The Art of Hearing Heartbeats

The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker
Published by Other Press in 2002
Genre(s): Historical, Romance, Fiction
Format: Kindle
Pages: 337
Goodreads

A poignant and inspirational love story set in Burma, The Art of Hearing Heartbeats spans the decades between the 1950s and the present. When a successful New York lawyer suddenly disappears without a trace, neither his wife nor his daughter Julia has any idea where he might be…until they find a love letter he wrote many years ago, to a Burmese woman they have never heard of. Intent on solving the mystery and coming to terms with her father’s past, Julia decides to travel to the village where the woman lived. There she uncovers a tale of unimaginable hardship, resilience, and passion that will reaffirm the reader’s belief in the power of love to move mountains.

This is a beautiful story and a very compelling read. I have no idea what made me want to read this book, as even reading the description, I don't remember being particularly intrigued. However, it is, without a doubt, one of the best books I have ever read, to date. As the description explains, the story follows a young woman to Burma as she goes on an unexpected but beautiful journey to discover her missing father's past in an attempt to find him. She ends up learning more than she bargained for about her father's childhood including an unimaginable tale of hardship and a powerful love story. This novel was an easy read, and the author does a great job of grasping the reader to truly feel the emotions on every page. I definitely recommend this story to anyone interested in a beautiful love story filled with passion, courage, and so much heart.

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Three Wishes by Liane Moriarty

Three Wishes by Liane Moriarty
Published by Harper Perennial
Genre(s): Fiction, Contemporary
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 356
Goodreads

Lyn, Cat, and Gemma Kettle, beautiful thirty-three-year-old triplets, seem to attract attention everywhere they go. Whenever they're together, laughter, drama, and mayhem seem to follow. But apart, each is very much her own woman, dealing with her own share ofups and downs. Lyn has organized her life into one big checklist, juggling the many balls of work, marriage, and motherhood with expert precision, but is she as together as her datebook would have her seem? Cat has just learned a startling secret about her marriage -- can she bring another life into her very precarious world? And can free-spirited Gemma, who bolts every time a relationship hits the six-month mark, ever hope to find lasting love?

In this wise, witty, hilarious new novel, we follow the Kettle sisters through their thirty-third-year, as they struggle to survive their divorced parents' dating each other, their technologically savvy grandmother, a cheating husband, champagne hangovers, and the fabulous, frustrating life of forever being part of a threesome. A family comedy about sibling rivalry, "Three Wishes is an assured and warmhearted debut.

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Dirty Rush by Taylor Bell

Dirty Rush by Taylor Bell
Published by Gallery Books on Jan. 13, 2015
Genre(s): Fiction/a>
Format: Paperback
Pages: 252
Goodreads

In this shockingly true-to-life novel written by an all-star team of Internet phenoms from the Total Frat Move generation, you’ll get the first true glimpse of “real” sorority life in all its f**ked up glory.

Dirty Rush by Taylor Bell is what happens when you take the creative minds behind Babe Walker (author of the New York Times bestselling White Girl Problemsseries) and add Rebecca Martinson to the mix. Rebecca Martinson—yes, that bitch—the former Delta Gamma sister responsible for the scathing, expletive-filled email that verbally assaulted her entire chapter for being “so f**king boring” at social functions, and threatened to “c*nt punt” every last one of them if their behavior didn’t shape up. Dirty Rush is a no-holds-barred look at what really happens when you “go Greek.”

Taylor Bell comes from a long line of Beta Zeta sorority sisters, who all expect her to pledge upon starting at the university. But Taylor has other plans: she’s determined to give her family the proverbial middle finger and destroy the rich tradition they hold so dear by eschewing sorority life altogether. However, Taylor’s resolve soon melts when she falls in with a group of hilarious, ultra-saucy girls, who introduce her to all things Greek and soften her to the idea of joining. Resigned to the fate the Greek gods have dealt her, Taylor pledges Beta Zeta and embarks on a collegiate career filled with the kind of carousing sure to make any sorority sister proud.

Soon, Taylor’s experience as a BZ starts to feel like a jacked-up, drug-infused, and X-rated fairy tale—especially when reality comes crashing down and a rather lewd sex tape is leaked. The girl in the video looks a lot like Taylor. Has Taylor gone off the deep end? Or is someone trying to frame her? Unless she can prove her innocence and re-ingratiate herself with the sisters who’ve accused her of leaking the video in a Kim Kardashian–style bid for attention, Taylor is at risk of losing everything she’s fought (partied) so hard for. 

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