Friday, April 30, 2010

Knit One, Kill Two by Maggie Sefton



After the murder of her Aunt Helen, Kelly Flynn returns to Colorado to settle her aunt's estate. When she hears the details of the murder, she's convinced the police have the wrong man in custody. She's determined to find out what really happened to her aunt, even though the police are less than cooperative.

As Kelly proceeds with her investigation, she seeks the help of her aunt's friends from her knitting group. The women are more than happy to get to the bottom of their friend's gruesome death. They welcome Kelly into their group and insists she learn to knit. Kelly has no interest in knitting, but once she starts, she can't seem to stop.

Kelly and her new found friends begin to uncover shocking secrets from Helen's past and they unravel a scheme that sickens them all. They vow to see justice served.

This is the first book in Maggie Sefton's knitting mystery series. I don't know how to knit, but this book made me want to learn. LOL It features a cast of fun, quirky characters that readers will wish they could meet in real life. The knitting shop comes to life with the author's detailed description. The plot has so many twists and turns, it left me guessing until the last chapter.

I have the rest of the series in my TBR and I'll definitely be reading it. I loved this one so much that it gets a "Socrates Great Book Alert" award and 5 kitties!





For reading challenges:

A to Z Reading Challenge
Read Your Own Book Reading Challenge
Cozy Mystery Reading Challenge
TBR Lite Reading Challenge

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Booking through Thursday - Restrictions



If you'd like to join in on Booking Through Thursday, just click the button above.



This week's question...

God* comes to you and tells you that, from this day forward, you may only read ONE type of book–one genre–period, but you get to choose what it is. Classics, Science-Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Cookbooks, History, Business … you can choose, but you only get ONE.

What genre do you pick, and why?

*Whether you believe in God or not, pretend for the purposes of this discussion that He is real.


My answer...Only one genre??? My reading is so varied, but I would have to pick mystery. At the moment, that's my favorite genre and the one I would choose to read. I guess suspense and thriller would be a separate genre. Those would be an awfully close second as would romance. Mmmmm...okay mystery is my final answer.

What's yours?


funny pictures of cats with captions
see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

A-Z Wednesday


This is a fun meme hosted by Reading at the Beach


Welcome to A-Z Wednesday!!

To join, here's all you have to do: Go to your stack of books and find one whose title starts with the letter of the week.

Post:

1~ a photo of the book

2~ title and synopsis

3~ link(amazon, barnes and noble etc.)

4~ Come back here and leave your link in the comments.

If you've already reviewed this book you can add it also.

Be sure to visit other participants to see what book they have posted and leave them a comment.

(We all love comments, don't we?)

Who knows? You may find your next "favorite" book.

THIS WEEKS LETTER IS: "L"





This looks like a fun book. This is the synopsis from Amazon...

New York Times bestselling author Karen Hawkins returns to Glory, North Carolina, for another delightful story of love and laughter.She thinks she’s Lois Lane . . .Susan Collins always wanted to be a hard-hitting reporter, but there’s not much call for her talents in sleepy Glory, North Carolina. Then the Murder Mystery Club—a trio of enterprising octogenarians—decides to open their own CSI lab at the assisted-living center. And when strange "accidents" begin to happen around town, Susan senses she could be on to the news story of her dreams.He doesn’t want to be her Superman . . .Mark Tremayne has returned to Glory to take over as CFO of The Glory Examiner. His job is to keep the newspaper profitable, which means covering the annual Baptist Church Bake-Off and selling ads for the county fair—not allowing his too-sexy-for-her-own-good reporter to hare off after a wild story that could alienate some of the townspeople.Together . . . they’re Kryptonite.Mark’s and Susan’s viewpoints could be from different planets, but their mutual attraction is in total alignment. Despite their arguments, the indomitable redhead and the hot accountant are a sexual explosion waiting to happen. And when it does, Glory had better watch out!


Tuesday, April 27, 2010

The Internet Kitty Cat

funny pictures of cats with captions
see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Author William Leverne Smith Interview by Linda Weaver Clarke

Linda Weaver Clarke interviewed Author William Leverne Smith and he has generously offered to give his new book away: Back to the Homeplace. The family “Will” has been read. Who will get the 800 acres of land that has been in the family for 150 years? In order to be included in the Will, the children have to move back to the “Homeplace” and live there for two whole years. Will they be able to do it? To enter the contest, visit Linda Weaver Clarke's Blog.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Monday Musings - War books



If you'd like to join in on Musing Mondays, just click the button above.

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about the war books

With yesterday being Anzac Day, I thought I’d ask a theme question this week. Are you a reader of war books? And if so, do you have any favorites?


My answer...

This is easy enough. I don't read war books. It's not a genre I've been interested in, although I have read romances and other genres set around war times. The Dorothy Garlock I'm reading right now is set around WWII. But, I wouldn't call these war books. They just happened to use it for the setting, but the books definitely aren't about the war.

funny pictures of cats with captions
see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Book Giveaways at Socrates Book Review Blog

There is still time to sign up for the book giveaways I'm hosting here at Socrates' Book Review Blog. Just click the covers below to enter! Both giveaways end on April 30th!






Friday, April 23, 2010

Daniel X: Watch the Skies by James Patterson & Ned Rust




Genre: Fiction, Suspense, Thriller

This is the synopsis from Amazon.com…

LIGHTS
All's quiet in the small town of Holliswood. Television sets, computers, and portable devices are aglow in every home, classroom, and store. Yet not all is perfect. Evil is lurking, just out of sight, behind the screen.

CAMERA
Residing in this sleepy town is a villain with more ambition than the world can withstand. Twisted beyond reason, he is dead set on throwing Holliswood into chaos and documenting the destruction of every person in it, including Daniel X.

EXTERMINATION
The only person who can stop this made-for-TV tyrant, Daniel must use his extraordinary power to save the town. But this devilish director has assembled an all-star team of his own creation and vows to stage the most spectacular finale the world has ever seen. Can Daniel X stop this deranged outlaw--or will he find himself on the cutting room floor?

My thoughts…

I loved the first book and I enjoyed this one very much. I listened to the audio version on the way to and from work. It made the trip fun – going to work is never fun. LOL My only complaint is the book ended too quickly. I wanted more.

It’s not a very serious series and not intense. I find it to be something quirky, quick and a nice diversion.




For reading challenges:

A to Z Reading Challenge
The James Patterson Reading Challenge
Read Your Own Book Reading Challenge

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

A-Z Wednesday


This is a fun meme hosted by Reading at the Beach


Welcome to A-Z Wednesday!!

To join, here's all you have to do: Go to your stack of books and find one whose title starts with the letter of the week.

Post:

1~ a photo of the book

2~ title and synopsis

3~ link(amazon, barnes and noble etc.)

4~ Come back here and leave your link in the comments.

If you've already reviewed this book you can add it also.

Be sure to visit other participants to see what book they have posted and leave them a comment.

(We all love comments, don't we?)

Who knows? You may find your next "favorite" book.

THIS WEEKS LETTER IS: "K"



My book this week is........



I haven't read this one yet, but it looks good. A synopsis from Fantastic Fiction ...

When it comes to relationships, talk show host Grace Fisher won't stand for cheating - especially not from her fiance, star hockey goalie Zack Hoolihan. Her weekly knitting group backs her up when she calls it off, but that doesn't entirely ease the sting of betrayal. She won't listen to Zack's indignant explanations of innocence - she just wants to tie up loose ends and move on. Until he winds up injured, that is, and she finds herself playing nursemaid...Zack doesn't know how that woman got into his hotel room, but he does know losing Grace has put him so far off his game, he's ended up with a busted knee and a broken heart. If things aren't mended fast, he'll miss the playoffs, miss his girl, and lose everything. But if Grace is willing to push him into physical therapy maybe he can pull her back into his arms - before their truce unravels. This time, he'll do everything it takes to knit their relationship back together...

Monday, April 19, 2010

Teaser Tuesdays - April 20th



If you'd like to play along on Teaser Tuesdays, just click the button above.


Teaser Tuesdays 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
* 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!


I'm currently reading a cozy mystery "Knit One, Kill Two" by Maggie Sefton.

Kelly waved and made a swift exit. She was sure she'd find the papers in the cottage, but the thought of going into the house where Aunt Helen was murdered still chilled her. Kelly hastened to the parking lot as she searched her cell phone's directory for the number of the Fort Connor police department.



Mailbox Monday - April 19th



If you'd like to join in on Mailbox Monday, just click the button above.

I only received one book this week and it looks like a good one. I got it to review and I'm looking forward to it.



Sunday, April 18, 2010

Mr. and Miss Anonymous by Fern Michaels




Genre: Romance, Fiction

In order to earn money for college tuition, Peter Aaron Kelly donated his sperm to a sperm bank. Lily Madison, also desperate to earn money for her college tuition, donated her eggs to a fertility clinic. Not only would they earn the money they needed to further their education, but they were also promised that their donations would go to couples who could not have children of their own.

They meet by chance at the clinic and spend a few minutes talking about their similar situations, both Peter and Lily find the clinic odd but they had no proof. As it is, the decision to make their donations was difficult and they wanted to move on with their lives. They certainly did move on – Pete owned a successful software company while Lily was a successful clothing designer. All was well in their lives, but they still couldn’t get their college actions out of their minds. Neither one every got involved in their own romance.

Nineteen years later, Peter and Lily accidentally run into each other at an airport. They find their original attraction towards each other was still there. Suddenly a news report flashes on the airport television. A private school has been the victim of a mass shooting and the teenager accused of the murders bares a striking resemblance to Pete. When he learns the boy is an orphan, Pete and Lily are confused. Their donations were supposed to go to childless couples.

Their initial suspicions against the clinic resurface. Pete and Lily race against the clock to learn what happened at that clinic and, more importantly, what happened to their donations. Could the accused teenager really be Pete’s biological son?

This book has a little bit of everything – romance, mystery and suspense. The story is an interesting premise. I admit, I wasn’t sure I could get into it since Pete and Lily acted as if they were forced at gunpoint to donate their sperm and eggs. They weren’t. It was a choice they made to earn their college tuition. Sure, helping childless couples is noble, but if they didn’t need the money, they wouldn’t have done it. So, their agonizing at the beginning of the book was annoying to me.

Then, there was the fact that neither Pete or Lily ever had a romantic relationship and they blamed it on the clinic. Again, they made their choice and they weren’t forced. Of course both worked hard and eventually became wealthy. They didn’t ring true for me either. Even their “chance” meetings didn’t work…they knew each other for a total of 5 minutes and were instantly in love? I guess it could happen, but it was hard for me to buy.

So, the first half of the book had me debating whether or not I should continue. Then, somewhere through the middle, I became interested in the plot going on with the clinic and Pete and Lily stopped blaming everyone for their choices.

I ended up liking the characters (which I didn’t think I would) and finding the story intriguing. I’ve always been a fan of Fern Michaels, so I was initially disappointed in this, but she turned it around and left me happy I continued reading this one.



For reading challenges...

A to Z Reading Challenge
Romance Reading Challenge

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Looking Back by Belva Plain




Genre: Fiction

Cecile, Norma and Amanda are as close as three college roommates can be. Cecile is classy from a wealthy family, Norma is from a wealthy family and a brainiac and Amanda is ambitious from a poverty-stricken family.

After they graduate, their lives move into different directions.

Amanda marries Norma’s older brother, but she wants more out of life and is never truly happy. Cecile marries the perfect man and they are happy, but unable to have the children they so desperately want. Norma is scared she’ll never marry because of a handicap she was born with.

When Amanda has an affair with her father-in-law, none of their lives are ever the same. All three women are thrown into a tangled web they can never escape. This story is filled with betrayal, drama and intrigue.

I listened to the audio version of this. It’s a good story, but some of the character’s actions drove me crazy. I couldn’t find a compelling reason for Amanda or Norma’s behaviors in the book, but still I found it an interesting book to listen to in the car. This is the second book I’ve read by Belva Plain and, overall, I do enjoy her writing.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Book Giveaway: Stay a Little Longer by Dorothy Garlock



Yet another bookgiveaway. Thank you Hachette Books! I am giving away five copies of Stay a Little Longer by Dorothy Garlock.

If you want to have a chance to win a copy of this book, here are the rules.

1. You must comment here and leave your email address so I can contact you. (Without a valid email address, you will not be entered into the giveaway!)

2. The contest is restricted to residents of the US and Canada. No PO Boxes!

3. The contest deadline is midnight, eastern standard time on Friday, April 30th.

For one extra bonus entry each:

1. Blog about this on your blog and link back to us. Please leave me your direct link for the post in your comments.

2. Become a follower - if you already are a follower, let me know in your comments.

3. Follow me on Twitter - if you already do, let me know in your comments.

Good luck everyone!

Book Giveaway: - Dark Deceptions by Dee Davis



Thanks, once again, to the wonderful people at Hachette Books, I am able to give away five copies of Dark Deceptions by Dee Davis.

If you want to have a chance to win a copy of this book, here are the rules.

1. You must comment here and leave your email address so I can contact you. (Without a valid email address, you will not be entered into the giveaway!)

2. The contest is restricted to residents of the US and Canada. No PO Boxes!

3. The contest deadline is midnight, eastern standard time on Friday, April 30th.

For one extra bonus entry each:

1. Blog about this on your blog and link back to us. Please leave me your direct link for the post in your comments.

2. Become a follower - if you already are a follower, let me know in your comments.

3. Follow me on Twitter - if you already do, let me know in your comments.

Good luck everyone!

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Book Giveway at Suko's Notebook




Do you enjoy reading mystery novels? Check out Suko's Notebook. Linda Weaver Clarke was just interviewed about her new mystery novel and is giving away her new book: Anasazi Intrigue. Visit Suko's website, read the interview, and follow her instructions exactly for winning the novel. Good luck!

Booking through Thursday - Which End?



If you'd like to join in on Booking Through Thursday, just click the button above.



This week's question...

In general, do you prefer the beginnings of stories? Or the ends?


That's a harder question than it seems because both are important to the story. The beginning is the deciding factor if the reader keeps reading, while the end gives us the exciting conclusion (usually it's exciting anyway).

At first I thought I couldn't choose, but as I'm typing I realize it's the ending for me. Sometimes it could take as much as 50 pages before I can get into a book. Of course it depends on the book. I read mostly suspense, thrillers and mysteries. Those types of books usually start you off with a great first line hook, but not always.

Still, I'm choosing the ending because it brings it altogether and it also gives me a sense of accomplishment that I've finished another book. As I said before, it does depend greatly on the book itself as there have been times I've been disappointed by an ending and the story fizzled out. In general, I'd choose the ending as my favorite but there are always exceptions to every rule :)

This question wasn't as hard as I originally thought it would be. LOL

funny pictures of cats with captions
see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

The High Calling of Hard Times: Leadership, Hope, and Radical Love -- Even on the TV News By Michael Cogdill

The High Calling of Hard Times: Leadership, Hope, and Radical Love -- Even on the TV News
By Michael Cogdill,
Author of She-Rain: A Story of Hope

The complaints sail almost daily into my professional life. People tell me they find the news so depressing they can't watch anymore. I understand their longing for hope, even as I say the news contains a mother lode of the hope they crave. We journalists and viewers have a way of missing it, even as we look straight at it.

My answer grows from having covered terrible news on television for more than twenty-five years. Holding what I deem the sacredness of human grief on my very breath -- as a television reporter and anchor -- has revealed to me the power of the news to inform some of the best of humanity. It forms a lesson in leadership, especially in the worst of times.

Aristotle believed "happiness depends upon ourselves." In the coverage of stories such as 9-11, the earthquake in Haiti, or a suffering child in America, we discover the joy of our dependency upon one another. Those stories contain a radical love -- the kind we feel for a stranger in whose eyes we recognize something magnetically familiar. News of human suffering clarifies what Mother Theresa meant when she said charity isn't about pity. It's about love. Too often we who cover and consume the news -- or write about any human events -- fail to see through the hardship to find the leadership. We miss the seismic love.

A few years ago, a tiny piece of television brought me to a man whose life forms a clear window on the power of both. When we met, he was chronically underestimating the potency of a heroism he had lived. This is the soldiering story of George Campbell.

I met Mr. Campbell on a steaming day in June. We shot a TV public service announcement together for a terrific charity, Meals on Wheels, whose volunteers bring hot meals and priceless company to the elderly and infirm. Mr. Campbell lived a small life in a tiny house in Greenville, South Carolina. Apart from the tick of a clock in his living room, it seemed a life of nearly constant silence. Having finished our quick work, we chatted a moment. I had noticed a shadow box on his wall, holding some of the noblest honors the U.S. Military can award. When I asked about those medals, he stood silent for a time, then replied, "You know, son, it was almost 60 years ago to this day I set foot on that piece of France they called Omaha Beach."

That small retired pharmacist had served as an unarmed U.S. Army medic on D-Day. He had climbed out of a boat directly into the savagery General Eisenhower knew awaited the men of that terrible time.

Mr. Campbell, in his courtly, humble, and gentleman's way, told me of running through the Nazi hell that rained onto the men of that beach. He spoke of expecting, any moment, to join the swelling tide of death before him.

It took little time for his well-kept memory to reach the first fallen man he had found.

"I rolled him and saw it," he said. "A spurting wound of the chest. And there was a girl, right there with him. He had a girl's picture in his hand."

In the din of battle, that anonymous U.S. serviceman lay with blood flowing across the hands of Medic Campbell, and he begged him. "Help me get home, Doc. Help me outta here to see her again."

With me at his kitchen table, those sixty years later, Mr. Campbell withdrew into another moment's quiet. Then he spoke of a hopelessness he still felt. There was no saving that boy. He could only kneel there with him until death came. One terrified man had simply knelt with his hand on the blood-sodden chest of another, whom he did not know. That became George Campbell's full experience of D-Day. From one broken body to the next, he had made his way across that jagged beach, and he carried a despair of it across those sixty years to our time and place together -- there in his little house and near anonymous life in America.

"They died on me," he said, thrusting down tears. "All of them."

Every boy Medic Campbell had reached during his D-Day service had died. And palpable in his voice was the feeling of failure. He, in his private sadness of war, felt he had failed as a soldier and, on some levels, as a man.

What followed stands among the most valued and sacred moments of my career. For I had the opportunity, such as I am, to remind that gentle veteran of what he had done -- how he had led, and deeply loved, strangers through the worst time of their lives. It had clearly never dawned on him that, because of him, not one man he reached on that beach died alone. Because of his mettle, those men died witness to the terrified love and hope of a fellow man. As he knelt with them, he feared with them. I'm quite sure he wept with them. Yet he became their living courage, their leader to the mercies of death, a mortal usher who helped shoulder them to death's veil. Without being able to save a single life, he proved to them how courageous leadership truly feels -- not the absence of fear but the presence of care.

Up in his eyes, in that storm of doomed Nazi horror, dying men saw the very best of humanity. He led them to a ground of peace, forged their final relationships on earth. With him they experienced an intimacy with hope.

We men tend to rattle a bit when we venture a try at love talk. As I write this I can but hope I managed to convey to Mr. Campbell the stunning force of the love I felt from him. I can only trust I convinced him, in some small way, of the priceless difference his life had made in the withering moments of the lives of soldiers barely out of boyhood. He had become a quiet hero of Omaha Beach -- one of its many great leaders. If I could, I would call and remind him of this even now. I long for the opportunity -- even to thank him again for his service. Not long after our time together, shared there in his home and in his memories, Mr. Campbell died.

Yet he lives in this reporter's memory, and in the ways he makes me a better man. Because of my time with him, I am led to become a more caring writer -- of journalism and, yes, even fiction as it draws from our deepest reality.

Before his death, I was blessed to report a TV story on Mr. Campbell for the 60th anniversary of D-Day. As with so many, that story cast forth a human tragedy. To this day it is a story of war's unstoppable grief. Yet within it, viewed through the lens of the soul as well as the mind, that story gives off the hope of what great leaders do. They move toward the people they lead. They carry on lives of extravagant caring. With a broadness of the heart, they bear another's hurt with beautiful humility.

In the next story of what seems boundless grief on the news, may we each hear that whispered call to lead with such a radical, generous form of love. May we look within ourselves for the leader who quietly scatters hope where it seems only hurt will live. To paraphrase and nuance Gandhi just a bit, may we become the hope we long to see in the world.

And to that end: Veterans out there -- this reporter says, THANK YOU! This writer of journalism and fiction owes you a debt beyond words. And to you, Mr. Campbell, peace to your spirit, sir, with gratitude for trusting, and loving, me enough to share that great triumph of your days.

© 2010 Michael Cogdill, author of She-Rain: A Story of Hope
Author Bio

Michael Cogdill is blessed as one of the most honored television storytellers in America. His cache of awards includes 24 Emmys and the National Edward R. Murrow for a broad range of achievement, from live reporting to long-form storytelling. His television credits as a journalist include CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, and The Today Show, and Michael's interview history crosses a wide horizon: The Reverend Billy Graham, Dr. Mehmet Oz of Oprah fame, Dr. Henry Kissinger, Abby Hoffman, Senator Hillary Clinton, Senator John McCain, Howard K. Smith, James Brown, Keith Lockhart of the Boston Pops and many other newsmakers. His coverage credits include Presidents and Vice Presidents of the United States.

Michael spent ten years writing She-Rain, letting it evolve into a world of fiction drawn from his upbringing in Western North Carolina but reaching far beyond. His other writing credits are Cracker the Crab and the Sideways Afternoon -- a children's motivational book, and a self-help volume, Raise the Haze. Michael makes his home in South Carolina with his wife, Jill (a publishing entrepreneur), and their second-generation golden retriever, Maggie. He's currently working on his second novel.

For more information, please visit http://she-rain.blogspot.com.

A-Z Wednesday


This is a fun meme hosted by Reading at the Beach


Welcome to A-Z Wednesday!!

To join, here's all you have to do: Go to your stack of books and find one whose title starts with the letter of the week.

Post:

1~ a photo of the book

2~ title and synopsis

3~ link(amazon, barnes and noble etc.)

4~ Come back here and leave your link in the comments.

If you've already reviewed this book you can add it also.

Be sure to visit other participants to see what book they have posted and leave them a comment.

(We all love comments, don't we?)

Who knows? You may find your next "favorite" book.

THIS WEEKS LETTER IS: "J"



My book this week is........



I haven't read this one yet, but I have seen the movie. The movie was pretty good and eventually I will read this book.

Here's a synopsis from Amazon.com

Amazon.com Review

Julie & Julia is the story of Julie Powell's attempt to revitalize her marriage, restore her ambition, and save her soul by cooking all 524 recipes in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume I, in a period of 365 days. The result is a masterful medley of Bridget Jones' Diary meets Like Water for Chocolate, mixed with a healthy dose of original wit, warmth, and inspiration that sets this memoir apart from most tales of personal redemption.

When we first meet Julie, she's a frustrated temp-to-perm secretary who slaves away at a thankless job, only to return to an equally demoralizing apartment in the outer boroughs of Manhattan each evening. At the urging of Eric, her devoted and slightly geeky husband, she decides to start a blog that will chronicle what she dubs the "Julie/Julia Project." What follows is a year of butter-drenched meals that will both necessitate the wearing of an unbearably uncomfortable girdle on the hottest night of the year, as well as the realization that life is what you make of it and joy is not as impossible a quest as it may seem, even when it's -10 degrees out and your pipes are frozen.

Powell is a natural when it comes to connecting with her readers, which is probably why her blog generated so much buzz, both from readers and media alike. And while her self-deprecating sense of humor can sometimes dissolve into whininess, she never really loses her edge, or her sense of purpose. Even on day 365, she's working her way through Mayonnaise Collee and ending the evening "back exactly where we started--just Eric and me, three cats and Buffy...sitting on a couch in the outer boroughs, eating, with Julia chortling alongside us...."

Inspired and encouraging, Julie and Julia is a unique opportunity to join one woman's attempt to change her life, and have a laugh, or ten, along the way. --Gisele Toueg --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.





funny pictures of cats with captions
see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Monday, April 12, 2010

Linda Weaver Clarke Book Giveaway

Come and join the fun!

Author Linda Weaver Clarke is having an Author Interview and Book Give Away on Linda's Blog. For those who enjoy a good history lesson about how we received our freedom and being entertained by fictional characters, come visit and read the interview.

Have fun!

Monday Musings - The Best Books



If you'd like to join in on Musing Mondays, just click the button above.


Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about the ‘best’ books'.

There’s been some discussion on my blog this week about what should or shouldn’t make a ‘best' books’ list. What elements do you think lands a book in that ‘best’ category? Think of your top 5 best books and tune in next week to see the collated list.


For me, the "best" book is one that is difficult to put down. A book that even when I have to go to work or be out of the house, I can't wait to pick up the book again. It's a book that I literally cannot put down. Another element that has to be there - a book that makes me cry or laugh (whatever is appropriate, of course - LOL). Also, the characters must be people I really care about. If I don't care about them, then I can't really care about the story.

In order for it to be the "best", it has to really touch my heart and keep me thinking about it long after I finish reading the book.

Now, to actually pick out books that I thought were the "best", is hard, but I'll try to come up with a few...

1) Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson
2) 16 Lighthouse Road by Debbie Macomber (I love all the books in her Cedar Cove series, but I figured I would just list her first for this question.)
3) First to Die by James Patterson (The first book in his Women's Murder Club series, but I could really have listed any of the first 6 that I have read.)
4) One for the Money by Janet Evanovich (The first book in her Stephanie Plum series - once again, I could have listed any of the first 13 I read.)
5) Cat on the Edge by Shirley Rousseau Murphy (Another series of books, this was my first introduction to cat mysteries.

None of my books are literary classics, but they are all books I truly loved and wanted to keep reading. They all made me happy and gave me several hours of relaxation.

funny pictures of cats with captions
see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Mailbox Monday - April 12th




If you'd like to join in on Mailbox Monday, just click the button above.

Only one book for me this week, but I've had it on my wishlist at Paperback Swap forever. So, I'm happy to get this one. It's the second book in a series, so I'm still hoping to get the first one.



Sunday, April 11, 2010

The 6th Target by James Patterson




Genre: Suspense

A vicious shooting spree on the ferry leaves one of the Women’s Murder Club members seriously injured. Lindsay Boxer vows to stop this mad man and put him in jail for the rest of his life.

Lindsay’s certainly has her hands full as she also is desperate to stop a serial kidnapper from taking young children from their families. The scary part is the kidnapper doesn’t appear to want ransom and intends to keep these children. Lindsay fears at the reason behind the kidnappers and for the safety of the children.

It’s been awhile since I read the previous five Women’s Murder Club books and I really wanted to get back to them for awhile, but I’ve had so many books to read that I just haven’t had time. This was fast reading for me - it only took a few days and I'm usually a slow reader. I wanted to keep going. It really grabbed my attention and I still love the characters in this series. There was a little of everything in this book – suspense, mystery and even some romance. I’m not sure when I’ll get around to reading #7, but this was a good one.

For reading challenges:

James Patterson Reading Challenge
Women's Murder Club Reading Challenge
Read Your Own Book Reading Challenge
TBR Lite Reading Challenge