My (Underground) American Dream by Julissa Arce

October 4, 2016

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

My (Underground) American Dream by Julissa Arce was an amazing book. When I saw that this book was available for me to review I knew I had to pick it up because I have always wondered about the children that grow up like this. I really enjoyed this book because it was a true story and I love books that really happened. I found it easier for me to get into this book because it was true and I knew that everything really happened. I also loved getting a different view of what it is like to live in the United States. I had a rough childhood but I know I had it better than most people do in this country. I loved everything about this book because it was written well enough that I understood and felt like I was there with the author. If you love memoirs than I know you will love this book as much as I did.

About The Book

For an undocumented immigrant, what is the true cost of the American Dream? Julissa Arce shares her story in a riveting memoir.

When she was 11 years old, Julissa Arce left Mexico and came to the United States on a tourist visa to be reunited with her parents, who dreamed the journey would secure her a better life. When her visa expired at the age of 15, she became an undocumented immigrant. Thus began her underground existence, a decade’s long game of cat and mouse, tremendous family sacrifice, and fear of exposure. After the Texas Dream Act had made a college degree possible, Julissa’s top grades and leadership positions landed her an internship at Goldman Sachs, which led to a full-time position–one of the most coveted jobs on Wall Street. Soon she was a Vice President, a rare Hispanic woman in a sea of suits and ties, yet still guarding her “underground” secret. In telling her personal story of separation, grief, and ultimate redemption, Arce shifts the immigrant conversation and changes the perception of what it means to be an undocumented immigrant.

About The Author

Julissa Arce is the author of “My (Underground) American Dream.” She is an emerging and leading voice in the fight for immigrant rights and education equality. She is the chairman and co-founder of the Ascend Educational Fund (AEF). AEF is a college scholarship and mentorship program for immigrant students in New York City, regardless of their ethnicity, national original or immigration status. She made national and international headlines when she revealed that she had achieved the American Dream of wealth and status at Goldman Sachs while undocumented. Julissa will use her inspirational story to change the conversation around immigration in MY (UNDERGROUND) AMERICAN DREAM. The book explores the polarizing question: for an undocumented immigrant, what is the true cost of the American dream?

In the heady days of the most astronomical stock-market rise in Wall Street history, Julissa Arce climbed the corporate ladder—a rare Hispanic woman in a sea of suits and ties. In 2005, against all the odds, she landed one of the most coveted jobs as an analyst at Goldman Sachs. Over the course of the next six years, even while the financial markets crashed, she continued to climb the corporate ladder—riding a series of promotions to become a Vice President, complete with a high six-figure salary and all of the perks that come with living the Goldman Sachs life. What none of her colleagues knew was that she wasn’t just a young woman who broke through ceilings in a cutthroat male-dominated field: she was also an undocumented American from Mexico.

Arce now uses her success and platform to help shift the conversation around immigration and other social justice issues. Arce often gives talks at events such as TEDx and the Forbes Reinventing America Summit (alongside Nancy Pelosi, Jessica Alba, and Gayle King), and has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, NPR, Al Jazeera America, Telemundo, Bloomberg TV and Univision. Her writing has been published on Huffington Post, Fusion, CNN en Español, The Hill, and Univision. She serves on the board of directors of the National Immigration Law Center and CollegeSpring. She was officially sworn in as an American citizen in August of 2014 and will vote in a presidential election for the first time in 2016.

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Borderline Insanity by Jeff Miller

September 21, 2016

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Borderline Insanity by Jeff Miller turned out to be a great book, but it was a slow starter for me. This type of book is one that I always enjoy, but I had a hard time getting into the story for some reason. I am sure part of the reason was that of what happened in the prolog of the book. It just really bothered me that someone would make a mother leave one of her babies behind and take her and the other back to Mexico. I am sure it is something that happens, but I don’t think that it is right. It left me feeling sorry for the mother and the children. After I was a few chapters into the book, I started to enjoy the story more. Once I was into the book, I read it pretty quickly because I wanted to know how it all worked out in the end. If you love reading mysteries than I am sure you will enjoy this book as much as I did at the end of it.

About The Book

Special Agent Dagny Gray is a member of a small FBI team with unprecedented independence. To maintain their autonomy, the team must continue to solve big cases. To stay on the team, Dagny must keep her personal demons under control.

When Father Diego Vega tells her that undocumented workers are vanishing from a small town gripped by immigration politics, Dagny thinks she’s found her next case. But without bodies or proof of foul play, her boss won’t let her take it. Defying his orders, Dagny risks her career to investigate with Father Vega.

The families of the victims don’t trust her. The local police won’t help her, and the sheriff wants to stop her. Deep down, she worries that she’s not going to find the missing men alive. But what she uncovers is more horrifying than anything she could have imagined.…

About The Author

Jeff Miller grew up in the suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio, where Jerry Springer attended his temple and Pete Rose broke his heart. He’s rafted down the Rio Grande with folksinger Butch Hancock, co-created an award-winning mockumentary about table tennis, and performed and written for a public access sketch comedy series. Like many lawyers, the only thing he ever really wanted to do was write. The Bubble Gum Thief is his first book. He lives with his incredible wife, Kate, and their two young sons.

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Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

August 31, 2016

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult was another great book by one of my favorite authors. I have read most of her books so when I got the chance to review this book I knew I had to. I love that this book tackles things that most authors would never want to write about because they are hard to write about. They also are controversial and could make people upset, so I love that she isn’t afraid to write about them. I loved everything about this book and the subject matter. I have always been a huge fan of her writing so I knew I was going to love this book and I was right. She is always able to get me interested in the book from the outset, and this book was no different. If you books that address current issues than I know you will love this book as much as I did. It is also a very easy book to read, and I was able to get through it pretty quickly.

About The Book

Ruth Jefferson is a labor and delivery nurse at a Connecticut hospital with more than twenty years’ experience. During her shift, Ruth begins a routine checkup on a newborn, only to be told a few minutes later that she’s been reassigned to another patient. The parents are white supremacists and don’t want Ruth, who is African American, to touch their child. The hospital complies with their request, but the next day, the baby goes into cardiac distress while Ruth is alone in the nursery. Does she obey orders or does she intervene?

Ruth hesitates before performing CPR and, as a result, is charged with a serious crime. Kennedy McQuarrie, a white public defender, takes her case but gives unexpected advice: Kennedy insists that mentioning race in the courtroom is not a winning strategy. Conflicted by Kennedy’s counsel, Ruth tries to keep life as normal as possible for her family—especially her teenage son—as the case becomes a media sensation. As the trial moves forward, Ruth and Kennedy must gain each other’s trust, and come to see that what they’ve been taught their whole lives about others—and themselves—might be wrong.

With incredible empathy, intelligence, and candor, Jodi Picoult tackles race, privilege, prejudice, justice, and compassion—and doesn’t offer easy answers. Small Great Things is a remarkable achievement from a writer at the top of her game.

About The Author

Jodi Picoult is the author of twenty-three novels, including the #1 New York Times bestsellers Leaving Time, The Storyteller, Lone Wolf, Between the Lines, Sing You Home, House Rules, Handle with Care, Change of Heart, Nineteen Minutes, and My Sister’s Keeper. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband and three children.

Her new novel, SMALL GREAT THINGS, is available in hardcover, ebook, and audio on October 11th.

Website: http://www.jodipicoult.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jodipicoult

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jodipicoult

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It Takes One by Kate Kessler

August 16, 2016

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

It Takes One by Kate Kessler was a book that sucked me in right from the start, but I am not sure why. I know part of it has to do with the fact that I am a huge fan of thriller type books, and this is one the best ones that I have read lately. I was a huge fan of Audrey right from the start of the book because she seemed like someone that I would get along with if she lived in the real world. This book kept me on the edge of my seat for most of the story, and once I started the book, it was one that I had to keep reading because I wanted to know happened and how it all worked out. I do have to say though that if you only read Christian fiction than this might not be the best fit for you. If you love thriller/suspense books like I do then, I know you will love this one as much as I did.

About The Book

They say there are no secrets in a small town…

Criminal psychologist Audrey Harte is returning home after seven years. She’ll have to face the whispers and the rumors that have haunted her family since she left. Because when Audrey was thirteen, she and her best friend Maggie killed Maggie’s abusive father.

Her first night back in town ends in a fight with a drunken Maggie, with her old crush Jake to witness it all. Audrey can’t believe it can get worse.

Then Maggie turns up dead.

Now, Audrey has to find out who the murderer is – before everyone decides that she is to blame. And before the murderer can set their sights on her.

It Takes One is the first in a brand new thriller series where a criminal psychologist uses her own dark past to help law enforcement catch dangerous killers.

About The Author

As a child Kate Kessler seemed to have a knack for finding trouble, and for it finding her. A former delinquent, Kate now prefers to write about trouble rather than cause it, and spends her day writing about why people do the things they do. She lives in New England with her husband. – See more at: http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kate-kessler/it-takes-one/9780316302500/#sthash.jzNzfNLA.dpuf

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Baby Doll by Hollie Overton

July 26, 2016

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Baby Doll by Hollie Overton was an excellent book. I was hooked right from the start with this book, but I figured that I would like it because of the description of the book. These types of books are my favorites, and this one didn’t let me down in the least. I have always been a fan of suspense/thriller books, and this one kept me on the edge of my seat throughout most of the book. This is the first book I have read by this author, and I can’t wait to read other books by her in the future. There were parts of this book that were hard to read because of what was going on, but it wasn’t anything that made me not want to finish the book. I was able to get through this book fast because it was an easy read. If you love suspense novels than I know, you will love this book as much as I did.

About The Book

For fans of Gone Girl and Girl on the Train, Baby Doll is the most tense thriller you will read this year.
Held captive for eight years, Lily has grown from a teenager to an adult in a small basement prison. Her daughter Sky has been a captive her whole life. But one day their captor leaves the deadbolt unlocked.

This is what happens next…

…to her twin sister, to her mother, to her daughter…and to her captor.

About The Author

Born in Chicago, I was adopted at six days old, along with my identical twin sister, Heather, and carried home in matching red Christmas stockings. After our parents divorce, we moved back to my mother’s hometown of Kingsville, Texas. Painfully shy, Heather and I were encouraged to audition for the local production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” The minute I stepped on stage, I was hooked! My mom, also a film and TV junkie nurtured my talents, ensuring that I would never pursue a “normal” profession.

My love affair with storytelling led me to NYC where I studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, writing at Hunter College and Burlington College and mixology in Murray Hill. After heading to Hollywood with dreams of becoming a star, my celluloid claim to fame was one episode of TNT”s “Leverage,” opposite DB Sweeny. Thankfully I realized my talents were better suited behind the scenes and began my screenwriting pursuits.

I landed my big break in 2008 when I was accepted into the coveted Warner Brothers Writers Workshop, a bootcamp style program for aspiring TV writers. After completing the workshop, I was staffed on the CBS drama “Cold Case,” and went on to write for two seasons of Lifetime’s The Client List.” I’m currently a writer on the new ABC Family dramaShadowhunters, based on Cassie Clare’s international bestseller “The Mortal Instruments.”

I always dreamt of publishing a novel but let’s be honest, writing a book is daunting. I mean it’s really really daunting. Luckily, in the spring of 2012, I finally sat my butt down and just kept writing. My debut thriller “Baby Doll” will be published on July 12, 2016 by Red Hook, an imprint of Hatchette in the USA. Baby Doll will also be published by Peguin Random House in the UK and translated into eleven other languages.

I live in West Hollywood with the love of my life, my rescue dog Stevie and my husband David (he’s comfortable where he stands). When I’m not writing, I can be found exploring LA (and beyond) with my twin sister/ best friend, Heather. Sometimes we even let Stevie and David join us.

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Holding Smoke by Elle Cosimano

June 22, 2016

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Holding Smoke by Elle Cosimano was a book that I surprised by how much I liked it in the end. When I started the book, it was one that I didn’t want to put down until I was at the end of the book. This isn’t a book that I would usually pick up but once again I am glad that I did because in the end I enjoyed the story and I am for sure going to check out other books by this author in the future. I enjoyed the characters and the setting of this book. I am not usually into YA books but like I said I enjoyed this book. It is one that I am sure most people would enjoy, and it is a super easy read as well.

About The Book

John “Smoke” Conlan is serving time for two murders but he wasn’t the one who murdered his English teacher, and he never intended to kill the only other witness to the crime. A dangerous juvenile rehabilitation center in Denver, Colorado, known as the Y, is Smoke’s new home and the only one he believes he deserves.

But, unlike his fellow inmates, Smoke is not in constant imprisonment. After a near death experience leaves him with the ability to shed his physical body at will, Smoke is able to travel freely outside the concrete walls of the Y, gathering information for himself and his fellow inmates while they’re asleep in their beds. Convinced his future is only as bright as the fluorescent lights in his cell, Smoke doesn’t care that the “threads” that bind his soul to his body are wearing thin-that one day he may not make it back in time. That is, until he meets Pink, a tough, resourceful girl who is sees him for who he truly is and wants to help him clear his name.

Now Smoke is on a journey to redemption he never thought possible. With Pink’s help, Smoke may be able to reveal the true killer, but the closer they get to the truth, the more deadly their search becomes. The web of lies, deceit, and corruption that put Smoke behind bars is more tangled than they could have ever imagined. With both of their lives on the line, Smoke will have to decide how much he’s willing to risk, and if he can envision a future worth fighting for.

About The Author

Author of NEARLY GONE, NEARLY FOUND, HOLDING SMOKE, and THE SUFFERING TREE (Disney*Hyperion, 2017). Represented by Sarah Davies of The Greenhouse Literary Agency.