Fireworks Over Toccoa by Jeffrey Stepakoff
When I was offered a review edition of this novel (due out March 30) from St. Martin's, I took one look at that lovely cover and agreed!
However, the lovely cover didn't quite live up to my expectations of this novel.
Set in the waning days of World War II, Lily is anticipating the return of her soldier husband (whom she hurriedly married before he shipped out) when a chance encounter leads her to fall for Jake Russo, a fireworks maker just passing through her Southern town of Toccoa.
Predictably, they have a heady few days together and Lily falls head over heels, but what of her husband? This novel is very reminiscent of Bridges of Madison County, and lots of those sickly sweet Nicholas Sparks books that I tend to abhor. I did like the setting Stepakoff evokes - the kudzu, a summer storm, the fireworks in the sky, but much of the writing just didn't really "sing" to me.
This is a love story from a bygone time, and many will find great comfort and pleasure in escaping to Toccoa for a few hours - while I'm glad I read the novel, it just wasn't the explosion of fireworks I was hoping it would be for me...
I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.
Book Review: House Rules
House Rules by Jodi Picoult
It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Picoult's novels, so I was eagerly anticipating her newest, House Rules when it was recently released.
Jacob Hunt, 18, lives at home with his mother Emma and his brother Theo (Henry, the father, walked out years ago). Both of their lives orbit around Jacob at every minute of every day, because Jacob has Asperger's syndrome. He is particular about eating certain color foods on a certain day of the week, can't wear buttons on his shirt, or throws a fit if he can't watch a TV program at the same time every day. Jacob's latest obsession is forensics and CSI-type investigation, and his brilliant mind allows him to solve crimes before they can on TV.
So when a murder close to the Hunt family occurs, because of Jacob's awkward social skills and predilection for forensic details, he is picked up as the primary suspect of the crime, thrown in jail and told to go to court to stand trial.
As you can imagine, this doesn't bode well in Jacob's well-ordered world.
As always, this is a great novel by Picoult, replete with richly-drawn characters, with alternating chapters told in all their voices (which I particularly love about her novels). This is also a timely novel with autism diagnoses on the rise, the whole "vaccine caused it" debate. Picoult is notorious for having a "twist" at the end of each novel, and while this wasn't as "twisty", I absolutely COULD NOT put it down until I reached the last page. Just ask my friends who were visiting this weekend. ;-)
Another great, timely novel by Picoult - I can't recommend her enough!
I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.
It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Picoult's novels, so I was eagerly anticipating her newest, House Rules when it was recently released.
Jacob Hunt, 18, lives at home with his mother Emma and his brother Theo (Henry, the father, walked out years ago). Both of their lives orbit around Jacob at every minute of every day, because Jacob has Asperger's syndrome. He is particular about eating certain color foods on a certain day of the week, can't wear buttons on his shirt, or throws a fit if he can't watch a TV program at the same time every day. Jacob's latest obsession is forensics and CSI-type investigation, and his brilliant mind allows him to solve crimes before they can on TV.
So when a murder close to the Hunt family occurs, because of Jacob's awkward social skills and predilection for forensic details, he is picked up as the primary suspect of the crime, thrown in jail and told to go to court to stand trial.
As you can imagine, this doesn't bode well in Jacob's well-ordered world.
As always, this is a great novel by Picoult, replete with richly-drawn characters, with alternating chapters told in all their voices (which I particularly love about her novels). This is also a timely novel with autism diagnoses on the rise, the whole "vaccine caused it" debate. Picoult is notorious for having a "twist" at the end of each novel, and while this wasn't as "twisty", I absolutely COULD NOT put it down until I reached the last page. Just ask my friends who were visiting this weekend. ;-)
Another great, timely novel by Picoult - I can't recommend her enough!
I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.
Book Review: The Blue Orchard
The Blue Orchard by Jackson Taylor
You know, I often browse Amazon reviews before I post my own review here, just to see if my own thoughts are in line with other reviewers when it comes to various books.
Rarely do you find a book that ONLY has five star reviews, but this novel definitely warrants it.
This novel, based on the life of Taylor's grandmother, follows the life of Verna Krone, born poor in early 1900s Pennsylvania. The first half of the novel tracks her early life, her first jobs, a rape, an abortion, an affair, a child, and ultimately, a moneymaker: serving as the nurse for Dr. Crampton, a well-respected black doctor who happens to perform illegal abortions.
Verna enjoys the money she earns nursing these women after their surgeries, though at times questions the legality of their actions, all while Dr. Crampton continues to serve the Harrisburg community fully, until politics start getting in the way. The book begins with Verna's arrest for illegal surgery, and so even though the reader knows of the end at the beginning, you still hold your breath to see if she and Dr. Crampton will be caught.
I thought this was a wonderfully engaging, well written novel with interesting characters, that perfectly evokes the time period and the settings so well. My only negative would be that the politics in the second half of the book didn't keep my interest, and ultimately slowed the story down to a near stop for me.
Beyond that, though, this is definitely a recommended read! Fantastic!
I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.
You know, I often browse Amazon reviews before I post my own review here, just to see if my own thoughts are in line with other reviewers when it comes to various books.
Rarely do you find a book that ONLY has five star reviews, but this novel definitely warrants it.
This novel, based on the life of Taylor's grandmother, follows the life of Verna Krone, born poor in early 1900s Pennsylvania. The first half of the novel tracks her early life, her first jobs, a rape, an abortion, an affair, a child, and ultimately, a moneymaker: serving as the nurse for Dr. Crampton, a well-respected black doctor who happens to perform illegal abortions.
Verna enjoys the money she earns nursing these women after their surgeries, though at times questions the legality of their actions, all while Dr. Crampton continues to serve the Harrisburg community fully, until politics start getting in the way. The book begins with Verna's arrest for illegal surgery, and so even though the reader knows of the end at the beginning, you still hold your breath to see if she and Dr. Crampton will be caught.
I thought this was a wonderfully engaging, well written novel with interesting characters, that perfectly evokes the time period and the settings so well. My only negative would be that the politics in the second half of the book didn't keep my interest, and ultimately slowed the story down to a near stop for me.
Beyond that, though, this is definitely a recommended read! Fantastic!
I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.
Calendar Quilt
A couple of weeks ago, I was reading a review mag for the library and found a quilt book on "calendar quilts". Being intrigued, I Googled the term and found more information about calendar quilts...namely, a challenge that encourages participants to piece a strip every day for 365 to represent a calendar year, and using seasonal colors and so forth.
Well, I knew I'd never stick with THAT, so I decided to bastardize the intent, and created by own "calendar quilt" - with each color block representing a month of the year, and my interpretation of it. :-)
What do you think?
The rundown...
January: snowy blues
February: Valentine reds
March: greening of the garden
April: Easter colours
May: pink flowers (I love pink, and it's my birthday month, ergo, pink flowers!)
June: Relay for Life purple
July: Red, white and blue for July 4
August: I just want to sink to the bottom of a swimming pool in August, hence the colours!
September: the leaves starting to turn yellow
October: Halloween colours
November: fall tones and Thanksgiving colours
December: Christmas fabrics!
I'm really pleased with the colour selections and how it turned out - done entirely while the Winter Olympics were on, even!
Well, I knew I'd never stick with THAT, so I decided to bastardize the intent, and created by own "calendar quilt" - with each color block representing a month of the year, and my interpretation of it. :-)
What do you think?
The rundown...
January: snowy blues
February: Valentine reds
March: greening of the garden
April: Easter colours
May: pink flowers (I love pink, and it's my birthday month, ergo, pink flowers!)
June: Relay for Life purple
July: Red, white and blue for July 4
August: I just want to sink to the bottom of a swimming pool in August, hence the colours!
September: the leaves starting to turn yellow
October: Halloween colours
November: fall tones and Thanksgiving colours
December: Christmas fabrics!
I'm really pleased with the colour selections and how it turned out - done entirely while the Winter Olympics were on, even!
Latest Reads
What have I been ticking off the reading list lately? Let's see...
Echo Park by Michael Connelly
I listened to this Harry Bosch story, which centers on a murder case in Echo Park, and the sudden admittance of guilt by a man condemned to death for other murders. The problem is, Harry doesn't believe him...a good story, but the audiobook was scratched, so I kept missing key passages!
Letter from Point Clear by Dennis McFarland
This is one of those books that isn't really *about* anything, but the writing and setting is so great, you find yourself sucked in anyway. A trio of adult siblings try to come to grips with each other's lives and choices, in often hilarious manner. The brother was by far my favorite character...
Dreaming in Hindi by Katherine Russell Rich
I'm not sure what I was expecting of this novel (a travelogue, some humor, descriptions of language, food, sights), but I found myself disappointed in the stilted prose and lack of connection I felt to the narrator or her journey to India to learn a new language. I hate being disappointed. :-(
Cherry Cake and Ginger Beer by Jane Brocket
I'm a huge fan of Brocket's blog (yarnstorm), so I was eager to read this book, which talks about and includes recipes from foodstuffs found in British children's books. All those Enid Blyton books of my youth kept bubbling up in my mind as I read about all the foods from the stories. A true delight to me, but would definitely be lost on US readers, I think....
I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.
Echo Park by Michael Connelly
I listened to this Harry Bosch story, which centers on a murder case in Echo Park, and the sudden admittance of guilt by a man condemned to death for other murders. The problem is, Harry doesn't believe him...a good story, but the audiobook was scratched, so I kept missing key passages!
Letter from Point Clear by Dennis McFarland
This is one of those books that isn't really *about* anything, but the writing and setting is so great, you find yourself sucked in anyway. A trio of adult siblings try to come to grips with each other's lives and choices, in often hilarious manner. The brother was by far my favorite character...
Dreaming in Hindi by Katherine Russell Rich
I'm not sure what I was expecting of this novel (a travelogue, some humor, descriptions of language, food, sights), but I found myself disappointed in the stilted prose and lack of connection I felt to the narrator or her journey to India to learn a new language. I hate being disappointed. :-(
Cherry Cake and Ginger Beer by Jane Brocket
I'm a huge fan of Brocket's blog (yarnstorm), so I was eager to read this book, which talks about and includes recipes from foodstuffs found in British children's books. All those Enid Blyton books of my youth kept bubbling up in my mind as I read about all the foods from the stories. A true delight to me, but would definitely be lost on US readers, I think....
I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.
Book Review: One Good Dog
One Good Dog by Susan Wilson
As someone who has been a "pack of two" for exactly a year today (one year ago, I brought Zoe home!), this was a timely piece of fiction for me to read, provided by the lovely folks at The Book Report Network who sent me an advanced copy.
Adam March is that stereotypical high flyer - rich, successful with the plastic wife and the snotty child and the constant need to acquire more, more, more...until in just one ill-timed moment, everything goes awry in his life.
And Chance, a pit bull who's never known anything but a life of dogfighting and cages, has just one ill-timed moment to make a break for it, and everything changes in his life.
So what happens when a down on his luck guy meets a down on his luck dog?
A great story. :-)
This is written in alternating chapters - first Adam's point of view, and then, even more interestingly, from Chance's point of view. I particularly enjoyed Chance's chapters, and found myself looking at Zoe and thinking "Omigod, is that what she thinks?" or "Omigod, no wonder she looks at me like I'm nuts sometimes!". What a great - albeit fictional - insight into the minds of our faithful companions. Wilson has does a great job of breaking down these two characters, then rebuilding the trust and ultimate good in both of them.
This is a great read - honest, heartwrenching,heartwarming and ultimately uplifting. Made me give Zoe a big cuddle after I turned the last page.
Highly recommended!
I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.
As someone who has been a "pack of two" for exactly a year today (one year ago, I brought Zoe home!), this was a timely piece of fiction for me to read, provided by the lovely folks at The Book Report Network who sent me an advanced copy.
Adam March is that stereotypical high flyer - rich, successful with the plastic wife and the snotty child and the constant need to acquire more, more, more...until in just one ill-timed moment, everything goes awry in his life.
And Chance, a pit bull who's never known anything but a life of dogfighting and cages, has just one ill-timed moment to make a break for it, and everything changes in his life.
So what happens when a down on his luck guy meets a down on his luck dog?
A great story. :-)
This is written in alternating chapters - first Adam's point of view, and then, even more interestingly, from Chance's point of view. I particularly enjoyed Chance's chapters, and found myself looking at Zoe and thinking "Omigod, is that what she thinks?" or "Omigod, no wonder she looks at me like I'm nuts sometimes!". What a great - albeit fictional - insight into the minds of our faithful companions. Wilson has does a great job of breaking down these two characters, then rebuilding the trust and ultimate good in both of them.
This is a great read - honest, heartwrenching,heartwarming and ultimately uplifting. Made me give Zoe a big cuddle after I turned the last page.
Highly recommended!
I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.
New Library Signage
You know you're a library geek when you get superstoked about new library signage!
I lovelovelove the new signage we purchased to replace that blue lego crap we've had since opening our doors 20+ years ago. Pretty, no?
I lovelovelove the new signage we purchased to replace that blue lego crap we've had since opening our doors 20+ years ago. Pretty, no?
