SUMMER'S CHILD

SUMMER'S CHILD by Diane Chamberlain

From the back of the book:

Early on the morning of her eleventh birthday, on the beach beside her North Carolina home, Daria Cato receives an unbelievable gift from the sea - an abandoned newborn baby.  When the infant's identity cannot be uncovered, she is adopted by Daria's loving family.  But her silent secrets continue to haunt Daria.

Now, twenty years later, Shelly has grown into an unusual, ethereal young woman whom Daria continues to protect.  But when Rory Taylor, a friend from Daria's childhood and now a television producer, returns at Shelly's request to do a story about the circumstances surrounding her birth, something precarious shifts in the small town of Kill Devil Hills.

The more questions Rory asks, the more unsettled the tiny community becomes, as closely guarded secrets and the sins of that long-ago summer begin to surface.  Piece by piece, the mystery of summer's child is being exposed, a mystery that on one involved - not Shelly, Daria, not even Rory - is prepared to face.

Another good book by Ms. Chamberlain.  She's fast becoming one of my favorite authors.

There were a lot of people with a lot of secrets in this book.  Shelly wanted to find out who her birth mother was, and Ms. Chamberlain gave the reader quite a few choices.  I was so sure it was one particular girl, only to be surprised at the end.  The characters were believable, although the story stretched my imagination slightly.

This is, I think, the fourth book by Ms. Chamberlain that I've read.  I'll be looking for more.

THE BLESSINGS OF THE ANIMALS

THE BLESSINGS OF THE ANIMALS by Katrina Kittle

From the back of the book:

Veterinarian Cami Anderson has hit a rough patch.  Stymied by her recent divorce, she wonders if there are secret ingredients to a happy, long-lasting marriage or if the entire institution is outdated and obsolete.  Couples all around her are approaching important milestones.  Her parents are preparing to celebrate their fiftieth anniversary.  Her brother and his partner find their marriage dreams legally blocked.  Her former sister-in-law - still her best friend - is newly engaged.  The youthfully exuberant romance of her teenage daughter is developing complications.  And three separate men - including her ex-husband - are becoming entangled in Cami's messy post-marital love life.

But as she struggles to come to terms with her own doubts amid this chaotic circus of relationships, Cami finds strange comfort in an unexpected confidant:  an angry, unpredictable horse in her care.  With the help of her equine soul mate, she begins to make sense of marriages's great mysteries - and its disconnects.

Another great book by Ms. Kittle.

Cami was blindsided by her husband's request for a divorce.  She found comfort in taking care of the animals on her farm - Max, a dog with a limp, Gingersnap, a cat with no ears, Biscuit, a horse with a spine defect, Zeppelin, a blind pony with short legs, Muriel, a goat who loved to run away, Gerald, a cat with three legs, and especially Moonshot, a wild and frightened horse she was able to tame.  Caring for Moonshot, and having him respond very slowly to her care and begin to trust her, helped Cami recover and learn to trust again.

There's a place just below Atlanta called Noah's Ark.  Here, animals that have been cast off by circuses and zoos find a permanent home.  Also here are children in need.  Children who can't get along in their families or who have been moved from home to home and are lost.  The children help take care of the animals, and by doing so, learn about giving and receiving love and care.  They learn about trust.

I think we can all learn a few lessons from caring for animals.

SECRETS SHE LEFT BEHIND

SECRETS SHE LEFT BEHIND by Diane Chamberlain

From the back of the book:

One afternoon, single mother Sara Weston says that she's going to the store - and never returns.  In her absence, she leaves her teenaged son alone with his damaged past and a legacy of secrets.

Keith Weston nearly lost his life in an act of arson.  He survived - but with devastating physical and emotional scars.  Without his mother, he has no one to help him heal, no money, nothing to live for but the medications that numb his pain.  Isolated and angry, his hatred has one tight focus:  his half-sister, Maggie Lockwood.

Nineteen-year-old Maggie spent a year in prison for the acts that led up to the fire.  Now she's back home.  But her release cannot free her from the burden of guilt she carries.  She grew up with Keith, played with him as a child...and recently learned they share the same father.

Now the person Keith despises most is the closest thing he has to family - until Sara returns.  If Sara returns.

I recently read another book by Ms. Chamberlain, BEFORE THE STORM.  I learned through a comment on that blog post that this book, SECRETS SHE LEFT BEHIND, continues the story.

As was the first book, this one is told from different viewpoints - each chapter narrated by different characters.  Keith is full of anger and pain; Maggie is trying to find a place to fit in as she returns from prison.  There is another person involved, a link between Keith and Maggie, who brings about an exciting ending to the book.

It was nice to get a different perspective on the various characters and see where their lives were leading.  Makes me wish there were another book dealing with these same characters.  Perhaps one day Ms. Chamberlain will write that book.

LOVE LETTERS FROM LADYBUG FARM

LOVE LETTERS FROM LADYBUG FARM by Donna Ball

From the back of the book:

Renovating a broken-down mansion in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley gave three lifelong friends a welcome second chance.  But after taking the biggest risk of their lives, are these women also willing to risk their hearts?

All the effort Cici, Lindsay, and Bridget have put into transforming a historic by overgown farm into an upscale winery and special-events business is paying off - Ladybug Farm has been chosen to host a society wedding.  What this really means is the three friends are about to be invaded by warring mothers-in-law, a Bridezilla, and a completely clueless groom.  They have their hands full keeping Ladybug Farm from descending into total chaos.

But there's something about a wedding...

All of a sudden, love is in the air.  Unexpected romance unfolds, and the possibilities for each woman are both exciting and dangerous.  The friends have never played it safe and they're not about to now, as Ladybug Farm becomes a meeting place for affairs of the heart.

This book has the women hosting a wedding at Ladybug Farm.  In a short period of time, they must plan a menu while the bride's mother keeps changing the food requests and the number of guests, design and create the arrangements for the ceremony and the reception as the bride keeps changing her color scheme, and have a rehearsal dinner thrust upon them with no advance notice.  And if this isn't enough to drive them to drink, add in a new animal addition to the farm, an accident, and a bit of unusual weather.

Scattered throughout the book are love letters from an unidentifed woman - who are these from and to whom are they written?

I've really enjoyed reading this series by Ms. Ball.  Thanks to Kathy for bringing these books to my attention. I only wish there were going to be more.

AT HOME ON LADYBUG FARM

AT HOME ON LADYBUG FARM by Donna Ball

From the back of the book:

Buying a run-down mansion in the Shenandoah Valley gave three very different women a new start in life.  But when their dream is nearly destroyed, it will take fortitude and faith to see them through...

A year after taking the chance of a lifetime, Cici, Lindsay, and Bridget are still trying to make a home for themselves on the newly renovated Ladybug Farm.  Life in the Shenandoah Valley is picturesque, but filed with unexpected trials - such as the introduction of two young people into the ordered life the women have tried to build for themselves.

As the walls of the old house reveal their secrets and the lives of those who have gone before begin to unfold, the cobbled-together household starts to disintegrate into chaos.  And when one of the members is threatened by a real crisis, they must all come together to fight for the roots they've laid down, the hopes they share, and the family they've become...

In this book, the second in the trilogy, the reader is given a peek into the history of Ladybug Farm and the family that originally owned the land.  This links one of the current residents to a special find within the house.  More mishaps occur with the renovations, and a mystery person makes an appearance at inopportune time.

I wonder what awaits this trio of women in the last book?

IT'S A BOY!

Look how much our baby panda cub has grown.  He's 2 weeks old in this picture, and is already getting his black and white coloring.  Lun Lun and the cub are doing fine.

I can't wait to be able to see him in person at Zoo Atlanta next year.

A YEAR ON LADYBUG FARM

A YEAR ON LADYBUG FARM by Donna Ball

From the back of the book:

Their husbands were gone, their families were grown, and the future stretched out before them like an unfulfilled promise...

Tired of always dreaming and never doing, Cici, Lindsay, and Bridget make a life-altering decision.  Uprooting themselves from their comfortable lives in the suburbs, the three friends buy a run-down mansion, nestled in the picturesque Shenandoah Valley.  They christen their new home Ladybug Farm, hoping that the name will bring them luck.

As the friends take on a home improvement challenge of epic proportions, they encounter disaster after disaster, from renegade sheep and garden thieves to a seemingly ghostly inhabitant.  Over the course of a year, overwhelming obstacles make the three women question their decision.  But sometimes the best things can happen when everything goes wrong...

I first heard of this book while reading a review by Kathy at Bermudaonion's Weblog.  The book sounded like fun, so I immediately ordered a copy.  While at Amazon.com, I found the two other books in the trilogy - and of course, had to order them also (needed to get that free shipping!).

I loved this book!  Like Kathy, I felt like Cici, Lindsay, and Bridget were friends by the time the book ended.  And it was nice to read about women closer to my own age.  They had so many problems during the first year at Ladybug Farm, but they managed to work through the problems, make new friends, and really settle in.

I'm looking forward to the next books (AT HOME ON LADYBUG FARM and LOVE LETTERS FROM LADYBUG FARM) and spending more time with this fun trio of women.

HELL'S CORNER

HELL'S CORNER  by David Baldacci

From the book jacket:

John Carr, aka Oliver Stone - once the most skilled assassin his country ever had - stands in Lafayette Park in front of the White House, perhaps for the last time.  The president has personally requested that Stone serve his country again on a high-risk, covert mission.  Though he's fought for decades to leave his past career behind, Stone has no choice but to say yes.

Then Stone's mission changes drastically before it even begins.  It's the night of a state dinner honoring the British prime minister.  As he watches the prime minister's motorcade leave the White House that evening, a bomb is detonated in Lafayette Park, an apparent terrorist attack against both leaders.  It's in the chaotic aftermath that Stone takes on a new, more urgent assignment:  find those responsible for the bombing.

British MI-6 agent Mary Chapman becomes Stone's partner in the search for the unknown attackers.  But their opponents are elusive, capable, and increasingly lethal; worst of all, it seems that the park bombing may just have been the opening salvo in their plan.  With nowhere else to turn, Stone enlists the help of the only people he knows he can trust:  the Camel Club.  Yet that may be a big mistake.

In the shadowy worlds of politics and intelligence, there is no one you can really trust.  Nothing is really what it seems to be.  And Hell's Corner truly lives up to its name.  This may be Oliver Stone's and the Camel Club's last stand.


Mr.Baldacci, you have done it again!  This book kept me up reading till all hours - I had to force myself to put it down to get some sleep.  Full of twists and turns and red herrings, everyone looked like a suspect.  Just when you thought you knew who the good guys were, their hats suddenly turned to black - and then back to white again...maybe.

I only wish Mr. Baldacci could write as quickly as I can read.  I really don't want to wait another year for the next book.

THE DOWRY

THE DOWRY by Walter Keady

From the book jacket:

In 1946 rural Ireland, Brideen Conway has her heart set on Kieran McDermot, but one thing stands in the way of their union.  The couple can't afford to marry, and Kieran's curmudgeonly father won't pass down the family farm.  Kieran faces the unpleasant possibility of leaving Brideen behind to find his fortune in England.

Meanwhile, wealthy pub owner Austin Glynn has more than enough money to offer a substantial dowry, if only someone would take an interest in his daughter Aideen.  Kieran's feckless older brother Martin volunteers to take Aideen's hand, though the rest of the village suspects he's interested more in Austin's dowry than in his daughter.

When Martin disappears after his proposal and is believed to be dead, the parish priest Father Donovan sets in motion a plot to see Brideen and Kieran wed.  After all, so what if the dowry might change hands a few more times than is entirely usual, as long as the couple can tie the knot?

In THE DOWRY, Walter Keady spins a winsome tale in the best traditions of Irish literature, applying a wealth of charm and graceful wit to this story of love, money, and marriage.

I had never heard of this book or the author, but I was shopping at Amazon.com and needed to spend a little more to get free shipping.  I found this book, the price was right, and it was about Ireland.  A perfect combination.

Not having any expectations, I was pleasantly surprised.  This turned out to be a cute little book, full of Irish charm.  A very simple plot with some interesting and colorful characters.  Not great literature by any means, but a nice way to spend an afternoon reading.

BEFORE THE STORM

BEFORE THE STORM by Diane Chamberlain

From the back of the book:

Fifteen-year-old Andy Lockwood is special.  Others notice the way he blurts out anything that comes into his mind, how he cannot foresee consequences, that he's more child than teenager.  But his mother sees a boy with a heart as open and wide as the ocean.

Laurel Lockwood lost her son once through neglect.  She's spent the rest of her life determined to make up for her mistakes, and she's succeeded in becoming a committed, protective parent - maybe even overprotective.  Still, she loosens her grip just enough to let Andy attend a local church social - a decision that terrifies her when the church is consumed by fire.  But Andy survives...and remarkably, saves other children from the flames.  Laurel watches as Andy basks in the role of unlikely hero and the world finally sees her Andy, the sweet boy she knows as well as her own heart.

But when the suspicion of arson is cast upon Andy, Laurel must ask herself how well she really knows her son...and how far she'll go to keep her promise to protect him forever.

This is a book I've had sitting on the shelf for quite a while and just never got around to reading.  It turned out to be a good book.

I liked the way the book was written from the viewpoint of different characters.  There were parts that were flashbacks that gave an insight into Laurel's problems with alcohol and postpartum depression after the birth of her first child, Maggie, and the early days of her marriage.  A lot of family secrets that all came together at the end of the book.

I've read one other book (THE SECRET LIFE OF CEECEE WILKES) by Ms. Chamberlain and I'll be looking for more.

DECIDED NOT TO BRICK

I've decided not to brick the wall in my living room.  I'm afraid I wouldn't have really liked it, and once it was up, there would be no changing back.

But I did go ahead and paint the gold mirror black.  I think it makes a huge difference.  What do you think?

But I haven't given up completely on the brick - now I'm thinking of doing my foyer as you first come in my front door.  And I'd like to put up French doors there too.

I'll have to work on that idea.

MORE THAN FRIENDS

MORE THAN FRIENDS by Barbara Delinsky

From the back of the book:

The Maxwells and the Popes have been friends forever.  The women were college roommates, their husbands are partners in the same law firm, their kids have grown up next door to each other, and the two families share both vacations and holidays.

All is beautiful and serene in their "perfect" shared suburban Eden - until a tragic accident forces these very close friends and neighbors to look moor deeply beneath the surface.  And when their idyllic lives are unexpectedly shattered by a moment that can never be erased or forgotten, their faith in one another - and in themselves - is put to the supreme test.

This book reminded me of a soap opera.  Lots of family secrets, intertwined lives, love, hate, betrayal - but I really enjoyed it.  Some of the things that happened seemed a little far-fetched to me, but maybe I'm just living in an old-fashioned sheltered world.

I've read a few books now by Ms. Delinsky and liked them all.  Though not a great or classic novel, this book was a good dose of mind candy.  And sometimes you just need to dig into that candy jar.

SUGGESTIONS NEEDED

This is a picture of the wall that is seen as you walk into my living room.  I think you can click on this to make it larger.

I want to brick this wall.  I've seen some thin bricks that have been made from old salvaged brick - various colors of reds, browns, blacks.  I want an "old" look - rustic, not smooth and finished looking.  The other walls in the room (painted a taupe color) will stay as they are - this will be an accent wall.

I'm going to paint the frame around the mirror black to match the fireplace and I'll change the window valences when I'm finished (or eliminate them completely) but the blinds have to stay.

Any thoughts or suggestions?  I'm open to all ideas.

THE REVERSAL

THE REVERSAL by Michael Connelly

From the book jacket:

Longtime defense attorney Mickey Haller never thought he could be persuaded to cross the aisle and work for the prosecution.  Then convicted child killer Jason Jessup, imprisoned for twenty-four years, is granted a retrial based on new DNA evidence.  Haller is convinced Jessup is guilty, and he takes the case on the condition that he get to choose his investigator, LAPD detective Harry Bosch, and is second chair,deputy DA Maggie McPherson.

But there's a serious political taint on the case, and Haller and McPherson must face off against a celebrity defense attorney who has already started trying it in the media.  Bosch searches for the run-away eyewitness who was the key to Jessup's original conviction, that that trail has long since gone cold.  Jessup, out on bail, grandstands for an eager press by day, but his nocturnal actions make Haller and Bosch fear the worst:  this killer may have just gotten started.

Another great book by Mr. Connelly, bringing together Haller and Bosch.  This one had plenty of action, and a good look into courtroom theatrics employed by both the prosecution and the defense.  The ending was unexpected, and left a question hanging in the air.  A question that probably won't be answered in another book, but one to make the reader think.

Mr. Connelly has become one of my favorite authors, and while waiting for his next book, I'll be looking over the list of his past books and picking out those to put on my TBR list.

LUN LUN DELIVERS

Lun Lun, Zoo Atlanta's beautiful 13 year old giant panda, gave birth at 5:39 am this morning to her third cub.  Mom and baby are doing well.

The sex of the cub won't be determined until the panda caretakers can safely take the baby from Lun Lun for an examination.  The cub will be given its name on the 100th day per Chinese custom.

This is the only panda cub born in the United States this year - Lun Lun's first two cubs were also the only cubs born in the US during their birth years.

Congratulations to Zoo Atlanta for all their dedication to the giant pandas.  And congratulations to Lun Lun and Yang Yang - well done, Mom and Dad!

2010 HOLIDAY READING CHALLENGE

Nely of All About {n} is hosting the 2010 Holiday Reading Challenge.  This is one of my favorite challenges - I just love reading those little Christmas books that start appearing on the shelves each October and November.

For this challenge, I'll have to read between 1 and 5 books.  I already have the first 2, and I'll be on the lookout for more.

So far, I'm going to read:

A CHESAPEAKE SHORES CHRISTMAS by Sherryl Woods

CALL ME MRS. MIRACLE by Debbie Macomber

I'm sure I'll find more than 3 additional books to read!

DREAM WHEN YOU'RE FEELING BLUE

DREAM WHEN YOU'RE FEELING BLUE by Elizabeth Berg

From the back of the book:

In Chicago, as World War II rages in Europe, the Heaney sisters sit at their kitchen table each evening to write letters - Louise to her fiancé, Julian, who has just left to fight overseas; Kitty to Michael, also a soldier, and the man she wishes fervently would propose; and the third Heaney sister, Tish, to an ever changing group of men she meets at USO dances.  In the letters the sisters send and receive are intimate glimpses of life both on the battlefront and at home.  For Kitty, a confident, headstrong young woman, the departure of her boyfriend and the lessons she learns about love, resilience, and war will bring a surprise and uncover a secret, and will lend her to a radical action on behalf of those she loves that will change the Heaney family forever.  The lifelong consequences of the choices the sisters make are at the heart of this superb novel about the power of love and the enduring strength of family.

First, there is a mistake in the blurb on the book cover.  Louise is engaged to Michael and Kitty's boyfriend is Julian.  Where were the editors when this was printed?

Now, the book.  I really liked it.  I've read other books by Ms. Berg and wasn't overly impressed.  I guess that's why this one sat on the bookshelf for quite a while.  I was pulled into this one from the beginning.  For some reason, I enjoy books set in this time period.  Maybe it's because the people were so patriotic and stood behind the soldiers who were putting their lives on the line each day.

This book gave a good look at what it was like to be at home, waiting for your man to come back; hoping and praying that he would return unharmed.  I could "see" the girls writing their letters, going to the USO dances, working on aircraft at a defense plant - just like an old black and white movie.  The letters they received gave a detailed glimpse of what the war was like for the men fighting and their own fears.

I thought this was a very good book - I wish I had read it sooner.

OCTOBER BOOKS

October wasn't the greatest reading month - I only managed to finish 5 books.  But during our trip to Niagara Falls - 6 days - I didn't pick up a book once.  Of the 5 books, there was only one that I really didn't care much for, so substance-wise, this month was OK.

Here's what I read:

AN IRISH COUNTRY COURTSHIP by Patrick Taylor

TH1RTEEN R3ASONS WHY by Jay Asher

HENRY'S SISTERS by Cathy Lamb

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO by Stieg Larsson

AMERICAN ASSASSIN by Vince Flynn


We have a lot of things planned for November, including 2 short trips, so I don't know how much I'll get read this month.  Hopefully, there will be a good assortment of those little holiday books - they are quick and fun to read and really help boost my book totals for the month and year.

How did you do in October?