Saturdays at the Café

Saturdays at the Café is a weekly feature hosted here to talk about and discuss the books I’ve discovered during the past week, added to my shelf and am excited about reading. They may be new/scheduled releases I’ve seen on NetGalley, at the library, or from publishers or they may be older titles my friends have reviewed and shared on Goodreads or blogs.

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Though Anderson Cooper has always considered himself close to his mother, his intensely busy career as a journalist for CNN and CBS affords him little time to spend with her. After she suffers a brief but serious illness at the age of ninety-one, they resolve to change their relationship by beginning a year-long conversation unlike any they had ever had before. The result is a correspondence of surprising honesty and depth in which they discuss their lives, the things that matter to them, and what they still want to learn about each other.

Both a son’s love letter to his mother and an unconventional mom’s life lessons for her grown son, The Rainbow Comes and Goes offers a rare window into their close relationship and fascinating life stories, including their tragedies and triumphs. In these often humorous and moving exchanges, they share their most private thoughts and the hard-earned truths they’ve learned along the way. In their words their distinctive personalities shine through—Anderson’s journalistic outlook on the world is a sharp contrast to his mother’s idealism and unwavering optimism.

An appealing memoir with inspirational advice, The Rainbow Comes and Goes is a beautiful and affectionate celebration of the universal bond between a parent and a child, and a thoughtful reflection on life, reminding us of the precious insight that remains to be shared, no matter our age.

I’m pretty picky about memoirs and hadn’t had a strong pull towards this one until a very good Goodreads friend’s review gave me a reason to add it.

 

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British ad exec Dylan Locke isn’t looking for love. He isn’t looking for fate. He’s definitely not looking for Audrey Lind. She’s pretty, far too young, and overly romantic–in short, exhausting.

But when the girl, young enough to be his daughter, literally lands in his lap and asks for his expertise, he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t interested. In her body, in her innocence, in her philosophy.

In the kind of kismet that starts with kisses.

But Audrey isn’t looking for love either–she’s looking for lessons, and she’s certain Dylan knows everything she needs to learn.

If he agrees to play the teacher can he keep his heart?

Of course he can.

Then again, he might be lying.

A kindle freebie, it’s the first book in a spinoff of another series by the author I’ve added. Some of my romance-minded Goodreads friends have rated it strongly.

 

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Siglufjorour: an idyllically quiet fishing village in Northern Iceland where no one locks their doors–accessible only via a small mountain tunnel.Ari Thor Arason: a rookie policeman on his first posting, far from his girlfriend in Reykjavik–with a past that he’s unable to leave behind.When a young woman is found lying half-naked in the snow, bleeding and unconscious, and a highly esteemed, elderly writer falls to his death in the local theater, Ari is dragged straight into the heart of a community where he can trust no one and secrets and lies are a way of life.Past plays tag with the present and the claustrophobic tension mounts as Ari is thrust ever deeper into his own darkness–blinded by snow and with a killer on the loose.Taut and terrifying, Snowblind is a startling debut from an extraordinary new talent.

Some time ago, one of my blogger friends reviewed another book in this series and I added it to my library wishlist without noting who recommended the book. It came in this week and I added it to my shelf. Will the lovely blogger who reviewed this series stand and take a bow?

 

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Hey, I’m Rachel and just so you know up front, I’ve got a mouth on me. Not in public–when I can help it. Cussing is bad for the image of a bona fide guru of self-help, or that which I call “the bullsh*t I write.”

Only, I’m not so sure it’s bullsh*t, because in trying it out, I got my eyesight back after 20 years. Yeah, the corneal tissue came from a serial killer, and yeah, I started seeing his crimes. But still, eyesight.

I also have the hottest detective in the universe attached to my proverbial–and, okay, wider than I’d like–hip. I got his 2 nephews with the package and I couldn’t fu–freaking love Jeremy and Josh more if I was their mother, which I’m way too young to be.

That’s a lie, Rache. They’re twelve and eighteen. You’re thirty–

Don’t interrupt, Inner B*tch, I’m on a roll.

I also have my amazing bulldog, Myrtle. I understand her. She’s blind like I used to be.

And I got a little something extra with my cornea transplant. “It’s a blessing and a curse,” said the greatest TV detective ever.

Only my something extra was…let’s say down. And one of Josh’s sixth-going-into-seventh-grade pals has been kidnapped. The sick prick snatched him off his bicycle and left a note behind. “Wait for instructions.” Only none ever came.

What a time for my antennae to be out of whack!

So my wires are down, there’s a kid missing, I’m bathing in my pity pool, and things get even worse. A big celebrity psychic shows up to help the cops find the missing kid. In my town.

Yeah. No.

So there’s all that. But I’m out of room, so…just get the book, and I’ll tell you the rest.

I featured the fifth book a couple of weeks ago a the Café but this novella that precedes it is FREE through the end of this month! Just get it and start the series from the beginning. You’ll thank me.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

 

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All of our best dates end up in the emergency room….

I planned the perfect proposal. Plenty of lobster, caviar, champagne and–her favorite–tiramisu. The perfect setting. The perfect woman. The perfect everything.

Dad gave me my late mother’s engagement ring, platinum and diamonds galore. Shannon wouldn’t care if I slid a giant hard-candy ring on her finger instead of a three-carat diamond designed to impress. But my future mother-in-law, Marie, will pass out when she sets eyes on that rock, which will give us two minutes of blessed silence. That woman talks more than Kim Kardashian flashes her naked backside on the internet.

I was going to make it perfect, from the color of the tablecloth to the freshness of the roses. And it was perfect.

Until Shannon swallowed the ring.

My latest freebie as a member of the Audio Romance Read of the Month Club. Sneaky, sneaky as this is the 6th book in the series and it’s a very funny romantic comedy with a continuing story arc. I love this club and if you’re interested in joining, go Here.

 

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What books did YOU add to your shelves this week?