Isabella's Reading Corner: Remember Yesterday (Forget Tomorrow, #2)

Remember Yesterday (Forget Tomorrow #2) by Pintip Dunn

Published October 4th 2016 by Entangled: Teen

Remember Yesterday by Pintip Dunn is the sequel to Forget Tomorrow which I adored. I have been anxiously awaiting publication and I was certainly not disappointed. Remember Yesterday picks up ten years after Forget Tomorrow ends and builds on the events that happened in the first book. I really don’t want to give too much away! Pintip Dunn has created such an amazingly lush world with intensely strong characters. There is a genuine feeling of depth to the relationships and interactions. This is one of the many reasons why I loved Forget Tomorrow and Remember Yesterday even more. 

Jessa was such an integral part of Forget Tomorrow, but in Remember Yesterday she really shines as we get to know her. There is excitement and there are thrills, along with some unexpected surprises. If you read and enjoyed Forget Tomorrow, you will probably fall in love with Remember Yesterday, just as I did. If you’ve not read the books yet, get started! I highly recommend them.

From the publisher:

Sixteen-year-old Jessa Stone is the most valuable citizen in Eden City. Her psychic abilities could lead to significant scientific discoveries―if only she'd let TechRA study her. But after they kidnapped and experimented on her as a child, cooperating with the scientists is the last thing Jessa would do.

But when she discovers the past isn't what she assumed, Jessa must join forces with budding scientist Tanner Callahan to rectify a fatal mistake made ten years ago. She'll do anything to change the past and save her sister―even if it means aligning with the enemy she swore to defeat.

You can read my original Isabella's Reading Corner post on Remember Yesterday here.

Review: The Couple Next Door

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena

Published August 23rd 2016 by Pamela Dorman Books

Husband and wife, Marco & Anne, come home from a dinner party at their neighbour's to find their front door open and their baby daughter missing - so begins The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena.

From the opening pages the reader learns of the already strained relationship between Marco and Anne. As the investigation into the disappearance of their child progresses, more secrets are revealed about the parents and the people close to them. 

Lapena effortlessly conveys how suspicion almost immediately falls on the parents by the press and the detectives in charge of the case. The story had me quickly turning the pages to find out what had actually happened to the baby and whether one or both parents were involved. There were so many twists and turns my mind was spinning, but it was definitely an enjoyable ride.

From the publisher:

It all started at a dinner party. . . 

A domestic suspense debut about a young couple and their apparently friendly neighbors—a twisty, rollercoaster ride of lies, betrayal, and the secrets between husbands and wives. . . 

Anne and Marco Conti seem to have it all—a loving relationship, a wonderful home, and their beautiful baby, Cora. But one night when they are at a dinner party next door, a terrible crime is committed. Suspicion immediately focuses on the parents. But the truth is a much more complicated story.

Inside the curtained house, an unsettling account of what actually happened unfolds. Detective Rasbach knows that the panicked couple is hiding something. Both Anne and Marco  soon discover that the other is keeping secrets, secrets they've kept for years. 

What follows is the nerve-racking unraveling of a family—a chilling tale of  deception, duplicity, and unfaithfulness that will keep you breathless until the final shocking twist.

Review: Beautiful Maids All in a Row

Beautiful Maids All in a Row by Jennifer Harlow

Published October 11th 2016 by Alibi/Random House

Beautiful Maids All in a Row is the first in a series about ex-FBI agent Iris Ballard. After her husband is killed by a serial killer from a previous case, Iris relocates to a small town to teach forensic psychology. There is a new killer coined The Woodsman on the loose and Iris puts aside her reservations to help her former FBI partner and close friend Luke track him down.

Iris is a flawed, but not a fragile character. She loses her temper quickly and it's easy for her to head into an emotional downward spiral. Once she becomes involved in The Woodsman case she slowly pulls herself together to focus on bringing the killer to justice.

The pace moves quickly, there's no real opportunity to stop and think about what will happen next, which is something I really loved about the book. Luke and Iris are well rounded protagonists and it's easy to see how they are motivated and what drives them to solve the case over everything else happening in their lives. I would definitely recommend this title to my friends who enjoy suspense and crime thrillers.

From the publisher:

In this white-knuckle thriller for fans of Lisa Gardner and Karin Slaughter, a brilliant, troubled forensic psychologist finds herself matching wits with a frighteningly talented sociopath.

Dr. Iris Ballard’s glory days are behind her, so when Luke Hudson, her former FBI partner and onetime lover, asks for help constructing a psychological profile of an elusive serial killer who murders single mothers and dumps their bodies in the woods, Iris turns him away. She just wants to be left alone with her infomercials, her German Shepherd, and her vodka. That is, until she gets a peek at the case files.

The media has dubbed him “the Woodsman.” But after Iris learns the sickening details held back from the press, and as she sets foot onto the scene of his latest crime, she assembles a portrait of a more complicated, enigmatic, meticulous man. Control is his motivation. He thrives on it. Soon he even tries to manipulate the investigation by contacting Iris, hoping to rattle the woman he considers an intellectual equal.

The game is on. Iris thinks she has a read on her target, enough to push his buttons, to make him lose control. But when the Woodsman gains the upper hand, Iris faces the most painful reckoning of all—with her own violent past.

Remember Yesterday (Forget Tomorrow Book 2) Cover Revealed

How gorgeous is this cover for the upcoming Remember Yesterday by Pintip Dunn - the second book in the Forget Tomorrow Series?

Remember Yesterday will be published October 4th 2016 by Entangled: Teen and I can't wait to read it! Who's going to join me?

From the publisher:

Sixteen-year-old Jessa Stone is the most valuable citizen in Eden City. Her psychic abilities could lead to significant scientific discoveries―if only she'd let TechRA study her. But after they kidnapped and experimented on her as a child, cooperating with the scientists is the last thing Jessa would do.

But when she discovers the past isn't what she assumed, Jessa must join forces with budding scientist Tanner Callahan to rectify a fatal mistake made ten years ago. She'll do anything to change the past and save her sister―even if it means aligning with the enemy she swore to defeat.

Film Review - The Legend of Tarzan

The Legend of Tarzan - in theaters July 2016

I was really looking forward to seeing The Legend of Tarzan and it lived up to my expectations. It was enjoyable, full of non stop action, a great cast and lots of cute animals (even the crocodiles.) I loved the photography and the jungle scenes - beautifully shot. The CGI wasn't too obvious and didn't detract from the film, but enhanced it. This was a movie that could have gone very, very wrong, but luckily it didn't and I would recommend it if you like action and adventure and are already considering going to see it.

8/10

Anticipated Reads for June 2016

Anticipated Reads for June

Below are books published this month that I will be adding to my ever growing 2016 TBR list! Which new or upcoming titles are you most looking forward to this year?

With Malice by Eileen Cook

Published June 7th by HMH Books for Young Readers

For fans of We Were Liars and The Girl on the Train comes a chilling, addictive psychological thriller about a teenage girl who cannot remember the last six weeks of her life. 

Julia Vanishes (The Witch's Child) by Catherine Egan 

Published June 7th by Knopf Books for Young Readers

Fans of Marie Lu, Leigh Bardugo, and Kristin Cashore will be captivated by this stunning first book in a must-have new fantasy trilogy about a spy who can vanish at will and who discovers that monsters, mystery, and magic are also lurking—just out of sight.

Ivory and Bone by Julie Eshbaugh

Published June 7th by HarperTeen

Debut author Julie Eshbaugh’s sweeping prehistoric fantasy—with allusions to Pride and Prejudice—will enthrall readers with high-stakes survival, blinding betrayal, and star-crossed love.

How It Ends by Catherine Lo

Published June 7th by HMH Books for Young Readers 

Catherine Lo makes her debut with an honest, nuanced tale about the intricacies of female friendship.

American Girls by Alison Umminger

Published June 7th by Flatiron Books

Alison Umminger writes about girls, sex, violence, and which people society deems worthy of caring about, which ones it doesn't, in a way not often seen in YA fiction.

Tumbling by Caela Carter

Published June 7th by Viking Books for Young Readers

Work harder than anyone.
Be the most talented.
Sacrifice everything.
And if you’re lucky, maybe you will go to the Olympics.

How to Disappear by Ann Redisch Stampler

Published June 14th by Simon Pulse

This electric cross-country thriller follows the game of cat and mouse between a girl on the run from a murder she witnessed—or committed?—and the boy who’s sent to kill her.

Never Missing, Never Found by Amanda Panitch

Published June 28th by Random House Books for Young Readers

A juicy thriller about a girl who returned from the missing. . . . Hand to fans of We Were Liars, Bone Gap, and Vanishing Girls.

All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda
Published June 28th by Simon & Schuster

Like the spellbinding psychological suspense in The Girl on the Train and Luckiest Girl Alive, Megan Miranda’s novel is a nail-biting, breathtaking story about the disappearances of two young women—a decade apart—told in reverse.

Empire of Dust (Blood of Gods and Royals) by Eleanor Herman

Published June 28th by Harlequin Teen

New York Times bestselling author Eleanor Herman entwines the real scandals of history with epic fantasy to reimagine the world's most brilliant ruler, Alexander the Great, in the second book of the Blood of Gods and Royals series.

And I Darken by Kiersten White

Published June 28th by Delacorte Press

From New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White comes the first book in a dark, sweeping new series in which heads will roll, bodies will be impaled . . . and hearts will be broken.

Isabella's Reading Corner: The Girls

 

 

The Girls by Emma Cline

Published June 14th 2016 by Random House

 

 

The Girls is told from the point of view of a middle aged woman named Evie, with flashbacks from her life as a 14 year old girl and her indoctrination into a Manson Family-like cult after a chance encounter with one of it's members - Suzanne.

 

I've always been fascinated by the Manson Family, so I was intrigued to read The Girls. The murders depicted committed by the fictional cult bear many similarities to the Tate killings by members of The Family. Suzanne is reminiscent of Susan (Sadie) Atkins and it's difficult not to make comparisons to other Manson Family members as characters are introduced. Most of the girls in the fictional cult appear to be a composite of the real life Manson girls.

 

Evie's involvement with the cult is not the whole of the book - far from it. The Girls is essentially a coming of age story and one that is rich in detail. There is an ethereal, hazy quality to the book. You can almost feel the warm, lazy, floaty summer days of California in the 60's.

 

There is so much background to Evie's story. She's lonely and envious of the bonds people share, made evident when she sees Suzanne for the first time and her closeness with the other girls. When a distance develops between Evie and her best friend, it is clear that she will become involved with the cult, mostly due to her growing fixation with Suzanne. There is a sense of foreboding of what is to come and I wanted to know how far Evie would go.

 

The comparison to the real life murders and The Family is something that I initially found interesting in the novel, but yet in no way does this detract from the enjoyment of the story for those unfamiliar with them. If anything it is probably beneficial to have little to no knowledge of the real case, as I found myself constantly referring to what I knew about the actual story behind it. In some ways I would have preferred the author to have created her own cult/crimes, as opposed to relying so heavily on Manson's, as it removed some of the author's own creativity. However, saying this, I still felt this was an engrossing, haunting and timely novel that I would recommend.

 

 

From the publisher:
Girls—their vulnerability, strength, and passion to belong—are at the heart of this stunning first novel for readers of Jeffrey Eugenides’ The Virgin Suicides and Jennifer Egan’s A Visit from the Goon Squad.

Northern California, during the violent end of the 1960s. At the start of summer, a lonely and thoughtful teenager, Evie Boyd, sees a group of girls in the park, and is immediately caught by their freedom, their careless dress, their dangerous aura of abandon. Soon, Evie is in thrall to Suzanne, a mesmerizing older girl, and is drawn into the circle of a soon-to-be infamous cult and the man who is its charismatic leader. Hidden in the hills, their sprawling ranch is eerie and run down, but to Evie, it is exotic, thrilling, charged—a place where she feels desperate to be accepted. As she spends more time away from her mother and the rhythms of her daily life, and as her obsession with Suzanne intensifies, Evie does not realize she is coming closer and closer to unthinkable violence, and to that moment in a girl’s life when everything can go horribly wrong.

Emma Cline’s remarkable debut novel is gorgeously written and spellbinding, with razor-sharp precision and startling psychological insight. The Girls is a brilliant work of fiction—and an indelible portrait of girls, and of the women they become.

You can read my original Isabella's Reading Corner post on The Girls here.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ebook ARC to review