The Caregiver by Shelley Shepard Gray
I finished this book in TWO settings.. Only a few hours! How can you not want to finish this book? I wanted so bad to hear if Lucy and Calvin would ever come together. To see if Lucy could overcome her fears about men not being violent and loving her like they should.
We start out with Lucy on a train, going to Jacob's Crossing from Michigan to take care of her cousin Mattie who is going through chemotherapy. What she doesn't expect is to find Calvin attractive and his much younger sister Katie very endearing. She spends some time with them and really is starting to feel comfortable with Calvin. When she sees him yell at another person and get very angry all bets are off. He must be like Paul too!
Taking care of Mattie leaves little time for herself but Calvin manages to wiggle in there. Gray left it open for a few more storylines in there as well! This is a MUST read!
"You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me." — C.S. Lewis
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
Review: Skinny
Skinny by Diana Spechler
Where to start.. I have so many things I could say about this book. I read a lot of reviews before writing this, so the actual book subject has been talked about a lot. Overweight vs skinny people.. Gray's father passes away, which Gray feels that she killed him. (You will find out why she thinks this almost at the end of the book) When she finally talks to the man in charge of her father's will, she finds there is a trust for a woman. When she looks this woman up on the internet, the woman has a child about the same time as when the trust started. So Gray thinks, oh my, my dad had an affair and this is my sister.
Gray then looks her up on the internet, to find out she is going to Camp Carolina, a camp for overweight children. Gray applies to be a counselor and without any knowledge to actually qualify, goes. It seems all of the people put in charge to help these kids don't have any knowledge or skills to really help these children. Gray has a boyfriend back in New York, Mikey, who seems kind of like a man with no direction.
What happens over the 2 months at camp, is a big mess! I am not going to give any more away but you will find out what happens between Gray and her "sister" and more..
At the beginning I really struggled to read this book and connect with Gray. It got better as it went along or maybe I just wanted to know if Gray would ever come out of her feeling sorry for herself. I wanted to like her, but it was really difficult.
Good points in the book, just hard to see them with all the disjointed ideas in the way.
Where to start.. I have so many things I could say about this book. I read a lot of reviews before writing this, so the actual book subject has been talked about a lot. Overweight vs skinny people.. Gray's father passes away, which Gray feels that she killed him. (You will find out why she thinks this almost at the end of the book) When she finally talks to the man in charge of her father's will, she finds there is a trust for a woman. When she looks this woman up on the internet, the woman has a child about the same time as when the trust started. So Gray thinks, oh my, my dad had an affair and this is my sister.
Gray then looks her up on the internet, to find out she is going to Camp Carolina, a camp for overweight children. Gray applies to be a counselor and without any knowledge to actually qualify, goes. It seems all of the people put in charge to help these kids don't have any knowledge or skills to really help these children. Gray has a boyfriend back in New York, Mikey, who seems kind of like a man with no direction.
What happens over the 2 months at camp, is a big mess! I am not going to give any more away but you will find out what happens between Gray and her "sister" and more..
At the beginning I really struggled to read this book and connect with Gray. It got better as it went along or maybe I just wanted to know if Gray would ever come out of her feeling sorry for herself. I wanted to like her, but it was really difficult.
Good points in the book, just hard to see them with all the disjointed ideas in the way.
Review: The World's Greatest Christmas Cookies
The World's Greatest Christmas Cookies
This cookbook of all kinds of wonderful cookie recipes is perfect for a holiday gift. These recipes are perfect for your favorite baker in your life! My group gets together once a year for a cookie exchange and I know I will be making a couple of these! It will be hard to choose but rewarding. Everyone in your family can get in on the action.
The pictures are divine. There is a picture for almost every recipe! The sweet tips are sweet indeed! Every one of them is useful. I found the butter tip immensely helpful.
Some of the recipes are super easy, which makes baking with young children during the holidays lots of fun! Some are going to be easy but time consuming and then there will be ones that will challenge you!
Some of my favorite ones on my to-do list are, Mrs. Santa Cinnamon Cookies, Pecan Care Bears, Peanut Butter Cup Cookies (which will be a HUGE hit at my house), Caramel Apple Cookies and Orange Iced Cranberry Cookies.
Then there are bars which Chocolate Pizza is included! Can't get much better than that!
Notched up are the filled bars which you will find Santa's Favorite Ice Cream Sandwiches.
Talk about yummy, my mouth is watering just typing all of this! Make sure you get this cookbook, for yourself, for gifts..
This cookbook of all kinds of wonderful cookie recipes is perfect for a holiday gift. These recipes are perfect for your favorite baker in your life! My group gets together once a year for a cookie exchange and I know I will be making a couple of these! It will be hard to choose but rewarding. Everyone in your family can get in on the action.
The pictures are divine. There is a picture for almost every recipe! The sweet tips are sweet indeed! Every one of them is useful. I found the butter tip immensely helpful.
Some of the recipes are super easy, which makes baking with young children during the holidays lots of fun! Some are going to be easy but time consuming and then there will be ones that will challenge you!
Some of my favorite ones on my to-do list are, Mrs. Santa Cinnamon Cookies, Pecan Care Bears, Peanut Butter Cup Cookies (which will be a HUGE hit at my house), Caramel Apple Cookies and Orange Iced Cranberry Cookies.
Then there are bars which Chocolate Pizza is included! Can't get much better than that!
Notched up are the filled bars which you will find Santa's Favorite Ice Cream Sandwiches.
Talk about yummy, my mouth is watering just typing all of this! Make sure you get this cookbook, for yourself, for gifts..
Review: Summer Rental
Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews
Sizzling summer beach read!!! Don't miss out this summer on one of the best books of 2011!
We have three friends who are going to meet up at a beach house for the month of August. Dorie, Ellis and Julia. All three have different personalities and of course things going on in their lives, so this beach escape is much needed. Ellis is the schedule freak -- Dorie is a man magnet and is married to Stephen and everyone thinks they are a perfect couple. Then Julia is a model and is dating Booker, who is a bit older than Julia, but wants to marry her. Ellis lost her job just right before this vacation and she is worried because she hasn't had any other job offers.
All of them are looking forward to relaxing, hanging out with each other but when they start to learn each other's secrets and problems will they be able to relax?
Then Dorie goes one day to have a milkshake, comes upon a woman that looks like she is loaded and looking for a motel. So Dorie invites her to stay at the beach house with them -- But Maryn has bigger problems than all the girls. Will Maryn open up to the girls and learn to lean on someone?
This book is so delicious and wonderful, you will be sad when you reach the last page that it is over!
Sizzling summer beach read!!! Don't miss out this summer on one of the best books of 2011!
We have three friends who are going to meet up at a beach house for the month of August. Dorie, Ellis and Julia. All three have different personalities and of course things going on in their lives, so this beach escape is much needed. Ellis is the schedule freak -- Dorie is a man magnet and is married to Stephen and everyone thinks they are a perfect couple. Then Julia is a model and is dating Booker, who is a bit older than Julia, but wants to marry her. Ellis lost her job just right before this vacation and she is worried because she hasn't had any other job offers.
All of them are looking forward to relaxing, hanging out with each other but when they start to learn each other's secrets and problems will they be able to relax?
Then Dorie goes one day to have a milkshake, comes upon a woman that looks like she is loaded and looking for a motel. So Dorie invites her to stay at the beach house with them -- But Maryn has bigger problems than all the girls. Will Maryn open up to the girls and learn to lean on someone?
This book is so delicious and wonderful, you will be sad when you reach the last page that it is over!
Friday, June 10, 2011
Review: The Art of Saying Goodbye
The Art of Saying Goodbye by Ellyn Bache
We meet 5 women off the bat, and then we go back and forth between all of them, finding out about them and what each one might be struggling with. Iona was my favorite. Seems like a hard lady on the outside but really is a loving lady and could be a wonderful friend. All these ladies I yearned to really like. Could like them on the surface, but there was no real depth. Even Paisley, as much as I was like, yea I think I might like her, after all the stuff I read, not really sure I do!
Each woman, as in real life, is struggling with something, whether it be a spouse dying, to not being happy in their marriage. Nothing new to the scene as far as that. The way Ms Bache wrote it though, is a bit different, back and forth a bit more, and we get a special glimpse of Paisley's mind at times. I enjoyed those brief moments, they seemed the most real to me.
I would recommend this book, it would be a good book to take to the beach. Not too heavy that you need a lot of concentration, and not to much if you can keep up with the cast of characters!
We meet 5 women off the bat, and then we go back and forth between all of them, finding out about them and what each one might be struggling with. Iona was my favorite. Seems like a hard lady on the outside but really is a loving lady and could be a wonderful friend. All these ladies I yearned to really like. Could like them on the surface, but there was no real depth. Even Paisley, as much as I was like, yea I think I might like her, after all the stuff I read, not really sure I do!
Each woman, as in real life, is struggling with something, whether it be a spouse dying, to not being happy in their marriage. Nothing new to the scene as far as that. The way Ms Bache wrote it though, is a bit different, back and forth a bit more, and we get a special glimpse of Paisley's mind at times. I enjoyed those brief moments, they seemed the most real to me.
I would recommend this book, it would be a good book to take to the beach. Not too heavy that you need a lot of concentration, and not to much if you can keep up with the cast of characters!
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Review: The Year We Left Home
The Year We Left Home by Jean Thompson
Different. This book was different from what I thought it would be. When I got past all the things that were annoying me about this read, then I really enjoyed the book. My favorite character was Torrie. She had a spunk about her that I really fell in love with and thoroughly enjoyed.
This book is set over the course of 30 years, through the lives of a family.. We get different view points and even some from a cousin Chip, who changes his name to Ray for awhile. I loved the descriptions of the family, you can imagine the big hearty folk from Iowa, can't you?
This book reminds us that even though we want to all leave home when we are young, it seems eventually we come back don't we? We usually come back to our roots.
If you love generational sagas, this is a mini one! Everyone is searching for something, will everyone in the family find it? I know you will enjoy seeing all the ups and downs of this cast of characters.
Different. This book was different from what I thought it would be. When I got past all the things that were annoying me about this read, then I really enjoyed the book. My favorite character was Torrie. She had a spunk about her that I really fell in love with and thoroughly enjoyed.
This book is set over the course of 30 years, through the lives of a family.. We get different view points and even some from a cousin Chip, who changes his name to Ray for awhile. I loved the descriptions of the family, you can imagine the big hearty folk from Iowa, can't you?
This book reminds us that even though we want to all leave home when we are young, it seems eventually we come back don't we? We usually come back to our roots.
If you love generational sagas, this is a mini one! Everyone is searching for something, will everyone in the family find it? I know you will enjoy seeing all the ups and downs of this cast of characters.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Review: Summer in the South
Summer in the South by Cathy Holton
Different from Cathy Holton's usual type of books -- but very good at the end. Does that qualify as a good book? I wasn't too sure most of the way through. I struggled wondering where this story was going, back and forth with all these details that really didn't seem to have a point. UNTIL about 50 pages left, it got really good and made me glad I hung in there!
Ava is invited to go down to a college friend's hometown for the summer to write her first novel ever. If she can even figure out what that might be that is. Will's family seems nice, but there seems to be secrets and things no one wants to talk about. Such as Charlie Woodburn, or Hadley.. But will Ava's snooping cause too many problems for a prominent southern family?
If you are looking for your usual Cathy Holton book or a regular mystery book, this isn't it. This is totally different! Which at the end made me very glad I stuck with it and finished it. I wanted to know if there really was a murder, and how Jake and Will really fit into everything.
There are a few surprises -- wonderfully added I think! You begin to think you are there with Ava, totally uneasy at night while she is writing. Still has that Cathy Holton southern charm though! That I couldn't live without!
Read this book, stick with it, you will be glad you did in the end. It is all worth it, I promise!
Different from Cathy Holton's usual type of books -- but very good at the end. Does that qualify as a good book? I wasn't too sure most of the way through. I struggled wondering where this story was going, back and forth with all these details that really didn't seem to have a point. UNTIL about 50 pages left, it got really good and made me glad I hung in there!
Ava is invited to go down to a college friend's hometown for the summer to write her first novel ever. If she can even figure out what that might be that is. Will's family seems nice, but there seems to be secrets and things no one wants to talk about. Such as Charlie Woodburn, or Hadley.. But will Ava's snooping cause too many problems for a prominent southern family?
If you are looking for your usual Cathy Holton book or a regular mystery book, this isn't it. This is totally different! Which at the end made me very glad I stuck with it and finished it. I wanted to know if there really was a murder, and how Jake and Will really fit into everything.
There are a few surprises -- wonderfully added I think! You begin to think you are there with Ava, totally uneasy at night while she is writing. Still has that Cathy Holton southern charm though! That I couldn't live without!
Read this book, stick with it, you will be glad you did in the end. It is all worth it, I promise!
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