You With The Sad Eyes By Christina Applegate

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If you enjoy Christina’s TV and move pressence, this one is one to give a go. I learned much… and I had no idea. ~Sheila

You may know Christina ( as I do) from her early career years on the sitcom Married With Children, as Kelly Bundy, or the 1991 movie, Don’t Tell Mom. You may know her for the 2002 Movie The Sweetest Thing, one of my personal favorites – or maybe hor her most recent Dead To Me ( 2019 – 2022 series).

If you know who she is, you most likely know of her MS diagnosis in 2021- but you may not know of a tragically hard childhood being subjected to horrible things, a horrific relationship ( or two), as well as her cancer diagnosis.
Throughout it all, Christina has maintained a work ethic ( to a fault) with her head held high ( for the most part) – and for at least as long as she can.

While never a fan of Married With Children, I have enjoyed quite a few movies Christina has been in, and through the years, really begun to appreciate her skills as an actress. When I heard about this memoir, I was all in, always enjoying the behind-the-scenes dishing of stars I grew up with, the funny things we don’t know, as well as the harder truths.

This book was definitely harder truths than I bargained for. Christina shares a lifetime of happenings that left me sad for her rise to stardom despite some insane odds, only to be knocked down by an unforgiving disease that knows no boundaries.

If there was ever a time to say something was not fair…

Christina is pretty real and raw – at times a little too real and raw as you pick up on the bitterness ( rightfully so) of all she has been through to land here – walking with a cane, and in pain most of the time, as well as a few graphically described moments as she is narrating. Still – even though parts are HARD – there are parts I loved…. her behind-the-scenes antics with Cameron Diaz made me think that if I were in her circles, we would have been friends.

While not the easiest read – suggested for fans – it’s important to know it all.

Rated: 4 out of 5
Read Author Before: No
Read Author Again: I think this is a one-and-done for her
Where Read: Home

Bookclub Worthy: I don’t believe our book club has even done a memoir, and I think it would be interesting to do one over a person’s story that we are familiar with. This book could be one that could make for an interesting discussion – not only about memoirs but also about our personal history with the author – tv, movies, etc…

Yes there is food in the book – the one that stands out for me is the shrimp and Christina hiding to eat two…. (WYKTK) Oof.

Want To Know A Secret by Freida McFadden

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April Masterson and her hit YouTube Channel can tell you all about making melt-in-your-mouth lemon bars or how not to burn the edges of your brownies. She lives in a right-out-of-a-movie-style suburb with her husband, Elliot, and son, Bobby. All of this gives her the perfect wholesome, well-rounded media presence.

But when anonymous messages start being delivered to April… her perfect world begins to unravel. Someone is messing with April… someone who knows her deepest, darkest secrets. And the options of who it could be…. are many.

So yeah… I know. McFadden. Here we are again. I love her. And sometimes I don’t. This one falls in between. A lot was going on here…. while true to McFadden style… for me, it was too much going on. So many different ways this could have gone. In the end, I think I was so confused I didn’t care.

Was it me? Possibly. Maybe it was the wrong time for this one, and I was distracted. But not my fav.

Rated: 2.75ish out of 5
Read Author Before: yes
Read Author Again: yes because I do often enjoy her
Where Read: Back home after Vacation

Bookclub Worthy: I’m going to say no and probably for personal reasons – I want books for book club that make you think – that bring something to the discussion. Sure – you can talk about who did it and who we suspected – yes, there are some great ideas for food here with all the baking… but for myself…. I want more.

The Other Woman by Sandie Jones

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Only put this one down to use the bathroom! ~ Sheila

Emily can not believe her luck when she meets Adam Banks. He is good-looking, funny, and kind, and they seem like the perfect fit.
What Emily did not count on was another woman who loves Adam so fiercely that she would do anything to destroy his relationship with Emily.

Meet Pammie – Adam’s mother.

Oh, sweet team with a lemon slice! Was this crazy, crazy good! Pammie pulls out every trick in the book, from feigning frailty, the inability to care for herself, to inviting Emily’s nemesis to Emily’s bridal shower weekend. Adam, of course, is blind to it all – having an excuse for every one of Pammie’s behaviors to the point that it makes Emily look like she is the one being the mega B.

I found this book at a little free library area of the RV park we were staying at in Florida recently. I left a nice bundle of the books I had finished reading and scooped a few more on the way home. I kind of love that Sarah Pekkanen’s quote is on the front cover, as I have just finished her newest book as well.

Highly recommend picking this one up – it surprised me in all the good ways …. in fact, I actually looked at the page # when I finally got the “Oh wait a minute…. ” moment. It was page 285.

Rated: 4 out of 5
Read Author Before: Yes
Read Author Again: You Bet
Where Read: Georgia – on our way home from Florida by RV

Bookclub Worthy: Yes! There is a lot of detective work we can flesh out – almost building your own crime scene board…. the “Who did it and the motives” A whole glass-free meeting would be fun as well… pulling food items such as Pizza and Nachos ( comfort foods during meetings between Stella and Rose) – also Tea, Wine


Rated: 5 out of 5
Read Author Before: I don’t think so
Read Author Again: I would!
Where Read: Illinois – on our way home from Florida by RV

Bookclub Worthy: YES! What fun conversation you cna have about mothers/mothers-in-law…. if anyone has a story they wish to share, the red flags with Adam, the “where would you call it and move on moment”, and so much more I can’t say without spoilers 🙂

Food – Curry, Take Out, Wine

House of Glass By Sarah Pekkanen

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“Sharp and shattering” ~ Sheila

When a young Nanny plunged to her death from a 3rd floor window of the Barklay home where she worked… speculation abounded.
Was it an accident?
Was it suicide?
Or was she pushed?
All three are probable – but which is true?

Nine-year-old Rose Barklay was in the garden with her grandmother when they heard the sound of breaking glass. Traumatized by what she saw, already dealing with the stress of her parents’ pending divorce and custody battle, Rose has stopped speaking.

Stella Hudson is a Best Interest Attorney, hired to serve as counsel in determining which parent, Rose, will be best suited to live with. Having her own childhood trauma makes Stella particularly good at her job, as she knows how important these decisions are.

But Stella is in for a particularly tough time surrounding the circumstances of the nanny’s unsolved case, and once she passes through the security gate of Ian and Beth Barklay’s historical DC home, she realizes that this family is even more troubled than she anticipated. The entire home does not have one piece of glass in it – not the windows, not the dishes, not the picture frames… nothing. Stemming from Beth’s own trauma of the incident, rendering her with Nelophobia.

As Stella digs in, she is discovering secrets that the Barclay family is desperate to hide, leaving what happened to the nanny wide open on possibilities – was it the Nanny’s boyfriend, who was bitter about a possible breakup? Or was it the father? The mother? The Grandmother? Or even Rose herself?
Is the person she is there to protect – the one who should be protected from?

Sarah and I, Book Expo in New York, 2011

So here is why I LOVE Sarah Pekkanen. WAY back in 2010 – I entered a drawing she was hosting and WON my trip to New York City ot the Book Expo that year. She paid my flight, and my hotel – AND we toured Simon and Schuster together. (IF you are a long-time reader of mine, you know this is where I SQUUUUUEEE)

Moving forward, Sarah was one of the authors who said yes to the first year we hosted Wine and Words – the author event in Central Minnesota. She has been here twice now and was also a sweet advocate during the loss of my son in 2015.

Back in 2010, Sarah was writing a different style of book, more contemporary fiction. The Opposite of Me was my first read of hers. Then I read Skipping a Beat and These Girls. (All of which grace my library shelves to this day) AND – I can go on and on – enter Sarah’s name in the search bar here, and you will find all of my reviews.

What is cool is that in more recent years she has become more of the psychological thriller type of writer, and it is soooo fun to say I knew her when…. 🙂


House of Glass was crazy good. There is so much going on – and as you dig in, you find that everyone has a secret ….everyone has a motive that could make them the cause of the Nanny’s fall. And while all this is going on – you are also learning Stella’s back story and her own unresolved trauma…. enough so that you wonder if perhaps Stella will show up in a future Pekkanen book….

Inquiring minds want to know!

Overall – a good creepy thriller… I had no idea who did it – there were so many ways this could have gone and any one of them would have been legit.

Rated: 4 out of 5
Read Author Before: Yes
Read Author Again: You Bet
Where Read: Georgia – on our way home from Florida by RV

Bookclub Worthy: Yes! There is a lot of detective work we can flesh out – almost building your own crime scene board…. the “Who did it and the motives” A whole glass-free meeting would be fun as well… pulling food items such as Pizza and Nachos ( comfort foods during meetings between Stella and Rose) – also Tea, Wine

A Stranger in the House by Shari Lapena

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When Tom Krupp comes home to an empty house after a long workday, he is surprised not to find his wife, Karen, in the kitchen. Not only is she not in the kitchen… but she is nowhere in the house. The making of spaghetti is set out… more disturbing yet – her purse as well as her phone is there as well.

Where could she have gone in such a rush?

Meanwhile – in a shady part of town… There has been a car crash. The driver, a 30ish female, has a concussion but is otherwise ok. Karen Krupp is rushed to the hospital, and Tom is notified.

Think is – Karen can not remember why she would have left home and been in that area … and when a man’s body is found in that same location – there seems to be a lot of scattered pieces to a mystery… that feels like it should somehow fit together.

Who is the mystery man?

Why are Karen’s can tracks found where he was killed?

Is Karen being honest when she says she can not remember?

And all of this is happening under the watchful eye of a neighbor, who may just have an agenda of her own.

Ummm….

I have read several books by this Author that I found enjoyable. This one, for whatever reason, just didn’t gel with me. First up… the book feels like it should be written for a longer married couple – and that is probably an odd thing to say – but the way the book started, Karen is mainly a stay-at-home gal… I was surprised to hear they have been married for two years… ( and yeah -this is probably just me)

The storyline is a little different, where I am so used to there being the wild twist… this one honestly felt a little “twistless”.

This sounds like I hated it – and I didn’t… I just didnt love it 🙂

Rated: 3 out of 5
Read Author Before: Yes
Read Author Again: Most likely
Where Read: Fort Myers, Florida

Making Friends Can Be Murder by Kathleen West

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A fun adventure of women with the same name ~ Sheila

When thirty-year-old Sarah Jones relocated to Minneapolis after breaking off her engagement, she had no idea what she was in for.

When she is invited to join a group of women all with the same name – The Sarah Jones Project (TSJP), she thinks, why not – this can be a fun way to meet people, all sharing a very common name.

What starts as a meet-up, organized by the youngest of the group, the seventeen-year-old Sarah Jones, sharing stories of receiving mail that was not theirs, wrong numbers, bill collectors looking for A Sarah Jones – but not you, and a cool project they plan together that gives them media coverage, takes a different turn when one of their name sakes is found dead under mysterious circumstances.

With a mix of ages, skills, backgrounds, and talents, the Sarah’s work together as a team to piece together what is happening before the killer moves on to another potential victim.

So- Kathleen West was one of our authors at Wine and Words in 2025 – the local Author Event that I secured authors for – now going on its 14th year. I purchased this book from Kathleen; however, this is not my copy. I did not bring it to Florida with me, and when I cruised through all the books I did bring with me, my friend DeAnna lent me her copy.

The beginning was a bit rough… all the Sarah Jones’ were a little much to wrap my head around. Thankfully (and brilliantly), our Author came up with the system that they communicated in person as well as by text, by using their age to identify themselves. So the Sarah who organized the group was known as 17. And our main protagonist, our Sarah Jones, a personal trainer who had moved to Minneapolis, was known as 30. Then you have:

27: A grad student and nanny who worked for one of the other Sarah’s

39 and 44: Both Teachers

69: A retired Lawyer who runs a Blog

Honestly, once you get the rhythm, it’s kind of fun.

A fairly quick, easy read – perfect for my days in the sun.

Rated: 3 out of 5
Read Author Before: No
Read Author Again: Maybe
Where Read: Fort Myers, Florida

Book Club Worthy – I think a little light for a Book Club pick, but at the same time, you could have a lot of fun discussing the Sarah’s – the whole who-done-it theme. The name game as well – what is the most common name combination – how does your name rank as common or unusual…

Culpability by Bruce Holsinger

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In a world filled with Artificial Intelligence, everything seems possible as well as impossible. ~ Sheila

When the self-driving minivan of the Cassidy-Shaw family is in an accident that results in the fatalities of an elderly couple in the other vehicle, the family is shaken.
17-year-old Charlie was behind the wheel when he grabbed the wheel to avoid a potential collision. His father, Noah, a lawyer, was in the passenger seat, working on an email, his mother, Lorelei, an AI expert in her field, was working on her laptop in the back seat, and his two younger sisters, Alice and Izzy, also in the back seat, were on their phones.

Following the tragedy, the family retreats to a rental house on the Chesapeake Bay to be together in the aftermath of this tragedy as they sort through what happened. As the police investigate, there seems to be more secrets going on in the family than meets the eye –

Noah, as the adult in the passenger seat, would be responsible for Charlie’s driving and should have paid more attention.
Loralei’s behavior since the accident is questionable – she seems like she is hiding something – or is it just the stress of the situation

And the girls, Izzy and Alice, seem off both with their own things they are not saying.

—suspicions within the family are heightened by the sudden appearance on the bay of Daniel Monet, a tech mogul whose mysterious history with Lorelei hints at betrayal. When Charlie falls for Monet’s teenage daughter, the stakes are raised even higher in this propulsive family drama that is also a fascinating exploration of the moral responsibility and ethical consequences of AI.

I first heard of this book when a friend chose it for her first book of the year. I looked up the synopsis, thought it sounded interesting, and filed that in the “To Be Read” section of my brain.
Currently on vacation in Florida, and listening to audiobooks as I walk the dogs several times a day – I moved forward with this one, and I am glad I did.

First up – LOVED the narration. This book flowed, and it was one I could not wait to continue every chance I had to see what was going to happen.

The book is fascinating on many levels -you have the whole auto-driven car and the human responsibilities that go with it. You have a 17-year-old behind the wheel -but not driving, until it seems there may be a reason to take over. And you have a family all distracted by their devices in one way or another, and honestly, on a car trip, in today’s day and age, there is nothing unusual about that.

The book brings to the forefront the reality that in a world of advanced technology, moral responsibility often gets lost, forcing the characters, as well as the readers, to grapple with who is truly at fault.

What Author Bruce Holsinger brings to this book is a brilliant take at todays world in a sad but believable situation.

Don’t be turned off by the hard synopsis. While the car accident is the setting for this book, there is so much more to the story.

Rated: 4.75 out of 5
Read Author Before: Yes
Read Author Again: Most likely
Where Read: Fort Myers, Florida

Book Club Worthy – Absolutely! There is so much to talk about here. AI is a hot topic for this book as well as the unpacking of each of the family members’ roles in what happened… Conversations about responsibility, the use of money to make things “go away,” are all good topics for discussion.

Food themes – as the majority of the book is set while the family is on the beach – hot dogs, take out, grilling – and of course, leveling up if you want to go with the taco bar from the party

My Husband’s Wide by Alice Feeney

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More twists than Rapunzel’s hair – Sheila

On the afternoon of Eden Fox’s first Gallery Exhibit of her artwork, she goes for a run. Running has always been a way for Eden to find her center, calm the edges of her mind, and let go of worry, stress, and worldly things. She brings nothing with her – no distractions of a phone, nothing on her but her running clothes and shoes, and the key to her home.. as close to earthly bliss as she can get.

When she returns home to her and her husband’s fairly new home, Spyglass, an older, intriguing home in Hope Falls with good bones, she finds her key does not work in the door.

And the woman who comes to the door is claiming to be her husband’s wife….

And Eden’s husband, standing next to this stranger, with his hand on her shoulder, is saying the same.

What sort of Rabbit Hole is this?

First up – snaps for Alice Feeney, last year when I read her book, Beautiful Ugly, I found the book intriguing. Then, probably like many of you, I started to hear the raves of this book… and more recently ran into this post on Facebook:

And so here I sit in the minority.

For most of the book, I found myself scrambling to keep up… there is the whole death day storyline, there is the detective(s) storyline…. and there are the two Eden Fox’s that the whole town all claim the woman at the door is THE Eden Fox. Then you have the original Eden Fox ( or at least as far as we know) – and she has no one – NO ONE that can prove she is who she says she is…. no close friends, no family, and one adult child who is not talking – ( more on that in the book)

As she is out running – she has no identity on her – she didn’t wear her wedding rings, she doesn’t have her driver’s license, and conveniently, while she was running – the house has been wiped clean of her personal things (photos, identity, etc…)

I love a good twisty read – but for whatever reason, this one did not click for me. I listened ( yes audio) to the whole thing in hopes that in the end it would be an “aha” moment… but no. As one person said in a review, “If you get to the end of the book and feel you need to read it again to understand it, the Author has missed the mark”. I would agree.

As always, come up with your own opinion – MANY reviews say otherwise. MANY loved it. I typically do not read reviews on a book until I have written my own, but I was so baffled in the end that I had to read some just to see if they were getting something I just missed.

Rated: 2.5 out of 5 (A for effort – but too unbelievable for me)
Read Author Before: Yes
Read Author Again: Most likely
Where Read: Fort Myers, Florida

Book Club Worthy – tough call. I have a feeling my Book Club would struggle with this one as I did. On the flip side of that, often the hard ones/weird ones are fun to shred.
The whole “know your death date” is definitely discussion-worthy (although I think I know my Books Clubs answer to that one)

I Don’t Forgive You by Aggie Thompson

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)1 Comment

In a world filled with so much falseness… this is crazy possible. ` Sheila

Mark and Allie Ross have moved to a classy DC suburb with their 6-year-old son, Cole. The neighbors are close to one another, and when the couple is invited to a neighborhood party, Allie is desperate to make a good impression.

She does anything but.

When Rob Avery, a dad at the party, flirts with Allie, it all seems harmless – until Allie finds he follows her to the bathroom and attempts to assault her, calling her by an old nickname she hasn’t been called since high school – “Lexi”. While nothing happens, the next day, this dad is found dead.

Soon, the police are at Allie’s door – eye witnesses had seen her at the party with Rob, and evidence shows that Allie has a Tinder account, has social media posts of herself in provocative positions, and there is a record of texts between her and Rob.

The truth is – Allie has done none of these things. But proving her innocence against a full-on hacking of all of her devices proves to be an uphill battle.

Allie’s reputation, both professionally and personally, is at stake. Even Mark, her biggest cheerleader, is starting to look at her differently, and Allie is starting to feel a little foggy on details herself, starting to forget commitments she has made. As the situation escalates, Allie must reach back into a past that she never wanted to remember.

What is so crazy great and spooky at the same time about this book is how easily this could happen. In this world of AI that can take your photo and put you anywhere – doing anything... You can see how this could happen.

The story is written well – a nice flow from introducing us to our main protagonist and flowing right into the neighborhood party to the murder. I like that we get right to it and not the rest of the book is figuring out what the heck is going on 😀

Author Aggie Thompson does a nice job in this debut book….Often I find gaps and loose threads in books that bother me or feel unnecessary or false to the storyline… I have none of that here. Just good creepy fun.

Rated: 4 out of 5
Read Author Before: No
Read Author Again: Yes
Where Read: Fort Myers, Florida

Any triggers – attempted assault

Bookclub Worthy: yes! What a great discussion this can be about social media and how false things are easily acceptable now. You also have what happened to Allie and how and how you as a spouse or significant other woudl react if this were happening to your partner, and all evidence points to it being real.

Food suggestions: You have the party, so really anything you would bring to a neighborhood gathering works.

Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak

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It’s been a long time since I read such a spooky premise book….this one checked the box. ~ Sheila

Mallory Quin has struggled with addiction for a long time. Now fresh out of rehab, she is ready for a fresh start. When her sponsor, Russell, lines up an interview for her as a nanny for the Maxwells’ five-year-old son, Teddy. Mallory believes her chances to land the job are small – after all, Ted and Caroline Maxwell are people with high standards, a beautiful home, and a list of qualified choices.

When Mallory gets the call back for the job, she is over the moon and promises herself she will not do anything to mess up this opportunity. Teddy is a fun and easy child, and he and Mallory hit it off right away. The only thing that seems off is that Teddy loves to draw, and among his pictures are some darker ones of a strange figure.

Caroline calls the photos of “Anya” Teddy’s imaginary friend… but as the pictures become more sinister, Mallory feels strongly that it is something more. She hears Teddy talking with someone frequently in his room during his quiet time, and often finds the pictures after these afternoon breaks.

Mallory is caught between the family thinking she is crazy and losing her job, and possibly saving this little boy from something from the past.

When I picked this book up recently, I went back and forth on the purchase. I liked the synopsis, but I’m not much of a horror reader – more of a campfire-style spooky read gal. Even after I made the purchase, when it was time to pick the next book I would read, I hesitated…it’s a little bigger than my average reads, and I wondered if I really wanted to get caught up in a bigger read during vacation.

I dove in anyway – knowing if it wasn’t a fit – I would move on ( already had a couple of those in the last few weeks)… but the opposite happened.

I enjoyed the book right from the start – and when I realized quite a few of the pages were pictures as the story unfolded… I didn’t sweat the size so much.

What I really loved is that this book never gets horrifying – if you know what I mean. While there is a murder, it’s not graphic or over detailed – there is also no sexual content (which honestly, often feels like book-filler)

It is… as I had hoped… a good, engaging spooky read. This was a real page-turner for me, and I finished it in 3 days. My only gripe is that when what is happening is revealed, it is all a little too quick, and I didn’t catch any of the clues leading up to that (maybe that’s me). Otherwise, a unique read, which is almost always a plus, and I enjoyed it.

Rated: 4 out of 5
Read Author Before: No
Read Author Again: Yes
Where Read: Fort Myers, Florida

Any triggers – while addiction (drugs) is mentioned, it is mostly in the past and not a big topic of the book

Bookclub Worthy: OOH yes- so much spooky goodness to talk about. While the ghostly side of the book is one thing, Mallory’s character is a total other topic for her turnaround from rehab to the job and of course, the family itself and what happens.
Food – so many things – lots of lunches with Teddy – sandwiches, cookies, grilled cheese… and dinners that Mallory is invited to with the family, as well as when she goes out to eat or to Adrian’s familys party.