Tuesday Teaser

Teaser Tuesday is 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
· In a comment, 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


Here's mine:

"It was several more weeks before he was able to return, and when he did he told her that he still hadn't broken up with Nola, on account of her mother's illness. What he did not say was that he could not bring himself to turn his back on a future with the heir to Upper Oaks estate."

-The Reservoir by John Milliken Thompson, p. 167/168 

More Blogger.com/Google problems

Hi everyone!

I've been having a lot of problems with my Blogger.com/Google account the past two days (shades of Friday the 13th).

While I've been able to log in and make posts to my blog, for some reason I have not been able to make comments.

I can't comment on my own posts or on anyone else's blog. I simple cannot make any comments of any kind. Bummer!

I've contact Blogger support and I'm waiting to hear back from them.

I just wanted to let you all know that I'm not being anti-social on purpose. I've tried several times to comment on your blogs and to comment back to all of you on my blog, but it won't let me. :(

Is anyone else having any problems?

Book Blog Tour for The Tender Mercy of Roses

Sad, sweet and suspenseful, The Tender Mercy of Roses by Anna Michaels is an enjoyable, touching story of family loyalty. It’s also a cautionary tales of what bad things can happen when people take that type of loyalty way too far. 

Anna Michaels is a pseudonym for Peggy Webb, author of the Southern Cousins Mystery series. She paint a beautiful landscape with her words and carries the reader along smoothly through this unusual crime thriller. But Ms. Michaels used, what I felt was, an excess of metaphors. While most of them were creative and
colorful, two or three per paragraph is overkill.

Also, I wish Pony had not been quite so idolized. Other than her mangling of the English language, Pony is an absolutely perfect person. This made it hard for me to find her character believable. We’re all flawed -- it would have made for a better story if Pony had had some realistic flaws too.

The other players -- Jo Beth, Sam, Titus, even the cheerleading Maggie -- were well thought out and convincing. I was really pulling for all of them, hoping that everything would work out okay and that they could solve the murder without destroying their own lives.

All in all, I found The Tender Mercy of Roses to be a great book. Ms. Michaels can really spin a magical webb (sic) that will snare you and hold you until the last page is read!
4 Diamonds

(Received complimentary copy for review purposes only.)

Tuesday Teaser

Teaser Tuesday is 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
· In a comment, 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


Here's mine:

The paragraph concludes, "Perhaps the bag may furnish a clue to the mystery girl found in the reservoir." How can they leap to such a conclusion, Tommie wonders.

-The Reservoir by John Milliken Thompson, p. 76

 

Tuesday Teaser

Teaser Tuesday is 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
· In a comment, 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


Here's mine:

"My mother's friendships and their impotance to her affected all of us growing up. From the way she lived her life it was clear that the honoring of female relationships in our home was high on the value system."

What Did I Do Wrong? by Liz Pryor, p. 140

Book Blog Tour for Long Drive Home

Glen Bauer writes a letter to his daughter, asking her for forgiveness. But Glen’s not even sure he deserves it. You see, Glen killed a man. He didn’t intend to, but accidents do happen…

Long Drive Home by Will Allison is an incredibly tortured narrative told in the first person from Glen’s point of view. It’s the type of tense and emotional story that stays with you long after the last page has been read.

Mr. Allison explores a very uncomfortable subject. In all honesty, the tragically pivotal moment in this book could happen to any of us. None of us are perfect. One little slip, one single lapse in judgment can change a person’s life forever, sometimes for the worse.

Long Drive Home tells the tale of a man, running from his guilt and hoping to find absolution at the end of the road. Does he find it? Sorry -- no spoilers here!
3 ½ Diamonds

(Received complimentary copy for review purposes only.)

Book Blog Tour for In Stitches

Although I rarely read memoirs and I’ve never read one pertaining to medical careers, In Stitches by Dr. Anthony Youn sounded too good too pass up. I’m happy to say I wasn’t disappointed.

Even those of us with absolutely no medical knowledge are guaranteed to enjoy his tales of boyhood, med school and internship, plus a little romance too (eventually -- lol).

Not only is Dr. Young a wonderful writer, he unpretentiously sets an excellent example to live by. With hard work, sacrifice, determination and a good sense of humor, anyone can achieve their goals and succeed in life.

Heartwarming and very relatable, this touchingly funny book really did leave me "in stitches"!

4 Diamonds

(Received complimentary copy for review purposes only.)

In the Woods by Tara French

While I wouldn’t call it a page-turner, because it was somewhat slow at times, I was drawn into this story and I needed to know how it ended.

Ms. French occasionally becomes lost in reflection -- I didn’t really need to know the main character’s every single thought -- it made for a really long book. And, since it’s written by a woman, but is being told from a man’s view point, it didn’t always seem realistic. Do men really think like that?!
Other than that though, I found In the Woods to be a compelling, easy-to-read thriller, with lots of intriguing twists and turns. 

In the Woods solves one mystery, but leaves another unresolved. I can see how this would annoy some readers. I am holding out hope that Adam (Rob) Ryan’s story will be explained in Tara French’s next book The Likeness.

3 ½ Diamonds

Friday the 13th

As most of you already know, Blogger.com had some major problems yesterday, which is still affecting some of us today.

Typical Friday the 13th! :(

My last WWW Wednesday and book review for In the Woods by Tara French were both deleted and have not be restored...yet.

I apologize to everyone who commented on those two posts. The comments have also been deleted, of course.

I will be reposting the book review tomorrow, but I'm afraid my WWW Wednesday is gone forever.

I'm still hoping that Blogger.com will come through and restore my posts.

For more info about the outage, please click HERE.

Tuesday Teaser

Teaser Tuesday is 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
· In a comment, 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

Here's mine:

"Jo Beth stood deep in the shadows, knowing they hadn't recognized her yet, watching while they puzzled over a corpse in the middle of nowhere covered with roses.
What she ought to do was go inside and lock her door, but she couldn't make herself leave while that poor, defenseless girl was out there, lying so still and cold on the ground."

-The Tender Mercy of Roses by Anna Michaels

Book Blog Tour for The Butterfly's Daughter

A voyage of self-discovery, The Butterfly’s Daughter is a beautiful story of family and friendship and the love and strength they inspire within us.

Just as a butterfly grows and changes, so does the main character, Luz, as she travels south, along the Monarch’s migration route, with her grandmother’s ashes. With the help of her new friends, Luz makes it to her ancestral homeland and meets the family she never knew. The discovery of her real history is life changing; the last stage of her transformation.

Wonderfully written by the best-selling author, Mary Alice Monroe, this book has an unforgettable feel to it. The characters are genuine, the settings are descriptive, the dialog is believable. The Butterfly’s Daughter is a pleasantly heartwarming, and surprisingly quick, read!
4 Diamonds

(Received complimentary copy for review purposes only.)

Friday Finds

Happy Children's Book Week!

Originally started in 1919, Children's Book Week encourages children to enjoy new authors and books, and is celebrated in schools, libraries, homes, and bookstores during a selected week each May. During this event, celebrate children's literature with storytelling, parties, author and illustrator appearances, and other literacy events in your school and community. As part of the celebration, children are invited to help select the top children's book of the year by voting online or at their school or library.

 Here are a few of mine and my daughter’s favorite children’s books:

Shimmeree by Stephen Cosgrove

 Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel

 Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

Essential Pépin by Jacques Pépin

Exactly what you would expect from the consummate French gourmet chef, the incredibly likeable Jacques Pépin.

Starting with a brief history of his early years in the culinary industry and ending with a DVD showing simple cooking techniques and tips, this great treasure trove of fast and easy French haute-cuisine is exceptional.

Essential Pépin is broken down into chapters that cover the entire spectrum of edible delights, including soups, salads, breads, seafood, meats, vegetables and several different kinds of desserts. I particularly enjoyed the garlic soup, mushroom-stuffed potato pancakes, clams on a half-shell with cold horseradish-vinegar sauce, corned beef pot-au-feu and the apple fritters.

I also really liked the illustrations, which Jacques drew himself!

This is a fun cookbook that can be referenced again and again. Essential Pépin is a must for foodies everywhere!

5 Diamonds

(Received complimentary copy for review purposes only.)

WWW Wednesday

WWW is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions...

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you'll read next?

What are you currently reading? I am still reading Blood Work by Holly Tucker and In The Woods by Tara French. My book group on Goodreads is discussing Blood Work next month -- I can't wait to see what the other members thought of it!

What did you recently finish reading? I just finished Jacques Pépin's Essential Pépin. This is his latest and greatest of all his cookbooks and I loved it. I'll be posting my review tomorrow.

What do you think you'll read next? The Butterfly’s Daughter by Mary Alice Monroe. I'll be posting a review of this book as part of a blog tour on May 9th.

Tuesday Teaser

Teaser Tuesday is 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
· In a comment, 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

Here's mine:

"She recalled Abuela telling her that if you whispered your wish to a butterfly, then released it, the butterfly would carry your wish to the heavens. So with each butterfly release, she sent her love to her grandmother on the monarch's wings."

-The Butterfly's Daughter by Mary Alice Monroe, p. 149

LA Times Festival of Books (After)

I had an absolutely fabulous time at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books!

It was a hot, sunny Saturday on the beautiful USC campus, but the crowds were at full capacity.

We started the day by watching Jamie Lee Curtis promote her book, My Mommy Hung the Moon, on the children’s stage.

Then we moved on to see The Galloping Gourmet himself, the irrepressible Graham Kerr, discuss his newest book,  Growing At the Speed of Life, along with a cooking demonstration. 

Continuing on through the Hero section (comic books) and into the Arts & Culture area, we then had the pleasure of listening to a wonderful slam and spoken word poetry reading by Javon Johnson, a member of the USC staff.

 Some of my favorite booths were:

1. WriteGirl.org, a nonprofit organization for high school girls centered on the craft of creative writing and empowerment through self-expression.

2. Steamcrow.com, an indie design studio, run by Daniel and Dawna Davis, in Phoenix, Arizona.
 
3. C-SPAN Digital Bus.
 
4. Inner Traditions Bear & Company, a book publisher founded in 1975 and based in Rochester, Vermont.

5. The Ben & Jerry’s truck -- free Berry Voluntary ice cream! :)

I can't wait to go back next year!