My Book Retreat

It all starts with kindergarten orientation. Madeline has been through it before and is ready for all the politics that go along with a group of moms who all think their kids are special. Celeste is frazzled and anxious about her very active twin boys starting kindergarten. And Jane, a young single mother who just moved to town, is worried that her son won't fit in with the other kids. These three women are all brought together because of their children, but there's a lot more to each of their stories.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty is a novel about friendship, marriage, motherhood and all the little lies we tell each other every day. We get to see inside each of the three women's lives, the good, the bad and the ugly. Jane is sad and overly worried about her son, Ziggy. She has moved often and never feels comfortable enough to settle down. Madeline and Celeste befriend her and try to understand more about her past and her fears.

Madeline is dealing with a…

When Thomas wakes up, he is alone in an elevator. He knows his name but he can't remember anything else about who he is or why he is here. When the door opens, he finds himself in a place called The Glade that is surrounded by a massive maze. The only other people here are about 60 other boys who have created a community of their own. They explain that every 30 days, another boy arrives. But the day after Thomas arrives, a girl arrives with a note that changes everything.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner is an action-packed dystopian young adult novel that kept the suspense going to the end. The world the boys built, with a council and different jobs for everyone was interesting. I also liked the premise that all of the boys' memories were wiped, so they didn't know where they came from or what was really happening. And the maze itself helped set this book apart from many other dystopian novels.

It was a fun survival story with plenty of suspense and excitement. However, I…

Good morning. I hope you had a fabulous week. The sun is shining brightly today and I think it's supposed to get up to about 60, so I'm in a great mood. It also helps that it's a holiday here, so I'm not working today. Instead, I'll be getting together with friends and taking the kids to see Penguins of Madagascar, followed by a trip to the playground to enjoy the weather.

Reviews and Blog Posts
I only wrote a couple things last week because I've been very busy with updates to the blog.
Mini Winter Bloggiesta
Book Review: The Martian by Andy Weir

Bloggiesta is continuing through today since it's a holiday. I've completed most of my list. I just have to write some reviews and put a few on Amazon, then I'll be done. Check my new pages:
Books Read in 2014
2015 Challenges
Bookish Links

Reading
I finished reading Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. I really enjoyed it. Now I'm reading The Shining by Stephen King! Big difference!

C, who is 10, is reading G…