Whatever Wednesday: August Book Review Club

August 4th, 2010

Whew. It’s been too long. After two months of barely any books, I’m back. In fact, this past July, I read over twenty novels. Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating a little and it was more like fourteen, but honestly, it felt like twenty. Gotta love the summer.

The first Wednesday of the month means another edition of The Book Review Club hosted by Barrie Summy, author of the I So Don’t Do Mysteries series. Today, I’m featuring two books by the sensational Cylin Busby – one co-written with her father, The Year We Disappeared, and the other, a short story anthology, First Kiss (Then Tell).

First off, I have a complaint. The Year We Disappeared cost me some serious sleep time. Once I began reading this novel, I could not put it down. Written by Cylin and her police officer father, John, The Year We Disappeared is presented in alternating father/daughter points of views about a moment that changed the Busby family forever – John’s attempted murder. In an instant, the Busby’s normal family life is shattered when John is shot at close range on his way to work. Stuck in an endless web of corruption and lies, the entire family struggles to cope with their new world. What do you do when the people paid to protect you might be in on the murder plot? Don’t miss this page turner!

Cylin Busby’s second book, First Kiss (Then Tell), is a fabulous first kiss short story anthology featuring popular young adult authors Alyson Noel, Lauren Myracle, Micol Ostow, Sarah Mlynowski, Scott Westerfield, and many, many more. The touching and hilarious ‘true’ kiss stories brought back so many wonderful memories – like my first kiss. Picture it – a boyfriend, the beach, gentle waves, and a gorgeous sunset. It was magical… Not quite.  My first kiss included a serious lack of patience (always gets me in trouble), a basement, a birthday party, a spinning bottle, and a washing machine. Seriously.

How about you? Tell me about your first kiss.

For more book reviews and recommendations, click here.

Attention: Athletes (specifically field hockey players) – Check out Mary Marino’s Freshman Season. Mary is a former field hockey and lacrosse coach, a member of the New Jersey Lacrosse Hall of Fame, and the author of the non-fiction lacrosse book, On Attack. Mary was kind enough to slip me a copy at an event last month. Thanks, Mary!

Happy Wednesday! 

Disclosure: I often receive ARCs and/or books for reviews (most of the time due to my Chick Lit column for South Jersey Mom magazine and sometimes because I’m an author and other times because I beg). However, I do not blog about every book I receive, only the ones I absolutely adore or feel the need to recommend to fans of sporty lit.