The Adults By Caroline Hulse - Reshelved Books

Hello Dewey Readers!

It's time for another Holiday novel review!  The Adults by Caroline Hulse was in my TBR pile for quite a while when I received it as an ARC from Baker and Taylor over the summer and let me tell you this book is FABULOUS!!!

This novel is about four adults: Matt and Claire who are divorced, and Alex and Patrick the respective new girlfriend / boyfriend.   The  two new couples decide to go on a holiday together along with Matt and Calire's young daughter Scarlett and her imaginary friend who is a really tall rabbit named Posey.  Posey wears silver shoes.  With a setup like that, nothing can go wrong, right?  Well... the novel opens with a 911 call (999 because it's England) because someone has been shot with an archery arrow.  

This novel is an absolutely wonderful and captivating read.  It's also extremely funny, which I think is partially because some of the ridiculous moments in the novel could probably happen is real life... or at least the sitcom version of our lives.

While this novel takes place over the Christmas period, it's not primarily a Christmas novel, which is another thing that I love about it.  Quite frankly, I'm sick of reading the sappy, neat, and tidy holiday novels. This was just the book that I needed to read right now.

So Dewey Reader's I leave you with a rating of 5 out of 5 Coffee Beans.

Until the next read!
~Jessica   

Remembrance by Mary Monroe - Reshelved Books

Hello Dewey Readers!

Keeping up with December's bookish theme, tonight's review is Mary Monroe's novel Remembrance, which is also a novel that I remember scoring as an ARC with Jillian at this year's Book Con. 

This novel follows the story of Beatrice who was a victim in a hit and run attack while she was jogging in her twenties.  It was bad. She almost died.  BUT death did not come on that terrible day.  Beatrice moves on with her life, marries a decent and wealthy man, and keeps herself busy.  But keeping busy isn't necessarily a good thing, especially when she uses being busy to curb the crippling anxiety caused by the hit and run attack.

I think that we can all sort of relate to Beatrice and her need to stay busy.  When you're busy it's hard to find time to think, and when you can't think your anxiety can't consume you... or at least it pauses for a little bit.  Beatrice's husband fears that she is spreading herself too thin and should probably talk to someone.  Beatrice thinks HE needs to talk to someone.

Beatrice volunteers her time at the local soup kitchen, where she meets a man named Charles.  Charles has become homeless after a series of terrible losses and betrayals in his family.  They develop a friendship that helps to teach Beatrice about all that she has to be grateful for in her life.  

I thought this book was written sort of simplistically, but I think that's what one expects when picking up a "holiday" read.  Did I love it? Not really.  Did I hate it? Nope.  So Dewey Readers, I leave you with a rating of 3 out of 5 Coffee Beans. 

Happy Reading!
~Jessica