Six Sentence Saturday- Last of 2009 Books Part 2

Welcome to Six Sentence Saturday.

Where I try to express my thoughts on recent reads using only 6 sentences!!!!.
At the end of each review I will post a
rating scale of 1-5 using the cute and original (lol) Playing Cards.
Rating scale will be as follows:

5 of Hearts- You must read this book NOW!!
4 of Hearts- A great read, put it on your TBR list.
3 of Hearts- Glad I read but no big deal
2 of Hearts- Why did I finish this?
Joker Card - Don't bother (why did I?)


The Road- Cormac McCarthy
** This book is: stark, heartbreaking, painful, desolate, enduring, and hopeful.









My Rating:








Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto
** I fell in love with this book almost immediately. It has something to do with the way the Japanese feel about love and loss and how they put it into words. I totally understood why the main character loved kitchens. Kitchens to me is where life is really happening, everyone gathers in the kitchen, this is the heart of the home. After losing her Grandma she feels such an extreme sense of loss and not belonging that I wanted to hug her and let her know that every thing would be alright. This book is very short so if you're looking to get a glimpse into another culture but scared of huge tomes then grab this one...you won't be disappointed!
My Rating:







Murder on Nob Hill by Shirley Tallman
** What a lovely young feisty character Sarah Woolson is!! She's a lawyer in San Francisco in 1880, a time where women who work outside of the house are frowned upon. Sarah does not care because she does not want any MAN telling her how to live her life. The mystery was very well written and I wasn't sure of the guilty party until almost the last page. I loved learning historical facts about San Francisco and the city is a major character in this book. I'm most definitely going to continue on with the next book in this series- The Russian Hill Murders!

My Rating:







June Bug by Chris Fabry
** The premise of this book was very promising....child sees themselves on a Missing Child poster and begins to wonder who he/she really is. The story was engaging ,but at times I found it a little slow going. This one could be classified as Christian fiction and there was a lot of references to being saved, praying, and going to church. At times I felt the author used a heavy hand with this and should've used it more sparingly (IMHO). June Bug is a young girl that will capture your heart and you do find yourself rooting for the man she knows as "Dad." I'm glad I read this one.

My Rating:








The Opposite of Love by Julie Buxbaum
** From the very first sentence I was drawn into Emily's world. At times I knew exactly how she felt about her life- was this as good as it was going to get? Do I deserve this person who loves me? As a result of losing her mother at an early age, Emily copes by pushing people away before they can leave her. It takes monumental changes in her life before she learns how to come to grips with her past and to believe in a future. A future where she deserves to be happy. I have become a fan of Buxbaum and her writing is so true and real....I can't wait to get my hands on her second book- After You.

My Rating:

Library Loot- January 6 ( a little late!)

Hosted by Eva at A Striped Armchair and Marg at Reading Adventures.

We share what we each picked up at the library during the week.

This could be a banner day folks! I only checked out 2, yes that's right, 2 books from the library last week!!

A Thread of Truth- Marie Bostwic
** This is the sequel to A Single Thread which I read January 2nd. I really enjoyed it and had to get the sequel immediately. I wouldn't have known about this great set of books it if wasn't for Bonnie! This book revolves around women, life problems, and quilting.




The Witch Doctor's Wife by Tamar Myers
** I'm going to visit the Congo where I will encounter an enthralling tale of duty, greed, danger, and miracles in equatorial Africa.







Books Read in 2010 to date: 6
Number of Books Checked out from the library:12

Review: The One Day Way

The One Day Way by Chantel Hobbs
Summary:
The One-Day Way produces lasting results by taking you back to basics. No more complicated weight-loss strategies. No more expensive diet plans that achieve only temporary results. Instead, you will lose weight and get fit with Chantel's simple, high-energy meal plans and her at-home program for cardio exercise and strength training. She will teach you how to change the way you think, which leads to new actions. Before you know it you be strong, fit, and healthy. All it takes is doing things differently for twenty-four hours- and then repeating it.



My Thoughts:

Well, I'm pretty sure that everyone has at one time or another made a New Year's resolution to lose weight, eat better, and exercise. I know I have multiple times but somewhere down the line I sabotage myself and give up. There are several reasons why I really liked what the author was saying and I believe that if I follow her steps, I WILL be successful:

• She was over 250 pounds- she has been there!!
• I like the philosophy of One Day at a Time!! Don't plan out for 6 months....just be successful today!
• She concentrates on the inside and faith (not religion) How many of you have seen the new reality show with the winner of a past Biggest Loser? He gained back all of his weight...why? I believe it's because they only concentrated on the outside and not the emotional part of eating.
• You don't have to spend money!!!! No prepackaged foods...just a better way to eat!
• Stop setting up HUGE goals, and comparing myself with others...if I continue to do this I will not be successful. Instead, break big goals down into doable steps. Only compare my life today with MY life of yesterday or the day before.
• God validates me.....not other people!!!
• Stop dwelling in the past! Focus on today!

If you've found yourself struggling to lose weight and to keep it off, I would totally recommend this book to you. I'm very pleased that I signed up to do this book tour because I want to change my life and with this book, Chantel's website, desire, I know I can be successful!!! You may purchase this book at waterbrookmultnomah.com

This book was provided for review by the Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Review : La's Orchestra Saves the World

Title: La's Orchestra Saves the World
Author: Alexander McCall Smith

Pages: 294

Genre: Fiction

Source: Library
Who Recommended Book to Me: Bonnie from Redlady's Reading Room

La's childhood was spent in the shadow of Death. He was an uninvited guest at their table, sitting patiently, watching La's mother, his target, bemused, perhaps, that such courage and determination could keep illness at bay for so long.
p.14

My Thoughts:
This book was exactly what I needed to read as my first book for 2010. I have finally become accustomed to McCall Smith's approach to writing and how he moves a story along that matches the characters lives at that moment. I've read many historical fiction books that revolved around WWII but not many that talk about the war efforts made by the women, children, and crippled men that were holding down the forts at home. La is a woman that I would truly have enjoyed getting to know. She never expected much and tried to find happiness in every situation that came her way. She was resilient, resourceful, and in the face of death knew that music would help keep people's spirits alive. This book is completely different from any of Smith's previous works and I found it extremely delightful!!!

Highly Recommended
out of 5

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@Barrie Summy

Teaser Tuesday and It's Tuesday..Where Are You?

It's Tuesday...Where Are You?

I'm fifteen, living in NYC, and have just been initiated into an elite secret society. But there is someone out there doesn't like us and it may be up to me to figure out the identity of our secret enemy!
~ Dream Life

_____________________________________________

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:
Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!

Her eyes narrowed and her teeth glinted in the dark. "We might need your help." I couldn't have been less surprised. Or, more important, thrilled.

p.111 Dream Life by Lauren Mechling

Mailbox Monday- Jan 4

Mailbox Monday
is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page.
We share what books that we found in our mailboxes last week.

Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle
** I got this from my wonderful Secret Santa Jennifer. How did she know I would love this one??

A Christmas Eve snowstorm transforms one small town into a romantic haven, the kind you see only in movies. Well, kinda. After all, a cold and wet hike from a stranded train through the middle of nowhere would not normally end with a delicious kiss from a charming stranger. And no one would think that a trip to the Waffle House through four feet of snow would lead to love with an old friend. Or that the way back to true love begins with a painfully early morning shift at Starbucks.

What came for you????

Six Sentence Saturday-Last of 2009 Books Part 1

Welcome to Six Sentence Saturday.

Where I try to express my thoughts on recent reads using only 6 sentences!!!!.
At the end of each review I will post a
rating scale of 1-5 using the cute and original (lol) Playing Cards.
Rating scale will be as follows:

5 of Hearts- You must read this book NOW!!
4 of Hearts- A great read, put it on your TBR list.
3 of Hearts- Glad I read but no big deal
2 of Hearts- Why did I finish this?
Joker Card - Don't bother (why did I?)



Vintage Magic Mystery Series
A Veiled Deception #1
Larceny and Lace #2
** I picked both of these books up because I loved the covers and thought they sounded like fun. That is exactly what this series is....fun. The mysteries are not that convincing and the main character has a way of not cussing by using words that sound similar to the swear word that has a way of driving me nuts!! But I can get past that and just enjoy them for what they are. Fast, fun, easy-to-read cozy mysteries. After a while the cast of characters grow on you and now I'm finding that I want to see how a certain love-triangle pans out!
My Rating:







44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith
** Now that I know "how" to read McCall Smith it has really made my experience with this author more enjoyable. This book was a fun look into the lives of all of the inhabitants of 44 Scotland Street. There are quirky, weird, and some strange people that live in this apartment building. Smith has the ability to transition almost seamlessly between each character that lives in there. This makes the reading flow quite well and you never find yourself bored with any one person. I am definitely going to read the next installment in this series.
My Rating:








Christmas is Murder: A Rex Graves Mystery by C.S. Challinor
** I love reading Nan's blog- Letters from a Hill Farm because she seems to read the most interesting murder/mystery stories from England. This book finds a cast of characters who are stranded in an inn during Christmas. Within days, several people are dead and none of them by natural causes. I actually thought that I had figured this one out and then there were some added details that made me rethink who the killer was. I enjoyed this one but it would've been a whole lot better if there was a blizzard raging outside while I was reading it. I may try another Rex Graves book in the future.
My Rating:








A Quilter's Holiday (Elm Creek Quilts #15) by Jennifer Chiaverini
** Don't get me wrong....I love the ladies from Elm Creek. They feel like old friends and for the most part I enjoy visiting them. What I don't like is rehashing OLD stories that we're already familiar with.....boring!!!! Sometimes these small holiday books feel very formula to me and end up rubbing me the wrong way! There was one character though that I really enjoyed in this book-Gretchen. I'm a die-hard fan so I'll read the next one but I'm hoping that it isn't another "let's feel good but not talk about anything substantial" book!!
My Rating: