Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.” —Groucho Marx

Monday, November 30, 2015

The Giver by Lois Lowery--a review


Once again, my grandson, Noah, has recommended a book for Grandma to read.   I will admit, we watched the movie before I read the book, but it was an interesting read.   He has not read my recommended reads to him as yet.    He is now tackling the Bible and refuses to read anything else until he completes his mission.  How about that for a fifteen year old?





SYNOPSIS:

Featuring photographic artwork from the feature film on the cover, this handsome edition of The Giver is perfect for fans of the movie and the literary classic. Lois Lowry's 1994 Newbery Medal–winning tale has become one of the most influential novels of our time. The haunting story centers on Jonas who lives in a seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and contentment. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory does he begin to understand the dark, complex secrets behind his fragile community. Lois Lowry has written three companion novels to The Giver, including Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son.

FROM MY MIND'S EYE:

This is what I like to call a what if read.  The book is an easy read as it gently rolls through Jonah's growth into a "twelve" where he receives his life long assignment as the community's new receiver.    During the early chapters we learn about the idyllic community.   We learn about the assignments and how  the community class structure results from those assignments.    As the children grow, they are expected to do volunteer hours which will help the elders determine who qualifies for what life long assignment.    Everything has rules and there is punishment if rules are ignored.  It is a very structured and controlled community.    And it is perfect in the eyes of those who live there without the burden of past memories.

When Jonas meets the Old Receiver, he begins his training to retain the memories for the community.He comes to understand that there is a truth that most citizens will never realize and it causes conflict within himself.    The later chapters detail Jonas 's escape from the community that isn't nearly the picture of perfection it had previously been.

What if the life we live is a lie?   What if what we think is righteous is not?    What if we have been taught one way when there may be a better alternative?   What if we were deprived of every choice and the beauty of the world around us?   Would we be content to live as always if we knew there was an alternative or would we want....freedom to choose how we live?

The Giver is a very thought provoking book.   It is written well, flows smoothly and reads easily.   It isn't what I'd call fast paced, but it is steady.   The characters are well developed and reactive to their story and situation.     I am definitely looking forward to the other three books in the quartet.

I rated this read  5 Winks.....awesome for feeling and depth of thought.


Disclaimer:  I read for my pleasure.   I may receive ARC copies for review purposes, but I am not compensated for my reviews .  I like to read and I like to share my reviews.   I post my thoughts without prejudice or bias.  The words are mine and I write reviews based on my humble opinion.  I will admit, I seldom meet a book I don't like.    I purchased this book for my own personal collection.















Friday, November 20, 2015

RELEASE DAY/ SHAUNA ALLEN's Hitched and Throttle--reviews included!


Two releases today from Shauna Allen and they are so delicious to the heart of this reader!   Please enjoy the reviews and pick up a copy for your own viewing pleasure!


SYNOPSIS:

 A Jack ‘Em Up Wedding . . .
We have survived.
 We’ve earned our happy ending.

Today, Rachel Chaseman will become my wife . . . Mrs. Jesse Joyner.
My heart is in the palm of her hand, and I’m more than ready to pledge myself to her until the day I die.
Is it all too good to be true? Do I get to live the dream, or will doubt and the forces of nature rip us apart before we’re bound?


You’re cordially invited to find out . . .






SYNOPSIS:

I have a past. I have pain.
I don’t dwell on those because I have a future.
I’ve got my career and my wits. I don’t need love, or lust, or some man to make me complete. That’s for fairy tales.
Yeah, right.
Trace Berringer is the perfect male specimen, wrapped up in a smart, sexy, witty package, and while I may not need him, I sure want him. But he’s got a past of his own. One that may ultimately keep us apart.
~~~~~
Tori Waters has become both my fantasy and my nightmare.
I’ve wanted her since the moment we met, but she has walls a mile high. 
Hell, so do I.
Sex and shameless flirting are one thing, but I’ve been burned and I can’t afford to go there again. My son is my heart, my soul. It’s just us against the world and I’d kill to protect him.
No one, definitely no woman, is going to hurt us again.
That is a promise.



FROM MY MIND'S EYE:

Hitched by Shauna Allen was a companion novella to the book Torque which was the story of Rachel and Jesse.  In Hitched the readers are all invited to share in their nuptials.   This was a very short read, but it brought a final bond to our loving Torque couple.  And Shauna surprised her readers with a special guest appearance which was a very welcome surprise that brought a smile to my face.

I rated Hitched a four wink read.

Throttle:  I so loved the story of Rachel and Jesse, and to my great surprise, Shauna Allen is to blame that I love the story of Tori and Trace even more.    This was a story of substance,dealing with cancer, pasts, single parenting, and so much more.   These characters were real to me as they struggled to find love during trying times in their lives.

Shauna is always able to provide a smooth storyline, twists and turns and a bumpy ride to true love.   I believe she is keenly aware that anything worth having is worth working for.   It is certainly true for the mechanics at Jack 'Em Up.   They work hard, both at the garage and in their spare time.

Shauna Allen is a Favorite of mine.   She can write such realistic stories about everyday people and everyday problems with bouts of tension, angst and a bit of humor on the side.  She is able to pull the reader in early on, compelling them to read from start to finish with whatever time they have available to them.

I rated Throttle at five winks!!
Disclaimer:  I read for my pleasure.   I may receive ARC copies for review purposes, but I am not compensated for my reviews .  I like to read and I like to share my reviews.   I post my thoughts without prejudice or bias.  The words are mine and I write reviews based on my humble opinion.  I will admit, I seldom meet a book I don't like.  I received a copy of this book from the author or their representative in exchange for an honest review.




Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Passing Through Perfect by Bette Lee Crosby--A review




SYNOPSIS:

It's 1946. The war is over. Millions of American soldiers are coming home and Benjamin Church is one of them. After four years of being away he thought things in Alabama would have changed, but they haven't. Grinder's Corner is as it's always been--a hardscrabble burp in the road. It's not much, but it's home.

When Benjamin attends a harvest festival in Twin Pines, he catches sight of Delia. Before their first dance ends, he knows for certain she's the one. They fall madly in love: happily, impatiently, imprudently, in love. It doesn't matter that her daddy is staunchly opposed to the thought of his daughter marrying a cotton farmer, never mind a poor one.

It's true Benjamin has little to offer; he's a sharecropper who will spend his whole life sweating and slaving to do little more than put food on the table. But that's how things are in Alabama. Benjamin is better off than most; he has a wife, a boy he adores, and a house that doesn't leak rain. Yes, Benjamin considers himself a lucky man until the fateful night that changes everything.


FROM MY MIND'S EYE:

Wow, what an awesome read.    I don't even know where to begin.   I will begin by stating what an awesome and deep author Bette Lee Crosby is.    I wasn't expecting to love Passing Through Perfect as I did.   But it is a must read in my humble opinion.

This book tells the story of Benjamin Church, a young man returned home after his stint in the army in 1946.    His mama has passed, his daddy is saddened at the loss and needs help on the Alabama farm.    It is the story of a black man who decides to fulfill his love for family by becoming a farmer rather than seeking to fulfill his dreams of becoming a mechanic.   It is the story of life and death....moving on and the ever resilient nature of the human being.   So many things in life slap our faces....for Benjamin, it was bad weather, poverty, hard times, death of loved ones and moving on in the poorest of times.

My favorite quote:     "Perfect ain't a place," he said.   "It's a time when everything's good and we're happy.   Folks don't live in perfect, they just get to pass through every so often."

And that just about sums it all up.   We all pass through perfect once in awhile, and are blessed beyond words for it.    Thank you Bette Lee for introducing us to Benjamin and sharing his life wisdom.

I rated this a 5 Wink read!!





Disclaimer:  I read for my pleasure.   I may receive ARC copies for review purposes, but I am not compensated for my reviews .  I like to read and I like to share my reviews.   I post my thoughts without prejudice or bias.  The words are mine and I write reviews based on my humble opinion.  I will admit, I seldom meet a book I don't like.    I purchased this book for my own personal collection.










Monday, November 9, 2015

Silver Linings by Debbie Macomber--a review




SYNOPSIS:

Set in Cedar Cove’s charming Rose Harbor Inn, Debbie Macomber’s captivating new novel follows innkeeper Jo Marie and two new guests as they seek healing and comfort, revealing that every cloud has a silver lining, even when it seems difficult to find. 
 
Since opening the Rose Harbor Inn, Jo Marie Rose has met fascinating people from all walks of life, but none have piqued her interest quite like handyman Mark Taylor. Jo Marie and Mark are good friends—and are becoming something more—yet he still won’t reveal anything about his past. When Mark tells her that he’s moving out of town, Jo Marie is baffled. Just when she is starting to open herself up again to love, she feels once more that she is losing the man she cares about. As she grapples with Mark’s decision and tries to convince him to stay, she welcomes two visitors also seeking their own answers. 
 
Best friends Kellie Crenshaw and Katie Gilroy have returned to Cedar Cove for their ten-year high school reunion, looking to face down old hurts and find a sense of closure. Kellie, known as Coco, wants to finally confront the boy who callously broke her heart. Katie, however, wishes to reconnect with her old boyfriend, James—the man she still loves and the one who got away. As Katie hopes for a second chance, Coco discovers that people can change—and both look to the exciting possibilities ahead. 
 
Heartwarming and uplifting, Silver Linings is a beautiful novel of letting go of the past and embracing the unexpected.


FROM MY MIND'S EYE:

Anyone following the Rose Harbor Inn stories will love Silver Linings by Debbie Macomber.  The book starts out a little heavy.  Jo Marie is losing her best friend as he chooses to leave Cedar Cove despite his very strong feelings for Jo Marie.    Two classmates who booked the inn at Rose Harbor and planned to attend their class reunion are also disturbed by past life events.

Macomber is true to form with this writing.   The storyline flows smoothly as the story is told from Jo Marie's POV, Kellie, (Coco's) POV and Katie's POV.  All three women are seeking true love and hoping for a happy resolution to their searching.   True love....caring more for the other person's happiness and being willing to give up your desires for the one you love.

This story makes you sigh as you see the characters work through their heartache and humiliation.   There is a quirky twist in Coco's retalliation attempt and an intriguing encounter with the school's valedictorian.   And there is an unexpected turn of events for Katie too.   The Inn, known for it's healing powers, has not yet disappointed.

The story is sweet, thoughtful and warms the heart.   I very much enjoyed reading Silver Linings.

I rated this read 5 Winks!



Disclaimer:  I read for my pleasure.   I may receive ARC copies for review purposes, but I am not compensated for my reviews .  I like to read and I like to share my reviews.   I post my thoughts without prejudice or bias.  The words are mine and I write reviews based on my humble opinion.  I will admit, I seldom meet a book I don't like.    I purchased this book for my own personal collection.






Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Nowhere to be Found, by Emily Thomas....a review



SYNOPSIS:

While converting the Victorian home left by her great-aunt Edie into a library, Anne Gibson stumbles upon a fascinating find. Hidden behind an old star quilt is a tiny sealed-off room with a small writing desk and a faded photograph of Edie in a wedding gown. Anne is certain Aunt Edie never married, so who is the handsome young man with her in the photograph? Could he still hold claim to the house bequeathed to Anne? 

As Anne sets out to solve the mystery, she makes delightful new friends and runs into old ones - including a high school sweetheart who might not be happy that the woman who broke his heart is back in town.



FROM MY MIND'S EYE:

Nowhere to be Found by Emily Thomas is the first book in the Blue Hill Library series.   These are faith based "cozy" mysteries, that share the story of Anne Gibson as she relocates her children and self to Blue Hill, Pennsylvania.    Anne's husband had died unexpectedly of a massive heart attack and her Aunt Edie had left her Victorian home to Anne with instructions to convert it into a town library including living quarters for Anne and her children.

There are many interesting neighbors and friends who become important to Anne and her family as they undertake the remodeling and Anne faces many challenges as she deals with the quirky personalities.   Not only is she overseeing the  refurbishing, she finds a secret room in the house with a picture of her aunt that piques her curiousity and becomes a mystery to be solved.

This is the kind of book I enjoy reading and it relaxes my spirit.   I love all books and genres, but some of the psychological thrillers and suspense reads send me in search of something to bring me down and comfort my fast beating heart.   So I am happy to have found these cozy books sponsored by Guideposts.

I rated this book a 4 wink story.





Disclaimer:  I read for my pleasure.   I may receive ARC copies for review purposes, but I am not compensated for my reviews .  I like to read and I like to share my reviews.   I post my thoughts without prejudice or bias.  The words are mine and I write reviews based on my humble opinion.  I will admit, I seldom meet a book I don't like.    I purchased this book for my personal library.







Sunday, November 1, 2015

October Recap






Irish fiction, the story of Danny Boyle.






Romance









Romance


















Romance



















Romance with review to be posted on Nov 20
                                      coming soon to a blog near you!












HISTORICAL FICTION two totally different styles...both excellent




Paranormal Novella--



















I find so much joy in reading and in reading so many diverse books.   Thank you authors everywhere for providing the best of yourselves and sharing it with us, your readers.

Keep reading!  Keep writing!    Keep enjoying this wonderful art form!

Miss Beth