and I still haven't finished a book - I have taken my son to his soccer game and watched him play his best game ever (in all of his 7 year old life!) lol. I then brought him home, fed him, and got him packed to go to my sister's house for the night - Then took phone calls from BOTH of my sisters - the one who is going to be entertaining for the evening telling me she is going to at least another hour before she can come get him. Then I played some Ipad with the boy and decided I should do a check in.
I am reading a book on my Kindle right now and have read about 40% of it - which translates to about 115 pages. UGH! And I had such big plans. I have read more than that in a morning when it WASN'T a readathon. Oh well, life is messy!
Happy reading!
Saturday, April 21, 2012
And so it begins. . .
8:15 am Well, I am off to a late start for the readathon - tossed and turned for about 2 hours last night between 3:30 and 5:30 am. Finally fell asleep only to have my daughter's alarm wake me - then back to sleep. I figured I needed to sleep in a little bit this morning or I would be wiped really early. I am going to go finish Titanic 2012! Happy reading everyone!
So for some introductions -
1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? Northern Illinois
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? Bloom
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? Popcorn or Cadbury Creme Eggs (lol)
4) Tell us a little something about yourself! I have been reading about 43 years (or so my mom tells me) I have 3 kids -- all of which are going to be otherwise occupied by about noon today, so that I can be free to read. I also am a fairly new grandma - my granddaughter is 5 1/2 months old -- you will probably hear more about her in the coming weeks. I work as a library aide at my son's school- and I absolutely love it!
5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to? I think this is my 3rd or 4th readathon and I haven't stumbled on to anything I like particularly well yet. I haven't decided if I am going to try the mini challenges or just read, depends on how I feel. I think I will probably just continue to update this post for a few hours - then start a new one, rather than have a whole ton of little update posts though.
So for some introductions -
1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? Northern Illinois
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? Bloom
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? Popcorn or Cadbury Creme Eggs (lol)
4) Tell us a little something about yourself! I have been reading about 43 years (or so my mom tells me) I have 3 kids -- all of which are going to be otherwise occupied by about noon today, so that I can be free to read. I also am a fairly new grandma - my granddaughter is 5 1/2 months old -- you will probably hear more about her in the coming weeks. I work as a library aide at my son's school- and I absolutely love it!
5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to? I think this is my 3rd or 4th readathon and I haven't stumbled on to anything I like particularly well yet. I haven't decided if I am going to try the mini challenges or just read, depends on how I feel. I think I will probably just continue to update this post for a few hours - then start a new one, rather than have a whole ton of little update posts though.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Dewey's Readathon 2012
The readathon starts in a few hours - are you ready? I am getting my pile of books set, the goodies have been purchased, drinks refrigerated - now all I have to do is get some sleep - and that is going to be happening here very shortly. Just wanted to let you all know what I am going to be reading tomorrow.
Finishing up Titanic 2012 by Bill Walker -
New books to read:
The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
Grave Mercy by R.L LaFevers
Bloom by Kelle Hampton
More Like Her by Liza Palmer
The Bond by Wayne Pacelle
The Second Time We Met by Leila Cobo
Secret Heroes by Paul Martin
The Inquisitor by Mark Allen Smith
If I can get through 2 of these I will be doing good! LOL But it is always good to have some variety in case something just doesn't pull me in!
Night all!
Finishing up Titanic 2012 by Bill Walker -
New books to read:
The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
Grave Mercy by R.L LaFevers
Bloom by Kelle Hampton
More Like Her by Liza Palmer
The Bond by Wayne Pacelle
The Second Time We Met by Leila Cobo
Secret Heroes by Paul Martin
The Inquisitor by Mark Allen Smith
If I can get through 2 of these I will be doing good! LOL But it is always good to have some variety in case something just doesn't pull me in!
Night all!
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Shower of Books Giveaway Hop!
Is it raining where you are? It is raining here, so it is a perfect time to have the Showers of Books Giveaway Hop. This hop is hosted by I am a Reader, Not a Writer and One a Day YA.
I thought this would be a good time to weed through my stack of arcs and giveaway more than one book - so one winner will win three books! You must be a follower to enter this giveaway. It is open to U.S. only and will end at midnight on April 25th.
The three books that I am giving away are - you can click on the covers to be taken to my reviews.
Banana Split by Josi S. Kilpack (Book Review)
Author: Josi S. Kilpack
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
About the book: Sadie Hoffmiller has survived eighteen months of nonstop adventures filled with murder, deceit, and danger. She could really use some rest -- and maybe even some time to heal -- relaxing in the tropical paradise of Kaua'i. However, palm trees and sunshine are not as effective a medication as Sadie had hoped. And when she finds herself entangled -- literally -- with a dead body, she is forced to face the compounding fears and anxieties that are making her life so difficult to live.
Her determination to stay out of danger and to focus on overcoming her anxieties soon takes a backseat when she meets eleven-year-old Charlie, the son of the woman whose body she discovered near Anahola Beach. Charlie has some questions of his own about what happened to his mother, and he is convinced that only Sadie can help him. If only Sadie were as confident in her abilities as Charlie is.
With the help of her best friend and a local social worker, Sadie dives into another mystery with the hope that, at the end, she'll be able to find the peace and closure that has eluded her.
Buy the book!
About the author: Josi S. Kilpack hated to read until her mother handed her a copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond when she was 13. From that day forward, she read everything she could get her hands on and accredits her writing “education” to the many novels she has “studied” since then. She began writing her first novel in 1998 and never stopped. Her novel, Sheep’s Clothing won the Whitney Award 2007 for Mystery/Suspense. Lemon Tart, the first book in the Sadie Hoffmiller
You can find Josi on the web at her blog and on twitter.
My thoughts: This was my first Sadie Hoffmiller mystery, and from what I can gather it is very different from the other mysteries. In this one, Sadie has had some pretty traumatic experiences over the last year and a half. She is suffering from depression and probaby post traumatic stress and has gone to Hawaii to try to relax and get back to her old self. After being there for a couple of months though, she is more anxious than ever and spends much of her time locked in her condo. On one of her few outings though, she has the misfortune of discovering a dead body. For a short time this throws her anxiety into overdrive -- until she is visited by Charlie, the preteen son of Noelani, the woman she discovered.
Something about needing to help Charlie find closure propels her to find out more about Noelani and how/why she died. The police, as well as many of the people who knew Noelani feels that it is a open and shut case of overdose. You see, Noelani is a recovering drug addict - but she had been clean for quite a while and was working to be reunited with Charlie. Sadie meets a variety of people in her quest, from a womanizing preacher and his beautiful, but jealous wife; Olie, the social worker assigned to Charlie's case, Noelani's fellow employees and boss at the Sand and Sea Motel. We get to go along with Sadie, as she begins to overcome her anxieties and fears and begins investigating Noelani on her own.
The suspects are wide and varied in this book and I even wondered if Noelani was the victim or not. It started off quickly and pulled me in, but I will admit that I got kind of bogged down in the middle and it seemed to drag for awhile. As it got closer to the end though, the twists kept coming and I had to find out what was really going on! I am definitely going to go back and find the first books in this culinary series.
Oh- and as a bonus - the book is filled with yummy recipes that I can't wait to try!
~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tristi Pinkston Book Tours in exchange for my unbiased review.~
Publisher/Publication Date: Shadow Mountain, March 2012
ISBN: 978-1-60908-903-0
368 pages
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
It's Monday! What are you reading? (Late post)
What are you reading on Mondays is hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey - You can hook up with the Mr. Linky there with your own post - but be sure and let me know what you are reading too!
It's Tuesday already?? I need that day back! Hopefully I will get it with Dewey's readathon coming up this weekend. (Go here to sign up!) I am going to try to finish the current reading titles and work on some missed titles and net galley titles during the readathon.
I have some giveaways going on right now, but blogger won't let me change my layout to update the giveaways at the top of the page - so if you click here you will be taken to all of them. Thanks!
Currently reading:
Banana Split: A Culinary Mystery by Josi Kilpack
Titanic 2012 by Bill Walker
Books I need to finish: (I decided to add a new category for those books that seem to languish from week to week!)
The Book of Lost Fragrances by M.J. Rose
Blood Orchids by Toby Neal
The Bond by Wayne Pacelle
Bloom by Kelle Hampton
Secret Heroes by Paul Martin
White Horse by Alex Adams
More Like Her by Liza Palmer
The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
The Second Time We Met by Leila Cobo
The keepers of the House by Shirley Ann Grau
The Book of Summers by Emylia Hall
The Lost Ones by Ace Atkins
A Sense of Direction by Gideon Lewis-Kraus
Grave Mercy by Robin Lefevers
Bathroom Book:
The Killing Circle by Andrew Pyper
Books read and reviewed since last week:
Kids books read:
I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen
Until next week ---- Ready - Set - Read!
Monday, April 16, 2012
No Strings Attached Giveaway Hop - $10 Amazon GC
Welcome to the No Strings Attached Giveaway Hop,
hosted by Kathy at I am a Reader, Not a Writer.
There are about 75 blogs signed up to host a giveaway - and that giveaway must be something a reader, blogger, or author would enjoy. All you have to do is leave your name and email address in the rafflecopter form! Easy peasy! No following required! This giveaway will end at midnight on April 22, 2012 and is open internationally!
Oh, forgot to tell you - I am giving away a $10 GC on Amazon or Barnes and Noble or a book from the Book Depository for under $10 (you must check to make sure they ship to your country).
Please enter my other giveaways while you are here also.
Please enter my other giveaways while you are here also.
Now that you have entered my giveaway - go take your luck at some others!
Sunday, April 15, 2012
The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan (GIVEAWAY!)
The Lifeboat
by Charlotte Rogan
Grace Winter, 22, is both a newlywed and a widow. She is also on trial for her life.
In the summer of 1914, the elegant ocean liner carrying her and her husband Henry across the Atlantic suffers a mysterious explosion. Setting aside his own safety, Henry secures Grace a place in a lifeboat, which the survivors quickly realize is over capacity. For any to live, some must die.
As the castaways battle the elements, and each other, Grace recollects the unorthodox way she and Henry met, and the new life of privilege she thought she'd found. Will she pay any price to keep it?
The Lifeboat is a page-turning novel of hard choices and survival, narrated by a woman as unforgettable and complex as the events she describes.
A big thank you to Hachette Books for providing two copies of The Lifeboat to be given away to my readers!
To sign up for the giveaway - just fill out the rafflecopter form below. Most giveaways are for my followers only - so must follow through GFC to enter.
This giveaway is open to US/Canada only and will end at midnight CST on April 29, 2012.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Mailbox Monday (April 16, 2012)
Mailbox Monday will be hosted in April by Cindy at Cindy's Love of Books. In My Mailbox is hosted Sundays at The Story Siren. I got some more nice wins this week and a couple of review books. Come on in and take a look!
First the review books:
The Good Father
by Diane Chamberlain
A beloved daughter. A devastating choice. And now there's no going back.Four years ago, nineteen-year-old Travis Brown made a choice: to raise his newborn daughter on his own. While most of his friends were out partying and meeting girls, Travis was at home, changing diapers and worrying about keeping food on the table. But he's never regretted his decision. Bella is the light of his life. The reason behind every move he makes. And so far, she is fed. Cared for. Safe.But when Travis loses his construction job and his home, the security he's worked so hard to create for Bella begins to crumble….Then a miracle. A job in Raleigh has the power to turn their fortunes around. It has to. But when Travis arrives in Raleigh, there is no job, only an offer to participate in a onetime criminal act that promises quick money and no repercussions.With nowhere else to turn, Travis must make another choice for his daughter's sake.Even if it means he might lose her.
The Midwife of Venice
by Roberta Rich
Hannah Levi is renowned throughout Venice for her gift at coaxing reluctant babies from their mothers -- a gift aided by the secret "birthing spoons" she designed. But when a count implores her to attend to his wife, who has been laboring for days to give birth to their firstborn son, Hannah is torn. A Papal edict forbids Jews from rendering medical treatment to Christians, but the payment he offers is enough to ransom her beloved husband, Isaac, who has been captured at sea. Can Hannah refuse her duty to a suffering woman? Hannah's choice entangles her in a treacherous family rivalry that endangers the baby and threatens her voyage to Malta, where Isaac, believing her dead in the plague, is preparing to buy his passage to a new life. Not since The Red Tent or People of the Book has a novel transported readers so intimately into the complex lives of women centuries ago or so richly into a story of intrigue that transcends the boundaries of history.
A Chance in the World
An Orphan Boy, a Mysterious Past and How He
Found a Place Called Home
by Steve Pemberton
First the review books:
The Good Father
by Diane Chamberlain
A beloved daughter. A devastating choice. And now there's no going back.Four years ago, nineteen-year-old Travis Brown made a choice: to raise his newborn daughter on his own. While most of his friends were out partying and meeting girls, Travis was at home, changing diapers and worrying about keeping food on the table. But he's never regretted his decision. Bella is the light of his life. The reason behind every move he makes. And so far, she is fed. Cared for. Safe.But when Travis loses his construction job and his home, the security he's worked so hard to create for Bella begins to crumble….Then a miracle. A job in Raleigh has the power to turn their fortunes around. It has to. But when Travis arrives in Raleigh, there is no job, only an offer to participate in a onetime criminal act that promises quick money and no repercussions.With nowhere else to turn, Travis must make another choice for his daughter's sake.Even if it means he might lose her.
The Midwife of Venice
by Roberta Rich
Hannah Levi is renowned throughout Venice for her gift at coaxing reluctant babies from their mothers -- a gift aided by the secret "birthing spoons" she designed. But when a count implores her to attend to his wife, who has been laboring for days to give birth to their firstborn son, Hannah is torn. A Papal edict forbids Jews from rendering medical treatment to Christians, but the payment he offers is enough to ransom her beloved husband, Isaac, who has been captured at sea. Can Hannah refuse her duty to a suffering woman? Hannah's choice entangles her in a treacherous family rivalry that endangers the baby and threatens her voyage to Malta, where Isaac, believing her dead in the plague, is preparing to buy his passage to a new life. Not since The Red Tent or People of the Book has a novel transported readers so intimately into the complex lives of women centuries ago or so richly into a story of intrigue that transcends the boundaries of history.
A Chance in the World
An Orphan Boy, a Mysterious Past and How He
Found a Place Called Home
by Steve Pemberton
From the day he is five-years-old and dropped off at his foster home of the next eleven years, Stephen is mentally and physically tortured. No one in the system can help him. No one can tell him if he has a family. No one can tell him why, with obvious African-American features, he has the last name of Klakowicz.
Along the way, a single faint light comes only from a neighbor’s small acts of kindness and caring—and a box of books. From one of those books he learns that he has to fight in any way he can—for victory is in the battle. His victory is to excel in school.
Against all odds, the author succeeded. He attended college, graduated, became a successful corporate executive, and married a wonderful woman with whom he established a loving family of his own. Through it, he dug voraciously through records and files and found his history, his birth family—and the ultimate disappointment as some family members embrace him, but others reject him.
Readers won’t be the same after reading this powerful story. They will share in the hurts and despair but also in the triumph against daunting obstacles. They will share this story with their family, with their friends, with their neighbors.
These are the books I won:
I won this from Celtic Lady's Reviews
Catriona
by Jeanette Baker
Kate Sutherland always felt out of place in brash and modern Southern California. But when she comes to her ancestral home in the Shetland Islands to seek a mystical guide who may shed light on her true heritage, Kate is plagued with visions of a life from five centuries past.... A fiery young woman of royal English blood, Catriona Wells is determined to save her family from the deadly political clashes of 15th-century Britain. But Cat's cunning is no match for Scottish border lord Patrick MacKendrick. When this powerful warrior betroths her against her will, Cat must decide whether she dares to love him -- and to trust him with lives that are more precious to her than her own.
Meanwhile Kate, whose dreams rapidly take on a reality of their own, is caught between a present-day attraction to a charming Scottish historian -- and risking everything in Catriona's dangerous world of passion and bloodshed.
I won the following two young adult books from The Unread Reader.
Forgive My Fins
by Tera Lynn Childs
Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it’s not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you’re a normal teenage girl, but when you’re half human, half mermaid like Lily, there’s no such thing as a simple crush.
Lily’s mermaid identity is a secret that can’t get out, since she’s not just any mermaid – she’s a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn’t feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she’s been living on land and going to Seaview high school ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems – like her obnoxious, biker boy neighbor Quince Fletcher – but it has that one major perk – Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren’t really the casual dating type – when they “bond,” it’s for life.
When Lily’s attempt to win Brody’s love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily-ever-after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.
The Way We Fall
by Megan Crewe
It starts with an itch you just can’t shake. Then comes a fever and a tickle in your throat. A few days later, you’ll be blabbing your secrets and chatting with strangers like they’re old friends. Three more, and the paranoid hallucinations kick in.
And then you’re dead.
When a deadly virus begins to sweep through sixteen-year-old Kaelyn’s community, the government quarantines her island—no one can leave, and no one can come back.
Those still healthy must fight for dwindling supplies, or lose all chance of survival. As everything familiar comes crashing down, Kaelyn joins forces with a former rival and discovers a new love in the midst of heartbreak. When the virus starts to rob her of friends and family, she clings to the belief that there must be a way to save the people she holds dearest.
Because how will she go on if there isn’t?
What books came home to you this week?
by Jeanette Baker
Kate Sutherland always felt out of place in brash and modern Southern California. But when she comes to her ancestral home in the Shetland Islands to seek a mystical guide who may shed light on her true heritage, Kate is plagued with visions of a life from five centuries past.... A fiery young woman of royal English blood, Catriona Wells is determined to save her family from the deadly political clashes of 15th-century Britain. But Cat's cunning is no match for Scottish border lord Patrick MacKendrick. When this powerful warrior betroths her against her will, Cat must decide whether she dares to love him -- and to trust him with lives that are more precious to her than her own.
Meanwhile Kate, whose dreams rapidly take on a reality of their own, is caught between a present-day attraction to a charming Scottish historian -- and risking everything in Catriona's dangerous world of passion and bloodshed.
I won the following two young adult books from The Unread Reader.
Forgive My Fins
by Tera Lynn Childs
Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it’s not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you’re a normal teenage girl, but when you’re half human, half mermaid like Lily, there’s no such thing as a simple crush.
Lily’s mermaid identity is a secret that can’t get out, since she’s not just any mermaid – she’s a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn’t feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she’s been living on land and going to Seaview high school ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems – like her obnoxious, biker boy neighbor Quince Fletcher – but it has that one major perk – Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren’t really the casual dating type – when they “bond,” it’s for life.
When Lily’s attempt to win Brody’s love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily-ever-after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.
The Way We Fall
by Megan Crewe
It starts with an itch you just can’t shake. Then comes a fever and a tickle in your throat. A few days later, you’ll be blabbing your secrets and chatting with strangers like they’re old friends. Three more, and the paranoid hallucinations kick in.
And then you’re dead.
When a deadly virus begins to sweep through sixteen-year-old Kaelyn’s community, the government quarantines her island—no one can leave, and no one can come back.
Those still healthy must fight for dwindling supplies, or lose all chance of survival. As everything familiar comes crashing down, Kaelyn joins forces with a former rival and discovers a new love in the midst of heartbreak. When the virus starts to rob her of friends and family, she clings to the belief that there must be a way to save the people she holds dearest.
Because how will she go on if there isn’t?
What books came home to you this week?
Friday, April 13, 2012
A Grand Murder by Stacy Verdick Case (Book Review and Giveaway)
Author: Stacy Verdick Case
Publisher: Before the Fall Books
About the Book: A Grand Murder is the first book in the Catherine O'Brien mystery series. When a prominent local businessman and friend of the chief of police is murdered on the front steps of his posh Grand Avenue Hill home, Catherine O'Brien a pithy, vertically challenged, St. Paul, Minnesota, homicide detective with a monstrous coffee habit and her partner Louise are given two days to find his killer. They soon discover their victim had a list of people with motives to murder him, including his fashion designer ex-wife, his mistress's husband, and the chief of police. The only evidence they have to go on is a missing cell phone, a stolen book, the victim's letter opener, and an ugly pair of Alpaca wool mittens.
My thoughts: Now, I don't remember a whole lot about Cagney and Lacey, but they were the first ones I thought of when I met Detectives (Catherine) O'Brien and (Louise) Montgomery. Catherine is married to a saint of a man (Gavin) who puts up with her crazy hours and dangerous jobs with understanding and foot rubs, though he does admit it is not what he imagined marriage to be. Louise is single and always seems to be put together, with not a hair out of place, regardless of how much sleep she has or hasn't had.
The book starts out with them being thrown head first into the murder investigation of Nathan Stanley. Even with a list of suspects they don't seem to be able to come up with an immediate motive. While investigating, they do uncover lots of trysts among the executives and their wives of Stanley and Forster -- but now they have to prove that someone was upset enough about them to commit murder.
I liked both Catherine and Louise. They were both good cops and lived and breathed their jobs. Catherine was typically the "bad" cop and has a hard time filtering what comes out of her mouth. Louise was generally unruffled and was able to handle most situations with poise and tact. You are also introduced to "Digs" - the forensics guy who was usually assigned to their cases and who was smitten with Louise and their Chief, who seems gruff but was usually understanding if you were doing your job.
While this who-done-it's ending wasn't a complete shocker, I did enjoy reading it and it moved along at a good pace. I will definitely look for more O'Brien and Montgomery books.
~I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from Partners in Crime in exchange for my review.~
About the author: Stacy Verdick Case was born in Willmar, Minnesota. After a brief stint as a military brat, where she lived in Fort Sill Oklahoma and Fort Campbell, Kentucky, her family moved back to Minnesota.
Stacy currently lives in a suburb of St. Paul with her husband and her daughter. Her Catherine O'Brien mystery, A Grand Murder, is available from Before the Fall Books. Her second Catherine O'Brien mystery Murder is a Family Affair, will be released shortly. Stacy is hard at work on her third book in the series.
You can connect with her and find out more about her book at the following locations:
Visit Stacy on the web at www.StacyVerdickCase.com
Twitter @SVerdickCase
Please fill out the rafflecopter form below for a chance to win a copy of A Grand Murder!
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Girl Unmoored by Jennifer Gooch Hummer (Book Review)
Author: Jennifer Gooch Hummer
Publisher: Fiction Studio Books
First sentence: Jesus was in his underwear.
About the Book: Apron Bramhall has come unmoored. Fortunately, she's about to be saved by Jesus. Not that Jesus -- the actor who plays him in Jesus Christ Superstar. Apron is desperate to avoid the look-alike Mike, who's suddenly everywhere, until she's stuck in church with him one day. Then something happens -- Apron's broken heart blinks on for the first time since she's been adrift.
Mike and his boyfriend, Chad, offer her a summer job in their flower store, and Apron's world seems to calm. But when she uncovers Chad's secret, stormy seas return. Apron starts to see things the adults around her fail to -- like what love really means, and who is paying too much for it.
Apron has come unmoored, but now she'll need to take the helm if she's to get herself and those she loves to safe harbor.
My thoughts: Apron is just finishing up the seventh grade and has had a pretty rough year. Her mom passed away and her dad has started a relationship with Margie (or M, as Apron calls her). Margie is from Brazil and had been her mom's nurse, but now lives with Margie and her dad. She is on a work visa in the United States and Apron believes is looking for Mr. Right so that she will not have to leave. Meanwhile, that is all that Apron wants her to do -- leave.
To top it off, her best friend Rennie has decided that it is time for them to make other friends, so has pretty much abandoned her as well. Now M is pushing to get rid of The Boss, Apron's guinea pig! Before you can blink an eye, it is announced that she is pregnant and is marrying Apron's dad. She is not looking forward to summer having to be around M all the time!
As luck would have it, she is left in a church with her next door neighbor's nephew, who she had seen in the musical, Jesus Christ Superstar. Apron was there as it was her dad's wedding day and Mike was there with his partner Chad decorating for a wedding. Together they ran a flower store called Scents Appeal. They enlisted Apron to help with the decorations and it was the beginning of a great friendship. It also opened Apron up to a world in the 80's that not a lot of people had experience with. At 13, it was a lot to handle. I don't want to say any more about it, as I don't want to spill Chad's secret.
It was really a coming-of-age story for Apron, as she learned to deal with the different ways that you can love people and that sometimes you didn't have to do anything for someone to hate you. This was Jennifer's debut novel and I can't wait to see what she writes next. I definitely look forward to reading more of her work in the future.
You can find her online at www.jennifergoochhummer.com.
~I received a complimentary copy of this book from BookSparks in exchange for my unbiased review.~
Girl Unmoored
Publisher/Publication Date: Fiction Studio, March 2012
ISBN: 978-193655830-8
325 pages
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Until Next Time by Amy Lignor (Book Review)
Author: Amy Lignor
Publisher: Tribute Books
About the Book: How does a girl choose between the one who steals her heart and the one who owns her soul?
Matt and Emily were created for a specific job. Raised and trained as the ultimate angel/warrior team, they are sent down to save, defend, judge and forgive, depending on the 'life' they've been assigned. What they don't realize is that the power of human emotions, such as love, anger, passion and fear can take over even the best of souls, causing them to make mistakes and follow paths that lead to confusion and heartache.
When the reason for their training is finally revealed, the angel/warrior team find themselves thrust into a world they know nothing about. Matt takes over the life of Daniel, a young man with a great deal of baggage. Emily becomes Liz, a girl living in a remote village who relies on nothing more than her own strength to survive. A violent storm erupts one night, and framed in the window of Liz's establishment is a frightening face. Let in by the soul of a Good Samaritan, the two visitors bring with them a past full of secrets that could literally change an angel's path and a warrior's plans.
From murder to redemption, this angel/warrior team must find a way to keep the faith they have in each other in a world that's ripping them apart.
My thoughts: When I first started this book, I didn't think that I was going to like it. It starts with Emily and Matt in the author's view of Heaven engaging in a battle that was meant as both punishment and training. The whole Heaven scenario in the beginning just felt contrived and unrealistic.
But then we start to get a little more information as Emily starts to reread her and Matt's first story about their first journey down to earth. She becomes Liz and Matt becomes Daniel. They are 2 people living in 19th century Ireland and this is where I started to lose myself in the story.
I really liked Liz's character as well as that of her friend Faith. They were two strong, independent women who were not afraid to speak their minds. I am surprised that they hadn't gotten into more trouble than they had because of this quality. I think the fact that they lived in a small remote village, where the villagers had "adopted" them as their own daughters, that kept them safe.
While on Earth, Emily and Matt are not aware of their angelic lives. They know that there are things about them that are different, but do not know why. Emily goes back to her trainers in Heaven when she falls asleep, or sometimes passes out because she needs to speak with them. In Heaven, she is aware of the life she is leading on Earth as Liz, and brings back with her the conflict of emotions that Liz carries. She does not remember these visits when she awakens though sometimes she has memories that she believes are just dreams.
The book is told from Emily's viewpoint and we only know what is going on with Matt/Daniel as it relates to Emily/Liz. I believe there could be another whole book from his viewpoint.
This is the first book in the series and I can see how there could be many books taking you through out history and all over the world. At some point in the book it stated that for the most part, the souls that you are surrounded by are usually the same ones through out time -- or something to that effect. I would be interested to see how they all meet up again in other times.
~I received a complimentary e-copy of this book from Tribute Books in exchange for my unbiased review.
About the author: Amy Lignor began her career at Grey House Publishing in northwest Connecticut where she was the Editor-in-Chief of numerous educational and business directories.
Now she is a published author of several works of fiction. The Billy the Kid historical The Heart of a Legend; the thriller, Mind Made; and the adventure novel, Tallent & Lowery 13.
She is also the owner of The Write Companion, a company that offers help and support to writers through a full range of editorial services from proofreading and copyediting to ghostwriting and research. As the daughter of a research librarian, she is also an active book reviewer.
Currently, she lives with her daughter, mother and a rambunctious German Shepherd named Reuben, in the beautiful state of New Mexico.
You can connect with Amy at the following sites:
The Angel Chronicles web site:
http://www.the-angel-chronicles.com
The Angel Chronicles Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Angel-Chronicles/168932393209654
Until Next Time GoodReads page:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13319888-until-next-time
Amy Lignor's Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/alignor
Amy Lignor's Twitter:
https://twitter.com/#!/HelloWritersAmy
Amy Lignor's Website:
http://www.thewritecompanion.com/
Amy Lignor's Blog:
http://hellowriters.wordpress.com/
Amy Lignor's GoodReads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5222068
http://www.the-angel-chronicles.com
The Angel Chronicles Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Angel-Chronicles/168932393209654
Until Next Time GoodReads page:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13319888-until-next-time
Amy Lignor's Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/alignor
Amy Lignor's Twitter:
https://twitter.com/#!/HelloWritersAmy
Amy Lignor's Website:
http://www.thewritecompanion.com/
Amy Lignor's Blog:
http://hellowriters.wordpress.com/
Amy Lignor's GoodReads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5222068
Publisher/Publication Date: Tribute Books, Jan 24, 2012
ASIN: B0071LLL2M
221 pages
To purchase:
Monday, April 9, 2012
It's Monday! What are you reading?
What are you reading on Mondays is hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey - You can hook up with the Mr. Linky there with your own post - but be sure and let me know what you are reading too!
Currently reading:
Books I need to finish: (I decided to add a new category for those books that seem to languish from week to week!)
The Book of Lost Fragrances by M.J. Rose
Blood Orchids by Toby Neal
Girl Unmoored by Jennifer Gooch Hummer
A Grand Murder by Stacy Verdick Case
Bathroom Book:
The Killing Circle by Andrew Pyper
Books read and reviewed since last week:
Kids books read:
Until next week ---- Ready - Set - Read!
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