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Thursday, November 29, 2012

Blackberry Winter- Review




What Blackberry Winter is about:
  Seattle, 1933. Vera Ray kisses her three-year-old son, Daniel, goodnight and reluctantly leaves for work. She hates the night-shift, but it’s the only way she can earn enough to keep destitution at bay. In the morning—even though it’s the second of May—a heavy snow is falling. Vera rushes to wake Daniel, but his bed is empty. His teddy bear lies outside in the snow. 

  Seattle, present day. On the second of May, Seattle Times reporter, Claire Aldridge, awakens to another late-season snowstorm. Assigned to cover this “blackberry winter” and its predecessor decades earlier, Claire learns of Daniel’s unsolved abduction and vows to unearth the truth—only to discover that she and Vera are linked in unexpected ways.


Opening up a Sarah Jio novel is much like visiting with a beloved family member for a few hours. I was captivated at once with Vera and Claire's stories and loved how Sarah was able to weave them together even though they were separated by seventy years. I am love with Seattle, even though I've never been there. Jio's writing makes it come alive vividly within my imagination and I felt as if I was walking beside Vera and Claire as they both tried to come to terms with the tragedies in their lives. I've never heard of a Blackberry Winter, but can certainly imagine that happening, especially here in Michigan when the weather can turn on a dime. And even though I knew exactly where the story was heading, I loved every minute of it. When I closed the book it was with a few tears and a satisfied smile!

Recommend? Absolutely. If you haven't read any of Sarah's books, I highly recommend starting with Violets of March. This was the book that made me fall in love with Sarah's writing.

Source: Review copy was possible because of the generosity of Sarah Jio and her publisher.

Review Book #35
© 2012, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Six Sentence Movie Thoughts



Welcome to Six Sentence Movie Thoughts.
Where I try to express my thoughts on recent movies
using only 6 sentences!!!!.
At the end of each review I will post a
rating scale of 1-5 .
Rating scale will be as follows:

5 Stars- You must watch this movie NOW!!
4 Stars- A great movie, put it on your TBW list.
3 Stars- Happy that I watched it...a good way to spend a few hours.
 

2 Stars- Just O.K but nothing to write home about.



One Day
~Reason for watching it: I have the book but just haven't made the time to get to it. Saw this at the library for $1.50 and figured why not.

I loved the concept of getting together every year on the same day and also the emotional turmoil Emma and Dexter experienced as their relationship changed and evolved. Even though much of it played out quite predictably, I still enjoyed the movie. I really want to read the book because I'm sure it will add a bit more depth to the story.

Rating: 3 Stars



One For the Money
~ Reason for watching it: I have been reading Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series forever. I had to see how it translated to film.

After watching this I can say that I accept Katherine Heigl as Stephanie and heck, I even liked who they picked for Joe Morelli. But, I totally can not accept who they cast as Ranger! Ranger needed to be larger than life, not a few inches taller than Stephanie. Other than that, I thought the movie was cute and not a terrible way to spend a couple of hours.

Rating: 3 Stars



The Vow
~ Reason for watching it: I thought it looked incredibly romantic and Channing Tatum is a hottie.

Who in the world wrote this piece of garbage??? OMG! I hated Paige after the accident...she was a cold-hearted person and treated Leo terribly. Yet, poor Leo kept hanging on and believing with time that she would love him again. I think the producers would have done better to stick with the true story instead of trying to put a modern (current time instead of the 1990's) twist on this stupid story. But I guess a couple with strong faith and values doesn't sell in Hollywood.
Rating: 0 Stars




The Hunger Games
~ Reason for watching it: I loved the book and missed the movie when it was in the theater!

Wow!! My husband and I watched this one together and I was pleasantly surprised at how much he enjoyed it. Have to tell you that it really stirred up a great conversation between us and we were talking about this one well after it finished. The costumes were amazing and I thought it stayed fairly true to the book. This one was worth the $3.00 I spent on all four of the movies!

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Six Sentence Movie Thoughts
© 2012, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Mailbox Monday and It's Monday...What Are You Reading?


Mailbox Monday 
is a gathering place for readers to share the books that
came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. 
Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

November Host is: Kathy @ BermudaOnion



City of Women- after reading so many wonderful and intriguing blogger reviews, I had to grab this up when it was $2.99 @ Amazon.com

The Summer of France- this book was written by fellow blogger, Paulita Kincer @ An Accidental Blog. I met her through Alyce's Saturday Snapshot meme and she always takes the time to stop by my blog. I love that she's published this book and that as a book lover I was able to support her and feed my addiction of reading!!
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Hosted by
We discuss the books that we've read 
and what we're planning to read for the week.


Read and reviewed last week:
Not a thing. I was too busy being in the moment of Thanksgiving and enjoying my family. It felt nice to step away from the computer. I will be unplugging more often. 

Bookish Thoughts this week:
Six Sentence Movie Thoughts-  One Day, One for the Money, Hunger Games, and The Vow.
Blackberry Winter

In My BookBox:

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Saturday Snapshot- One quick moment


Saturday Snapshot
It's easy to participate- just post a picture that was taken by
you, a friend, or a family member, and add your link
on Alyce's site. (no pictures from the internet!)

no photo editing was done, only frame added @picmonkey.com

The weather has been beautiful here in Michigan the past couple of days, but last night the wind shifted and sky darkened, heralding rain and or snow to come. I took this picture as the sun was setting and loved the dark sky below it. I had to move quick because the shadows change in a matter of seconds!! Nature never fails to amaze me with its beauty!!

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving


Happy Thanksgiving to my friends and family.

Monday, November 19, 2012

Mailbox Monday and It's Monday...What Are You Reading?




Mailbox Monday 
is a gathering place for readers to share the books that
came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. 
Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

November Host is: Kathy @ BermudaOnion



The Best of Us by Sarah Pekkanen- I enjoyed an earlier book of hers, so I thought I would give this one a shot! Courtesy of Washington Square Press and NetGalley.

The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen- I adored her book, The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte, how could I resist this one?? Courtesy of Penguin Group and NetGalley.
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Hosted by
We discuss the books that we've read 
and what we're planning to read for the week.


Read and reviewed last week:
The Light Between Oceans- loved this one..beautiful and haunting
Bloom: Finding beauty in the unexpected- could barely finish this one due to BIG HEAD syndrome of author.

Bookish Thoughts this week:
Six Sentence Movie Thoughts- One Day, One for the Money, Hunger Games, and The Vow

In My Book Box:
I'm still working on the same books, currently reading In the Woods and then hope to go all fun and fluff over the holiday weekend!!

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Saturday Snapshot- Early Morning



Saturday Snapshot
It's easy to participate- just post a picture that was taken by
you, a friend, or a family member, and add your link
on Alyce's site. (no pictures from the internet!)

no photo editing was done, only added frame from PicMonkey

When I got up this morning to let the dogs out, I was amazed to see the air saturated with moisture that helped create the fog and frost that lay upon everything. I love mornings like this and seeing how Mother Nature can change up the appearance of the sky and everything else. Soon I am sure I will wake up to snow on the ground!

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

The Light Between Oceans- Bookish Thoughts #54



What The Light Between Oceans is about:
After four harrowing years on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne returns to Australia and takes a job as the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, nearly half a day’s journey from the coast. To this isolated island, where the supply boat comes once a season and shore leaves are granted every other year at best, Tom brings a young, bold, and loving wife, Isabel. Years later, after two miscarriages and one stillbirth, the grieving Isabel hears a baby’s cries on the wind. A boat has washed up onshore carrying a dead man and a living baby. 

Six Sentence Saturday Wednesday Version:
I don't believe that I have the words to adequately express how lovely this book really is and how much it touched me. I found Tom and Isabel to be characters that I easily fell in love because the author made them real, oh so very real. Janus Rock became a main and integral character in this book with the vivid descriptions making it almost come alive in my mind. I cried at the pain Tom and Isabel experienced and I understood at a very basic human level why they made the choices that altered so many people's lives. This book was an emotional read and the tears flowed easily at the end. I embraced it all and when I finished the last page it was with a satisfied sniff!

Recommend? Oh absolutely! This is a book to be experienced...beautifully written from beginning to the tear-wrenching end!

Source: Public Library

Fellow book bloggers who influenced my decision to read this:
Lisa@ Lit and Life, Jane@ Fleur Fisher, and Alyce@ At Home with Books.

Bookish Thoughts #54
© 2012, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Bloom- Bookish Thoughts #53





What Bloom: Finding Beauty in the Unexpected is about:
From the outside looking in, Kelle Hampton had the perfect life: a beautiful two-year-old daughter, a loving husband, a thriving photography career, and great friends. When she learned she was pregnant with her second child, she and her husband, Brett, were ecstatic.
But when her new daughter was placed in her arms in the delivery room, Kelle knew instantly that something was wrong. Nella looked different than her two-year-old sister, Lainey, had at birth. As she watched friends and family celebrate with champagne toasts and endless photographs, a terrified Kelle was certain that Nella had Down syndrome--a fear her pediatrician soon confirmed. 

Six Sentence Saturday Tuesday Version:
I watched the video that the publisher made about this book and instantly knew this was one I was interested in. Little did I know how hard it would be to swallow Kelle's incessant need to be perfect in every single aspect of her life. Little did I know how hard it would be to like this woman who just gave birth to a child with Down's Syndrome. She sure did her best to come across as a diva, a complainer, and acted as if her world was shattered because of that extra chromosome. The very last chapter was the one that I truly enjoyed. The one where she actually celebrated who her daughter was and accepted her as beautiful and perfect.

Recommend? I'm not sure if I would recommend this one to my friends. In fact, I have a good friend who has Down Syndrome and I've never looked at him any differently than any other person. His view on life and friends is simple...love and be loved. Kelle didn't come across as a genuine person at the beginning of the book and frankly, that was a huge turn-off for me.  The pictures were beautiful, but honestly it almost felt as if she knew she wanted to write a book about HER and the baby before the baby was even born. It felt scripted. I don't think I've ever met a mom-to-be that planned out her delivery with friends, music, perfect clothes to wear, makeup perfect, camera ready, ambience saturating the room in a perfect glow......the only time I thought she was real was towards the end.

Source: Public Library

Bookish Thoughts #53
© 2012, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Monday, November 12, 2012

Mailbox Monday and It's Monday....What Are You Reading?




Mailbox Monday 
is a gathering place for readers to share the books that
came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. 
Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

November Host is: Kathy @ BermudaOnion



Low Pressure by Sandra Brown- couldn't resist this instant approval from the publisher and NetGalley!
The Tutor's Daughter by Julie Klassen- love this author and had to get this ebook! Courtesy of publisher and NetGalley.
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Hosted by
We discuss the books that we've read 
and what we're planning to read for the week.


Read and reviewed last week:
Mr. Churchill's Secretary- absolutely loved it! Maggie is a beloved character!
Lone Wolf (audio)- time could have been better spent on a different book

Bookish Thoughts this week:
The Light Between Oceans
Bloom: Finding Beauty in the Unexpected
Blackberry Winter 

Still in my Book Box:


Saturday, November 10, 2012

Saturday Snapshot- Amazing Season

Saturday Snapshot
is hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books
It's easy to participate- just post a picture that was taken by
you, a friend, or a family member, and add your link
on Alyce's site. (no pictures from the internet!)
 
 
Well Folks, last night brought the end to my son's amazing football team's run to the State Finals and Ford Field. They played an equally great team from Saginaw and the Swan Valley team left the field with the Regional title, award, and the advancement to the semi-finals next week.
 
Our boys and coaches have created an atmosphere that is like a family. After the game they huddled up, listened to the coaches, and then made a huge circle holding hands and said their Pioneer chant. Then our band always lines up and makes a tunnel for the boys to run through that leads them into the arms of their friends and family. Last night the Senior boys all held hands and walked down that tunnel together, leading the team. The tears just streamed down my face and I'm crying as I write this too. Marcus was so emotional and his dad swept him up into a hug bear hug, lifting him off his feet. We spent some time just holding him, telling him how much we loved him,and how watching him play football since 7th grade has been such a priviledge for us and such an amazing time in our lives. He then went off to be gathered up in the arms of his friends and team mates.
 
It's a bittersweet moment for me and my husband. The end of this season has marked the end of an era of watching our son grow into the man that he is today. He started off as a little guy playing seventh grade football and ripping it up on the field. His fierce determination to get better and play big and hard has never waivered. He gave all....we are so proud of him. I'm going to miss being a football mom.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Lone Wolf (audio)- Bookish Thoughts #52


What Lone Wolf is about:
Edward Warren, twenty-four, has been living in Thailand for five years, a prodigal son who left his family after an irreparable fight with his father, Luke. But he gets a frantic phone call: His dad lies comatose, gravely injured in the same accident that has also injured his younger sister Cara.

With her father’s chances for recovery dwindling, Cara wants to wait for a miracle. But Edward wants to terminate life support and donate his father’s organs. Is he motivated by altruism, or revenge? And to what lengths will his sister go to stop him from making an irrevocable decision?

When I first started reading Picoult, I couldn't get enough of her books or her characters. Now, thirteen years later I'm actually thinking of never picking up another story by her. I'm tired of the courtroom drama. I'm tired of the do-good liberal and the evil conservative. I'm tired of the repetitive cycle and I'm ready to get off the gerbil wheel! The whole premise of this book was so out-there that I'm actually a bit surprised at myself for being drawn into the 'man becomes one with the wolves' tale. I did not buy into the idea that a man would leave his family for two years in order to be accepted and live with the wolves. A man who went out into the wilderness with no extra clothing, food, or housing options and lived through the harsh winters, and then made it back alive??? Right. Whatever.

Recommend? I think I would have been better off reading the book because the female narrators annoyed the crap out of me. My patience was starting to wear thin with their lack of animation. If the character is upset, then the narrator's voice should sound the same way right?? Or it could all be me. I could be asking for too much? I have one more Picoult book in my Audible.com library....pray for me to make it through House Rules, without throwing my iPod out the window.  

Source: Public Library
Narrators: 7..too many to list. Here's the link for their names.
Length: 12 hours and 56 minutes

Bookish Thoughts #52
© 2012, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Mr. Churchill's Secretary- Bookish Thoughts #51




What Mr. Churchill's Secretary is about?
London, 1940. Winston Churchill has just been sworn in, war rages across the Channel, and the threat of a Blitz looms larger by the day. But none of this deters Maggie Hope. She graduated at the top of her college class and possesses all the skills of the finest minds in British intelligence, but her gender qualifies her only to be the newest typist at No. 10 Downing Street. Her indefatigable spirit and remarkable gifts for codebreaking, though, rival those of even the highest men in government, and Maggie finds that working for the prime minister affords her a level of clearance she could never have imagined—and opportunities she will not let pass.

I felt as if I had stepped back in time while reading this book and had a front row seat to all of the danger and tension in London during WWII. The author does a superb job of creating a main character that has a lot of pluck, is strong-willed, but yet still has that touch of innocence about her. I quickly came to adore Maggie Hope and fully enjoyed her endeavors at No. 10 Downing Street.

Recommend? Yes! The author blends fact and fiction seamlessly, so much so that you actually believe Churchill was exactly as he is portrayed in the book and that there was in deed, a real Maggie Hope. This is a great start to a series that I just know I will be anxiously awaiting each new release!!

Source: TLC and Bantam

Bookish Thoughts #51
© 2012, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Monday, November 5, 2012

Mailbox Monday and It's Monday....What Are You Reading?



Mailbox Monday 
is a gathering place for readers to share the books that
came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. 
Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.


November Host is: ?????????????

Heart Like Mine by Amy Hatvany- egalley book courtesy of publisher and NetGalley
Invisible by Carla Buckley- egalley book courtesy of publisher and NetGalley

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Hosted by
We discuss the books that we've read 
and what we're planning to read for the week.


Read and reviewed last week:
The Lost Art of Mixing- loved it, perfect comfort read!

Bookish Thoughts this week:
Mr. Churchill's Secretary- I promise I really will post about this one!
Lone Wolf (Jodi Picoult)- audio version
The Light Between Oceans- so many fellow friends loved it so I had to read it.

In my Book Box:

Friday, November 2, 2012

The Lost Art of Mixing- TLC Book Tour Review



What The Lost Art of Mixing is about:
Lillian and her restaurant have a way of drawing people together. There’s Al, the accountant who finds meaning in numbers and ritual; Chloe, a budding chef who hasn’t learned to trust after heartbreak; Finnegan, quiet and steady as a tree, who can disappear into the background despite his massive height; Louise, Al’s wife, whose anger simmers just below the boiling point; and Isabelle, whose memories are slowly slipping from her grasp. And there’s Lillian herself, whose life has taken a turn she didn’t expect. . . .

Ever since I read the last page of The School of Essential Ingredients, I longed for another book that allowed the readers a richer look into the characters lives. Well, my wish was granted with Erica's follow-up book, The Lost Art of Mixing. I enjoyed getting to know Lillian a bit better this time around, and I loved Isabelle. Even though she was losing some of her memories to Alzheimer's, she still had her wisdom that she gently imparted on those around her. I thought the author did a lovely job of bringing her readers back to what mattered most in the first book; love, friendship, and not worrying about following a recipe, but rather following and staying true to your heart.

Recommend? Absolutely! For those that have not read The School of Essential Ingredients, I say you MUST MUST read this one first and then move right into The Lost Art of Mixing. And for those that have already read Essential Ingredients, if you have time I would read it again, just a little reminder as to why you loved it so much the first time and to sharpen up your memory of the wonderful characters that Erica brought to life!


THE LOST ART OF MIXING on Amazon.com:






Disclaimer: Thank you to TLC Book Tours for sending me a review copy. I was not compensated for my review. My thoughts on this book were in no way influenced by the author or publicist.They are my personal reflections based solely on MY experience while reading this novel.



Review Book #34
© 2012, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.