My Reading Blog

Book Cover:  "This is a historical novel - an epic story of love, hate and survival set against the tumultuous background of the Civil War and Reconstruction. At the center of the novel are James Lee Burke's own ancestors, Robert Perry, who comes from a slave-owning family of wealth and privilege, and Willie Burke, born of Irish immigrants, a poor boy who is as irreverent as he is brave and decent.  Despite their personal and political conflicts with the issues of the time, both en join the Confederate Army, choosing to face ordeal by fire, yet determined not to back down in their commitment to their moral beliefs, to their friends, and to the abolitionist woman with whom both have become infatuated. One of the most compelling characters in the story, and the catalyst for much of its drama, is Flower Jamison, a beautiful young black slave befriended, at great risk to himself, by Willie and owned by - and fathered by, although he will not admit it - Ira Jamison.  Owner...

Book Cover:  "In the Bel-Air district of Los Angeles, one Of America's wealthiest and most star-infested communities, Stone Barrington comes face-to-face with his past... A beautiful Bel-Air widow, already one of the wealthiest women in America, needs Stone's help to become even more cash-rich.  At stake is the sale of her investment in - and the resulting dissolution of - Hollywood's world-famous Centurion Studios.  Stone is no stranger to the stylish and lucrative world of Centurion...and he has more than a passing acquaintace with the lady herself. But when he arrives in Bel-Air to finalize the sale, the tranquility of that famous neighborhood turns out to be no more than a facade.  One of L.A.'s most rapacious power brokers has Centurion and its unique real estate in his sights, and he will not be denied.  Stone finds himself dragged into a surprisingly complex and high-stakes game, the kind only the truly rich and dangerously ambitious can play...and su...

          Max convinced me that it was time for him to share his thoughts on the other dogs on our road, so here they are: Mom and Dad always take me for a walk in the morning and we have LOTS of dogs on our road – some nice, some annoying, some aggravating and some NOT VERY NICE! So I thought I tell you about them. The neighbor at the resort has a black Lab and his name is Buddy – he’s about 3 years old and still very much of a pup.   We don’t get to see him a lot as they walk later in the day, but I like him. Across the street, our new neighbors have two dogs – Boomer and Tubby.   Boomer is a miniature Collie and Tubby is a very little, yippy, annoying thing.   They stay mostly in their yard and usually only bark at us. Next door to them is Petey, who usually just likes to walk with us because his Mom & Dad just leave him roam.   They recently acquired another dog – it’s a Blue Healer and ...

Book Cover:  "In 1937, Shanghai is the Paris of Asia, a city of great wealth and glamour, the home of millionaires and beggars, gangsters and gamblers, patriots and revolutionaries, artists and warlords.  Thanks to the financial security and material comforts provided by their father's prosperous rickshaw business, 21 year old Pearl Chin and her younger sister, May, are having the time of their lives.  Though both sisters wave off authority and tradition, they couldn't be more different:  Pearl is a Dragon sign, strong and stubborn, while May is a true Sheep, adorable and placid.  Both are beautiful, modern, and carefree...until the day their father tells them that he has gambled away their wealth and that in order to repay his debts he must sell the girls as wives to suitors who have traveled from California to find Chinese brides. As Japanese bombs fall on their beloved city, Pearl and May set out on the journey of a lifetime, one that will take them through...

Book Cover:  "The Yellow House transports us to Northern Ireland at the beginning of the 20th century as a young woman is torn by passion and politics amid the growing violence of the Irish war of independence. Eileen O'Neill works at the local mill in hopes of saving enough money to reclaim her ancestral home, but it's a dream made harder as civil war breaks out.  For Eileen, the conflict hits home in a very personal way as she's torn between two very different men - one a charismatic nationalist who appeals to her warrior soul, the other a man who believes that peace can never be achieved through violence.  Both men tug at her heart, but Eileen knows she can only choose one.  Her decision would change the course of all their lives." A well written historical novel that takes you through the struggles, sorrows, happiness and will power of a young girl.  She fights not only for herself, but to keep her family together.  There were many twists and turns ...

Sitting on the back deck Sun shining brightly Closing my eyes Absorbing the warmth of the sun On my face, my arms Letting it seep into my bones Getting my Vitamin D Relaxing Listening The birds are twittering back and forth The hum of an airplane The boats racing on the lake The wind chimes singing their tune The buzz of a bee The breeze blowing thru the trees The clouds roll in the sun is hidden the warmth disappears Rain is coming Only a brief moment It'll come another day For now, I'll cherish this moment.

This was the front cover of our bulletin for Easter Sunday.  I especially like the sentiment: a time of hope , a season of renewal , a reason to rejoice ! I have always thought that Christmas was my favorite holiday, but when Easter rolls around, I think that it is my favorite holiday.  After the 40 days of Lent, the contemplation of what took place, Palm Sunday with the joyous entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, the Last Supper, the betrayal, the trial and crucifixion and then, THEN, the greatest news HE IS RISEN, ALLELUIA, HE IS RISEN INDEED! This is a time of hope - hope for ourselves, our family, our children, our nation, our world.  Jesus gives us hope every day, but it is so much more apparent at Easter. A season of renewal - we have been renewed, refreshed, revived because God sent his only Son to die on the cross for each one of us. A reason to rejoice - I give thanks and praise and rejoice in knowing that God walks with us each day. I hope that each day is ...

Audio cover:  " Along with Neighbor Dorothy, the lady with the smile in her voice, whose daily radio broadcasts keep us delightfully informed on all the local news, we also meet Bobby, her ten year old son, destined to live a thousand lives, most of them in his imagination; Norma and Macky Warren and their 98 year old Aunt Elner; the oddly sexy and charismatic Hamm Sparks and the two women who love him as differently as night and day.  Then there is Tot Whooten; Beatrice Wodds, the Little Blind Songbird; Cecil Figgs, the Funeral King; and the fabulous Minnie Oatman.  The time is 1946 until the present.  The town is Elmwood Springs, Missouri, right in the middle of the country, in the midst of the mostly joyous transition from war to peace, aiming toward a dizzyingly bright future." This was an absolutely delightful read (listen).  The characters and stories were "old fashioned", but interesting.  Each chapter was a story in itself, but intertwined with ea...

Why do I do it? I browse the book shelves I pick an author I look at the cover I read the synopsis I think - Yes, that sounds good I open the book Start to read Get thru the first chapter Stop, put it down Must not be in the mood to read Pick it up later Read another chapter Hummmm, this isn't what I thought Put it down Pick it up the next day Read another chapter I'm not getting into this Put it down again Force myself to pick it up another day Read the first 100 pages Think, well I can't stop now I keep reading - not really enjoying Finally, I finish Why do I do it? Why can' I allow myself to stop reading a book I don't like?

Audio Book Cover:  "When her reckless driving brought unimaginable tragedy, Maggie Roberts found herself in prison grieving for the loss of her son.  During the course of her ten-year sentence, she found a renewed purpose working with retired Thoroughbred racehorses.  But now she's faced with the transition back into society, starting over yet again and alone in the world - until she meets Gil Winters. Gil is a single father seeking a new form of therapy for his wheelchair-bound son, Edward.  Confined to his own prison of doubt and distrust, he still struggles daily with the memory of being abandoned by first his mother and then his drug-addicted ex-wife.  But as he gets to know Maggie during his son's therapy sessions with her horses, the issues of trust and old wounds that haunt both Maggie and Gil begin to fade." A great story about trust, love, loss, second chances for humans and animals.  Snelling keeps your interest in the lives of Maggie, Gil and...

Audio Book -Times are changing in Pickax, and it all makes for some notes for the "Qwill Pen."  A new senior center is in the works, and a frisky production of Cats is set to delight Moose County residents, human and feline alike.  Polly Duncan is off to Paris, momentarily leaving Qwill without a companion for his apple-barn concerts, and The Librarian's Who Lunch are getting ready to put on a show of their spectacular Art Hats to help unite Pickax with its Lockmaster County neighbors. Not to mention the conversion of the late Nathan Ledfield's mansion into a charitable museum!  Mr. Ledfield's treasures are being sold off to benefit needy children, and the town is abuzz with excitement - that is, until a mysterious death from a bee sting leaves everyone but Cool Koko in a state of confusion. Is it because he has sixty whiskers as Qwill suspects, or because Koko knows that the mysterious death was no accident? This author was recommended to me by Liz and she ...