"They said Nick wanted a certain number, and honestly I don't remember what it was so I told them to give it to him.  I'll make it back, she recalled saying. And then I did. Give or take a billion."

This is a must-read memoir for everyone – filled with the juicy details of her relationships but it is so much more then just that.  Jessica really presents us with the story of her life – trauma, failures, successes and really finding herself.

“Life up here may be simple but it’s not easy, and it’s not for everyone. Water runs out; pipes freeze; engines won’t start; it’s dark for eighteen, nineteen hours a day, for months. Even longer in the far north. Up here it’s about having enough food to eat, and enough heat to stay alive through the winter. It’s about survival, and enjoying the company of the people that surround us. It’s not about whose house is the biggest, or who has the nicest clothes, or the most money. We support each other because we’re all in this together.

This book is full of love, self discovery and forgiveness.  K.A Tucker brings you on an adventure in Alaska – be prepared to not only fall in love with the characters, but the remote, dark, cold landscape of Alaska.

“Today I was supposed to be with Brandon.  Setting a bottle of Woodford Reserve against his headstone.  Sitting on a blanket on the grass where we laid him to rest, telling him how much I missed him, how the world was worse for him not being in it, how hollow I was and it wasn’t getting better with time like they said it would.”

Bring out the Kleenex – this book will have you in tears at times, but also hopeful for Sloan to find love, and find herself again after the tragic loss of her fiancé Brandon.  This rom-com book really does touch on all the emotions

“But the love of sisters needs no words. It does not depend on memories, or mementos, or proof. It runs as deep as a heartbeat. It is as ever present as a pulse”

This story is based on a real place that existed from the 1920s-50s – The Tennessee Children’s Society.   Avery, the daughter of a prominent senator feels as though there is a secret that her grandmother is keeping.  The book then brings us back in time, with Rill with her siblings in the Arcadia.  The book does flip from past to present and it really helps set the tone for the story.

“Life doesn't work that way, Alina. Hatred spreads - it doesn't burn out with time. Someone needs to stand up and stop it.”

Present: Alice’s grandmother is hospitalized and unable to speak, but finds a way to communicate to Alice.  She asks Alice to travel back to her homeland in Poland.  Past: the story of Alina, and her family and love during the war.  The story is much more then a story about the war, and a hidden secret.

“From the inside, a violent home looks starkly different than it does to outsiders. Children who grow up with cold, narcissistic, or sadistic parents don’t know that a caretaker with the potential for extreme cruelty is not the norm. Even when they see a contrast in the families of friends, they’ve already been robbed of the ability to challenge parental authority. Instead of seeking help, they hunker down and adapt.”
 

This is a true crime story of ‘Shelly’ Knotec – a sadistic lady who tortured anyone who came into her life.  It is really well written but not a light read – beware as the content is very graphic.