Lynne's Little Corner of the World

A FEW SAD DAYS

2012-01-27T20:58:00.000-05:00

Joe Paterno died on Sunday.

I never met the man. My brother Paul played football at Penn State in the 1970's under Joe. He had the utmost respect for JoePa, considering him as much more than just a coach. He was a friend, a leader, a mentor. He taught the boys how to be men. He taught them to win with honor and lose with graciousness. Lessons that were carried off the field and throughout life.

My daughter, Donna, went to Penn State. Obviously, she didn't play football, but she loved JoePa. She said everyone there loved him. He was more than football. He gave millions of dollars of his own money to help fund a new library. He worked with the College of Liberal Arts to make sure that the classics were being taught. There is a Paterno Fellowship program now in that College. Penn State was his life.

He was a loving husband, father of 5 and grandfather of 17. He was also a father to thousands of Penn State students and athletes. His father had told him, as a young man, to make an impact in his life. He did that. He touched so many lives on and off the playing field.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, thousands and thousands of people stood for hours in the cold for a chance to say a last goodbye to JoePa. They came from all around the country because they felt they had to give back the respect Joe had given them.

Yesterday, there was a tribute where former players and others stood and spoke about the impact Joe had on their lives. They all told how he had cared for them, not just as players but as people. They spoke about how he molded them into better men. The love they all had for Joe was evident.

Joe Paterno fulfilled his father's wishes. He made an impact in so many lives. To say he will be missed is an understatement. Penn State will live on, but it won't be the same without Joe.

BREAKING THE SILENCE

2012-01-25T08:30:00.000-05:00

BREAKING THE SILENCE by Diane Chamberlain

From the back of the book:

Laura Brandon's promise to her dying father was simple: to visit an elderly woman she'd never heard of before. A woman who remembers nothing - except the distant past. Visiting Sarah Tolley seemed a small enough sacrifice to make.

But Laura's promise results in another death. Her husband's. And after their five-year-old daughter, Emma, witnesses her father's suicide, Emma refuses to talk about it...to talk at all

Frantic and guilt ridden, Laura contacts the only person who may be able to help. A man she's met only once - six years before. A man who doesn't know he's Emma's real father.

Guided only by a child's silence and an old woman's fading memories, the two unravel a tale of love and despair, of bravery and unspeakable evil. A tale that's shrouded in silence...and that unbelievably links them all.

Ms. Chamberlain is one of my favorite authors. Every book of hers that I've read has been a winner. This one was great. I loved the characters, especially Sarah. Her stories of the past were heartbreaking. I just wanted to reach inside the book and give her a big hug. The ending had some twists that I really didn't see coming.

Lucky for me, Ms. Chamberlain has quite a few books that I haven't read yet. I'll be sure to get to all of them.

BOOKS FOR A BUCK

2012-01-23T14:30:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I visited a little book outlet store near my home that I've been to quite a few times. As soon as I walked in, I could tell something was different. Lot of empty shelves. The owner told me that they were closing that day and all books were $1. So I started looking around.

I wound up with 8 books (5 hardcover, 3 trade paperback) for $8. I had never heard of any of them, but they looked interesting.

WHO STOLE THE FUNNY? (A Novel of Hollywood) by Robby Benson
CATCH A RISING STAR by Tracey Bateman
A GREAT FEAST OF LIGHT (Growing up Irish in the Television Age) by John Doyle
FRIDAY NIGHTS by Joanna Trollope
THE LAST WILL OF MOIRA LEAHY by Therese Walsh
BLUE COLLAR, BLUE SCRUBS (The Making of a Surgeon) by Michael J. Collins, M.D.
MATCH DAY (One Day and One Dramatic Year in the Lives of Three New Doctors) by Brian Eule
THE HIGH CITY by Cecelia Holland

I think I got a pretty good deal. If nothing else, they'll help fill up an empty bookshelf.

Have you heard of any of these title or authors?

THE WINTER SEA

2012-01-21T18:21:00.000-05:00

THE WINTER SEA by Susanna Kearsley was read for the What's in a Name 5 Challenge.

From Amazon.com:

History has all but forgotten...In the spring of 1708, an invading Jacobite fleet of French and Scottish soldiers nearly succeeded in landing the exiled James Stewart in Scotland to reclaim his crown.

Now, Carrie McClelland hopes to turn that story into her next bestselling novel. Settling herself in the shadow of Slains Castle, she creates a heroine named for one of her own ancestors and starts to write.

But when she discovers her novel is more fact than fiction, Carrie wonders if she might be dealing with ancestral memory, making her the only living person who knows the truth - the ultimate betrayal - that happened all those years ago, and that knowledge comes very close to destroying her...

I sent a copy of this book to a friend for Christmas and she raved about it. When I saw I could get a free copy for the Kindle, I jumped at the chance. I liked the book a lot, although maybe not quite as much as my friend did.

This was actually a book within a book - the book Carrie was writing and the story about Carrie as she was writing it. Confusing? Not really. I actually enjoyed the "book" part better. I knew very little of Scottish history, so it was fun to learn about it. The author states that the characters and events are factual for the most part.

Note to person writing the above description: The last part - "and that knowledge comes very close to destroying her..." - were you and I reading the same book? I think you might have been stretching the truth there a wee bit!

This book fits the category - things you would see on a calendar - for the What's in a Name 5 Challenge.

WHO KNEW THEY WERE SUCH WUSSES!

2012-01-21T12:24:00.000-05:00

My friend Vicki and I went down to Zoo Atlanta the other day. It was a chilly day but not exceptionally cold. But almost all of the animals were inside! No lions, no tigers, no elephants, no gorillas.

But the pandas were out. We got to see all four of them this time.

This is daddy Yang Yang, inside happily munching on his bamboo.

Three-year-old Xi Lan was napping outside on top of his climbing structure and wouldn't wake up for us.

And here's mommy Lun Lun and sweet little Po. I think Po wanted to go inside to play with his daddy.

Lun Lun

Another picture of Po

Of course, just as we were leaving, it started to warm up a little and all the other animals were coming outside. We'll just have to go again when it's not as chilly for all those animal wusses!

GUESS WHERE I'M GOING TODAY

2012-01-19T07:01:00.001-05:00

ZOO ATLANTA!

To see Po

and Sohni

and Sanjiv

BOWLING UPS AND DOWNS

2012-01-18T08:09:00.001-05:00

I've had some good luck bowling these past few weeks. On my Monday league, for the past 3 weeks I've had 200+ games. Unfortunately, I would follow each big game with a game just barely over 100. What gives with that? I guess I use up all my adrenaline on the first game.

I'm toying with the idea of getting a new ball, one that is weighted to throw a curve. Right now, I throw mainly a straight ball with a teeny curve at the end. I'm afraid, though, if I spend some big bucks on a new ball that I won't be able to control it and will wind up not using it. We'll see.

I'm bowling this afternoon. I'm ready for a 200+ game - and this time I don't plan to follow with a lousy game.

UPDATE: I bowled a 201 in my first game, followed by a so-so 130 then a 146. Not too bad.

THE BEACH TREES

2012-01-14T14:28:00.000-05:00

THE BEACH TREES by Karen White was read for the Southern Literature Challenge 2012.

From the back of the book:

In the aftermath of tragedy, life goes on - painful and forever altered, but ripe with new beginnings. For Julie Holt, traveling to the beautiful but ravaged coast of Biloxi, Mississippi, is a journey into a secret past and a life she never expected...

Julie first knew loss at the age of twelve, when her younger sister disappeared from their backyard - never to be found. As her once close-knit family grew apart, Julie's mother obsessively searched for the girl, and when her mother died, Julie took up the search. Even as she went on with life, discovering a love for art that she attributed to her painter great-grandfather, she never let go of the hope that she might find her sister.

Then, while working at an auction house in New York, Julie meets Monica Guidry - a struggling artist and single mother who reminds Julie so much of her sister that she can't help feeling drawn to her and even a bit protective. Monica paints a vivid picture of her Southern family through stories, but never says why or how she lost contact with them. And she has another secret: a heart condition that will soon take her life.

Feeling as if she's lost her sister a second time, Julie inherits from Monica a valuable portrait - as well as custody of her young son. Taking him to Biloxi, Mississippi, to meet the family he's never known, Julie discovers a connection of her own. The portrait, which depicts a prominent Guidry family member, was done by her great-grandfather - and unlocks a surprising family history...

I wasn't thrilled with this book. I never formed a connection with the characters, and I couldn't understand Julie's connection to the Guidry family. Narrated by Julie and Miss Aimee Guidry, Monica's grandmother who told her ages-old history to Julie, I kept confusing their stories.

Ms. White resides in Atlanta and the book is centered around New Orleans and Biloxi, so it qualifies for this challenge. Completing it for the challenge is really the only reason I finished the book. It just didn't hold much interest for me.

DID YOU KNOW...

2012-01-12T20:44:00.000-05:00

that if you try to hold back a cough, so that you won't wake up your sleeping husband, you can throw out your back and have miserable, can't stand, sit, bend, walk or breathe pain all day? I didn't know that either.

THE DAY THE FALLS STOOD STILL

2012-01-09T08:07:00.002-05:00

THE DAY THE FALLS STOOD STILL by Cathy Marie Buchanan was read for the Just for Fun Reading Challenge 2012.

From the back of the book:

1915. Niagara Falls. The dawn of the hydroelectric power era. Seventeen-year-old Bess Heath, who has led a sheltered existence as the younger daughter of the director of the Niagara Power Company, meets Tom Cole by chance on a trolley platform and finds herself inexplicably drawn to him - against her family's strong objections. Tom is not from their world. Rough-hewn and fearless, he lives off what the river provides and has an uncanny ability to predict the whims of the falls. His daring river rescues render him a local hero and cast him as a threat to the power companies that seek to harness the power of the falls for themselves. As the paths of Bess and Tom become entwined, Bess must make a painful choice between what she wants and what is best for her family and her future.

I love Niagara Falls. Dom and I have been there twice and I can't wait to go back again. There is something about watching all that water flow over the falls that amazes me, hypnotizes me. The force and power of the water has to be seen to be believed. If you haven't been there, you really must go.

So this fascination with Niagara Falls prompted me to read this book. It was a love story of Bess and Tom, but also about Tom's love and respect of the river. His grandfather, Fergus Cole, was a local hero who had saved people from the riverbed in March 1848, when the falls had been reduced to a trickle by an ice jam in Lake Erie. The wind had shifted and the ice jam moved, allowing the river to then surge toward the falls. Tom followed in his grandfather's footsteps and seemed to know exactly what the river would do.

In the author's note at the end of the book, she explains that the character of Tom Cole was based on William "Red" Hill, who was known for his knowledge of the river and his daring rescues. Two of his rescues were used as the inspiration for parts of the book.

An interesting note. Water is diverted daily from the Niagara River for power generation. During the tourist season days, fifty percent of the water is diverted and during the winter months, seventy-five percent is diverted. It's impossible to imagine the full power of the water if what I saw was only half of the water that could be coming over the falls. I stood on the Hurricane Deck next to the Bridal Veil Falls and was nearly blown over by the force of the water - and that is the area that gets the smallest amount of water.

You must visit the falls to experience first-hand the wonder and excitement. Ride upriver past the falls to see the whirlpool (which we didn't see but will the next time we're there). Try to imagine the power of the water. Stand, as I did, right next to the falls and be mesmerized. Then read this book and picture the events in your mind. I can't wait to go back.

I'll close with a few pictures we took on our last trip to Niagara Falls.

The American Falls

The Canadian (Horseshoe) Falls

The American Falls

American Falls and Canadian Falls in the back

Bridal Veil Falls

Dom at the base of the Bridal Veil Falls

APE HOUSE

2012-01-06T10:10:00.000-05:00

APE HOUSE by Sara Gruen was read for the What's in a Name 5 Challenge (type of house).

From the back of the book:

Isabel Duncan, a scientist at the Great Ape Language Lab, doesn't understand people, but apes she gets - especially the bonobos Sam, Bonzi, Lola, Mbongo, Jelani, and Makena, who are capable of reason and communication through American Sign Language. Isabel feels more comfortable in their world than she's ever felt among humans - until she meets John Thigpen, a very married reporter writing a human interest feature. But when an explosion rocks the lab, John's piece turns into the story of a lifetime - and Isabel must connect with her own kind to save her family of apes from a new form of human exploitation.

This was a great book. It was basically a love story - between Isabel and the six apes she considered as her family. These apes were almost human - they could speak to Isabel and understand what was being said to them. They used a lexigram board - symbols that represent words - to speak, along with the ASL. They exhibit the same wants and needs and fears as we do. After the explosion at the lab, the apes disappear and Isabel must find them. When she finally does and sees what is being done to them, she moves Heaven and Earth to get them back.

The author's notes at the end of the book tell how she first heard about the bonobo apes at a place called the Great Ape Trust in Des Moines, Iowa. She went there and was able to connect and communicate with the apes. I had never heard of bonobos before reading this book, and I had no idea of their intelligence and the language studies being done. I love reading a book that makes me want to learn something new, and this book did just that.

HOLIDAYS OVER - BACK TO ROUTINE

2012-01-05T12:40:00.000-05:00

It's January.

The Christmas tree is down and put away, all the decorations are back in the boxes. I did leave my Christmas dishes in the hutch for a little while longer - just because I love how they look.

My bowling league started yesterday, after a 2-week break for the holidays. It felt strange. I think I forgot how to bowl - and my scores showed it. Not too terrible, but not what I know I can do. My Monday league will restart this coming Monday morning. I hope I can do better then.

Shelby is back to full weeks at school. Now she's going Tuesday through Saturday because she'll be working on clients instead of being in the classroom all day. She was so excited yesterday - she did a massage and got her first big tip!

And Dom will be back to his regular work schedule at Home Depot, minus Sundays. He's cutting back on his hours, working toward some day finally retiring.

Maggie and Lucky? Their routines never change - sleep, eat, go outside - over and over again, day in and day out. Holidays mean nothing to them!

THE STUFF THAT NEVER HAPPENED

2012-01-02T08:35:00.000-05:00

THE STUFF THAT NEVER HAPPENED by Maddie Dawson

From the back of the book:

Annabelle has been married to Grant McKay for three decades. She has two wonderful children and memories of thousands of dinners around their scarred oak table, and other wives wish they had her devoted husband, who wound never cheat on her or leave. But long ago Annabelle fell in love with someone else. With the children grown and gone and Grant becoming distant, she can't help but wonder if she made the right choice to stay with Grant.

When a surprise encounter offers her a second change at that unforgettable passion, Annabelle must decide between the man she's always dreamed about and the husband who has stood squarely by her side. A journey into the what-ifs and lingering doubts that haunt us, The Stuff That Never Happened is an intricate, heartfelt examination of modern marriage.

I didn't like this book. The synopsis made it sound interesting, but it was boring. The chapters, all narrated by Annabelle, moved between past and present. I didn't like Annabelle or Grant at all. I couldn't imagine how they ever managed to get together in the first place let alone stay married for close to 30 years.

What a bummer, staring the new year with a bad book.

OFF THE SHELF READING CHALLENGE

2012-01-01T07:02:00.000-05:00

Here's a challenge I really need. The goal is to read books that have been sitting on your bookshelves, unread. I've got plenty of those!

I'm doing the Tempted level - 5 books to read. Hopefully, I'll read a lot more and clear those shelves.

If you'd like to join, here's the place.

SOUTHERN LITERATURE CHALLENGE

2012-01-01T06:58:00.002-05:00

This is a new challenge for me. I've read a lot of books set in the South, so I thought this one would be fun. For this challenge, books need to be written by a Southern author and set mostly in the South.

I'm doing Level 4 - Y'all Come Back Now, Y'hear - 4 books.

Interested in joining? Here's the place to sign up.

JUST FOR FUN READING CHALLENGE 2012

2012-01-01T06:52:00.002-05:00

The Just for Fun Reading Challenge is an easy one. The goal is to read one book every month just for fun. It can be any type of book, but it cannot be a book for any other challenge. Easy!

If you're interested in this fun challenge, go here to sign up.

IRELAND READING CHALLENGE 2012

2012-01-01T06:47:00.000-05:00

Since I'm doing an Italian reading challenge, I must also do an Irish one - since I am a teeny-tiny bit Irish. I've done this one before. One day I'm going to get to Ireland to see all the places I've read about.

For this challenge, you need to read books written by an Irish author, set in Ireland, or involving Irish history or Irish characters. I'm doing the Shamrock level - 4 books.

If you'd like to sign up for this challenge, here's the place.

CHUNKSTER CHALLENGE 2012

2012-01-01T06:42:00.000-05:00

Another favorite challenge of mine is the Chunkster Challenge. In this one, you must read books of at least 450 pages. I love big books so this one will be fun. I'm doing the Chubby Chunkster level - must read 4 books. Looking at my bookshelves, that's going to be easy. I'll probably wind up reading more.

If you'd like to join this challenge too, here's the place to sign up.

I LOVE ITALY READING CHALLENGE

2012-01-01T06:37:00.004-05:00

This is a new challenge for me. Since my husband is Italian, I thought it would be fun to read books set in Italy.

The rules for this challenge are simple: Read books that are set in Italy, written by an Italian author, or are about Italy or an Italian person. I'm doing the Ciao Italia level - 1 to 3 books. But I might wind up reading more.

If you'd like to sign up for this challenge, here's the place.

WHAT'S IN A NAME 5

2012-01-01T06:34:00.002-05:00

This has been one of my favorite reading challenges in the past 4 years, so I'm ready to do it again. The goal of this challenge is to read 6 books that fit six distinct categories. This year the challenges are:

A book with a topographical feature (land formation) in the title
A book with something you'd see in the sky in the title
A book with a creepy crawly in the title
A book with a type of house in the title
A book with something you'd carry in your pocket, purse, or backpack in the title
A book with something you'd find on a calendar in the title

I have one book picked out already, but I'll have to do some thinking about the other five.

If you're interested in joining this challenge, here's the place to sign up.

2011 COMPLETED CHALLENGES

2011-12-31T15:36:00.002-05:00

Here's my challenge wrap-up:

100+ Reading Challenge - Did not complete, 7 books short

Read and Review Challenge 2011 - I wrote a mini-review of every book I read this year

Pub 2011 Reading Challenge - Finished with 12 books

Ireland Reading Challenge 2011 - Finished with 4 books

2011 Medical Mystery Madness Challenge - Finished with 4 books

What's in a Name 4 Challenge - Finished with 6 books

Just for Fun Reading Challenge 2011 - Finished with 12 books

Chunkster Challenge 2011 - Finished with 6 books

I'm joining 7 challenges for next year - I'll post them tomorrow.

DECEMBER BOOKS

2011-12-31T15:31:00.002-05:00

Can you believe that 2011 is over already? It's true - the older you get, the faster the time flies.

Here's what I read in December:

1225 CHRISTMAS TREE LANE by Debbie Macomber

RAINWATER by Sandra Brown

OLIVE KITTERIDGE by Elizabeth Strout

ROOM by Emma Donoghue (Just For Fun Reading Challenge 2011)

AN O'BRIEN FAMILY CHRISTMAS by Sherryl Woods

THE CHRISTMAS NOTE by Donna VanLiere

CHARLOTTE FIGG TAKES OVER PARADISE by Joyce Magnin

TOMORROW RIVER by Lesley Kagen

SUCH A PRETTY FACE by Cathy Lamb

RUSH HOME ROAD by Lori Lansens

ANGEL FALLS by Kristin Hannah

Overall, a good reading month. I didn't read as many of those little Christmas books as I usually do - I didn't see that many new ones that caught my eye. So I wound up this month with 11 books, for a total this year of 93 books.

I want to wish everyone a safe, happy and healthy New Year!

GOODBYE 2011

2011-12-31T13:41:00.000-05:00

This has been an up and down year for me. Some good things with our family, some not-so-good. I saw a good friend fight and lose a very short battle with an exceptionally aggressive cancer, which showed me the importance of living every day to the fullest.

Shelby moved back in with us early in the year with her then-boyfriend Mike. She finally got smart and broke up with him and he moved out in March. Since then, I've seen some big changes in Shelby. Her self-esteem has soared. She realized what she wants in life and is working toward that goal. She's in school, taking classes in skin care and make-up, and will continue with cosmetology later this year. She's going with a really nice young man now, one who treats her with respect and caring. She's happier than she's been in years. I'm so proud of the young woman she's become.

I've been able to spend more time with my wonderful sister Anne - in fact, I just came back from a few days in Orlando a few weeks ago. We also went up to Ohio in September to celebrate our cousin's 100th birthday. She and Sy are coming here for a few days, probably in February.

Dom and I made another trip to Niagara Falls this summer. It was hot as blazes, but I loved seeing the Falls and my favorite singer, John McDermott. This time we walked close enough to just about touch the Bridal Veil Falls. I don't think I could ever get tired of seeing the Falls - I'm totally mesmerized by the water. One of my all time favorite places to visit.

Dom and I are working toward the day when he can retire fully. We have a financial goal in mind and have formulated a plan to reach that goal, hopefully this year.

And so I can say goodbye to 2011 and look forward to 2012. I have a feeling it's going to be a very good year.

ANGEL FALLS

2011-12-29T07:00:00.000-05:00

ANGEL FALLS by Kristin Hannah

From Amazon.com:

When Mikaela Campbell, beloved wife and mother, falls into a coma, it is up to her husband, Liam, to hold the family together and care for their grieving, frightened children. Doctors tell him not to expect a recovery, but he believes that love can accomplish what medical science cannot. Daily he sits at her bedside, telling her stories of the precious life they have built together, hoping against hope that she will wake up. But then he discovers evidence of his wife's secret past: a hidden first marriage to movie star Julian True.

Desperate to bring Mikaela back at any cost, Liam knows he must turn to Julian for help. But will that choice cost Liam his wife, his family, and everything he holds dear? One of Kristin Hannah's most moving novels, Angel Falls is a poignant and unforgettable portrait of marriage and commitment, of an ordinary man who dares to risk everything in the name of love.

This book was an older book (2000) by Ms. Hannah that I downloaded from my library to my Kindle. I've read quite a few of Ms. Hannah's books. This one, for me, didn't measure up to her newer books.

I liked the character of Liam. He was a man completely in love with his wife who was hurting so deeply as she lay in a coma for over a month. I felt bad for the two children. And I really wanted to feel bad for Mikaela, but I found that difficult. She had hidden so much of her earlier life from Liam, and I wondered how he could fully trust her again after he learned of her past.

I like the idea of borrowing library books for the Kindle, but I wish my library would start getting some newer books.

RUSH HOME ROAD

2011-12-27T10:10:00.000-05:00

RUSH HOME ROAD by Lori Lansens

From the back of the book:

When five-year-old Sharla is dumped on Addy Shadd's trailer-park doorstep, the old woman doesn't know whether she is up to the task of mothering the willful, curious child. But she takes the girl in, and soon Sharla's presence begins to spark memories of Addy's own tumultuous childhood in Rusholme, a town settled by fugitive slaves. What Addy remembers: strawberry fields, her childhood sweetheart, the church graveyard, Mama Laisa's apple pie, bootleggers, a white layer cake she once baked for her own little girl, and the painful events that ultimately drove Addy away from Rusholme.

By opening this door to the past, Sharla helps Addy make sense of her long, hard life so she can find forgiveness - and finally make the journey home again.

Loved, loved, loved this book. This makes 3 great books in a row this month!

The story switches from the present with elderly Addy taking care of Sharla and Addy's past, from her teenage years when she was forced to leave Rusholme, to years in Detroit, to her return to Canada to settle down in Chatham. Addy had a very hard life, but she made the best of the opportunities she was given. She was such a strong woman and provided the best home she could for Sharla. She realized that she would not be around forever and was determined to make sure that Sharla would be in good hands.

This was a story about love and hope and strength of character. Addy was an amazing woman.

I'm looking forward to reading more by Ms. Lansens.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2011-12-25T06:59:00.000-05:00

HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

SUCH A PRETTY FACE

2011-12-22T08:44:00.000-05:00

SUCH A PRETTY FACE by Cathy Lamb

From the book flap:

Two years and 170 pounds ago, Stevie Barrett wash wheeled into an operating room for surgery that most likely saved her life. Since that day, a new Stevie has emerged, one who walks without wheezing, plants a garden for self-therapy, and builds and paints fantastical wooden chairs. At thirty-five, Stevie is the one thing she never thought she'd be: thin.

But for everything that's changed, some things remain the same. Stevie's shyness refuses to melt away. She still can't look her gorgeous neighbor in the eye. The Portland law office where she works remains utterly dysfunctional, as does her family - the aunt, uncle, and cousins who took her in when she was a child. To top it off, her once supportive best friend clearly resents her weight loss.

By far the biggest challenge in Stevie's new life lies in figuring out how to define her new self. Collaborating with her cousins to plan her aunt and uncle's problematic fortieth anniversary party, Stevie starts to find some surprising answers - about who she is, who she wants to be, and how the old Stevie evolved in the first place. And with each revelation, she realizes the most important part of her transformation may not be what she's lost, but the courage and confidence she's gathering, day by day.

As achingly honest as it is witty, Such a Pretty Face is a richly insightful novel of one woman's search for love, family, and acceptance, of the pain we all carry - and the wonders that can happen when we let it go at last.

Another fantastic book! The above synopsis of the book makes it sound interesting, but that's not all the book is about. It fails to give an idea into where Stevie's problems started - which is told in the prologue of the book. Since you would read this in the first few pages, I'll tell you here. Stevie's mother, Helen, threw ten-year-old Stevie and her little sister, Sunshine, off a bridge into a rushing river and then jumped in herself. Stevie, obviously, survived - her mother and sister didn't.

Add to that tragedy the deaths of her beloved grandparents and being sent to live with her horrible uncle and his family - no wonder Stevie had so many emotional problems in her life.

Ms. Lamb tackled many difficult issues in this book - obesity, anorexia, mental illness, abuse, death, grieving. With all these deep situations, you would think the book would be a downer. But it's not. It's an uplifting story of how one woman faces her problems, little by little, and learns how to recognize love again.

I've read all of Ms. Lamb's books, and can't wait for the next one to come out!

TOMORROW RIVER

2011-12-19T17:40:00.000-05:00

TOMORROW RIVER by Lesley Kagen

From the book flap:

During the summer of 1968 in Rockbridge County, Virginia, eleven-year-old Shenandoah Carmody's mother diappeared. Her twin sister, Woody, stopped speaking, and her once-loving father slipped into a mean drunkenness unbefitting a superior court judge.

As the first anniversary of their mother's disappearance nears, her father's threat to send Woody away and his hints at an impending remarriage spur a desperate Shenny - who was named for the Shenandoah Valley - to find her mother before it's too late.

While struggling to get her mute twin to reveal what she knows about the night their mother vanished, Shenny is ultimately swept up in a series of heartbreaking events that will force her to face the painful truth about herself and her family.

Loved, loved, loved this book! This is the second book by Ms. Kagen that I've read (WHISTLING IN THE DARK was the first). Again, she writes in the voice of a young girl. Shenny is bound and determined to find out what happened to her mother. She knows that her sister saw something and she needs to know what that was in order to locate their mother.

Ms. Kagen has young girls down to a T. Shenny's smart, funny, and full of spunk. I love this description she gives of the town bad boy:

The boy's got red hair. Not that Howdy Doody kind that's not so bad. Remmy's is more like Clarabelle's and he's just as honking dumb. The kid could throw himself on the ground and miss. (p. 129)

Absolutely love that last sentence!

Here's a link to an interview with Ms. Kagen that I found on BermudaOnion's blog. Ms. Kagen has made it to my list of authors whose books I'll buy as soon as I hear about them. Next up, LAND OF A HUNDRED WONDERS and GOOD GRACES.

CHARLOTTE FIGG TAKES OVER PARADISE

2011-12-19T17:30:00.000-05:00

CHARLOTTE FIGG TAKES OVER PARADISE by Joyce Magnin

From Amazon.com:

Newly widowed Charlotte Figg purchases a double-wide trailer sight unseen and moves to the Paradise Trailer Park with her dog Lucky. Unfortunately, neither the trailer nor Paradise are what Charlotte expected. Her trailer is a ramshackle old place in need of major repair, and the people of Paradise are harboring more secrets than Bayer has aspirin. Charlotte's new friend Rose Tattoo learns that Charlotte played softball and convinces her to rally the women of Paradise into a team. Reluctant at first, Charlotte warms to the notion and is soon coaching the Paradise Angels. Meanwhile, Charlotte discovers that the manager of Paradise, Fergus Wrinkel, abuses his wife Suzy. Charlotte sets out to find a way to save Suzy from Fergus and in the process comes to a difficult realization about her own painful marriage.

This was another free book that I downloaded for the Kindle. And another one that was worth about what I paid for it. Not a bad book, exactly - it had some funny moments. There were some strange characters - a woman covered with tattoos, a little person, and a man with one arm. A trailer with a huge hand planted in the middle of the front yard. And a baby being born in a most unusual setting.

Not great literature, but a way to pass a quiet afternoon.

HOLIDAY FUN ON FACEBOOK

2011-12-16T07:18:00.000-05:00

I have a small group of friends on Facebook with whom I play FrontierVille. We've been together, helping each other with missions and such, for a while now. We decided to have a Secret Santa gift exchange - giving and receiving books - and last night we all opened our gifts at the same time.

What fun! A few of us had a glass of wine, or maybe a little more, and we were all in a jolly mood. In fact, we got downright silly after a while. The only thing that could have made this more fun is if we could have all been together - physically - to do this. The gifts were all loved, and we agreed to share the books with each other after the holidays.

We'd all love to get together sometime, maybe for a cruise. Geography is a problem - four of us are on the East coast and one lives west of the Rockies - in the Wild West. But who knows?

We had so much fun, we've decided to have birthday parties and gift exchanges next. And guess who has the first birthday of the year!

THE CHRISTMAS NOTE

2011-12-16T07:05:00.000-05:00

THE CHRISTMAS NOTE by Donna VanLiere

From the book jacket:

Gretchen Daniels has recently moved into a condo with her two children to be closer to her mother, Miriam. She and her children are building a life together in a new community. A mysterious young woman, Melissa McCreary, lives next door to them. She has few possessions, little personality, and keeps to herself. One day a local landlord who is looking for Melissa knocks on Gretchen's door for assistance. Melissa's mother has died and in the coming weeks the landlord needs Melissa to empty her mother's apartment. Gretchen reaches out and offers to help Melissa, but the apartment is a gut-wrenching shambles of a home. There is little worth saving except for a few photos and a note that is discovered on the crate beside the bed. It is unfinished, but in the two scribbled lines Melissa discovers secrets about her family that she never could have imagined. Can two very different women embark on a journey that explores a long-buried need for forgiveness, hope, and redemption?

I usually love these little Christmas books but this one just didn't do it for me. I've read Ms. VanLiere's other Christmas books and felt that this one wasn't up to her usual standard. I really did not like the character of Melissa and thought that her changes in personality were too abrupt and not very believable. There were too many coincidences in the story.

I'll put this one back on the bookshelf and wait for Ms. VanLiere's next Christmas book and hope that I enjoy it more.

AN O'BRIEN FAMILY CHRISTMAS

2011-12-13T17:13:00.000-05:00

AN O'BRIEN FAMILY CHRISTMAS by Sherryl Woods

From the book jacket:

Dating Matthew O'Brien - a playboy and a younger man - cost Laila Riley her career and her parents' respect. A high price, even for love - and when Laila decides it was just a fling, she breaks it off, despite Matthew's objections.

But the O'Brien family has other ideas, and they conspire to get Laila to join them on a Dublin holiday. It's a great time to get away from it all, but Laila has reservations about the trip. Matthew's bound to be there, and she's far from immune. What if she can't resist temptation?

Meanwhile, the O'Briens are in an uproar over matriarch Nell's unexpected romance with an old flame. Will she follow her heart despite the risks? And will Laila discover that some risks are actually once-in-a-lifetime opportunities?

This was a cute little Christmas book with this fun family from Chesapeake Shores. And set in Ireland - wouldn't that be a wonderful place to spend a holiday? Lots of romance in the air for different members of this clan.

I've enjoyed all the books in this series so far. But you really need to read them in order. There are a lot of things going on that are continued from earlier books. It took me a little while to remember who was who and what was what. I'll be waiting for the next installment due out in a couple of months.

ROOM

2011-12-11T08:26:00.000-05:00

ROOM by Emma Donoghue was read for the Just for Fun Reading Challenge 2011.

From the back of the book:

To five-year-old Jack, Room is the world. It's where he was born, it's where he and his Ma eat and sleep and play and learn. At night, Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where Jack is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits.

Room is home to Jack, but to Ma it's the prison where she has been held for seven years. Through her fierce love for her son, she has created a life for him in this eleven-by-eleven-foot space. But Jack's curiosity is building alongside Ma's own desperation - and she knows that Room cannot contain either much longer.

Room is a tale at once shocking, riveting, exhilarating - a story of unconquerable love in harrowing circumstances, and of the diamond-hard bond between a mother and her child.

There has been a lot of hype about this book - and it lives up to every bit of it. What a fantastic book!

I bought this book in the Orlando airport and started reading it while waiting for my plane to board. If I hadn't been right in front of the desk, I probably wouldn't have heard them call my flight. I read it on the plane and didn't realize the plane had taken off or landed. I read it on the train from the airport and didn't know I had reached the final stop.

It's hard to imagine what life must have been like for Ma and Jack. Narrated entirely by Jack, it gives a view of the world from his eyes. Shut up in a room with no windows and only a skylight to briefly see the sky, a television to watch cartoons, and no contact at all with the outside world, Jack has no idea of what Outside is like. But Ma knows and wants to be out there again, and will do whatever she must to be free of her prison.

Please, if you read any books this year, read this one. Without a doubt, the best book I have read in a long, long time.

OLIVE KITTERIDGE

2011-12-11T08:12:00.000-05:00

OLIVE KITTERIDGE by Elizabeth Strout

From the back of the book:

At times stern, at other times patient, at times perceptive, at other times in sad denial, Olive Kitteridge, a retired schoolteacher, deplores the changes in her little town of Crosby, Maine, and in the world at large, but she doesn't always recognize the changes in those around her: a lounge musician haunted by a past romance; a former student who has lost the will to live; Olive's own adult child, who feels tyrannized by her irrational sensitivities; and her husband, Henry, who finds his loyalty to his marriage both a blessing and a curse.

As the townspeople grapple with their problems, mild and dire, Olive is brought to a deeper understanding of herself and her life - sometimes painfully, but always with ruthless honesty. Olive Kitteridge offers profound insights into the human condition - its conflicts, its tragedies and joys, and the endurance it requires.

This was an unusual book. Actually a group of related short stores, each one including Olive Kitteridge. Some stories were all about Olive and her husband and son; in others Olive was mentioned very briefly, as short as a sentence in some.

I had a hard time liking Olive. I thought her to be hard and unfeeling at times, not very tolerant of shortcomings in others. It wasn't until near the end of the book that I saw Olive in a different light - she was a sad, lonely woman with very low self-esteem. Realizing that fact, I was able to see her in a different light in the earlier stories.

All in all, a very different but interesting book.

RAINWATER

2011-12-11T07:47:00.000-05:00

RAINWATER by Sandra Brown

From the book jacket:

The year is 1934. With the country in the stranglehold of drought and economic depression, Ella Barron runs her Texas boardinghouse with an efficiency that ensures her life will be kept in balance. Between chores of cooking and cleaning for her residents, she cares for her ten-year-old son, Solly, a sweet but challenging child whose misunderstood behavior finds Ella on the receiving end of pity, derision, and suspicion.

When David Rainwater arrives at the house looking for lodging, he comes recommended by a trusted friend as "a man of impeccable character." But Ella senses that admitting Mr. Rainwater will bring about unsettling changes.

However, times are hard, and in order to make ends meet, Ella's house must remain one hundred percent occupied. So Mr. Rainwater moves into her house..and impacts her life in ways Ella could never have foreseen.

The changes are echoed by the turbulence beyond the house walls. Friends and neighbors who've thus far maintained a tenuous grip on their meager livelihoods now face foreclosure and financial ruin. In an effort to save their families from homelessness and hunger, farmers and cattlemen are forced to make choices that some with heartrending consequences.

The climate of desperation creates a fertile atmosphere for racial tensions and social unrest. Conrad Ellis - privileged and spoiled and Ella's nemesis since childhood - steps into this arena of teeming hostility to exact his vengeance and demonstrate the extent of his blind hatred and unlimited cruelty. He and his gang of hoodlums come to embody the rule of law, and no one in Gilead, Texas, is safe. Particularly Ella and Solly.

In this hotbed of uncertainty, Ella finds Mr. Rainwater a calming presence. She is moved by the kindness he shows other boarders, Solly...and Ella herself. Slowly she begins to rely on his soft-spokenness, his restraint, and the steely resolve of his convictions.

And on the hottest, most violent night of the summer, those principles will be put to the ultimate test.

This was a little bargain book I found a week or so ago. I've read books by Ms. Brown before and enjoyed them, but this one was so different. A love story, but not a hot romance book. More a book about determination. Ella's determination to keep Solly safe at home with her. Mr. Rainwater's determination to see that needy people would be helped and that the evil would be defeated.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I'm so glad I gave in to an impulse and picked it up.

1225 CHRISTMAS TREE LANE

2011-12-02T20:58:00.000-05:00

1225 CHRISTMAS TREE LANE by Debbie Macomber

From the book jacket:

The people of Cedar Cove know how to celebrate Christmas. Like Grace and Olivia and everyone else, Beth Morehouse expects this Christmas to be one of her best. Her small Christmas-tree farm is prospering, her daughters and her dogs are happy and well, and her new relationship with local vet ted Reynolds is showing plenty of romantic promise.

But...someone recently left a basket filled with puppies on her doorstep, puppies she's determined to place in good homes. That's complication number one. And number two is that her daughters Bailey and Sophie have invited their dad, Beth's ex-husband Kent, to Cedar Cove for Christmas. The girls have visions of a mom-and-dad reunion dancing in their heads.

As always in life - and in Cedar Cove - there are surprises, too. More than one family's going to have a puppy under the tree. More than one scheme will go awry. And more than one romance will have a happy ending!

This little holiday book is the final book in the beloved Cedar Cove series. I have read and loved every one of these books. I've felt like the residents of Cedar Cove are all old friends. This book was a perfect ending. We got to catch up on all the families who were spotlighted in earlier books. And a nice touch was that a little bit of their story was given to refresh your memory.

Hats off to Ms. Macomber for ending this series on a high note!

NOVEMBER BOOKS

2011-12-01T19:04:00.000-05:00

Where oh where has November gone? For that matter, where has 2011 gone?

I actually had a pretty good reading month. I managed to read 9 books this month, and most of them good books.

Here's what I read this month:

THE STOLEN CROWN by Susan Higgenbotham (What's in a Name 4 Challenge)

CODE BLUE by Richard Mabry (2011 Medical Mystery Madness Challenge)

CHASING THE DIME by Michael Connelly

THE LITIGATORS by John Grisham

THE DOVEKEEPERS by Alice Hoffman (Just for Fun Reading Challenge 2011)

EXPLOSIVE EIGHTEEN by Janet Evanovich

V IS FOR VENGEANCE by Sue Grafton

LIFE WITHOUT SUMMER by Lynne Griffin

THE SCHOOL OF ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS by Erica Bauermeister

So this now brings me to 82 books finished for the year. In order to successfully complete the 100+ Reading Challenge 2011, I'll have to read 18 books in December. I read quite a few of those little holiday books - I might be able to do it. But if I don't, I don't - and I'm not going to worry about it. Reading is for fun!

What did you read in November?

THE SCHOOL OF ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS

2011-11-30T23:00:00.000-05:00

THE SCHOOL OF ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS by Erica Bauermeister

From the back of the book:

Once a month on a Monday night, eight students gather in Lillian's restaurant for a cooking class. Among them is Claire, a young woman coming to terms with her new identity as a mother; Tom, a lawyer whose life has been overturned by loss; Antonia, an Italian kitchen designer adapting to life in America; and Carl and Helen, a long-married couple whose union contains surprises the rest of the class would never suspect.

The students have come to learn the art behind Lillian's soulful dishes, but it soon becomes clear that each seeks a recipe for something beyond the kitchen. And, one by one, they are transformed by the aromas, flavors, and textures of what they create...

This book was divided into sections, each one dealing with either Lillian or one of the students. Giving a little background on each, the chapters showed how different foods were used to reach out to each one.

I enjoyed the book, but didn't love it. The descriptions of the food and the preparation were almost sensual and managed to wake up my taste buds in some instances - except for the overuse of garlic. I never clicked with any of the characters though. The book reminded me of an old Maeve Binchy book, EVENING CLASS, where different students came together to learn a language.

I had heard a lot of hype about this book, but it just didn't quite live up to it for me.

LIFE WITHOUT SUMMER

2011-11-29T06:47:00.000-05:00

LIFE WITHOUT SUMMER by Lynne Griffin

From the back of the book:

Tessa Gray's life changes forever when she loses her four-year-old daughter, Abby, in a hit-and-run accident outside her preschool. As she grapples with a terrible grief, made worse by the police's insistence that the case in unsolvable, she finds her only solace in Celia Reed, the grief counselor her husband has pushed her to see, and in the journal she's begun keeping, where she compulsively counts the "days without Abby" and maps out her plan for catching the driver who tore her family apart.

Celia struggles to keep Tessa from getting caught up in a bleak crusade for answers, but she finds that their sessions open the door to emotions she's spent years ignoring, forcing her to face the rising tensions in her own life - her troubled teenage son, her alcoholic ex-husband, and her fragile new marriage. Celia soon begins to realize that she must come to terms with the tragic mistakes of her own past and the choices that have led her family to the brink of destruction.

Life Without Summer is a haunting portrait of two women whose lives converge unexpectedly when the answers one needs turn out to be the other's only chance for peace.

I had mixed feelings reading this book. It was written in two voices, Tessa and Celia. At first it seemed to be mainly about Tessa and her feelings about Abby's death and her search for the truth about what happened. But then the focus of the book seemed to turn to Celia and her troubles and she became the main character.

Throughout the book, I didn't like Celia. She seemed too uptight and rigid to be of any help to her patients. Her home life was a wreck. I especially didn't like her new husband, Alden. He was a totally pompous jerk. I couldn't understand how a person like Celia, who was supposed to be a smart woman, could kow-tow to someone like Alden. But the ending of the book made me take a second look at Celia, slightly changing my opinion of her.

This was a book that made me think. How would I have handled the situation had I been in Tessa's shoes? Or in Celia's? I think Ms. Griffin did a good job writing about a hard subject.

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

2011-11-27T06:52:00.000-05:00

We're having our Thanksgiving dinner today.

Dom and I went to Cracker Barrel on Thanksgiving for our dinner. Unfortunately, the food wasn't as good as last year, and our waiter had the personality of a wet dishrag. Oh well. Shelby was supposed to go to a friend's house for dinner but changed her mind. So later in the afternoon, I threw together a little Thanksgiving dinner for the 3 of us - roasted chicken instead of turkey, stuffing that was frozen from last year but still tasted good, a sweet potato casserole and cranberry sauce. Not too bad for a last-minute meal.

I decided this year to do our family dinner a few days after Thanksgiving. That way, Shelby, Ashlie, and Donna could all invite their respective boyfriends, who probably all had meals with their families on Thanksgiving day. Between the planning and today, Ashlie and Donna have parted company with their guys, so only Shelby will be bringing her fellow.

I think I have a nice meal planned. Some appetizers to start us off - spinach/artichoke dip, little pinwheel sandwiches, a cold crab dip, cheese and crackers. Then for the meal. Turkey and stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, potato salad (Susan's contribution), a corn casserole, green beans, candied sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, and dinner rolls. Donna is bringing the dessert - I think a pumpkin roll and something else for those who don't care for pumpkin.

I've been cleaning the house for the past couple of days. Not that the house was so dirty that it took more than a day - I've just been doing a little bit each day. Just have the floors to mop left on the list. I tend to work better when I have a deadline.

So while you all are finishing the turkey leftovers, we'll be starting from scratch. Better late than never!

V IS FOR VENGEANCE

2011-11-25T10:20:00.000-05:00

V IS FOR VENGEANCE by Sue Grafton

From the book jacket:

A woman with a murky past who kills herself - or was it murder? A spoiled kid awash in gambling debt who thinks he can beat the system. A lovely woman whose life is about to splinter into a thousand fragments. A professional shoplifting ring working for the Mob, racking up millions from stolen goods. A wandering husband, rich and ruthless. A dirty cop so entrenched on a force he is immune to exposure. A sinister gangster, conscience-less and brutal. A lonely widower mourning the death of his lover, desperate for answers, which may be worse than the pain of his loss. A private detective, Kinsey Millhone, whose thirty-eighth-birthday gift is a punch in the face that leaves her with two black eyes and a busted nose.

And an elegant and powerful businessman whose dealings are definitely outside the law: the magus at the center of the web.

V: Victim. Violence. Vengeance.

This is the 22nd book in the alphabet series by Ms. Grafton. Another good one. There are some very interesting characters, both good and bad. Not a whole lot of action and shoot-em-up, but a lot of thinking and connecting-the-dots by Kinsey. A few different stories going on at the same time, but they all come together at the end.

Ms. Grafton has kept her characters true. No major changes in their lives. And she has kept them in the same time frame as when the series started. As you read from one book to the next, you're only moving a few weeks in time. I like this format, and I would think it would help Ms. Grafton with the writing as she wouldn't have to remember too many differences in the characters.

It looks like only 4 more books to complete the alphabet. I wonder what titles she will use for W, X, Y and Z?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

2011-11-24T06:28:00.000-05:00

I hope you all have a wonderful day, surrounded by friends and family.

EXPLOSIVE EIGHTEEN

2011-11-23T08:21:00.000-05:00

EXPLOSIVE EIGHTEEN by Janet Evanovich

From the book jacket:

Before Stephanie can even step foot off Flight 127 Hawaii to Newark, she's knee deep in trouble. Her dream vacation turned into a nightmare, and she's flying back to New Jersey solo. Worse still, her seatmate never returned to the plane after the L.A. layover. Now he's dead, in a garbage can, waiting for curbside pickup. His killer can be anyone. And a ragtag collection of thugs and psychos, not to mention the FBI, are all looking for a photograph the dead man was supposed to be carrying.

Only one other person has seen the missing photo - Stephanie Plum. Now she's the target, and she doesn't intend to end up in a garbage can. With the help of an FBI sketch artist Stephanie re-creates the person in the photo. Unfortunately the first sketch turns out to look like Tom Cruise, and the second sketch like Ashton Kutcher. Until Stephanie can improve her descriptive skills, she'll need to watch her back.

Over at the bail bonds agency things are going from bad to worse. The bonds bus serving as Vinnie's temporary HQ goes up in smoke. Stephanie's wheelman, Lula, falls in love with their largest skip yet. Lifetime arch nemesis Joyce Barnhardt moves into Stephanie's apartment. And everyone wants to know what happened in Hawaii?

Morelli, Trenton's hottest cop, isn't talking about Hawaii. Ranger, the man of mystery, isn't talking about Hawaii. And all Stephanie is willing to say about her Hawaiian vacation is...It's complicated.

You've got to love Stephanie. No one gets herself in more trouble than she does. She's got all kinds of people after her in this book - fake FBI agents, real FBI agents, a thug named Razzle Dazzle, a hairdresser who thinks Lula has fantastic hair. All after a picture that Stephanie doesn't have.

There are shots fired, knives used, a few good kicks and punches thrown. A fire or two, rats, plenty of fried chicken - a typical day in the life of Stephanie Plum. Oh, and an explosion - but not Stephanie's car this time.

And the mystery about Hawaii - it's complicated.

THE DOVEKEEPERS

2011-11-21T16:52:00.000-05:00

THE DOVEKEEPERS by Alice Hoffman was read for the Just for Fun Reading Challenge 2011.

From the book jacket:

In 70 C.E., nine hundred Jews held out for months against armies of Romans on Masada, a mountain in the Judean desert. According to the ancient historian Josephus, two women and five children survived. Based on this tragic and iconic event, Hoffman's novel is a spellbinding tale of four extraordinarily bold, resourceful, and sensuous women, each of whom has come to Masada by a different path. Yael's mother died in childbirth, and her father, an expert assassin, never forgave her for that death. Revka, a village baker's wife, watched the horrifically brutal murder of her daughter by Roman soldiers; she brings to Masada her young grandsons, rendered mute by what they have witnessed. Aziza is a warrior's daughter, raised as a boy, a fearless rider and an expert marksman who finds passion with a fellow soldier. Shirah, born in Alexandria, is wise in the ways of ancient magic and medicine, a woman with uncanny insight and power.

The lives of these four complex and fiercely independent women intersect in the desperate days of the siege. All are dovekeepers, and all are also keeping secrets - about who they are, where they come from, who fathered the, and whom they love.

This is an excellent book, probably one of the best books I've read this year - or any year. The story is told in four parts, one by each of the women. Each tells of her life before coming to Masada and then of how their lives came together. The writing is descriptive and beautiful, and the reader can feel the pain each endured.

I didn't know anything about Masada before reading this book. As I was reading, I kept thinking I should go to the computer and look up Masada and find out what happened. But I couldn't - I didn't want anything to interfere with reading this and learning the story as told by Ms. Hoffman. I did research Masada after finishing and found that Ms. Hoffman did an excellent job in following the historic details of this siege.

If you have any interest in early Jewish history, this is an excellent book to read.

THE LITIGATORS

2011-11-12T21:19:00.000-05:00

THE LITIGATORS by John Grisham

From the book jacket:

The partners at Finley & Figg - all two of them - often refer to themselves as "a boutique law firm." Boutique, as in chic, selective, and prosperous. They are, of course, none of these things. What they are is a two-bit operation always in search of their big break, ambulance chasers who've been in the trenches much too long making way too little. Their specialties, so to speak, are quickie divorces and DUIs, with the occasional jackpot of an actual car wreck thrown in. After twenty-plus years together, Oscar Finley and Wally Figg bicker like an old married couple but somehow continue to scratch out a half-decent living from their seedy bungalow offices in southwest Chicago.

And then change comes their way. More accurately, it stumbles in. David Zinc, a young but already burned-out attorney, walks away from his fast-trace career at a fancy downtown firm, goes on a serious bender, and finds himself literally at the doorstep of our boutique firm. Once David sobers up and comes to grips with the fact that he's suddenly unemployed, any job - even one with Finley & Figg - looks okay to him.

With their new associate on board, F&F is ready to tackle a really big case, a case that could make the partners rich without requiring them to actually practice much law.

I liked this book. Written in a different vein from his earlier lawyer/trial books, this one was lighter and funnier. Finley was an older man who didn't really want to do much work - all he wanted was a divorce from his wife, without it costing him an arm and a leg. Figg had big plans and ideas, but he didn't have a clue how to get what he wanted. Zinc tried to put the firm into some kind of order. The courtroom scenes showed the complete ineptitude of these three lawyers.

I have always thought that Mr. Grisham's first book, A TIME TO KILL, was his very best. He followed up with other good ones, then seemed to drop the ball in later books. With this one, I feel he might be headed down the right track again.

CHASING THE DIME

2011-11-10T08:55:00.000-05:00

CHASING THE DIME by Michael Connelly

From Amazon.com:

Henry Pierce is about to become very rich - as soon as his firm, Amedeo technologies, gets an infusion of capital from a big backer. But the brilliant chemist's workaholic habits are disrupted when his lover, the former intelligence officer of his company, breaks up with him. Lonely and dispirited, he moves into a new apartment and gets a new phone number that attracts a lot of callers, but not for him. His new telephone number seems to have previously belonged to one Lilly Quinlan, an escort whose Internet photo arouses Henry's curiosity, especially when L. A. Darlings, whose Web page features the beautiful young woman, can't tell Henry how to find her. With the same single-mindedness that made him a high-tech superstar, Pierce pursues his search for the missing girl, motivated by his guilt over the disappearance years earlier of his own sister, who, like Lilly, was also a prostitute (and ultimately the victim of the Dollmaker, a serial killer from Connelly's 1994 novel The Concrete Blonde). But that motive is too thin to support Pierce's sudden abandonment of his career at such a critical juncture, even if forces unknown to him are setting him up for a fall. Despite those holes in the plot and a less than compelling protagonist, the novel succeeds due to Connelly's literary and expository gifts and his more interesting secondary characters.

I borrowed this book for my Kindle from my library, thinking I had been lucky enough to grab a brand new book without having to wait months. As I started reading it, I was slightly disappointed. It didn't seem to live up to the other books I've read by Mr. Connelly. It was interesting enough, but I thought the main character was unbelievable. He put so much effort into trying to find Lilly, a woman he had absolutely no connection to other than a shared phone number. He put himself into harm's way and even wound up in deep trouble with the police over this obsession. It just didn't ring true for me.

It wasn't until I finished the book that I realized that this was an older book by Mr. Connelly, released in 2002. No wonder it didn't have the same feel and strength of his newer books. I should have known - my library's selection of Kindle books is very poor, with hardly any newer releases. Live and learn.

CODE BLUE

2011-11-08T16:48:00.000-05:00

CODE BLUE by Richard Mabry was read for the Medical Mystery Madness Challenge 2011.

From Amazon.com:

In the first book of the Prescription for Trouble series, Code Blue means more to Dr. Cathy Sewell than the cardiac emergency she has to face. It describes her mental state as she finds that coming back to her hometown hasn't brought her the peach she so desperately needs. Instead, it's clear that someone there wants her gone...or dead.

Cathy returns to her hometown seeking healing after a broken relationship, but discovers that among her friends and acquaintances is someone who wants her out of town...or dear. Lawyer Will Kennedy, her high school sweetheart, offers help, but does it carry a price tag? Is hospital chief of staff Dr. Marcus Bell really on her side in her fight to get hospital privileges? Is Will's father, Pastor Matthew Kennedy, interested in advising her or just trying to get her back to the church she left years ago? When one of Cathy's prescriptions almost kills the town banker, it sets the stage for a malpractice suit that could end her time in town, if not her career. It's soon clear that this return home was a prescription for trouble.

Ho hum. Not a great book. It fulfilled the reading challenge, but that's about all. No real suspense. A little heavy-handed on the religious aspect. I had read another book by this author, MEDICAL ERROR, and didn't like that one too much either. I guess this one was worth the price though - free on the Kindle.

WHAT'S IN A NAME 4 CHALLENGE COMPLETED

2011-11-06T07:48:00.000-05:00

I finally finished the What's in a Name 4 Challenge. This has been one of my favorite reading challenges for the past 4 years. But this year, it was tough finding books for all the requirements.

Here's what I wound up reading:

Travel or movement: CROSSING OCEANS
Number: THE SIXTH MAN
Lifestage: BLESS THE BRIDE
Size: TOO BIG TO MISS
Evil: NAUGHTY IN NICE
Jewelry or gem: THE STOLEN CROWN

I'll be looking forward to next year's challenge - I can't wait to see what categories are chosen.

THE STOLEN CROWN

2011-11-06T07:35:00.000-05:00

THE STOLEN CROWN by Susan Higginbotham was read for the What's in a Name 4 Challenge (jewelry or gem).

From Publishers Weekly:

Higginbotham's latest historical novel is set during England's turbulent War of the Roses. The title refers to King Edward IV's secret marriage to Elizabeth Woodville, which serves as catalyst to the exploits of the main characters, Woodville's younger sister Katherine and her first husband, Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham. Great artistic license is taken in fictionalizing their marriage as a mostly happy one. Those without a strong knowledge of the period will find the book daunting, due to ever-changing alliances and the sheer number of characters, but more knowledgeable readers may find the fruits of Higginbotham's imagination more difficult to swallow. Higginbotham's Henry seems to wander through his life making impolitic outbursts to King Edward, hero-worshipping Richard, and, later, innocently led by Richard's machinations. The majority of the book is narrated by Katherine, whom historians know very little about; she makes an appealing heroine, and those who can suspend disbelief will sympathize quite strongly with this character and the plight of a noble woman in Medieval times.

I've read a few books about the War of the Roses, beginning with Sharon Kay Penman's epic THE SUNNE IN SPLENDOUR. In that book, the Duke of Buckingham was an evil man who planned the murder of the young princes in the Tower of London. In that particular book, Richard was a "good guy" who had nothing to do with the murders.

In this book, however, Richard wore the black hat and ordered the death of the princes, confessing this crime to Buckingham. Buckingham was a nice guy who made a lot of wrong choices and put his faith in the wrong people.

The question of whether Buckingham was good or evil aside, I enjoyed this book. It was interesting to follow the actions of the characters, seeing their loyalties change at the drop of a hat. I can't say if my thoughts on Richard and Buckingham changed after reading this book, but it did re-kindle my interest in the War of the Roses and make me want to read further.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PO

2011-11-04T08:10:00.000-04:00

Atlanta's little panda cub, Po, turned 1 year old yesterday. And can you believe, I haven't been down to the zoo to see him? The one time that Dom and I went to the zoo, for a special evening event, we weren't allowed to go to the panda exhibit.

Now that the weather is considerably cooler, I'm going to make it a point to get to the zoo to see Po and the 2 new tiger cubs.

OCTOBER BOOKS

2011-11-04T08:03:00.000-04:00

October wasn't a great reading month. I finished one chunkster that took a bit of time and then struggled through a couple of books that just didn't live up to expectations. Plus some personal things that cut deeply into my reading time. So I managed just 6 books this month. My goal of 100 for the year is in jeopardy.

Here's what I read this month:

FALL OF GIANTS by Ken Follett (Just for Fun Reading Challenge 2011)

REASONS TO BE HAPPY by Katrina Kittle

HARMFUL INTENT by Robin Cook (Medical Mystery Madness Reading Challenge 2011)

A DUBLIN STUDENT DOCTOR by Patrick Taylor

IN THE COMPANY OF OTHERS by Jan Karon

LOW COUNTRY SUMMER by Dorothea Benton Frank

This puts me at only 73 books for the year. With only two months to go, I better get on the stick. I usually manage quite a few of those cute little Christmas books in December, so that should help pump up the numbers.

How was your reading this past month?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2011-10-31T07:45:00.000-04:00

Don't eat too much candy!

LOW COUNTRY SUMMER

2011-10-29T21:01:00.000-04:00

LOW COUNTRY SUMMER by Dorothea Benton Frank

From Publishers Weekly:

Here's one for the Southern gals as well as Yankees who appreciate Frank's signature mix of sass, sex, and gargantuan personalities. In this long-time-coming sequel to Plantation, opinionated and family-centric Caroline Wimbly Levine has just turned 47, but she's less concerned with advancing middle age than she is with son Eric shacking up with an older single mom. She's also dealing with a drunk and disorderly sister-in-law, Frances Mae; four nieces from hell; grieving brother Tripp; a pig-farmer boyfriend with a weak heart; and a serious crush on the local sheriff. Then there's Caroline's dead-but-not-forgotten mother, Miss Lavinia, whose presence both guides and troubles Caroline as she tries to keep her unruly family intact and out of jail. With a sizable cast of minor characters with major attitude, Frank lovingly mixes a brew of personalities who deliver nonstop clashes, mysteries, meltdowns, and commentaries; below the always funny theatrics, however, is a compelling saga of loss and acceptance.

I get a kick out of Ms. Frank's books. Full of great characters and plenty of fun, with some romance and a little sadness thrown in for good measure. Plus lots of good Southern cooking! What more could you want?

My library finally got on the bandwagon and now has books for the Kindle available. This was the first one I borrowed. It took some effort and a lot of mouse-clicking, but I finally got it downloaded. Now I have to figure out how to get it back to the library!

ANOTHER NIGHT AT THE PLAYHOUSE

2011-10-28T06:24:00.000-04:00

Last night, Dom and I went back to one of our favorite spots, the Cumming Playhouse. This time we saw the musical production, 42nd Street.

I wasn't sure if Dom would like the show, since his "girlfriend" Lauren wasn't in this one. (Lauren played Marion in The Music Man and Dom and I just adore her.) But we both thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a show about putting on a Broadway musical.

Lots of great singing and the dancing - these kids can really tap! A large cast with tons of energy. The star of the show, Kathy Russell, is an outstanding talent - we've seen her many times before. The girls on "the line" - the singers and dancers - were just as great. And the lead men were fabulous. Who knew there was so much talent in this little town!

This is one show I wouldn't mind seeing again!

IN THE COMPANY OF OTHERS

2011-10-25T10:00:00.000-04:00

IN THE COMPANY OF OTHERS by Jan Karon

From the back of the book:

Vacation.

The very word has been foreign to Episcopal priest Tim Kavanagh. Now retired from tending his flock in the village of Mitford, he is making good on a promise to show his wife, Cynthia, the land of his Irish ancestors. But after arriving at a Lough Arrow fishing lodge in the midst of a torrential downpour, they find their holiday upended by an intruder, a vanished painting, and a bitter family conflict dating back nearly a century. As three generations struggle to find deliverance from the crucifying power of secrets, Tim and Cynthia stumble upon a faded journal that might just explain the crime - and offer a chance at redemption.

I loved the Mitford series. I think I've read all the books at least 3 times. When they ended, I was happy to hear that Ms. Karon was planning a three-book series about Father Tim. I read the first of that series, HOME TO HOLLY SPRINGS, about 2 years ago. Although different from the Mitford books, I did enjoy it.

This one, however, I didn't really like that much. Being set in Ireland, I should have loved it for that reason alone. But I didn't get the same warm and fuzzy feeling about Father Tim and Cynthia. In fact, there was one part where I didn't like Father Tim much at all, and Cynthia really got on my nerves.

I can't say why this book was so different. At times it was hard to follow the story as the time period had changed without warning. I think too much of the book was devoted to the old journal that they were reading. There were a lot of characters and their stories were confusing.

Overall, I was not impressed by this book. I will, however, want to read the last book in this series - hopefully they will be back in Mitford and some of the wonderful little town characters will make an appearance.

A DUBLIN STUDENT DOCTOR

2011-10-16T14:36:00.000-04:00

A DUBLIN STUDENT DOCTOR by Patrick Taylor

From the book jacket:

Patrick Taylor's devoted readers know Doctor Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly as a pugnacious general practitioner in the quaint Irish village of Ballybucklebo. Now Taylor turns back the clock to give us a portrait of the young Fingal - and show us the pivotal events that shaped the man he would become.

In the 1930's, fresh from a stint in the Royal Navy Reserve, and against the wishes of his disapproving father, Fingal O'Reilly goes to Dublin to study medicine. Fingal and his fellow aspiring doctors face the arduous demands of Trinity College and Sir Patrick Dun's Hospital. The hours are long and the cases challenging, but Fingal manages to find time to box and play rugby - and to romance a fetching, gray-eyed nurse named Kitty O'Hallorhan.

Dublin is a city of slums and tenements, where brutal poverty breeds diseases that the limited medical knowledge of the time is often ill-equipped to handle. His teachers warn Fingal not to become too attached to his patients, but can he truly harden himself to the suffering he sees all around him - or can he find a way to care for his patients without breaking his heart?

This is the sixth book in the Irish Country Novel series, and I've loved every one. How could I not - they're set in my favorite yet-to-visit place, Ireland.

I enjoyed reading about Doctor O'Reilly's days in medical school, and his anxiety about performing a new procedure for the very first time. It reminded me of my early days in nursing school. I could also relate to his fear of some of his instructors - I had one nursing instructor who scared the devil out of me.

The characters in these books are so real and so human. They have faults and feelings. As usual, Doctor O'Reilly's housekeeper, Mrs.Kincaid wrote the afterword and included some yummy recipes. And there is also a glossary in the back of the book, explaining many of the Irish terms. I think this book is the best in the series so far.

HARMFUL INTENT

2011-10-14T08:52:00.000-04:00

HARMFUL INTENT by Robin Cook was read for the Medical Mystery Madness Reading Challenge 2011.

From the book jacket:

A physician turned fugitive must save himself and stop a lethal drug-tampering plot in Robin Cook's most disturbing techno-chiller yet.

Anesthesiologist Dr. Jeffrey Rhodes's nightmare begins with nerve-shattering swiftness, but it will haunt him always: he administers routine anesthesia during a normal birth. Suddenly the young, healthy mother goes into inexplicable seizures and dies; her infant survives but is severely disabled and brain damaged. But the living nightmare is only beginning: sued first for malpractice, then brought up on criminal charges, Jeffrey is convicted of malpractice - to the tune of $11 million - then of harmful intent and reckless disregard for human life...second-degree murder carrying a mandatory prison term.

A ruined man, Jeffrey must pull himself from the depths of despair to try to salvage the wreckage of his life. A subtle clue puts him and Nurse Kelly Everson on the trail of a crazed killer. With Kelly's aid, Jeffrey remains in hiding in order to find the truth and gain the evidence he needs to prevent more "malpractice" deaths and to clear his name. But that truth is even more shocking than Jeffrey imagined. For there is a third dimension to the whole affair that neither he nor Kelly could have anticipated....

I've read many of Dr. Cook's books, and when I started this one, I wasn't sure if I had read it previously or not. But by page 15, I knew I had read it. Two obstetricians were mentioned on that page - Dr. Braxton and Dr Hicks - I remembered that little inside joke. But it was so long ago that I read this book, I didn't remember anything about the story.

This was a typical Robin Cook book - plenty of suspense, lots of medical jargon, a fast-moving plot that doesn't resolve itself until the very end of the book. I enjoyed this re-read.

I have a couple more Robin Cook books on the shelf to either read or re-read for this challenge, then I think it's time to look for a new medical-mystery author. I think I'm slightly "overCooked."

REASONS TO BE HAPPY

2011-10-08T16:53:00.002-04:00

REASONS TO BE HAPPY by Katrina Kittle

From the back of the book:

Reasons to be Happy:

21. Cat purr vibrating through your skin
22. Jumping on a trampoline in the rain
23. Raw cookie dough
24. Getting yourself all freaked out after a scary movie
25. Dancing like an idiot when no one is watching

What happened to the girl who wrote those things? I miss that girl. She used to be bold and fun. Now she's a big chicken loser.

How could so much change so fast?

Let's see, you could be the plain Jane daughter of two gorgeous famous people, move to a new school. have no real friends, and your mom could get sick, and, oh yeah, you could have the most embarrassing secret in the world. Yep, that about does it.

So, the real question is, how do I get that girl back?

Narrated by Hannah, this is the story of a young teenage girl who has lost control of her life. Things are happening around her that she doesn't like but is powerless to change. She doesn't see herself as others see her; she has lost all confidence in herself. But she finds one thing that she can control and it makes her feel happy. She calls it her Secret Remedy. Until the day that her SR takes control and Hannah's life changes.

This book tells how Hannah, with the help of her aunt and a lovely girl named Modesta, gains control of her life again and finds the girl who had been hidden inside.

Katrina Kittle has written some very good books; this is another one.

FALL OF GIANTS

2011-10-08T13:42:00.001-04:00

FALL OF GIANTS by Ken Follett was read for the Just For Fun Reading Challenge 2011.

From the back of the book:

A thirteen-year-old Welsh boy enters a man's world in the mining pits....An American law student rejected in love finds a surprising new career in Woodrow Wilson's White House....A housekeeper for the aristocratic Fitzherberts takes a fateful step above her station, while Lady Maud Fitzherbert herself crosses deep into forbidden territory when she falls in love with a German spy....And two orphaned Russian brothers embark on radically different paths when their plan to emigrate to America falls afoul of war, conscription, and revolution.

From the dirt and danger of a coal mine to the glittering chandeliers of a palace, from the corridors of power to the bedrooms of the mighty, Fall of Giants takes us into the inextricably entangled fates of five families - and into a century that we thought we knew, but that now will never seem the same again....

One of my favorite books is PILLARS OF THE EARTH by Ken Follett. I loved his way of combining true historical events with a mesmerizing fictional tale. He has done the same thing in this book - this time telling of the events leading up to and including World War I and the Bolsevik Revolution in Russia.

It was a little difficult distinguishing the different characters - the German, the Welsh, the English, the Russian. So many names and places. Luckily, there is a map of 1914 Europe and a list of characters in the front of the book to which I referred often. I had a little knowledge of this era, but Mr. Follett brought out so many interesting points in the 985 pages.

This book is the first in a trilogy. The next book, WINTER OF THE WORLD, covering the Depression and World War II will focus on the children of the main characters of this book. I'm looking forward to it.

NAME CHANGE

2011-10-03T19:16:00.000-04:00

Blanche didn't like her name. So in honor of Dom's Italian heritage, she has changed her name to Bianca.

She also said this is her better side!

INTRODUCING...BLANCHE

2011-10-02T07:30:00.000-04:00

She arrived yesterday, October 1, at 2:20 PM. She weighs a hefty 3042 pounds and is 175.6 inches long. She's definitely a keeper!

SEPTEMBER BOOKS

2011-10-02T07:21:00.001-04:00

September is gone already? How did this happen? I really need to pick up on my reading - just 9 books this month.

Here's what I read this month:

A KNIGHT IN CENTRAL PARK by Theresa Ragan

HOT FLASH by Kathy Carmichael

THE DAYS OF SUMMER by Jill Barnett

FRECKLES by Gene Stratton-Porter

LEFT NEGLECTED by Lisa Genova (Just For Fun Reading Challenge 2011)

1102 YAKIMA STREET by Debbie Macomber

MUTE WITNESS by Robert L. Fish

BEST KEPT SECRET by Ann Hatvany

NAUGHTY IN NICE by Rhys Bowen (What's in a Name 4 Challenge)

For a change, I liked most of the books this month!

What did you read this month? And can you explain why time moves so quickly???

NAUGHTY IN NICE

2011-09-26T08:31:00.000-04:00

NAUGHTY IN NICE by Rhys Bowen was read for the What's in a Name 4 Challenge.

From the book jacket:

Royalty has its privileges, even when you're thirty-fourth in line to the throne, as Lady Georgiana Rannoch discovers on the glamorous - and dangerous - French Riviera...

Why should my clueless brother, Binky, and his decidedly disagreeable wife, Fig, be the only ones to enjoy the fun and sun of the French Riviera? Though they are disinclined to invite me along, Her Majesty the Queen once again comes to my rescue. She is sending me off to Nice with a secret assignment that's nothing to sneeze at - recover her priceless, stolen snuffbox from the disreputable Sir Toby Groper.

As much of an honor as it is to be trusted by Her Majesty, an even greater honor is bestowed upon me in Nice - none other than Coco Chanel herself asks me to model her latest fashion. Unfortunately, things go disastrously wrong on the catwalk.

And before I can snatch the snuffbox, someone's life is snuffed out in a very dastardly way. With a murderer on the loose - and my dearest Darcy seen in the company of another woman - how's a girl to find any time to go to the casino?

Another cute book in the Georgie series. Georgie finds herself wined and dined by French royalty, dressed by Chanel, and getting in trouble with the French police. With a couple of murders, lost jewelry, and forged artwork thrown in for fun.

This, along with Ms. Bowen's other current series Molly Murphy, is one of my favorite book series right now. I'll be looking forward to see what's next for Georgie.

BEST KEPT SECRET

2011-09-24T21:27:00.000-04:00

BEST KEPT SECRET by Ann Hatvany

From the inside of the book:

Cadence didn't sit down one night and decide that downing two bottles of wine was a brilliant idea.

Her drinking snuck up on her - as a way to sleep, to help her relax after a long day, to relieve some of the stress of the painful divorce that's left her struggling to make ends meet with her five-year-old son Charlie.

It wasn't always like this. Just a few years ago, Cadence seemed to have it all - a successful husband, an adorable son, and a promising career as a freelance journalist. But with the demise of her marriage, her carefully constructed life begins to spiral out of control. Suddenly she is all alone, trying to juggle the demands of work and motherhood.

Logically, Cadence knows that she is drinking too much, and every day begins with renewed promises to herself that she will stop. But within a few hours, driven by something she doesn't understand, she is reaching for the bottle - even when it means not playing with her son because she is too tired, or dropping him off at preschool late, again. And even when on calamitous night it means leaving him alone to pick up more wine at the grocery store. It's only when her ex-husband shows up at her door to take Charlie away that Cadence realizes her best kept secret has been discovered....

Heartbreaking, haunting, and ultimately life-affirming, Best Kept Secret is more than just the story of Cadence - it's a story of how the secrets we hold closest are the ones that can tear us apart.

I thought this was a very good book. As I was reading it, I wondered how the author had such a grasp of Cadence's feelings about her drinking problem. I discovered, reading an interview with the author at the back of the book, that she herself is a recovering alcoholic and many of Cadence's feelings and thoughts mirrored her own.

Cadence, with the help of her therapist and her AA sponsor, finally admits her problem and learns how to go on with her life. She realizes the effect her drinking has on others, and how she can turn around and help others. This was a story about acceptance of her faults and being accountable for her actions. She realizes that it's not a sign of weakness to ask for help.

"The only thing you have control over in this world is your reaction to what life throws your way." A simple statement that makes so much sense. You can't change the past, you can't change what other people think about you. You can only change yourself. This is the lesson that Cadence struggles to learn throughout this book.

This book will stay with me for quite a while.

AN INTERESTING DEVELOPMENT

2011-09-22T19:49:00.000-04:00

Mei Lan

Atlanta's first panda cub, born in September 2006, was named Mei Lan, which means Atlanta Beauty. Mei Lan was sent home to China in 2010.

Today, Zoo Atlanta released a statement that was quite a shocker. It seems that our beautiful little girl is really a handsome little boy! The staff at the Chengdu Research Center noticed the appearance of male "parts" recently. The article explains how it is difficult to determine the sex in a baby panda cub and sometimes mistakes are made.

Doesn't matter at all. Mei Lan was Atlanta's first baby panda and was loved by everyone here. Although it will be hard to think of her (him) as a "he" instead of a "she" for now, (s)he will always hold a special place in the hearts of panda-loving Atlantans.

MUTE WITNESS

2011-09-20T19:04:00.001-04:00

MUTE WITNESS by Robert L. Fish

From Amazon.com:

A slimy district attorney, an assortment of inept police officers, un underworld boss turned snitch, and the hardboiled lieutenant charged with protecting him until his trial make up the cast of characters of Robert Fish's hair-raising 1963 novel MUTE WITNESS. For Lieutenant Clancy of the New York Police Department, the assignment of protecting mobster Johnny Rossi soon turns into an investigation into who wants him dead and why. The inspiration for the Steve McQueen film, Bullitt, MUTE WITNESS is a classic.

This was another freebie for my Kindle. A quick read that held my attention throughout, with a lot of plot twists and turns.

I don't think I've ever seen Bullitt all the way through. I just remember the car chase through the streets of San Francisco and the scene at the end at the airport. An old friend of mine was in that airport scene! I'm going to have to find a copy of the movie and watch it now and see how it corresponds to this book.

1105 YAKIMA STREET

2011-09-20T14:26:00.002-04:00

1105 YAKIMA STREET by Debbie Macomber

From the book jacket:

Dear Reader,

You've probably heard that my wife has left me. Rachel's pregnant, and she says she can't handle the stress in our household anymore. My thirteen-year-old daughter, Jolene, is jealous of her. Maybe it's my fault. As a widower I spoiled her--

Jolene was reading over my shoulder just now and says that's not true. She claims Rachel ruined everything. But that's not true. The real question is: How can I get my wife back? I don't even know where she is. She's not with Teri Polger or any of her other friends from the salon. The other question is...when will Jolene grow up and stop acting like such a brat?

Of course, I'm not the only one in town with problems. Linc Wyse's father-in-law is trying to destroy his business. An you know Charlotte Rhodes? Seems she's becoming forgetful, and the family's worried about her and Ben. Lots of other stuff going on - but Rachel is better at keeping up with it than I am.

If you have any idea where my wife is, give me a call. Please.

Bruce Peyton

This book, more than any of the previous books I think, dealt with many different people of Cedar Cove and their lives. I don't really care for Bruce Peyton - I think he's a wuss and a whiner - so the main story line of this book was the least interesting for me. I found the stories about Will Jefferson and Gloria Ashton to be much more entertaining. Even the storyline about Grace Harding and the puppy Beau held my attention more than the Bruce-Rachel-Jolene plot.

Ms. Macomber has announced that this is the next-to-last book in the Cedar Cove series, and will tie up all the loose ends in the Christmas book (1225 CHRISTMAS LANE) coming out later this month. I've enjoyed this series, some books and people more than others, but I think it is time to end. I'm looking forward to whatever Ms. Macomber has in store next for her readers.

I'M HAVING SO MUCH FUN TODAY...

2011-09-18T11:06:00.000-04:00

she said sarcastically!

LEFT NEGLECTED

2011-09-18T08:01:00.001-04:00

LEFT NEGLECTED by Lisa Genova was read for the Just for Fun Reading Challenge 2011.

From the back of the book:

Sarah Nickerson, like any other working mom, is busy trying to have it all. One morning while racing to work and distracted by her cell phone, she looks away from the road for one second too long. In that blink of an eye, all the rapidly moving parts of her over-scheduled life come to a screeching halt. After a brain injury steals her awareness of everything on her left side, Sarah must retrain her mind to perceive the world as a whole. In so doing, she also learns how to pay attention to the people and parts of her life that matter most.

In this powerful and poignant New York Times bestseller, Lisa Genova explores what can happen when we are forced to change our perception of everything around us. Left Neglected is an unforgettable story about finding abundance to the details, and nourishing what truly matters.

Before reading this book, I wasn't aware of the condition known as left neglect. I did know of hemianopsia, where the patient can only see one half of the field of vision. But in left neglect, the brain does not recognize anything on the left side of the body. You are not aware that you have a left arm or leg as well as not being able to see things that are situated to your left.

Ms. Genova tells an interesting story of how Sarah must learn to live with this condition and how she must relearn to do even the most simple tasks. Sarah's mother, who had mostly ignored Sarah as a child after the death of her other child, comes to live with Sarah to help with the family, and she and Sarah form a new relationship based on need and love. Things that had been important to Sarah in her pre-accident life take a backseat now as she is able to spend more time with her husband and children.

I enjoyed this book and its core message - slow down and see and appreciate the world around you.

FRECKLES

2011-09-13T07:48:00.000-04:00

FRECKLES by Gene Stratton-Porter was read with an online book group.

From Barnes & Noble:

Freckles (1904) by Gene Stratton Porter is the uplifting story of a plucky waif without a name and without one hand, disabled since infancy. Raised in a Chicago orphanage, he survives abuse and harsh circumstances and grows up a brave, loyal, and hardworking young man with a true capacity for self-sacrifice.

Freckles becomes a timber guard in the Limberlost swamp in Indiana and exhibits extraordinary courage and resourcefulness on the job. He also falls in love with the Swamp Angel, a young girl whose beauty and kindness bring out the best in others.

I can't say that I liked this book, but I didn't completely dislike it either. The writing style was hard to follow at times, but maybe that was the way to write back in the early 1900's. The story was simple and innocent. I never felt any type of connection to the characters. One thing I did enjoy was the description of the swamp. The author used a lot of color which made the swamp come alive.

I read different reviews of this book where it was called a favorite. I'm not in that camp - this is a book I definitely wouldn't have chosen to read if not for this online group.

NEVER FORGET

2011-09-11T06:41:00.000-04:00

THE DAYS OF SUMMER

2011-09-08T18:41:00.000-04:00

THE DAYS OF SUMMER by Jill Barnett

From Amazon.com:

In 1957, the Banning family leads a life of privilege, wealth and domestic unhappiness. At the head of this California dynasty is oil magnate Victor Banning, a man of great power and even greater obsessions, who is determined to teach his son and grandsons to be predators in his dog-eat-dog world. Jimmy Peyton is a rising star in the music business, a young man with a bright future and no connection to the Bannings, until the fateful night their cars collide on a Los Angeles street, changing the lives and future of two innocent families. Laurel Peyton, Jimmy's daughter, has lived her entire life in the shadow of grief. Though her mother, Kathryn, struggled to keep her daughter safe and secluded after the terrible accident that ruined their family, she cannot guard against the one danger she never expected: Love. In 1970, Victor's grandsons, Jud and Cale, meet the beautiful and spirited Laurel, and these two families cross paths once again, this time on a passionate course that pits brother against brother and mother against daughter - a class of wills that gradually draws them all closer to the truth of their tragic connection. Spanning thirty years and three generations of Peyton women and Banning men, THE DAYS OF SUMMER is an epic drama that explores our deepest ties to family, the mistakes we make in the name of love, and is a reminder of our ability to hope, to forgive and to find the courage to change.

Another pretty good freebie for the Kindle, although by the description of the book, I thought it would be better.

I had a little problem getting involved with some of the characters. I didn't like Kathryn at all - I felt she lived too much in the past. Victor Banning was a cold man, and some of his actions were excessive. Laurel, Jud and Cale - I didn't understand her choice and felt she went for the wrong man. There was one part about a secret that Laurel carried with her that seemed unnecessary and was never resolved.

Reading what I just wrote, it sounds like I didn't like the book. I liked the story for the most part, but just wasn't thrilled with some of the characters. And I don't really understand the title of the book - I didn't see any connection between the title and the plot line.

A book I'm not sorry I read, but one that I'd hesitate to recommend.

HOT FLASH

2011-09-07T09:40:00.001-04:00

HOT FLASH by Kathy Carmichael

From Amazon.com:

On Jill Morgan Storm's fortieth birthday, she declares she is through with love. A conviction well justified, considering her first husband didn't leave her for another woman; he became one! More recently, her love affair came to a screeching halt when her lover dumped her for a young undergraduate. To make matters worse, the teeny-bopper stole Jill's "well-seasoned" frying pan, and when you're a sous chef, that's no small offense; it's a major felony.

When financial obligations threaten her son's dream of attending art school, Jill and her friends devise a foolproof plan to audition candidates for a new husband. The search for Mr. Right is on.

There is one problem, however. His name is Davin Wesley, an annoying third-grade schoolteacher, who relentlessly plagues her days, haunts her nights, and propels her libido into overdrive. She knows he is absolutely, undeniably wrong for her. So why, then, does Mr. wrong take her breath away, curl her toes, and give her a hot flash every time she sees him? More importantly, what will she do if Mr. Wrong is actually Mr. Right?

Another freebie for my Kindle. Maybe my luck is changing - this is the third one in a row that's been pretty good.

No great literary classic, but this book was fun. Jill suffers through a string of bad first dates while searching for the perfect mate. I loved reading about her misadventures. I'm so glad I don't have to do the dating thing!

I have a lot of freebies downloaded on my Kindle. I hope the string of enjoyable books continues.

THE FACE OF 100

2011-09-07T06:26:00.000-04:00

My sister, Anne, and I flew up to Piqua, Ohio, this past weekend to help celebrate our second cousin's 100th birthday.

Elinor, 100 years young and pretty in pink. She had been a teacher in her younger years, English and Social Studies in the junior high schools. Today, she lives in her own home alone, cooks all her own meals - she doesn't like packaged meals - and is sharp as a tack. She has a little bit of a problem with names, but remembers places and events as if they were yesterday. She sometimes uses a walker or a cane to give her a little extra stability when she walks. She still plays bridge with her friends and goes to movies.

She is well loved in this small town. There was a large showing at her party and back at her house, she showed us over 100 cards that she received.

Happy birthday, sweet Elinor. May you have 100 more!

A KNIGHT IN CENTRAL PARK

2011-09-02T06:59:00.000-04:00

A KNIGHT IN CENTRAL PARK by Theresa Ragan

From Amazon.com:

The year is 1499. As Alexandra Dunn's farmhouse is set ablaze, her grandfather places precious stones in her palm, telling her she has until the next full moon to return with a hero...a brave, chivalrous knight to help save her family. Familiar objects become a blur as she is swallowed in darkness. Suddenly Alexandra is standing in the middle of Central Park, but she has no time to ponder on the wondrous powers of the stones or the amazing sights before her...she must find a hero before all is lost.

Joe McFarland would be the first to admit that he's far from hero material...definitely not the man she's looking for. A firm believer of quietude and non-violence, he avoids conflict at all costs. At thirty-four, he is one of the younger Professors at NYU where he lectures and teaches History: The High Middle Ages. Joe's main goal in life is to gain membership into the Medieval Academy, a highly distinguished group of archaeologists and historians. He believes membership will bring him respect and recognition...but what he really wants is to be reunited with his father; a man who has spent his entire life searching for the Black Knight, the last of the medieval knights.

Joe's organized, well-structured life begins to unravel the moment he meets Alexandra Dunn. He figures she majored in medieval history before off the deep end...until days later when he is miraculously transported through time, to 1499 England. Dressed in Dockers and a button down shirt, Joe thought he was ready for anything...anything but this! An armored man with a very authentic looking broadsword is about to strike him down. With only nail clippers and a Bic to defend himself, Joe has no time to think about such an implausible phenomenon as traveling through time...not if he wants to live to see another day.

Another Kindle freebie that was good - that's two in a row!

This was a cute little book, quick and easy to read. A love story between a 20th century man and a 15th century lady. Her goal was to get back to her home and save her siblings; his goal was to get back to New York and his quiet and peaceful life. Somewhere along the way, these two fell in love. Or are they just friends?

Can Joe live without hot water and toothpaste? Can Alexandra choose between her family and television? For these two to get together, someone must make a decision that will change his or her life, hopefully for the better.

A fun book - I'll have to look for more by this author.

AUGUST BOOKS

2011-09-02T06:27:00.001-04:00

I can't believe August is over already! Where has the summer gone?? I was able to read 6 books this month. My reading has slowed down quite a bit, but hopefully with the cooler weather (if it ever gets to Atlanta) I'll be able to do better.

Here's what I read this month:

A COTTAGE BY THE SEA by Ciji Ware

ON AGATE HILL by Lee Smith

THE ISLAND by Elin Hilderbrand

BLACKBIRD FLY by Lise McClendon

GOD SAVE THE MARK by Donald E. Westlake (Just for Fun Reading Challenge 2011)

FOLLY BEACH by Dorothea Benton Frank

Do you tend to read more or less in the hot summer months?

FOLLY BEACH

2011-08-31T20:17:00.001-04:00

FOLLY BEACH by Dorothea Benton Frank

From the book jacket:

Home is the place that knows us best....

A woman returns to the past to find her future in this enchanting new tale of loss, acceptance, family, and love.

With its sandy beaches and bohemian charms, surfers and suits alike consider Folly Beach to be one of South Carolina's most historic and romantic spots. It is also the land of Cate Cooper's childhood, the place where all the ghosts of her past roam freely. Cate never thought she'd wind up in this tiny cottage named the Porgy House on this breathtakingly lovely strip of coast. But circumstances have changed, thanks to her newly dead husband whose financial - and emotional - bull and mendacity have left Cate homeless, broke, and unmoored.

Yet Folly Beach holds more than just memories. Once upon a time another woman found unexpected bliss and comfort within its welcoming arms. An artist, writer, and colleague of the revered George Gershwin, Dorothy Heyward enjoyed the greatest moments of her life at Folly with her beloved husband, DuBose. And though the Heywards are long gone, their passion and spirit lingers in every mango sunset and gentle ocean breeze.

And for Cate, Folly, too, holds the promise of unexpected fulfillment when she is forced to look at her life and the zany characters that are her family anew. To her surprise, she will discover that you can go home again. Folly Beach doesn't just hold the girl she once was...it also holds the promise of the woman she's always wanted - and is finally ready - to become.

I absolute LOVED this book! I've read all of Ms. Frank's books, and I think, without a doubt, that this is the best one. The setting is lush, the characters real and fun, and the story very interesting. I especially liked the relationship between Cate and her sister, Patti. As I was reading, I wondered about Dorothy and DuBose Heyward. Were they real people or just characters in the book? Well, it turns out, they were real and their story, as told in this book, was true to life.

In reading the author's note at the back of the book, I got the impression that Cate in the book is really Ms. Frank. Cate's investigation into the life of Dorothy Heyward mirrored Ms. Frank's research for this book. The connection that Cate felt with Dorothy was very similar to Ms. Frank's connection with Dorothy. Coincidence? I think not.

If you like Ms. Frank's books, you need to read this one. Put it at the top of your TBR list.

SOME THINGS CHANGE...BUT MOST STAY THE SAME

2011-08-30T08:37:00.001-04:00

I was looking over my post, 100 Things About Me, and decided it might be time to update that list a little bit.

I've been married to Dom for almost 37 years. And the majority of the time has been good.

Dom and I have now been married over 41 years!

Donna and her husband, Hank, live next door to us. Susan and her husband, Kendall, and her younger daughter Ashlie live about 40 minutes away. Susan's older daughter, Shelby, lives with us. John, his wife Claudia, and their two children, Darby and Brady, live in Pennsylvania.
Divorce has happened to all the kids. Donna still lives next door to us. Susan and Ashlie now live in Cumming, about 10 minutes away. And Shelby, after being on her own for a while, has moved back in with us. John is currently living in Ocean City, NJ.

We have two dogs, Maggie and Teddy. Maggie was given to me as a puppy by our former next-door neighbor. She's a black lab mix. Maggie has a LOT of allergies and I have to give her allergy shots every two weeks. My nursing training has paid off!

Teddy was given to us by another neighbor. She got him from a friend who was going to have him put to sleep because he couldn't get him housebroken. He was 2 months old at the time. I housebroke him within a week. Teddy is very timid and scared of a lot of things. We think he must have been abused before we got him. Teddy has a severe heart problem, dilative cardiomyopathy, and is on 4 different cardiac meds daily. He's basically living on borrowed time.

We lost our dear Teddy 2 years ago. He died after doing one of his favorite things - chasing a bunny in our backyard. Such a sweet boy - we still miss him terribly. Maggie is getting older and slowing down a lot. She still has all her allergies, but no more shots. Now we can add Cushing's Syndrome and hypertension to her list of problems. Shelby brought her dog, Lucky, with her, so we're a 2-dog family again.

I need to lose another 15 pounds.
Unfortunately, the number has gone up to 30 pounds needed to lose!

My right leg is ½” longer than my left.
Obviously I don't know my left from my right. It's my left leg that is longer!

Even though I know it's not good for me, I love to get tan in the summer.
I still love the look of a tan, but since having a melanoma removed I've been staying out of the sun and away from tanning beds. I'm thinking of getting a spray tan to get a little bit of color.

I had rhinoplasty (a nose job) about 20 years ago. I love my new nose!
And I've had my upper eyelids done and a spot of liposuction on my spare tire and love handles. I've been told it makes me look younger and I feel better about myself now. Now, what can I take care of next???

That's not really a lot of changes in the past 4 years or so. A bit more gray hair, a few (HA!) more pounds, some more candles on the birthday cake. I guess things really do stay the same!

DO YOU DO FACEBOOK?

2011-08-28T17:45:00.000-04:00

I love Facebook!

I have found so many people from my past on there. A big bunch of high school classmates, some of whom I've gotten together with in the past few years. Some family members that I haven't seen or heard from in many, many years. I just found my old hairdresser - one of only 2 who knows how to cut my hair properly.

I've "met" a lot more through playing games like FarmVille and FrontierVille and have become quite friendly with some of them. In fact, I'm planning a trip to meet one of them next year. Many who read as much as I do. Some who like the same music I do.

At first I thought this whole social networking thing was just for teenagers and young adults. But I've found more and more people of a "certain age." It's never too late to make new friends and share thoughts and ideas.

Click on that link in my right sidebar - the one with the picture of me and my "boyfriend" John McDermott - and be my friend on Facebook!

GOD SAVE THE MARK

2011-08-26T13:33:00.004-04:00

GOD SAVE THE MARK by Donald E. Westlake was read for the Just For Fun Reading Challenge 2011.

From Amazon.com:

* mark n. An easy victim; a ready subject for the practices of a confidence man, thief, beggar, etc.; a sucker. - Dictionary of American Slang, Thomas Y. Crowell Co., 1960

That's the long definition of a mark. But there's a shorter one. It goes:

* mark n. Fred Fitch

What, you ask, is a Fred Fitch? Well, for one thing, Fred Fitch is the man with the most extensive collection of fake receipts, phony bills of sale, and counterfeit sweepstakes tickets in the Western Hemisphere, and possibly in the entire world. For another thing, Fred Fitch may be the only New York City resident in the twentieth century to buy a money machine. When Barnum said, "There's one born every minute, and two to take him," he didn't know about Fred Fitch; when Fred Fitch was born, there were two million to take him. Every itinerant grifter, hypester, bunk artist, short-conner, amuser, shearer, short-changer, green-goods worker, pennyweighter, ring dropper, and yentzer to hit New York City considers his trip incomplete until he's also hit Fred Fitch. He's sort of the con-man's version of Go: Pass Fred Fitch, collect two hundred dollars, and move on. What happens to Fred Fitch when his long-lost Uncle Matt dies and leaves Fred three hundred thousand dollars shouldn't happen to the ball in a pinball machine. Fred Fitch with three hundred thousand dollars is like a mouse with a sack of catnip: He's likely to attract the wrong kind of attention.

Add to this fact that Uncle Matt was murdered, by person or persons unknown, and that someone now seems determined to murder Fred as well, mix in two daffily charming beauties of totally different types, and you have a perfect setup for the busiest fictional hero since the well-known one-armed paperhanger. As Fred Fitch careens across the New York City landscape - and sometimes skyline - in his meetings with cops, con men, beautiful girls, and (maybe) murderers, he takes on some of the loonier aspects of a Dante without a Virgil. Take one part comedy and one part suspense and shake well - mostly with laughter.

Surprise, surprise. A free download for my Kindle that was good! This book was funny. Poor Fred. The con men had him coming and going. He couldn't tell the good guys from the bad. Whom to trust? Where to go? A kidnapping, a dead man in a closet, a disappearing drunk, a sleeping doctor. All here. And more.

I really liked this book. So much so that I'm going to look for other books by this author. And they won't have to be free Kindle downloads either!

BLACKBIRD FLY

2011-08-23T20:43:00.000-04:00

BLACKBIRD FLY by Lise McClendon

From Amazon.com:

Behind the golden stone walls of a village in southwest France, American Merle Bennett finds solace from her grief while renovating her late husband's ancestral home. But things don't go as planned. Soon any calm she feels in her French summer is overshadowed by secrets from the past. A crumbling house, a deranged squatter, unfriendly and violent villagers, a surprise in the garden house - it makes a girl almost wish for the sleepy suburbs. But Merle can't go home until all is resolved, one way or another.

From this description, this sounded like an interesting book. It got great reviews on Amazon. And the price was right - free for the Kindle. So I downloaded it.

This had to be one of the most disjointed books I've ever read. The story jumped all over the place, from past to present. Usually that works for me, but in this book, even the past was out of sync. Characters came out of nowhere - I had to keep flipping back to see if I had missed something. The story was unbelievable. Merle spent a lot of money fixing up this French house, after finding out that her husband left her almost no money when he died. The entire book just didn't ring true for me.

For me, in this case, I got exactly what I paid for - nothing.

SHE'S BACK...

2011-08-23T06:12:00.000-04:00

after a week in the "computer hospital" and she's working fine!

THE ISLAND

2011-08-18T20:21:00.000-04:00

THE ISLAND by Elin Hilderbrand was read with an online book group.

From the book jacket:

Birdie Cousins has thrown herself into the details of her daughter Chess's lavish wedding, from the floating dance floor in her Connecticut backyard pond to the color of the cocktail napkins. Like any mother of a bride-to-be, she is weathering the storms of excitement and chaos, tears and joy. But Birdie, a woman who prides herself on preparing for every possibility, could never have predicted the late-night phone call from Chess abruptly announcing that she's canceled her engagement.

It's only the first hint of what will be a summer of upheavals and revelations. Before the dust has even begun to settle, far worse news arrives, sending Chess into a tailspin of despair. Reluctantly taking a break from the first new romance she's embarked on since the recent end of her thirty-year marriage, Birdie circles the wagons and enlists the help of her younger daughter, Tate, and her own sister, India. Soon all four are headed to beautiful, rustic Tuckernuck Island, off the coast of Nantucket, where their family has summered for generations. No phones, no television, no grocery store - a place without distractions where they can escape their troubles.

But when sisters, daughters, ex-lovers, and long-kept secrets come together on a remote island, what might sound like a peaceful getaway becomes much more. Before summer has ended, dramatic truths are uncovered, old loves are rekindled, and loves make themselves known. It's a summertime story only Elin Hilderbrand can tell, filled with the heartache, laughter, and surprises that have made her page-turning, bestselling novels as much a part of summer as a long afternoon on a sunny beach.

I really enjoyed this book. A perfect read for these hot summer days.

Birdie had recently ended her marriage and had started dating a man with whom she envisioned spending the rest of her life. Her sister, India, had lost her husband 15 years before - he had committed suicide - and she still carried bits and pieces of him with her. Tate, the younger daughter, lived a very successful life but had no special person with whom to share it. And Chess, distraught over the end of her engagement, carried a deep secret that she couldn't share.

All four women used the time on Tuckernuck Island to work through their specific problems, and by the end of the summer they had all made major changes in their lives. The ending might have been a little too "happy" but it seemed to fit the book and the characters.

I don't think I've read any other books by Ms. Hilderbrand, but I will be looking for some in the future.

ON AGATE HILL

2011-08-12T15:37:00.000-04:00

ON AGATE HILL by Lee Smith

From Amazon.com:

A dusty box discovered in the wreckage of a North Carolina plantation house contains the remnants of an extraordinary life: an 1870's diary of a young girl, letters, poems, songs, newspaper clippings, court records, marbles, rocks, dolls, and bones. It's through these treasured mementos that we meet the unforgettable heroine of Lee Smith's new novel.

Raised in the smoldering ruin of the post-Civil War American South, young Molly Petree, now orphaned, has no intention of wasting time on self-pity. She means to live her life to its fullest. So, when a mysterious benefactor appears out of her father's past to rescue her, she doesn't look back - until she is an old woman and returns to the farm on Agate Hill. Spanning half a century, On Agate Hill tells the story of a woman who risks everything to remain true to herself. It's a novel of obsessive love, unexpected adventures, and luck - both good and bad. Like a ballad of the Old South, Molly Petree's tale resonates with passion, humor, and drama.

I've had this book sitting on the shelf for a while but never got around to reading it. I'm glad I finally picked it up and started. I really enjoyed the book. Written in different formats - diary entries, letters, court records - it follows Molly from around age 13 until her death. There is quite a varied cast of characters, including Molly's childhood friend Mary White, the housekeeper Selena, Molly's teaching friend Agnes, her husband Jacky, and her mysterious benefactor Simon Black. Everyone made a lasting impression on Molly and helped shape her into the woman she became.

The writing format was a little hard to follow in parts - it was hard to keep track of just who was telling the story at the time. The outcome of a few of the characters was never told, leaving much to the reader's imagination. But, all in all, I thought it was a very interesting look into country life in the late 18th century.

A COTTAGE BY THE SEA

2011-08-08T06:33:00.001-04:00

A COTTAGE BY THE SEA by Ciji Ware

From the back of the book:

Some might call it running away...But after a scandalous Hollywood divorce, Blythe Stowe considered it damage control for body and soul. The pain, the humiliation, the daily tabloids shouting details as her famous husband dumped her for her own sister demanded a serious getaway: to the wild coast of Cornwall and a cottage by the sea that her Wyoming grandmother claimed had been home to her ancestors.

Some might call it chance...But Blythe encountered more than just a quaint retreat nestled amid vivid skies and gorgeous ocean. And she had the odd sensation that her wickedly handsome neighbor Lucas Teague was more than a British gentleman going broke. He might be her destiny....

This book was sent to me by a friend who loved it. I had high hopes, but it just didn't do it for me.

It seemed that Blythe could "see" into the past by staring at and touching a family genealogy chart found in Barton Hall in Cornwall. By doing this, she learned about the earlier inhabitants of this house - people she would learn were her ancestors. The book would jump between the present and the past. Somehow, learning about the past was supposed to help Blythe deal with the actions of those in the present who had caused her pain and grief.

I never "got" it. I failed to see why learning about the past actions of her ancestors would help solve present day problems. I would have been happy with the book dealing with the past and present without all the psychological babble about there being changes in DNA caused by past occurrences that would affect a person generations later. Just a nice little romance book would have been fine.

While parts of the book were enjoyable, it just wasn't my cup of tea.

NOT A HAPPY CAMPER

2011-08-07T10:51:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was not a good day at my house. I woke up to a computer that was slower than molasses. I could have cooked an entire Thanksgiving dinner in the time it took a program to load. If it would load at all. Usually, I'd get a loading screen then nothing - and then I couldn't close it to get out. The only thing I could do was to shut down the computer. And then it wouldn't start again.

I contacted HP to get some help. Yanky (strange name!) gave me 5 different things to do and told me I could print out the instructions. All well and good, except for one thing - the computer didn't recognize the printer. I finally got the instructions loaded onto a flash drive, put them in Dom's computer and printed them. After about 2 hours to get all this done, it made no difference.

One thing I did notice was that my virus protection program kept telling me that it was not turned on. I'd turn it on, and it would turn itself off again. I downloaded another copy of the program and finally got it to load - and all of a sudden the computer started working again. Faster, but still with a few little burps. I decided that I was not going to turn it off again, as it still was hard to get it to boot up.

I kept it on all night, running a virus scan. Finished this morning and it showed the computer was clean. And it's running great right now. Fingers and toes are still crossed. I'm not sure what caused the problem and I don't know if it's really fixed for good. Thank goodness the computer is under warranty. If there's any more problem, it's going into the computer hospital until it's well again!

WE'RE NUMBER 1!

2011-08-03T19:20:00.000-04:00

We finished our summer bowling league today, and my team is number 1 - again! We've won this league 3 of the past 4 years!

Our anchor bowler, Tony, won high average, most improved, and high scratch series. Great bowling, Tony!

Tony, Vicki and Sharon - the best teammates ever!

JULY BOOKS

2011-07-31T15:34:00.001-04:00

Wow! Can July be over already??

I managed to read 8 books this month, including two chunksters. I had thought my total would be lower because of our trip, but I wound up reading 2 books while we were in Niagara Falls - mainly sitting in the bathroom early in the morning while my husband was still asleep!

Here's what I read:

THE GODFATHER by Mario Puzo

MISS JULIA RENEWS HER VOWS by Ann B. Ross

CASHELMARA by Susan Howatch (Ireland Reading Challenge 2011)

MAJOR PETTIGREW'S LAST STAND by Helen Simonson

THE MIDWIFE'S CONFESSION by Diane Chamberlain (Just for Fun Reading Challenge 2011)

TOO BIG TO MISS by Sue Ann Jaffarian (What's in a Name 4 Challenge)

THE CURSE OF THE HOLY PAIL by Sue Ann Jaffarian (Just for Fun Reading Challenge 2011) (Oops, read two this month for that challenge!)

DOC by Mary Doria Russell

I enjoyed most of these, some a little more than others. One was read for about the gazillionth time but I still love the book. Three were read on the Kindle. I find I'm still not using it as much as I thought I would, but it was great to take on our trip.

How was your reading this month?

DOC

2011-07-30T12:49:00.001-04:00

DOC by Mary Doria Russell

From Amazon.com:

The year is 1878, peak of the Texas cattle trade. The place is Dodge City, Kansas, a saloon-filled cow town jammed with liquored-up adolescent cowboys and young Irish hookers. Violence is random and routine, but when the burned body of a mixed-blood boy named Johnnie sanders is discovered, his death shocks a part-time policeman named Wyatt Earp. And it is a matter of strangely personal importance to Doc Holliday, the frail twenty-six-year-old dentist who has just opened an office at No. 24, Dodge House.

Beautifully educated, born to the life of a southern gentleman, Dr. John Henry Holliday is given an awful choice at the age of twenty-two: die within months in Atlanta or leave everyone and everything he loves in the hope that the dry air and sunshine of the West will restore him to health. Young, scared, lonely, and sick, he arrives on the rawest edge of the Texas frontier just as an economic crash wrecks the dreams of a nation. Soon, with few alternatives open to him, Doc Holliday is gambling professionally; he is also living with Maria Katarina Harony, a high-strung Hungarian whore with dazzling turquoise eyes, who can quote Latin classics right back at him. Kate makes it her business to find Doc the high-stakes poker games tht will support them both in high style. It is Kate who insists that the couple travel to Dodge City, because "that's where the money is."

And that is where the unlikely friendship of Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp really begins - before Wyatt Earp is the prototype of the square-jawed, fearless lawman; before Doc Holliday is the quintessential frontier gambler; before the gunfight at the O.K. Corral links their names forever in American frontier mythology - when neither man wanted fame or deserved notoriety.

I decided to read this book because my husband has such a great interest in the Old West. He knows the stories of all the gunslingers and gamblers. He has every episode of Gunsmoke on DVR! I wanted to know the people he "knows."

It was interesting to learn the story of Doc Holliday and the Earp brothers before they became famous. The author told their stories as men, not as legends. But the actual format of the book was confusing. New characters were introduced then left hanging, only to reappear later in the book. I wondered many times why this person or that person was mentioned. They all came together near the end, but by that time I had forgotten who they were, so there was quite a bit of back-tracking that needed to be done to recall a certain person or incident.

An interesting book but one I felt wasn't that well written because of the strange format.

TOO BIG TO MISS and THE CURSE OF THE HOLY PAIL

2011-07-26T19:00:00.003-04:00

TOO BIG TO MISS by Sue Ann Jaffarian was read for the What's in a Name 4 Challenge.

From Amazon.com:

Too big to miss - that's Odelia Grey. A never-married, middle-aged, plus-sized woman who makes no excuses for her weight, she's not super woman just a mere mortal standing on the precipice of menopause, trying to cruise in an ill-fitting bra. She struggles with her relationships, her crazy family, and her crazier boss. And then there's her knack for being in close proximity to dead people....

When her close friend Sophie London commits suicide in front of an online web-cam by putting a gun in her mouth and pulling the trigger, Odelia's life is changed forever. Sophie, a plus-sized activist and inspiration to imperfect women, is the last person anyone would ever have expected to end her own life. Suspecting foul play, Odelia is determined to get to the bottom of her friend's death. Odelia's search for the truth takes her from southern California strip malls to the world of live web-cam porn to the ritzy enclave of Corona del Mar.

THE CURSE OF THE HOLY PAIL by Sue Ann Jaffarian was read for the Just for Fun Reading Challenge 2011.

From Amazon.com:

Is the "Holy Pail" cursed? Every owner of the vintage Chappy Wheeler lunchbox - a prototype based on the 1940's TV western - has died. And now Sterling Price, business tycoon and a client of Odelia Grey's law firm, has been fatally poisoned. Is it a coincidence that Price's one-of-a-kind lunch pail - worth over thirty grand - has disappeared at the same time?

Treading cautiously since a recent run-in with a bullet, Odelia takes small bites of this juicy, calorie-free mystery - and is soon ravenous for more! Her research reveals a sixty-year-old unsolved murder and Price's gold-digging ex-fiancee with two married men wrapped around her breasts...uh, finger. Mix in a surprise marriage proposal that sends an uncertain Odelia into chocolate sedation, and you've got an unruly recipe for delicious disaster.

I just love free books on Kindle! I lucked upon these two, never having heard of them or the author before, and had so much fun reading them. The stories were fun and the characters delightful. I loved Odelia - she's smart and sassy and a champion for BBW (Big Beautiful Women) everywhere. She somehow manages to find herself smack-dab in the middle of a murder and just HAS to start investigating herself.

These were the first two books in the series, and I'll be looking for the next four - hopefully free for the Kindle!

BACK HOME AGAIN!

2011-07-24T18:50:00.000-04:00

Niagara Falls was beautiful - but HOT! This heat spell that has covered so much of the country hit Niagara Falls with a vengeance. People there were telling us that it has NEVER been that hot. We really picked a good time to go!

But it was slightly cooler on the Maid of the Mist. Dom took some Dramamine and was able to go on the boat and enjoyed it. And then he and I did the Cave of the Wild where you stand right next to the Bridal Veil falls - maybe about 10 feet away. Talk about getting soaked!

Proof that Dom was on the Maid of the Mist

The Bridal Veil Falls behind a platform at Cave of the Wind

I visited Terrapin Point which is right next to the Canadian Horseshoe Falls (Dom was too tired to go there) and was amazed at the sheer size of the falls. We were told that water goes over the Horseshoe Falls at the rate of 675,000 gallons a SECOND!

The corner of the Horseshoe Falls. I couldn't see across the Falls because of all the mist.

The Canadian Horseshoe Falls

We took a ride on the Canadian side up to Niagara-on-the-Lake and sat on the banks of Lake Ontario. So pretty and peaceful.

Can you see the sailboats?

On Saturday night, we went to the Casino. Played the slots for a little while and broke even. Then we went into the Bear's Den for the John McDermott show. We had front row center seats which were terrific, but there wasn't a bad seat in the house. John signed a couple of CD's for me, and after the show I had my picture taken with him. What a great guy and what a fantastic show.

That's me and my "boyfriend" John - don't tell his wife!

Now it's back to the real world of cooking, cleaning and laundry. Sigh...

LEAVING...ON A JET PLANE

2011-07-21T06:59:00.000-04:00

Leaving ... on a jet plane. Don't know when we'll be back again.

Actually, we do know when we'll be back home again. Unfortunately it will be too soon.

Niagara Falls - here we come!

THE MIDWIFE'S CONFESSION

2011-07-18T05:39:00.002-04:00

THE MIDWIFE'S CONFESSION by Diane Chamberlain was read for the Just for Fun Reading Challenge 2011.

From the book flap:

Dear Anna,
What I have to tell you is difficult to write, but I know it will be far more difficult for you to hear, and I'm so sorry...

The unfinished letter is the only clue Tara and Emerson have to the reason behind their close friend Noelle's suicide. Everything they knew about Noelle - her calling as a midwife, her passion for causes, her love for her friends and family - described a woman who embraced life.

Yet there was so much they didn't know.

With the discovery of the letter and its heartbreaking secret, Noelle's friends begin to uncover the truth about this complex woman who touched each of their lives - and the life of a desperate stranger - with love and betrayal, compassion and deceit.

It's been a long time since a book grabbed me so quickly and completely that I finished it in one day. This book did just that.

The story jumped from past to present and was told in 5 voices - Noelle, Emerson, Tara, Grace and Anna - but wasn't confusing at all. The characters were complex and real. As the story progressed, more and more of Noelle's past and a terrible secret that she had carried for years was revealed. Everything seemed to point to a specific ending, but then the author threw in a huge surprise.

With the situation unresolved by the finish of the book, I am wondering if the author plans a sequel to this. I would love to read further about these characters.

MAJOR PETTIGREW'S LAST STAND

2011-07-16T08:55:00.000-04:00

MAJOR PETTIGREW'S LAST STAND by Helen Simonson

From Amazon.com (Lauren Nemroff):

In her witty and wise debut novel, newcomer Helen Simonson introduces the unforgettable character of the widower Major Ernest Pettigrew. The Major epitomizes the Englishman with the "stiff upper lip," who clings to traditional values and has tried (in vain) to pass these along to his yuppie son, Roger. The story centers around Pettigrew's fight to keep his greedy relatives (including his son) from selling a valuable family heirloom - a pair of hunting rifles that symbolizes much of what he stands for, or at least what he thinks he does. the embattled hero discovers an unexpected ally and source of consolation in his neighbor, the Pakistani shopkeeper Jasmina Ali. On the surface, Pettigrew and Ali's backgrounds and life experiences couldn't be more different, but they discover that they have the most important things in common. This wry, yet optimistic comedy of manners with a romantic twist will appeal to grown-up readers of both sexes.

I enjoyed this book and especially loved Major Pettigrew and Mrs. Ali. The Major has such a dry sense of humor, shown by his sarcastic retorts to people which were thought but never spoken. The Major is usually too proper to say what was really on his mind. Different reviews I have read of this book complain that the Major was locked into an earlier time and way of life. True, but that's what made him so charming. There was one little section toward the end of the book where the Major and Mrs. Ali both broke out of their mold and acted like children, if only for a few minutes. I loved that part - it showed a very soft side of both of them.

I read this book with a small online book group, and I'm anxious to hear what others thought of this book.

CASHELMARA

2011-07-10T20:33:00.000-04:00

CASHELMARA by Susan Howatch was read for the Ireland Reading Challenge 2011.

From Amazon.com:

The rich and mighty saga of a wealthy and titled English family in Ireland during the 19th century.

That doesn't tell you much. This is a little better.

From a review by Miss Moppet at historicalfictiononline.com:

There were two subjects that lonely widower Edward deSalis never discussed: his dead wife and his family home in Ireland, "matchless Cashelmara." So when he meets Marguerite, a bright young American with whom he can talk freely about both, he is able to love again and takes her back to Ireland as his wife. But Marguerite soon discovers that married life is not what she expected, and that she has married into a troubled family bitterly divided by love and hatred. Cashelmara becomes the curse of three generations as they play out their fates in a spellbinding drama, which moves inexorably towards murder and retribution.

Did you ever have a book that you loved and were drawn to over and over? That's this book for me.

The book was published in 1974. I can't remember when I read it for the first time, but I know it was quite a while ago. Somehow during our family moves, my copy disappeared. Then one day, I found a copy either at a garage sale or a used book store. And I was able to read it again. Another day I saw a copy at Goodwill - it looked like a better copy than the one I had at home, so I bought it. And read it again.

Just a couple of weeks ago, I was clearing out my bookcases and decided to take one copy to a thrift store. After I turned in my boxes of books, I looked through the store and what did I see on the shelf but another copy of CASHELMARA, again in a little better condition that the one left at home. So I bought it again. I sent one copy to a good friend because I was sure she would enjoy it. We decided, along with a third friend who purchased a copy, to all read it together.

Friend #1 loved it, friend #2 is still reading. I just finished it. And loved it all over again. It had all the elements that I love in a book of this type - basically a soap opera - fascinating characters, family secrets, fortunes gained and lost, jealousy, greed, and beautiful settings, including the place I most want to visit - Ireland. Written in 6 distinctive voices, each character narrating a section of the book, the story covered 3 generations of this dysfunctional family, leading to a surprise ending.

If you ever see this book at your neighborhood used book store or at a garage sale, spend a dollar or two and pick it up. I think you'll enjoy it!

WHAZZUP???

2011-07-10T10:35:00.000-04:00

I haven't been doing much blogging lately. Been doing a bunch of other things. Like:

Bowling

Playing cards

Reading

Playing this silly game on the computer

And planning a trip coming up to see this:

and this:

That's my favorite Irish tenor, John McDermott

Whazzup with you??

MISS JULIA RENEWS HER VOWS

2011-07-05T14:22:00.000-04:00

MISS JULIA RENEWS HER VOWS by Ann B. Ross

From the back of the book:

Miss Julia's matchmaking is a triumph: Hazel Marie and J. D. Pickens tie the knot - and just in time as she's expecting twins! But why has Sam agreed that he and Julia will attend the odious Dr. Fowler's marital enrichment sessions? Could Sam feel their flames need fanning? Meanwhile, Miss Julia has to spring Etta Mae from jail when she's accused of attacking Francie Pitts. Francie's in town prowling for Husband #6 and swears that her attacker was wearing Etta Mae's perfume. With a fragrant felon to be caught - plus a wedding, babies, and a heaping dose of mischief - it's fortunate for all that Miss Julia's on the case.

This is the 11th book in one of my favorite series. I love Miss Julia. So prim and proper, but not above embellishing the truth a little - or telling an outright lie if it serves a good purpose. Miss Julia has a secret that she's kept from Sam, and it's causing her to feel under the weather, especially when Mondays roll around. She needs to find who attacked Francie and prove Etta Mae's innocence. And she needs to keep Francie from casting her spell on Sam. And do it all with class.

I'll be looking for the next book, MISS JULIA ROCKS THE CRADLE.

THE GODFATHER

2011-07-03T13:23:00.000-04:00

THE GODFATHER by Mario Puzo

From the publisher:

THE GODFATHER is an extraordinary novel which has become a modern day classic. Puzo pulls us inside the violent society of the Mafia and its gang wars.

The leader, Vito Corleone, is the Godfather. He is a benevolent despot who stops at nothing to gain and hold power. His command post is a fortress on Long Island from which he presides over a vast underground empire that includes the rackets, gambling, bookmaking, and unions. His influence runs through all levels of American society, from the cop on the beat to the nation's mighty.

Mario Puzo, a master storyteller, introduces us to unforgettable characters, and the elements of this world explode to life in this violent and impassioned chronicle.

I picked up this book, thinking I hadn't read it before. Parts seemed very familiar, but I thought it was just because I had seen the movie so many times. But when I got to a section that wasn't in the movie and I knew exactly what was going to happen, I realized this wasn't the first reading. So I checked this blog and found where I had posted my review previously.

The book was just as good on a re-read. As I was reading, I came to realize just how perfect the casting of the movie had been. Who else except Marlon Brando could have played Vito? James Caan was perfect as Sonny, and the great Al Pacino was Michael in every way.

Now I feel the need to watch the Godfather movies all over again.

JUNE BOOKS

2011-07-01T06:17:00.000-04:00

I can't believe half of this year is over already. It seems the older I get, the shorter the days. June turned out to be a good reading month, both in quantity and quality. There were only two books that I read that I didn't like.

I find I'm not using the Kindle as much as I thought (and hoped) that I would. I did manage to read 4 books on the Kindle this month. And they were books that I purchased for less than $3 each. I just can't seem to justify spending $11 or $12 or more for something that I can't put on the bookshelf when I'm finished.

Here's what I read in June:

THE LOTUS EATERS by Tatjana Soli

TALK OF THE TOWN by Lisa Wingate

AT WITT'S END by Beth Solheim

OUTWITTED by Beth Solheim

DRIFTWOOD COTTAGE by Sherryl Woods (Pub 2011 Reading Challenge)

MOONLIGHT COVE by Sherryl Woods (Pub 2011 Reading Challenge)

BEACH LANE by Sherryl Woods (Pub 2011 Reading Challenge)

THAT OLD CAPE MAGIC by Richard Russo

THE FIFTH WITNESS by Michael Connelly

SMOKIN' SEVENTEEN by Janet Evanovich

This must have been "series" month - 7 of the ten books were part of on-going series. I'm now caught up on all of those.

How was your reading month? Are you all caught up on your series books?

SMOKIN' SEVENTEEN

2011-06-28T15:43:00.000-04:00

SMOKIN' SEVENTEEN by Janet Evanovich

From the book jacket:

Dead bodies are showing up in shallow graves on the empty construction lot of Vincent Plum Bail Bonds. No one is sure who the killer is, or why the victims have been offed, but what is clear is that Stephanie's name is on the killer's list.

Short on time to find evidence proving the killer's identity, Stephanie faces further complications when her family and friends decide that it's time for her to choose between her longtime off-again-on-again boyfriend, Trenton cop Joe Morelli, and the bad boy in her life, security expert Ranger. Stephanie's mom is encouraging Stephanie to dump them both and choose a former high school football star who's just returned to town. Stephanie's sidekick, Lula, is encouraging Stephanie to have a red-hot boudoir "bake-off." And Grandma Bella, Morelli's old-world grandmother, is encouraging Stephanie to move to a new state when she puts "the eye" on Stephanie.

With a cold-blooded killer after her, a handful of hot men, and a capture list that includes a dancing bear and a senior citizen vampire, Stephanie's life looks like it's about to go up in smoke.

I love the month of June. That's when the latest Stephanie Plum book is released. And this one is a doozy. For a little while, the books had gotten stale, but around #13 they started to pick up steam again. Ms. Evanovich is in rare form with #17.

Stephanie and Lula have their hands full trying to bring in the current list of FTA's, including the delightful senior citizen vampire. Lula is sure she's turning into a vampire after their first encounter. The bail bonds office is operating out of Mooner's bus, decorated in shades of black inside and painted with pictures of Stephanie and Lula on the outside - digitally enhanced pictures. And Stephanie is being taught how to cook by the new man in her life, the one chosen by her mother and Grandma Mazur. Grandma Bella has given Stephanie "the eye" and the only cure seems to be a pair of granny panties.

There are fires, stolen cars, plenty of chicken and donuts, but for those who are counting, Stephanie only explodes one car. The only down side of this book for me was the absence of Grandma Mazur's craziness - she seemed almost normal.

The book ends with Stephanie appearing to make a decision about the men in her life. Of course, we readers won't know the choice until EXPLOSIVE EIGHTEEN is released. But instead of having to wait until next June, it will be coming out on November 22 of this year. November might become my next favorite month!