TRUE BLUE

TRUE BLUE by David Baldacci

From the book jacket:

Mason "Mace" Perry was a firebrand cop on the D.C. police force until she was kidnapped and framed for a crime.  She lost everything - her badge, her career, her freedom - and spent two years in prison.  Now she's back on the outside and focused on one mission:  to be a cop once more.  Her only shot to be a true blue again is to solve a major case on her own, and prove she has the right to wear the uniform.  But even with her police chief sister on her side, she has to work in the shadows:  A vindictive U.S. attorney is looking for any reason to send Mace back behind bars.  Then Roy Kingman enters her life.


Roy is a young lawyer who aided the poor until he took a high-paying job at a law firm in Washington.  Mace and Roy meet after he discovers the dead body of a female partner at the firm.  As they investigate the death, they start uncovering surprising secrets from both the private and public world of the nation's capital.


Soon, what began as a fairly routine homicide takes a terrifying and unexpected turn - into something complex, diabolical, and possibly lethal.

I love David Baldacci's books.  Every one is a winner.  And this one is another great one.  Mace is a terrific character - she's tough and gritty.  Her sister, Beth, plays by the rules but isn't afraid to bend them when needed.  And Roy has plenty of moxie and seems a perfect "partner" for Mace.

Judging from the lives of the characters and the ending of the book, I get the feeling that Mr. Baldacci will be writing about Mace and Roy again.  I sure hope so!

BUSY FRIDAY

I went back to the girl who had colored my hair a while ago, and this time she did it exactly the way I wanted.  It's light in the front, but it's more a honey blonde rather than a silvery-blonde (that looked just like my own gray hair) like last time.  And it was less expensive than the new salon I was going to use.

Today's a busy day.  I have to get ready and go to the dreaded Wal-Mart in a few minutes.  We're out of milk, bread and eggs and probably a few more things.  The Wal-Mart I go to is new and not too many people have discovered it yet, though it is getting a little busier than it had been.  When I get back, it'll be time to go play cards.

I'm reading TRUE BLUE, the latest book by David Baldacci.  Great book - very hard to put it down.  I'll finish it sometime today.

Maggie is running around the house this morning - she has the itches again and can't find a comfortable place to sit.  And she's scooting.  I had to put some Lanacane on her bottom this morning to help her.  We've been really careful about what she's been given to eat, so I don't know what's caused this spell.  I guess we'll never know the cause of all her different allergies.  Poor baby.

Hope you all have a great Friday.

STRENGTH TO ENDURE

STRENGTH TO ENDURE by Tristi Pinkston

From the back of the book:

Anneliese Klein was just a small girl when Hitler came into power in her home country of Germany.  Fear and uncertainty were as much a part of her childhood as dolls and tea parties.  As she grew up, the war crept even closer to home, taking first her two brothers and then her father.  Eventually it claims the man she loves.  How will she survive these horrors?  And what will become of her unborn child?


A historically rich tale, STRENGTH TO ENDURE expertly portrays the consequences of war and the ability of the human spirit to conquer all.

This book was written by a fellow blogger, Tristi Pinkston.  As a member of the Church of the Latter-Day Saints, she incorporates the teachings of her church into her books.

This book was an easy read about a hard subject, WWII in Germany.  Although the characters had to live with the shadow of incarceration and death hovering over them, their deep faith and love and caring for others kept them going through the hard times.

I have a couple more of Tristi's books here to read, and I'm looking forward to them.

KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED

I'm off in about an hour to have my hair highlighted by someone new.  She came highly recommended by a couple of ladies that are on my Monday bowling league.  Their hair looks good, so I'm giving her a try.

Keep your fingers crossed for me!

UPDATE:  Walked out of the salon after waiting for over 30 minutes without being acknowledged.  I don't need that.  I'm going back to my old salon on Thursday and giving my colorist one more chance.

THE KING'S GRACE

THE KING'S GRACE by Anne Easter Smith

From the back of the book:

All that history knows of Grace Plantagenet is that she was an illegitimate daughter of Edward IV and one of two attendants aboard the funeral barge of his widowed queen.  Thus, she was half sister of the famous young princes, who - when this story begins in 1485 - had been housed in the Tower by their Uncle, Richard III, and are presumed dead.


But in the 1490's, a young man appears at the courts of Europe claiming to be Richard, duke of York, the younger of the boys, and seeking to claim his rightful throne from England's first Tudor king, Henry VII.  But is this man who he says he is?  Grace Plantagenet finds herself in the midst of one of English history's greatest mysteries.  If she can discover the fate of the princes and the true identity of the mysterious man, perhaps she will find her own place in her family.

This is the third book about the House of York written by Ms. Smith, and I have loved them all.  In this book of historical fiction, she takes an unknown character and gives her a life as the leading character.

Much of the story deals with Perkin Warbeck who pretended to be young Richard and his travels throughout Europe gaining support in his quest for the crown of England.  From what I have learned of Perkin from the internet, Ms. Smith writes his story with much accuracy.

I'm looking forward to Ms. Smith's next book about Cecily of York, mother of Edward IV and Richard III.

ANYBODY NOT READING??

Is there anyone who didn't do the 24-hour Read-a-Thon - other than me?  My Google Reader is full of posts about this event.  There is no way I could stay up for 24 hours and read.  Now, I love to read, but I just couldn't do it for that long.  These old eyes get too tired.

I spent a lot of time this morning redoing my FarmVille farm over on Facebook.  They now have flowers, so I changed my farm to a country estate.  I have my villa and small flower gardens all enclosed by green hedges.  No pigs and goats for this lady!

Dom and I went to a Southern-style buffet for lunch.  Fried chicken, baked chicken, baked ham, fried whole catfish, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, green beans, Brunswick stew, cobbler (peach and blackberry), banana pudding - it was all there and more.  I stayed away from the fried food but I had to have seconds of that home-made mac and cheese.  No dinner tonight for us!

Not much else going on around here.  Our former investment firm finally released the money for the annuity, so that's one problem solved.  I've decided that my haircut wasn't that bad after all - it's the color that I don't like - specifically the lack of highlights (which were mostly all cut off).  I'm going to try to get it highlighted sometime this week.

Anything exciting and interesting going on in your neck of the woods?

ANOTHER GIVE-AWAY? - HERE'S THE WINNER!

HERE'S THE WINNER - Beth at Beth Fish Reads.


Beth - I'll contact you by e-mail to get your mailing address.  Congratulations and I hope you'll enjoy the book!



Sure - why not?  It's my 1100th post and I have a book to give away - PEOPLE OF THE BOOK by Geraldine Brooks, a Pulitzer Prize winning author.


I just realized that I have 2 brand-new copies of this book.  I haven't read it yet, but I've heard good things about it.  I'll give away the hardcover edition.  This is a synopsis from Borders.com:

Hanna Heath, an Australian rare-book expert, is offered the job of a lifetime:  analysis and conservation of the famous Sarajevo Haggadah, which was rescued during the Bosnian war.  When Hanna discovers a series of tiny artifacts in the book's ancient binding, she begins to unlock its mysteries.

I'll make this drawing easy to enter.  I hate some of the complicated entry requirements of other blogs - have to be a follower, post on Twitter, post a picture on the sidebar, give up your first-born child.  Too much work.

Just leave a comment with your e-mail address.  One comment, one entry.  Simple and easy.  US and Canada only, sorry.

I'll leave the drawing open until Thursday, October 22 at 6:00 PM.  Good luck!

WHICH ONE?

Amazon Kindle or Barnes & Noble Nook?

I'm thinking of asking for one of these for Christmas.  Any ideas of which one to get?  I know the Nook hasn't been released yet, but from the information on B&N it looks good.  But would the Kindle, since it's been around longer, be better?

I'm just looking for books to read.  I won't be sending them to an iPod or iPhone or anything like that.  I don't want audio books or music - strictly books to read.

Any suggestions or thoughts?

AM I NOT A MAN? - The Dred Scott Story

AM I NOT A MAN? - The Dred Scott Story by Mark L. Shurtleff was sent to me by Tristi Pinkston of Valor Publishing to review for a virtual book tour.

From the back of the book:

An illiterate slave, Dred Scott trusted in an all-white, slave-owning jury to declare him free. But after briefly experiencing the glory of freedom and manhood, a new state Supreme Court ordered the cold steel of the shackles to be closed again around his wrists and ankles. Falling to his knees, Dred cried, “Ain't I a man?” Dred answered his own question by rising and taking his fight to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Dred ultimately lost his epic battle when the Chief Justice declared that a black man was so inferior that he had “no rights a white man was bound to respect.”

Dred died not knowing that his undying courage led directly to the election of President Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation.

Dred Scott's inspiring and compelling true story of adventure, courage, love, hatred, and friendship parallels the history of this nation from the long night of slavery to the narrow crack in the door that would ultimately lead to freedom and equality for all men.

I have to admit that I didn't remember much about Dred Scott from high school when Tristi asked me if I would read and review this book. I was very interested in reading this book and re-learning history.

I also have to admit that I'm not a book reviewer – I just write a little bit about what I like and don't like about a book. So bear with me.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I like reading about historical events and I like a book that will teach me something. This book accomplished that. As I was reading, I found myself running to the computer to look up people and places that were mentioned. From my limited research, I felt that the book accurately detailed Dred's life and times. Mr. Shurtleff also included historical references to Abraham Lincoln and Chief Justice Roger Taney who wrote the famous Supreme Court decision in 1857 and showed how the three men's lives would come together and have a profound effect on this country's history.

Slavery – owing another person and having the right to do whatever you wanted to that person – is something of which this country should be ashamed. Treating human beings as nothing more than a possession just because they had a different color skin, being allowed to beat them for no reason, denying them proper food and housing – unthinkable. I feel Mr. Shurtleff conveyed the harshness of the times without going into gory detail.

It's obvious to the reader that Mr. Shurtleff did considerable research in the writing of this book and that he had a deep interest in the subject matter. Serving as Utah's Attorney General, he is deeply committed to the concept of equal justice and equal opportunity for legal representation for all.

Thank you, Tristi, for allowing me to read this book.

ACCOUNTABILITY

There are 5 of us in my card group.  We've decided, as a group, to lose weight.  Well, 4 of us have decided.  One of us (certainly not me!) weighs about 90 pounds dripping wet.  We might have to throw her out!

We're all going to work hard at this each day, then report back on Friday how much we have lost.  We'll all be on the honor system - no public scales involved.

This is just what I've been looking for - accountability.  Someone to help me monitor what I'm doing.  I think doing this as a group will work for all of us.  We can compare the type of foods we've been eating that help or hinder us and try to work out good nutritious diets for each one of us.  Two in our group are diabetic and it's doubly important for them to keep their weight under control.

I expect to see my little turtle start moving in the right direction.  I know what I need to do.  I stocked up on Lean Cuisines at the store today (all 5 WW points or less).  I have my Palm with my WW points and journal all charged and waiting.  And I have my Leslie Sansone Walk Away the Pounds DVDs ready to play.

I'm ready - I love a challenge!

WHOSE MONEY IS IT ANYWAY?

I'm really ticked.

Dom and I are trying to make some financial changes.  We had a mutual fund account with a brokerage firm and had decided to move that money into an annuity with an insurance company.  Because there was another fund in this account, we were doing a partial transfer.

Well, the brokerage firm decided no, we could not move the money unless we did a complete transfer.  OK, we moved the other fund out of the account.  We signed the papers - again - asking for a complete mutual fund transfer.

Dom called the brokerage firm yesterday and they told him he needed to cash out the mutual fund and they would then move the cash.  This was done.  Now the brokerage firm is refusing to move the cash because the papers we sent stated we were moving a mutual fund and since the fund is no longer there, they won't move the cash.  Even though they told us to cash out the fund.

So we need to sign the papers - for a third time - and fax them over.  Dom is going to have a hissy fit when he finds out this newest development.

How can a brokerage firm REFUSE to let you do what you want with your own money?  I think it's time for me to get on the phone with them and then with someone like the Federal Trade Commission.  Something's not kosher here.

Plus, I got my hair cut the other day and the girl did exactly what I told her not to do.  Don't mess with me when I'm mad about a haircut - it will get ugly!

MIRACLE CURE

MIRACLE CURE by Michael Palmer

From the book jacket:

An agonizing sports injury did more than end Brian Holbrook's professional football dreams.  It left the skilled cardiologist with an addiction to prescription painkillers that eventually cost him his marriage and his license to practice medicine.  But now, at thirty-eight, Brian's cleaned up his act, swallowed his pride, and is ready to start over.  Yet how far is he willing to go to be a doctor again?


The prestigious Boston Heart Institute, home of some of the world's top surgeons and cardiologists, has offered Brian an opportunity to get back into scrubs...and participate in trials of an extraordinary new drug that could revolutionize medicine.  Vasclear may have the power to reverse arteriosclerosis, the number one killer in the civilized world.  In short, it offers the promise of a pharmaceutical fountain of youth.


The initial results are so dazzling, Brian pushes to get his own father, who has a dangerous heart condition, accepted into the Vasclear study.  But soon Brian is uneasy.


Under close scrutiny because of his past, he knows that the last thing he can afford to do is make waves - and yet he finds himself compelled to ask questions that his superiors can't, or won't, answer:  Why crucial records have disappeared...Why a patient who'd made startling progress has suddenly died...


With billions of dollars at stake in the race to get FDA approval for the drug, Brian's meddling could destroy his career - or worse.  For as Dr. Brian Holbrook is beginning to suspect, at Boston Heart Institute, knowing too much is the quickest way to the morgue.

I love medical mysteries, and Michael Palmer is becoming one of my favorite authors.  It takes someone trained in the medical field to be able to get all the little medical-related details correct.

This story wasn't so much a whodunnit as a race to find the answers to how and why and how to stop the process.  Brian had an idea that something was not right with the drug trials, and he had to find a way to stop the FDA approval of the drug.  He ran into some unsavory characters along the way and was forced to do all he could to stay one step ahead of them.  He had to take some gambles on who to trust.  He made one big mistake in trusting and it almost cost him his life.

Full of action and packed with a lot of information about how new drugs are produced and tested in this country, this book was an exciting and quick read for me.

WATER SIGNS

WATER SIGNS by Daria DiGiovanni was sent to me by the author for review.

From amazon.com:

Madeline Rose is a beautiful woman of 25-the daughter of a prominent Philadelphia neurosurgeon. Despite her family's support, she battles formidable insecurities, thanks to a recent, bitter break-up and a turbulent adolescence. Unsure of her future, she struggles to live up to her potential and her highly educated pedigree. Adjusting to civilian life after four years in the United States Navy, handsome, affable and ambitious Ken Lockheart has two major goals: to rise above his blue-collar, Shore town roots and to marry his true love. Though the epitome of the all-American male, he retains a basic humility borne of a relentless work ethic and an inner drive to succeed. When a chance encounter in a Somers Point nightclub initiates an unexpected relationship, neither one of them is prepared for the ensuing odyssey of heartbreak, personal growth and spiritual development that leads them full-circle to a Divinely guided conclusion.

Part of this book took place around the Philadelphia/Jersey shore location - my old stomping grounds.  It was fun to read about these places again and picture them in my mind.  Of course, this book is set about 20 years after I had spent much time in Jersey, so many of the places, especially in Atlantic City, weren't around when I was there.

This is basically a book about two young people who are drawn to each other from the start, but life gets in the way.  Maddie and Ken are followed through 16 years, their paths crossing many times.  They never seem to lose the connection with each other, even as they are involved with other people at various times.  The book begins with a prologue, set on Maddie and Ken's wedding day, so the reader knows from the start that they will wind up together.  The story is how they will get to that point and how each of them will change in the intervening years.

Although I enjoyed reading this book, I did have a couple of problems with it.  One point, which is probably just a quirk of mine, was the author's describing everything that the characters wore at different times.  It's nice to picture a character in your mind, but I felt the clothing details to be a little much.

The other point was Ken's use of endearing nicknames.  (I'm way past the ages of these characters and have been out of the dating scene for 40 years.  Maybe this his how young people talk to each other now.)  Ken called Maddie "sweetheart" from the very first time he met her.  And because of this and his actions with Maddie on their first evening together, I pictured Ken as a kind of sleaze-ball, dripping with false charm - an Eddie Haskell-type - and it was hard for me to shake this notion even though Ken was definitely one of the good-guys.  I had a hard time trusting him or his motives.

Overall, I felt this was a good book, a nice story, but I never really connected to the characters.  I understand that Ms. DiGiovanni is writing a sequel.  Maybe as Maddie and Ken grow closer to my own age, I can feel more of a connection to them.

MEETING SHERRI

Yesterday, I drove to Greenville, SC to meet Sherri from Sherri's Jubilee.  We've "known" each other for about 7 years through a Weight Watchers message board, blogs and Facebook.  Since Sherri lives in Charlotte (about 4 hours from Atlanta) we met half-way at an Applebees for lunch.  I can see from this picture that I need to get my teeth whitened again (too much coffee), my hair cut (next week) and something must be done about the color!

And what a great time we had!  The food was good (we each had a big salad), lots and lots of iced tea, and great conversation.  It was just like we had actually known each other for years.  We traded stories of our families and life experiences and just had the greatest time.  I wish I hadn't had to leave as early as I did, but I needed to get home to feed Maggie.

I took Sherri a copy of AN IRISH COUNTRY DOCTOR - she and her husband had been to Ireland a few years ago for their anniversary (I'm SO jealous).  Sherri makes jewelry and she made me this pair of earrings - aren't they adorable?  Click the picture to bigify.

Sherri and I plan to meet again - maybe we can spend a whole day eating and shopping and visiting!  If you haven't visited Sherri's blog, go here and meet her.  She's a terrific lady!

TODAY'S GOING TO BE FUN!

I'm meeting Sherri from Sherri's Jubilee today for lunch.  This picture is Sherri and her husband - stolen from her blog!

I first "met" Sherri on a Weight Watchers message board - we were both posting on the 40's board with a group of Booklovers.  (She deserved to be on that board - me, I had passed that decade quite some time ago.)  She was living in New Jersey at the time, but they were relocating to the South.  At first, it looked like Atlanta, but they wound up in North Carolina.

I felt a connection with Sherri from the start.  We both have 2 daughters (though hers are younger) and of course, we have the huge book connection.

Since we live about 4 hours apart, we chose to meet right in the middle.  So we're having lunch today in Greenville, SC.  I'm really looking forward to finally meeting Sherri in real life.  I feel I know her already, so it will be like meeting an old friend.  I hope I'll remember to take a couple of pictures to post!

Sherri, see you in a little while!

BOOK GIVE-AWAY WINNERS

Dom helped me pick the winners of the three books I'm giving away.

The winner of THE LOST SYMBOL by Dan Brown is Jess!

The winner of THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS by Debbie Macomber is Pea!

The winner of FINGER LICKIN' FIFTEEN by Janet Evanovich is Myra0502!

I'll be contacting all of you by e-mail in the next day or so to get your mailing addresses.  The books will go out early next week.

Congratulations to all and thanks for entering!

TODAY'S BEEN A GOOD DAY

Shelby came over this morning and we cleaned the house.  I still have a little more to do, but she was a big help. While she was here, we were able to talk about what she might want to do in the future, career-wise.  She's going to talk to an admissions counselor at the tech school and see about applying to the LPN program.

I spent about a half-hour on the phone with Dell and we were finally able to get Shelby's laptop working again.  She had gotten some virus that kept replicating itself whenever she used it.  It's been reset back to the way it was when it came from Dell - all viruses wiped out.

Shelby saw my pink Snuggie and wrapped herself up in it.  I told her that I'll make her one for Christmas!

I really don't feel like cooking anything for dinner.  I'm hoping that I can convince Dom to go out tonight, or at least let me get something and bring it home.

I started a new book last night - WATER SIGNS by Daria DiGiovanni - and it's good so far.  And now, I'm off to read a little more!

DON'T FORGET THE BOOK DRAWING - SEE THE POST BELOW!

SENIOR MOMENT - AND A CONTEST

These senior moments come more and more frequently!  You can benefit from my latest.

I somehow ordered 2 copies of a couple of books, and I'm giving away the extras.

THE LOST SYMBOL by Dan Brown

THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS by Debbie Macomber

These are both book club editions (hardcover) which means they are a little smaller than the hardcovers you would find in a bookstore.  But the content is identical.

FINGER LICKIN' FIFTEEN by Janet Evanovich

And I have an extra hardcover copy of this one - not a book club edition.

To win a copy of one of these books, just leave a comment, including your e-mail address and which book you would like to win.  One entry for each book please!  So you could comment 3 times total if you wanted a chance to win each book.  You don't have to follow me or Twitter or post any buttons on your blog or anything like that - I'm doing the simple "one comment-one entry" type of contest.  I'll pick 3 winners - one for each.

I'll leave the drawing open until Friday, October 9, at 8:00 PM Eastern.

Now aren't you glad I'm getting old and senile??

A GOOD START TO THE WEEK

This morning was my Monday bowling league.  We managed to take 2 games and total pins, losing the second game by just a few pins.  I did really well - all 3 games above my average.  When we finished, we had to make up the 2 weeks that were bowled before we started.  So one other girl and I bowled 6 straight games in about an hour.  Again, good games for me.  I was tired by the end of the first 3 make-up games, but surprisingly my last 3 games were my best.  We won't know the outcome of the make-up games until our scores are compared to the teams that had bowled a vacant team those weeks.

It was cloudy and rainy this morning and still looks gray outside.  Hopefully, we'll get some nice crisp, sunny days soon.  I absolutely love fall!

Last night, I was sitting in my reading chair, all wrapped up in my Snuggie.  Dom came out of the bedroom, complaining that he felt cold, and he actually turned up the heat!  Will wonders never cease!  I've decided that I'm going to use my Snuggie as a pattern and make some for the girls in my card club.  I'm going to look for some cute fleece this week.  I might even make some for Shelby and Ashlie too.

Time to check my "farm" and then read for the rest of the evening.

GUESS WHAT I JUST BOUGHT??

A PINK SNUGGIE!

It gets cold in my house.  Dom doesn't like to turn the heat on until it's about 40 degrees outside - really!  He's nuts.  So this will keep me nice and warm when I sit in my favorite reading chair in the evenings.  And it came with a free booklight!

A portion of the money will go toward Breast Cancer research.  So it's a win-win deal.

Now I want to get one for Maggie!

FRIDAY FUN

Friday - my second favorite day of the week.  Our little group plays cards every Friday afternoon.  But this week, it will only be 2 of us.  But that won't stop us - we can play 2-handed pinochle or canasta.

Shelby couldn't come over on Thursday, but she'll be here tomorrow morning.  I'm glad to see that she's taking this "working off the debt" seriously.

I'm watching what I'm eating and so far have lost 5.4 pounds.  Of course, it's probably all water loss, but I'll take it.  I'm finding if I eat some protein in the morning, I'm not hungry during the day.  I can get by with a small lunch and a piece of fruit later and then eat a light dinner.  And a cup of tea in the evening satisfies me with no additional snacking.

I need to dry my hair and get ready for cards!  Have a great Friday.

SEPTEMBER BOOKS

Can you believe it's October already?  Where has this year gone??

September was another dismal reading month.  I just couldn't get into a reading mood.  I spent way too much time on Facebook and FarmVille.  And then there was my 5 day trip to Florida - I didn't do much reading while I was there.  Add to that the new carpeting, the house painting, and Maggie's medical problems - equals not much reading time.

What really put a kink in my reading were the challenges.  I just got tired of reading books I had picked months ago and now had no interest in reading.  I called 4 challenges finished:  Medical Mystery Madness Challenge, Pub 2009 Challenge, Read Your Own Books Challenge, and the Chunkster Challenge.  The only challenges I have left are the 100+ Reading Challenge and the Read 'N Review 09 Challenge.  These are ongoing for the rest of the year.

Here's what I did manage to read this month:

THE NEW WOMAN (Jon Hassler)

THE SHORTEST DISTANCE BETWEEN TWO WOMEN (Kris Radish)

THE SUNDAY LIST OF DREAMS (Kris Radish)

92 PACIFIC BOULEVARD (Debbie Macomber)

THE HELP (Kathryn Stockett)

I'm up to 80 books for the year, probably way down from last year at this time.  But I can still make the 100 mark by the end of December with no problem.  December is always a good reading month for me as I love to read those short, little Christmas books that come out each year.

I'm looking forward to being able to go to my bookshelves and pick out something I want to read, not something I feel I have to read.

How did you do, reading-wise, this past month?