Bluff City Pawn

As you can see, I've made a few changes. I've set up my review a little different this time just to give it a little more structure. I added my Goodreads currently-reading list to give you an idea of what reviews are coming up. And I've also teamed up with IndieBound. They support local, independent bookstores. I have their Next List to the right there and also a link at the end of this review for those of you who may be interested in buying this book. Their link will help you find a independent bookstore in your area with the book available. Great for supporting small businesses and your local economy.

Bluff City Pawn: A Novel by Stephen Schottenfeld
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What it's about:
Huddy Marr owns Bluff City Pawn in Memphis, TN in a neighborhood that's on it way down. When a long-time customer and avid gun collector dies, Huddy sees his ticket out and on to a better life. With the help of his brothers, Joe the land-developer, with his money and Harlan, the wanderer recently come home, to move the load, Huddy just has to find the right buyers. Just when everything looks like it's going smoothly, the trouble between brothers comes out.
Why I think what I do:
I thought this was a great novel. It is slow at first but I felt it was deliberate. Stephen Schottenfeld takes his time, using his language and style, to introduce you to the characters, show you their true selves and their relationships and really show you the world they live in is just like ours. This is a story that could being happening to anyone right at this moment. He doesn't get to the main event until almost half way through the book, but in this case, because he is building it up just so, it's not a drag at all. You get the chance to be inside Huddy's mind and see everything he is thinking. As a pawnshop owner, he knows people and he knows his brothers. This book was like watching a train wreck through the only pair of eyes that could have done something to stop it or at least slow it down.
Schottenfeld really gets down to the nitty gritty of how the economy affects everyone from the rich to the poor, from the up-right to the two-faced, and brother to brother.
Who it's for:
Anyone with an interest with pawnshops, family discord especially between brothers, gun collecting, and economics.
When it's available:
August 5, 2014
Where you can find it:

First ARC Giveaway Review!

It's been a couple weeks since I've updated but I have finally finished my first Goodreads ARC giveaway! It took me two weeks to read this book, though I do admit I took a break and read another, more upbeat, one in the middle. Also, with my one year old I really only get to read a couple hours a night after she's asleep. Just a little background on this author: The Story of Land and Sea is Katy Simpson Smith's debut novel. She is from Jackson, MS but received her PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (I'm assuming this may have influenced her novel as it is near Beaufort, NC) an currently resides in New Orleans. This novel will be available Aug. 26, 2014.


The Story of Land and Sea by Katy Simpson Smith
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**I received this book free from a Goodreads giveaway.

To start, I'm not big on stories about ships and the sea, especially in a historical context but I saw it was set on the North Carolina coast and I used to live there so I entered the giveaway and won! I am glad I gave it a chance, though I would not categorize it as the most amazing and profound book ever.

We are introduced to Tabitha, a 10 year old girl in the coastal town of Beaufort (pronounced Bow-fort, not Bu-fort if you talk to anyone from there), NC in the 1780's and 90's. She lives with her ex-pirate, ex-solider father, her mother, Helen, having died in childbirth. She spends her days enjoying the sea and little treasures she finds, visits with her grandfather who brings her to church, and attending school occasionally in a town where many have left since the war with the British ended the previous decade. When she falls ill, we see the struggles her father and grandfather go through, having already lost her mother, and in her grandfather's case, his daughter's mother as well. The trials and relationships between Tabitha and her father, as well as, her mother and grandfather are echoed with the story of Helen's slave Moll and her son.

The story is not simply about land and sea but the struggles of loss and loneliness, of finding, losing and questioning God, and moving forward. I gave it a rating a three stars because I did like the story but found it difficult to get through for a couple reasons. It is a very melancholy novel. Katy Simpson Smith uses present tense through the entire novel, which has three sections: Tabitha's time, her mother's time and back to Tabitha's time. By using it, the reader feels as if everything is happening right now and they are essentially transport to that time period and place and experience it first hand. This, for me, added to the sadness each character goes through. The other reason this was a tough read, was her adding in the story of Moll, the slave, and her son. It's not bad and I did like it by itself as it is very touching and presents its own struggles and it is, technically, historically accurate, but I felt it made the story drag in the third section and it didn't feel as connected as the other two father-daughter stories.

What I did like was the historical aspect because it takes place in an area I have visited. Normally, I'm not a fan of American history but I do like hearing about the way people lived in the past. I also liked her unique twist and retelling of the local lore. Without revealing too much, it includes an interesting use for a rum barrel, Blackbeard is mentioned, and an accurate description of the Battle of Beaufort that occurred in April 1782. Overall, this is a great book for those who love pre-Civil War American history, relationship studies between parent and child, or novels on love and loss.

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I'm a Book Cover Judger

The saying goes "Don't judge a book by its cover." I say "But isn't that half the marketing these days?" Take a look at any store with a book display. The books they are pushing have really interesting covers that grab your attention. I definitely choose books by their covers quite often, not to say that's the only deciding factor. I have a system when I'm on a book hunt. Keep in mind where I tend to shop: used bookstores, flea markets, yard sales, usually places where organization is limited and availability is random and I often don't have any particular book or author in mind and even when I do, I always keep my mind and eyes open for "new finds." The following is the technique I use when I'm not sure what I'm looking for or I'm being bombarded with choices:


1) The cover: Since it's there to grab my attention anyway I might as well let it. A lot of time and money have gone into creating the perfect cover. I can appreciate that. The cover can tell you about that book before reading the blurb on the back or the first page. If done right it sets the mood for the book which helps me find books I'm in the mood for. (And I'm a sucker for pretty pictures/artwork).

2) The title: Again it's an attention grabber that most authors have put a lot of time and effort into. It gets the point of the book across in just a few words. And if it piques my interest after the cover has caught my eye then I move on to the next step.

3) The blurb on the back (or inside the front cover): Alright, the marketing department has caught my attention, the author has me interested, so now I need to know if I should really spend my time and money on reading this book. Again, its hard working writing the perfect synopsis that teases you just enough with out spoiling the whole book. 

All together this process takes about a minute at most. Remember, I'm on a mission (maybe its an addiction?) to find as many new books for the lowest price possible in the short time I have to shop. After this process if I'm thinking, "It could be good," then its in my cart, bag, box, etc., the goal has been met and the book is coming with me. Thank you book marketing people! So really my addiction isn't my fault cause they make it so hard to walk away from a good looking book, right? I know, I know. Denial won't get me anywhere. I just love books and I find this process opens me up to new authors, new genres, etc. that I normally wouldn't consider. So next time you're out shopping for something new or different to read, try it out. It could be good.

Ministry Murder Mystery #5 (Say That Three Times Fast)

This book I read back in June. I'll be playing catch up with my reviews in between reading new books. That said keep an eye out in the next few days for my first Goodreads First Reads review of The Story of Land and Sea by Katy Simpson Smith. As for this book, I would place it as mystery chick-lit and though it is part of the Ministry is Murder series I would not call it religious. Her setting feels more like just that, a new setting for light-hearted murder mysteries that probably has not been explored as much.


A Truth for a Truth by Emilie Richards
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had come into this series in the middle, not realizing it was a series. Despite that, I found it easy to jump into since it looks like each story can stand on its own with just a few connections between.

Aggie Sloan-Wilcox, wife to the current minister of Emerald Springs, mother of two and occasional house-flipper, has a busy life adding amateur sleuth to her list. When the former minister and his wife recently moved back to Emerald Springs to retire, nobody thought he would retire so permanently so soon. In the middle of the memorial, Aggie is left with the unfortunate task of informing the congregation the grave side service has been cancelled due to an anonymous tip that Win Dorchester had been murder. As she finds her self caught up in the investigation, she begins to question how faithful Win had actually been during his ministry and what other secrets of the past would drive a church member to murder. His widow, Hilde, as proves an additional challenge for Aggie with her predetermined ways a proper minister's wife should behave mixed with her busybody way of dealing with her grief.

Aggie is a funny, likable character creating the image of a modern-day minister's wife while juggling everyday life, volunteering at her husband's church, and carrying out her own investigation. Her repeated blunders with all things technology adds humor, while side stories about her daughters add some seriousness and rounds out her character, as well as the book, as a whole. There were a few parts that stood out as unbelievable (extraordinary might be a better word since this is fiction) such as the climactic scene at towards the end but it feels like its there for more entertainment then anything.

Though this is book #5 of the Ministry is Murder series, I will definitely be going back to read its predecessors. For those who like women's fiction and mysteries, this book is a good combination.

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Christmas in July!

I have my first review up and it looks like Debbie Macomber's There's Something About Christmas won the race. I have read a few other Debbie Macomber books and would definitely call myself a fan. I have only in recent years started reading chick-lit and don't typically read anything to heavy in that group (classic bodice-rippers come to mind and I shudder) but I do like feel good stories sometimes. And sometimes I don't (Gone Girl comes to mind - haven't read it? No worries, review to come soon). Enjoy!


There's Something About Christmas by Debbie Macomber
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Emma Collins is a budding journalist looking for her chance to prove it to her boss at The Examiner where she writes obituaries. She has sworn off relationships after seeing her parents' fail disastrously and hates all things Christmas as a result, including fruitcake. So as fate would have it her first real assignment as a journalist is the interview three of the finalists in a fruitcake contest. In comes our romantic hero, Oliver Hamilton, (and his dog Oscar) the pilot who has agreed to fly her to each interview location around Washington in his little plane that terrifies Emma. Through her interviews and flying with self-assured Oliver, Emma learns life lessons about Christmas, relationships and fruitcake.

I found this an enjoyable book but not as well developed as Debbie Macomber's other books. It was a quick read and nice holiday story though not overly festive. Through the interviews there are short and simple life lessons that give the story some depth. Beyond that the story line between Emma, Oliver, her friend Phoebe and boss Walt feels underdeveloped and progresses too quickly for the reader to experience what they are going through. Macomber adds some backstory for why Emma does not like Christmas and the conflict between her and her father but does not go into great detail with it. She does include the three fruitcake recipes from the finalists which is a plus. We get to hear all about how the finalists created them and how different they are from the typical fruitcake recipes so its exciting to have the recipes to try at home. I love when I find recipes included for this reason as it feels like parts of the book are coming to life (in this case fruitcake!) Overall, this is a good book to read during the holiday season or anytime during the year to get a quick holiday fix.

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Welcome!

You know when you find something amazing and you just have to share it with someone else? Welcome to M's Pressions! This blog is my little space on the web where I can share with you my first impressions on the books I read or my "new finds." I'll be posting my reviews of various genre of books and possible other interesting items such as recipes (sometimes from the books I read) or patterns (my secondary passion is in yarn arts) or whatever else I come across and feel the need to share.

Just a little introduction about me: my name is Megan and I would described myself as a crazy book fiend. Anywhere I go where books may inhabit I embark on a personal mission to find as many books as cheaply possibly that look interesting. Flea markets, used books stores (current favorite is McKay's in Chattanooga), garage sales, dangerous places for me to go unattended, or even attended because if I find a great deal, I'm buying it. I don't limit myself to any "favorite" genre and my philosophy has become "Well, it could be good" so you will find a very eclectic collection here. Moving on, I live on top of a mountain in TN with my husband, Bobby and our wonderful (I know it sounds cliche but she is) 1 year old daughter, Amber. I work from home full time, take care of Amber full time, take care of the house part time, and of course read my books any spare minute I can find.

I decided to start this blog because 1) I have always wanted a way to share things with everyone and 2) I recently became active again on this really awesome site Goodreads. This site is a book lover's dream come true, allowing you to catalog all the books you've read, are currently reading and want to read, receive recommendations based on those "shelves," read and write reviews, make friends and... win free books. That last part is important. I love books! Especially FREE books! Typically, the site will list giveaways from authors and publishers that you can enter to win ARC (Advanced Reader Copies) or Galley Proofs. You choose which ones to enter, they hold a random drawing and you might win a free book, no catch. They do request you to review the book but it is not required. I just received my first First Reads book the other day (along with the second, third and finally a fourth) and, since I love sharing my reading experiences with other, I will be adding these books to my to-read pile (it's a really big pile so I have to bump them to the top) and posting my honest reviews both here and on Goodreads.

On a final note, I don't want to make this blog specifically about my Goodreads wins since that is not the only place I get my books from. I will be posting about many of the books I read, a lot of which are older and again in various genres. That being said, I am in the middle of reading three books right now: Mirror, Mirror by Gregory Maguire, Miracles of a Mother's Love by Brad Steiger & Sherry Hansen Steiger, and There's Something About Christmas by Debbie Macomber. So keep an eye out. The first one done I'll be posting my "pressions."