Review: Strawberry Girl

Strawberry Girl

About the Book:

How can Birdie’s family grow strawberries when the neighbors let their cows into the berry fields?

Birdie and her family are trying to build a farm in Florida. But it’s not easy with the heat, droughts, and cold snaps—and neighbors that don’t believe in fences. But Birdie won’t give up on her dream of strawberries, and her family won’t let those Slaters drive them from their home!

This Newberry Medal–winning novel presents a realistic picture of life on the Florida frontier.

This ebook features an illustrated biography of Lois Lenski including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the author’s estate.

My Comments:

I like to think I've been reasonably successful in making readers out of my kids, though none of them loves it as much as I do.  However, I haven't been terribly successful in passing on love of particular books.  Strawberry Girl, along with Lois Lenski's other books about girls from various parts of the US, is one of those I loved but could never convince my older daughter to read. When NetGalley offered this one, I jumped at the chance to re-live part of my childhood (though I must admit that my library has a large, though old set of Lenski's books).

Strawberry Girl is set in the early 1900's in Florida when it was still a rural swamp.  The main conflict is between a new family in town, a family that puts up fences and gardens and engages in agriculture as business, and a family that has been in town for a long time, or more precisely, the alcoholic father of that family, who is used to allowing his cattle and pigs to graze free and resents the fences the new people erect.  This book, along with the others in the series, spotlights the differences in people's lives in various parts of the country prior to the homogenization wrought by television and big box retailers.   Birdie and her family are "Crackers" and we learn the origin of the term.  She attends a one-room school and goes barefoot most of the time.  The dialogue in the book shows her dialect.  They farm strawberries and oranges and drink milk from their own cow.  Girls  wear dresses made from flour sacks and get hats at the milliner.

Any book that can still be found in libraries this many years after it was published has to appeal to someone besides just me, and it certainly appeals to me.  It is a children's book--a quick Google search shows grade levels between 3 and 6.  I give it an A.

Review: Hidden Summit

Hidden Summit (Virgin River)

About the Book:

Sick of running into her cheery ex-husband and his new wife, Leslie Petruso accepts a job at the Virgin River branch of Haggerty Construction and takes the high road right out of town. Now she’s got Paul Haggerty’s business running like a well-oiled machine. In fact, things are so busy Paul jumps at the chance to hire an extra set of hands.

Just like Leslie, Conner Danson has been burned by love. But if Leslie was disappointed by her relationship going bad, Conner was decimated. He’s got no time for women…although he spends an awful lot of time pretending not to notice Leslie. And she’s pretty busy “ignoring” the chemistry between them.According to Conner and Leslie, they have only one thing in common—they’re done with love. But everyone in Virgin River can see that things are heating up at Haggerty Construction. And as far as Paul Haggerty can tell, the best thing he can do is hang on to his hard hat and watch the sparks fly!

My Comments:

Leslie's  ex divorced her but won't let her alone so she moves to Virgin River to work for her boss' son.    Conner witnessed a murder and then has his business burned.  The DA happens to have an ex-assistant who lives in Virgin River so he gets hidden there for a few months, where he goes to work for her boss.  There is practically instant attraction, though neither of them say they are looking.  As is usual in these books, there are a couple of steamy scenes.  I enjoyed watching these two let go of the past and embrace a future together.  

Old Virgin River friends make cameo appearances but there are no major sub-plots in this book.  Conner has a sister who was also relocated by the DA, but she was sent across the country where she  begins a relationship with a dentist who is wonderful, but who lacks that "spark" (he hasn't even kissed her) so I wouldn't be surprised to see the sister visit Virgin River (where all the men have "spark") in a future book.

In short, this is a pretty typical Virgin River book.  If you like most of them, you'll like this; if you've hated others, this one isn't all that different.  Grade:  B.

Summer at Willow Lake

Summer at Willow Lake (The Lakeshore Chronicles)

About the Book:

Olivia Bellamy has traded her trendy Manhattan life for a summer renovating her family's crumbling holiday resort. Tempted by the hazy, nostalgic memories of summers past - childhood innocence and the romance and rivalries of her teens - it's the perfect place to flee after her broken engagement. But what began as an escape may just be a new beginning...As Olivia uncovers secrets buried thick with dust, one by one her family return, their lives as frayed at the edges as the resort. Her father and the mystery woman in the tattered black and white photograph. Uncle John, who's trying to be a father again to his teenage kids. Connor Davis, the first love she never forgot. Laughter is ringing around Willow Lake once more. This could be Olivia's summer of a lifetime!

My Comments:

I'm old.  I have to admit it, I'm old; I'm the age of the parents of romance novel heroines, not the age of the heroines.  This isn't a completely new revelation, but when reading a book with dated flashbacks, when those flashbacks take you to the ancient days of the 1970's and involve people's parents, well, it sort of reminds me that even though I have a seven year old, I'm not as young as I used to be.

Summer at Willow Lake  features Olivia and Connor, a couple in their late twenties in 2006.  They met at her grandparent's summer camp where they were both campers, and later, counselors.  She was from a family with money, and was the granddaughter of the owners.  He was there on scholarship, the son of the alcoholic caretaker.  He was the handsome heart throb of every female his age; she was overweight and insecure and never really fit in.  Somehow they became friends and stayed that way, until that final summer. 

Ten years later, the camp has been closed for some time and she has just ended her third engagement.  Her career is "fluffing houses", staging them for sale.  Her grandmother asks her to refurbish the camp, which has been mothballed for almost ten years, in time for her fiftieth wedding anniversary.  It just so happens that the only contractor in town is Connor.  

Besides Olivia and Connor's romance, we learn of Olivia's father's first romance and see the beginnings of the romance of Daisy (see my review of Marrying Daisy Bellamy) and of Olivia's cousin Dare.  

I found the story to be enjoyable but the setting implausible.  The summer camp has been out of business for ten years, but all the equipment is in good shape, all it needs is cleaning.  While Grandma had other plans for the property, Daisy believed her when she said she wanted it refurbished for a party--and this was a big operation, we aren't talking about a small amount of money.  

The book contains several intimate scenes that happen outside of marriage.  We watch them undress,but after that we have to use our imaginations about what happened. 

The book is the first in a series and as such we are treated to teasers about a lot of people, though Olivia and Connor get their happily ever after in this book.  

Because of the implausibility of some of the setting, I'l give the book a B. 

My copy was a freebie from Amazon but it's not free now.  

Cherished by Kim Cash Tate: A Review

About the Book:

Kelli London once dreamed of being a songwriter. As crazy as it seemed, she hoped that God would use the lyrics that came to her even while she slept. She dreamed about Brian too, that the love they shared as high-school students would grow into marriage. But choices that still haunt her destroyed those dreams. Until now-when a series of love letters reawakens her hope for the future.

Heather Anderson's life has spun out of control-first, an affair with a married man, then a one-night stand with the drummer of a popular Christian band has left her devastated. Broken and alone, she cried out to the only One able to save her. He met her there, but it was just the beginning. Because now she must take a different path. And the one God has planned for her looks nothing like the one she envisioned.

My Comments:

If you like your Christian fiction on the religious side, this is the book for you.  It starts off in church, at a wedding.  We meet women who are in a Bible Study/Accountability group together.  One character is a Christian rapper.  Not long after the book opens we visit a conference for those who hope to sing Christian music, and there we learn that not all Christians are as Christ-like as we would hope.  I read 87 pages and I don't think there was a paragraph that didn't involve religion in one way or another.  It just didn't seem realistic and as I don't really care for the sermon dressed up as a novel type books, I'm marking it DNF and moving on to something else.

I'd like to thank Thomas Nelson publishers and the BookSneeze program for providing a complimentary hard copy of the book.  I also received a NetGalley.  I was not obligated to provide a positive review.  

Book Review: Baronne Street

Baronne Street

About the Book:

Love means sometimes having to solve your ex-girlfriend's murder. 

Burleigh Drummond, a fixer, ignores a voice-mail plea for help from his ex-girlfriend Coco Robicheaux. She broke his heart when she dumped him, so why should he care? He goes about his job of manipulating the imbroglios of bluebloods and politicos. Still, Drummond misses Coco and regrets not answering her call.

The next morning he is rousted from bed by two extremely unpleasant homicide detectives with the news that Coco has been raped and bludgeoned to death. The detectives also share they have been instructed to do nothing about the case, but should he provide them with evidence... 

As Drummond investigates he discovers Coco lived a clandestine existence in the city's netherworld and had been drafted as an unwitting pawn in a plot to disrupt the upcoming mayoral election. As often happens with pawns, she was sacrificed. 

When threats cloaked as friendly warnings escalate to an old-fashioned beating, Drummond enlists a reputed mercenary, a black-separatist reporter, and a computer hacker to assist in his investigation and, eventually, revenge. As Drummond negotiates through the maze of deception and he finds himself at odds with his blueblood clients, the police chief, the mayor, and a gay crime syndicate.

My Comments:

On the one hand I'd love to tell you this book was an entertaining read, but highly unrealistic. On the other hand, yet another public official plead guilty this week. Our US Attorney here in New Orleans has made quite a name for himself by convicting public officials who think that the law doesn't really apply to them. 

In short, I loved this book. For someone who has lived in New Orleans for almost 30 years, it was fun to read about local landmarks and watering holes. I could nod my head knowingly as the book talked about the Sazerac bar at the Fairmont, F&M's Patio Bar, 3-for1 at Que Sera or dancing at 4141. When Drummond parked in the 600 block of Baronne (where I used to work) and went to the gay "health club", I knew exactly which door was being discussed. 

You know those detective shows in which the detective is the narrator? That's how this book is written, in the first person, told by Burleigh Drummond, who, as one client said in the book "manipulate[s] delicate situations discreetly and keep[s] the consequences quiet".  His assignments include keeping the grandson of a rich man from doing anything too outrageous (and keeping him from paying the consequences for lesser offenses) and helping the campaign of a reform candidate for mayor (who turns out to be not so different than those who went before--as the rich man said "Why would someone go to all the trouble setting up a Rube Goldberg scheme to blackmail a politician when they're all for sale?"). He is out to find the killer of his ex-girlfriend who he now realizes he really loved, and in the process finds himself in the middle of two other cases he has taken--the rich man's grandson is involved, as is the husband of the woman who paid him to find out what her husband was doing.  

The ending is rather unrealistic, but I can't say I expected much different.  While there are no bedroom scenes in the book, there are plenty of references to those activities, and some of the language is on the crude side, so if those things bother you, this isn't the book for you.  

The book says it is set in 1993, but I found that odd (it wasn't published until 2010).  Burleigh used his cell phone regularly, and not just in his car.  I started my current job in 1993, and my boss had a car phone, and lots of folks had pagers but the omnipresent cell phone was still almost five years away for the early adopters. I'm also trying to wonder when some of those watering holes closed.  4141 was "the" dance club Uptown when I first got here in 1983.  It isn't there anymore, but I don't know when it closed.  Given the short lifespan of that type of place, I find it hard to believe it was still there in 1993, but it might have been--my clubbing days had given way to diapers by then.  

This is one that has been on my Kindle for a long time.  The author, Kent Westmoreland, sent me a review copy almost a  year ago, and there have always been things I thought I wanted to read more.  I ended up really enjoying it and give it a B+.  

Review: Waiting for Dawn

About the Story:

In this prequel to Flee the Night—the first book in Susan May Warren’s critically acclaimed Team Hope series—Lacey Galloway leads a rather predictable life as a contractor for the Department of Defense. But news that Sergeant First Class Jim Micah is missing in action leads her on a dangerous trek overseas to rescue the man who secretly captured her heart. 

Although her DOD connections quickly cut through the red tape, she also enlists the help of her ex-boyfriend and Micah’s best friend, Lieutenant John Montgomery. As they hatch a covert plan to find and rescue Micah, Lacey’s feelings are once again torn between the two men. 

Filled with romance and adventure, this twisty tale will hold you captive to the very last page.

My Comments:

You'll note that instead of the usual "About the Book" above, I wrote "About the Story".  That's because this isn't a full-length book but rather an ebook-only prequel to a 2005 novel entitled Flee the Night, which is the first of a series of books about a woman intelligence agent.  

Waiting for the Dawn is an exciting read about a search and rescue mission in which a woman enlists the help of her current beau (who really hasn't been that attentive to her) to rescue the hometown boy for whom she has always carried a flame.  As a prequel, it has a happy, but not quite settled ending--probably to encourage  you to read the rest of the books in the series.

The book is Christian fiction, which in this case means that the guy who is imprisoned thinks of God often and prays and repeats Bible verses.  It fits the story, but if faith-based fiction isn't your thing, this probably isn't the book for you.  

I'd like to thank the publisher for making a review copy available via NetGalley.  I was not obligated to write a positive review.  Grade:  B-.  

Review: A Home By the Sea

A Home by the Sea (Hqn)

About the Book:

Grace Lindstrom has followed her fiancé across three continents, starry-eyed and full of dreams. But when he dies in a plane crash, Grace discovers that their life together was the cruelest kind of lie—and swears to never lose herself to that kind of love again. Until one night, when a chance encounter leads her to the kind of man she's always dreamed of—and the deep family ties she's never known.

Noah McKay knows he can't offer Grace any kind of future—not when he spends every day putting his life on the line. But when Grace's grandfather suddenly falls ill and she's called home to the small island town where she grew up, he realizes he can't live without her. Aided by good knitting, good chocolate and deep friendship, Grace is slowly learning to trust again—but can she learn to love a man whose secrets run so deep?

My Comments:
Three young women who grew up together.  Three young women who were young when they lost their parents.  The first found love in The Knitting Diaries (my review); the second finds love in this book, and I'll bet I know who the guy will be in the third book.  As is true of many series books, there are things that happen in this one for no apparent reason, but if you realize another book is coming, then they make sense.

It's a romance novel, a quick enjoyable read with a pretty basic plot.  She writes about cooking and travels around the world doing research.  She was engaged to be married by her fiancee died.  Shortly thereafter she learned that he regularly cheated on her so she's twice burned.  He defuses bombs for a living, for some top-secret government department, so he can't tell folks exactly what he does.  He is on call frequently and has to go where the job sends him.  He has had lots of women but no love.  They meet when he sees her rescuing kittens from a dumpster and basically it is love at first sight for both of them, though they fight it.  They are both loving people who love their families and are willing to sacrifice for them.

There is one moderately graphic romantic scene and it happens outside of wedlock.  Its funny, the book mentions that he has no trouble getting women to share his bed, but that they know going in that it isn't serious.  He meets her and courts her attentively for a few weeks, even going across the country to see her.  At that time, just a few weeks after they meet, he uses his body to tell her what he cannot say.  I have to wonder, if he falls into bed that easily and that indiscriminately, what does his body say?  He may be technically proficient in such activities, but how can you communicate something special with an activity you will do with anyone--but that's just the old-fashioned Catholic in me speaking.

I'd like to thank the publisher for sending me a review copy of the book via NetGalley.  I was not obligated to write a positive review.  Grade:  B.

Review: Catherine (The Volga River Chronicles)

Catherine: Inside the Heart and Mind of a Great Monarch (The Volga Flows Forever)

About the Book:

"You look astonishingly pretty," admits Johanna when Sophia steps out of her bedroom dressed in Ulrika's magnificent gown. Sophia is stunned, halting in mid-step. This is rare praise from her cold mother, so she must, indeed, look very good. At Frederick's side during the elaborate court dinner, Sophia shines and sparkles with youth and wit. The monarch is very pleased with his choice. Indeed, he is so enamored with the girl that he opens his purse to outfit mother and daughter, both woefully deficient in material matters appropriate for court life.

So begins the transformation of Princess Sophia of Anhalt-Zerbst into Catherine the Great of Russia. The personal and professional triumphs and tribulations of this remarkable woman are retold by Sigrid Weidenweber, whose research into the life of Catherine reveals a new perspective on Catherine, from the inside out. Sigrid portrays with heartfeld understanding what it was like to have been such a major European political and military, social and cultural figure during the eighteenth century.

My Comments:

When I say "Russian novel" what comes to your mind?  Do you picture a thick book filled with a huge cast of characters with names you can hardly remember because they are so foreign sounding?  Do you think of pages of descriptions of places of which you've rarely heard?  Do you think of political intrigue, romance, hatred, death, and even love?  While not written by a Russian, this book has all those characteristics and is set  in Russia and is about one of Russia's greatest rulers, Catherine the Great.  

It is the first book in a trilogy about the Volga Germans.  The short version of "Who are the Volga Germans?" is that they were German colonists attracted to Russia in the late 1700's by Catherine,who wanted to populate  a frontier as a way to keep enemies out of Russia.  My grandmother was a Volga German as was Lawrence Welk, who those somewhat older than me used to watch on TV. When offered this trilogy, I jumped at the chance to read about "my people".  

I'll be honest, I didn't finish this book about Catherine.  It is long.  There are a lot of details that don't seem to add to the story (and which I don't remember well enough that any lights would go off if they become important later).  The story was told in the third person, present tense which I found awkward.  There was not much dialogue--we were told things happened, we didn't necessarily see them unfold, or hear what people were saying.  Here is a sample paragraph:

Catherine has made it a habit to stop at the home of Princess Dashkova on her way back to Oranienbaum.  They enjoy their own spirited exchanges as if they are exotic, spicy gifts.  They are both avid readers of odd assortments of literature; philosophers, linguists,artists, politicians, and liberal causes intrigue them; and adoring Voltaire, they can indulge in seemingly endless topics of interest.  They seriously debate the Emancipation of women and an end to serfdom.  In the villages, places they see mostly on outings in their fancy carriages or sleighs, they have seen drunken muzhiks chase their wives in an attempt to assault them.  They have heard the horrid tales of mutilated, starved children, and of landowners whipping and torturing their serfs in ways they would not treat their hunting dogs.  Moments later, they discuss the need for good Russian schools, universities, libraries, and museums, and the people they know being able to help implement their dreams.  

I've read about one fourth of the book and I'm going to skip the rest of it.  I'm going to read the second volume that is supposed to be more directly about the Volga Germans, but I'll admit that the subject matter and the lack of novels about the Volga Germans are the only reasons I'm giving it a try.

To say something nice about the book/author, the book begins with an extensive chronology of Russian history,which does help the reader follow the events in the book.  Sigrid Weidenweber has obviously done her homework to learn about Catherine and her world.

This post is part of a blog tour, and I encourage you to read some of the other reviews which are more positive than mine, particularly if you are a fan of historical fiction.

I'd like to thank the author for sending me a complimentary review copy.  I was not obligated to write a  positive review.

Review: Moonlight on Linoleum

Moonlight on Linoleum: A Daughter's Memoir

About the Book:

"I invited the child I was once to have her say in these pages. I am the one who came out on the other side of childhood; she is the one who searched for the door."

In the tradition of The Glass Castle comes a debut memoir about a woman’s hopeful life despite the sad results of her mother’s choices. Moonlight on Linoleum is an affecting story of a girl who rose above her circumstances to become an early and faithful caretaker to her five siblings. It is about the power one finds in sisterhood to thrive in a difficult and ever-changing landscape as the girls bond in unconditional love despite constant upheaval and uncertainty. In these pages, Teresa Helwig crafts a moving portrait of a mother she loved completely even as she struggled to understand her.


My Comments:
Often when I review memoirs, I'll say that they are self-absorbed, and I guess it must be hard to write about strong memories, emotionally charged situations, without falling into the I, me, my trap.  Terry Helwig manages to do it here though.  Rather than being a story of the pain she suffered as the daughter of a mother who never made peace with life, she tells the story of her mother.  Yes, she is there, and yes, her mother's inability to love and accept the love of her husband obviously caused her pain, and caused pain for sisters Terry loves, but Moonlight on the Linoleum is also the story of Terry's triumph over that pain.  Terry accepts the love of her stepfather.  She loves her sisters and watches out for them.  She even cares for the mother who couldn't really mother.  


I'd like to thank the publisher for providing a complimentary review copy.  You can get more information about Terry Helwig at her website.  Grade:  B+

First Wildcard: Mercy Come Morning

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Lisa T. Bergren

and the book:

Mercy Come Morning

WaterBrook Press; Reprint edition (August 16, 2011)

***Special thanks to Laura Tucker of WaterBrook Press for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

LISA BERGREN is the best-selling, award-winning author of more than thirty books, with more than two million copies sold. A former publishing executive, she now splits her time working as a freelance editor and writer while parenting three children with her husband, Tim, and dreaming of the family’s next visit to Taos.

Visit the author's website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

There are no second chances. Or are there?

Krista Mueller is in a good place. She’s got a successful career as a professor of history; she’s respected and well-liked; and she lives hundreds of miles from her hometown and the distant mother she could never please. It’s been more than a decade since Alzheimer’s disease first claimed Charlotte Mueller’s mind, but Krista has dutifully kept her mother in a first-class nursing home.

Now Charlotte is dying of heart failure and, surprised by her own emotions, Krista rushes to Taos, New Mexico, to sit at her estranged mother’s side as she slips away. Battling feelings of loss, abandonment, and relief, Krista is also unsettled by her proximity to Dane McConnell, director of the nursing home—and, once upon a time, her first love. Dane’s kind and gentle spirit—and a surprising discovery about her mother—make Krista wonder if she can at last close the distance between her and her mother … and open the part of her heart she thought was lost forever.

“A timeless tale, to be kept every day in the heart as a reminder
that forgiveness is a gift to self.”
—PATRICIA HICKMAN, author of The Pirate Queen


Product Details:

List Price: $13.99
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: WaterBrook Press; Reprint edition (August 16, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0307730107
ISBN-13: 978-0307730107

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

“She’s dying, Krista.”

I took a long, slow breath. “She died a long time ago, Dane.”

He paused, and I could picture him formulating his next words, something that would move me. Why was my relationship with my mother so important to him? I mean, other than the fact that she was a patient in his care. “There’s still time, Kristabelle.”

I sighed. Dane knew that his old nickname for me always got to me. “For what? For long, deep conversations?” I winced at the harsh slice of sarcasm in my tone.

“You never know,” he said quietly. “An aide found something you should see.”

“What?”

“Come. I’ll keep it here in my office until you arrive. Consider it a Christmas present.”

“It’s December ninth.”

“Okay, consider it an early present.”

It was typical of him to hold out a mysterious hook like that. “I don’t know, Dane. The school term isn’t over yet. It’s a hard time to get someone to cover for me.” It wasn’t the whole truth. I had an assistant professor who could handle things on her own. And I could get back for finals. Maybe. Unless Dane wasn’t overstating the facts.

“Krista. She’s dying. Her doctor tells me she has a few weeks, tops. Tell your department chair. He’ll let you go. This is the end.” I stared out my cottage window to the old pines that covered my yard in shadows. The end. The end had always seemed so far away. Too far away. In some ways I wanted an end to my relationship with my mother, the mother who had never loved me as I longed to be loved. When she started disappearing, with her went so many
of my hopes for what could have been. The road to this place had been long and lonely. Except for Dane. He had always been there, had always waited. I owed it to him to show. “I’ll be there on Saturday.”

“I’ll be here. Come and find me.”

“Okay. I teach a Saturday morning class. I can get out of here after lunch and down there by five or six.”

“I’ll make you dinner.”

“Dane, I—”

“Dinner. At seven.”

I slowly let my mouth close and paused. I was in no mood to argue with him now. “I’ll meet you at Cimarron,” I said.
“Great. It will be good to see you, Kristabelle.” I closed my eyes, imagining him in his office at Cimarron Care Center. Brushing his too-long hair out of his eyes as he looked through his own window.

“It will be good to see you, too, Dane. Good-bye.”

He hung up then without another word, and it left me feeling slightly bereft. I hung on to the telephone receiver as if I could catch one more word, one more breath, one more connection with the man who had stolen my heart at sixteen.

Dane McConnell remained on my mind as I wrapped up things at the college, prepped my assistant, Alissa, to handle my history classes for the following week, and then drove the scenic route down to Taos from Colorado Springs, about a five-hour trip. My old Honda Prelude hugged the roads along the magnificent San Luis Valley. The valley’s shoulders were still covered in late spring snow, her belly carpeted in a rich, verdant green. It was here that in 1862 Maggie O’Neil single-handedly led a wagon train to settle a town in western Colorado, and nearby Cecilia Gaines went so
crazy one winter they named a waterway in her honor—“Woman Hollering Creek.”

I drove too fast but liked the way the speed made my scalp tingle when I rounded a corner and dipped, sending my stomach flying. Dane had never driven too fast. He was methodical in everything he did, quietly moving ever forward. He had done much in his years since grad school, establishing Cimarron and making it a national think tank for those involved in gerontology. After high school we had essentially ceased communication for years before Cimarron came about. Then when Mother finally got to the point in her descent into Alzheimer’s that she needed fulltime institutionalized care, I gave him a call. I hadn’t been able to find a facility that I was satisfied with for more than a year, when a college friend had shown me the magazine article on the opening of Cimarron and its patron saint, Dane McConnell.

“Good looking and nice to old people,” she had moaned. “Why can’t I meet a guy like that?”

“I know him,” I said, staring at the black-and-white photograph.

“Get out.”

“I do. Or did. We used to be…together.”

“What happened?” she asked, her eyes dripping disbelief.

“I’m not sure.”

I still wasn’t sure. Things between us had simply faded over the years. But when I saw him again, it all seemed to come back. Or at least a part of what we had once had. There always seemed to be a submerged wall between us, something we couldn’t quite bridge or blast through. So we had simply gone swimming toward different shores.

Mother’s care had brought us back together over the last five years. With the congestive heart failure that was taking her body, I supposed the link between us would finally be severed. I would retreat to Colorado, and he would remain in our beloved Taos, the place of our youth, of our beginnings, of our hearts. And any lingering dream of living happily ever after with Dane McConnell could be buried forever with my unhappy memories of Mother.

I loosened my hands on the wheel, realizing that I was gripping

it so hard my knuckles were white. I glanced in the rearview mirror, knowing that my reverie was distracting me from paying attention to the road. It was just that Dane was a hard man to get over. His unique ancestry had gifted him with the looks of a Scottish Highlander and the sultry, earthy ways of the Taos Indians. A curious, inspiring mix that left him with both a leader’s stance and a wise man’s knowing eyes. Grounded but visionary. A driving force, yet empathetic at the same time. His employees loved working for him. Women routinely fell in love with him.

I didn’t know why I could never get my act together so we could finally fall in love and stay in love. He’d certainly done his part. For some reason I’d always sensed that Dane was waiting for me, of all people. Why messed-up, confused me? Yet there he was. I’d found my reluctance easy to blame on my mother. She didn’t love me as a mother should, yada-yada, but I’d had enough time with my counselor to know that there are reasons beyond her. Reasons that circle back to myself.

I’d always felt as if I was chasing after parental love, but the longer I chased it, the further it receded from my reach. It left a hole in my heart that I was hard-pressed to fill. God had come close to doing the job. Close. But there was still something there, another blockade I had yet to blast away. I would probably be working on my “issues” my whole life. But as my friend Michaela says, “Everyone’s got issues.” Supposedly I need to embrace them. I just want them to go away.

“Yeah,” I muttered. Dane McConnell was better off without me. Who needed a woman still foundering in her past?

I had to focus on Mother. If this was indeed the end, I needed to wrap things up with her. Find closure. Some measure of peace. Even if she couldn’t say the words I longed to hear.

I love you, Krista.

Why was it that she had never been able to force those four words from her lips?

Excerpted from Mercy Come Morning by Lisa Tawn Bergren Copyright © 2011 by Lisa Tawn Bergren. Excerpted by permission of WaterBrook Press, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.


My Comments:

I really enjoyed this story of a woman making peace with her mother, the man who has always loved her, and yes, even with God.  It is a short book and at first I was confused because based on the history recounted, it seemed that Krista should be about my age, yet the book said she was much younger than me.  However, I checked the copyright page and noted that the book was originally published ten years ago, which makes sense. It is set the week before Christmas and involves Krista realizing the gifts she has always had in her life, and acknowledging that she has allowed one very big hurt to keep her from the life she could have. Tears streamed down my eyes at the end, but they were tears that mixed sadness and joy.

Grade:  B+

Blog Tour: The Christmas Shoppe

Christmas Shoppe, The

About the Book:

The small town of Parrish Springs is not ready for Matilda Honeycutt. A strange older woman with scraggly gray hair and jewelry that jangles as she walks, Matilda is certainly not the most likely person to buy the old Barton Building on the town's quaint main street. When it becomes apparent that her new shop doesn't fit the expectations of Parrish Springs residents, a brouhaha erupts. After all, Christmas is approaching, and the last thing the town needs is a junky shop run by someone who looks and acts like a gypsy. But as townsfolk venture into the strange store, they discover that old memories can bring new life and healing.

Once again, Melody Carlson delivers a Christmas story that will touch hearts and delight the senses. Sure to be a classic, The Christmas Shoppe is filled with the special magic the best Christmas stories share--that intangible mixture of nostalgia, joy, and a little bit of magic.

My Comments:

This is a sweet read, but it's more than a little on the strange side.

I'd like to thank Donna Hausler at Baker Publishing for providing a review copy.

Review: The Wishing Pearl

The Wishing Pearl (Diamond Estates)

About the Book:

Sixteen-year-old Olivia Mansfield dreams of a land far, far away. . .A land far away from her stepfather’s abuse and torment. A land far away from her mother’s blind eye.A land far away from the haunting memories of her past. But then reality sets in, and Olivia knows she must make the best of her dire situation—at least until her high-school graduation. But when poor choices lead Olivia to the brink of a complete breakdown and she finds herself dealing with the unexpected death of her best friend, she comes to a crossroads. Will Olivia find the path to ultimate hope and healing that her heart longs for?  Or will the demons from her past prove too much to bear?

My Comments:

This troubled teen ends up at a faith-based treatment program.  It is clear that it is the staff's belief that the only way to truly heal these girls is for them to develop a personal relationship with Jesus.  To the author's credit, she doesn't present religion as the whole cure, but in the end, once Olivia accepts Jesus everything else falls into place--almost too well if you ask me.  I found the story to be engaging and I really grew to care about Olivia but the book is obviously trying to make a religious point and in my opinion does so at the expense of realism at the end.  Grade:  B-

I'd like to thank the publisher for making a complimentary review copy available via NetGalley.

Review: Robin Takes 5

Robin Takes 5: 500 Recipes, 5 Ingredients or Less, 500 Calories or Less, for 5 Nights/Week at 5:00 PM

About the Book:

It's 5:00 PM. Everyone's hungry. It's takeout or fakeout, meaning nuking a processed meal from the freezer. But there's a third option that doesn't include processed food or an unhealthy heap of calories and fat--Robin Takes 5.

Imagine quickly preparing delicious meals for yourself, your friends, and your family with just 5 fabulous ingredients. Does it get any better? Absolutely, with Robin Takes 5. The book features 500 recipes and each dish is a mouthwatering 500 calories or less. Two-color recipe text complements full-color photography inserts. In addition, helpful icons note ideal recipes for holidays and entertaining as well as recipes with less than 500 mg of sodium. That's not all--nutritional information is given for each recipe.

In Robin Takes 5 500 recipes highlight at least 10 different ethnic cuisines, and dishes range from soups, pizzas, and pastas, to chicken, beef, pork, seafood, side dishes, and desserts. Consider 70 recipes just for chicken, such as Cashew Crusted Chicken with Roasted Jalapeno-Mango Chutney, and 50 dessert recipes, such as Orange Marmalade Tart with Chocolate Covered Almonds. Consider yourself armed for mealtime. The next time the clock strikes 5:00 PM and you want both noshing and nourishment, check out Robin Takes 5.

My Comments:

This is another one of those NetGalley cookbooks that wasn't available for my Kindle.  Perusing it on my computer, it looked like a good cookbook for those who liked to try different recipes with interesting ingredients but who didn't have much time to cook.  While I'd like to try some of her recipes, I had a hard time finding ones I thought my kids would eat (they don't tend to like "weird" stuff, or strong seasoning).  Since I don't take computers around food, I didn't try any recipes so I can't vouch for them, but the cookbook itself is attractive,  though it doesn't have photos of the food.

Thanks to the publisher for making a review copy available via NetGalley.

A Stranger's Gift: My Review

A Stranger's Gift (Women of Pinecraft)

About the Book:

You’ll be swept away by the endearing characters created by award-winning author Anna Schmidt. On the heels of a horrific hurricane, Hester Detweiler, field director for the Mennonite Disaster Service, blows into the life of self-made, shunned Amish man John Steiner. Will she find a way through his shield and into his heart? Although the hurricane has left John homeless and badly injured, the last thing he wants is some do-gooder Mennonite woman intruding in his life. Will his impatience with her intention of restoring his faith and property keep him from accepting this beguiling stranger’s kindness?

My Comments:

Even though you are reading this in late October, I read the book the weekend of Tropical Storm Lee, which also happened to be close to the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, so it fit right in with what was happening.  We watch Hester prepare for the Hurricane and then help people get back on their feet afterwards.  We see politicians come in, including John's aunt, who is in Congress.  I liked it when she said that coming in for photo  ops is what politicians do "when the media pushes our buttons and we don't know what else to do" (remember this is a galley and the final wording may be different).  

Hester is an Mennonite who dresses much like the Amish but lives in a house with electricity and has a college education. Her people worship in churches, whereas the Amish worship in homes.  Hester is an anomaly among her closely-knit people--a woman in leadership, a woman with a position outside the home (even though she is a volunteer and not paid).  She is an old maid more due to circumstances than choice.  John was raised Amish but went his own way.  He is determined to show that he can live without other people.

In a lot of ways, the book is a study in contrasts.  John has two books he saves during the Hurricane--Walden Pond and The Bible.  John rejects people; Hester is always trying to help.  Neither of them really fit in.  Both need to heal.  

I thought the characters in the book were well done as were the descriptions of life after a major storm.  It's a romance novel so I figured out pretty quickly where it was going, but you read books like this for the ride, not the destination.  Grade:  B.

I'd like to thank the publisher for making a review copy available via NetGalley.  I was not obligated to write a positive review (or any review at all).  

Blog Tour: Refuge on Crescent Hill

Refuge on Crescent Hill: A Novel

About the Book:

Jobless, homeless, and broke, Camden Bristow decides to visit the grandmother she hasn't seen in years. But when Camden arrives in Etherton, Ohio, she discovers that her grandmother has passed away, leaving her the 150-year-old mansion on Crescent Hill. The site of her happiest summers as a child, the run-down mansion is now her only refuge.

When Camden finds evidence that she may not be the mansion's only occupant, memories of Grandma Rosalie's bedtime stories about secret passageways and runaway slaves fuel her imagination. What really happened at Crescent Hill? Who can she turn to for answers in this town full of strangers? And what motivates the handsome local Alex Yates to offer his help? As she works to uncover the past and present mysteries harbored in her home, Camden uncovers deep family secrets within the mansion's walls that could change her life—and the entire town—forever.

My Comments:

This one is a winner.  It has mystery, suspense, history, and even some romance.  It is Christian fiction, but not overly religious.  Two women in two different families are looking for answers to pretty much the same questions.  It is a little confusing at first to keep everyone straight, but then the threads start to come together.  It has a nice pro-life message too.  Not everyone could pull off this story, but Dobson does a great job with it and I highly recommend it.  Grade:  B+

You can read the first few chapters here.  Learn more about Melanie Dobson here.

Special Note: Refuge on Crescent Hill will be available on Amazon Kindle FREE for one week starting October 31!

Cookbook Review: Sugar Sugar

Sugar, Sugar: Every Recipe Has a Story

About the Book:

Sugar, Sugar offers 100 of the best cake, pie, cookie, bar, and candy recipes from two sassy Sugar Mommas, Kimberly Reiner and Jenna Sanz-Agero, who are on a mission to preserve America's best sweet treat recipes and the even sweeter stories behind them. As the Sugar Mommas explain, "We drove down memory lane to discover our sugar inheritance, and then dug into everyone else's past to find their dusty, torn, and butter-crusted index cards."

What the Sugar Mommas found was that every recipe has a story. From desserts that accompanied families through good and bad times, to treats perfected by domestic help, to never-before-transcribed sugar concoctions developed from wild imaginations, each recipe conveys the unique personality of the friend or family member who created it.

With plenty of pies worth the lie, cakes to diet for, and better-than-nooky cookies, as well as an assortment of cobblers, crisps, bars, and other decadent confections, Sugar, Sugar is sure to satisfy any sweet tooth.

My Comments:

If I receive a paper or Kindle review copy of a cookbook, you've probably noticed that my usual routine is to pick a recipe and try it, and photograph the results (and my assistant) for this blog.  It all I get is a temporary NetGalley file to review on my computer, you all get a quick run down on my initial impression, but as I've said before, I don't take computers into the kitchen.  This is one of those cookbooks I'd like to keep.  It is filled with really yummy sounding recipes for all sorts of things I shouldn't be eating, and has enough pictures to really make me want to try them.  Some of the recipes have family stories to go with them, and cooking tips are interspersed throughout the book.  It's a pretty book and would make a great gift for the dessert maven in your life.

Book Review: Marrying Daisy Bellamy

Marrying Daisy Bellamy (The Lakeshore Chronicles)

About the Book: Daisy Bellamy has struggled for years to choose between two men—one honorable and steady, one wild and untethered. And then, one fateful day, the decision is made for her.

Now busy with a thriving business on Willow Lake, Daisy knows she should be happy with the life she's chosen for herself and her son. But she still aches for the one thing she can't have.

Until the man once lost to her reappears, resurrected by a promise of love. And now the choice Daisy thought was behind her is the hardest one she'll ever face….

Spoiler below

I have mixed feelings about this book.  On the one hand it was a great read with very human characters who readers really got to know in a lot of ways.  They are characters who made mistakes in life but still managed to find their way.  It is a romance novel but there is more to the plot than there is to the average romance novel.  

Spoiler:  What I didn't like about the book was a divorce that happened not because two people hated each other, not because one had done something unforgeable, not because family was pulling them apart, not even because an old flame returned to her life; no a divorce happened to the parents of a young child because they just lacked that spark they thought they should feel.  Maybe I'm lucky, having such a wonderful husband and all that, but I think one thing wrong with our society today is that too many people are chasing the greater happiness they think they could have if they would only.....and not making themselves and their families happy where they are.

If such things are important to you, it is noted a couple of times that characters had sex, but it wasn't graphic.  

Grade:  B-

Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy via NetGalley.