Review: Finger Lickin' Fifteen

Finger Lickin' Fifteen
by Janet Evanovich
Published: 2009
Genre: Adult Escapism
Where did I get this book: Local library













My Thoughts:

Before you read any of the Stephanie Plum books you must first suspend all belief that any of this could happen, and then just jump in with both feet. I actually enjoyed this one more than a few others I've read in this series. Grandma is still her quirky ,crazy self, and Lula is forever eating and being sassy. There aren't any real developments going on here, just another day in the life of Stephanie Plum. But, I have to be honest and say that how much longer can Evanovich write this series without Plum making a choice between Joe and Ranger???? I'm tired of her teasing Ranger and then jumping into the sack with Joe at the end!! If something doesn't happen in the next.....say, 5 books....I may have to stop reading them!!

Here's what would happen if I wrote the book:

From the book:

I followed him to the door and watched him take his keys from the sideboard and pocket them. He pushed me to the wall, leaned in to me, and kissed me. "Later," he said, his lips brushing against mine. And he left. p. 65 (she lets him leave)

but if I wrote it

From Staci's wild imagination:

"No, Ranger don't go!!" Stephanie yelled. "I can't wait until later, later never comes." Ranger turns around grabs Stephanie, picks her up, and carries her back to bed.

Next scenario from the book:

He wrapped an arm around me and kissed me just above my ear. "There's something wrong with this picture," Ranger said. "You're in my bed a lot, but never with me." (he leaves..AGAIN!) p.116

From my Ranger obsessed thoughts:
"Ranger, I want to change that right now." Stephanie looked at him with tears in her eyes. "It's been a hard choice to make, but I love you, not Joe." Tugging him towards her, she whispers, "I never want to be in your bed without you."

I admit it, I have a slight crush on Ranger. But give a girl a break here!! Can't Ranger win this one? Who's with me? Who's for Joe? Who wants to see her make a choice? Who thinks that if she does it will ruin the books? Tell me!!!!!

Review: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

Title and Author of book: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

Fiction or non-fiction: Fiction
Genre: Adult literature/YA (I think it makes a great YA book!)
Where did I get the book: My public Library
Challenges that this fulfilled: none

Who recommended this book to me?: I've seen this one everywhere, but after Janel's great review I knew I needed to get this one read!!

Summarize the plot but don't give away the ending!
We're introduced to eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce, an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison. It is the summer of 1950—and a series of inexplicable events has struck Buckshaw, the decaying English mansion that Flavia’s family calls home. A dead bird is found on the doorstep, a postage stamp bizarrely pinned to its beak. Hours later, Flavia finds a man lying in the cucumber patch and watches him as he takes his dying breath. For Flavia, who is both appalled and delighted, life begins in earnest when murder comes to Buckshaw. “I wish I could say I was afraid, but I wasn’t. Quite the contrary. This was by far the most interesting thing that had ever happened to me in my entire life.”

What did you like most about this book? I loved the cheeky Flavia!! Her mind is faster and sharper than any eleven-year old I've ever met. I liked how she connected everything to Chemistry in some way and that she really had a very active imagination. especially when it came to poisons and how to kill/maim someone with them.

What did you like least? I have to say that there wasn't anything that I didn't like in this book, except for the fact that Flavia is much smarter than me!!!

Have you read any other books by this author? This is my first experience with Alan Bradley and I've heard around the grapevine that he's going to write several more book with Flavia!! (jumping up and down !!)


What about the ending? Perfect and everything was neatly wrapped up with a bow. I found this one to be extremely satisfying, and after finishing it, I wanted to grab book #2 in the Mary Russell series because I found these two English girls to be extremely engaging!!!

If you enjoy a good mystery, set in England, with a precocious, charming eleven-year old as the main character, then you will surely enjoy this one!!!
I highly recommend this book!!

Other Book lovers thoughts:

Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea
Direct quote from review: "The first person narrative by this unconventional spunky protagonist works so well, it was hard to believe a seventy year old male could capture the character of this eleven year old detective so beautifully. I caught myself laughing at loud numerous times as Flavia worked to solve the mysteries."

Janel's Jumble
Direct quote from review: "I honestly haven't enjoyed a mystery this much in a long time. An eleven-year old girl is not a usual cozy main character, but I fell in love with Flavia anyway."

Library Loot and Waiting on Wednesday

Hosted by Eva at A Stripped Armchair and Marg at Reading Adventures.
We share what we each picked up at the library during the week.

After the much needed weeding of books and organizing frenzy last week, I have cut back on the number of books that I've been requesting from my library. Today I just returned 3 and I really feel like I'm making some headway. I did go to the library on Saturday because I needed to pick-up one book and accidentally brought home 2 more...but I think I'm doing good, don't you?






** Little Bee- this was my book that I put on hold. Sandra of Fresh Ink Books wrote the most moving review of this one. After reading that I knew I needed to get this book.


** The Scarecrow- My pal JoAnn, rated this a 5 out of 5 stars. When she gives something this high of a rating I pay attention. I didn't go there to get this one, but having just read her review earlier that week, spurred my hand into action to grab it off the cart!


** Home Safe- Even though I love Berg and would've read this book eventually, Bonnie's beautiful review posted on Redlady's Reading Room, made me seek this one out from the new release shelf...I got lucky it was there!!!


To Read List Total today 7/29/2009: 810
Last Week's To Read List total 7/22/2009: 804
Books Read in 2009 to date: 108
Number of Books Checked out from the library:20
Book Blogger Buddies Recommendations TBR List: 196 last week 206 this week

____________________________________________________________________

Waiting on Wednesday
is hosted by
Jill over at Breaking the Spine
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Why? Because I have loved every single book she has written. She has a magical touch with words and her stories are so real and vibrant. Have you read The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane? It moved me and this was a stuffed rabbit we're talking about. If you have kids 8+ they will love her stories.......

Scheduled for release in September, here is a short synopsis:

When a fortuneteller's tent appears in the market square of the city of Baltese, orphan Peter Augustus Duchene knows the questions that he needs to ask: Does his sister still live? And if so, how can he find her? The fortuneteller's mysterious answer (an elephant! An elephant will lead him there!) sets off a chain of events so remarkable, so impossible, that you will hardly dare to believe it’s true. With atmospheric illustrations by fine artist Yoko Tanaka, here is a dreamlike and captivating tale that could only be narrated by Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo. In this timeless fable, she evokes the largest of themes — hope and belonging, desire and compassion — with the lightness of a magician’s touch. ...

What book are you waiting for?

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

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!

It was a really great kiss, and if he'd said now, I might have been in trouble, but after a couple beats, when my heart had stopped jumping around in my chest and I wasn't pressed up against Ranger, I decided later was a scary idea.

p..65 from Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich

______________________________________________________________________

It's Tuesday...Where Are You?

I'm in New Jersey chasing down people who have skipped out on their court dates. Sometimes I wonder why I take my friend Lula with me to get these guys? I almost always lose them, we get fired at, or worse case scenario my car burns up!!!! My grandma is still hopping around from funeral to funeral but now she and Lula are trying to cook up the best barbeque sauce in the world...this has been a complete disaster. On top of all of that, Joe and I are done....I mean it this time. And every time Ranger calls me "Babe" I tend to get weak in my resolve not to kiss him.
~Finger Lickin' Fifteen

TLC Book Review: Two Years, No Rain

From the author's website:
In San Diego County, it hasn't rained in 580 days. But for weatherman Andy Dunne, everything else is changing fast...Only a few weeks ago, he was a newly divorced, slightly overweight meteorologist for an obscure satellite radio station, hiding his secret love for a colleague, the beautiful--and very much married--Hillary Hsing. But nearly overnight, Andy has landed a new gig, flying a magic carpet in a bizarre live-action children's TV show. So what is affable, basically decent Andy Dunne going to do now that he can do practically anything he wants? With a parade of hot moms begging for his autograph and a family that needs his help more than ever, Andy has a lot of choices. First, though, there's this thing with Hillary, their heated text messages, a long-awaited forecast for rain - and a few other surprises he never saw coming...





My Thoughts:

I adored this book from the very first line to the last page. I was engaged with Andy's story and somewhere during my journey I fell in love with him. He is such a vulnerable character and for some reason I was drawn to that aspect of his personality. As you get to know him you realize that he's sweet, sincere, funny, but not totally happy. Something is missing. That missing part is his identical twin Jason. I believe the author painted a very realistic picture of twins and how they feel at times as if they are one person. As Andy explores a new job opportunity he starts to transform his outward appearance. Everyone is all amazed at how great he looks and women are fawning over him. But truth be told, you can change the outside, but without some real hard questions and inner reflection, the inside stays the same. There were a few choices that Andy made in his personal life that I did not agree with at all, but we as humans make mistakes, so I'll give him a pass this time! Overall, I felt that this was a story of being human. How we compare ourselves to others, thinking we don't rate. How anger can blind us to the facts that everyone makes mistakes. How holding a grudge against someone can cripple a person emotionally. Those are represented by the two years of no rain. When Andy decides to take control of his life, release himself from guilt, and to feel worthy of love is when the drought ends. The one thing I walked away from after reading this book is that I tend to take life for granted, assuming there will always be a tomorrow. That is not true....so live for today, love for today, and forgive for today.

Then it happened, he was gone, and I never got to say it. And now I feel like, really, what's the point of being angry? What's the point of being angry at anything, because what if you're wrong about it, and you don't ever get the opportunity to admit it? I'd rather not take that chance."
p.290

I would like to thank Shawn Klomparens for
sending me his book to review for TLC Book Tours.
If you would like to know more about Shawn visit his website: www.shawnklomparens.com







And as always a huge thanks to Lisa for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book for Shawn's book tour!!
For a list of other tour stops please visit:
TLC Book Tours: Two Years, No Rain

Six Sentence Saturday

6 Sentence Saturday Reviews

I've been trying to think of a clever way to get my reviews done and posted in a timely manner. After months of thinking I finally decided that I would do really short, to the point reviews!! This way I could try to get caught up on the books I've read but not written about. So, every Saturday I'm going to sit down and talk about the books that I've read this year, 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?)

I hope you enjoy this new feature on my blog....tell me your thoughts!! Did you like it? Should I add a short synopsis of the books? What could I do to make it better. Be gentle :)


The Accidental Demon Slayer (Demon Slayer Book 1.) by Angie Fox
Genre: Paranormal/Romance
**I have read other paranormal romance books and found them to be very enjoyable. I liked the main character Lizzie. What I didn't really enjoy was the grandmother...overkill on the character. Not sure about the whole biker witch storyline either. But I am sure that I like the shape-shifting griffin Dimitri!!! I will read the next one to see if it gets better!


I wanted to really feel like I would die if I couldn't get to the next one...didn't happen. But remember this is just my opinion!








Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers (Demon Slayer Book 2.) by Angie Fox
Genre: Paranormal/Romance
** The premise of book 2 was a bit better than the first one. I wish that the author would've developed Lizzie's uncle's character a little bit more. The sex is very steamy in this one!! I still do not care for the biker witches....frustrating. The soul-stealing succubi were a nice twist to the story. However, I believe that I'm more interested in what her talking Jack Russell, Pirate does than almost anything else in this book!!!

I wanted to really like it more but I just couldn't. But you may....don't take my word for it!!







Vibes by Amy Kathleen Ryan
Genre: YA
** I'm still not totally sure if I liked the main character Kristi....I keep going back and forth on that. I did like the idea of her "thinking" she had the ability to read other people's minds. I felt sorry for her because her dad is shallow and selfish. The love story was sweet and I think it would appeal to a lot of teens in that respect. I picked this up because I thought the cover was fresh and fun. In the end, the story was o.k. but I didn't feel any real connection with any of the characters.

Remember, this is just my opinion..you may like it better than I did.

Review: The Turnaround by George Pelecanos

Title and Author of book: The Turnaround by George Pelecanos

Fiction or non-fiction: Fiction
Genre: Adult literature
Where did I get the book: My public Library
Challenges that this fulfilled: none

Who recommended this book to me?: Kathy from Bermudaonion's Weblog.

Summarize the plot but don't give away the ending!
On a hot summer afternoon in 1972, three teenagers drove into an unfamiliar neighborhood and six lives were altered forever.
Thirty five years later, one survivor of that day reaches out to another, opening a door that could lead to salvation. But another survivor is now out of prison, looking for reparation in any form he can find it.

What did you like most about this book? I enjoyed the setting of the book which took place in the D.C. area. I also liked how the author took the time to develop the characters that played an integral part in the story.

What did you like least? There wasn't anything that I didn't like.

Have you read any other books by this author? This is my first Pelecanos book and it won't be my last!

What did you think of the main character? I felt that there were two main characters in this story one white and the other black. They had a chance encounter when they were young which changed both of their lives dramatically. I liked both of them by the end of the story and felt that they both tried to make amends for their mistakes and to live their lives with integrity.

What about the ending? Can I just say that sometimes it is very satisfying when someone gets what they deserve???? I liked the ending..(she laughs with a touch of devilish delight!!)

Reviews: 3 for the price of 1!!

I was going to review each one of these books separately but then decided against it. The reason? Two of the books have been reviewed everywhere and I really don't think that I have much else to add. So I decided to talk about these three books, what I learned from reading them, and why I think you should read them one right after the other.

I read The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet first. I was swept away by this novel. I think the author did a great job of giving the main character his voice. Here are just some of the historical facts I learned.

• This book took place in Seattle, Washington. I had no idea that there was such a huge concentration of Chinese and Japanese that lived there during this time.
  
• I knew nothing about the Japan attacking China before WWII even broke out.
• I didn't know that there were internment camps located in Washington.
• Can you imagine having to wear a button that says "I'm Chinese."

I fell in love with Henry and Keiko. Their story rang so true to me and the ending made me cry!! This is Jamie Ford's debut novel and wow, he knocked my socks off. I see big things ahead for him. I can't recommend this one enough and it is on my faves list for 2009!


Next up on my reading list was Shanghai Girls. I adore Lisa See and her writing style. This one did not disappoint me at all. This story begins in Shanghai and introduces us to sisters, May and Pearl. They are young, beautiful and carefree. Much of their lives they have been spoiled by their parents. Then war comes to China and the Japanese have invaded. I now had some idea of this war, The Second Sino-Japanese War, because it was referenced in The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. Another piece of the puzzle fell into place. I don't want to say my history teachers were not skilled, but we only talked about how WWII affected the United States. I love it when I take away new information from reading!! Somehow (I know how but don't want to spoil it for anyone) the two sisters make it out of China and end up in the United States. Once again, the prejudice that the Chinese people experienced in the US at this time is forefront in the story and you get another glimpse into how Asians were perceived during WWII.
For me, See hit a home run with this beautiful novel. This one is a favorite read of 2009.


The final book that I read was Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas. I would've never known about this book until I posted my review of her newest release, Prayers For Sale. Kaye from Pudgy Penguin Perusals recommended this one to me. I'm so thankful that she did because this one was a WINNER!!! The setting is in Colorado and it is based on an actual Japanese internment camp. The main character Rennie Stroud is something else! I loved this girl and her feistiness. I also thought her parents were pretty awesome characters. You honestly can't help but want to be a part of their family. A twist on this book that is different than the others, is that a murder of a young girl occurs in Rennie's hometown and everyone wants to blame the Japanese. Througout the story you see how if people just take a chance and put aside their prejudices, then true friendships can be made. Tallgrass also makes the list of favorite reads this year!!!




I'm glad that I read these 3 books. I wish now that I would've read them one right after the other just because it would've been a much more cohesive history lesson for me. Nothing detracts from the stories by reading them months apart, but if you're interested in reading about this time period then these are three stellar stories that gives the reader many different perspectives.

Library Loot / Waiting On Wednesday

Hosted by Eva at A Stripped Armchair and Marg at Reading Adventures.
We share what we each picked up at the library during the week.

Last night I spent about 3 hours organizing my scrap room/library and I have to tell admit that it was pretty overwhelming. I alphabetized the books that I own, then put my library books in order of due date, put YA all on its own bookcase, and then did my ARC's by publication month. Needless to say I ended up having to get really serious about my library loot and I've decided to return some. So I won't even bother listing those today. And I went into my library account and suspended all my other holds until October!!!! My son says I have a sickness! I believe he's right!

On to the loot that came in for me last week (these were all books that I requested!!!) and remember I think it's rude to not take a requested book :)


The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
** I've read a lot of great reviews on this one, but Lenore's did it for me.so of course I requested it from the library.



Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich
** I'm addicted to this series. Some of the books have been great while others just so-so, but honestly I'm only reading them so I can jump up and down and hoot when Stephanie and Ranger FINALLY get it on!!!! sorry to any Joe Morelli fans out there.





The Fixer Upper by Mary Kay Andrews
** I believe that this book is Lisa's (Books and Cooks) fault! Darn you bloggers, quit reading and writing about so many great books and then I won't feel the need to bring them all home!!






Need by Carrie Jones
** I'm going to blame J. Kaye for this one. After I read her review of Wings she wrote that Need blew her out of the water, so of course it's all her fault that I requested this one.






Undone by Karin Slaughter
** Grant County is a favorite series of mine. If you like(d) Patricia Cornwell, then you must read these. She continues to deliver a great book consistently!! Can't wait to crack this one open.






Fragile Eternity- Melissa Marr
** I must finish this trilogy. I really enjoyed Ink Exchange so this one better be good!







City of Thieves by David Benioff
** Saw this one at B&N and wanted to read it.








Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott
** I needed to read something light by her after her book Living Dead Girl ripped my heart out.






To Read List Total today 7/22/2009: 804
Last Week's To Read List total 7/15/2009: 805
Books Read in 2009 to date: 104
Number of Books Checked out from the library:23
Book Blogger Buddies Recommendations TBR List: 195 last week 197 this week

____________________________________________________________________

Waiting on Wednesday
is hosted by
Jill over at Breaking the Spine
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

I loved The Time Traveler's Wife and am definitely going to see the movie. I can't wait until this one is released!!!
Her Fearful Symmetry

September 29th 2009 by Jonathan Cape Ltd

Hardcover, 384 pages

When Elspeth Noblin dies of cancer, she leaves her London apartment to her twin nieces, Julia and Valentina. These two American girls never met their English aunt, only knew that their mother, too, was a twin, and Elspeth her sister. Julia and Valentina are semi-normal American teenagers -- with seemingly little interest in college, finding jobs, or anything outside their cozy home in the suburbs of Chicago, and with an abnormally intense attachment to one another.

The girls move to Elspeth's flat, which borders Highgate Cemetery in London. They come to know the building's other residents. There is Martin, a brilliant and charming crossword puzzle setter suffering from crippling Obsessive Compulsive Disorder; Marjike, Martin's devoted but trapped wife; and Robert, Elspeth's elusive lover, a scholar of the cemetery. As the girls become embroiled in the fraying lives of their aunt's neighbors, they also discover that much is still alive in Highgate, including -- perhaps -- their aunt, who can't seem to leave her old apartment and life behind.

What book are you waiting for?

Teaser Tuesdays / It's Tuesday...Where Are You?

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!

"It's a turnaround," said Alex, as if in wonder.
"The hell it is," said Billy. "It's a dead-end."
p.58 ~ The Turnaround by George Pelecanos

______________________________________________________________________

It's Tuesday...Where Are You?

I'm in the D.C. area where I still live even though something that happened during my teens changed my life forever. It's been over 35 years and I still haven't healed. Can I forgive and make peace with the boys (now men) who put my life on a detour?
~The Turnaround

Mailbox Monday- July 20th

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

My mailbox was really good to me this week!!



The Night Gardner by George Pelecanos
** I won this from the super cool Kaye at Pudgy Penguin Perusals. I'm currently reading The Turnaround and really enjoying it so I'm sure this will be great! Thanks Kaye!






Royal Blood by Rona Sharon
** This came from FSB Associates. I love the cover and have seen this book around. I read a great review of it on The Eclectic Reader I can't wait to read it!





Benny & Shrimp by Katarina Mazetti
**Got this one from FSB too. I love the cover!! I was immediately hooked by the premise so this is a highly anticipated read.







Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf
** The cover called to me!! I got this one from Shelf Awareness.









Circle of Souls by Preetham Grandhi
** The author contacted me about reading this one. I read a synopsis of it and I think I'm really going to enjoy it!!

What came for you?

Book Blogger Appreciation Week- Don't forget to register and vote!!!

Announcing the Second Annual Book Blogger Appreciation Week September 14-18, 2009

Last year over 400 blogs came together to celebrate the art of book blogging during the first ever Book Blogger Appreciation Week! I am so pleased to announce that the second annual Book Blogger Appreciation Week will be taking place September 14-18.

WHO Anyone who blogs about books is invited to participate. In fact, we want everyone who blogs about books and reading to be a part of this week!
WHAT A week where we come together, celebrate the contribution and hard work of book bloggers in promoting a culture of literacy, connecting readers to books and authors, and recogonizing the best among us with the Second Annual BBAW Awards. There will be special guest posts, daily blogging themes, and giveaways.
WHEN September 14-18, 2009
WHERE Here at the new Book Blogger Appreciation Week Blog! (Please note that this year there are three separate blogs and feeds—one for the main event, one for giveaways, and one for awards.)
WHY Because books matter. In a world full of options, the people talking about books pour hard work, time, energy, and money into creating a community around the written word. I, Amy, the founder of Book Blogger Appreciation Week love this community of bloggers and want to shower my appreciation on you!

WANT TO PARTICIPATE?
Please help us spread the word about Book Blogger Appreciation Week by posting about it on your blog, stumbling this post, twittering about it, and telling everyone you know that it’s time to have a party and celebrate book bloggers!

Please register by filling out the registration form! Registering ensures your inclusion in the BBAW 09 Database of Book Bloggers and enters you into the drawing for the BBAW 09 Grand Prize!

Come back often as there will be many updates! And follow us on Twitter!

AWARDS
BBAW Award Nominations will open tomorrow, July 15 on the BBAW Awards Blog.

Taken directly from BBAW website.

Read It Forward

I'm a big fan of Marcia's (The Printed Page) READ IT FORWARD philosophy so I have listed my gently read ARC's and review copies that I have received from publishers to give away to my loyal friends.

Instructions: Important Please Read!!!

• One book per person
• Must live in the US (sorry!!)
• First come, first served
• This is important. Marcia limits her Read It Forward to her Mailbox Monday participators. Mine will be limited to a Friend that has commented on my blog more than 5x's in the last 30 days!! Commenting on this post does not count!! LOL!
  

I will try to keep the list updated as they are spoken for. Good Luck and enjoy!!!

Here are the books up for grabs:

Made in the USA by Billie Letts
Comfort Food by Kate Jacobs
Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris (my own copy)-reviewed here
Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers by Angie Fox (look for my review on this one Saturday)
Who Do You Think You Are? by Alyse Meyers -reviewed here
A World I Never Made by James Lepore- reviewed here
Into the Land of Cotton by Martha Taylor-reviewed here
The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny- for some crazy reason I received 2!

Review: The Lace Makers of Glenmara by Heather Barbieri

Title and Author of book: The Lace Makers of Glenmara by Heather Barbieri

Fiction or non-fiction: Fiction
Genre: Adult literature
Where did I get the book: My public Library
Challenges that this fulfilled: The Pub 2009

What led you to pick up this book? I fell in love with the cover when I saw it on Bonnie's blog Red Lady's Reading Room.

Summarize the plot but don't give away the ending!
"You can always start again," Kate Robinson's mother once told her, "all it takes is a new thread." Overwhelmed by heartbreak and loss, the struggling twenty-six-year-old fashion designer follows her mother's advice and flees to her ancestral homeland of Ireland, hoping to break free of old patterns and reinvent herself.

What did you like most about this book? The theme of loss runs deep through this story, however, the author shows the reader how each person deals differently with their own heartaches and is able to have hope once again! I also liked how the sharing of a craft brought together a group of women who treated each other like family. I would love to belong to a group like this.

What did you like least? There wasn't anything that I didn't like. This book was beautifully written and the characters came to life in my mind. The only down side to reading this is that it made me want to be in Ireland!!

Have you read any other books by this author? No, I haven't but I would easily pick up her first novel, Snow in July, because of how much I loved this one.

What did you think of the main character? I loved each of the characters introduced in this book. Each one had something to add to the story and made it that much more interesting.

What about the ending? Well, I can't tell you anything about that!! I don't want to spoil this wonderful book for anyone!!

I totally recommend this book to anyone. It was a lovely read and when I closed the book I was truly sad to say goodbye to these people. I wanted to get on a plane and travel to their village and ask them if I could be a part of their extended family!!

Other Book Friends who read and reviewed this book:
Tara @ Books and Cooks
Direct Quote: "For some reason, I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did, perhaps because it seemed formulaic. But it brought me pleasure and I am happy to recommend it."

I want to give credit to Kailana of The Written World
for the format of my review today.
I really like how she does her reviews,
so as I wanted to change things up a bit,
I thought I would review this book in her style.

Review: In the Land of Cotton by Martha A. Taylor

In the Land of Cotton
by Martha A. Taylor
Published 2009 by Outskirts Press
Pages: 256




My Thoughts:

This is the story of Martha's childhood and teen years living in Memphis during the 1950's and into the 60's. She allows us into a glimpse into her world where we find out that she experiences child molestation from an adult who was supposed to care for her, someone that should've never hurt their own grandchild. Her parents are distant, stingy with their love, and always fighting. As a way to escape these three people, she follows the babysitter, Lucy, who is a black woman, home one day. She realizes that there is a world unknown to others deep in the woods behind her sub-division. She spends much of her summers with Lucy's extended family and feels like a loved family member. During her time there she meets and falls in love with Silas. They both know that their feelings have to be kept secret,but after Silas is sent to Vietnam, they realize that they MUST be together no matter what. Her story unfolds as the Civil Rights movement is underway and her relationship with Silas is one that is fraught with danger. There is so much to learn from this wonderful book. I took more from Martha's story than I ever did in history class. She made the events come alive and because she lived during that time, her story made more of an impact on me. Not only that, but a lot of what was happening affected her and Silas's relationship. It wasn't until the late 1960's when the government finally removed the laws that had prevented blacks and whites from marrying. This book was well worth the time I spent reading it. I walked away with a much broader knowledge of the discrimination and hatred endured by our fellow Americans and I came to love Martha, Silas, Lucy, Mammy Grace and all of the other Boyd family members. I absolutely recommend this book to anyone wanting to read about an innocent and true love developing against the backdrop of racism, hatred and fear of other races, and America at war in Vietnam.

Library Loot and Waiting on Wednesday

Hosted by Eva at A Stripped Armchair and Marg at Reading Adventures.
We share what we each picked up at the library during the week.

I picked up some great books this past week!!

The Blue Notebook by James A. Levine
** There has been a lot of press on this book because of the important subject matter- child prostitution in India. I was first made aware of it from Wendy's Mailbox Monday post which can be seen here at Caribou's Mom. Then after reading Lisa's wonderful review on Books on the Brain, I knew that this was a book I had to read.






Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
**I was listening to an interview of the author on a podcast of Book Lust and really enjoyed hearing her talk about the research she did for this book. I read March and liked it a lot so when I stumbled on this the other day I decided to read it!





Secrets She Left Behind by Diane Chamberlain
** I can't remember where I first heard about this book but I thought the blurb from the back really packed a punch: One afternoon, single mother Sara Weston says she's going to the store--and never returns. In her absence, she leaves her teenage son alone with his damaged past and a legacy of secrets.




The Collected Stories by Amy Hempel
** Now I know that I didn't come across this book on my own but for some reason I never marked where I first saw it...so if it was you let me know so I can pass the blame to you!!!






The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
** As I was looking this one up in my Goodreads account I once again can't believe that I didn't list the blogger buddy who first lead me to want to read this one!! I've seen it so many places that I'm just going to blame all of you!!!







To Read List Total today 7/15/2009: 805
Last Week's To Read List total 7/08/2009: 801
Books Read in 2009 to date: 99
Number of Books Checked out from the library:25
Book Blogger Buddies Recommendations TBR List: 185 last week 195 this week


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Waiting on Wednesday
is hosted by
Jill over at Breaking the Spine
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

DREAMFEVER
Release Date: August 25, 2009
I absolutely LOVE this series and can not wait until this one is released. This is paranormal romance at its finest!!!!

Synopsis:
He has stolen her past, but MacKayla will never allow her sister’s murderer to take her future. Yet even the uniquely gifted sidhe-seer is no match for the Lord Master, who has unleashed an insatiable sexual craving that consumes Mac’s every thought—and thrusts her into the seductive realm of two very dangerous men, both of whom she desires but dares not trust.

As the enigmatic Jericho Barrons and the sensual Fae prince V’lane vie for her body and soul, as cryptic entries from her sister’s diary mysteriously appear and the power of the Dark Book weaves its annihilating path through the city, Mac’s greatest enemy delivers a final challenge...

It’s an invitation Mac cannot refuse, one that sends her racing home to Georgia, where an even darker threat awaits. With her parents missing and the lives of her loved ones under siege, Mac is about to come face-to-face with a soul-shattering truth—about herself and her sister, about Jericho Barrons…and about the world she thought she knew.

What book are you waiting for?