BLESS THE BRIDE

BLESS THE BRIDE by Rhys Bowen was read for the 2011 Pub Challenge and the What's in a Name 4 Reading Challenge (lifestage).

From the book jacket:

With Molly Murphy's wedding to NYPD Captain Daniel Sullivan quickly approaching, the Irish sleuth heads to the Westchester County countryside, where his mother can lend her a hand and advise her on a bride's proper place.  And shockingly, Molly seems to be agreeing.  She has already promised that she'll close up her PI business and settle down after marrying, but she isn't a married woman yet.  So, when she gets word of a possible case, she sneaks back into the city to squeeze in a little more sleuthing before the wedding bells can ring.

A wealthy Chinese immigrant wants her to find his missing bride, and Molly - sure she isn't getting the whole story - suspects that his bride ran off.  But where could she go?  The only Chinese women in early-twentieth-century New York are kept under lock and key, and Molly can't help but wonder if she's saving the woman from the streets or helping to lock her away for good.

Another Molly book by one of my favorite authors!  Molly, as usual, gets herself in a mess of trouble trying to solve a mystery, all the while getting in the way of a police investigation.  Molly's search for the missing bride takes her to Chinatown, with its tong wars, missionaries, and opium dens.

I was afraid that after Molly and Daniel were married, this series would end.  But there's enough of a teaser at the end to give me hope that Molly Murphy will continue.

SUGAR TIME

SUGAR TIME by Jane Adams was read for the Just for Fun Reading Challenge 2011.

From the back of the book:

Charlotte "Sugar" Kane hasn't brought in a hit TV show for 20 years.  She's about to prove she still can, even if she's an old broad in a youth-obsessed business, when she's blind-sided by a medical malady that could cost her the pilot if anyone knew about it as well as ruin her change to turn it into a winning series.  She manages to keep her secret from the conniving young assistant who wants her show, and even from her grown kids and closest friends.  And when she falls in love with Alex Carroll, she can't tell him, either.  "What man who's still got what it takes wants a woman with a condition?"  But Alex has a secret of his own, and by the time Sugar learns it, she'll have to face the hardest decision of all for a woman of a certain age who gets her last chance at both love and success - and knows that getting one means giving up the other.

This book was sent to me by the author over a year ago, and I just got around to reading it.  I'm sorry for the delay.

It was nice to read about a woman past the age of 50 who isn't just someone's mother.  Sugar is a mother and a grandmother, but she also has her own life and career.  She's busy trying to resurrect that career by writing and producing a pilot for a TV series while dealing with a scheming assistant and demanding network executives.  Right in the middle of all of this, she is hit with an unusual heart condition that requires her to reduce the amount of stress in her life.

And then she meets Alex.  A chance meeting leads to a full-blown love affair with a fantastic man.  Sugar eventually learns that things are not as perfect as they seem on the surface, and she has to make a decision as to what she really wants out of life.  I liked Sugar's attitude.  When she realized what was the most important thing to her, she jumped in with both feet and went for it.  Good for you, Sugar.

I had read one other book by this author, a non-fiction titled WHEN OUR GROWN KIDS DISAPPOINT US, and I didn't know what to expect in a fiction book.  A quick read with fun characters - I liked it a lot.

QUEEN BY RIGHT

QUEEN BY RIGHT by Anne Easter Smith was read for the Pub 2011 Reading Challenge and the Chunkster Challenge 2011.

From the back of the book:

History remembers Cecily of York standing on the steps of the Market Cross at Ludlow, facing an attacking army while holding the hands of her two young sons.  Queen by Right reveals how she came to step into her destiny, beginning with her marriage to Richard, duke of York, whom she meets when she is eight and he is twelve.  Raised together in her father's household, they become a true love match and together face personal tragedies, pivotal events of history, and deadly political intrigue.  All of england knows that Richard has a clear claim to the throne, and when King Henry VI becomes unfit to rule, Cecily must put aside her hopes and fears and help her husband decide what is right for their family and their country.  Queen by Right marks Anne Easter Smith's greatest achievement, a book that every fan of sweeping, exquisitely detailed historical fiction will devour.

This was the fourth book by Ms. Smith dealing with the War of the Roses, and the York family in particular.  In this book, she tells the story of how the war began and how the crown left the Lancaster line and wound up on the head of a York.  But it is not just a book about the politics of the day; it is mainly about the relationships between Cecily and Richard and Cecily and her children.  As is common in historical fiction, Ms. Smith takes documented events and adds a little side story to them, creating a very entertaining book.

I'll be looking forward to Ms. Smith's final book in the York series, telling the story of Jane Shore, mistress of Edward IV.

"AFTER" PICTURES

Here's a before picture of my eyes:

Now here's a picture 3 weeks after the eyelid surgery:

I think the doctor did a great job.  The eyelids are still a little swollen, but I'm very pleased.


Now, the lipo.  I don't really have any before pictures.  For the longest time, I didn't want to have any pictures taken because I knew how "plump" I looked.  Here's one that I found from about 2 years ago.  I was wearing a full dress, but almost filled it.  Excuse the terrible hair!

Now, 3 weeks after lipo, I can actually wear a shirt tucked in!  No comments, please, about the Mom jeans!

And look at this!

I still have quite a bit of swelling that might take another couple of months to completely go away.  But so far, I'm very pleased with the results.

It hasn't been the easiest recovery, but not that bad.  The first week was tough.  My eyes were so swollen and my tummy was bigger than before the surgery.  It was tough getting in and out of a chair, and putting on the compression garment was pure torture.  But by week 2, things had gotten a lot better.  Now, I feel almost back to normal.  I still have the swelling and some numbness and still have to wear a compression garment about 12-18 hours a day, but it's so much easier to put on (and it's even tighter than the first one).  I can definitely see improvement and so can others.

Would I do it again?  You betcha!

NOT QUITE A PIECE OF CAKE

Here I was, thinking that recovering from lipo was super easy.  Well, this past week changed my thinking a little.

Not that I'm having major problems.  But I'm still swollen and there's one particular area that is swollen and hard.  Even after the lymphatic drainage massage.  In fact, the swelling seems to have increased a little bit.  And now I've noticed that my feet, ankles and calves are puffy.

I'm going to call the doctor and check to make sure that nothing is wrong.  I'm drinking copious amounts of water and keeping my feet elevated when I'm sitting.  I'm trying to walk more - I read that muscle contraction and deep breathing helps move the lymph through the system.  I've even starting drinking a little bit of apple cider vinegar before meals to help clean out blocked lymph nodes.  Even took a bath in it yesterday - I came out smelling like a salad!  It's supposed to draw out the fluid.

Now, on the north end of my body, my eyes are healing well.  One area of the incision on my right eye opened a little, but I'm taking care of that with steri-strips and it looks like it will close nicely.  

I know that I'm over-anxious to have this all behind me.  I know that it might take months for all the swelling to be permanently gone.  But I just have no patience!

MISTRESS OF ROME

MISTRESS OF ROME by Kate Quinn was read for the Chunkster Challenge 2011.

From the back of the book:

First-century Rome:  A world of depravity, blood and secrets.  The ruthless and enigmatic Emperor Dominitian watches over all, fearing assassination from every direction...but not from the woman who fascinates him most.

Passionate, musical, and guarded, Thea is a slave girl from Judaea.  Purchased as a toy for the spiteful heiress Lepida Pollia, Thea becomes her mistress's rival for the love of Arius the Barbarian, Rome's newest and most savage gladiator.  His love brings Thea the first happiness of her life - but their affair ends quickly when a jealous Lepida tears them apart.

As Lepida goes on to wreak havoc in the life of a new husband and his family, Thea remakes herself as a polished singer for Rome's aristocrats.  Unwittingly, she attracts another admirer in the capricious and charismatic emperor of Rome.  But Domitians's games have a darker side, and Thea finds herself fighting for both soul and sanity.  Many have tried to destroy the Emperor:  a vengeful gladiator, an upright senator, a tormented soldier, a streetwise child, a Vestal Virgin.  But in the end, the life of the brilliant and paranoid Domitian lies in the hands of one woman:  the Emperor's mistress.

I loved this book!  It reminded me of a soap opera - it had love, hate, bad marriages, affairs, secrets, treachery, revenge plus a lot of blood and gore thrown in.  It had characters I loved and some I hated.  There were good guys and bad guys.  Some fantastic put-downs and some funny scenes.

The ending of the book left the field wide open for a sequel.  While hoping and waiting for that, I'm planning to read Ms. Quinn's latest book, DAUGHTERS OF ROME.

EYES AND LIPO AFTER 2 WEEKS

I'm still not ready to post pictures - need a little more healing first.

My eyes are looking good.  The incision on my right eye is a little wider than I had expected, but I'm not going to fret over it.  It will show a little to the outside of the eye, but it can be covered with make-up.  The important thing is that I have eyelids again!  Still a bit of swelling above the eye, but that will go away.

My tummy is looking good.  There is still quite a bit of swelling in certain parts from the fluid buildup, but the doctor said that is to be expected.  He said I won't see the final results for a number of weeks yet.  But I definitely have a waistline.  My love-handles are gone except for a little swelling.  I had a lymphatic massage this morning which really helped to break up some of the fluid pockets and get the fluid moving.  I can feel the difference.  The massage was a little rough.  It felt like kneading bread - push, pull, stretch.  I can do some massage here at home too.  She suggested a lot of water and walking at least 20 minutes, twice a day.  I just finished a 1 mile Walk Away the Pounds and will do more walking tomorrow.

So I'm on the way.  I go back to the doctor in 3 months to have the "after" pictures taken.  I'm anxious to see the difference.  He told me today that he took "a lot, a LOT" of fat out so the change should be very noticeable.  I can see it now - I can't wait to see it then!

A TURN IN THE ROAD

A TURN IN THE ROAD by Debbie Macomber was read for the Pub 2011 Reading Challenge.

From the book jacket:

In the middle of the year, in the middle of her life, Bethanne Hamlin takes a road trip with her daughter, Annie, and her former mother-in-law, Ruth.

They've driving to Florida for Ruth's 50th high-school reunion.  A longtime widow, Ruth would like to reconnect with Royce, the lover of her teenage life.  She's heard he's alone, too...and, well, she's curious.  Maybe even hopeful.

Bethanne herself needs time to reflect, to ponder a decision she has to make.  Her ex-husband, Grant - her children's father - wants to reconcile now that his second marriage has failed.  Bethanne's considering it...

Meanwhile, Annie's out to prove to her onetime boyfriend that she can live a brilliant life without him!

So, there they are, three women driving across America.  They have their maps and their directions - but even the best-planned journey can take you to a turn in the road.  Or lead you to an unexpected encounter - like the day Bethanne meets a man named Max who really is a hero on a Harley.  That's when Bethanne's decision becomes a lot harder.  Because Grant wants her back, but now there's Max...

From Seattle's Blossom Street to the other end of the country, this is a trip that could change three women's lives.

Whenever I'm looking for a nice happy book to read, I know I can always turn to Debbie Macomber.  Whether it's from the Blossom Street series (like this one), the Cedar Cove series, or one of her stand-alone books, I'm never disappointed.

This book didn't stay on Blossom Street - the women traveled from Seattle to Vero Beach, Florida, and back again.  They had a trip planned, but decided on a whim to take a different route to visit some famous places.  That decision led them to places and people who made a big difference in their lives.  And they all returned as different women than they were when the trip began.

I'll be looking forward to Ms. Macomber's new Cedar Cove book later this year as she wraps up that popular series.

THE SIXTH MAN

THE SIXTH MAN by David Baldacci was read for the Pub 2011 Reading Challenge and the What's in a Name 4 Challenge (number)

From the book jacket:

After the #1 New York Times bestsellers Split Second, Hour Game, Simple Genius, and First Family, Sean King and Michelle Maxwell return in their most shocking case:  a high-stakes struggle where the relentless needs of national security run up against the absolute limits of the human mind.

Edgar Ray - an alleged serial killer held in a secure, fortress-like Federal Supermax facility - is awaiting trial  He faces almost certain conviction.  Sean King and Michelle Maxwell are call in by Roy's attorney, Sean's old friend and mentor Ted Bergin, to help work the case.  But their investigation is derailed before it begins - en route to their first meeting with Bergin, Sean and Michelle find him murdered.

It is now up to them to ask the questions no one seems to want answered:  Is Roy a killer?  Who murdered Bergin?  With help from some surprising allies, they continue to pursue the case.  But the more they dig into Roy's past, the more they encounter obstacles, half-truths, dead-ends, false friends, and escalating threats from every direction.  Their persistence puts them on a collision course with the highest levels of the government and the darkest corners of power.  In a terrifying confrontation that will push Sean and Michelle to their limits, the duo may be permanently parted.

I love David Baldacci.  All of his books are winners.  And this one is extra good.  Full of fast-paced action and mysterious people, the reader is never sure who is wearing the white hats.  The ending came as a big surprise - something I love in books.

Now I'll have to wait another year for Mr. Baldacci's next book - I wish he could write as fast as I can read!

THE KNIFE - 1 WEEK AFTER

It's been 8 days now since my eyes were done.  The right eye looks great, just a little swelling still on the actual eyelid.  The left eye - not quite so good.  Still quite a bit of swelling, but it's getting there.  There's one part on the inner corner of the eye that isn't just the way I wanted, but it will look OK when the swelling is gone.  One little spot of bruising under the left eye, but it's fading.  At least the hoody-eyelids are gone.  No pictures yet.

The lipo - it's been 6 days.  I still have quite a bit of fluid that hasn't moved out yet.  But there's definite improvement.  My jeans are way too big now.  No pain, just a little tenderness.  I'm still wearing the compression garment and will for another week, then I switch to a different one for 4 weeks.  I'm having a lymphatic drainage massage next week that should help with the fluid.  My cheeks are still puffy from where he injected the fat into the creases around my mouth and nose.  Ice should take care of that and I might extend the massage to that area.

Was it worth it?  Yes.  Definitely.  I'm not trying to look 21 again, I just wanted my eyes to look not so tired and to get rid of my spare tire.  Both accomplished.  Dom asked me if I planned to do any more lipo.  I'm thinking - just thinking - about my thighs.  But I'll wait until all the swelling is gone and then take a look.

Now, back to the ice packs!

APRIL BOOKS

I didn't think that April would be a good reading month.  I knew with the two surgeries scheduled that my reading time would be limited.  I was surprised to see that I had finished 9 books.

Here's what I read this month:

A HEARTBEAT AWAY by Michael Palmer (Medical Mystery Madness Challenge 2011 and Pub 2011 Reading Challenge)

THE JOURNEY HOME by Michael Baron

ROSES by Leila Meacham (Chunkster Reading Challenge 2011)

THE APOTHECARY'S DAUGHTER by Julie Klassen

OOGY by Larry Levin (Just for Fun Reading Challenge 2011)

SAVE ME by Lisa Scottoline (Pub 2011 Reading Challenge)

AND THEN THERE WERE NONE by Agatha Christie

MINDING FRANKIE by Maeve Binchy (Pub 2011 Reading Challenge and Ireland Reading Challenge 2011)

GLASSBLOWER OF MURANO by Marina Fiorato


Three of these books were read on the Kindle.  I'm finding it convenient to carry with me if I'm out, but I'm not using it as much as I had hoped I would.  The main reason is because I don't want to spend much money buying books for it - I've mainly been looking at free or very inexpensive books.  I'm still of the mindset that if I'm paying $10 or more for a book, I want something I can see and hold in my hand.  I'll have to change my thinking if I'm going to get the value from the Kindle.

How was your reading month?

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

41 years and going strong!

Happy Anniversary to my husband Dom!