Review: The Fugitive Grandma by Dmitri Ragano

Summary
The Fugitive Grandma tells the story of two unlikely bandits. A dreamy boy and his feisty grandmother plot an audacious, Robin Hood-style scheme to steal prescription medicine for the sick and needy.
 
Johnny Valentine is a lonely boy who wants to become a hero, just like the masked avengers from the pages of his comic books. His grandmother Stella is a retired supermarket clerk and cancer survivor with a fierce sense of justice. Running out of time, money and options, the old lady is driven by the need to make one last great contribution.

Together the boy and his grandma plan a series of bold robberies against a big box supermarket-and-pharmacy chain. They outwit the retailer’s ruthless security team as well as local police and a crew of seedy gangsters who prey on the sick and elderly.
 
The general public follows their sensational crime spree, wondering how they should judge the crazy young boy and his fugitive grandma. Are Johnny and Stella Valentine a menace to society? Or are they the only ones trying to save it?

Review
Everyone loves their grandma, right? Well, if you don't than you will really love this one in this book. Who said growing old has to be boring. Not only was this an engaging read but what a pleasant surprise. You never want to root for bad behavior but in this case, you never know what you will do unless you are in their shoes. 

This is definitely one of those books to put on your summer guilty pleasure list. This is definitely a quick paced, easy read. Every chapter is themed and just right length to guide the story along. It's a blended family drama and thriller that will get you hooked from the beginning. It's one of those books that makes you curiosity from the beginning for you to want to keep reading. You absolutely won't want to put the book down. I say that for so many reasons. 

I really think the author did a fantastic job writing these characters because not only were they well defined but you completely forget you are reading fictional characters. Their realistic qualities make you so engaged in the story that you forget that you are reading a book. I can completely picture this book as a movie. The two main characters are not exactly what you would picture in this typical mold for the premise of the story but that is what makes it so much more interesting. All you want to do is just keep flipping the pages.

Here is a little bit about them to get you started:

Stella - This is one awesome Grandma. Anyone who messes with her is definitely going to be in for a rude awakening. After failed attempts to help her diagnosed cancer, she was put in a clinical trial study that changed her life forever. After improved results, the experimental drug took her from uncertain dim to remission. Like so many others like her who worked for companies that many retire from, living on those benefits is what made her life secured. Everything changed one day when a giant retail company came in and bought her local store which supplied the medicine that she needed. In secret, they decided not to honor the benefits anymore which left Stella desperate to get her meds. That desperation drove her to a place that took her on one fascinating and unpredictable journey.

Frank - This would be the son of Stella. He is one of those people who is always looking for the dream. He is always chasing the next best thing that will grant him rich success which never seems to come. After his wife leaves him for her rich boss, he just continues to make poor choices that affects his financial stability for his family. After deciding to take on a business partner, he finds himself in a desperate situation that makes him make a trail of decisions that nearly cost him his family.

Johnny - This is the son of Frank and Stella's grandson. He absolutely adores and loves his Grandma. Being a typical young boy, he loves superheros. All he wants to do is be one. While visiting her house one day, he discovers in her room a gun that sparked his imagination and curiosity about his grandmother. After hearing a conversation with his father and his business partner, he decides to take matters in his own hands and makes a proposition to his grandmother that would changes their lives forever.

There is so much more that makes this story worth the read but I don't want to give too much away because than it will ruin your experience with the book. Now, there are things in the book around the story that will make you question your own thoughts about certain actions whether they are right or wrong. Look at it from this perspective, sometimes good people do things that they would never do when put in a desperate situation. No matter how wrong many of her actions may be, you just can't help but root for her. 

Reviewed by Michelle Bowles

Book Information
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Release Date: 2/5/13
Pages: 386

Review: Generation Roe by Sarah Erdreich

Summary
It is about time, forty years after Roe v. Wade, to finally demystify abortion. One-third of all American women will have an abortion by the time they are 45, and most of those women are already mothers. Yet, the topic remains taboo. Even amidst MTV’s 16 & Pregnant, depictions of or even discussion about abortion remains almost nonexistent. In this provocative book, Sarah Erdreich gives us a new way of thinking about abortion–one based in the reality of women’s lives.

Generation Roe delves into phenomena such as “abortion-recovery counseling,” “crisis pregnancy centers,” and the infamous anti-choice “black children are an endangered species” billboards; it tells the stories of those who face threats on their lives to pursue careers in this stigmatized field; outlines the outrageous legislative battle grounds that have popped up all over the country; and takes to task pro-choice activists for allowing the very words used in the debate to be controlled by anti-choice rhetoric (such as the term “pro-life”).

Inextricably tangled in autonomy, privacy, and sexuality, the abortion issue remains home base for the culture wars in America. Yet, there is more common ground than meets the eye, when so many Americans, in all honesty, have made that choice, and many more want to have that choice. Erdreich holds the antidote to the usual debates, and redirects the dialogue to face reality, speak honestly, and hold abortion up, unabashedly, as a moral and fundamental human right.

Review
Before I share my thoughts, I wanted to say how much I struggled with the decision about whether I should read this book due to my personal beliefs. I normally would never share my opinions about topics such as this but I feel compelled because of the relevancy of my thoughts towards the book. The greatest challenge that we face as a country is the acceptance of standing behind the amendments and rights unconditionally regardless of whether you are for or against. What we lack is a genuine respect that if we are going to uphold those ideals to support our own individualistic beliefs when challenged, than we need to respect that there is another side. Whether we believe it is right or wrong, everyone is entitled to believe and live their lives according to what is right in the parameters of your own life as long as you do not intentionally cause another harm.

I personally am pro life and will admit before I read this book, I had strong ideals about why abortion is wrong. After reading this book, it opened a new perspective that lifts the veil of taboo. In the parameters of the context of the book, I thought Mrs. Erdreich did an amazing job with presenting a comprehensible perspective for such a sensitive topic in a well written, articulate and informative matter. This is the book that I believe with be one that bridges the gap between people who are for/or against to start a conversation. As a reader, you are left with many moments of introspective reflections of who makes this decision and why. 

What a great book does is make you think, whether negative or positive. There are many aspects of the book that I never took in consideration of who or why. There is so much that I learned reading this book in terms of history, personal accounts from people who you wouldn't have thought would make that decision and the medical industry position and dilemmas regarding procedures and its influence due to fluctuating legislation. 

What resonates with me is the what if factor. When you believe against something, if you where ever in this position what would you do. What would you do if you were a married couple who found out that your child had severe birth defects that would cripple their ability to live on their own? What if you were a woman whose life was in imminent danger if you carried to term? What if you were brutally assaulted, could you endure the psychological trauma of reliving that account? What if you loved someone so much and you were told that if you didn't end it he would leave you? 

After reading this book, these are some of the questions that open that dialogue of discussion. Sometimes it is easier to say what you would do but if you were in that situation, what decision would you make? If you choose to read this book, which I think you should, it will be an engaging and informative read. It not only opens your mind but gives some great resources to information that is available for those who are interested. It's a book that if you are open minded, can really be something that can bring women together from both sides to truly encompass the plight of what the women's right movement was meant for the rights of all women inclusively and to support each other regardless of which side you feel.

Reviewed by Michelle Bowles

Book Information
Publisher: Seven Stories Press
Release Date: 3/26/13
Pages: 272

Review: Making It Home by Christine Campbell

Summary
Kate had a home, but her heart wasn't in it... or in her marriage. So she left them both. Phyllis had a home... and her heart was in it... but she wanted something more. So she shopped. Naomi had no home and her heart was in cold storage, frozen by grief and fear. So she shopped. They found one another in a department store, shopping. The problem with 'retail therapy'; you can overdose. As friendship grows between these three women, they help one another face up to their problems, realizing along the way, that every heart needs a home and it takes more than a house to make one. A contemporary novel about three women who want more.

Review
Home is where the heart it. It not only is our shelter but is our comfort and holds many of our inner thoughts and most precious memories. We live, love, grow and build relationships that stand through the tests of time. Sometimes in life, couples get to a place where it's not that you don't love each other but you feel like you are complete strangers. If you just go on the assumption that love and your partnership is just what is over time with its' passing, than that binder that holds your foundation will develop some cracks in it. Sometimes all it takes is someone or something to restrengthen that foundation to make it strong again.

Making It Home was a complete testament to this wholeheartedly. This is one of those books that just grabs your heart because like so many who have fallen to this place in their relationship, this is such an inspiration of hope and validation that love conquers all, communication is so important and time heals all wounds. Such a beautifully written story that just captivates your heart and engages you throughout its entirety. The emotional depth of the characters as the story progresses just absolutely captivates you as a reader to where you feel completely invested. You grow as they grow. You feel as they feel and by the way, I would suggest a box of tissues because you will need them to sooth your melting heart. 

When it comes to books like this, the first person I always seem to think of is Nicholas Sparks. I haven't seemed to find an author who captures sincerely on the true purity of the human relationship at its' raw and purest form along the journey of the strength and commitment of love between two people or the development of a true friendship until now. As I sing her praises loudly, as a reader to be able to just glide through the pages because the story just illuminates your mind and your heart into complete bliss just makes this book at it completion worth every moment.

So, the heart of the book were its' amazing characters. There is so much about this book that I think many people can relate to. We get introduced to Kate and Dan whose journey is a long introspective but inspiring one. What I love about this part of the book is the sincerity and truth of marriage. Whether you are married or not, you want that fairy tale that you meet a guy and live happily ever after but then life happens. You grow apart and you begin to doubt about the other person because you don't know how you got there or how to get back to what once was. The little arguments develop into resentment towards one another. Being in a room with each other is challenging an all you want to do is find that peace even if that means that you are in two separate places. 

Kate, is like so many women out there. She got married young, had children and sort of "lost" her life. All she wants to do is start living. You never know who or what gets put in your life but everything happens for a reason. When Kate meets Phyllis, this is probably one of the most beautiful friendships anyone could have. Then they meet Naomi, whose heart and spirit have been broken. Like so many women who have been broken emotionally and physically, it's hard to let love in out of fear. The development of their friendship is my favorite part of the book. Their journey together defined her quest to find themselves, love for what it really means and healed whole hearts.

There is so much about this book that I want to share but I don't want to ruin it for you. This is one of those books that you have to experience for yourself. It will make you laugh, cry, and appreciate the precious gift of life and its limited time of essence. We learn the beauty of friendship and that love can heal life's most challenging times. You will not be disappointed. You will be left with your heart smiling. 

Reviewed by Michelle Bowles

Book Information
Publisher: Legend Press Ltd
Release Date: 6/13/2009
Pages: 296

Review: True by Erin McCarthy

Summary
When Rory Macintosh’s roommates find out that their studious and shy friend has never been with a guy, they decide that, as an act of kindness they’ll help her lose her virginity by hiring confident, tattooed bad boy Tyler Mann to do the job…unbeknownst to Rory.

Tyler knows he’s not good enough for Rory. She’s smart, doctor smart, while he’s barely scraping by at his EMT program, hoping to pull his younger brothers out of the hell their druggy mother has left them in. But he can’t resist taking up her roommates on an opportunity to get to know her better. There’s something about her honesty that keeps him coming back when he knows he shouldn't…

Torn between common sense and desire, the two find themselves caught up in a passionate relationship. But when Tyler’s broken family threatens to destroy his future, and hers, Rory will need to decide whether to cut her ties to his risky world or follow her heart, no matter what the cost…

Review
You know the kind of book that you start reading but are not sure where it's going but as you keep reading you get hooked on the plot like one of those old time soap operas? Well, this is one of those books. When you read the summary, you might think in your mind the plot is going to be somewhat predictable. As you read, you will see that predictability veer off into another direction where it becomes more deeper than what you might had initially expected. Considering this is the my first book in this new adult genre that I read, I was pleasantly surprised.

The book was definitely easy to read. The pace of the book I think was very quick, which was great for a story like this. It was one of those stories that you can easily get hooked into and once you are, you have to keep reading because you want to know what is going to happen. The characters were definitely easy to follow. This book I really think can appeal on multi levels. If you are a younger reader who might be approaching the age where you are experiencing love for the first time or beginning to start dating than many of the experiences or feelings of the characters you will be able to relate to them easily. If you are older, I think this book will have a deeper emotional appeal because many of the experiences or feelings will resonate with you as you may have gone through them in your life which would enable you to connect to the characters on a different level. 

Here is a little bit about some of the characters:

Rory - She is definitely the sort of girl that I think any parent would want. She is smart, kind, responsible and has an innocence and sincerity about her that you don't find today. She lost her mother at a young age and didn't get to have many of the experiences she would've had personally and socially. Her and her dad got a long but it wasn't emotionally available to her. She is currently in college living with two of her friends Kylie and Jessica which is very interesting because they are polar opposites. As you get to know her character, you can't help but to fall in love with her. She meets Tyler. He is one of Jessica's "friends".  On the surface any parent would say stay away from but as their story develops you experience her journey together of a "real" boy meets girl, not the fluffy stuff. 

Tyler - On the surface, he looks like your typical bad boy. He is the type of guy that if you brought him home, your parents would not be please. The thing is, you should never judge a book by its cover. Sometimes many people miss out on some amazing people because you judge them on the outside. You never know what or who someone is until you get to know them. As you will see, he's had life pretty hard but like so many others just finds a way to make it through. While the initial reason Tyler was interested in Rory might not seem that nice and you probably will be skeptical about him for a while, that all changes once he gets to know Rory. As you get to know him, you will start to change your mind about him and really fall into their journey and find that you will feel sorry for him. 

Kyle & Jessica - These are the girls that Rory rooms with at her school. They are completely different than her and they are her only friends. Trying to have good intentions, they proposition Tyler to be with her but little did they know their plan backfired but ignited the spark that led something no one ever expected. 

True completely defines the story in everywhere. Whether you are young or old, life isn't all rainbows and sunshine, it can be but generally its not. Without sharing anything that will ruin it for you, it has everything that will make this such an amazing read. It has real love, not the running through the meadow with flowers but the kind of love that makes you cry because it hurts so much, friendship, struggle, tragedy and life for what it really is not what we pretend it to be. The characters are amazing and the story is addicting because you really can emotionally connect. Even though it says new adult, I felt a times it had a touch of young adult. I really that is what makes it appeal on a broader level. So, if you are a YA reader or a new adult fan, I really think you will like her book. For everyone else that may not have read a book like this, this was new for me and I enjoyed it. Give it a try because this might be another genre to add onto your reading list!

Reviewed by Michelle Bowles

Book Information
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Release Date: 5/7/2013
Pages: 240

Review: The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

Summary 
“Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has brought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.”

Review 
One of the saddest and yet most beautiful stories to ever hit my bookshelf, not only made me cry but also made me think about my life and how I could be living it so much better. The Fault in Our Stars is a thought provoking novel that delves into the human condition we call life. And how all any human wants is to not “die” but live on in the memories of others. 

As I stated, this book makes one reevaluate one’s life. Most human beings are not 16-year-old girls fighting cancer like our leading lady Hazel is in this novel. Thus it makes me think, “Surely my life can’t be as bad as hers,” and then I start over thinking about ways to improve my life to make it more meaningful. Or at least less mundane. Yet monotony is a part of any human’s life, including a girl like Hazel. 

I sat with this book for about a week and at first, could not put it down. Hazel, our cancer-rific heroine is stuck in a morbid, mundane state of existence just passing the time away until she dies. She is witty, sarcastic and intelligent. She does not let her disease become who she is even if it does encompass a majority of her being nor does she shy away from it. She sometimes throws it in your face, making the reader own up to a fact that plagues all human minds: one day you will die. Yet unlike most humans, Hazel just stares death in the eye and shrugs, “Whatever.” 

Now enter in Augustus Waters. 

A new and even attractive face to her sickly life, Hazel finds herself seeing things in a whole new light. Augustus, a cancer survivor himself with a prosthetic leg, gets her out of her “I’m just going to die anyway, only a matter of time” rut and gets her not only living her life but actually wanting to live what little of it she has left. Thus, what seemingly began as a cancer story is now a romantic tale. 

So as I continued to read, I found myself rooting for their love more and more, forgetting that these two kids actually have diseases and are walking time bombs. And I think this is much like our own human existence. Trying to grab more time with our love ones, forgetting our own cancer that is death and focus on the living moments. 

At some point, the novel shifts from romance back to real life. Tragedy strikes and our young lovers are faced with the formality that all humans will inevitably face: death. But I wish not to say anymore, lest I give away the ending. Yet I will say that our lovely couple has to learn how to cope and deal with the loss to come, imprinting one another into the other’s memory to live on forever. 

Ultimately, this novel takes you through a range of emotions along with these passing moments. Overall, sadness is what you feel but there are many “awh” moments throughout that leave you feeling happy too. Thus what you walk away with is a feeling of wonder, sadness, and a desire to leave your mark for those you love in hopes to never truly “die.” 

Reviewed by Camia Rhodes

Book Information
Publisher: Penguin Group
Release Date: 1/10/2012
Pages: 336

Review: Strings Attached by Joanne Lipman and Melanie Kupchynsky

Summary
If you're lucky, somewhere in your past is that one person who changed your life forever. The one who pushed you to dream bigger and to reach higher, and who set you straight on what matters in life. Perhaps it was a coach, or a professor, or a family friend.

For Joanne Lipman and Melanie Kupchynsky, that person was a public-school music teacher, Jerry Kupchynsky, known as Mr. K--a Ukrainian-born taskmaster who yelled and stomped and screamed, and who drove his students harder than anyone had ever driven them before. Through sheer force of will, he made them better than they had any right to be.

Strings Attached tells the inspiring, poignant, and powerful story of this remarkable man, whose life seemed to conspire against him at every turn and yet who was able to transform his own heartache into triumph for his students.

Lyrically recounted by two former students--acclaimed journalist Joanne Lipman and Mr. K's daughter, Chicago Symphony Orchestra violinist Melanie Kupchynsky--Strings Attached takes you on a journey that spans from his days as a forced Nazi laborer and his later home life as a husband to an invalid wife, to his heart-breaking search for his missing daughter, Melanie's sister.

This is an unforgettable tale--a captivating narrative that is as absorbing as fiction--about the power of a great teacher, but also about the legacy that remains long after the last note has faded into silence: lessons in resilience, excellence, and tough love.

Strings Attached is for anyone indebted to a mentor and for those devoted to igniting excellence in others.

Review
As we grow up, the most important people in our lives besides our parents are teachers. Whether we like them or not, their influence can help shape who we are and who we will be. As I sit and reflect on "Strings Attached", this is one of those books that play in your mind a harmonious melody that welds childhood nostalgia with a reflective appreciation of the teacher who impacted your life the most. 

This is one of those books that I believe will resonate with you on so many levels. It will bring back memories and emotions that will challenge and have you appreciate every tough teacher you thought didn't care. What I loved so much about this book was the story. It's beauty collectively put together about the life of teacher Jerry Kupchynsky or better known as "Mr K". Although his teaching style may have been tough, it was undeniable the heart and commitment to his students to excel and succeed past their own limitations to aspire to be better.

This book was originally not going to be published. What a shame if it hadn't been. It was written by one of his daughters Melanie along with a former student of her dad's Joanne Lipman. The book alternated with each one of their perspectives and gave an engaging account of a person whose life defined more than his perceived tough persona.  

As a reader, through their engaging narrative, you get a vivid portrait painted of his life. They take us on a heart breaking at times but inspiring account of a man who as a Ukrainian immigrant survived an abusive past and was given a lifeline that inspired his will to live a life that could be much better. He turned his obstacled pain into triumph, raised a family with challenges and whose unconventional teaching methods may have been harsh at times but influenced generations of people who credit his tough discipline with their lifelong successful ethic.

I always say everyone has a story. This is one that is definitely meant to be read. There is so much more to this book that I will leave up to you to read so you can enjoy. In times like this, where so many kids have little or no direction, we could all wish we had a teacher like this.

Reviewed by Michelle Bowles

Book Information
Publisher: Hyperion Books
Release date: 10/1/13
Pages: 352