Books and Needlepoint: 2009 ARC

Showing posts with label 2009 ARC. Show all posts

Monday, June 22, 2009

The King's Legacy by Jim Stovall (Book Review) and Giveaway!

Shared by Kristi

Title: The King's Legacy
Author: Jim Stovall
Publisher: David C. Cook

First sentence: Once upon a time, there was an enchanted kingodm in a land far, far away.

My thoughts: This book was a very quick read. It reminded me of a fable (as the first sentence sort of reveals). It is about a King who wishes to leave a legacy so future generations will remember him and the people he ruled. His wise men are called upon to suggest what a good legacy would be. They suggest great architecture, coin with his face, or a statue in his likeness. However, the last wise man suggests he delcare a proclamation of the Wisdom of the Ages.

After much thought, the King agrees that the proclamation would be the way to go. When his wise men cannot agree as to a way to sum up what the Wisdom of the Ages should be or say, the King opens up his court to hear from his subjects. Anyone who feels they can contribute to what the Wisdom of the Ages should bbe can be heard.

A diverse group comes forward - one a day - to share their thoughts. To name a few -they ranged from a farmer, a mother, and a teacher, to a physician and a judge. Each one comes forward with their own thoughts for the King to contemplate.

This book was well written, and contains a good message, but I have never been a big fan as to this style of writing (fables/fairy tales). If this book sounds interesting to someone out there though, I would love to send it on (U.S. only please/no P.O. boxes). Just leave a comment below with your email and I will draw a winner next Tuesday, June 30.

Please watch for the First Wild Card Tour tomorrow to read the first chapter!

About the author: Jim Stovall has been a national champion Olympic weightlifter, a successful investment broker and entrepreneur. He is Co-Founder and President of the Narrative Television Network, which makes movies and television accessible for our nation's 13 million blind and visually impaired people and their families. Although originally designed for the blind and visually impaired, over 60% of NTN's nationwide audience is made up of fully-sighted people who simply enjoy the programming.

Jim Stovall hosts the Network's talk show, "NTN Showcase." His guests have included Katharine Hepburn, Jack Lemmon, Carol Channing, Steve Allen, and Eddie Albert, as well as many others. The Narrative Television Network has received an Emmy Award and an International Film and Video Award among its many industry honors.

NTN has grown to include over 1,200 cable systems and broadcast stations, reaching over 35 million homes in the United States, and NTN is shown in 11 foreign countries.

Jim Stovall joined the ranks of Walt Disney, Orson Welles, and four United States presidents when he was selected as one of the "Ten Outstanding Young Americans" by the U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce. He has appeared on "Good Morning America" and CNN, and has been featured in Reader's Digest, TV Guide and Time magazine. He is the author of a previous book entitled You Don't Have To Be Blind To See, as well as his new book Success Secrets of Super Achievers. The President's Committee on Equal Opportunity selected Jim Stovall as the 1997 Entrepreneur of the Year. (from Barnes and Noble website)

The King's Legacy
Publisher/Publication Date: David C. Cook, June 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4347-6593-2
160 pages

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Beach Trip by Cathy Holton - Blog Tour (Book Review)

Shared by Kristi

Title: Beach Trip
Author: Cathy Holton
Publisher: Ballantine Books

First sentence: Lola was engaged to Briggs Furman, so her roommates were stunned the evening she came home and told them she was in love with a boy named Lonnie.

My thoughts: After almost 25 years, four college friends plan a trip to the beach to try to rekindle their friendships and put the past behind them once and for all.

Lola is the trip planner and it is to her house on Whale Head Island, off the banks of North Carolina, that the four friends are headed. For one week they will get to enjoy the sun, the sand, and each other's company. Lola was always sort of the scatter-brained one in college and generally needed looking after. Captain Mike and April are Lola's hired help and they do a good job of taking care of her - because even after all these years - she still seems to be the fragile one. After college she had married her mother's pick of men - and left the man she loved behind. For the last 20 years he has kept her medicated so she would remain 'happy'. She has successfully raised one son who is soon to be engaged.

Annie was the housekeeper of the bunch. She always appeared to walk the straight and narrow. Her friends refer to her lovingly as being anal-retentive or as having OCD tendencies. She raised two sons who have left the nest and she has been at loose ends.

Sara and Mel had been best friends, as close as sisters - and just as competitive, before college. All this even though they came from vastly different backgrounds. Mel was the only daughter of a self-made millionaire who tried to make up for with money what he lacked in parenting skills. Sara came from what she deemed a normal household - middle-income, hard-working parents. She loved the time she spent at Mel's with their many arguments and the unending wealth. Mel went on to become a novelist after college and has been unlucky in love. Sara went on to become a lawyer and married the love of her life.

What secrets have these four women been keeping from each other since college? How will these secrets be revealed - and will they tear them apart - or make their bonds stronger?

I loved this book. It sort of helped me to evaluate my own life as I just recently went back to my 25 year high school reunion. It is set in the present time, telling the years since they were college seniors up to the beach trip in flashbacks throughout the book. Little by little the women's lives unfold and their secrets are slowly revealed. You are left holding your breath until the very end for confirmation of what the true secrets are and how they have effected each woman over her lifetime - and how it will affect their friendship now.

Beach Trip would be a great beach/vacation read. It is full of heartaches, true loves, loyalty lost and found and the deep bonds of girlfriends!

About the author: Cathy Holton, the author of Revenge of the Kudzu Debutantes, was born in Lakeland, Florida, and grew up in college towns in the South and the Midwest. She attended Oklahoma State University and Michigan State University and worked for a number of years in Atlanta before settling in the mountains of Tennessee with her husband and their three children. (from Barnes and Noble website)

Visit Cathy's blog - The Surly Wench or read an excerpt of Beach Trip.

Beach Trip
Publisher/Publication Date: Ballantine Books, May 2009
ISBN: 978-0-345-50599-6
432 pages

Cathy Holton’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Tuesday, June 2nd: S. Krishna’s Books

Thursday, June 4th: Books & Cooks – Lisa

Tuesday, June 9th: Pop Culture Junkie

Thursday, June 11th: Educating Petunia

Friday, June 12th: Bookworm with a View

Monday, June 15th: Caribousmom

Tuesday, June 16th: Books on the Brain - Summer Reading Series Discussion

Wednesday, June 17th: The Tome Traveller’s Weblog

Thursday, June 18th: Books on the Brain

Monday, June 22nd: Books and Needlepoint

Tuesday, June 23rd: The Book Faery Reviews

Wednesday, June 24th: Thoughts of Joy

Thursday, June 25th: Books and Cooks-Tara

Friday, June 26th: Peeking Between the Pages

Monday, June 29th: It’s All About Books

Tuesday, June 30th: Bermuda Onion

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Scared byTom Davis (Book Review)

Shared by Kristi

Title: Scared: A Novel on the Edge of the World
Author: Tom Davis
Publisher: David C. Cook

I read this for the First Wild Card Tour earlier this week. It was one of those books that needed some time to sink in before I felt I could write the review. If you missed the tour, you should go back and read the first chapter.

First sentence: Ten years ago I was a dead man.

My thoughts: This book is truly inspiring and eye-opening. It is a work of fiction based on fact and reads like a true story. I try not to read a lot of info about a book before I start it, so as not to have any preconceived notions - but I was so moved after reading the first chapter I had to go back and find out whether or not it was true!

This book tells the story of two vastly different people. Adanna, a young girl living in Swaziland, and Stuart, a photographer for the New York Times.

Adanna's life has been anything but easy. Her father left 4 years before her story starts. People in her village are dying of AIDS. Her mother soon becomes ill and dies and she is left to tray and care for her younger brother and sister. In a land where there is no food, no clean water, and no protection, Adanna still manages to look out for her siblings as well as other orphans in the area. Despite all the troubles that avail her, she has a good heart.

Stuart has taken pictures of some of the most devastating acts you can imagine. One of which won him a prestigious award. He still feels regret that all he could to was stand by and take pictures. He has been sent to Swaziland to find a picture to try to revive his career. He finds much more than that.

I love the way this book is written in alternating chapters - first Adanna, then Stuart, then Adanna - until their two stories and lives slowly merge.

If you do not want to have your eyes opened to what is happening in other parts of the world - If you do not want to feel the heartache - then I recommend that you do not read this book. If you are ready to see what is really going on and try to find out how you can help - read Scared and visit Children's Hope Chest. Let's start changing the world one person at a time.

About the author: Tom Davis is the accomplished author of Red Letters and Fields of the Fatherless. He holds a business and pastoral ministry degree from Dallas Baptist University and a master's degree in theology from The Criswell College. He is the president and CEO of Children's HopeChest, a Christian-based child-advocacy organization helping orphans in Eastern Europe and Africa. Tom and his wife, Emily, have seven children, including two adopted from Russian.

Scared
Publisher/Publication Date
ISBN: 978-1-5891-9102-0
283 pages

Friday, June 12, 2009

Secrets to Happiness by Sarah Dunn - Blog Tour and Book Review

Shared by Kristi

Title: Secrets to Happiness
Author: Sarah Dunn
Publisher/Publication Date: Little, Brown & Company (Hachette), March 2009

First sentence: "Do you want to know the secret to a happy marriage?"

Based on the title, Secrets to Happiness, and the cute puppy on the cover, I was expecting a light summer read with a happy ending. Now, don't misunderstand me - I don't need a happy ending to enjoy a book - and this book did have a happy ending of sorts - it was just not what I was expecting. (I guess that is why they say don't judge a book by it's cover!)

Holly is the main character - she is middle-aged, divorced from a man she was still in love with, and her career is in a downward spiral. She had been a successful sitcom writer with Leonard - but had taken a break to write a book. (Leonard's career also took a nose dive after this when he decided to make a very very gay movie). The book was not the success she had hoped for and was pretty much about her ex-husband Alex, and her ex-boyfriend before the husband, Spencer.

Holly does some crazy things in the following months - I would say she was searching for that 'elusive' happiness. She has an affair with Lucas who is only 22 and the younger brother of her friend Betsy. Then she moves on to Jack who she met while he was having an affair with her married friend, Amanda. Somewhere in the midst of all this she adopts a dog, Chester, who has brain cancer.

I did not feel a connection to anyone in this book - and there were a lot of characters. I will admit that I had to go back occasionally to figure out who they were talking about - the characters just did not seem very distinctive for me. The book overall didn't hold any excitement or anticipation - it didn't seem to 'build' to a climax, but just sort of ended. I suppose that mirrors real life in some ways though - situations resolve, relationships evolve or end, but life continues on. Please take a look at some other reviews (below) - just because it wasn't for me, doesn't mean it won't be for you!

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Miranda's Big Mistake by Jill Mansell (Book Review)

Shared by Kristi

Title: miranda's big mistake
Author: Jill Mansell
Publisher/Publication Date

First sentence: It was the first day of April.

About the book: Even the worst mistake of your life can lead to true love in the end. . .

Miranda's track record with men is horrible. Her most recent catastrophe is Greg. he seems perfect - gorgeous, witty, exciting. And he and Miranda are in love. . . until Miranda discovers he left his wife when he found out she was pregnant.

With the help of her friends, Miranda plans the sweetest and most public revenge a heartbroken girl can get. But will Miranda learn from her mistake, or move on to the next perfect man and ignore the loveof her life waiting in the wings. (from the book cover)

My thoughts: This was another fun read from Jill Mansell. Again, her cast of characters are so loveable that you want them to be your friends! Miranda's life seems to be a mess - but she is surrounded by many friends who love her and care about her - from her landlady Florence, her boss at the hair salon, Fenn and her best friend Bev. Even though she seems to have her share of bad luck when it comes to men, it seems that everyone who comes in contact with her is instantly taken in by her warm and giving personality.

Miranda befriends a homeless man who sits outside the salon - she gives him half her lunch whenever she sees him - and even goes so far to give him money for tea and a scarf and gloves. Of course, the gloves were left at the salon by a client, and after waiting weeks to take them and give them to this homeless man, the client phones up and wants them back! This sort of tells you how her life in general seems to go. How would you feel if you had to go back to a homeless man just minutes after giving him a warm pair of gloves and tell him that you needed them back?

After Miranda finishes with Greg, the soon-to-be ex-husband baby-daddy of her new flatmate, she decides that she is happy just as she is - until, of course, she catches the eye of a very handsome, very well-known race car driver. How fast can she fall for him?

I have really been enjoying Jill Mansell's books. If you missed my review of An Offer You Can't Refuse you should really go check it out too. I also did an interview with Jill Mansell - just click on her name. I am really excited to tell you she is going to have a fall release also - Millie's Fling! Watch for details.

Miranda's Big Mistake
Publisher/Publication Date: Sourcebooks, June 2009
ISBN: 9781402218323
488 pages

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Nothing but Trouble by Susan May Warren (Book Review)

Shared by Kristi

Title: Nothing but Trouble
Author: Susan May Warren
Publisher/Publication Date: Tyndale House, April 2009

I read this book for the First Wild Card Tour that was yesterday (oops!) I spent 9 hours on the road yesterday and completely lost track of all dates! I can see that it is going to take me a few days to get back on track with my postings!

First sentence: PJ Sugar would never escape trouble.

I really hate using the canned synopsis' of books - but since I am drowning, I am going to for the next few.

About the book: (from Barnes and Noble website) PJ Sugar knows three things for sure:

After traveling the country for ten years hoping to shake free from the trail of disaster that's become her life, she needs a fresh start.

The last person she wants to see when she heads home for her sister's wedding is Boone her former flame and the reason she left town.

Her best friend's husband absolutely did not commit the first murder Kellogg, Minnesota, has seen in more than a decade.

What PJ doesn't know is that when she starts digging for evidence, she'll uncover much more than she bargained for - a deadly conspiracy, a knack for investigation, and maybe, just maybe, that fresh start shes been longing for.

My thoughts: I just found another series that is going to be a "must read" for me. PJ Sugar is delightful! She is flawed, which shows her humanity and also makes you want to be her cheerleader. She is also trying very hard to be the person that she can be in Christ, but because of all the trouble she has "found" in her life - it takes her awhile to realize that Christ sees beyond the troubles and the flaws.

PJ returns to Kellogg as a favor to her sister, Connie. Connie is getting married and their mother just broke her ankle - so she needs to find someone fast to watch her 4 year old son while she is on her honeymoon. PJ hasn't been back in Kellogg since she left town 10 years before, right after her high school graduation. She had been accused unjustly of arson at the country club - an accusation that her boyfriend, Boone, doesn't deny - even though he knows that it wasn't her. And where is her sister getting married? Said country club. Talk about walking out of the present right back into the past. She shows up at the club an hour before the wedding is to take place - and before the day is over has been in the midst of a struggle involving an old teacher and her best friend's husband - ran into Boone, who is now a police detective - tried to corral Davy, her 4 year old nephew - and wonders why the more things change the more they stay the same!

This book was a very quick read - but very entertaining. The host of characters ranges from PJ and Boone, to her sister's new Russian in-laws, Jeremy - a "pizza delivery guy" , and believe it or not, a goat! I am definitely watching for the next book in this series - as the ending of this one left us with an interesting scenario for PJ's personal life that I am hoping will be explored!

Nothing but Trouble
Publisher/Publication date: Tyndale House Publishing, April 2009
ISBN: 9781414313122
352 pages

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Living a Charmed Life by Victoria Moran (Book Review)

Shared by Kristi

Title: Living a Charmed Life: Your Guide to Finding Magic in Every Moment of Every Day
Author: Victoria Moran
Publisher/Publication Date: Harper Collins, April 2009

First sentence: Most of us waste a lot of time distrusting ourselves and discounting ourselves.

About the book: (from the book flap) Bestselling author Victoria Moran's Living a Charmed Life presents fifty action-inspiring essays that show us how to custom craft our very own blessed lives. Covering topics such as living richly, staying close to what makes you come alive, and being completely, utterly yourself, Moran emphasizes that this kind of happiness is possible for anyone of any age in any circumstance.

Living a charmed life is your birthright, one that you can start to claim as soon as you take to heart - and put into action - the practical and spiritual tips you'll find here. These lucky charms, honed from Victoria's own life experiences, will elevate your attitude, change the way you see yourself, and help you to improve every aspect of your life including your health, relationships, finances, and peace of mind - even in challenging times.

In this fresh, inspiring book, Victoria Moran gives you the tools and techniques you need to start living your own charmed life now.

My thoughts: Usually I don't like "self-help" books. I find them to be wordy, boring, and don't feel like I can actually use a lot of the information in them - whether it is because it doesn't apply to my season of life, something that is common sense that I already do, or just seems like a lot of drivel. This book, however, is truly a gem. There are 50 chapters-just a few pages each that - that could apply to me - my mom - my daughter - my best friend - very universal yet relevant.

My favorite was a chapter entitled "Expect the Best", where she tells a story about when she was 14 that she knew that she was going to meet the Beatles. She didn't just "want" to meet them - she "expected" to meet them - and she goes on to tell how she did (very cute story!) It reminded me of when I was a teenager and I applied to be in a Modern Miss pageant in my home state. Now, no one in my small town had ever heard of this pageant - but I just kept telling everyone - "they have to pick someone to be in it, why not me?" and that "someone has to win". Well, I was chosen and did win a trophy for Modern Miss Academic, though not the big title. I just knew that I was going to be there and win something.

The other incident I remember as a teen is applying for college. My dad had passed away my junior year of high school and the law had just been changed that SSI for dependents stopped at 18 - so I was not expecting any money from family or government for college. There was only one college that I applied to - Cornell College in Iowa. I didn't give a thought to the prospect that I would not be accepted or that I would not have the money to go. I guess you could say that I just Expected It. Not only was I accepted, but I received their top scholarship, as well as a scholarship from Pepsi Cola (my dad had worked for Frito Lay, a subsidiary) and a handful of smaller scholarships, that covered all my expenses.

This chapter in Living a Charmed Life made me wonder what happened to my expectations? Why as we grow up do we stop expecting the good things to happen to us? Why do we tend to look for the negative? The Lucky Charm at the end of this chapter is "Look at your schedule for the day ahead. For each task and appointment, hold the mental image of everything working out beautifully." I think this can be applied for both those small tasks and the life long ones (like raising children!)

This is a book that I believe I will keep on my nightstand - and when I need some positive reinforcement, I will pick it up and read a chapter and listen to those lucky charms!

About the author: Victoria Moran is an inspirational speaker, a certified life coach, and the author of ten books including The Love- Powered Diet; Lit from Within; Fat, Broke & Lonely No More; and the international bestseller Creating a Charmed Life. Her articles have appeared in numerous publications including Body + Soul, Natural Health, and Yoga Journal. Her blog, "Your Charmed Life," is published daily on BeliefNet.com. She lives a charmed life in New York City.

Living a Charmed Life
Publisher/Publication Date: Harper Collins, April 2009
ISBN: 978-0-06-164989-9
272 pages

Sunday, May 31, 2009

The Convenient Marriage by Georgette Heyer (Book Review)

Shared by Kristi

Title: The Convenient Marriage
Author: Georgette Heyer
Publisher/Publication Date: Sourcebooks, February 2009 (original publication date 1934)
Genre: Regency Romance

First sentence: Lady Winwood being denied, the morning caller inquired with some anxiety for Miss Winwood, or, in fact, for any of the young ladies.

About the book: Horatia Winwood is simply helping her family. When the Earl of Rule proposes marriage to her sister Lizzie, Horatia offers herself instead. Her sister is already in love with someone else, and Horatia is willing to sacrifice herself for her family's happiness. Everyone knows she's no beauty, but she'll do her best to keep out of the Earl's way and make him a good wife. And then the Earl's archenemy, Sir Robert, sets out to ruin her reputation. . .

The Earl of Rule has found just the wife he wants. Unbeknownst to Horatia, the Earl is enchanted by her. There's simply no way he's going to let her get into trouble. Overcoming some misguided help from Horatia's harebrained brother and a hired highwayman, the Earl routs his old enemy, and wins over his young wife, gifting her with a love that she never thought she could expect.

My review: Ok, I am officially a Georgette Heyer fan. I admit that I did not like the mystery that I read, Why Shoot a Butler? - but I am not really a big fan of that genre as a whole. This one, on the other hand, was delightful. The characters were charming and at times a little outrageous - especially for the time period. Like in the very beginning when Horatia takes it upon herself to visit Lord Rule and ask him to marry her in place of her sister Lizzie. And of course, she does all this behind her family's back. Horry proceeds to become the Earl's wife and quickly becomes the toast of the town. She is burdened with a stammer and I got the impression that as the youngest Winwood she was not always taken seriously. Once she becomes a wife, and a wealthy one at that, she lets nothing stand in her way to do whatever she feels she wants to - including catching the eye of Lord Lethbridge. I believe she pursues him only because everyone warns her to stay away from him - and he uses her as a pawn because of his dislike of the Earl. If you are a fan of Jane Austen type romances - and haven't yet tried Georgette Heyer - pick this one up soon. Sourcebooks is reissuing a slew of Georgette Heyer books - mysteries, romances and historical fiction. A whole new generation will be able to appreciate these works!

The Convenient Marriage
Publisher/Publication Date: Sourcebooks, February 2009
ISBN-13: 978-1-4022-1772-2
ISBN-10: 1-4022-1772-2
318 pages

A Girl's Guide to Modern European Philosophy by Charlotte Greig (Book Review)

Shared by Kristi

Title: A Girl's Guide to Modern European Philosophy
Author: Charlotte Greig
Publisher/Publication Date: Other Press, LLC/May 2009

First sentence: I woke up late that morning.

About the book: Susannah’s official boyfriend, Jason, is the perfect foil for her student lifestyle. He is ten years older, an antiques dealer, and owns a stylish apartment that prevents her from having to live in the seedy digs on campus. This way, she can take her philosophy major very seriously and dabble in the social and sexual freedom of 1970s university life. But circumstances become more complicated than Susannah would like when she begins to have an affair with her tutorial partner, Rob. Soon she is dating two men, missing her lectures, exploring independence and feminism with her girlfriends, and finding herself in a particularly impossible dilemma: she becomes pregnant. Forced to look beyond her friends and lovers for support, she finds help and inspiration from the lessons of Kierkegaard and other European philosophers. A Girl’s Guide to Modern European Philosophy is a delightfully insightful, bittersweet coming-of-age romp, in which love is far from platonic and the mind—body predicament a pressing reality. It even succeeds where many introductions to philosophy have failed, by effortlessly bringing to life the central tenets of the most important European philosophers of modern times. (from the book cover)

My review: I really enjoyed reading this book. The book was set in the 1970's - and even though the date is never mentioned, there are many clues regarding fashion, cars, etc, that lead you to the time frame. Susannah is very engaging and she drew me in immediately. Even though she did not want to live on campus and be a normal student, she seemed to crave the quiet that she found when she stayed at her friend's empty dorm room. It was almost like she was still a little girl who seemed to think she was supposed to be an adult, but didn't know how to get there. (I guess that is why they call it a coming-of-age book. . .) It was excellent in that regard. I wanted to shake her at times when I felt that instead of taking control of her life, she was letting it just sort of happen to her. Don't be intimidated by the European philosophers that they mention. The book is divided into sections depending on the philosophers that she is studying in her philosophy class. It does a nice time laying out what they believe and how she tries to apply these belief systems to her current situations. So not only do you get an entertaining read, but you also pick up some knowledge at the same time.

About the author: Charlotte Greig worked as a music journalist in print and radio before becoming a folk singer and songwriter. She has made five albums and written a book on girl groups, Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?: Girl Groups from the 50s On. She is also a playwright, for radio and stage. She lives in Cardiff, Wales, U.K., with her family. A Girl’s Guide to Modern European Philosophy is her first novel.

A Girl's Guide to Modern European Philosophy
Publisher/Publication Date: Other Press, LLC, May 2009
ISBN-13: 978-1-59051-317-0
288 pages

Other reviews:
Devourer of Books

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Why Shoot a Butler? by Georgette Heyer (Book Review)

Shared by Kristi

Title: Why Shoot a Butler?
Author: Georgette Heyer
Publisher/Publication Date: Originally published in 1933 by Georgette Rougier - Reprinted in 2009 by Sourcebooks Landmark.

First sentence: The signpost was unhelpful.

From the back cover: Every family has secrets, but the Fountains' are turning deadly. . . On a dark night, along a lonely country road, barrister Frank Amberley stops to help a young lady in distress and discovers a sports car with a corpse behind the wheel. The girl protests her innocence, and Amberley believes her - at last until he gets drawn into the mystery and the clues incriminating Shirley Brown begin to add up. . . In an English country-house murder mystery with a twist, it's the butler who's the victim, every clue complicates the puzzle, and the bumbling police are well-meaning but completely baffled. Fortunately, in ferreting out a desperate killer, amateur sleuth Amberley is as brilliant as he is arrogant, but this time he's not sure he wants to know the truth.

My thoughts: I am not a huge fan of this genre, having just read my first Agatha Christie novel last fall, but since I liked the Christie novel thought I would give it a shot. This one was just okay for me. It did start to pick up towards the end and I got more engaged in the story, but not sure that I would have stuck with it if I hadn't promised to read it! I am glad that I did though, as I have been wanting to try out some Heyer novels. By the end of the book I did have an idea of who the perpetrator was - but wasn't clear on why he was doing what he was doing. As Amberley began to lay out all the clues, it became clearer to me - and that is when you say -"Oh yeah, how could I have missed that?!" I do have some of her romance books to give a go next and am interested in seeing how they will differ from this mystery.

Read an excerpt of Why Shoot a Butler?

Why Shoot a Butler?
Publisher/Publication Date: Sourcebooks/April 2009
ISBN-10: 1-4022-1795-1
ISBN-13: 978-1-4022-1795-1
329 pages

Friday, May 22, 2009

Frenchman's Creek by Daphne Du Maurier (Book Review)

Shared by Kristi

Title: Frenchman's Creek
Author: Daphne DuMaurier
Publisher/Publication Date: Originally published in Great Britain by Victor Gollancz LTD, 1941.
Reprinted by Sourcebooks Landmark, March 2009

First sentence: When the East wind blows up Helford River the shining waters become troubled and disturbed and the little waves beat angrily upon the sandy shores.

My summary: In chapter 2, when we first meet Dona (Lady Dona st. Columb) she appears to be a selfish, spoiled brat. Running away from London, from her husband, from her life - which she felt was smothering her. She was looking for escape. She did not like the woman she had become and was afraid that that was all there was to her life. She travels to Navron, their country estate, of which she has not seen in over 6 years. With her in her escape are her 2 children and their nanny, Prue.

She settles into life at Navron very easily and enjoys the solitude and the quiet that it brings her. On one of her walks she discovers a creek that flows through the trees on the property. Before she knows it, she has been taken 'prisoner' by a pirate whose ship is docked in her creek. This pirate is the Frenchman.

They soon realize that they are very much alike in their search for escape and adventure. Their unlikely friendship quickly turns to love. The Frenchman has been plundering many of Dona's neighbors and relieving them of their treasures. These neighbors finally band together, putting out the call to Harry, Dona's husband in London, as well as others to come and help catch this pirate.

What will Dona choose? Her new life as a pirate with the man who has become more important to her than she could have ever guessed? Or her husband and children and a life in London that seems stifling? With either choice comes loses that will be hard to bear. Which would you choose?

My thoughts: I loved this book. For some reason I tend to avoid books that were published before I was born. I am not sure why this is, as I always seem to enjoy them. Maybe because many of these were books or authors that we were "supposed" to read in school.

After reading the first chapter of The Frenchman's Creek, I didn't know how I was going to make it through the book. Before I knew it, I was so caught up in the story that I did not want to put it down.

Her writing is so easy and flowing that it was wonderful to read -

The wheel of La Mouette lifted under her hands, and the ship heeled over in the freshening breeze, and all this, she thought, is part of what we feel for each other, and part of the loveliness of living, the strength that lies in the hull of a ship, the beauty of sails, the surge of water, the taste of the sea, the touch of the wind on our faces, and even the little simple pleasures of eating, and drinking, and sleeping, all these we share with delight and understanding, because of the happiness we have in one another. (p162)

I have owned My Cousin Rachel, Rebecca, and Jamaica Inn for at least 15 years and have not read them. I am definitely going to read them after enjoying Frenchman's Creek so much!

Stay tuned for my winners of Frenchman's Creek and My Cousin Rachel which were supposed to be announced 2 days ago!

Frenchman's Creek
Publisher/Publication Date: Sourcebooks Landmark/March 2009
ISBN 10: 1-4022-1710-2
ISBN 13:978-1-4022-1710-4
280 pages

Saturday, May 16, 2009

The Four Corners of the Sky by Michael Malone (Book Review)

Shared by Kristi

Title: The Four Corners of the Sky
Author: Michael Malone
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Publication Date: May 12, 2009
ISBN-13: 9781570717444
Genre: Fiction

First sentence: In small towns between the North Carolina Piedmont and the coast the best scenery is often the sky.

Jack Peregrine was a con man - not just any con man - but one with a six year old daughter, Annie. When danger gets too close, Jack takes Annie to Emerald and Pilgrim's Rest (his childhood home) and leaves her with his sister Sam and her friend Clark. He promises to return for her, but in the meantime, as it was her 7th birthday, he gives her an airplane, The King of the Sky. This plane has been housed in Sam and Clark's barn since Annie was just a baby.

Sam and Clark have shared a residence for many years - but Sam is gay and Clark is once widowed and once divorced. They raise Annie as their own, eventually adopting her. Annie only sees her father once, briefly, while she is in high school. She has raced through life at top speed and continues when she heads off to Annapolis to become a Navy pilot. At 26, she finds herself headed back to Pilgrim's Rest for her b-day, having even raced through her first marriage - now headed for divorce. I believe when she arrives back at Pilgrim's Rest, that this is where the story really begins. She is greeted with a FedEx from her father, balloons from Sam and Clark, and a tornado (which will symbolize her next few days!) The FedEx from her father states that he is dying and would like her to fly The King of the Sky to St. Louis and meet him there.

This book started out great for me. I flew (no pun intended) through the first 100 pages and couldn't wait to keep going. Then I hit the middle and felt like the air went out of my balloon. It picked up speed again though and I soared to the end. (ok, I'll stop with the puns. . .) I am glad that I finished it.

My favorite character was probably Dan Hart, even though we do not get to see much of him. He is the Miami detective who has been tracking Annie's father. I enjoyed his instant rapport with Annie and their attraction. I also enjoyed steadfast, no-nonsense Clark. He was always there for Annie and even though his puns were corny, you knew you could always count on him (like the one that went something like this "It is better to have loved a short man than not a tall.")

I am not sure how I felt about Annie. I don't really felt like I really got to know her - that I never really got below the surface. Now maybe this was the point - because of her dad "abandoning" her and never even knowing who her mother was - she kept everyone at arm's length.

I can say that I liked this book - I didn't love it like I thought I would, but I am glad that I stuck with it all the same. The thing that bothered me from the beginning - was that in 1982 one of Annie's favorite movies was Top Gun - and the movie didn't come out until 1986. (I remember where I was when I saw it the first time - only because I was a later Navy wife and was in the bathroom at NTC, San Diego where the "famous" bathroom scene was filmed - there is even a plaque in it!) Now I was reading an uncorrected advance copy, so maybe this has been changed in the final version. . . Michael Malone has won the Edgar, the O. Henry, the Writer's Guild Award and the Emmy - so I am sure that I will give him another try! (As an aside - I will say that I have struggled with a headache all week as I was trying to read this, so that may have had an effect on my perceptions!)

Saturday, May 9, 2009

The Lake That Stole Children by Douglas Glenn Clark (Book Review)

Shared by Kristi

Title: The Lake That Stole Children
Author: Douglas Glenn Clark
Publisher: CreateSpace
Available: Now
ISBN-13: 978-1438243580
Genre: YA
This ARC was provided to me by the author and Bostick Communications.

First sentence: The fisherman led his small son and daughter to the river's edge and handed each a fishing pole for their first lesson.

This was a short story/book (only 40 pages) written very much like a fairy tale. It would be a good story to read to an elementary age child or to be read alone.

My take on the story was this: A fisherman's family was living very disconnected - without much feeling for themselves or each other. They were referred to in the beginning of the book as the fisherman, the fisherman's wife, son, and daughter. They all seemed to be living their own lives and the son was especially sad. The sadness enveloped him - in this case as a large glass fish which took him down to the bottom of the lake.

This seems to bring the family to action - and as they become alive and actually "feel" - their names also become known. The father battles against his son's sadness to bring him and all the other sad children home.

This story had a good message and was simple to read and easy to understand. It was very descriptive - like the following example. This is were I interpreted that the girl was finally "feeling."

The girl was so afraid she couldn't move. She thought of running home for her mother. But home seemed too far away. She felt sick about disobeying her father again. But then her bones began to hum and fill her with an unfamiliar song - a song that made body tremble and caused a flutter in her chest that felt like the soft wings of a bird trying to escape. (p28)

Always Watching by Brandilyn Collins and Amberly Collins (Book Review)

Shared by Kristi

Title: Always Watching (Book 1 Rayne Tour Series)
Author: Brandilyn Collins and Amberly Collins
Publisher: Zondervan
Available: May 2009
ISBN-13: 9780310715399
Genre: Teen Fiction
I read this book for the First Wild Card Tour yesterday. (Click Always Watching to read the first chapter)

First sentence: It's not my fault I have to kill.

Shaley loved being on tour with her mom Rayne and Rayne's band. Since she was just 16, the hardest thing was leaving all her friends behind for months at a time. Thankfully, she had Tom to hang out with backstage. He was her mom's hairdresser and make-up artist and her closest friend on the tour. Her best school friend, Brittany, was flying in to spend a week on the tour with her.

Before they could leave the concert to go get her friend, Shaley's world comes crashing down. Someone murders her friend Tom and she is the one that finds his body.

The next three days as they wrap up in San Jose and head for Denver are filled with mysterious gifts, photos, messages, paparazzi and more murder.

This was a fun quick read and I look forward to learning more about these characters as the series continues. This book contains the 1st chapter of the 2nd book, Last Breath, and it doesn't skip a beat!

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Mama's Got a Fake I.D. by Caryn Dahlstrand Rivadeneira (Book Review)

Shared by Kristi

Title: Mama's Got a Fake I.D.
Author: Caryn Dahlstrand Rivadeneira
Publisher: Waterbrook Multnomah
Available: Now
ISBN-13: 9781400074938
Genre: Christian Living/Women

This ARC was provided to me by Staci at Waterbrook Multnomah for Mother's Day Tour! Thanks Staci!

First Sentence: Motherhood changes you.

How many moms out there can say that after they had children they did not lose some part of their identity. I would guess not many. Even though I worked after my first two children were born, the assumption was that since I was a mom, I must "have" to work - because why would I leave my kids in daycare if I didn't have to. I had never considered not working before or after my kids were born - I enjoyed my job and had always felt like I would be doing something in the working world. But even though I didn't quit my job, I did sacrifice other areas of my life. I didn't read a book for years, didn't cross stitch, and stopped playing the piano. I am not saying that some of this was not my fault, but I don't think that other people in my life helped me to not "lose" this part of me.

As I got older and had my third child, I did quit working and choose to stay at home with him. Now the assumptions became that I was only a stay at home mom. What happened to the mom who could manage a department? Who actually had adult conversations (ok, there is some argument as to whether they were actual "adult conversations" there) for 9 hours every day. Who had men and women friends who didn't know anything about my kids? What happened to the girl who was going to be a doctor/psychiatrist/social worker way back when?

Rosalie wrote,"I look at it this way: [We need to] keep casting our nets out there, seeking to find ways our gifts can be used that [are] fulfilling. I feel God hems us in at times for his own purposes. He uses our children and their needs to hem us in; he uses our husbands' conflicting schedules; he uses job application rejection. I just pray that I fulfill what it is he wants me to do within the hedge he has erected, and I pray that some day he will free me for more personal fulfillment beyond the precious role of mother." p 148

With this third child I finally began to realize all the parts of me that were no longer "present". That is what this book is about. How do we get back to who we were meant to be - without sacrificing our family - but at the same time not sacrificing ourselves for our family. God made us to be so much more than moms. Especially with all the technology of today, many of the things that wives and mothers had to do can now be done quicker or bought, etc - so how can we fulfill our roles in today's society to full capacity.

While we may at times feel discontent with our role or abilities as mothers in general - or if we're honest, at times with our kids' behavior in particular - that's not what I mean here. The contentment that needs to seep into our hearts, minds, and souls is for the hemmed-in times, when we see the hedges growing around us and feel like jumping right over them. You know, when it feels like nothing is happening, no gifts are being used, no passions are fired up, as if God has taken no consideration whatsoever of our personal temperaments when it comes to our role as mothers.
No matter how much we love everything and everyone inside our hedged yard, it's the stuff on the outside - the parts of our identities that don't seem to fit within a current season in motherhood - about which we need to seek contentment. That way, we can focus on where God wants us looking and why he wants us looking there. p152-153

If you have ever struggled with whether or not you are doing the whole "mothering" thing correctly - or wonder how you ended up with those 1 or 2 or 6 kids - then you should read this book. If you have a friend, or a sister, or a cousin who is a mom, read this book and help her to discover her full potential. Or get a group of women together and everyone read it. There are wonderful questions at the end of each chapter that can be used for discussion.

My heart raced a bit as I worked through the ways I empowered my kids through blessings - and the ways I needed to do better. And then my pastor said the words that nearly made me jump up and shout "Hallelujah!" "When you bless someone," he said, "you give them a picture of themselves that is honest, affirming, and empowering. That's a blessing."
So while I wasn't shouting out loud, inside I was shouting hallelujah! At this point I was thinking beyond all the ways I could give my kids honest, affirming, and empowering pictures of themselves. I was thinking, We moms gotta do this for each other! We gotta bless each other - give each other this honest, affirming, and empowering picture of who God made us to be. That's the real secret. p176-177

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Madewell Brown by Rick Collignon (Book Review)

Shared by Kristi

Title: Madewell Brown
Author: Rick Collignon
Publisher: Unbridled Books
Available: May 2009
ISBN-13: 978-1-932961-65-2
Genre: Fiction
This ARC was provided to me by Unbridled Books.

First sentence: Of all of them, Obie Poole was the only one who ever came back.

This is the story of Madewell Brown, told in flashbacks by his friend and fellow ballplayer Obie Poole. Obie and Madewell grew up in South Cairo, Illinois and together with a band of other boys created the South Cairo Greys - an African-American baseball team. For most of the players, the team was the only family they ever really had. As you can tell from the first sentence, Obie is the only one who ever returned to South Cairo - all the other ones dropped out or died or were killed while they were on the road. Madewell just walked off the pitcher's mound in El Paso, Texas and Obie never did know what happened to him.

Many years later, back in South Cairo, a young girl named Rachel wanders by Obie's house - he recognizes her at once as the granddaughter of Madewell Brown. Over the years they form an unlikely friendship, as she provides him company and an outlet for all his stories - and he provides her a link to her past and becomes her surrogate grandfather. When Obie dies, he leaves his few possessions to her - among them a box filled with his memoirs. As she begins to read, she longs to believe that his stories of his baseball days were true.

In Guadalupe, New Mexico Ruffino Trujillo tells his son Cipriano a tale about a black man that he encountered out on the Mesa when he was a boy. It is the last and pretty much the only story, that he shared with his son about his childhood. Cipriano is perplexed by the story, but searches and finds a canvas bag in his father's shed with the name Madewell Brown on it. It is old, waterstained, covered with dust. Inside is an old blanket, some clothes, a photo of the South Cairo greys and a letter addressed to Obie Poole. Not knowing what to make of his father's story or what to do with the belongings, he mails the letter. It falls into the hands of Rachel.

As the stories converge, Madewell's history is told and what really happened up on the Mesa is divulged. It is told in simple language, but hints at the violence and racism that existed in that time.

This is the fourth book in Collignon's Guadalupe series, and I enjoyed it enough that I am going to look for the first three. It was an easy to read book, which would be good for a lazy summer day sitting on the porch with a glass of tea.

The first four books are Perdido, The Journal of Antonio Montoya, and A Santo in the Image of Cristobal Garcia.

Dear Mom by Melody Carlson (Book Review)

Shared by Kristi

Title: Dear Mom: Everything Your Teenage Daughter Wants You to Know But Will Never Tell You

Author: Melody Carlson

Publisher: Waterbrook Multnomah (Random House)

ISBN: 978-1-4000-7491-4

Genre: Christian Living

Available: Now

This book was provided to my by Staci at RandomHouse for blog tour.

First sentence: I know you watch me sometimes, especially if you think I am not looking.

This was a very cute book, but oh-so-true. It is written as a teenage daughter's letter or book to her mom. She lets us into the inner workings of the teenage girl's mind and heart - some place where we might have been once, but no longer remember. (or maybe our memories are just skewed!) I wish I would have had this book a couple of years ago. Many parts of it could have been written by either my 16 year old or my 14 year old daughters! I will also admit that my own daughters have pointed out some of the very same thing that the girl in this book does!

She addresses everything from self-esteem, talent, fashion, peer pressure, boyfriends - and the list goes on and on. I cannot recommend this book enough for every mom who has a pre-teen or teen daughter! It wasn't like it told me anything I didn't already know or should know based on my own daughters, but sometimes we all need a little reminder!

Purchase here!

Monday, May 4, 2009

Fire Me by Libby Malin (Book Review)

Shared by Kristi

Title: Fire Me - A Tale of Scheming, Dreaming, and Looking For Love in All the Wrong Places
Author: Libby Malin
Publisher: Sourcebooks
ISBN-13: 9781402217579
Available: May 2009
Genre: Fiction/Romance

This ARC was provided to me by Danielle at Sourcebooks - Thanks Danielle!

First sentence: Sometimes Anne Wyatt wished she could feed parts of her life into a shredder.

Anne works in the communication department at Burnham Group in DC. She works for Mitch Burnham - owner - and ex-boyfriend. It has been over for a couple of years (he had still been married at the time) but she had convinced herself that his wife didn't matter. She had broken it off with him, but it was still a blow to her self-esteem every time she saw him with someone else.

That wouldn't be happening much longer as she was resigning - today. She had found another job across the country in San Francisco at St. Bartholomew's Childrens Hospital. All she needed was to get Mitch alone for a minute so that she could tell him. Well, that wasn't happening this morning. He came in on his cell, closed his office door - and called a meeting as soon as he surfaced.

During the meeting, Mitch announced that he was going to have to lay someone off as profits were down. The person would be compensated with a nice severance package and he would make his announcement at the end of the day.

Annie's mind goes into overdrive and she plans to do everything possible to make sure she is the one who gets fired. Unfortunately, she is not the only one with that idea. Sheila, her counterpart in the office, begins to do some wacky things also! And Ken, her co-worker and secret admirer, spends the day trying to fix her gaffes. Ones he believes she is making because she is under so much pressure!

This book takes place all in the period of about 24 hours - which makes it unique in the books that I have been reading lately. I worked in the corporate world for 10 years before I became a stay-at-home mom. Her and her coworker do and say things that I wouldn't even have dreamed of doing when I was working (of course, I wasn't trying to get fired!) But that didn't stop me from imagining what the results would have been!

This was a light entertaining read - even though I felt it had the same buried message on different scales for each character. The message to embrace your life, embrace your future. Find out what makes you happy. It might be tough getting there, but if it is what you want, what you dream about - stop dreaming and get to it! It will be worth it.

Libby Malin also is offering readers an additional chapter to find out what happens between Anne and Ken at http://www.libbymalin.com/.

Friday, May 1, 2009

Wild Highland Magic by Kendra Leigh Castle (Book Review)

Shared by Kristi

Title: Wild Highland Magic
Author: Kendra Leigh Castle
Publisher: Sourcebooks
ISBN: 9781402218569
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Available: May 1, 2009
This ARC was provided to me by Sourcebooks - Thanks Danielle!

First sentence: The dungeons stank of death.

Catriona MacInnes, along with her sisters Skye and Poppy, are half werewolves, half witches growing up in sunny California with their father, Freddie. Never taught how to use or control their powers, never knowing they weren't unique - they were surprised when their father announced a family trip to the Scottish Highlands. A trip to meet his brother Duncan, Alpha of the MacInnes Pack.

Upon arriving at Iargail, the ancestral home of the Macinnes', Cat could see that it was going to take some time to mend the rift between Duncan and her father. Uncle Duncan immediately warmed to the three sisters though.

Cat soon runs into Bastian an Morgaine, a wizard prince staying in a cottage on Duncan's land. Hiding out would be how Duncan sees it, but since he is his daughter-in-law's brother, he lets him stay.

Bastian is hiding things though. The first being a narial - this is a shadowy creature that only prowls in the dark and has been tormenting Bastian's family for years. He slowly takes chunks of their soul until they break. Bastian's family had this curse put upon them by the king of the daemons. He is also hiding Lucien Andrakkar, a dragon. Bastian rescued Lucien from the Blighted Kingdom where he had been held and tortured by the daemons for a year. He is hoping that this dragon will help rid him of the narial. If Lucien will just give Bastian some of his blood, by his own free will, Bastian might have a chance to defeat the curse.

Things heat up quickly between Cat and Bastian and their kisses leave "marks" on their bodies - and souls. Unbeknownst to Cat, she has mated with Bastian for life. Bastian soon realizes that by mating with Cat, he has doomed her to his fate.

I adored this book. I loved the way that it was set in the Scottish Highlands, which you immediately think "past-times" - but it is set in the present, so there are different references to pop culture which made it amusing. The characters were werewolves, or dragons, or wizards - but this didn't read like a fantasy novel. The characters were so human, the emotions so strong, that this is who I would expect to run into in the Scottish Highlands! I was 2/3rds of the way through the book, when I mentioned to Danielle that I hoped it was the beginning of a series. She told me it was actually the third book! It read very well as a stand alone. Now I can't wait to get my hands on the first two books of this series - Call of the Highland Moon and Dark Highland Fire!

To meet Kendra and read a little more about the book - please hop on over to Yankee Romance Reviewers where the celebration is just starting!

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

New York Debut by Melody Carlson (Book Review)

Shared by Kristi

Title: New York Debut

Author: Melody Carlson

Publisher: Zondervan

Available: May 1, 2009

Genre: YA Fiction/Christian

ISBN-10: 0310714931
ISBN-13: 978-0310714934

I read this for the First Wild Card Tour April 30, 2009.

First sentence: "Where is our Taylor?" asked Grandmother pleasantly.

Book 6 in the Carter House Girls series picks up as DJ is being picked up from the airport on her return from Las Vegas (see my review of book 5, Lost in Las Vegas). Taylor is noticeably absent and DJ has to share with her grandmother that she is at a rehab facility in California for alcohol abuse. Grandmother is upset and disappointed because she is afraid that Taylor won't make it back in time for Fashion Week in NYC.

As school starts up again after New Years, DJ, Rhiannon and Casey begin to notice that Kriti seems to be eating less and working out more. They do an intervention and Kriti confesses that Eliza has been influencing her to lose weight. They convince her she doesn't need to and move her in with DJ - away from Eliza.

Grandmother begins having classes on Saturday mornings to teach the girls about etiquette, manners and how to "own" the cat walk. She opens these up to the community and the Carter House girls find themselves spending time with Daisy, a new friend, and Madison and Tina, two old enemies.

I had only read book 5 prior to this book (other books in the series include Mixed Bags, Stealing Bradford, Homecoming Queen, and Viva Vermont). Again, it was hard to differentiate all the girls at first, and I would not have had a clue had I not read Lost in Las Vegas. I don't think it reads well as a stand alone. That being said, it does have good lessons and values for a teenage Christian girl to follow and illustrates how one can turn to God in all sorts of situations. I hope to eventually be able to go back and read the first 4 books in this series. Bikini Breakdown is book 7 of this series and it is due out in October 2009.