Library Loot- Goodbye March!

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.

I'm just a tad embarrassed to list all of the books that I picked up this past week so I'm going to spare you half of it and save it for next time!!!

At the Kings Command- Susan Wiggs
Not sure if I ever heard of this book from any blogger, but I do know that I've read about this author. This is the first in a trilogy and after reading the back, I thought this could be a good read.

Frustrated by his own failures at matrimony, King Henry VIII punishes an insolent nobleman by commanding him to marry the vagabond woman caught stealing his horse. Stephen de Lacey is a cold and bitter widower, long accustomed to the sovereign's capricious and malicious whims. He regards his new bride as utterly inconvenient…though undeniably fetching.But Juliana Romanov is no ordinary thief—she is a Russian princess forced into hiding by the traitorous cabal who slaughtered her family. One day she hopes to return to Muscovy to seek vengeance.

Every Secret Thing - Ann Tatlock
Somehow I came across an ad, which I think was on Goodreads about Tatlock's newest book, 
The Returning. I checked and my library had that one, so the plan was to get that one. Plans changed once I got to the library and I thought that I would like to start with one of her earlier books and that's how this one came home with me.

When Elizabeth Gunnar accepts a teaching position at the preparatory school she attended as a girl, she is returning to more than a place--to memories, mysteries, and an old love. Once there she meets unexpected challenges--and challenging new people. She revisits ghosts of the past and old self-doubts. And through it all, God somehow takes four broken people and forms a new, complete family

Quaker Summer - Lisa Samson
Sometimes I just get in the mood for books based on faith. This one won the 2007 Women of Faith Novel of the Year. I loved the premise so I brought it home.

Heather Curridge is coming unhinged. And people are starting to notice. What's wrong with a woman who has everything--a mansion on a lake, a loving son, a heart-surgeon husband, and soapstone countertops--yet still feels miserable inside? Yet when Heather spends the summer with two ancient Quaker sisters and a crusty nun in a downtown homeless shelter, she suddenly finds herself at a crossroads. Sometimes you have to go a little bit crazy to find the life you were meant to live.

House Rules - Jodi Picoult
Because I've read every single one of her books there was really no way that I wouldn't be bringing this one home!! Diane (Bibliophile by the Sea) gave this one 5 stars so I'm hoping that I will love it just as much. I was very disappointed in her last book so I will have to put that experience behind me and really read this one with an open mind!

HOUSE RULES looks at what it means to be different in our society, how autism affects a family, and how our legal system works well for people who communicate a certain way – but lousy for those who don’t.

If the Church were Christian - Phillip Gulley
Finally, I get to blame someone for a book!! This one is all Margot's (Joyfully Retired) fault...loved her wonderful review and pair that with the fact that I love Gulley's writing, I'm sure that this one will be a great read!

In If the Church Were Christian, Quaker pastor and author Philip Gulley explores how the church has lost its way. This eye-opening examination of the values of Jesus reveals the extent to which the church has drifted from the teachings of the man who inspired its creation. Many Christians might be surprised to discover how little Jesus had to say about the church, and that he might never have intended to start a new religion.

Books Read in 2010 to date: 57
Number of Books Checked out from the library:24

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

It's Tuesday...Where Are You?

I'm the most precocious English eleven-year-old you've ever met. I have an infinity for chemistry and that hobby of mine always seems to get me tangled up in some sort of murder. A murder, in which, I find myself helping the local constable in solving!!
~The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag

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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!

  "Please- may I have your attention?" Inspector Hewitt had stepped out from behind the black curtains and was now standing center stage. "I'm sorry to have to tell you that there has been an unfortunate accident, and that Mr. Porson is dead."

p.159

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

Mailbox Monday

is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page.
We share what books that we found 

in our mailboxes last week.

For Review:

Read, Remember, Recommend ( A Reading Journal for Book Lovers)- Rachelle Rogers Knight
This journal leads you on a personal journey through the best loved and most highly acclaimed fiction and literature of all times. This 236-page spiral bound journal encourages you to read and interact with the greatest and most intriguing books and establish intimate relationships with your favorite writers and fellow book lovers.






Books Won:

The Boleyn Wife- Brandy Purdy
I won this from Svea (Confessions and Ramblings of a Muse in the Fog)
Encompassing the reigns of five of Henry's queens, THE BOLEYN WIFE is an unforgettable story of ambition, lust, and jealousy, of the power of love to change the course of history, and of the terrible price of revenge.

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Hosted by Sheila
One Persons Journey Through a World of Books
Weekly meme where we discuss the books you've read
and those you plan to read in the coming week.

Last Week I finished and reviewed these books:

By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead- 4.5 / 5 highly recommend

Shiver- 4.5/5 (can't wait to read the next one!) highly recommend

The Color of Water (graphic novel)- 3/5

The Color of Heaven (graphic novel)-4/5

Reviews scheduled for this week:

The Lunatic, the Lover, and the Poet- TLC Tour Stop March 29

Love Comes Softly- Six Sentence Saturday- April 3rd

The Girl Who Chased the Moon- Six Sentence Saturday April 3rd

A Bride Most Begrudging- Six Sentence Saturday April 3rd

Books on Deck:

I'm feeling very hopeful!!!

 

TLC Review: The Lunatic, the Lover, and the Poet

Title: The Lunatic, the Lover, and the Poet
Author: Myrlin Hermes
Pages: 384
Genre: Fiction
Source: TLC Book Tour

A Divinity scholar at Wittenberg University, Horatio prides himself on his ability to argue both sides of any intellectual debate but is himself a skeptic, never fully believing in any philosophy. That is, until he meets the outrageous, provocative, and flamboyantly beautiful Prince of Denmark, who teaches him more about both Earth and Heaven than any of his books. But Hamlet is also irrationally haunted by intimations of a tragic destiny he believes is preordained.

My Thoughts: I started out reading this book with very high hopes. Not really being much of a scholar on Shakespeare, I still felt that I could enjoy this novel. Unfortunately for me that just wasn't the case.  I just didn't get the story....but I did find myself liking Horatio. The others not so much. This may be a book for those that have read Shakespeare and loved it.

Thank you to TLC for asking me to be a part of this book tour




** I was not compensated for my review.

Six Sentence Saturday

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?)

Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #1)- Maggie Stiefvater
I keep forgetting to review this one and now it's been quite some time since I've finished it, so I hope I can do the book justice! A few people wondered if it was Twilightish and I have to say that I didn't think it was anywhere close to being similar to Twilight. In fact, I enjoyed the two main characters much more than Bella and Edward.  I loved Grace and thought her connection to the wolves in the woods behind her house rang true. Sam touched my heart and I could so sympathize with his struggle between the wolf and human worlds. As I was reading this book I was leaning towards a 4/5 star rating, but the ending was fantabulous and I ended up giving this one a 5!!! Read it!

My Rating:







The Color of Water (Color Trilogy #2) and The Color of Heaven (Color Trilogy #3) -Kim Dong Hwa
After finishing all three in this graphic novel series, I have to say that I was left feeling a little let down. Color of Water was in my opinion, very boring and a rehash of book one. After reading it, I wondered if I really wanted to bother with the third, but it was just sitting there so I had to finish it. I'm glad that I did continue on with book three. It was so much better than book 2....in fact, I think the author could've just written book one and three and left it at that. Overall, it was an o.k. read and not an entire waste of a few hours.

My Rating on Book 2:

My Rating on Book 3:

Library Loot

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.

The Pull of the Moon- Elizabeth Berg
Blaming this one on JoAnn (Every Day Matters)- When JoAnn tells me to read a book....I do it!!!
From Goodreads:"Turning 50 seems to turn women crazy. When Nan hits this mark, she hits the road, leaving behind her home and husband. Driving west from Boston, she consults only her own pleasure. And while this sounds easy, it is often arduous for Nan, who can hardly remember what her own pleasure is...[The Pull of the Moon] is upbeat from beginning to end.

Out of My Mind- Sharon Draper
Blaming myself for this one! I've read other books by Draper and loved them, plus the premise is so intriguing that I couldn't resist this one!
Goodreads: From award-winning author Sharon Draper comes Out of My Mind, the story of a brilliant girl that no one knows about because she cannot speak or write.

Masque of the Black Tulip (Pink Carnation #2)- Lauren Willig
Blaming my co-worker for this one because if she hadn't recommended Pink Carnation, then I wouldn't have felt compelled to get the next in the series!!
From Goodreads:The Masque of the Black Tulip opens with the murder of a courier from the London War Office, his confidential dispatch for the Pink Carnation stolen. Meanwhile, the Black Tulip, France's deadliest spy, is in England with instructions to track down and kill the Pink Carnation. Only Henrietta Uppington and Miles Dorrington know where the Pink Carnation is stationed. Using a secret code book, Henrietta has deciphered a message detailing the threat of the Black Tulip. Meanwhile, the War Office has enlisted Miles to track down the notorious French spy before he (or she) can finish the deadly mission. But what Henrietta and Miles don't know is that while they are trying to find the Black Tulip (and possibly falling in love), the Black Tulip is watching them.

Love is the Best Medicine- Nicholas Trout
Can't figure out who to blame for this one....
From Goodreads: Love is the Best Medicine immerses readers in the true life drama of beloved pets whose lives hang in the balance.  Every page underscores the profound bond we have with the animals in our lives and the incredible responsibility Nick carries as their healer.

I, Alex Cross- James Patterson
Blaming myself for this one. I love Alex Cross and when I saw this book in a playaway version I had to grab it up. I'm listening to this one when I walk after work.

Books Read in 2010 to date: 53
Number of Books Checked out from the library:19

Review: By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead

Title: By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead
Author: Julie Anne Peters
Pages: 224
Published: January 5th 2010 by Hyperion Book CH
Genre: YA Fiction
Source: Public Library

Daelyn Rice is broken beyond repair, and after a string of botched suicide attempts, she's determined to get her death right. She starts visiting a website for "completers"- www.through-the-light.com. While she's on the site, Daelyn blogs about her life, uncovering a history of bullying that goes back to kindergarten. When she's not on the Web, Daelyn's at her private school, where she's known as the freak who doesn't talk.Then, a boy named Santana begins to sit with her after school while she's waiting to for her parents to pick her up. Even though she's made it clear that she wants to be left alone, Santana won't give up. And it's too late for Daelyn to be letting people into her life. Isn't it?- from Goodreads

At first I wasn't sure if I would like this book. The way that it starts out leaves you wondering what is going on....it takes a few chapters to realize that Daelyn can not talk...and that her parents will not leave her alone for any reason. Slowly the pieces start to fall into place and you realize (at least I did) what she had tried to do to herself that has caused her muteness. As a parent this book is a bit unnerving. I don't know if there really are websites out there for people who want to commit suicide, but I'm betting if you want to find it you can. The underlining cause of Daelyn's reason for trying to commit suicide is bullying. She was overweight from a young age and she experienced humiliation on all levels, from her peers, teachers, and strangers. As I read this book, I couldn't help but reflect on an incident that happened last week at my middle school. I like to walk the halls during passing time, when I noticed a young boy say something to a girl who has some "emotional problems." She then tried to kick him. He looked up, saw me, and instantly yelled, "She tried to kick me!." My response- "I saw you whisper something to her and I don't know what it was but you better zip your mouth!" Then I turned to the girl and told her that I'm sure what he said wasn't nice, but that she couldn't go around solving her problems by kicking others. The next day she came to the library with her English class. She picked out two new books that I had just ordered, Taking Action Against Bullying, and Frequently Asked Questions About Loneliness. I mentioned something to her about the bullying book and that I hoped it helped her to deal with that certain boy. And then she said something that quite literally blew me away and has since then haunted me......"He's not the only one Mrs. Taylor...there are a lot of them out there." And that is why this book and others that highlight bullying and the effects are important to read, no matter how uncomfortable they make us.                                                                                            Highly Recommended   

Waiting on Wednesday

at Breaking The Spine

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event,that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

 

This title will be released on April 27, 2010

Wedding baker Laurel McBane is surrounded by romance working at Vows wedding planning company with her best friends Parker, Emma, and Mac. But she's too low-key to appreciate all the luxuries that their clients seem to long for. What she does appreciate is a strong, intelligent man, a man just like Parker's older brother Delaney, on whom she's had a mega-crush since childhood.

But some infatuations last longer than others, and Laurel is convinced that the Ivy League lawyer is still out of her reach. Plus, Del is too protective of Laurel to ever cross the line with her-or so she thinks. When Laurel's quicksilver moods get the better of her-leading to an angry, hot, all-together mind-blowing kiss with Del-she'll have to quiet the doubts in her mind to turn a moment of passion into forever...

** I've read #1, was given the second book from Mary (Bookfan), 

and now I must have this one!! isn't this cover gorgeous!!! I love that cake!!!

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

It's Tuesday...Where Are You?

I'm a poor orphan poet and divinity scholar who is just trying to make it through life day to day. I've been commissioned by nobility to turn a book into a play. This has brought the Prince of Denmark into my life and I find myself strongly attracted to him. If that isn't enough a rival poet, Master Will Shake-spear, has entered the picture and threatens my destiny and love.
~ The Lunatic, the Lover, and the Poet by Myrlin A. Hermes

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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!

   She pushed back from the bench and stood facing me, my writing held open between us in her hands. "You are in love with a man."

  "Nay!" I lunged at her and grabbed her roughly by the wrist, tearing the book from her grasp.

p.83

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

Mailbox Monday

is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page.
We share what books that we found 

in our mailboxes last week.

From Publisher:

The Clouds Roll Away by Sibella Giorello
From Goodreads: Closing her assignment with the FBI's Seattle office, forensic geologist Raleigh Harmon returns to her hometown of Richmond, Virginia, expecting a warm welcome. Instead she finds herself investigating an ugly cross burning at a celebrity's mansion and standing in the crosshairs of her boss at the Bureau. And the deeper Raleigh digs into the case, the murkier the water becomes...until she's left wondering who the real victims might be.

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Hosted by Sheila
One Persons Journey Through a World of Books
Weekly meme where we discuss the books you've read
and those you plan to read in the coming week.

 
Last Week I finished and reviewed:
City of Refuge - 4/5 Highly recommended
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation- Highly recommended
The Choice (Secrets of Lancaster County#1) - 3.5 stars recommended

Books on Deck:

Six Sentence Saturday

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 may read more from this author
2 of Hearts- Why did I finish this?
Joker Card - Don't bother (why did I?)

 

City of Refuge - Tom Piazza

This book made an emotional impact on me as a human. I sat in my home with all of the luxuries that we take for granted and watched as this tragedy in New Orleans unfolded in front of the nation. The stories of SJ, a black man who was born and raised in New Orleans, and the transplant from the midwest Craig, each brought their own struggles to this story and actually became REAL people to me. Never far from my mind was Chris (a real person who has a great book blog), who actually lived through this horrendous ordeal and never gave up on his hometown. For those of us that were not directly impacted by the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, I absolutely recommend this book to you. Not only will it give you a first-hand account of what occurred before, during, and after, but it will also touch you on a very human level.

My Rating:

The Secret History of the Pink Carnation - Lauren Willig

Talk about a great romp into history!!! This book takes place in the present time with Eloise who is researching English spies in Napoleon's France during the early 1800's. When she starts to read the letters that have been preserved, we the reader, is then transported back in history and the story unfolds. I loved how the author did this and I thought it brought the story together in a very cohesive fashion. I am in love with the characters that she has created....each brings something different to the table. I was NEVER bored, the story was NEVER slow, and I am in serious need of the next one in this series!!!!!!!!!!!!

My Rating:

The Choice (Lancaster County Secrets #1) - Suzanne Woods Fisher

I really enjoy reading fiction books that are set in the world of the Amish. I've grown up around the Amish but their way of life has always intrigued me. My normal choice for Amish stories is Beverly Lewis, so I wasn't sure what to expect with Fisher. I felt that the writing was very stilted and the story was one I've read before, so I was feeling very disappointed and let down. After reaching the half-way point something happened, maybe an editor paid better attention to the flow of the words and started to really help the author. Whatever it was, I'm glad that it happened because it changed my mind about whether or not I would pick up the next book when it's released in October....and the answer is YES!

My Rating: (3.5)