Shelf Indulgence Book Club

Maddy and Brianna are ten year old cousins who are staying at their grandparent’s house during school vacation. The girls go off to play outside, skipping hand in hand, seemingly innocent.  Their mothers are going about their day, working at their shared store when the police show up claiming there has been an accident with the girls. They are taken to the police station and learn their sweet girls have been accused of a horrific, violent crime.  Maddy and Brianna’s parents would do anything to bring them home and find out the truth...only the girls are remaining silent. They will not speak to their family or police to tell them the truth.  I love a good psychological thriller, and I could not put this book down! I gave this one 4/5 stars and am looking forward to reading more books by K.L. Slater. Reviewed by book lover:  Bailey D.

Today we were honored to receive signed bookmarks for our August read, This Is Where It Ends. The traveled   all the way from the Netherlands to Shelf Indulgence Book Club from Marieke Nijkamp. For now before we dive into the book I'm going to leave you with a little about it and info about the wonderful author herself. This is one book I know that we cannot wait to dive into.  About the Book:  Tragedy brings out the worst and the best in people, the students of Opportunity High School (OHS) learn from a school shooting in This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp. Although, people who would listen to him, surround him — including his sister, Autumn — Tyler Browne believes he is all alone. He blames his fellow students for his loneliness and takes his frustration out on them by bringing a gun to school. At the end of the day, thirty-nine students and teachers are dead and many more are injured. The tragedy at OHS is over in less than an hour. Four narrators tell the story ...

About the Book: Morgan Grant and her sixteen-year-old daughter, Clara, would like nothing more than to be  nothing  alike. Morgan is determined to prevent her daughter from making the same mistakes she did. By getting pregnant and married way too young, Morgan put her own dreams on hold. Clara doesn’t want to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Her predictable mother doesn’t have a spontaneous bone in her body. With warring personalities and conflicting goals, Morgan and Clara find it increasingly difficult to coexist. The only person who can bring peace to the household is Chris—Morgan’s husband, Clara’s father, and the family anchor. But that peace is shattered when Chris is involved in a tragic and questionable accident. The heartbreaking and long-lasting consequences will reach far beyond just Morgan and Clara. While struggling to rebuild everything that crashed around them, Morgan finds comfort in the last person she expects to, and Clara turns to the one boy she’s been for...

I'm excited to say that our book club will be reading You Will Remember me, soon. I found this article as a teaser absolutely fascinating so I had to share it with you as we at Shelf Indulgence love ourself a good who done it thriller.    By: Hannah Mary McKinnon At the beginning of my author career, I took an online writing course. My fourth assignment consisted of drafting a piece describing a person’s love of skiing and their exhilaration at the uncrowded slopes. My fifth assignment instructed me to examine the same scene from the viewpoint of someone who hated the sport and was there only under protest. A few days after I’d sent in my homework, my writing tutor told me he was confused. “Your first character loves to ski,” he said, “but your second detests it equally. I can’t decide which is  your  truth.” Admittedly, growing up in Interlaken, Switzerland had given me a significant advantage. I’ve skied dozens of times in the Alps surrounded by breath-taking scene...

I t’s National Library Week, which means it’s time for the American Library Association’s   Top 10 Most Challenged Books   of 2020 list!   ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom tracks attempts to ban or restrict access to books. More than 273 titles were challenged or banned in 2020, with increasing demands to remove books that address racism and racial justice or those that shared the stories of Black, Indigenous, or people of color. As with previous years, LGBTQ+ content also dominated the list.  George  by Alex Gino.  Challenged, banned, and restricted for LGBTQIA+ content, conflicting with a religious viewpoint, and not reflecting “the values of our community.” Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You  by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds.  Banned and challenged because of the author’s public statements and because of claims that the book contains “selective storytelling incidents” and does not encompass racism against all people. All American Boy...

What we discovered during our last Shelf Indulgence book club meeting (April 11th), is that British author Sarah Vaughan is just as captivating and thoughtful as her books. We had a lively, yet contemplative, discussion of a difficult subject - the changed dynamic of a household after the birth of a baby, and the possibly dangerous emotions some new mothers experience.   Vaughan had us laughing, telling of her own over reaction to her daughter’s innocent, oblique reference to The Sandman - who comes into your room at night. (Who is this predator? I’m calling the police!). And she had us, almost, crying, as she related a couple of the truly horrific stories of violence to children she covered as a reporter for The Guardian.   We also got a crash course in the very interesting take different countries had when designing a cover for Vaughan’s third book “Little Disasters”. (Optioned for a TV series.). When the subject is so emotional, how do you entice readers? Well, if you desig...

Regretting You by Colleen Hoover had been on my to read list for several months. I read a sample and it really drew me in. I was so excited to see the book in our book club schedule this year! The beginning was quite captivating. Julia finds herself pregnant at seventeen and marries her high school boyfriend. Flash forward, their daughter Clara is sixteen, falling in love for the first time and navigating an unexpected trauma.  I REALLY wanted to love this book. I’d seen it recommended many times and read great reviews. Although it started out strong, I grew frustrated and bored with the storyline. I found the characters to be rather flat and ultimately had to force myself to the end. I was hoping for a strong ending , but was a little disappointed.  I’m looking forward to reading other Colleen Hoover books, but this wasn’t the one for me. I give it 2/5 stars.   Reviewed by book lover:  Bailey D.

We were so lucky today to have Sarah Vaughan join us for our discussion of Little Disasters. We wanted to share the discussion with those that couldn't make it but may have loved the book as much as we did:  Play Video Enjoy!

  Tonight I had the pleasure of joining P&P Live, with Caroline Kepnes on the launch of her latest "YOU" novel, You Love me . This series has been one of my can't put it down, read it in one sitting, gotta have more, go to and grab it day of launch novels. I can't wait to see how this next book unfolds. I'm so excited where she takes us next on the adventure of Joe. And I am even more anxious for the continuation of the You Netflix series. Confession, I have the biggest crush on Penn Badgley. He can stalk me any time!!  Kepnes conversed with Nicola and David Yoon. Nicola is the author of the #1  New York Times  bestsellers  The Sun Is Also a Star  and  Everything, Everything , her debut novel that was turned into a major motion picture. David Yoon is the author of the  New York Times  bestseller  Frankly in Love , and he also drew the illustrations for  Everything, Everything . Music moments sparked her to go back to his world. ...

  The banter between two authors can often feel like a peek into a private conversation and tonight was no exception. I got to be a part of a Zoom Webinar with best selling authors Karin Slaughter (The Silent Wife) and Joshilyn Jackson (Never Have I Ever). With both authors living in the Atlanta area, they are old friends and the shared jokes and sarcasm between to two was a joy to watch. We opened up with a brief rundown of Joshilyn’s bio, leading into the story of the time Joshilyn was arrested on the way to a TV appearance and put in jail. Basically, due to a clerical error in the system, her name was flagged as a domestic terrorist and had a warrant out for her arrest. After getting pulled over for speeding, she was promptly handcuffed and thrown in the local small town jail. She was informed that the jail would close at 5 and then she’d be transported to the big city jail where “she wouldn’t do well” as a thirty something white woman, dressed in her Ann Taylor TV outfit. She e...

I almost gave up on this book. Child abuse was the prevailing topic early on and the impending doom felt as the pages turned is not something I can stomach nor want for use of my spare time. I trudged half way through, shaking my head and gritting my teeth as  the undercurrent of abuse strengthened. Character Jess portrayed as the beautiful woman with the glossy life and yet also the person of interest. Physical abuse; baby girl hospitalized with a skull fracture. Emotional abuse; young son hysterical, "You were so stressy. I just wanted to make things better. I just wanted to make you happy." Isolation of playgroup friends assuming guilt. Police and child protection agency investigating. As the reader, I felt the weight crushing.  Then, there was a shift. The book flashbacked to a playgroup BBQ hosted by character Liz. "Everything is set, and yet my stomach twists."  As an outsider, it's easy to judge. When you have honest internal dialogue as expressed by Liz,...

Today we were lucky enough to have our third author appearance of the year. Sarah Vaughan joined our book club discussion!! It was an honor to meet her and to discuss this book, Little Disasters.  About the Book: Little Disasters is published on April 2 in the UK, May 1 in Australia/NZ, and August 18 in the US. From the bestselling author of  ‘Anatomy of a Scandal’  – a new thought-provoking novel exploring the complexity of motherhood and all that connects and disconnects us.   You think you know her… But look a little closer. She is a stay-at-home mother-of-three with boundless reserves of patience, energy and love. After being friends for a decade, this is how Liz sees Jess.  Then one moment changes everything.  Dark thoughts and carefully guarded secrets surface – and Liz is left questioning everything she thought she knew about her friend, and about herself.  Discussion Questions:   1.   Consider the two epigrap...

We here at Shelf Indulgence have some HUGE Emily Bleeker announcements. First we'll start with the book, 'What It Seems' which is up for an award. Emily had to make a silly video showing what this book would look like on a "first date". And let me say, this is just absolutely fantastic!! She shared with us for me to share with you!!  If you haven't checked out What It Seems, it's one of my favorite's that we have read in the past two years. It's highly worth the read as it's a real page turner. Here is a synopsis: Adopted by her controlling foster mother at the age of eight, twenty-year-old Tara has seen little of the outside world. Lonely, punished for the slightest offense, her only distraction comes from watching the Feely family’s online videos. They’re an affectionate vlogging quintet and an internet sensation. Most important, they are Tara’s mental refuge. Then the opportunity arises for them to be something more. When Tara accepts an int...

I am so excited to attend the up coming virtual  Mother May I Book Event  with the  Gwinnett Public Library and Eagle Eye Book Shop. Joshilyn Jackson will have a conversation with Karin Slaughter for her newest thrilling novel,  Mother May.  Our book club will be reading this book in December and Karin's new book in January of 2021. If you have a moment, snag your ticket for the event now: https://eagleeyebooks.com/home/eventgendetails/1897 Mother May I Growing up poor in rural Georgia, Bree Cabbat was warned by her single mother that the world was a dark and scary place, however Bree married into a family with wealth, power, and connections, Bree now has all a woman could ever dream of: a loving lawyer husband, two talented teenage daughters, a new baby boy, a gorgeous home, and every opportunity in the world.........until the day she awakens and sees a witch peering into her bedroom window. Later that day, she spies the old woman again, in the parking lot...