Hi all!  I hope you had a great weekend!  My daughter is in town this week, and we’ve been having fun!

I’m back with a book roundup.  I haven’t done one in a while.  I’m featuring a few books I have received to review.  They are all fun summer reads!

Little Lovely Things — An unremarkable morning commute mutates into an unthinkable tragedy for one family, when Claire Rawlings makes an ordinary decision that results in disaster for her and everyone she loves.

A wife, mother, and soon-to-be-doctor in her final year of residency at University of Chicago hospital, in a race to drop her beloved daughters off at daycare and make it in time for rounds, Claire ignores the troubling signs of an allergic reaction. Finding herself speeding down the highway, on the brink of losing consciousness, she’s forced to pull over.

Moments later, she wakes up on the floor of a gas station bathroom.

Her car – and her girls – have vanished.

A deftly crafted page turner that is as heart-wrenching as it is bursting with life and love, the story of LITTLE LOVELY THINGS unfolds in four distinct voices: devastated yet strong-willed Claire; Moira, the Irish Traveler turned transient abductor who is thrust into instant motherhood; soulful Jay, a recovering alcoholic whose grisly discovery brings him to the center of the tragedy; and finally Andrea, the scrappy take-no-prisoners, wildly talented tomboy who knows only enough to know she doesn’t know the truth of her past.

With an action-packed plot, a deep well compassion for its characters, and thematic chords concerning the wisdom and power of nature, strength of the human spirit, and connectedness of us all, LITTLE LOVELY THINGS marks the arrival of a powerful new voice in the current contemporary fiction landscape in Maureen Joyce Connolly.

Radiant – Eat Your Way to Healthy Skin — For more than 20 years, Hanna Sillitoe suffered from severe psoriasis, eczema and acne. They dominated her life and shattered her confidence. At times she even resorted to wrapping her skin in clingfilm to stop her clothes rubbing against her raw skin. When her doctor told her the only remaining treatment was chemotherapy, she started researching diet and skin, and ultimately changed her life, cutting out caffeine, alcohol, sugar, dairy and wheat, with dramatic results.

Now free from all skin complaints, Hanna is sharing her methods. Beginning with a juice cleanse, Hanna’s plan then moves on to a range of delicious, skin-loving meals including Turmeric and Ginger Chia Pudding, Immunity Ramen, Beet Burgers and even Clean Tiramisu. There is also a selection of homemade beauty products such as Avocado and Honey Facemask and Rosemary and Lemon Salt Scrub. Uplifting and inspiring for those who have been searching for an answer to their skin woes, Hanna’s programme is also suitable for people without specific complaints who just want to improve their overall health and complexion. A recipe for good health and clear skin, from the inside out.

The Big Book of Missouri Ghost Stories — Reader, beware! Turn these pages and enter the world of the paranormal, where ghosts and ghouls alike creep just out of sight. Author Troy Taylor shines a light in the dark corners of Missouri and scares those spirits out of hiding in this thrilling collection. From a headless ghost who stalks the aptly named “Murder Rocks”, to a large hairy monster that roams the banks of the Missouri River, there’s no shortage of bone-chilling tales to keep you up at night. It’s even rumored that the devil himself came to St. Louis in 1949, but nobody knows for sure if he ever left. Around the campfire or tucked away on a dark and stormy night, this big book of ghost stories is a hauntingly good read.

I live in Missouri, so this was a fun book to get!

What books are you enjoying this summer?  I’d love to know!