tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14922741543217647582024-03-13T08:23:51.239-07:00Miss Book LoversJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15965605222055840173noreply@blogger.comBlogger452125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1492274154321764758.post-36672429139090167802024-03-05T09:00:00.001-08:002024-03-05T09:00:00.248-08:00Permission To Dream<p> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikUjDJNf_4AraGzgmJwhPuf8Rw21z5COZ0zTjorbQPtWfbGErAVySHsR3_ihyi4j5_dosStkfiSO1jleThFWJyyUv5Uslqn9x-TlHjg1nGLW-QQzmiUT2DLTKMsKeYkrqZu6Fq27FZTnxr5TJIDrxh0WhPLOFfvDJYPuxROtHVg4DA5GkAPV3Gaf9GsUDK/s595/permission%20to%20dream.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="417" height="357" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikUjDJNf_4AraGzgmJwhPuf8Rw21z5COZ0zTjorbQPtWfbGErAVySHsR3_ihyi4j5_dosStkfiSO1jleThFWJyyUv5Uslqn9x-TlHjg1nGLW-QQzmiUT2DLTKMsKeYkrqZu6Fq27FZTnxr5TJIDrxh0WhPLOFfvDJYPuxROtHVg4DA5GkAPV3Gaf9GsUDK/w250-h357/permission%20to%20dream.webp" width="250" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Handlee;">Permission to Dream</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Handlee;">By: Christine Caine</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Handlee;">Genre: Christian Living, Christian Non-Fiction</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Handlee;">Summary:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Handlee;">Have you ever had a dream or a goal you really wanted to achieve? have you ever felt you've messed up too much to achieve something you set out to do? Have procrastinated something to the point you feel it's too late now to accomplish? Well, God and Christine Caine have a few things to tell you: It's Never Too Late. May the pages ahead shed new life into the dream or goal you once wanted. May the words within this book help you see that you aren't alone and you can still set out to accomplish what you stopped thinking you can.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Handlee;">You know that saying: Life is what happens when you're busy making plans? I relate to it sooooo much. When I was younger, I had dreams I dreamt with such passion. However, life, insecurity, doubt, etc got in my way. If outside situations didn't waylay my goals, I had no problem letting my inner critic do the job. Years would pass by until I finally hit that point where I felt too much time had gone by. It's too late for me. I've probably wasted to gift God gave me. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Handlee;">Well, this book was a great reminder that isn't the case. It's not too late. No matter what life throws at you, or what people have done to you, that goal/dream is still within your reach. Christine shares you the story of Favour whose own cousin sold her into prostitution and how, despite the nightmare she endured, she was able to heal enough to chase the dream she once had. You'll also read about Lori Ann's gut wrenching journey to have children. Repeated loss forced detours she hadn't planned, but they led her to her dream being achieved, though differently than she expected. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Handlee;">This book is packed with encouragement to still be what God called you to be or achieve what God put on your heart to achieve- NO MATTER WHAT STUMBLING BLOCKS OR DETOURS YOU ENCOUNTER. Many of us need this reminder. The dreams we once had can still be achieved. It isn't too late. We haven't wasted too much time. I hope you find as much encouragement as I did.</span></div><p></p>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15965605222055840173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1492274154321764758.post-425951375352664432024-03-05T09:00:00.000-08:002024-03-05T09:00:00.248-08:00The Berlin Letters<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ARF74Tvfra-HvmNBo59TI7TAJag4hJhVm8dhc1tnIuh5sN9LVv3a9l4F2EqmY2MWvPcq9-t8ugZUu_H-DqlbDiMXs5LgdOXLCZWTZvs__vGjAUqVbQGHxBd_8ay5LpvgDyFZmgGXnwNowpHzOyy_LIHBGlRp3obkFkUfCDeE2DQN7z0z6ZHs7yUazpFd/s595/the%20berlin%20letters.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="390" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ARF74Tvfra-HvmNBo59TI7TAJag4hJhVm8dhc1tnIuh5sN9LVv3a9l4F2EqmY2MWvPcq9-t8ugZUu_H-DqlbDiMXs5LgdOXLCZWTZvs__vGjAUqVbQGHxBd_8ay5LpvgDyFZmgGXnwNowpHzOyy_LIHBGlRp3obkFkUfCDeE2DQN7z0z6ZHs7yUazpFd/w235-h358/the%20berlin%20letters.webp" width="235" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">The Berlin Letters</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">By: Katherine Reay</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">Genre: Historical Fiction</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">Summary:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">August 1961 changed the life of Monica Voekler and her family. She planned on joining her parents and sister for lunch, but she's stopped by a barricade. One that arrives overnight and separates more than just parts of a city. The Berlin Wall changes history and the lives of the Voekler family. Sacrifices are made with devastating consequences. Lies that were once believed reveal their truth. Eyes that were blinded to the reality of the the wall are cruelly opened. Navigate the Berlin Wall with the Voeklers- from all angles- as it goes up, while it's up and the day it's torn down. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">Katherine Reay has quickly become one of my favorite historical fiction writers for good reason. <i>The Berlin Letters</i> has sealed her place among my favorite writers. I LOVED this book. So very much. I was gripped to the story. There were several times I thought I knew what was going to happen only to be proven wrong. I was captivated. I was enthralled. I was rooting for each character. I didn't want to put the book down. This book has found it's way onto my favorite books of all time list. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">Monica Voekler is a wife and mother in 1961. On this particular day she plans on joining her parents for breakfast. However, she finds a wired barricade stopping her from entering West Berlin. It doesn't take her long to realize the barricade has nefarious intentions. Nor does it take her long to realize she has to decide not just her future, but that of her 3 year old daughter, Luisa. As Monica watches events unfold at the barricade and the actions of the guards in charge of it, she knows the life she knew is over. The woman who set out to meet her family doesn't return home the same.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">Monica's husband, Haris, is a reporter for a local newspaper and a member of the Stasi party. He's heard rumblings of a barricade going up and is positive it's for good intentions and not meant to be permanent. He's the last of his family to see things for what they really are and he stands to lose everything he has left. However, in learning the truth, Haris fights for the truth to be known. He finds help in the last place he would've expected it ands sets out to educate the world beyond the wall of what life is like for those living behind it. He has no idea the words and secrets he passes on become known by more than the eyes he wrote them for. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">Luisa Voekler has been brought up by her Grandparents after her parents die in a car accident. Her Opa has died, so it's now just her, her Aunt and her Oma. Her family doesn't know that Luisa is one of a team who cracks WW2 and Third Reich codes and ciphers. When Luisa helps her coworker decode a set of letters from berlin, she notices small details like dots over paragraphs and an infinity symbol. The same symbol she's found on one of her Opa's envelopes. Thus begins the journey of uncovering secrets she has no clue of and no idea how deep they went.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">As Luisa discovers more letters with the symbol on them between her Opa and someone she long since thought she lost. Once she makes the connection of who her Opa exchanged letters with, she's on a race against time to rescue them from the hell they're in.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">I cannot tell you how much I loved this book. I'm not even remotely doing it justice here. Katherine Reay wrote a story that had me gripped to the very end. My heart broke over Monica's story. My heart felt despair over the path Haris found himself on and the consequences it had. I was shocked as Luisa learned the truth of her beloved Grandfather. By the time I read the last line, I had traveled all over the emotional map. This book was AMAZING!! Not only did you learn about the characters and all they endured, but you learned so much history. I haven't heard of any other book involving the Berlin Wall and Katherine did it perfectly. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">If you love historical fiction, you will be a fan of this book. You get a real and in depth look at what life was like during the years the Berlin Wall was up. I cannot rave about this book enough. Katherine Reay, thank you for telling the story of so many. Thank you for bringing to light the events many people know nothing about. </span></div><br /><p></p>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15965605222055840173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1492274154321764758.post-60245057513215006812024-02-13T09:30:00.000-08:002024-02-13T09:30:00.141-08:00Untangle Your Emotions<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJCoZOmvNDLjLHnmg4wR_WGEobFLSEUdAQCIx46gMXzi7GDRsetaZeQDk3SiEYtKbLMKX0WnvATfTPc2E7QRPMz-DmPJ3ul2uFNFthVeqw3f1gygVKM0vETakAkOcysbs9iTRUnOnzmoLQndrJmRCg-fGL63DOt3q3L96taLjLi73vyok1K9N500mSMnEx/s595/untangle%20your%20emotions.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="394" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJCoZOmvNDLjLHnmg4wR_WGEobFLSEUdAQCIx46gMXzi7GDRsetaZeQDk3SiEYtKbLMKX0WnvATfTPc2E7QRPMz-DmPJ3ul2uFNFthVeqw3f1gygVKM0vETakAkOcysbs9iTRUnOnzmoLQndrJmRCg-fGL63DOt3q3L96taLjLi73vyok1K9N500mSMnEx/w253-h382/untangle%20your%20emotions.webp" width="253" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">Untangle Your Emotions</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">By: Jennie Allen</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">Genre: Christian Non-Fiction, Christian Living</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">Summary:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">For many feeling your feelings is a hard thing to do. In this book, Jennie is going to show you how it's normal and healthy to feel your emotions- no matter what you've been led to believe. She'll share experiences from her own life that helped her realize feeling her feelings was an impactful breakthrough for her and many others. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">By Jennie's own admission, feeling her feelings wasn't something she always did. In fact, it wasn't until college that she even allowed herself to feel them over suppressing them. Add to that, the man she married was also of the camp that you didn't feel feelings, but buried them. As you read <i>Untangle Your Emotions</i>, Jennie shares how she, and many in her world, learned that it was healthy to feel the feelings they had. Not only was it healthy, but God blessed. She walks you through learning that God gave you your emotions with the intention to feel them- not deny them. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><i>Untangle Your Emotions</i> is a great source for those who, like Jennie, were not encouraged to feel their feelings. I know many who were brought up their whole lives with the belief that you buried emotions rather than dealt with them. They learned to think their way through life over feeling their way. And while that may be useful in certain situations, it's not a healthy and ideal way to go through your life. Many feel it's sinful to feel emotions. Jennie is going to address that and where the sin line lies and when we've crossed it. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">Jennie gets candid about her own family and their journey with emotions. From her, and her husband's, conceal don't feel mentality growing up to her own children's' struggle with emotions. She's going to give you tips of how to address them so they don't cause unnecessary stress or damage down the line. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">While I wasn't her target audience in that I wasn't someone who needed to learn it was okay to feel my emotions, I walked away with a better understanding for those who did. I have many in my own family with the buried it mentality. This book started several great, thought provoking conversations. For many within the church, and out of it, this book could be a great tool to help you realize that you are allowed to- and should- feel all the feelings you have. God not only felt His (as Jennie will show you), but He gives you the boundaries to feel them in a healthy, beneficial way. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15965605222055840173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1492274154321764758.post-87013399993556980222024-01-20T14:55:00.000-08:002024-01-20T14:55:26.460-08:00The Beautiful People<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1l-9iMED2y4lYyE9UDiRmcqcDFEbSd9GXGtYtsO5mmIl9l__5u-HyB_OEIDByUeOdY-wxP_U-ZNLqzRb8RMHRuqGIbxecGRnxtl-Px6TZEg9yXA3d4l4MVDJtzbjEfcztLVU1yiOahgdwic6qGdqlyrwhu_0nxTwE4nlENdxhC9HhIBmkznXLPzb_-lFI/s595/the%20beautiful%20people.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="396" height="373" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1l-9iMED2y4lYyE9UDiRmcqcDFEbSd9GXGtYtsO5mmIl9l__5u-HyB_OEIDByUeOdY-wxP_U-ZNLqzRb8RMHRuqGIbxecGRnxtl-Px6TZEg9yXA3d4l4MVDJtzbjEfcztLVU1yiOahgdwic6qGdqlyrwhu_0nxTwE4nlENdxhC9HhIBmkznXLPzb_-lFI/w248-h373/the%20beautiful%20people.jpg" width="248" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">The Beautiful People</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">By: Michelle Gable</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">Genre: Historical Fiction</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">Summary:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;"><i>The Beautiful People</i> transports you to Palm Beach Florida in 1961. You're going to hobnob with the famous people of the 1960s- the ones you read about in the newspapers. Be prepared to spend the next couple of years getting to know Peter and Lilly Pulitzer and a Vanderbilt. Get ready for the insanely lavish parties they throw and learn their secrets- whether you want to or not. And while you're jet setting around the world you just might discover a talent you never would've thought you could do. But be careful not to get too sucked into the madness where all that glitters isn't the gold it looked like from a distance. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">Margot, "GoGo" Hightower was expecting to get engaged to her well off boyfriend. It was going to be the end of the financial troubles her family has been enduring since her stepfather's federal indictment on securities fraud. However, she gets dumped instead leaving her with no plan- or money. Best friend, Dolly, comes to her rescue when she introduces Margot and the well know photographer, Slimbo "Slim" Aarons. Margot begins a new life as Slim's latest photography assistant. Now, she's jet setting around the world and claiming Palm Beach, Florida as her new homebase. Hobnobbing with the likes of Peter and Lilly Pulitzer expose her to the life she longs to be a part of. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">As Margot becomes friends with Peter and Lilly, she soon learns that not all love stories are as real as the story you make them out to be.. In time, she gets to know the key players of the Palm Beach society and their secrets. However, it doesn't come without her own entanglement with the very people she's been admiring. Once she starts seeing the not so shiny side of the wealthy, Margot realizes this isn't the world for her. But, now she's gotten herself entangled with the key players and doesn't know how she can get out. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">I enjoyed this book. It wasn't an action packed story, but rather very character focused. Michelle takes you along for the ride as Margot navigates the ins and outs of Palm Beach society. You see what Margot sees and learn as Margot does. As the story unfolds, you get to know Slim. He's known for going through assistants, but he connects with Margot. They form a bond that sneaks up on Margot. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">I especially loved all the real life information Michelle gives you about the characters you just read about. She directs you to where you can see the photographs that made Slimbo Aarons so famous. She tells you what happened to the people you got to know after you turned the last page. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the world of Palm Beach in the early 1960s- all the people, the extravagant parties they had and the daily life of the privileged. It was eye opening- and very far from what I've ever known. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">Pull up a chair. Grab a cozy blanket and get ready to travel back in time. Get to know people you may have only heard about. Enjoy your visit. I know I did.</span></div><p></p>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15965605222055840173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1492274154321764758.post-41003233653988774672024-01-16T09:00:00.000-08:002024-01-16T09:00:00.151-08:00Unstoppable<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_EjREP-QIPvdu4TeZlFmohKMli896lD1Qa5u-J7EibfGS4nWjq5Lq3jnJNmNxcUIGO4hvbHWGUXQXI_tcH3mSQZWdRj4QcJqh3T80B7HTirpeEl1uHxA7HvVuxEZxRgUugu4UcakUkiX9-0I85IEyz8YocXson2NvWOevOQ2cULeR27ybB75KBJmScYEG/s595/dirty%20thirty.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="394" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_EjREP-QIPvdu4TeZlFmohKMli896lD1Qa5u-J7EibfGS4nWjq5Lq3jnJNmNxcUIGO4hvbHWGUXQXI_tcH3mSQZWdRj4QcJqh3T80B7HTirpeEl1uHxA7HvVuxEZxRgUugu4UcakUkiX9-0I85IEyz8YocXson2NvWOevOQ2cULeR27ybB75KBJmScYEG/w242-h365/dirty%20thirty.webp" width="242" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Handlee;">Unstoppable</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Handlee;">By: Maggie Nichols</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Handlee;">Genre: Young Adult Non-Fiction</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Handlee;">Summary:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Handlee;">Maggie shares with you her career of being a highly acclaimed gymnast. She'll tell you the highs and struggles and how she overcame those struggles. She also is going to take you into her dark nightmare of dealing with assault from what should have been a trusted source for her- and hundreds of fellow gymnasts. </span><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Handlee;">Maggie tells you how the Special Olympics inspired her and influenced her personally and professionally. </span><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Handlee;">Read how she navigates it all and survives pivoting her career. </span><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Handlee;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Handlee;">Maggie was like many little girls- myself included- who was bitten by the gymnastics bug. Once she found it, she found her passion. However, it wasn't always a happy journey. She was plagued by injuries. She had setbacks that forced her to have to reevaluate her passion and how she was going to achieve the goals she set out to accomplish. Within the pages of <i>Unstoppable</i>, she shares with you what it was like and how she did it. Injuries are a blow to any athlete, but the recovery isn't always just a physical one. Athletes have to overcome the mental aspect of any physical injury that requires a break from their routine. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Handlee;"><i>Unstoppable</i> isn't just the telling of her career. Within it's pages, you're going to read some disturbing things that not only happened to Maggie, but too many of her fellow gymnasts. I've always known how disturbing the much acclaimed Karoli camp is. I've known how the athletes are treated there and the methods used to get the athletes into the "best condition for competition". I've never agreed with it and was angry with every story I read about it. Maggie shares hers with you and it will upset you. The way they altered her diet for the "better" and pushed her to the breaking point isn't uncommon to anyone who's walked the property. I had a hard time reading about what was overlooked and allowed for the sake of medals. This book reminds the reader that this facility is focused on winning at the expense of athletes' long term health. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Handlee;">The hardest parts to read within the book are those involving the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of Larry Nassar. Long before he was charged and sentenced for anything, the abuse occurred. Maggie is just one of the hundreds who came forward to tell their story. Maggie tells you how that came to be and how the process was for having him put behind bars. It's not an easy read to see how many trusted adults turned a blind eye or even covered up what was happening to the very athletes they should have been protecting. It was a victory I celebrated when it finally was done and it was a victory I celebrated as Maggie takes you on that journey.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Handlee;">I loved reading how her transition was into college gymnastics. I loved reading how she was treated by teammates and coaches. I loved how they became a family. I loved how they were able to comin in and undo the unhealthy eating and training habits instilled, in party, by the Karoli team. By the time you finish the last page of Maggie's book you will have read how she pursued her dream and overcame the nightmares she encountered along the way. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Handlee;"><i>Unstoppable</i> is a great book that any young adults could pull lessons from. She explains the technical aspects of gymnastics, so starting out gymnasts can have extra knowledge. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Maggie's story and I hope you do, as well.</span></div><p></p>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15965605222055840173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1492274154321764758.post-37274307517986528172023-10-31T09:00:00.001-07:002023-10-31T09:00:00.138-07:00Dirty Thirty<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQQdGdvIlHybTf9lXSdPg0JoSmYxIAzOEPqhH61kagcNBjWhmJutK5xfjzU4wGAIlpslqOvCzMmtmcoj9BtXtI6aZRJB5Y81i26q5URKvHlHZtXVmTe_zZ_71hcHg_0vmUdf_ko_aVm1YvzhMATqBPq133-ZSkWeWyYMBYFZnyDMe46DoxKaClpxcni3U/s595/dirty%20thirty.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="394" height="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQQdGdvIlHybTf9lXSdPg0JoSmYxIAzOEPqhH61kagcNBjWhmJutK5xfjzU4wGAIlpslqOvCzMmtmcoj9BtXtI6aZRJB5Y81i26q5URKvHlHZtXVmTe_zZ_71hcHg_0vmUdf_ko_aVm1YvzhMATqBPq133-ZSkWeWyYMBYFZnyDMe46DoxKaClpxcni3U/w233-h351/dirty%20thirty.webp" width="233" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Dirty Thirty</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">By: Janet Evanovich</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Genre: Mystery, Cozy Mystery</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Summary:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Stephanie Plum, Trenton’s hardest working, most underappreciated bounty hunter, is offered a freelance assignment that seems simple enough. Local jeweler Martin Rabner wants her to locate his former security guard, Andy Manley (a.k.a. Nutsy), who he is convinced stole a fortune in diamonds out of his safe. Stephanie is also looking for another troubled man, Duncan Dugan, a fugitive from justice arrested for robbing the same jewelry store on the same day.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; outline: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; outline: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">With her boyfriend Morelli away in Miami on police business, Stephanie is taking care of Bob, Morelli’s giant orange dog who will devour anything, from Stephanie’s stray donuts to the upholstery in her car. Morelli’s absence also means the inscrutable, irresistible security expert Ranger is front and center in Stephanie’s life when things inevitably go sideways. And he seems determined to stay there.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; outline: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; outline: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">To complicate matters, her best friend Lula is convinced she is being stalked by a mythological demon hell-bent on relieving her of her wardrobe. An overnight stakeout with Stephanie’s mother and Grandma Mazur reveals three generations of women with nerves of steel and driving skills worthy of NASCAR champions.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; outline: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; outline: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">As the body count rises and witnesses start to disappear, it won’t be easy for Stephanie to keep herself clean when everyone else is playing dirty. It’s a good thing Stephanie isn’t afraid of getting a little dirty, too.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">---bn.com</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><p><span style="font-family: Handlee;">In the act of full transparency, I haven't picked this series back up in awhile. 10+ books awhile. I found the series to be too formulaic for me. It almost seemed like a big version of Fill in the Blank. After over 12 books, Stephanie was stuck in the same triangle with her two guys. Nothing really changed of any substance. So, I was very curious to be see what things were like in Trenton, these days, for Stephanie.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Handlee;">My impressions for most of the book were that nothing had changed for Stephanie. In many ways I found that comforting. It was fun to visit characters I loved and having caught up with in awhile. Lula and Gran</span><span style="font-family: Handlee;">dma Mazur were still the go-to ones for funny lines. High jinks were still involved in Stephanie's captures. It was fun to chuckle and laugh at the hilarity of it all.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Handlee;">This installation, Stephanie is put on the case of Duncan Dugan who robbed a jewelry store. However, he has second thoughts as soon as he walks out the door and proceeds to drop the bag of diamonds on the ground before taking off. The book opens with him threatening to jump from the 4th floor of a building only to fall off it. He survives and leads Stephanie and Lula on a search mission for the missing jewels. Which then leads to other discoveries involving the store owner Martin Rabner.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Handlee;">Along the way to solving the case, Stephanie deals with a couple of fire bombs, checking out recently dug up dead bodies looking for a match and her Mom helping chase a suspect. Not to mention Lula being convinced she's being stalked by a demon Grendel. There's also a couple proposals waiting in the pages for you.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Handlee;">If you're in the market for a book that will have you giggling and laughing as you chase apprehensions, I recommend <i>Dirty Thirty. </i>There's nothing ground breaking in the story, but lots of fun. You see the long lasting triangle hint at a new shape in the future. This was a fun read.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15965605222055840173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1492274154321764758.post-16496920023626223292023-10-17T09:00:00.001-07:002023-10-17T09:00:00.147-07:00The Ins and Outs of In and Out Burger<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgStWeBqOfc0Un0dgXlPpAOIZOchK0P3nAaqr4Pt1Qi_mwfKXouD7sEVSDQ7EJhg85bQvwyziQ5v0DyvUk-v2ct3hkrrCS-d7e35vnUnOKHXoBfEikQk4TgKm_rULn7L3FoC0rRGVlOrqNtw0ko1Hzve1Lj9v6c9Wy7NONlhuATfGZhRXYlXYu4sSiqC7ln/s595/in%20&%20out.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="388" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgStWeBqOfc0Un0dgXlPpAOIZOchK0P3nAaqr4Pt1Qi_mwfKXouD7sEVSDQ7EJhg85bQvwyziQ5v0DyvUk-v2ct3hkrrCS-d7e35vnUnOKHXoBfEikQk4TgKm_rULn7L3FoC0rRGVlOrqNtw0ko1Hzve1Lj9v6c9Wy7NONlhuATfGZhRXYlXYu4sSiqC7ln/w236-h361/in%20&%20out.webp" width="236" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Handlee;">The Ins and Outs of In and Out Burger</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Handlee;">By: Lynsi Snyder</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Handlee;">Genre: Non-Fiction</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Handlee;">Summary:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Handlee;">Read the story of how the legendary business was started and grew to the level it currently is. Hear how and why certain traditions came to be. Read stories from former employees. Learn the good and bad of the key players of this business. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Handlee;">For most West Coast residents, In & Out is a staple- especially in California. You've just landed at the airport, where do you go to eat? Many choose In & Out. My husband always does. To many, nothing says home like eating a burger from their favorite fast food place- In & Out. So, to read how this little business became the legend it is was a story I couldn't pass up. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Handlee;">I loved learning how In & Out originally started. I loved reading how the founders put quality ahead of everything. They were willing to get up every morning to hit the farmers market for the freshest produce to serve their customers. I loved hearing how many decisions made then were made. Not to mention how they're still in effect today.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Handlee;">And while hearing the founding of this company was enjoyable, hearing the personal struggles along the way brought a dose of reality to the book. Key players became more human when you learned how imperfect they were and the struggles they battled on a daily basis. Each CEO brought their own unique methods that made a successful business even more so, they each also had their own demons to face. Lynsi doesn't shy away from revealing the dark side of addiction, abuse and depression. Each CEO blessed the company, but those blessings came with a cost.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Handlee;">Fans of the beloved burger joint will love reading the successes and achievements. I learned that one of my local In & Outs holds a "first" distinction. They will love the history and pride that was a building block within each restaurant. They will love learning how the arrow and crossed palm trees came to be. They'll love learning how the secret menus items were created. They'll get to read how one little drive thru became a legendary business globally known. One that still holds to the founding traditions today that it opened with on that first day. </span></div><br /><p></p>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15965605222055840173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1492274154321764758.post-32975697425177683112023-09-05T09:00:00.001-07:002023-09-05T09:00:00.147-07:00A Beautiful Rival<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP1BV3O9poYxCQMym9bxwT84zX-g8vdGrEwVyFQw7WnzWvPmPbLziYpzALiM8F5sLZKEoNwCz2SJr5YQeOChlQ90baVCbGU3DdhiIkc8lJEPoSYinK1uSDoQ4nYk23ZXFzwA30pbAMgUZnMn0SOwlM2aZ13ej9C2YSWuq2h_0fKmN5qMNQiPHzvJLkrgmP/s289/a%20beautiful%20rival.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="289" data-original-width="192" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP1BV3O9poYxCQMym9bxwT84zX-g8vdGrEwVyFQw7WnzWvPmPbLziYpzALiM8F5sLZKEoNwCz2SJr5YQeOChlQ90baVCbGU3DdhiIkc8lJEPoSYinK1uSDoQ4nYk23ZXFzwA30pbAMgUZnMn0SOwlM2aZ13ej9C2YSWuq2h_0fKmN5qMNQiPHzvJLkrgmP/w211-h317/a%20beautiful%20rival.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">A Beautiful Rival</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">By: Gill Paul</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">Genre: Historical Fiction</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">Summary:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">Elizabeth Arden has been happily dominating the United States beauty scene. Life is good-- until rival Helena Rubenstein shows up to give her a run for her money. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">The plot of this book intrigued me. It sounded so fun and it was! I have heard of Elizabeth Arden, though I know next to nothing about her. I had not heard of Helena Rubenstein. If you haven't heard of these powerhouses, no need to fear. Put yourself in Gill Paul's hands and let the story introduce you.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">Elizabeth doesn't take kindly to the arrival of Helena on her turf. Why couldn't she stay in Europe where she's enjoyed success. Why does she need to expand to the US?! Instantly, Elizabeth does whatever she can to undermine anything Helena sets out to do. It doesn't take long for a full on battle to be declared between these two. Each taking turns playing dirty. They take shots at each other in the press, they undermine each other's successes while trying to outdo the other. As the years go by, the levels they stoop to only increase. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">It was fascinating to read. Elizabeth was a hard character for me to respect and even like. She was incredibly controlling and domineering. She would throw outrageous tantrums when things didn't go the way she wanted them to. She wasn't very likeable for me, overall. However, a lot of that can be chalked up to her poor youth. Her early years definitely shaped her success and her desperation to hold on to it at any, and all, costs.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">I really liked Helena. As I read the book, I felt she handled herself with far more dignity and respect. She was admirable in her business dealings. You watched her make level-headed decisions for her company that paid off. She wasn't one to yell or fly off the handle. However, she wasn't above getting her hands dirty when it came to Elizabeth. She just carried herself more reservedly that Elizabeth did.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">As the years past, the gloves came off more. The race to own more salons intensified, as did what they would do to succeed over the other. Both dealt their opponent low blows. Both played dirty. Neither came off as innocent in their business dealings. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">I don't know how accurate Gill Paul's portrayals were of these ladies. I got the impression that she was able to put a lot of her own imagination and creativity into the story, which I loved. I felt bad when each hit the other a little too close to home. Their ultimate confrontation was from the creative genius of the author, but I felt it was true to the characters she had written. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to more Gill Paul books. </span></div><p></p>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15965605222055840173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1492274154321764758.post-60208594693810878332023-07-11T09:00:00.001-07:002023-07-11T09:00:00.140-07:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmtdQKXRAORkbucPa1v02-Dsn9EaRjEiVXljJ7bgtWMfZizGasQq8QOiR24t1YUD_sRxKq2hAA9ctMENO3uE4KErN03hhALreOY34lCPSXV7pP2hk2qlxp_MTIBnI1ksDZg8eIaj6qSTZJ6QMT1OoLfnfhCDI1fpMg2Zz97xQL-Kw9jWHcBMsg26uExA/s595/air%20raid%20book%20club.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="395" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmtdQKXRAORkbucPa1v02-Dsn9EaRjEiVXljJ7bgtWMfZizGasQq8QOiR24t1YUD_sRxKq2hAA9ctMENO3uE4KErN03hhALreOY34lCPSXV7pP2hk2qlxp_MTIBnI1ksDZg8eIaj6qSTZJ6QMT1OoLfnfhCDI1fpMg2Zz97xQL-Kw9jWHcBMsg26uExA/w246-h371/air%20raid%20book%20club.webp" width="246" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">The Air Raid Book Club</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">By: Annie Lyons</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">Genre: Historical Fiction</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">Summary:</span></div><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">London, 1938: The bookstore just doesn’t feel the same to Gertie Bingham ever since the death of her beloved husband Harry. Bingham Books was a dream they shared together, and without Harry, Gertie wonders if it’s time to take her faithful old lab, Hemingway, and retire to the seaside. But fate has other plans for Gertie.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">In Germany, Hitler is on the rise, and Jewish families are making the heart-wrenching decision to send their children away from the growing turmoil. After a nudge from her dear friend Charles, Gertie decides to take in one of these refugees, a headstrong teenage girl named Hedy. Willful and fearless, Hedy reminds Gertie of herself at the same age, and shows her that she can’t give up just yet. With the terrible threat of war on the horizon, the world needs people like Gertie Bingham and her bookshop.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">When the Blitz begins and bombs whistle overhead, Gertie and Hedy come up with the idea to start an air raid book club. Together with neighbors and bookstore customers, they hold lively discussions of everything from <em style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">Winnie the Pooh</em> to <em style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">Wuthering Heights. </em>After all, a good book can do wonders to bolster people’s spirits, even in the most trying times.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">But even the best book can only provide a temporary escape, and as the tragic reality of the war hits home, the book club faces unimaginable losses. They will need all the strength of their stories and the bonds they’ve formed to see them through to brighter days. ---bn.com</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">This is my first book from Annie Lyons, but it won't be my last. I didn't know what to expect when I opened the pages, but I'm so glad I did. For being under 400 pages, Annie packs so much into her story. She gives you the good and the bad, the highs and the lows of life during war. </span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">Gertie is still mourning the loss of her beloved husband, Harry, who she lost 2 years prior. Having met in her father's bookstore, they went on to open their own: Bringham Books. It becomes a local gem and they grow close to their neighbors and customers. Everywhere she looks within it's walls, Gertie feels the loss of him. Just as she's made the decision to sell the store and move elsewhere, World War 2 is declared and life changes. </span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">When London becomes a target area, Gertie forms a book club to distract from the dropping bombs. A book is assigned each month and discussions are had about it in the bomb shelters. When a neighbor of Gertie's moves next door with her little son, she makes a children's book club for him. Bit by bit, the community becomes more tight knit. </span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">Gertie's life is forever changed when her good friend, Charlie, asks if she would be interested in taking on a refugee from Germany. Being half Jewish, this child is being sent to London for her safety, with her family planning on joining her as soon as they can. Gertie has no idea what she's in for when she picks up Hedy Fischer, 15, from the train station. After a rough start, they begin to bond and grow close. In time, Hedy becomes the daughter Gertie never had. Gertie becomes Hedy's biggest fighter/supporter. During the course of the war, they fill the void left empty in the other's life. </span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">I loved watching the community form into a family. The romances that formed, the friendships that grew out of the most unlikely of people. Under the most devastating times, these people helped each other through the nightmare. They held each other when heartbreaking news found it's way to their doors. They celebrated the good moments. Cried tears of loss and joy together. Lives were forever changed as they navigated the war together. </span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">Annie Lyons wrote an amazingly touching story that hasn't left me once I finished the last page. She didn't gloss over the heartbreak that comes with war- she puts her characters through what really goes on during war. By the time you finish the book, you will have traveled the emotional map. You experience the good, the bad, the highs, the lows, the love and loss each of the characters did in the course of the book. It was well written and told beautifully. </span></p></div>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15965605222055840173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1492274154321764758.post-26741134512858845072023-06-19T11:57:00.002-07:002023-06-19T11:57:07.215-07:00Songs of Wine and Murder<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3mKk2rEGgpbm8b3da4k_FqnpGCcpuMqAeEUFQ-5aJ5qMRPoBPFGLB-bF-N4VI9av7YBO0ZqalYYoqO1zQWaBNDgm9gX3mU6lyAq5wVLZ5w_df8F0gEPEbOUTFekpp1s9emBtRA-el_MwKxlswvFi031Zl9fgpFCo0av7Rmo0y5BJWzBKzYspECx8-RiZk/s595/songs%20of%20wine%20and%20murder.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="385" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3mKk2rEGgpbm8b3da4k_FqnpGCcpuMqAeEUFQ-5aJ5qMRPoBPFGLB-bF-N4VI9av7YBO0ZqalYYoqO1zQWaBNDgm9gX3mU6lyAq5wVLZ5w_df8F0gEPEbOUTFekpp1s9emBtRA-el_MwKxlswvFi031Zl9fgpFCo0av7Rmo0y5BJWzBKzYspECx8-RiZk/w234-h362/songs%20of%20wine%20and%20murder.webp" width="234" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">Songs of Wine and Murder</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">By: Lynn Cahoon</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">Genre: Mystery, Cozy Mystery</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">Summary:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">A battle of the bands festival has come to South Cove and it not only brings murder with it, but it also uncovers secrets. The Moonstone Beach and Band Blowout Festival becomes the backdrop for things not always being as they appear. Who dies? Who did it? Why? </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">Lynn Cahoon doesn't just bring you number 15 in her Tourist Trap Mystery Series, but she also gives you a fitting welcome to summer. Overall, I felt like this book was the perfect opener of a new season. Not only am I welcoming the summer weather where I live, but so is South Cove. So, it was nice to visit some of my favorite characters as summer starts.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">Engaged couple Jill and Greg sprinkle in the wedding talk throughout the book, but it all takes a back seat when Axel, the lead singer for one the bands competing is found dead- choked to death with a guitar string. It doesn't take long for talk to start, and with talk comes secrets that get revealed. Was Hans, another member of a competing band responsible? Hans just so happens to be the nephew of the Mayor's wife. Were strings pulled to get his band this far? He doesn't leave the best of impressions with his behavior, but is he the one who killed Axel? </span><span style="font-family: Handlee;">Fingers start flying at more than one band member as the investigation unfolds- including some pointing in the direction of Jill's friend, Matt.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">Meanwhile, at the bookstore, Jill has hired a new overflow employee. While she's amazing at her job, she has a connection to longtime employee, Toby. While he remembers her as his first love, and the one who broke his heart, she doesn't remember him at all. Why is that? </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">Readers of <i>Songs of Wine and Murder </i>are in for a delightful, lighthearted visit to their beloved beach town. So, pull up your beach/pool chair and catch some rays while you catch up on the latest happenings in South Cove.</span></div><p></p>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15965605222055840173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1492274154321764758.post-22152603452476453422023-06-13T09:00:00.003-07:002023-06-13T09:00:00.563-07:00The Spectacular<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPbnfco8LzNc6X-4r7OK72zROe5tnI_NFCiED8TfcCWTVae_AJtwiouYLjU0onWOGI4TDbum6pyLpiYKxG_TYF8adQU10fKoErMeKRMLuTFKwhxuboeq33dddCnyvCs4HuGMLiJa_lZsc8Htt_b8pEiGK_VWxRwWBVhsQaRCboITklOYXyHjZNGXA_GA/s595/The%20Spectacular.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="394" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPbnfco8LzNc6X-4r7OK72zROe5tnI_NFCiED8TfcCWTVae_AJtwiouYLjU0onWOGI4TDbum6pyLpiYKxG_TYF8adQU10fKoErMeKRMLuTFKwhxuboeq33dddCnyvCs4HuGMLiJa_lZsc8Htt_b8pEiGK_VWxRwWBVhsQaRCboITklOYXyHjZNGXA_GA/w241-h364/The%20Spectacular.webp" width="241" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Handlee;">The Spectacular</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Handlee;">By: Fiona Davis</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Handlee;">Genre: Historical Fiction</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Handlee;">Summary:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Handlee;"><span style="background-color: white;">New York City, 1956: Nineteen-year-old Marion Brooks knows she should be happy. Her high school sweetheart is about to propose and sweep her off to the life everyone has always expected they’d have together: a quiet house in the suburbs, Marion staying home to raise their future children. But instead, Marion finds herself feeling trapped. So when she comes across an opportunity to audition for the famous Radio City Rockettes—the glamorous precision-dancing troupe—she jumps at the chance to exchange her predictable future for the dazzling life of a performer. </span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Meanwhile, the city is reeling from a string of bombings orchestrated by a person the press has nicknamed the “Big Apple Bomber,” who has been terrorizing the citizens of New York for sixteen years by planting bombs in popular, crowded spaces. With the public in an uproar over the lack of any real leads after a yearslong manhunt, the police turn in desperation to Peter Griggs, a young doctor at a local mental hospital who espouses a radical new technique: psychological profiling. </span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white;">As both Marion and Peter find themselves unexpectedly pulled in to the police search for the bomber, Marion realizes that as much as she’s been training herself to blend in—performing in perfect unison with all the other identical Rockettes—if she hopes to catch the bomber, she’ll need to stand out and take a terrifying risk. In doing so, she may be forced to sacrifice everything she’s worked for, as well as the people she loves the most. --bn.com</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">Fiona Davis is one of those authors where I can go into the book blindly and know I won't </span><span style="font-family: Handlee;">be disappointed. One of those authors who's book release you anxiously count the days down to. She's the auto buy you clear your calendar for the minute you get your hands on it. In my case, you stay up far too late into the night because you couldn't stop reading. That's how it's been for me with all of her books and her latest, <i>The Spectacular</i>, was no exception. Once again, I was putty in her hands and loved every minute of the story she told.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><i style="font-family: Handlee;">The Spectacular</i><span style="font-family: Handlee;"> centers around Marion Brooks. Our main character has come of age in the 1950s. She's always felt like an outsider with her father and sister, Judy. Life after their mother's death was never the same. Judy took after their father, while Marion inherited her mother's love of performing. However, Marion's dream and that of her father's couldn't be more different. He has visions of her getting married to her high school boyfriend, Nathaniel, who will work alongside her dad. Her father envisions them all living under the same roof. Nowhere in her father's vision is Marion a Rockette. And when she dares to live out her dream, he refuses to support her. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Handlee;">On top of the grueling work, Marion finds out just how hard it is to achieve the illusion audiences look forward to seeing. While her father has next to nothing to do with her, she makes friends with some of the dancers. Life for everyone is brought to a screeching halt when the Big Apple Bomber sits next to Marion's sister for a performance. From the stage, Marion watches the devastation unleashed when a bomb her planted in a seat goes off. Marion's dream has now become a nightmare she blames herself for.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Handlee;">When the police don't seem to make any head way, Marion enlists the help of Peter, a doctor one of the city's mental hospitals. He's created something called a psychological profile- the first of it's kind. Based on information he's given, he's able to give the police a better understanding of who they've been trying to apprehend for 16 years. When they get a less than welcoming reaction from the authorities, Peter and Marion look for their guy on their own. But can they find him? And can they do it before anyone else gets hurt?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Handlee;">Once I started <i>The Spectacular</i> I was hooked. I loved every minute of the story. I loved seeing Marion choose to live the life she wants verses the life her father things she should have. I loved watching her come into her own as she navigated the unrelenting pressure that comes with being a Rockette. I especially loved all the behind the scenes history Fiona wove into the story. Watching Peter shape who the bomber would be was incredible. Watching he and Marion hunt their guy down was engrossing. Mostly, I loved seeing how seamlessly Fiona Davis has, yet again, woven fact with fiction.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Handlee;">If you love historical fiction, Fiona Davis is an author you want to read. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Lato, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><br /><p></p>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15965605222055840173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1492274154321764758.post-15524302376558343502023-06-13T09:00:00.001-07:002023-06-13T09:00:00.563-07:00A Shadow in Moscow<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDFuqFwfijyDBteiNeouX0X900AjzIlYPlrW8ZQjC226UZ9_-MNP7NkMgQ5bva5xHLr2oAQeK6dXRbEqPiyMSrAfhF2vq_Rj47FO5oB6s57U8NjH1gVf_5oblvOI4CpktNu5UJr3282auq7KMK2M5CJBZ4rOdDFcAK8IAAB-zCf7K0IPTxxDooDI5ejQ/s595/shadow%20in%20moscow.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="390" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDFuqFwfijyDBteiNeouX0X900AjzIlYPlrW8ZQjC226UZ9_-MNP7NkMgQ5bva5xHLr2oAQeK6dXRbEqPiyMSrAfhF2vq_Rj47FO5oB6s57U8NjH1gVf_5oblvOI4CpktNu5UJr3282auq7KMK2M5CJBZ4rOdDFcAK8IAAB-zCf7K0IPTxxDooDI5ejQ/w246-h376/shadow%20in%20moscow.webp" width="246" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">A Shadow in Moscow</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">By: Katherine Reay</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Genre: Historical Fiction</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Summary:</span></div><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Vienna, 1954</span></em></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">After losing everyone she loves in the final days of World War II, Ingrid Bauer agrees to a hasty marriage with a gentle Soviet embassy worker and follows him home to Moscow. But nothing deep within the Soviet Union’s totalitarian regime is what it seems, including her new husband, whom Ingrid suspects works for the KGB. Upon her daughter’s birth, Ingrid risks everything and reaches out in hope to the one country she understands and trusts—Britain, the country of her mother’s birth—and starts passing along intelligence to MI6, navigating a world of secrets and lies, light and shadow.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">Washington</em><em style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">,</em><em style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"> DC</em><em style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">,</em><em style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"> 1980</em></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Part of the Foreign Studies Initiative, Anya Kadinova finishes her degree at Georgetown University and boards her flight home to Moscow, leaving behind the man she loves and a country she’s grown to respect. Though raised by dedicated and loyal Soviet parents, Anya soon questions an increasingly oppressive and paranoid Soviet regime at the height of the Cold War. When the KGB murders her best friend, Anya picks sides and contacts the CIA. Working in a military research lab, Anya passes along Soviet military plans and schematics in an effort to end the 1980s arms race. --bn.com</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">*** I was very fortunate to receive a complimentary copy of this book and all opinions in this review are completely my own. ***</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span></p></div><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">The only way to start my review is to say, "WOW!" For so much of this book, I felt right there in the scenes. Katherine does a phenomenal job of describing the scene and giving you details that make you feel you're right there- in the middle of everything with the characters. The details she included with the undercover work and spy maneuvers just made the story leap off the pages!! I felt the suspense the characters felt and the tension, too. This story was incredible. Her research was impeccable and brought the story she created to life.</span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">Ingrid is a dynamic character. Her story engrossed me from the very beginning. Her storyline started off with secrets and pretty much stayed that way throughout the whole book. In fact, she doesn't understand for years why her father is dragged from their family home and beaten. She learns later her mother was pushed down stairs and died in the same attack. She had no idea the truth of what her parents were doing, nor who they were. Once the truth is revealed to her, her life is forever changed. </span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">Her parents' legacy comes into play once Ingrid is married and about to have her daughter. A hasty marriage doesn't live out as she thought it would and she decides she wants better for her daughter. This involves secrets, spying, sharing political information against the Soviet Union. The very government her husband is devoted to. Years of dinner parties and being the perfect hostess give her access to conversations she would later relay to the British. Over the years, she becomes legendary. So much so, in fact, that only people know who she is.</span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">Anya is given the rare opportunity to leave Moscow and study in the U.S. for a few years. There, she's exposed to an entirely different way of life. One that has hope, options, freedom. She can't unknow what she now knows once she comes back to Moscow. Suddenly, the differences between the U.S. and Russia are all she sees. Anya makes a firm choice of where her loyalty lies when she's informed the Dmitri is dead. While everyone says he was mugged and killed, Anya fears something is off. Shortly after, she notifies a man she met through a college professor in the U.S. and begins to spy for them. </span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">This story was so action packed. No chapter was without a purpose in driving the story along. My only complaint was that it felt the first half of the book unfolded in a slow pace. Lots was happening, but it felt like it was taking awhile to get it going. For example, Ingrid doesn't even get married until 80+ pages in. Based on the book summary, that was what catapults her into spying, so I expected it to happen sooner than it did. Dmitri's death (the catapult for Anya's spying) doesn't happen until pages 139. I wasn't expecting these key events to happen so late in the story. </span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">However, once the ball got rolling you were rolling. You were glued. You wanted to see how each operation would go. Would Anya get caught? Would Ingrid? Seeing everything come to a head and unfold from there was intense and I couldn't wait to see how the book would end.</span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">Thank you, Katherine Reay, for another amazing book. You captivated me with the story you wrote. I was torn between wanting to know what would happen next to not wanting the story to end.</span></p>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15965605222055840173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1492274154321764758.post-5112178431447687242023-04-18T09:00:00.002-07:002023-04-18T09:00:00.242-07:00The Audrey Hepburn Estate<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPEUcDADZjxQ3E0qrD--IJLpAj6Y1vK5L8eqmzdlwY4eXJ9Xd3CDekE0uyKBio7qc7FrL9Fym0FRSrZMICyG8dry2eyuTmP_eBpGT9Nz3L7r1Nc0t1m1W4cab5muha6hvGZ4fwAhsrLtPaQXmYNlvymk5FevYvbzxKCKsGpI36XrLeAWc6aCtW3g0YMA/s595/Audrey%20hepburn%20Estate.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="396" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPEUcDADZjxQ3E0qrD--IJLpAj6Y1vK5L8eqmzdlwY4eXJ9Xd3CDekE0uyKBio7qc7FrL9Fym0FRSrZMICyG8dry2eyuTmP_eBpGT9Nz3L7r1Nc0t1m1W4cab5muha6hvGZ4fwAhsrLtPaQXmYNlvymk5FevYvbzxKCKsGpI36XrLeAWc6aCtW3g0YMA/w251-h377/Audrey%20hepburn%20Estate.webp" width="251" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">The Audrey Hepburn Estate</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">By: Brenda Janowitz</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">Genre: Historical Fiction</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">Summary:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">Emma Jansen grew up on the Rolling Hill Estate. Rumored to be the inspiration for a beloved movie, the walls hold more than Emma bargained with when she comes back hoping to prevent it from being demolished. Emma revisits the house- which holds life altering secrets. She also revisits her two best friends and the complicated dynamic the three shared. There's a lot Emma didn't know- and she's about to find it all out. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">Brenda Janowitz has done it again!! Once again, she's crafted a story you get lost it. She's created characters and storylines with them that you can't put down. <i>The Audrey Hepburn Estate</i> is a prime example of what I love about historical fiction. Brenda takes a subject you think you're pretty knowledgeable in and introduces you to things you never knew about it. She's so gifted at telling a story from an angle you wouldn't normally think about. She's so talented at writing a plot that you don't want to put down. And just when you think you have a lock on what's going on, she throws a plot twist to throw everything you thought out the window. I stayed up WAY past my bedtime because I didn't want to stop reading her words. I was hooked! I was torn between wanting to see what happened next and not wanting the book to end. I loved every bit of this book! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">Emma grew up on the grounds of Rolling Hills. While she may have been the maid's daughter, she was best friends with the estate owner's grandson. She and Henry later add Leo to the mix when his father becomes Felix's (Henry's Grandfather/estate owner) driver. As you can imagine, the dynamic evolves over the years- in different ways. While hearts are falling in love and getting broken, secrets are being suspected. Is Felix who they think he is? How did the beloved chef really die? Why is Mila, Emma's mother, spending so much time with Felix? Assumptions are made, but it'll be decades before the truth behind them is uncovered.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">Now adults, Leo is the owner of a company who has bought the Rolling Hill estate- in all it's disrepair. Emma comes back hoping to stop him from tearing it down. The course of this mission gets the three of them back together- and some dynamics die hard. Will there be a happier ending this time? </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">However, the past collides with the present when secrets are uncovered as the house is torn down. A subbasement holds far more than the shock of it's existence. What is found within these hidden walls changes the lives of these three forever. The truth is nothing like what Emma had once thought it was. It's far worse. Her life is never the same once the truth comes out.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">If you love historical fiction, I cannot recommend <i>The Audrey Hepburn Estate</i> enough. Little Audrey Hepburn references are planted throughout the book, but the story itself was nothing short of amazing. I loved it. I couldn't put it down. I devoured it. I loved how Brenda crafted a story that taught me history I never knew prior to her book. Those are my favorite historical fiction books to read! It's what I love most about the genre. The direction she took is one I don't read very often- if ever. It's so deserving of a story to be told and she brings it to you out of nowhere!! </span></div><br /><p></p>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15965605222055840173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1492274154321764758.post-8017403875392104842023-03-28T09:00:00.005-07:002023-03-28T09:00:00.444-07:00The Quarantine Princess Diaries <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM-DeJX9pHGl5Sll95GG35CqOFTMqmN73gzo-nzNAVhyu_tz0JeSWJrQ4PthvtBJ2PRt9gfR1-g_AnUtpVwcDpnfVxeN2eEJ1Fy8Ka0FwnQV-mW1yWAWmbzjePJd3OAcuAcPedTDY7TMMZXCJb94vWtDZVkivoaSqamWDcwZzDZ_o19nn9qfnYfBtebw/s595/quarantine%20princess%20diaries.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="377" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM-DeJX9pHGl5Sll95GG35CqOFTMqmN73gzo-nzNAVhyu_tz0JeSWJrQ4PthvtBJ2PRt9gfR1-g_AnUtpVwcDpnfVxeN2eEJ1Fy8Ka0FwnQV-mW1yWAWmbzjePJd3OAcuAcPedTDY7TMMZXCJb94vWtDZVkivoaSqamWDcwZzDZ_o19nn9qfnYfBtebw/s320/quarantine%20princess%20diaries.jpg" width="203" /></span></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Handlee;">The Quarantine Princess Diaries</span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">By: Meg Cabot</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">Genre: Young Adult, Teen</span> </p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">Summary:</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">As the world battles COVID, so does Genovia. Princess Mia has to not only guide her country through a pandemic (with opposition as close to under her own roof), but she also has to deal with her family at the same time. How does she do it? How does everyone handle it all? Thankfully, Mia kept a diary for us to find out. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">I have to be honest- this is my first Princess Diaries book. I know it's far into the established series, but I haven't read any of them. I've seen the movies, but haven't read the books. However, I couldn't resist this one. I was so curious to see how Princess Mia handles a pandemic and what it would look like in Genovia. So, I dove right in- having missed quite a book from previous books in the series. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">I'm glad I did. Overall, I have to say that I enjoyed the book. There was so much I didn't know- for example, Princess Mia is a married mother now! I worried jumping in so late in the series would l eave me confused, but it didn't. Meg Cabot writes a delightful story and in a way that anyone could follow along to. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">Cabot starts you off at the beginning of COVID, so there's no surprise when a family member to Mia has to spend 2 weeks in a separate room because of a possible exposure to the virus. As her country's leader, Mia looks for how to guide the citizens through this extraordinary time. She finds guidance in a book on The Great Influenza of 1918. That and wine. Lots of wine. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">While she takes the same protective measures against the virus the rest of the world does, Princess Mia has to deal with critics- as the rest of the world had to. She just may not have expected them to be from her own family. Grandma, for one, is not in support of the lockdowns as it puts a damper on her partying ways. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">As Mia's diary continues to document the battle against the virus, it also documents her Grandma's new friends and new fiancé. As well as Mia's Cousin Ivan's not so rational reaction to precautions to stop the spread. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">It was fun to revisit Genovia and see what everyone was up to. My favorite character had to be Grandma. Who knew she'd be such a partier?! Her storyline kept you giggling from start to finish. It was weird to see Mia as an adult in her 30s. She's a wife now. She's a mom now. She really likes her wine now. It was fun to relive the pandemic though this lens. Much more fun than when I lived it in real time without a party animal Grandma to entertain me. I think longstanding readers of the series will enjoy this installment. It's a quick, lighthearted read. I just may have to start from the beginning of the series now. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15965605222055840173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1492274154321764758.post-32496329696655825972023-03-23T19:32:00.003-07:002023-03-23T19:32:39.023-07:00My Jesus<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSn6nlZ31cVIHTLMxn4CNOOuQVPXvx1OCsDyNKptnCis3eZiYfk8TA4hpcKqP34fxRoJxxmbCjudmKa1zg14w9qQc1djf193GP8-_4HHCUp1jN5s765FknmvWIJKqmrolFxmfU1aPj70SinT8Gj4R4_JUyXLMPQSY0wIpKherjikCNp65H-j9sl-xoiw/s595/My%20Jesus.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="390" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSn6nlZ31cVIHTLMxn4CNOOuQVPXvx1OCsDyNKptnCis3eZiYfk8TA4hpcKqP34fxRoJxxmbCjudmKa1zg14w9qQc1djf193GP8-_4HHCUp1jN5s765FknmvWIJKqmrolFxmfU1aPj70SinT8Gj4R4_JUyXLMPQSY0wIpKherjikCNp65H-j9sl-xoiw/s320/My%20Jesus.webp" width="210" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Handlee;">My Jesus</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Handlee;">By: Anne Wilson</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Handlee;">Genre: Memoirs/Christian Non-Fiction</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Handlee;">Summary:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Handlee;">Anne shares with you the loving family she has- sharing fun memories they've all made over the years. But, she also shares with you the devastating heartbreak her family has had to recover from. And through it all, she shares how Jesus was the loving force that got them all through. True to His word, He made good from bad and here's how he did it all.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Handlee;">Like many of America, I've heard the song "My Jesus". I was late to that game, but once I found it I loved it. But I had no idea the story behind that song: how it came to be, the events leading to it, or how it's blessings all pointed to Jesus. I knew nothing about Anne prior to her book, but I was blessed to read her story- and be touched by it. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Handlee;">Anne grew up in a loving. close Christian family. She was the youngest of the three children and was particularly close to her brother, Jacob. She pours out fun and loving memories with them- many involving her beloved brother. And Anne shares how everything changed in the very early hours one morning. She shares how her family was forever rocked with the death of Jacob. She walks you through getting the news and the gut wrenching life after it. How do you recover from such a loss? How do you move on? With Jesus.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Handlee;">As you read this heartbreaking book, you won't be able to dismiss the presence of Jesus. From the time Anne audibly heard His voice to all the times she relied on Him to get through the devastating days after. Anne really highlights the ways Jesus was there with her and got her through the funerals and other hard moments. You see how He answered prayers when all she could do was pray. You read the story how Jesus and Anne formed such a tight personal relationship. Anne tells you how Jesus became her Jesus and how He turned her heartbreak into one blessing after another. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Handlee;">I cried during this book. I felt so much hope and inspiration during this book. I was amazed at the strength of Anne and her family- and their never wavering dedication to Jesus through their darkest times. I am a better person after having read her story. It was a touching reminder of how you can surrender your hardest, lowest times to Jesus and watch him do the unimaginable with them. I loved reading of the blessings that could only be explained as done by Jesus. </span></div><p></p>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15965605222055840173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1492274154321764758.post-79404509195012441222023-03-21T09:00:00.001-07:002023-03-21T09:00:00.236-07:00Two Wars and A Wedding<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOVU-JudZVDS6KXzMf60iRzgUmo_hMB59l31Nq_Hd-fU65JaBdLB1XyeZLvajl5H4kKr2_CQGl_V7PdxFlHH8wRAYCvv3_Oo1eTifLwTg8ntxM7aVX5vOwVE1ylCL660-EjSx3u04hE1e52QRM5SsNa_hGX1vhXGpRonAkMJ2ZMaIxWSfzmSJH4SHDYg/s595/two%20wars%20and%20a%20wedding.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="392" height="353" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOVU-JudZVDS6KXzMf60iRzgUmo_hMB59l31Nq_Hd-fU65JaBdLB1XyeZLvajl5H4kKr2_CQGl_V7PdxFlHH8wRAYCvv3_Oo1eTifLwTg8ntxM7aVX5vOwVE1ylCL660-EjSx3u04hE1e52QRM5SsNa_hGX1vhXGpRonAkMJ2ZMaIxWSfzmSJH4SHDYg/w233-h353/two%20wars%20and%20a%20wedding.webp" width="233" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">Two Wars and A Wedding</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">By: Lauren Willig</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">Genre: Historical Fiction</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">Summary:</span></div><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px;">September 1896: An aspiring archaeologist, Smith College graduate Betsy Hayes travels to Athens, desperate to break into the male-dominated field of excavation. In the midst of the heat and dust of Greece she finds an unlikely ally in Charles, Baron de Robecourt, one of the few men who takes her academic passion seriously. But when a simmering conflict between Greece and Turkey erupts into open warfare, Betsy throws herself into the conflict as a nurse, not knowing that the decision will change her life forever—and cause a deep and painful rift with her oldest friend, Ava.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px;">June 1898: Betsy has sworn off war nursing—but when she gets the word that her estranged friend Ava is headed to Cuba with Clara Barton and the Red Cross to patch up the wounded in the Spanish-American War, Betsy determines to stop her the only way she knows how: by joining in her place. Battling heat, disease, and her own demons, Betsy follows Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders straight to the heart of the fighting, where she is forced to confront her greatest fears to save both old friends and new…. bn.com</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">Lauren Willig introduces you to Betsy Hayes and the journey she goes on. What starts out as a desire to go an archaeological dig through her school leads her to enlisting with the Red Cross as a nurse. From there, she finds herself on the front lines of two wars. Betsy is faced with all the emotions, loss and anger that comes with war. The highs and lows that come with war. When fear becomes reality despite all your efforts to prevent it. Within the pages of this book you see a determined, feisty woman rise above the overwhelming and come out the other side a completely different woman. You will journey with Betsy all over the emotional map. I found myself heartbroken every time her heart broke, angry whenever she was delt a blow to her dreams, and cheering on her every victory- no matter how big or small- because there weren't enough of them. You read as a naïve woman is shaped by the biggest of losses. You watch a feisty girl become a driven woman who makes the world a better place for all who are among her.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;"> Betsey's dream in life is to go on a school dig. She sees no reason why a woman can't do such a thing, though the faculty involved see plenty of them. This leads her to achieve her dream in a different way: if she comes back from a war a "hero", the school will have no choice but to let her go. So, she enrolls in the Red Cross to learn how to be a front lines nurse. Not only does Betsy get to the front lines of a war, but she quickly realizes how in over her head and unprepared she is. But, Betsy is blessed with helpful coworkers. </span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">During her time in Greece and during that first war, Betsy falls in love with the most complicated of matches. Love overrules logic and she falls head first into a romance that will forever change her life. </span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">Betsy finds herself involved with the Cuba/Spanish war by accident. Her intentions were to prevent friend, Ava, from going. However, life had other plans and to the frontlines she goes. Once again, the realities of war await her. This time the fight isn't just involving gunfire. Often times the nurses are under supplied and overwhelmed with soldiers. Battling wartime injuries gets even harder once Typhoid and Yellow Fever come into play- taking out nurses and soldiers alike. But it's during this war that Betsy not only finds love, but the guts to be the fighter you know she is. You watch Betsy step up to the plate in an inspiring way. She fights for her soldiers with everything she has. She is determined to not let history repeat itself and you cheer her on every step of the way.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">By the time you turn the last page and have read the end of Betsy's story, you are emotionally exhausted. But you are so proud of her. Like I said, as you read her story, you fight with her, cry with her, cheer her on and applaud her take no prisoners attitude when it's necessary. You are so proud of the woman she becomes. While you don't wish to live vicariously through her, as some historical fiction stories, you are inspired by the bold fighter you watched come to live before your very eyes.</span></p></div><p><br /></p>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15965605222055840173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1492274154321764758.post-7791253089240796502022-12-27T09:00:00.001-08:002022-12-27T09:00:00.236-08:00The Lipstick Bureau<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVN95dUK43Fdy7ffxbTnLvacSzsF7HuO7EyJeqvBeF530g8RA20xhqw8D8w9nZIcy2glALVK6nzYwD7k5htwWqgejbwvvId_Vq1vNpOgbdn9sO4D9oyIRcFue0O1BdXWOnAGRDpC3U2vkW8MigmqPqx3o1Tj49PurtJnWyyIeL6KglBSE3UneD3SxxQ/s595/the%20lipstick%20bureau.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="396" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVN95dUK43Fdy7ffxbTnLvacSzsF7HuO7EyJeqvBeF530g8RA20xhqw8D8w9nZIcy2glALVK6nzYwD7k5htwWqgejbwvvId_Vq1vNpOgbdn9sO4D9oyIRcFue0O1BdXWOnAGRDpC3U2vkW8MigmqPqx3o1Tj49PurtJnWyyIeL6KglBSE3UneD3SxxQ/w264-h397/the%20lipstick%20bureau.webp" width="264" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Lipstick Bureau</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">By: Michelle Gable</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Genre: Historical Fiction</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Summary:</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">1944, Rome. Newlywed Niki Novotná is recruited by a new American spy agency to establish a secret branch in Italy's capital. One of the OSS's few female operatives abroad and multilingual, she's tasked with crafting fake stories and distributing propaganda to lower the morale of enemy soldiers.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; outline: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; outline: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Despite limited resources, Niki and a scrappy team of artists, forgers and others—now nicknamed The Lipstick Bureau—find success, forming a bond amid the cobblestoned streets and storied villas of the newly liberated city. But her work is also a way to escape devastating truths about the family she left behind in Czechoslovakia and a future with her controlling American husband.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; outline: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; outline: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">As the war drags on and the pressure intensifies, Niki begins to question the rules she's been instructed to follow, and a colleague unexpectedly captures her heart. But one step out of line, one mistake, could mean life or death… ---bn.com</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">Let me start by saying how much I loved Niki!! She was a spunky, fun, determined character who marched to the beat of her own drum whenever others wanted to keep playing the same old song. She wasn't afraid to think outside of the box to get her missions accomplished. Michelle Gable gave me numerous characters to enjoy, but Niki was my favorite. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">Niki is placed in the MO (Morale Operations) unit of the O.S.S. (Office of Strategic Services). Her unit's job is to deal with black propaganda to spread to the enemy. Niki comes up with creative ways to accomplish this task. She pushed boundaries to get the job done. It was fascinating to see what plan she would come up with next and then how it would unfold. Despite her unit being underestimated, underfunded and under everything, she was able to get the results needed. Through a fake newspaper to luring enemy soldiers with the false promise of companionship to even convincing hundreds to dessert their posts. You get to read it all happen. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">I will warn you that this book is a chunky boy. It comes in at over 450 pages, so be prepared to invest time. But you won't be disappointed. As each page is turned and the story unfolds, you'll see the heart behind Niki's drive. You'll see the effect of having to leave her family behind and them later choosing not to leave has had on her. It will, ultimately, drive her to cross lines and push boundaries in the hopes of getting closer to the brother she hasn't been able to locate. Within the book, you get a look at World War II from a rarely seen perspective. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">While <i>The Lipstick Bureau </i>isn't going to leave you on the edge of your seat anticipating what will happen next, you will be glued to the characters. You will connect with the MO team players. You'll be routing for them. This book kept showing me the heart of Niki- in all the different facets. From start to finish you always see how her love of her family drove her decisions- both during the war and after it. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">Michelle Gable has been a favorite author of mine for years. Yet again, she tells a story you get immersed in and become fascinated with. I found the end a little abrupt, but the story grips you from the get go and keeps you until the end, so any ending may have been abrupt. I spent a weekend hanging out with Niki and the MO unit and I enjoyed it. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Lato, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></span></div><br /><p></p>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15965605222055840173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1492274154321764758.post-53079152367233945582022-10-03T19:20:00.001-07:002022-10-03T19:20:15.054-07:00Dark Academia September Wrap Up<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEnm8VnM7huOMxET-5aRyf_SZT_WOmrlT8ATDkPGlA5FPeMfLrWQ4SRt-mq_3PXdbGef4609gdyceEC9ce40b7b_VDfwib9TSK05t4cKg3KE8ys9XF5LkZEK2Kx1kWRfnt2irly36VC-Ka9qiENsxVBI2sQamBcByBOhUuRnMlbphJbeiox2_Dv8KwAg/s1024/dark%20academia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1024" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEnm8VnM7huOMxET-5aRyf_SZT_WOmrlT8ATDkPGlA5FPeMfLrWQ4SRt-mq_3PXdbGef4609gdyceEC9ce40b7b_VDfwib9TSK05t4cKg3KE8ys9XF5LkZEK2Kx1kWRfnt2irly36VC-Ka9qiENsxVBI2sQamBcByBOhUuRnMlbphJbeiox2_Dv8KwAg/w460-h288/dark%20academia.jpg" width="460" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">Welcome To my Dark Academia September Wrap Up!!</span></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Handlee;">I spent the month of September getting lost in stories unfolding in rooms like the one above. I ventured to locations I may never see in real life. I met characters I liked, loved and down right wasn't sorry to see go. I read as mysteries were finally solved or unfolded with every page I turned. I tackled my reading list and let the collegiate world take all over the place. So, how did I do? Did I get every book on my list read? Did I like them? Let's see.....</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Handlee;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAqj0B2dmXNmu0dOi2EZwjgs60bKYvyn70fXI5CCLvbO-wPTtR6qgf5HLEo5sbmU4Bf5tTv-WQF5UsMO62QdTPnoHEj-ju031ofOHEYidXK7Bk45l2jpsi6wS4FfwogPERqTmMtuzFrew6sWoLIAoFufzTj50NAxjAodsWTMeGERZJSNqz-PRFNjjP9A/s595/If%20We%20Were%20Villians.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="396" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAqj0B2dmXNmu0dOi2EZwjgs60bKYvyn70fXI5CCLvbO-wPTtR6qgf5HLEo5sbmU4Bf5tTv-WQF5UsMO62QdTPnoHEj-ju031ofOHEYidXK7Bk45l2jpsi6wS4FfwogPERqTmMtuzFrew6sWoLIAoFufzTj50NAxjAodsWTMeGERZJSNqz-PRFNjjP9A/s320/If%20We%20Were%20Villians.webp" width="213" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /> This gem is the only book I didn't get to. I was really looking forward to it, but I never cracked it open. If I'm honest, this book is a little intimidating for me. I've heard lots of thoughts and opinions on it. I don't think I've heard anyone dislike it, but numerous people did say the Shakespeare chunks were hard to understand. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Handlee;">I do plan to read this sucker, just not when I'm on a time crunch. That way, if I need to take longer I can.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioJ4BO6TJI9tG-M8d1_GdKBGr9Bv8Up1ENz3uHIHlxZOnb2Pg4atCUntVK6dV5a0jgQjENonBLUuW8HW4dx3RzyJ0qKK1IJ1c5jEWspT7vZGeOOCFS4NODj6P1wkVqPVlXEjYzaTP6ViciK6e4a_Adl-6B-79D2108EUlOO1W0yT1GulF1xHgoXmRP2g/s595/the%20woman%20in%20the%20library.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="396" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioJ4BO6TJI9tG-M8d1_GdKBGr9Bv8Up1ENz3uHIHlxZOnb2Pg4atCUntVK6dV5a0jgQjENonBLUuW8HW4dx3RzyJ0qKK1IJ1c5jEWspT7vZGeOOCFS4NODj6P1wkVqPVlXEjYzaTP6ViciK6e4a_Adl-6B-79D2108EUlOO1W0yT1GulF1xHgoXmRP2g/s320/the%20woman%20in%20the%20library.webp" width="213" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Handlee;">I went into this book under the impression that everything happened in the library- murder and fall out. It doesn't. And while I was curious how the writer would pull that off, I'm not sorry to be wrong. I liked this one. Not all the characters were who they appeared to be and I enjoyed their unfolding. The plot was captivating. Once I was hoked, I was hooked. I couldn't wait to see what would happen next and what character secret would be unfolded within the pages. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcqkH_IqczQQTbsuoQmGABh3T87q8Yce3ws_vgUunMiQwnW41FYQFI-Hsu-LSq-9ZcSGKbUdSZ5vNnpPkfhx9DYal_w6bB1xSTua3C_JoGPPNRjVahMW4j-fbdUB0O0FYXSDaEBHL6UIi4pjuGioRFXszHEX56TQ8Jwyv1yPjbIt_q_kdOG9ZuRJun0w/s595/in%20my%20dreams%20i%20hold%20a%20knife.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="396" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcqkH_IqczQQTbsuoQmGABh3T87q8Yce3ws_vgUunMiQwnW41FYQFI-Hsu-LSq-9ZcSGKbUdSZ5vNnpPkfhx9DYal_w6bB1xSTua3C_JoGPPNRjVahMW4j-fbdUB0O0FYXSDaEBHL6UIi4pjuGioRFXszHEX56TQ8Jwyv1yPjbIt_q_kdOG9ZuRJun0w/s320/in%20my%20dreams%20i%20hold%20a%20knife.webp" width="213" /></a></div><p><br /></p><span style="font-family: Handlee;">This was another one I really enjoyed. College friends meet back up at the Homecoming (reunion). It doesn't take long to discover one of the group was murder in college, but no one ever figured out who did it. This was another plot that kept me coming back for me. Once again, characters had back stories that pulled me in. Very few of them were as squeaky clean as you go in thinking. You learn about the skeletons in each one's closet and how it connects to the murder. I loved reading it all and seeing if my guesses were correct. Hint: a few were, but mostly not. I can see why this book has gotten rave reviews. It was worth the hype, in my opinion.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3FIaj4bu_4mp2SVxVd10y-LRm5OapMMW8dhxuXAs11KbhlIY-945WopwWkf_OPce626iytYG97z1n-vNVwZSrIHGeC3-yDrH5A-6z0Dv7pys8y7fBh-BZzslL9InA5vynh_5ywA7i5YHBPyWcJbxxXya0WLl_YbkbPRdvHQLrVzTk_qXz8Bq-D8Yn6g/s595/a%20good%20girl's%20guide%20to%20murder.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="394" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3FIaj4bu_4mp2SVxVd10y-LRm5OapMMW8dhxuXAs11KbhlIY-945WopwWkf_OPce626iytYG97z1n-vNVwZSrIHGeC3-yDrH5A-6z0Dv7pys8y7fBh-BZzslL9InA5vynh_5ywA7i5YHBPyWcJbxxXya0WLl_YbkbPRdvHQLrVzTk_qXz8Bq-D8Yn6g/s320/a%20good%20girl's%20guide%20to%20murder.webp" width="212" /></a></div><p><br /></p><span style="font-family: Handlee;">This was the last book I read from my list. Another highly buzzed about book. I loved the different take on solving a cold case: a senior student tackles the case for her senior project. Originally setting out to prove her hypothesis: the person charged for the murder wasn't the guilty one, turned into solving the case. There were parts of the story I loved and one part I didn't. It was interesting to see this senior dig into what the police missed. I liked the discoveries she made and how they played a part in her project. One of my favorite things was that the victim wasn't a good girl, but a girl with heavy issues and problems. As the uncovered info is discovered, you really try to figure out who did it. There were numerous twists throughout the story that kept me coming back. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Handlee;">I don't see me reading the other 2 books in this series, but I enjoyed this one.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKNa09Lbv47PPGdrYgk4MpkFQXJ6tAG5gXS-yJZ4AaugnTK-th7XPsA6MOpooLSJC2vsM_E8vqKNPepBjXpdFloGGRmywmvu1ZOfsvDhlA3_OwSbawl9RBxXv0kZJoswyXxjDPgr7jWeueY7CBsLCFWquzg8GlahBzHqx0HB2z1mG0gMB1RKnEcW38MA/s595/The%20Maidens.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="393" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKNa09Lbv47PPGdrYgk4MpkFQXJ6tAG5gXS-yJZ4AaugnTK-th7XPsA6MOpooLSJC2vsM_E8vqKNPepBjXpdFloGGRmywmvu1ZOfsvDhlA3_OwSbawl9RBxXv0kZJoswyXxjDPgr7jWeueY7CBsLCFWquzg8GlahBzHqx0HB2z1mG0gMB1RKnEcW38MA/s320/The%20Maidens.webp" width="211" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Handlee;">Another highly popular book on my list. Another one worth all the hype. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was hooked and gone. I was blown away with how the story unfolded and things played out. I was blown away by who the murderer ended up being. This was a well crafted thriller that had so many different aspects to it. The author threw me for a loop because not all of them pertained to the murders, but you didn't find that out until the end. Well worth the hype and acclaim this book has received. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOCQDJ6TsQISfDoZIlygTVM8mQVvJ5vLSlnnU0CHQrnR_8kFdCClo_AnR9uBnmv93VdNJpzEmEaIwy56n4-DkeVlxg54LV7Uok-dxx2JfKAugh31dbibRJeMM1ABvYN0ZgF3uk87OUzwUGlnVVwGYyTD66_mozAb68tU6UocuCHMwryA9HjTeKGrqf3Q/s299/the%20lying%20game.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOCQDJ6TsQISfDoZIlygTVM8mQVvJ5vLSlnnU0CHQrnR_8kFdCClo_AnR9uBnmv93VdNJpzEmEaIwy56n4-DkeVlxg54LV7Uok-dxx2JfKAugh31dbibRJeMM1ABvYN0ZgF3uk87OUzwUGlnVVwGYyTD66_mozAb68tU6UocuCHMwryA9HjTeKGrqf3Q/s299/the%20lying%20game.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="299" data-original-width="192" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOCQDJ6TsQISfDoZIlygTVM8mQVvJ5vLSlnnU0CHQrnR_8kFdCClo_AnR9uBnmv93VdNJpzEmEaIwy56n4-DkeVlxg54LV7Uok-dxx2JfKAugh31dbibRJeMM1ABvYN0ZgF3uk87OUzwUGlnVVwGYyTD66_mozAb68tU6UocuCHMwryA9HjTeKGrqf3Q/s1600/the%20lying%20game.jpg" width="192" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span><p></p><span style="font-family: Handlee;">This is the second time I tried to read this book and it's the second time I DNF'd it. The plot was moving too slowly for me. I think I threw in the towel around the same place last time, too. The story sounded interesting and I wanted to get lost in the story, but it never was able to pull me in. Maybe I gave in too soon both times, but I just stopped caring to find out what would happen. I'm disappointed, but I tried. I may try to read a different book by Ruth Ware at some point, but I'm not in any rush. I'm glad there are readers who loved this book and I'm bummed I wasn't one of them.<br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Handlee;">Overall, I'm pleased with my results. I got most of my list read. I enjoyed most of them. It was fun. It was a blast to read out of my normal genres and see what I thought. I can see myself reading more thrillers in the future. I just have to start making a pile of books for next year. </span></p>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15965605222055840173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1492274154321764758.post-24084102822655248652022-09-06T18:45:00.001-07:002022-09-06T18:45:11.885-07:00A Vacation to Die For<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizX4FoN8w4pg_lMrY11px5vv0qhYBOEnfiTZznA9CtToLQQD_O5EW9tS6jcrgHRFaG7ZJAD61CkXlm1m14curtg_kWRLZNSrvDEoULMG1eIBVwM-ehj9wxwvGqXaX7bPpJTPyGrZK0tnNZc7W4HovdAbHWVIP1O0tozQdDRQcnp0NgJ2FLYIUoCUTPMQ/s595/a%20vacation%20to%20die%20for.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="396" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizX4FoN8w4pg_lMrY11px5vv0qhYBOEnfiTZznA9CtToLQQD_O5EW9tS6jcrgHRFaG7ZJAD61CkXlm1m14curtg_kWRLZNSrvDEoULMG1eIBVwM-ehj9wxwvGqXaX7bPpJTPyGrZK0tnNZc7W4HovdAbHWVIP1O0tozQdDRQcnp0NgJ2FLYIUoCUTPMQ/s320/a%20vacation%20to%20die%20for.webp" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">A Vacation to Die For</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">By: Lynn Cahoon</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">Genre: Cozy Mystery</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">Series: A Tourist Trap Mystery</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">Summary:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">Hustling her fiancé off to a neighboring tourist town might be the only way Jill Gardner can plan her nuptials to South Cove’s in-demand police detective. But when a mystery man turns up dead at South Cove’s PD, Greg is hightailing it back home to investigate, leaving Jill to finish the vacation solo.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; outline: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; outline: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">Jill can barely get in a spa day before her own respite is spoiled by a greedy hotel guest and unexpected revelations about Max Winter, the developer conniving to buy her home out from under her. Then there’s the staffing issues at the store, the strange men seen lurking about town, and an aggressive and obnoxious family member harassing Jill’s beloved employee. It’s enough to make the</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Handlee;">bride-to-be full of jitters . . . especially when she finds herself in the crosshairs of a killer . . . bn.com</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">Welcome back to South Cove! Our beloved Jill and her fiancée, Greg, have decided to go away for a mini vacation. Sadly, things don't go according to plan. A dead body shows up at home- but no one knows who it is. While Greg heads off to deal with that situation, Jill overhears a fellow guest's conversation. Never did she dream that they would meet up again- in South Cove. Nor, did Jill expect said guest was a cranky one with an agenda. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;">Jill's newest employee, Evie, is still dealing with the aftermath of her recent divorce. Turns out her ex's sister, Becky, is the guest Jill overheard on the phone. Becky has decided she wants the clock her father gave to Evie as a wedding gift. She makes is clear that she won't leave without it. Evie's jerky ex even gets in on the demands. What's the deal with the clock? Why is it such a big deal to get their hands on? And just which old time Hollywood actress is associated with it? </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Handlee;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>A Vacation to Die For</i> </span><span style="font-family: Handlee;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">has lots of strings waiting for you untie as you read. I enjoyed catching up with my favorite beach town residents. The book was a quick, but enjoyable read. Once the story got going, you couldn't help but try to guess what was happening and who was involved. This is a great book to curl up with. Spend a weekend revisiting fictional friends and solve a mystery, or two, while you do it. </span></span></div><p></p>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15965605222055840173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1492274154321764758.post-29553015367462361752022-08-30T09:00:00.001-07:002022-08-30T09:00:00.187-07:00Other Birds<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_6oVj_zxfYyn0u4P6eVTh1aTxnDWIQQOQ18R6t-0dsGgM_LBZ3OFx6e9YxFYMwHrybaAtysHHZv7G-OuNmnRe9ASgLf0PPkua3M9iCKNAC_2dWyj3aX2H7RHZfYPXbIiebXlFrx-l8Yw2xGqTLtFscNGer1SHtnky-ZfWob9RULCnJkifnheehQCwdw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="391" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_6oVj_zxfYyn0u4P6eVTh1aTxnDWIQQOQ18R6t-0dsGgM_LBZ3OFx6e9YxFYMwHrybaAtysHHZv7G-OuNmnRe9ASgLf0PPkua3M9iCKNAC_2dWyj3aX2H7RHZfYPXbIiebXlFrx-l8Yw2xGqTLtFscNGer1SHtnky-ZfWob9RULCnJkifnheehQCwdw=w245-h372" width="245" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Other Birds</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">By: Sarah Addison Allen</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Genre: Fiction</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Summary:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A group of people all living in the same condo complex have more than their living arrangements in common. All of them have had their lives blessed by a loving person who changed their lives for the better. And all of them have lost that source of love, but have forged on. Here is the story of how unconditional love can come from anywhere, change your life and heart, and stay with you long after it has physically left your life.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Let me just say that I am so happy Sarah Addison Allen has brought another book to the world of readers who have missed her work. It's been a handful of years since her last book and I, for one, have missed her storytelling. She has been a beloved author to me ever since she captivated the world with <i>Garden Spells</i>. Welcome back! You have been missed. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Other Birds</i> is all about grief and the different ways it can present itself. The characters within this story have all experienced sad, lonely and heartbreaking pasts. And they were all touched by someone who came into their lives with the unconditional love they never knew they needed. And they've all lost that said love one. However, several of them still have lingering traces of them in their lives.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Zoe has recently graduated high school and is waiting to start college. She has moved into her mother's old condominium after leaving her father's house. Within his house, she always felt like an intrusion and as if they were ready for her to leave. Always the outsider to the life he now has with his wife and her children. She was lonely and her world was tiny. Just her and Pigeon, her pet bird that is invisible to everyone- but her. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lisbeth is the neighbor haunted by the compulsion of her mental illness. As the book unfolds, you get her perspective and you see her world through it's distorted lens. The day after Zoey moves in, Lisbeth is found dead. It doesn't take long for you to get a glimpse into her world of saving any and every piece of paper with writing on it. Boxes upon boxes are stacked in her apartment. Her compulsion had run unchecked. As the story progresses you get her perspective on how her life ended up so isolated.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Mac wasn't always the talented chef her is now. In fact, he came from nothing. He was the poorest of the poor in his neighborhood. Until an elderly neighbor takes him in and gives him the love and life he never knew could exist. She teaches him how to cook and he goes on to make a name for himself with her favorite ingredient as his inspiration: cornmeal. Now, every morning, he wakes up covered in cornmeal.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Charlotte is running from her past. After losing her best friend to an illness that was never treated, she leaves the cult her family had been in. However, she takes something with her that always has her looking over her shoulder and never staying in one place too long. Until now. Loving her life as a Henna artist, Charlotte doesn't want to leave. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lucy is Lisbeth's sister. You learn about their dynamic and the heartbreak both sisters endured. You'll read how both lives were forever haunted by their pasts. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lastly, you have the condo manager, Frasier. The man overseeing the complex and the residents. He knows them all and has a few surprises up his sleeve as to how he knows some of them. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have to say, I had a hard time getting into this story. I wasn't enraptured with this book as I was with her previous ones. However, I think that's mostly because I wasn't able to relate to the characters. This book is aimed for those who are mourning someone they dearly loved. While I've lost loved ones, I've been able to accept the loss and carry them with me. I've been able to let them go. <i>Other Birds</i> is a love story to those people who love a lost soul so much that they change the person for the better. It's an ode to the people you love dearly, but had to say goodbye to- ready or not. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This book was beautiful, but heavy in ways I wasn't expecting. Sarah still tells a mystical, whimsical story, but it wasn't a feel good one. I wasn't charmed by the story like I thought I would be. But, maybe that wasn't the point of the book. Love and loss aren't always done in the ways we're ok with. Some readers are going to relate to everything within this story. Others may not. There are plot twists I didn't see coming. While I didn't love this book, I'm glad I read it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15965605222055840173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1492274154321764758.post-24971934005876181472022-08-24T23:17:00.001-07:002022-08-24T23:17:58.399-07:00My Dark Academia Reading List!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizTI0ddxLik_fs42DZI1dzTu_PWSXXINwH03zqQEHEAZ_Rvy21fka5lI63UgtgQj9yHdQvP0exRlIRDe4OCLgCz4a61U8W70NGgk5mEAXqBEWrsj9svzDCdiBMD7FesnxDmQuk58QUbO9ZyMMlOOnynDxVfVV0fUYqfSLBELJFcMxTrbiqls2PyKsjsw/s1600/old%20books%20and%20lamp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1600" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizTI0ddxLik_fs42DZI1dzTu_PWSXXINwH03zqQEHEAZ_Rvy21fka5lI63UgtgQj9yHdQvP0exRlIRDe4OCLgCz4a61U8W70NGgk5mEAXqBEWrsj9svzDCdiBMD7FesnxDmQuk58QUbO9ZyMMlOOnynDxVfVV0fUYqfSLBELJFcMxTrbiqls2PyKsjsw/w499-h173/old%20books%20and%20lamp.jpg" width="499" /></a></div></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">September is right around the corner. Fall is on it's way! Kids are going back to school, so what better time to dedicate the month of September to a Dark Academia reading list?! September just seems like the perfect time to curl up with a comfy blanket and cup of hot chocolate while I get lost in a story involving schools. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So, I've compiled a list of books I would like to read during September. I don't know if I'll get to them all, but we'll do what we can. I don't read suspense/thriller books very often- I'm the biggest chicken. But, these sounded intriguing and have caught my attention, so we're gonna give them a try.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdu-E87RYcT2b5e9lMkwkMWddOIko77YTk0PoW4fTQzm1fu4dDivPV1nYhHLlcAGNSjjjpIzMdNSM76eSz_OemZknevA6KPO7wjIqe3K0D0VjTM6h-5ux1UHISVP0799xKscslu64SZqHhi5bJdK5BWCZt0Sl57_HgF8Kzl0uIWMdQPmurQYkGrY4yw/s595/If%20We%20Were%20Villians.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdu-E87RYcT2b5e9lMkwkMWddOIko77YTk0PoW4fTQzm1fu4dDivPV1nYhHLlcAGNSjjjpIzMdNSM76eSz_OemZknevA6KPO7wjIqe3K0D0VjTM6h-5ux1UHISVP0799xKscslu64SZqHhi5bJdK5BWCZt0Sl57_HgF8Kzl0uIWMdQPmurQYkGrY4yw/s320/If%20We%20Were%20Villians.webp" width="215" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div>Oliver has been released from prison after serving 10 years. He's finally ready to tell his story and the person who put him in prison is there waiting to hear him tell it. What happened 10 years ago between Oliver and his 4 friends/classmates? </div><div><br /></div><div>I've heard how great this book is. Other readers have called it their favorite book of the year they read it. It's gotten tons of 5 star reviews. It's caught my eye and I'm wanting to find out Oliver's story.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ECgtTKbCyK8MUTkCxwrfTp6laX9pyAIZ_fUDaNOprBkkrCbTqLyjL9i6rK1NeQ1u68GMPl6hwiBDXqLwJvk8BmHcwGELH4GoQ-V5Nq1PEk8o9qFeDaNSDRY-sOBAVSLbBDvqxIeAF4fmIB4LWxJDMyt8N8lFnuGl1XELky7pkx1IR7byxgtgWrhpmA/s595/the%20woman%20in%20the%20library.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="396" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ECgtTKbCyK8MUTkCxwrfTp6laX9pyAIZ_fUDaNOprBkkrCbTqLyjL9i6rK1NeQ1u68GMPl6hwiBDXqLwJvk8BmHcwGELH4GoQ-V5Nq1PEk8o9qFeDaNSDRY-sOBAVSLbBDvqxIeAF4fmIB4LWxJDMyt8N8lFnuGl1XELky7pkx1IR7byxgtgWrhpmA/s320/the%20woman%20in%20the%20library.webp" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Four strangers are sitting at the same table in a library when a murder occurs. The police keep everyone where they are while they figure out what happened- and which of the four is the murderer.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">People have said this reminds them of and Agatha Christie book, and I loved the books of hers I've read. Plus, it's set in a library!! This just sounds like an intriguing story. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxzpoWHspXESWrcix4lmwLcfig-4owaN2uoZQx_nNsFqlLy6yESJ0lhDOJC3Erq1C9EVqC1KcTxdYiZyHLbKzJzEnOndb19HILAOJVl_n57_mrbD6F7yq8RYTVQYk_17OQRKOXuESIlGZODmqWT0DRMHOtCAXCW0jdkuz9WBw2EzrLmbu78byMZJlwhQ/s595/the%20maidens.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="393" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxzpoWHspXESWrcix4lmwLcfig-4owaN2uoZQx_nNsFqlLy6yESJ0lhDOJC3Erq1C9EVqC1KcTxdYiZyHLbKzJzEnOndb19HILAOJVl_n57_mrbD6F7yq8RYTVQYk_17OQRKOXuESIlGZODmqWT0DRMHOtCAXCW0jdkuz9WBw2EzrLmbu78byMZJlwhQ/s320/the%20maidens.webp" width="211" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another story with a school setting. This time you have a charming, handsome teacher. You have a group of female students. Someone dies and someone is convinced the teacher did it. Did he?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Once again, the school setting has me intrigued. I have no clue what I'm on for since I haven't read Alex Michaelides debut book <i>The Silent Patient</i>. The idea of a secret society/fan club for a teacher just seems like the recipe for trouble. For reasons I can't explain, I'm curious enough to read it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLISIf6BHg-NMoCi_syhpwNOd5LjoZjGeOVjy72fFkLxg19qegrqd8twgrUBoT3ZusEbQJjudXJXXcZ6oZumxJZFJWhN__f2ZMRHdyznUy91x1w25zNLgyNZ-pdICYML0CSkCMHM4V5MWAssp8GeRnOtseN3Z_Z6iXDEReDlPwfdtvMCsIU3Ezzsjg0g/s595/In%20My%20Dreams%20I%20Hold%20A%20Knife.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="396" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLISIf6BHg-NMoCi_syhpwNOd5LjoZjGeOVjy72fFkLxg19qegrqd8twgrUBoT3ZusEbQJjudXJXXcZ6oZumxJZFJWhN__f2ZMRHdyznUy91x1w25zNLgyNZ-pdICYML0CSkCMHM4V5MWAssp8GeRnOtseN3Z_Z6iXDEReDlPwfdtvMCsIU3Ezzsjg0g/s320/In%20My%20Dreams%20I%20Hold%20A%20Knife.webp" width="213" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div>Six friends reunite at their college reunion. One of their friends is murdered while they were in school. Someone is as determined to reveal what happened as the friends are to keep their secrets.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Another book getting rave reviews. I love the idea of a reunion where old secrets turn out not be buried as previously thought. What have the friends been hiding?! I don't know, but I hope to find out.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTCY_R0JHVI4fA73uS43tRRTXpKxE4ghK6eVY7j2aFiCOqdJccFp1LV65pH-Ya5dxu9KOyraZpfHAbSzR1DAo5ntIieTUYm1mFDeCP0yUFTD29pAVKf1e7VqeTu-aCkCc-kbBiSgfYKPFpdP7lSHAjaIBnndTAMC7bvPHJfidXq7uyaL77BLzX7egwdw/s595/a%20good%20girls%20guide%20to%20murder.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="394" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTCY_R0JHVI4fA73uS43tRRTXpKxE4ghK6eVY7j2aFiCOqdJccFp1LV65pH-Ya5dxu9KOyraZpfHAbSzR1DAo5ntIieTUYm1mFDeCP0yUFTD29pAVKf1e7VqeTu-aCkCc-kbBiSgfYKPFpdP7lSHAjaIBnndTAMC7bvPHJfidXq7uyaL77BLzX7egwdw/s320/a%20good%20girls%20guide%20to%20murder.webp" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">5 years ago, Andie was a high school senior when she was killed by her boyfriend in a murder/suicide. Now, Pip's a senior and her for her final project she's going to dig into the case. She's always felt there was more to the story and now's her chance to find out if there is.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm fascinated with the idea that a senior in high school digging into an old case. This is a unique angle that I haven't come across before, so I look forward to learning what she finds out. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizkW6q1IHg66CRVkaCO-Hh2Ms3e_JtNY9oTLbjQQ9H7cYTIClnz7oQtQn69M8EcJCz6cG895rJ4q0RALh_n0FPKoXxom3I2OXn8dd6MysHVMmk68IEiJIy30d7GILdQKqmrYLQKm6Eb3N8j1JZjpkuoOgv_wML2NF7EFkYfv1bph37uR9L0f7iMr28lA/s466/the%20lying%20game.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizkW6q1IHg66CRVkaCO-Hh2Ms3e_JtNY9oTLbjQQ9H7cYTIClnz7oQtQn69M8EcJCz6cG895rJ4q0RALh_n0FPKoXxom3I2OXn8dd6MysHVMmk68IEiJIy30d7GILdQKqmrYLQKm6Eb3N8j1JZjpkuoOgv_wML2NF7EFkYfv1bph37uR9L0f7iMr28lA/s320/the%20lying%20game.webp" width="206" /></a></div><br /><div>Four friends at a boarding school have made up a game. They lie to students and faculty alike. However, years later, they learn a long buried secret may not be buried like they thought.</div><div><br /></div><div>I had started this book several years ago, but never finished it. I don't remember why, but I did remember liking what I had read. I'm hoping to read the whole book, thus getting the whole story. I've heard mixed reviews on Ruth Ware, so I'm wondering where I'll fall. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Thrillers/suspense books aren't really my normal reads of choice, but we're going to break out of our comfort zone in September. All of these books sound intriguing to me and I'm excited to read them. I have no clue if I'll get to all of them, but I'm hoping to. I'm hoping I love them as much as other people did. Mostly, I'm looking forward to good stories read as the weather cools down. </div>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15965605222055840173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1492274154321764758.post-84145587111356762812022-08-04T21:01:00.000-07:002022-08-04T21:01:00.189-07:00James Patterson By James Patterson<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRVt-kcpveqnnGVhtCb7o_N1BXWXyV80_UbPNL23ZgyYfo64LH6k44yYtck_7aezbL5pwqtLoddc1fx4B6dDbJYiYM9TwMAQ1oRzG6bBdusZsZ6dVaKUfG8pXCKbdsQ6s1XcD2kuOtXmSh-oRCfMVLeyPwf9K7FeYpzsX1CfUEtn0iNFv_CFwrF8Tegw/s327/James%20Patterson.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="327" data-original-width="217" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRVt-kcpveqnnGVhtCb7o_N1BXWXyV80_UbPNL23ZgyYfo64LH6k44yYtck_7aezbL5pwqtLoddc1fx4B6dDbJYiYM9TwMAQ1oRzG6bBdusZsZ6dVaKUfG8pXCKbdsQ6s1XcD2kuOtXmSh-oRCfMVLeyPwf9K7FeYpzsX1CfUEtn0iNFv_CFwrF8Tegw/w221-h334/James%20Patterson.webp" width="221" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">James Patterson</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">By: James Patterson</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Summary:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The famous and beloved writer gives you glimpses into his life- before, during and after becoming one of the best selling writers of our time. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have to admit to not knowing much about James Patterson before reading this book. It's really why I was so drawn to it. I've read several of his books- like millions of others. I've read an interview of his, but I didn't know his story. And let me tell you, there was far more to it than I ever thought there was. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Within these pages, you will learn about the raw deal he got in school. He takes you through his high school years and how he, and numerous other fellow students, were manipulated into changing their college plans. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another thing I had no clue about was Patterson's highly successful career in advertising- before his successful writing career. He even tells you some of the campaigns he worked on that you may have heard of. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While he's giving you the tour of his past, he opens up about a devastating loss. He introduces you to his first love and walks you through what it was like losing her, and the blow it was when it finally happened. It really brought out a side of him I wasn't expecting, but really enjoyed reading about. Some of my favorite books of his aren't his crime/thrillers, but the fiction ones. I was able to see where those beautiful stories came from. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Patterson's humor is found throughout the entire book, which I loved. he didn't take anything too seriously and wasn't above poking fun at himself. I loved how he introduced you to his favorite cowriters. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Fans of Patterson will enjoy hearing his story from his perspective. Those who only know him from his books will have the opportunity to get to know him. Long standing fans will get the feeling of hanging out with him over lunch while he talks about himself. You may not get the most detailed story of his life, but you enjoy what you do get. </div><br /><p></p>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15965605222055840173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1492274154321764758.post-51655662380158698302022-06-07T09:00:00.001-07:002022-06-07T09:00:00.257-07:00Part of My World<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTAR_RlHStcIjy8M9p4M_xEAP2hF-YmU0hWLnMStTtseX7xRC6Nvsy9TpxHQoML3Aou7zadSN9sDrG1CmXv-4R-Gr8rZcDQG6Mec5J492lIE_zWmb8ZJUEvAunBVKG1zrGmHhAtM17Zm1nHjE-qzOHNokVvVipnFkzXW8TO57GoT1Z9PTzfZHlLaz1cw/s293/part%20of%20my%20world.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="293" data-original-width="189" height="387" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTAR_RlHStcIjy8M9p4M_xEAP2hF-YmU0hWLnMStTtseX7xRC6Nvsy9TpxHQoML3Aou7zadSN9sDrG1CmXv-4R-Gr8rZcDQG6Mec5J492lIE_zWmb8ZJUEvAunBVKG1zrGmHhAtM17Zm1nHjE-qzOHNokVvVipnFkzXW8TO57GoT1Z9PTzfZHlLaz1cw/w250-h387/part%20of%20my%20world.webp" width="250" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Part of My World</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">By: Jodi Benson</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Summary:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Jodi invites gives you a glimpse into her life before, during and after the movie that made her famous. She shares the good times, the stressful times, the times her heart was completely broken and the faith that gave her the strength to navigate it all. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Who hasn't seen the Disney smash hit, <i>The Little Mermaid</i>? Like most of the world, this is the movie that not only gave us songs to sing, but also introduced us to the talented woman behind the voice, Jodi Benson. But, that's all we knew her as- the voice of a mermaid millions of little kids were fascinated with. So, in reading her story, I got to learn more of who she is. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Leading up to her famous role, she had navigated her parents divorce and her school years. And while, they helped shape the woman she became, I was more gripped with her story once Disney stepped in. It was fascinating to learn she struggled with her mega hit "Part of Your World". It was interesting to see how they were finally able to get the Broadway style out of her voice so Ariel could come through. I loved reading about the people she was blessed with who guided her every step of the way.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Mostly, in the second half of the book, I felt glued. It's here when she opens up about how her faith was tested through several devastating losses and uprooting lows. This life she had built no longer looked the way she expected it to and she had no choice but to walk through the dark times. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While this book isn't an in depth look into her life, you definitely get to know the woman behind the iconic voice. You will smile, laugh and tear up as you turn the pages. You'll learn that working with Disney can be the golden touch in your life, but it doesn't save you from heartache and struggles. Marriages still have the ability to fall apart, loved ones still pass on, celebratory times can still quickly turn into mourning times. And that's when, and why, you have God. Relying on His strength helps you put on foot in front of the other when you want to do anything but that. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I enjoyed reading her Jodi's story. I thank her for sharing the highs and lows with us. She has blessed us all with not just Ariel's story- and hers.</div><br /> <p></p>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15965605222055840173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1492274154321764758.post-90341213780583870862022-04-12T09:30:00.001-07:002022-04-12T09:30:00.225-07:00Hello, Molly!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVN1N8Ptn9Tk0L6t9zWodQVJnErv5UX8svBNzw6vA5yC70vdWc7FHVqMRLVY7yLwieo3ho7Wny42SXGZgkF4PYydAhcKq22CiAGcFdPlphqyUYTy59WI18_wDCEQ8w8VifFLFD7b2v0GjiQe9svLMQv2LWM5eKs_Qs4gmHRKwjM4ej-vO-YNMNZ-rAeQ=s500" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="331" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVN1N8Ptn9Tk0L6t9zWodQVJnErv5UX8svBNzw6vA5yC70vdWc7FHVqMRLVY7yLwieo3ho7Wny42SXGZgkF4PYydAhcKq22CiAGcFdPlphqyUYTy59WI18_wDCEQ8w8VifFLFD7b2v0GjiQe9svLMQv2LWM5eKs_Qs4gmHRKwjM4ej-vO-YNMNZ-rAeQ=w265-h400" width="265" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hello, Molly!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Molly Shannon</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Genre: Memoirs/Entertainment</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Summary:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Like many, I was first introduced to Molly Shannon through <i>Saturday</i> <i>Night</i> <i>Live</i>. While she would alter act in movies I watched, I never knew much about her. I couldn't tell you anything about her. Through the pages of her memoir, I got to know about her life and how it shaped her. She shares the tragic, the funny, the daring and the achievements. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I remember laughing at the characters Molly played on <i>Saturday</i> <i>Night</i> Live. Who didn't when Mary Katherine Gallagher came on?! Or Sally O'Malley! I knew when they were on, I was in for a good skit. All I knew was they were funny. That was really all I cared to know. That not knowing was my loss- a realization I've recently come to discover. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Within the pages of her book, Molly shares with you her childhood and how the events she lived through effected how she lived her life. She opens up about her complex relationship with her Dad and the journey it was to get to the happy ending. She'll tell you about the gutsy (and possibly illegal) methods she used to get her name out there. She's going to tell you how her own determination, and belief in herself, motivated her to get people to attend her own 1 woman show- and how that led her to the role most of us met her in, <i>Saturday Night Live</i>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This book is going to let you see not only the creation of her famous characters, but the metamorphosis they took from creation to what we saw. You're going to learn how Molly got her name out there and was successful when the odds were stacked against her. She's going to be vulnerable and candid as she retells how she grew up and became famous. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This book will make you smile and chuckle. It will have you rooting for little Molly and you will cheer with every achievement grown up Molly has. Curl up and enjoy getting to know one of the women that shaped a tv show, but comedy, too. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> <p></p>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15965605222055840173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1492274154321764758.post-22975121206042533612022-02-08T09:00:00.002-08:002022-02-08T09:00:00.257-08:00With Love From London<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi3OAjrgGIso2vdQS2ibvTTo_iI1vF8IL954ON-FxiZ9ZT_TzlxFgBsXW-D4_8T7QRte57tdFOe8FeJhI205KOKcWhko2HXhJN7-yrE52sIKSK1ojXmv-sGCTV4Deh2qJf5u1FeOQvQJAOg9D2cEsFfyee3NOgZzUfhBl7K9m90kdfIoEJXQLs8-MieWg=s346" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="224" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi3OAjrgGIso2vdQS2ibvTTo_iI1vF8IL954ON-FxiZ9ZT_TzlxFgBsXW-D4_8T7QRte57tdFOe8FeJhI205KOKcWhko2HXhJN7-yrE52sIKSK1ojXmv-sGCTV4Deh2qJf5u1FeOQvQJAOg9D2cEsFfyee3NOgZzUfhBl7K9m90kdfIoEJXQLs8-MieWg=w229-h355" width="229" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">With Love From London</p><p style="text-align: center;">By: Sarah Jio</p><p style="text-align: center;">Genre: Fiction/ Women's Fiction</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Summary:</p><p style="text-align: left;">On the heels of finding out her husband wants a divorce, Valentina learns her Mother has died and left her daughter her estate. The same mother who left when Valentina was 12. Armed with a broken heart and more questions than answers, Valentina arrives in London only to discover what she never knew and find what she never knew she needed.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">I feel like a broken record, but Sarah Jio has done it again! She has crafted a story that devours you as you take in every word. She has designed a world you want to be a part of- and feel you are as you're reading her words. I didn't want to the book to end. In fact, I prolonged finishing this book because I didn't want to leave Primrose Hill or all the characters. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Valentina has memories of her mother that center around books and love. However, she also remembers coming home when she was 12 to find her mother gone. No goodbye, no contact to be had again, and no clue as to why. Still, she goes on to make a life for herself in marrying Nick. But, the happy ending she thought she had was not to be. Her dearly beloved informs her that he's leaving her for the younger woman he'd been cheating on her with. And if that isn't enough, a phone call informs her that the mother she hasn't seen since she was 12 has died and left her everything she had: a building in Primrose Hill, London with a bookstore on the bottom floor and apartments on the two upper floors. Sounds like the perfect time to move to London. However, upon arriving, it doesn't take long to learn Valentina must pay a hefty inheritance tax- with money she doesn't have. It also doesn't take long for her to learn that the business isn't doing well and it'll take a miracle to save it. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Amongst all this news, Valentina begins meeting the people who became her mother's world. Starting with a tenant in the 2nd floor apartment, Liza. This spunky woman is about Valentina's age and helps introduce her to the area. Valentina meets Millie, her mother's best friend and business partner. The bookstore, itself, is another entity that captures Valentina's heart. She quickly decides she wants to fight for the store.</p><p style="text-align: left;">As you are meeting the new world Valentina finds herself in, you follow Eloise's (Valentina's mother) story. You meet the men who shape her life and the paths she takes with them. You see her meet Valentina's father and the life they build. You also see how it falls apart and, ultimately, how Eloise and Valentina end up on opposite sides of the world. Your heart breaks as the story unfolds. You cheer Eloise on as she rebuilds her life and how prevalent Valentina always was. </p><p style="text-align: left;">It took me no time at all to be glued to all the dynamics within this book! The mother/daughter relationship that forcibly changed. The daughter rebuilding her life after it fell apart. Both women learning to move forward when you don't think you can. Sarah Jio has written another favorite in <i>With Love From London</i>. It was well worth waiting for. This book will find a cherished spot on my bookshelves the day it comes out. </p>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15965605222055840173noreply@blogger.com0