NOVEMBER BOOKS

Since Dom and I are going away for a few days, I thought I'd go ahead and post a list of the books I read in November.  This turned out to be a better reading month for me, with 9 books read, and most of them really good ones.

Here's what I read this month:

THE LACE MAKERS OF GLENMARA by Heather Barbieri

ALMOST HOME (4 short stories) by Cathy Lamb, Judy Duarte, Mary Carter and Debbie Macomber

THE MEMORY OF WATER by Karen White

THE INN AT EAGLE POINT by Sherryl Woods

FLOWERS ON MAIN by Sherryl Woods

HARBOR LIGHTS by Sherryl Woods

HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET by Jamie Ford

THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN by Garth Stein

EATING HEAVEN by Jennie Shortridge


Nine for November,  95 for the year.  So I'll be able to hit the 100+ books for the year as I wanted.  December is usually a really good reading month for me - I love to read those cute little Christmas books that come out each year.  I have 8 new ones waiting on the bookshelf - along with 2 other shelves full of ones I've read before.  I usually pull them out in December and place them on tables throughout the house - easy holiday decorating!

How was your reading this month?  And will you be reading any special holiday books?

EATING HEAVEN

EATING HEAVEN by Jennie Shortridge

From the back of the book:

Nothing gets Eleanor Samuel's heart racing like a double scoop of mocha fudge chunk.  Sure, the magazine writer may have some issues aside from food, but she isn't quite ready to face them.  Then her beloved uncle Benny falls ill, and Eleanor's whole world is torn apart.  Unlike her sisters, she has neither a husband nor a full-time job, so it's up to Eleanor to care for her ailing uncle.  What at first seems scary and daunting becomes a blessing in disguise.  Because while she's doing all that cooking and nurturing - and enjoying a delicious flirtation with a new chef in town - Eleanor begins to uncover some long-buried secrets about her emotionally frayed family and may finally get the chance to become the woman she's always wanted to be....

Another good book!  I liked Eleanor.  Although she was more or less forced to take care of Benny, she accepted it and dove right in, trying to make his last months as enjoyable for him as possible.  She found out what was important to her, and made the changes necessary to live the life she wanted with no regrets.

I'll be looking for more books by this author.

THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN

THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN by Garth Stein

From Barnes & Noble:

Enzo knows he is different from other dogs:  a philosopher with a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable thumbs), he has educated himself by watching television extensively, and by listening very closely to the words of his master, Denny Swift, an up-and-coming race car driver.


Through Denny, Enzo has gained tremendous insight into the human condition, and he sees that life, like racing, isn't simply about going fast.  Using the techniques needed on the race track, one can successfully navigate all of life's ordeals.


On the eve of his death, Enzo takes stock of his life, recalling all that he and his family have been through:  the sacrifices Denny has made to succeed professionally; the unexpected loss of Eve, Denny's wife; the three-year battle over their daughter, Zoë, who maternal grandparents pulled every string to gain custody.  In the end, despite what he sees as his own limitations, Enzo comes through heroically to preserve the Swift family, holding in his heart the dream that Denny will become a racing champion with Zoë at his side.  Having learned what it takes to be a compassionate and successful person, the wise canine can barely wait until his next lifetime, when he is sure he will return as a man.


A heart-wrenching by deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty, and hope, THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN is a beautifully crafted and captivating look at the wonders and absurdities of human life ... as only a dog could tell it.

Another perfect book.  I loved that this book was narrated by a dog.  Don't ever think that your dog doesn't know and understand exactly what you're saying to him and that he can't communicate with you.

This one tugged at my heartstrings and made me realize how much I still miss my Teddy.  I'll be waiting for him to come back but I know, for now, that he's running through fields, happy and healthy.

HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET

HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET by Jamie Ford

From Barnes & Noble:

In the opening pages of Jamie Ford's stunning debut novel, HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET, Henry Lee comes upon a crowd gathered outside the Panama Hotel, once the gateway to Seattle's Japantown.  It has been boarded up for decades, but now the new owner has made an incredible discovery:  the belongings of Japanese families, left when they were rounded up and sent to internment camps during World War II.  As Henry looks on, the owner opens a Japanese parasol.


This simple act takes old Henry Lee back to the 1940's, at the height of the war, when young Henry's world is a jumble of confusion and excitement, and to his father, who is obsessed with the war in China and having Henry grow up American.  While "scholarshipping" at the exclusive Rainier Elementary, where the white kids ignore him, Henry meets Keiko Okabe, a young Japanese-American student.  Amid the chaos of blackouts, curfews, and FBI raids, Henry and Keiko forge a bond of friendship - and innocent love - that transcends the long-standing prejudices of their Old World ancestors.  And after Keiko and her family are swept up in the evacuations to the internment camps, she and Henry are left only with the hope that the war will end, and that their promise to each other will be kept.


Forty years later, Henry Lee is certain that the parasol belonged to Keiko.  In the hotel's dark dusty basement he begins looking for signs of the Okabe family's belongings and for a long-lost object whose value he cannot begin to measure.  Now a widower, Henry is still trying to find his voice - words that might explain the actions of his nationalistic father; words that might bridge the gap between him and his modern, Chinese-American son; words that might help him confront the choices he made many years ago.

Did you ever read a "perfect" book?  One that completely made sense to you?  One that brought out all different feelings in you?  One that touched all your senses?  This was that book for me.

I don't think there was one thing about this book that I didn't like.  The story switched from 1986 to the 1940's and back again with no disruption to the flow.  The characters were real to me.  I read a few reviews that stated the book was too simplistic, but I didn't get that impression at all.  I loved it.

This book is definitely a keeper for me.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

We've decided to go out again this year for Thanksgiving.  I'm just not into the cooking and cleaning any more.

I hope everyone has a wonderful day with the 3 F's - friends, family and good food!

HARBOR LIGHTS

HARBOR LIGHTS by Sheryll Woods

From the book jacket:

Struggling in his role as a newly single father, former army medic Kevin O'Brien moves home to Chesapeake Shores.  He wants a haven for himself and his toddler son, surrounded by the family he knows he can count on, and a future that's nothing like his past.  But Kevin is suddenly facing a risk he hadn't anticipated, in the form of Main Street bookseller Shanna Carlyle.


Shanna immediately recognizes Kevin as a wounded soul - she's had way too much experience with the type.  Still, this charming O'Brien man and his son are almost impossible to resist.


Then, just when the barriers are toppling, someone from Shanna's past appears.  Confronted with a threat to their hard-won serenity, Kevin and Shanna face their toughest challenge - learning to trust again.

This is the third book in the Chesapeake Shores series, and another light, easy read.  More about the O'Brien family and their concern about the lives and loves of the family members.

Though certainly not great literature, I enjoyed these books and am looking forward to more about this fun family.  If you are a reader of Debbie Macomber, especially her Cedar Cove series, I think you'll like these.

FLOWERS ON MAIN

FLOWERS ON MAIN by Sheryll Woods

From the book jacket:

When her last two plays are dismal failures and her relationship with her temperamental mentor falls apart, writer Bree O'Brien abandons Chicago and the regional theater where she hoped to make a name for herself to return home.  Opening Flowers on Main promises to bring her a new challenge and a new kind of fulfillment.


But not all is peaceful and serene in Chesapeake Shores, with her estranged mother on the scene and her ex-lover on the warpath.  Jake Collins has plenty of reasons to want Bree out of his life, but none of those are a match for the one reason he wants her to stay:  he's still in love with her.


Jake might be able to get past that old hurt if he knew Bree was home to stay, but is she?  The only way to know for sure is to take a dangerous leap of faith.

This is the second book in the Chesapeake Shores series and was just as appealing as the first (THE INN AT EAGLE POINT).  The stories of the O'Brien family continue with the second daughter, Bree.  Also interwoven throughout the book are story lines concerning the parents, Mike and Megan, and one of the brothers, Kevin.

I had misread the author's website and thought there would be three new books in this series next year.  There will only be one in November 2010, but there will be three in 2011.  For now, I'll just have to be content reading the next one in the series, HARBOR LIGHTS, which I'll be starting just as soon as this post is published!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TINA

Today is Tina's birthday.  She and I have been friends for about a gazillion years, from way back in elementary school.  She told me that she thought I was so cool in 5th grade - I had just moved from the big city (Philadelphia) to our little town of Willow Grove.  I wore these miniature plastic clothespins clipped to my white bobby-socks.  No one else in Willow Grove wore such "fashionable" items!

We were closest in high school.  I think I spent most weekends at her house.  On Friday nights, we'd go to the movies.  Remember the red lollipops, Tina?  We'd smack boys on the back of the head with them.  On Saturday afternoons, we'd go "down the Grove" and hang out in front of Murphy's 5&10.  Tina had a crush on a boy named Bozo.  She loved Paul Anka because he looked like Bozo.  We'd take pictures in those little machines where you get a strip of pictures - 4 for $1.

Lynne and Tina with red lollipops

After high school, we sort-of drifted apart.  She married and had a beautiful daughter, Beth.  I married and had my two girls, Susan and Donna.  We ran into each other once and spent an afternoon together.  Then we moved away from Pennsylvania.

Tina's Graduation Picture

We found each other again years ago through Classmates.com.  She was now living by the beach in Delaware (I'm so jealous!).  I took Shelby up there to spend a few days with Tina.  We managed to find one of those picture machines and had to take some fun pictures.

Lynne and Tina, a little older

We went to our high school class reunion a few years ago. We walked in with "diamond" tiaras and black feather boas!  What a fun night we had!

Tina and Lynne at our high school reunion

We don't get to see each other that often but we do keep in touch.  She has a blog - Violetlady at Home - drop over and wish her a happy birthday if you get a chance.  We've had a few phone calls over the years.  But although distance separates us, she's still the one I call my best friend.

She's still a beauty, inside and out.  Happy birthday dear friend!

POOR MAGGIE

We had to switch Maggie's food from her hypo-allergenic food (with no grains) to one designed to help her kidney function.  This new food included rice - which we believed was one of the foods to which Maggie is allergic.

After one meal, she started itching.  She was running around the house frantically trying to find some comfortable spot to sit or lie down.  She was biting, scratching and licking.  Her heart was beating a mile a minute and she was constantly panting.

Last night was terrible.  She couldn't sleep - and consequently neither could we.  Dom and I took turns lying on the floor next to her bed, holding her to keep her from biting.  After about an hour she would calm down and fall asleep, only to wake up itching again an hour later.

So this morning, I had to give her a dose of Prednisone to calm her down and put her back on her regular food.  At least now we know for sure she's allergic to rice.  I'm taking her food back and getting more of her regular diet.  It will probably take a couple of days to get this food completely out of her system and get her back to normal.  She'll most likely have to take some medication for hypertension in the future.

My poor baby!

2009 HOLIDAY READING CHALLENGE

I'm going to join another quickie reading challenge - the 2009 Holiday Reading Challenge hosted by Nely.  Requirements are to read 1-5 holiday-themed books between November 20 and December 31.  And they can cross with another challenge.

Here's the list of Christmas books I have waiting to read this year:

THE CHRISTMAS LIST (Richard Paul Evans)
THE CHRISTMAS CLOCK (Kat Martin)
CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS (Edited by Helen Szymanski)
A QUILTER'S HOLIDAY (Jennifer Chiaverini)
A BLUE AND GRAY CHRISTMAS (Joan Medlicott)
THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS (Debbie Macomber)
A DOG NAMED CHRISTMAS (Greg Kincaid)

You can get the challenge info and sign up here.

A BOWLING DOUBLE-HEADER

Dom and I are going to Orlando on November 30 for 4 days.  That means I'll miss bowling in both of my leagues that week.  So today, I went to the bowling center and pre-bowled 6 games - 3 for each league.

My scores were pretty good - high of 188, low 122.  I did all 6 games in a little over an hour.  And I've got to tell you - I was beat when I finished.  I didn't take any breaks - just bowled and bowled and bowled.  Anyone who doesn't think bowling is exercise is wrong.  My arms were getting tired from swinging the ball (12 pounds can get very heavy after a while) and my legs and knees were sore.

But I really love to bowl.  I don't care if I get tired and sore.  I'm not very athletic - I don't run or jog, can't play tennis or softball, and I don't go to the pool in the summer.  Walking is OK, and I should get a bike out of Donna's basement and start riding.  But for now, bowling works for me.

THE INN AT EAGLE POINT

THE INN AT EAGLE POINT by Sherryl Woods

From the book jacket:


It's been years since Abby O'Brien Winters set foot in Chesapeake Shores.  The Maryland town her father built has too many sad memories and Abby too few spare moments, thanks to her demanding Wall Street career, the crumbling of her marriage and energetic twin daughters.  Then one panicked phone call from her youngest sister brings her racing back home to protect Jess's dream of renovating the charming Inn at Eagle Point.


But saving the inn from foreclosure means dealing not only with her own fractured family, but also with Trace Riley, the man Abby left ten years ago.  Trace can be a roadblock to her plans...or proof that second chances happen in the most unexpected ways.

I really enjoyed this book.  It was light easy reading, perfect for busy days.  If you have read and liked books by Debbie Macomber, you'll like this one.  It has the same "feel" - interesting characters including slightly off-kilter families, a little bit of stress and tension among the family members and friends, different but related plots, a neat ending for one story line and a teaser for the others.

I just pulled the second book in the series, FLOWERS ON MAIN, from my shelf to start reading later today.

SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW

I spent yesterday morning going to a couple of church Christmas bazaars.  One was small and all Christmas things; the other one was big and had a lot of crafty things.  I didn't see anything that I just couldn't live without, so I came home with only a small box of home-made cookies.

After lunch, we went to a new antique store.  Now, this isn't really an "antique" store but a place where people can rent space and sell a lot of old stuff.  I found a treasure there:

Ever since I took the bed out of this room, I've had an empty space on one long wall.   I'm going to paint the bench white to match the rest of the furniture and cover the seat with some type of sage green fabric.  I have some throw pillows to put on it too.  It will fit the space perfectly and still allow enough empty space in the room for my sewing stuff.  I managed to get the price cut by 25% so I feel I got a good deal.

I have a few projects now that have to get done in the next few weeks - this bench and some Christmas presents that I need to sew.  I guess I better get started soon!

SATURDAY STUFF

Yesterday was a busy day.  I had the card group here, so I spent the early morning dusting and vacuuming the house and cleaning bathrooms.  Not my favorite things to do.  I had made the lunch food the night before, so I just had to put that in the crockpot to keep warm.  I made chicken chili and everyone seemed to like it.

Remember those cookbooks that I bought?  I started looking more closely at them and decided they were pretty good.  I did give one big one to Shelby - HOW TO COOK EVERYTHING.  Some of the recipes were ones she probably will never try, but some were pretty basic.  And there were tips on buying and storing different foods.

I had planned to make a WW-recipe key lime pie for dessert yesterday.  I thought I had everything I needed, but realized at the last minute that I didn't have any Cool Whip.  So I searched my pantry to see what I had and found a can of blueberry pie filling.  I pulled out one of the new cookbooks - BETTY CROCKER ULTIMATE BISQUICK COOKBOOK - and found a quick recipe for a blueberry cobbler.  Easy and tasted good.  Looking through the book, I never realized how many dishes you could make with Bisquick.

I spent last evening over on FarmVille - they finally opened up more land so I redid both farms - mine and Maggie's.  Yes, Maggie has her own farm too!  And I know of at least one other dog who has her own farm.

I'm going to some church bazaars this morning with a friend.  I haven't been to one of those in years.  Maybe I can pick up some little things to use as stocking stuffers.  Tomorrow afternoon Dom and I are going to the Cumming Playhouse to see The Mood Swingers - 3 middle-aged women who sing and dance (a little).  We saw their show last year and loved them, so we're looking forward to seeing them again.  It's rare that I can get Dom to go anywhere, so when he mentions that he'd like to go somewhere, I rush right out and get the tickets so he can't change his mind!

What's on your Saturday agenda?

BOOKS IN A BOX

This past week, I've received two boxes of books.  Six books in all - and all cookbooks.  Good cookbooks - a book about quick breads, one with easy to prepare meals, a slow-cooker book, and some others.

Now this may not sound strange - but I HATE TO COOK!

Why did I buy these books?  You'll love this one - I joined a cookbook book club to get extra Farm Cash for FarmVille!  Is that about the lamest excuse yet?

Oh well, maybe I'll use them some day.  Or they might make good gifts.

I need to get a life!

THE MEMORY OF WATER

THE MEMORY OF WATER by Karen White

From the back of the book:

On the night their mother drowns trying to ride out a storm in a sailboat, sisters Marnie and Diana Maitland discover there is more than one kind of death.  There are also the deaths of innocence, of love, and of hope.  Both harbor secrets about what really happened that night - secrets that will erode their lives as they grow into adulthood.


After ten years of silence between the sisters, Marnie is called back to the South Carolina Lowcountry by Diana's ex-husband, Quinn.  His young son has returned from a sailing trip with his emotionally unstable mother, and he is deeply disturbed and refusing to speak.  In order to help the traumatized boy, Marnie must reopen old wounds and bring the darkest memories of her past to the surface.  And she must confront Diana...before they all go under.

I don't know just what I thought about this book.  It was very depressing.  I didn't like the character Diana at all.  She was more than "emotionally unstable" - she was dangerous.  And I wasn't too impressed with the other characters either.

The book was written from the viewpoint of Diana, Marnie, Quinn, and Gil, the nine-year-old son of Diana and Gil.  I had the hardest time with Gil - he seemed much too old to be nine.

But with all these thing going against the book, it did keep my interest.  There was a big secret in the story, but I had most of it figured out about half-way through.  If you like deep stories with very flawed characters, you might be interested in this book.  If you're looking for something light and easy, this isn't the book for you.

THANK YOU

Thank you to all who have helped keep this country safe and free.

ALMOST HOME

ALMOST HOME (4 short stories) by Cathy Lamb, Judy Duarte, Mary Carter, and Debbie Macomber

From the book jacket:

Old flames reignite and new passions burn when lovers follow their hearts back to the place they once called home...


"Whale Island" by Cathy Lamb:  Family secrets and imposing friends are making Chalese feel like an outsider in her very own home on beautiful Whale Island.  But it's only when a shocking revelation makes her feel truly lost that she opens her heart to the possibilities the past offers - including a chance at love with the last man she expected...


"Queen of Hearts" by Judy Duarte:  Her high school reunion is coming up, and advice columnist Jenn Kramer couldn't be dreading it more - until she lays eyes on Marcos.  Jenn hardly noticed him when they were kids, but now he's all grown up...and how deliciously he's changed...


"The Honeymoon House" by Mary Carter:  It doesn't get more romantic than Andy Beck's cottage on Martha's Vineyard.  But love is the last thing on his mind - he just wants to get the cottage ready for his best friend's honeymoon.  At least that's the plan, until he finds the gorgeous Maid of Honor ransacking his house - in the most irresistible way...


"The Marrying Kind" by Debbie Macomber:  High school sweethearts Katie and Jason haven't seen each other in ten years - and now she's walked back into his life.  With one look, the love they shared comes flooding back - only now the odds seem stacked against them.  But when something's meant to be, all best are off...

(Am I the only person who dislikes the over use of the ellipsis in a book synopsis?)

This book was exactly what I needed at this time.  The stories were light and short enough to read in one sitting.  Cute little romances with fun characters.  I'm not a big fan of romance books as a rule, but short doses like these are fine.

I've read Debbie Macomber and Cathy Lamb before, but not Judy Duarte or Mary Carter.  I'll have to start looking for their books now.

WASTED MORNING

I went to a model home sale this morning - all the furnishings from 2 model homes were on sale.  There were some pretty things but way overpriced.  Plain baskets for $28 - I saw nicer ones in Hobby Lobby for half that price.  I saw a pretty picture but it was over $100 - just not worth it for me.

After I left there I went to an estate auction.  What a load of junk!  Whoever lived in this old house must have been a pack rat.  There were boxes and boxes of bottles - soda, beer, liquor.  Empty soda cans.  Just loads and loads of trash.  There was another building on the property that might have been a record store at one time.  Racks and racks of old LP's and 45's.  Too many to even look through.  I saw a few pieces of furniture, but nothing I would bring into my house.

Basically, a waste of time.  But it was nice to get out of the house for a while.  I took Shelby out to lunch and we went to BJ's for a little while.  Then came home and watched Penn State lose to Ohio State.  Not a great ending to this day.

Hope your Saturday was better than mine!

CHRISTMAS READING CHALLENGE

Wow - can you believe it's almost time for a Christmas reading challenge?  Where has this year gone?

I love reading Christmas books.  I have 2 full shelves of those little-sized Christmas books that appear in bookstores.  I always manage to buy one or twelve of them each year.  I have two already and a list of others that I want to buy.

So this challenge, hosted by The True Book Addict, is going to be a snap for me.  From Thanksgiving to New Year's Eve, you just need to read 1-3 books.  You can go here to sign up.

So far, here are some of the books that I plan to read:

A DOG NAMED CHRISTMAS (Greg Kincaid)
THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS (Debbie Macomber)
THE CHRISTMAS LIST (Richard Paul Evans)
THE CHRISTMAS SECRET (Donna VanLiere)

So hurry over and join the fun.  You're going to read those Christmas books anyway - now you can put this cute Santa button on your blog!

A TRIP TO THE MOUNTAINS

On Tuesday, Dom and I drove up into the North Georgia mountains to visit my cousin Craig and his wife Susan. They have a beautiful log home that borders on the Toccoa River in Blue Ridge, Georgia.  There's a little scenic train that runs daily right below their house - Dom and I are going to take a ride on that train some day.

The day was gorgeous.  The sky was blue and the trees were rich with color.  I took a few pictures on the way there.  But once we got there, we were having so much fun I forgot to take pictures.  I did get a couple of the view from their deck in the back, overlooking the trees.

These were from the ride up to Blue Ridge

The above two pictures are from their deck.  If you look closely at the second picture, you can just about see the little log playhouse that Craig built for his grandchildren.  You can click on the picture to enlarge.

The "downtown" part of Blue Ridge has a lot of quaint little shops with a nice park and bandstand for outdoor concerts.  I'm already planning to go back up there and spend a day with Susan shopping and having a nice lunch.  Dom isn't big on shopping, so he can stay home with Maggie.

Craig and Susan had lived for years in Texas and moved to north Georgia a couple of years ago.  Their older daughter and her family live right outside of Atlanta and their younger daughter and her family live a few minutes away from Craig and Susan.  It's nice to have them close so we can reconnect after all those years.  Craig and I are 20 days apart in age, and I spent a lot of time with his family when I was younger.

I'm really looking forward to spending more time with them in the future.

BOOK BLOGGERS HOLIDAY SWAP

I just signed up for this year's Book Blogger Holiday Swap.  You can go here for more information and a form to fill out to enter the swap.

In a nutshell, you are given a name and you send a Secret Santa gift to that person.  You will then receive in return a gift from your own Secret Santa.  I did this last year and had fun searching her blog posts to find the perfect gift to send.

Go here to sign up - but hurry, the deadline to enter is November 12.

THE LACE MAKERS OF GLENMARA

THE LACE MAKERS OF GLENMARA by Heather Barbieri

From the book jacket:

"You can always start again," Kate Robinson's mother once told her, "all it takes is a new thread."  Overwhelmed by heartbreak and loss, the struggling twenty-six-year-old fashion designer follows her mother's advice and flees to her ancestral homeland of Ireland, hoping to break free of old patterns and reinvent herself.


She arrives on the west coast, in the seaside hamlet of Glenmara.  In this charming, fading Gaelic village, Kate quickly develops a bond with members of the local lace-making society:  Bernie, alone and yearning for a new purpose since the death of her beloved husband, John; Aileen, plagued by doubt, helplessly watching her teenage daughter grow distant; Moira, caught in a cycle of avbuse and denial, stubbornly refusing help from those closest to her; Oona, in remission from breast cancer, secretly harboring misgivings about her marriage; Colleen, the leader of the group, worried about her fisherman husband, missing at sea.  And outside this newfound circle is local artist Sullivan Deane, an enigmatic man trying to overcome a tragedy of his own.


Under Glenmara's spell, Kate finds the inspiration that has eluded her, and soon she and the lace makers are creating a line of exquisite lingerie.  In their skilled hands, flowers, Celtic dragons, nymphs, fish, saints, kings, and queens come to life, rendered with painterly skill.  The circle also offers them something more - the strength to face their long-denied desires and fears.  But not everyone welcomes Kate, and a series of unexpected events threatens to unravel everything the women have worked so hard for....

I really wanted to love this book.  It's about Ireland so it should have been a winner for me.  But it just didn't click.  Too much happened in too short a span of time.  Kate was accepted into this group of women who had been together for years and years, and suddenly she changes everything about the group and their lace-making projects.  Didn't work for me.  I like stories that are more realistic, unless they are actual "fantasy-type" books, which I don't believe this was intended to be.

Overall, not a bad book, but not one that completely interested me and kept my full attention.

GIVE-AWAY WINNER

I just had Dom pick the winner of the drawing for BRIDGE OF SIGHS by Richard Russo.

The winner is Lynne from Lynne's Letters.  That seem strange typing that - I feel like I'm giving myself a prize!

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

OOPS, I DID IT AGAIN! ANOTHER GIVE-AWAY!

I just found that I bought 2 copies of the same book - again!  So I'm giving one of them away.

BRIDGE OF SIGHS by Richard Russo

The copy I'm giving away is a hardcover, book-club edition (a little smaller than the book store edition).  It's never been read.  There's a small tear in the back of  the dust jacket which I've taped.  You can read about the book here.

I'm still making it easy to enter the drawing - one comment, one entry.  No need to Twitter, post about this on your blog, or send your first-born child, thank you very much.  I'll leave this drawing open until Monday night (November 2) at 8:00 PM.  Be sure I have an e-mail address to contact you.

Now I'm headed to my bookshelves to see if I have any other duplicates!

OCTOBER BOOKS

Time for the monthly review of books read.  October was a slow month, again, but better than the past few months.  I actually managed to read 6 books this month.  Not a lot, but 3 of them were over 400 pages.  Here's what I read:

TRUE BLUE by David Baldacci

STRENGTH TO ENDURE by Tristi Pinkston

THE KING'S GRACE by Anne Easter Smith

AM I NOT A MAN? by Mark Shurtleff

MIRACLE CURE by Michael Palmer

WATER SIGNS by Daria DiGiovanni

I'm now at 86 for the year, way below last year's total.  But I see no reason why I won't reach the 100 book level this year.  I always manage to read a lot in December - I just love reading those cute little Christmas books that come out each year.  I have 2 new ones on the shelf and there are a couple more that I'm looking forward to buying.

How did you do in October, reading-wise?