I read this easy and light spiritual/inspirational book during the 24 hours read-a-thon and it was a perfect time for it. It was my hot tub reading and it didn’t take me long to finish. It covered self-reliance, discontent, weariness, worry, hopelessness, and guilt. I liked the mix of scripture, stories and a splash of stats. The chapter on weariness focused on getting enough sleep, which gave me a giggle while reading since I was trying to stay up 24 hours reading 🙂
I liked it and am happy that my cousin decided to share it with me.
Nicola Marter was born with a gift. When she touches an object, she sometimes glimpses those who have owned it before. When a woman arrives with a small wooden carving at the gallery Nicola works at, she can see the object’s history and knows that it was named after the Firebird—the mythical creature from an old Russian fable.
Compelled to know more, Nicola follows a young girl named Anna into the past who leads her on a quest through the glittering backdrops of the Jacobites and Russian courts, unearthing a tale of love, courage, and redemption.
I finished this almost a month ago so I’ll keep this short. I loved The Winter Sea, it was my favorite read from last year, and this is a continuation of that story. I didn’t love it as much as it’s predecessor for one big reason. It also tells two stories, a modern one that links to a historical one, but in this book the modern story is not at all engaging. It involves two people who can read minds and travel in time by using their paranormal abilities. It was just to hard for me to care about Nicola and to a lesser extent, Rob. They could do too much. It was too easy. This was pretty much the first third of the book so I made a slow go of it. Once we got to Anna’s story in Imperial Russia, I loved it! Anna is the true star and I loved every minute of her adventures.
This is my second book by Kearsley and I’m still a fan, but do feel like this could have been better. Since I didn’t exactly fall in love with Rob in this one I’m not in a huge hurry to read The Shadowy Horses, the story told when he was a boy. Has anyone read it?
Thirteen-year-old Lizzie Hood and her next-door neighbor, Evie Verver, are inseparable, best friends who swap clothes, bathing suits, and field-hockey sticks and between whom, presumably, there are no secrets. Then one afternoon, Evie disappears, and as a rabid, giddy panic spreads through the balmy suburban community, everyone turns to Lizzie for answers. Was Evie unhappy, troubled, or upset? Had she mentioned being followed? Would she have gotten into the car of a stranger?
Compelled by curiosity, Lizzie takes up her own furtive pursuit of the truth. Haunted by dreams of her lost friend and titillated by her own new power as the center of the disappearance, Lizzie uncovers secret after secret and begins to wonder if she knew anything at all about her best friend.
Once I finished this book, the one word that kept coming to mind was creepy. Our narrator, Lizzie, perhaps most of all. Her reaction at the disappearance of her best friend was puzzling to me, mainly because there didn’t seem to be one. Her almost-casual willingness to help find her was all about spending time with Mr. Verver. There were a lot of damaged characters in this book, but none so more than Lizzie.
The writing was good and the mystery surrounding Evie kept me reading, so I’d consider checking out another from this author, but the over-sexualized barely teen girls of this one will probably leave a bad taste in my mouth for awhile.
I know lots of bloggers loved this one, so I do wonder if the narration led to some of disappointment.
I own the hardcover book (even though I listened to the audio) and since it’s not something I want to keep, I’m offering it to one of you free of charge!
Leave a comment with your email address and I’ll throw your name in to win. I’ll draw a winner on May 15th!
A. J. Fikry’s life is not at all what he expected it to be. His wife has died, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. Slowly but surely, he is isolating himself from all the people of Alice Island-from Lambiase, the well-intentioned police officer who’s always felt kindly toward Fikry; from Ismay, his sister-in-law who is hell-bent on saving him from his dreary self; from Amelia, the lovely and idealistic (if eccentric) Knightley Press sales rep who keeps on taking the ferry over to Alice Island, refusing to be deterred by A.J.’s bad attitude. Even the books in his store have stopped holding pleasure for him. These days, A.J. can only see them as a sign of a world that is changing too rapidly.
And then a mysterious package appears at the bookstore. It’s a small package, but large in weight. It’s that unexpected arrival that gives A. J. Fikry the opportunity to make his life over, the ability to see everything anew. from Goodreads
I spent a few years working in bookstores and loved the experience and, most importantly, the people I worked with. Book people are the best kind of people, diverse in all ways but their love for the written word. So, it is no surprise that I loved this book about small town bookstore owner, A.J. Fikry. When we first meet him he is a depressed man with no interest in being otherwise, until a surprise gift is left in his bookstore. His life changes overnight and so does he. He is a transplant to the small town of Alice and had never truly been embraced, but the bookstore itself becomes a community of the best kind and A.J. is swept into the this giving world when he needs it the most.
Lovers of books and small towns will surely love this breezy book, but anyone who appreciates a look into the mind of a life turned around by love will probably like it too. I think this would make a great tv show. I would love to hang out with these characters once a week to get my literary fix. Loved every page!
I listened to this one on a road trip when it came out and liked it well enough. And it starts with Z and that means my A to Z April challenge is officially over. And just in time because I’m exhausted 🙂
The Doll by Taylor Stevens. Finished 4-15-14, pub. 2013
Unabridged audio read by Hillary Huber. 14 hours.
I read the first two books in this series and really liked them both, and chose to listen to this one on audio and may have liked it even better that way!
Vanessa Michael Munroe is a tough woman in a man’s world. She makes her living finding information and selling it to businessmen who need it to make a deal. She speaks over 20 languages which serves her well since she spends most of her time overseas, blending in with the natives wherever she goes, even passing as a man is if serves her well. If she doesn’t find trouble first, trouble finds her. She is enjoying some resemblance of a normal life in Dallas when she is drugged and taken to another country and thrown into the web of human trafficking.
Perfect for international thriller fans and those who like kick butt females. This was my favorite of the series so far, but do think that if you want to read these books they are best read in order (The Informationist) (The Innocent).
One of my ten ten favorite movies. This raunchy, perfect-for-teen-boys humor is not my thing at all. I remember feeling embarrassed at some of the crude things I laughed at when I saw it at the theater. It was not in my comfort zone, and yet at its heart it was a love story between two characters that I loved and was rooting for the whole way. It made me laugh and it satisfied my goofy heart.
I was reading this classic southern novel when we rescued a kitten and she promptly received the name Scout. It’s a shame this was Harper Lee’s only book.
Transcendentalist writer, who was introduced to the movement by his friend Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson is even the one who loaned Thoreau Walden Pond, for his two-year experiement. Open your mind and delve in!
Tom Hanks is the more likeable author, but when I look at a list of both of the Toms movies I find that it’s Cruise that has been in more of my favorite movies (Collateral, A Few Good Men, Rain Man) and his role as Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder stole the show.
The Cleveland Local by Les Roberts. Finished 4-20-14, rating 4.25/5, mystery, pub. 1997
Milan Jacovich series #8
I love this old school mystery series set in Cleveland and this was one of my favorites. Milan is a 43-year-old divorced dad who often finds trouble when his private investigator gig lands him in hot water. This time that hot water will take him to the resort at San Carlos in the Caribbean. The murder trail is cold and the Cleveland man was far from home so Milan rattles a few cages and almost gets himself killed.
I liked the relationship aspect of this one. Milan is developing a great relationship with his oldest son and his long-time friendship with Marko, of the police department, is full of affection. The two bachelors even consider trying to find a special someone again.
Any fan of hard broiled, private investigator mysteries will like this great, well-written series. For me, Cleveland was the draw, but it’s the characters that keep me reading.
Les Roberts is a Cleveland transplant (like me) but is now a favorite son (me, not so much). I’ve met and heard him speak three times, plus one time on a panel at Bouchercon, and he has one of the best voices I’ve heard. Not only does he represent Cleveland in a very real way he also is active for local charities, using character names to raise money at silent auctions. One day, maybe you’ll see my name in print! I’ll keep you posted 🙂 Here’s the last time I met Les (comes with a bonus pic of baby Gage).
As far as I can tell, I have seen Keanu in 27 movies. I don’t know if he would make any best actor list, but since I love to watch him onscreen he makes me favorite list every time. He’s come a long way since Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventures (loved it).
I really hate boxing. I don’t understand just standing there beating each other up for money. That probably just makes me a wimp 🙂 So, imagine my surprise that I love the Rocky series (well, they could have skipped 5). Any other fans out there?
Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. Rating 5/5, memoir?, 142 pages, pub. 1955
I cannot possibly do this book of poetic beauty justice. The views of Lindbergh can be considered old-fashioned and antiquated, and they are, but that should not diminish the truth behind her words. As women, we all still struggle with finding time alone, relationships, midlife, aging. This slim memoir is to be savored one small chapter at a time and by those who can appreciate that it was written in a different, but no less significant period. Lindbergh lived a privileged (and in some ways tragic) life, but her words can be appreciated by every woman. I set aside time to fully appreciate each chapter with no outside noise or time constraints (a difficult task), and felt that I had visited and been restored by the sea.
This trilogy, based on the fantasy books by JRR Tolkien, is based in Middle Earth during a dangerous time. The dark lord Sauron wants to rule over Middle Earth and he must find the One Ring that can make that possible. The wizard Gandalf, four hobbits, two men, an elf, and a dwarf form a fellowship to destroy the ring, but there are many evil forces at work and they don’t all make it to the end.
Loved every minute of this series, in no small part due to this man
I fell in love with her when I saw A Walk on the Moon(who also happens to feature that swoon-worthy man above), then I saw Under the Tuscan Sun and it cemented her place as one of my favorite actresses.
Who didn’t want to find a secret door in their house to step through for adventure after reading this? One of children’s books that I think has aged well.
Only two books and I loved them both. Good Grief and Happiness Sold Separately. She hasn’t written a book in ages, but I’ll be first in line when she does!
Andie Miller wants to marry her fiancé and leave behind everything in her past, especially her ex-husband. A very distant cousin of his has died and left him as the guardian of two orphans who have driven out three nannies already. He needs a very special person to take care of the situation and he knows Andie can handle anything.
When Andie meets the two children she quickly realizes things are much worse than she feared. The place is a mess, the children aren’t your average delinquents, and the creepy old house is being run by the worst housekeeper since Mrs. Danvers. What’s worse, Andie’s fiancé thinks this is all a plan by North to get Andie back.
What follows is a hilarious adventure in exorcism, including a self-doubting parapsychologist, an annoyed medium, her Tarot-card reading mother, an avenging ex-mother-in-law, and, of course, her jealous fiancé. And just when she thinks things couldn’t get more complicated, North shows up on the doorstep making her wonder if maybe this time things could be different between them.
Fun, fun, fun! I loved this romp in a haunted Ohio castle. Crusie will have you chuckling out loud and leave you with a smile on your face. Andie is a great heroine, easy to like, and the kids are damaged enough to make her show her grit. And that’s before the ghosts show up. Lots of great characters, a moody castle, ghosts to sort out, a murder, and sex. What more could you want?
I love Crusie’s writing. Her books are always lighthearted and the canvas of characters is always colorful.
I consider Joyce my go-to historical romance author. I loved her Deadly series and consider it one of my all-time favorites (I reviewed the 9 romanctic suspense series here). When I checked with Goodreads, I have 23 of her 50+ books marked as read. This makes me very happy because it means I can turn to her for years to come. A must try for historical romance readers!
This was the first work of literature that I read on my own. I think I was trying to impress my freshman English teacher during our free reading time in class. I did reread it sometime after college and I watched a bunch of the movie adaptations (most are pretty good). I also saw the musical during its short stay on Broadway. It was excellent and I was sad to see that it closed early. Anyway, this is all to say that this classic gothic romance has it all: love, death, abuse, madness, money, power, a family made not born into, and finally, peace.
In 1948, four Nazis are tried for war crimes. You can’t go wrong with this all-star cast-Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Maxmilian Schell, Marlene Dietrich, Judy Garland. See the very dramati courtroom scene….
This was a hard one. I could have just as easily chosen Hugh Jackman (more easily actually), but if I am honest I find Joaquin so much more interesting. Maybe it’s his bohemian childhood and the tragedy of witnessing the death of his brother, Phoenix, but he brings such heft to each of the characters he portrays. I liked him in Walk the Line, and he was my favorite actor in Gladiator, but his latest, Her, I haven’t seen yet because the premise freaks me out a little. Have you seen it?
Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert were flawless in this slapstick romantic comedy. She, a spoiled heiress, and he, a reporter on the story, match wits and sparks fly. It won 5 Oscars (Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Writing) and is well worth checking out. One of my all time faves.
This is a must read for fans of Diana Gabaldon, or for those who love epic tales of adventure and romance. Elizabeth Cameron sails to New York in the late 1700’s to join her father; judge of a small mountain village called Paradise. It chronicles her journey from genteel England, to the rough laws and harsh prejudice of the New World. Paradise is full of unique characters, rife with hostility toward the Mohawk living on Lake in the Clouds. Elizabeth comes to be a teacher, but her father has other plans for her. To secure his own wealth, Elizabeth’s father intends for her to marry Richard Todd, the wealthiest man in Paradise. Instead, Elizabeth falls in love with Nathaniel from Lake in the Clouds.
His recurring roles of Magneto in the X-Men films and Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies have cemented him as the go-to guy for complex characters. He is fun to watch, even if he’s being bad. Do you have a favorite of his outside of these roles? I admit I’m not as familiar with his other movies as I should be.
I read her first book, The House of Spirits, and loved it. This 1982 novel, with strong women and magical realism, put this Chilean on the map. I’ve only read one of her other novels, Daughter of Fortune, and loved it too. I want to read more. Do you have a favorite Allende book?
My cousin gave me this slim book(let) a few years ago and I just got around to taking the 20 minutes or so to read it. This is a great book to give a person to explain the Christian faith in the simplest of terms. There’s nothing new here, but it might be a good thing to have to pass along to someone who needs reassurance. The very cool art on the cover was left for Lucado by an anonymous churchgoer.
Katharine Hepburn was a woman before her time. Now she would be considered a rebel, or trend setter, but back in the 1930’s her independent and feisty nature turned audiences off and after successes she became known as box office poison. Until a turn on Broadway in The Philadelphia Story gave her an opportunity to turn her reputation around. She bought the rights to the story and in 1940 made one of my favorite movies ever. Her outspoken personality, unconventional life, and a 25 year affair with actor Spencer Tracy make her one of the more interesting (and talented) actresses of the 20th century. I think I’ve seen about 10 of her movies and consider some of them my favorites – Desk Set (1957), State of the Union (1948), Summertime (1955). Do you have a favorite movie of hers?
I have a confession to make. I have not read The Hunger Games trilogy (gasp!). I was impressed by how well done the movie was and I fell in love with Katniss. She was a bad ass and I loved her bravery and smarts in the face of opposition. The games themselves were cool and I was on the edge of my seat to see what would happen next. I liked the next movie too and am so looking forward to watching the rest. Maybe because I love the movie(s) so much I have no desire to read the books. That may be a first for me.
I admit that I didn’t fall in love with the series until book 3, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, but after that I couldn’t get enough. For those of you who have read the whole series you understand when I say that I remember where I was when THAT BAD THING happened in book 6. I was visiting a friend in Chicago and I was trying to sneak in some reading time before dinner and then, bam!, tears. I had to pull myself together enough to look like a normal adult who wasn’t all wrapped up in Harry Potter and I think it worked. I am looking forward to reading these with Gage someday, but they may be a little too magical for him. Time will tell.
Traveling Light for Mothers. Finished 4-26-14, rating 3/5, inspirational?, 120 pages, pub. 2003
(swoon)
Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert were flawless in this slapstick romantic comedy. She, a spoiled heiress, and he, a reporter on the story, match wits and sparks fly. It won 5 Oscars (Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Writing) and is well worth checking out. One of my all time faves.
Stacy's Books 