I don't usually read political thrillers but I actually enjoyed the plot of this one. The threat was real and terrifying, there was a time urgency to solve the mystery, and a good pace to the plot of the book. The writing was solid and the characters had their own voices for the most part (written in first person). What I really disliked about the book was the heavy-handed morality. While the antagonist mercenary assassin is demonstrated as having a painful past that explains their current actions, the president is portrayed as almost completely innocent with his only motivation outside of his daughter's life being the welfare of the country and American people. When the book begins, the president is in the beginning of bogus impeachment proceedings (a bit on point for a book by former president Bill Clinton, I think). Other similarities to our former president include having one daughter and ultimately being confronted by someone who resents him for being elected because he was a male. The protagonist character is very flat until the last few pages, when his intelligence and cleverness finally surface. It would have been so much more interesting if he had been written with some personal ambitions and cleverness throughout the book!

Wow! This was a one of a kind "reading" experience! I 100% recommend the audio version of this book. From the snippets of Alicia singing and playing the piano to the short poignant guest speakers at the beginning of a few chapters made the audio version stand out fantastically. Learning about how Alicia came to be in her current stage in life, the way she supports women in all the ways she can, and how she has kept her marriage and family at the forefront of her life (ahead of her career) was amazing to read about. Now, I do not care for books that go into one's political views, and she does quite a bit of that in her book (whether I agree or disagree with political views, I do not look to celebrities to influence me, I will do my own research and come to my own opinions). Though, I can't discount the fact that listening to her tell her life's truth and showcase her artistry made me look past those political moments.

I love to read memoirs of comedians. Tina Fey did not disappoint, though be ready for her comedic styling throughout the book. It seems almost like she is moving from topic to topic like someone seeing a squirrel run past. Though with her snippets/chapters being short it worked for me, as it did not seem like topics were droning on for too long. Knowing more about her behind the scenes struggle to be picked for scenes because of her look not being so easily manipulated, was interesting to say the least. She's right, we imagine she was in more scenes (probably because I loved her characters) than she really was. Her stories of Monica Lewinksy and Sarah Palin were funny to hear about! Ultimately a nice change to the novels I've been reading.

The Missing Princess of Celestia is a great coming-of-age YA fantasy book filled with adventure, love, sacrifice, heartache, and more. The book leaves you hooked and asking questions in just the first few chapters. It begs you to read more to discover what happens to these kids and whether or not the main character decides to save her birth planet.

I half guessed the ending, and I thought it would be much crazier based on the things i have heard. It was good though.

This has one was so intriguing to read. The story is of a family of sisters who all had different gifts. The mom that the story focuses around has everyone up in arms because she wants to have a living wake. With no illness in sight, her family knows her gift is that of knowing how/when someone will die. This sets us up to dive into all of the characters, their thoughts on her impending wake, and their gifts. Coming from a large family with my mom being one of many sisters, this read had me grasping for each chapter.

I loved the setting of this book, but I wish I could get a more in depth description of the landscapes. The best part of this book was the ending by far, the last sentence in the epilogue really made me want more.

Excellent book of Sudha Murty's experiences in her childhood and later in life. Brings memories of rural life of India in the 1970's to modern day India.

This book is full of mystery! It is about a little girl named Karen. She was trying to find out if her neighbor is a witch or not. But then she got into trouble but she knew that the neighbor was a witch. This book also has a lesson to learn and all of the babysitters little sister books have lessons.

Great premise poorly executed.