twitter - Google+ – Goodreads – Instagram – Tumblr

Sounds good right?!?!
I hope you give Charming a try, I am about to start reading it myself.
Good luck in the giveaway:)

Review: Off You Go: A Novella by Boo Walker

Off You Go
Boo Walker
Print Length: 71 pages
Publisher: Sandy Run Press
Published: April 1, 2014
Source: Author
Goodreads – Amazon

In Charleston, SC, a young woman has jumped off the Cooper River Bridge. She left a suicide note in her abandoned car. There were witnesses. But her mother doesn’t buy it and hires Dewey Moses, the vegetable farmer and sometime private investigator to find out the truth. Dewey finds out quickly that sometimes it’s best to leave things alone.

Review

Y’all, I hate to do this, but I’ve got a couple complaints about this one.  Off You Go is too short!  And, because it’s so short, the story comes to an abrupt halt…and I still have questions!

I am absolutely in love with Dewey Moses!  He’s got a jaded past, but is working on getting his life back in order.  He’s broken, but being repaired.  There’s an honesty and realness that I like about him.  He’s a fine addition to Walker’s cast of leading men.  I like his getting-back-to-his-roots-and-nature lifestyle.  He’s laid back and easy to like.  If Dewey were an actual person, I think he’d be an excellent friend.

I do wish there was more to the story.  That’s a common problem I have with novellas—that they just don’t have enough time to really develop and flesh-out the characters and plot line.  I didn’t feel like I was able to invest in the story or that it’s completely resolved.  Yet in the time allowed, Walker creates a compelling story that will get you hooked immediately.  I didn’t want it to end!

I can only hope that Walker writes more books with Dewey Moses as the main character.  I’ve read everything Walker has written, and plan to read everything he writes in the future!

4 out of 5 (only because OYG ends too quickly!)

Waiting on Wednesday: Gideon by Alex Gordon

Publisher: Harper Voyager
Release Date: January 6, 2015
Goodreads – Amazon – B&N

Preston & Child meets Kim Harrison in this edge-of-your-seat debut thriller—a superb blend of mystery, urban fantasy, horror, romance, and the supernatural.

When Lauren’s father dies, she makes a shocking discovery. The man she knew as John Reardon was once a completely different person, with a different name. Now, she’s determined to find out who he really was, even though her only clues are an old photograph, some letters, and the name of a town—Gideon.

But someone—or something—doesn’t want her to discover the truth. A strange man is stalking her, appearing everywhere she turns, and those who try to help her end up dead. Neither a shadowy enemy nor her own fear are going to prevent her from solving the mystery of her father—and unlocking the secrets of her own life.

Making her way to Gideon, Lauren finds herself more confused than ever. Nothing in this small Midwestern town is what it seems, including time itself. Residents start going missing, and Lauren is threatened by almost every townsperson she encounters. Two hundred years ago, a witch was burned at the stake, but in Gideon, the past feels all too chillingly present.

Why I’m waiting

I wish so badly that this was coming out before Halloween! Doesn’t seem like the perfect read for this time of year? 

Is Gideon on your to read list?
Can’t wait to see what books you are wanting this week?