Tag: Books

Death Takes the Cake, by Melinda Wells

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Death Takes the Cake by Melinda Wells: Book CoverFinished 9-29-09, rating 4/5, mystery, pub.2009

Book 2 in the Della Cooks Mystery series.

“With what I’ve got planned, you’re going to be the Miss America of Cake!”

I felt a sharp intake of breath.  “No.  Absolutely not.  I won’t wear a bathing suit on television!”

He eyed me speculatively.  “What’s the problem?  You still look good.”

Still…

“If I hadn’t read your TV bio, I wouldn’t have guessed you’re in your forties,” Addison said.  “Maybe late thirties- but you should think about doing a little glamorizing.”

Chapter 1

Della is a 47-year-old widower with a cable tv cooking show, her own cooking school, and a new venture to sell her fudge to the masses.  Her life is already busy, but when her boss tells her she’ll be baking in a reality show with a $25,000 prize she knows it could help her pay off some of her debts.  Until she learns it is being sponsored by Reggi-Mixx, the most awful cake mixes on the market and owned by her old college nemesis, Regina Davis.

The competition begins and as soon as Della shows up to her test kitchen she discovers Reggie, face down in a bowl of batter, dead.  She is a suspect, but only until the police find a more likely one, the husband of her best friend, Liddy. 

Della’s standard poodle, Tuffy and rescue kitty, Emma are there to provide support, as is her boyfriend NDM, who has now been elevated to being called his given name, Nicholas.  All of her friends are back and this is a perfect continuation of the series.  Della is still awesome and the mystery is a good one with real consequences for her and Liddy.

I actually enjoyed the cooking in this one a little more and there are recipes in the back.  You can see how to make those holiday fruitcakes edible and learn how to make an awful cake mix taste good with Della’s Orange Dreamsicle Cake.  One of the other reality show contestants is a Mary Kay consultant and I should note that we are not all quite so…pink.

I want to thank Melinda for sending me a copy of her book.  I loved it!

My review of book 1 here.

Teaser Tuesday – Death Takes the Cake

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teasertuesdays31Teaser Tuesdaysis a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: Grab your current read. Open to a random page. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!). Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

When I met Car, I was surprised to discover that while he would never be described as movie star handsome, he was not bad looking.  In person he was more moody than ‘mad.’ reminding me somewhat of Jane Eyre‘s Mr. Rochester with a grease gun.

Death Takes the Cake by Melinda Wells, Chapter 14

Death Takes the Cake by Melinda Wells: Book Cover

Visit MizB for more teasers.  So what are you reading this week?

The Last Ember, by Daniel Levin

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The Last EmberFinished 9-24-09, rating 4.5/5, thriller, pub. 2009

“The Temple Mount was surrounded by fifty thousand Roman soldiers,” he said, turning to the professor, “and the priest escaped through here, along this aqueduct.”

His flashlight revealed a narrow stone aqueduct stretching into the darkness.  It appeared to float across the dark chasm that lay on either side.

“And he took with him the one artifact that brought down a Roman emperor.”

Chapter 7

Jonathan is an archeology scholar and Rome Prize winner turned New York City lawyer.  He is sent to Rome by his firm to help them in a stolen artifacts case and he is almost immediately confronted by his ex-girlfriend and a centuries old mystery involving the world’s  three main religions.  Jonathan past study of the traitor Josephus gives him special insight into the clue this stolen artifact provides, a clue that he thinks could lead him to the Tabernacle menorah that was stolen from Herod’s Temple in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago.  As he travels with his ex Emili to the Colosseum and other hot spots in Rome they follow a series of clues while the police are trying to find them.  Using Emili’s UN credentials the two race back to Jerusalem to stop the Waqf and their destruction of the what is beneath the Temple Mount.

This is a religious thriller that I compare to the da Vinci Code in only the post positive aspects.  The pace, story and setting were top notch and had a hard time putting it down.  Since our vacation to Italy last year I’ve loved reading stories that take place in Italy and this book made me want to go back and take a tour of all places Jonathan visited, but since many of them are under the city that is probably not going to happen.

It was also complicated and loaded with historical and religious facts.  The only thing that slowed down my reading at all was the multitude of knowledge that I tried to take in.  I do not normally read historical fiction, so most of this was new to me as were many of the names.   To make all of this history interesting, the plot is lightning quick and full of fantastic and seemingly far fetched occurences.  And that was okay because I loved it.

I highly recommend this if you love thrillers, historical fiction, The daVinci Code, Italy, Jerusalem, suspense, religious mysteries, or archeology.  That covers a lot of people.  Does it include you?

I attended a book signing with Daniel Levin and he will be featured in one of my 9 in ’09 interview soon.

Silk and Stone, by Deborah Smith

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Cover ImageFinished 9-20-09, rating 4.5/5, romance, pub. 1994

The earliest Scotch, Irish, and Dutch immigrants had been drawn to the misty, ancient mountains of western North Carolina by rumors of rubies and other precious gems mined by the Cherokees.  The rumors were more than true.  The newcomers plucked fine stones from the riverbanks, from the hillsides, from the ruts in deeply churned wagon roads.  They riddled the mountains with mine shafts, looking for more.

Chapter 2

This is a sweeping love story that spans decades.  In Pandora, North Carolina, the Cherokee and mountain people are mainly overlooked by the outside world and that’s the way they like it.  The Ravenclaws, a Cherokee family with a special connection to the mountain, are able to find things, like gems and people.  The Vanderveers are the royalty of the mountain and treat everyone with respect.  Then Alexandra enters the picture and causes an irreparable rift between these two family and changes the town of Pandora forever.

Doesn’t sound like a love story?  Well, Jake Ravenclaw and Samantha, niece to Alexandra, have a connection that started when Sam was four.  Over the years they see each other occasionally, but in secret and love blossoms.  The two agreed to be married when Sam was about five and Jake ten and they both clung to that.  Of course, neither is ordinary and both felt like outsiders, so the connection to each other was great.

This is a grand sweeping love story that is not sticky sweet at all.  First, Alexandra is a character that was filled with so much hate, maybe the best ‘bad guy’ I’ve read in quite a while.  She keeps this story grounded in manipulation and lies.  Second, there are great secondary characters that carry some of the heavy lifting in the storytelling.  And the last thing keeping this love story from sugar overload?  The fact that the prologue is written when Sam is waiting for Jake to visit her for the first time after he is released from prison and they haven’t spoken in the ten years he’s been sent away.

I loved this story and recommend it to romance lovers who like the romance, more than the hot, steamy sex and for anyone interested in the mountain culture or Cherokee traditons.

Teaser Tuesday- The Last Ember

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teasertuesdays31Teaser Tuesdaysis a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:  Grab your current read.  Open to a random page.  Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.  BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!).  Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Cover Image

“Not every researcher,”  Jonathan said, his tone gathering conviction.  “At the academy I researched the possibility that Josephus was not a traitor to Jerusalem, but surrendered to the Romans to become a-“

“Spy?”  Mildren cut him off,

“Yes,”  Jonathan nodded.  “A spy from Jerusalem planted in the Roman court.”

page 25

Sorry I went over 2 sentences.  I tried to be good, but couldn’t help myself.  Visit MizB  for more teasers.

 

A Little Housekeeping

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The winner of Killer Mouse by Melinda Wells is RAELENA – thanks Raelena!

The winner of Off Season by Anne Rivers Siddons is ALITAREADS- thanks Alita – it’s on the way

I haven’t received  an email with mailing addresses, so please email me your mailing addresses at stacybooks@yahoo.com.  Once you’ve done this please leave a comment so I know it should be there. I’m thinking there could be a problem with my email.   If I don’t hear from you by Wednesday I’ll draw another winner. 

And don’t forget to sign up to win one of these books by Carly PhillipsCover ImageCover ImageGo to my interview with Carly to sign up.  I’ll draw for a winner this Friday, the 25th.

While My Sister Sleeps, by Barbara Delinsky

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Cover ImageFinished 9-17-09, rating 4/5, fiction, pub. 2009

“Let’s take it step by step,” the doctor said.  First, stabilization.  Beyond that, it’s really a question of waiting.  There’s no husband listed on her tag.  Does she have kids?”

“No.”

“Well, that’s something.”

“It’s not.”  Molly was desperate.  “You don’t understand.  I can’t tell my mother Robin is lying here like this.”  Kathryn would blame her.  Instantly.  Even before she knew that it truly was Molly’s fault.  It had always been that way.  In her mother’s eyes.  Molly was five years younger and ten times more troublesome than Robin.

Chapter 1

Molly and Robin  are sisters.  They live together, work together, depend on each other.  Robin is a world class marathoner and Molly has spent her life helping Robin accomplish her running goals.  Their mother, Kathryn, is a strong-willed woman with love for Robin and little understanding for Molly.  The dad, Charlie and brother, Chris are the silent support.  When Robin has a heart attack when running the family must come to terms with the grim possibility that Robin may never fully recover.

This is the story of a family facing an unspeakable tragedy.  Robin is only 33 and her family is shell shocked.  Molly tries to figure out what Robin wants and Kathryn vents on anyone who comes her way, even the good Samaritan who saved Robin’s life.  When Molly discovers a long kept family secret and does something about it, Kathryn is horrified.

Molly was a great character, sort of a good friend who has no idea how great she really is.  Her mother expected her to support Robin in her lofty goals and she always felt like a disappointment.  Which leads to Kathryn, who I really wanted to shake for most of this book.  I did become less frustrated with her as the story continued, but she was not a feel good character.  I liked Charlie, but Chris and his troubles were really my least favorite parts of the book.  He had way too many excuses to not try to make his marriage work.

There was a lot going on in this book and it was a fast and thought provoking read.  The characters were all well drawn and the secrecy, favoritism, and medical issues all made for an engrossing read.  It was also the story of personal growth and the full circle of life.  I really enjoyed it.

The State of my Blog

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image

For today’s BBAW assignment we are asked It’s time to show off!  Tell us and this is really important, in 50 words or less what you love best about your blog!  And then in 50 words or less where you want your blog to be by the next BBAW!  Okay, let’s give it a try…

Love my Commenters, Monday Quizzes, Author Interviews, and Movie Reviews.  Love the challenges I’ve joined and Teaser Tuesdays and Monday Movie Meme.

Want to work on the quality of my book reviews and my HTML knowledge.  Want to read more books! 

I really appreciate all of the bloggers I’ve met!

Exactly 50 words 🙂

A Worthy Legacy, by Tomi Akinyanmi

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Cover ImageFinished 9-13-09, rating 4/5, fiction, pub. 2008

Know this: that you needn’t wait for others to try out something new in which you believe.  Be the very first at anything you can, and do not let frustrations or defeats hinder you; only then will you have a sense of accomplishment

On Using Our Initiative

This is the story of a wise old grandfather, his impending death and his final words for his family that have come to be with him in his final hours.  He wants to leave his family with the wisdom of his years and the granddaughter, our narrator, takes them all to heart.

Let me start by saying how personal this felt to me.  The narrator had a special relationship with her grandfather, as I did, and her description of his death left a tear or two in my eyes because my grandfather died in much the same way.  Surrounded by his family who were all there to tell him it was okay.  I had my hands on my grandfather’s pillow when he drew his last breath and it was a defining moment for me at an age when I could fully appreciate the beauty in his passing.  Although he passed on no grand  words on the meaning of life, his life, well lived, was testament enough.  I could write a whole post on this, but I think I ‘ll go back to the review.

There is little story here and at first I was disappointed, but there was such honesty in the wisdom of the grandfather that I quickly became involved.  I could post  wonderful quotes from every chapter in the book, but that would ruin it for you, so I won’t.  He covers all of the things you’d expect like time, happiness, power, character…but my favorite was the one page on fears. 

I thought this was a wonderful and short read at around 100 pages.  I obviously identified with the story and the advice given was heartfelt and thought provoking.  This is not the book if you are looking for a story, but if you are willing to be drawn into the thoughtfulness of words left behind by someone facing death then you should give it a try.  I am positive I will pick it up and read it again in the future.

BBAW TBR Pile

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The assignment is to show our TBR piles.  Regular readers and those that read my interview with Marjorie yesterday will have seen the photo I took in May with 380 books

book problem 09 2

Since May I’ve read 17 and given away 3, BUT I’ve gained these

 tbr may-sept 09

So, here’s the fun part, I have acquired 2 of one of these books and the first one to guess it WINS IT!  Although some of these books are used the winning book is brand new.  I’ll give one clue every hour or so, so come back and guess until someone wins…

12:15 clue – book is written by a woman

1:30 clue – written by a New York Times Bestselling author

Leave a comment with your guess and I’ll let you know when someone gets it right.  Don’t worry the 1:15 clue will be a little more helpful!  But it doesn’t hurt to take a shot right?

GUESSING CLOSED!  ALITAREADS WINS OFF SEASON BY ANNE RIVERS SIDDONS!  Thanks for playing along.