tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48372415822419448752024-03-12T17:00:12.451-07:00A Joy of ReadingN. Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05683401464609368949noreply@blogger.comBlogger109125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837241582241944875.post-41825676167611027592021-05-04T15:30:00.000-07:002021-05-04T15:30:25.032-07:00The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristen Harmel - Book Review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzKr-dGYoqhcfZX8-O9VWbb2lnQ_AHCBN5UndtAhGqrJ85Wc3Z7KO5M_fencNQ532jYJSb-wdLzLSgqSkUUYOYD2TyaJo3wCrGiVUIbEQ8omFEb7TSSeeH_RzN35gaWabauGuakoAli2k/s218/forest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="218" data-original-width="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzKr-dGYoqhcfZX8-O9VWbb2lnQ_AHCBN5UndtAhGqrJ85Wc3Z7KO5M_fencNQ532jYJSb-wdLzLSgqSkUUYOYD2TyaJo3wCrGiVUIbEQ8omFEb7TSSeeH_RzN35gaWabauGuakoAli2k/s0/forest.jpg" /></a></div><b><u><br /> My review:</u></b><p></p><p>I loved the story of Yona. Her bravery and heartbreaking experiences in her life makes for a wonderful story. This is the first World War II story that I have read where people are hiding and surviving in the forest. I highly recommend this book. This is the second book that I have read from Kristen Harmel and I have loved them both. I look forward to reading more of her books. Thank you to Netgalley, Simon and Schuster and Kristin Harmel for letting me read and review this book. A five out of five stars!!</p><p><b><u>The description of the book from Amazon.com</u></b></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">After being stolen from her wealthy German parents and raised in the unforgiving wilderness of eastern Europe, a young woman finds herself alone in 1941 after her kidnapper dies. Her solitary existence is interrupted, however, when she happens upon a group of Jews fleeing the Nazi terror. Stunned to learn what’s happening in the outside world, she vows to teach the group all she can about surviving in the forest—and in turn, they teach her some surprising lessons about opening her heart after years of isolation. But when she is betrayed and escapes into a German-occupied village, her past and present come together in a shocking collision that could change everything.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Inspired by incredible true stories of survival against staggering odds, and suffused with the journey-from-the-wilderness elements that made </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Where the Crawdads Sing</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> a worldwide phenomenon, </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The Forest of Vanishing Stars</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> is a heart-wrenching and suspenseful novel from the #1 internationally bestselling author whose writing has been hailed as “sweeping and magnificent” (Fiona Davis, </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">New York Times </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">bestselling author), “immersive and evocative” (</span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Publishers Weekly</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">), and “gripping” (</span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Tampa Bay Times</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">).</span></p>N. Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05683401464609368949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837241582241944875.post-81270110286493492392021-02-15T12:26:00.004-08:002021-02-15T12:26:53.325-08:00The Good Neighbor by A.J. Banner book reivew<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib0-Ggr82nHdPPeoa1FSwtRKJgMimXbbDKWqh2l9GOxS-WVs1flZRKh-O0v7fLKyC2AcDDpgyuIF9CySn8iL9gK004OirA0Ii2FXSTVvKEepEQPBtK-yBNScPjU6iWAIew6wK4bfPZmoM/s500/the+good.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib0-Ggr82nHdPPeoa1FSwtRKJgMimXbbDKWqh2l9GOxS-WVs1flZRKh-O0v7fLKyC2AcDDpgyuIF9CySn8iL9gK004OirA0Ii2FXSTVvKEepEQPBtK-yBNScPjU6iWAIew6wK4bfPZmoM/s320/the+good.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><u>My review-</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I put off reviewing this book because I don't like to give a negative review. I could not get interested in this book. The writing reads like a beginner author and it doesn't improve by the end. I was able to finish reading the book and give it a 2 out of 5 stars because I did want to see if how I guessed the ending to be was accurate, it was.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers of this book for my honest review.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><b><u>Amazon.com's description of the book-</u></b><br /> <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Shadow Cove, Washington, is the kind of town everyone dreams about—quaint streets, lush forests, good neighbors. That’s what Sarah thinks as she settles into life with her new husband, Dr. Johnny McDonald. But all too soon she discovers an undercurrent of deception. And one October evening when Johnny is away, sudden tragedy destroys Sarah’s happiness.</span><p></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: -4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;">Dazed and stricken with grief, she and Johnny begin to rebuild their shattered lives. As she picks up the pieces of her broken home, Sarah discovers a shocking secret that forces her to doubt everything she thought was true—about her neighbors, her friends, and even her marriage. With each stunning revelation, Sarah must ask herself, <i>Can we ever really know the ones we love?</i></p>N. Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05683401464609368949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837241582241944875.post-59728592262120509092021-02-15T11:26:00.000-08:002021-02-15T11:26:09.115-08:00Lana's War by Anita Abriel - Book Review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQtK6NTqBYih8YtF6r4De46YJnO4Ygl12pGJSmKZjgdB_l9zbiztW1ELefQO36bsUn7iMQZCCOBqkg8CH8DtDClITOq5U2iBC0eXeQPZFs8vHa6thSzbe3EK7M2khfWjdv91aYMVdd1_4/s500/lana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQtK6NTqBYih8YtF6r4De46YJnO4Ygl12pGJSmKZjgdB_l9zbiztW1ELefQO36bsUn7iMQZCCOBqkg8CH8DtDClITOq5U2iBC0eXeQPZFs8vHa6thSzbe3EK7M2khfWjdv91aYMVdd1_4/s320/lana.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><u><b><br /></b></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u><b>My review- </b></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This book had everything, spying, romance, danger, heartbreak, loss and a story that I have not heard before about World War II on the beautiful French Riviera.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lana Antonova is happy in the beginning of World War II in Paris, France When tragedy comes into her life she is recruited into the French Resistance in the French Riviera. The setting is beautiful but the undercover work Lana is asked to do is very dangerous. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I rate this a 4 out of 5 stars!! I did not want to put this down and enjoyed reading the inner working of the resistance. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers of this book for a copy for my honest review.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><b><u>Amazon.com's description of the book-</u></b><p></p><p><b><u><br /></u></b> <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Paris 1943: Lana Antanova is on her way to see her husband with the thrilling news that she is pregnant. But when she arrives at the convent where he teaches music, she’s horrified to see Gestapo officers execute him for hiding a Jewish girl in the piano.</span></p><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">A few months later, grieving both her husband and her lost pregnancy, Lana is shocked when she’s approached to join the resistance on the French Riviera. As the daughter of a Russian countess, Lana has the perfect background to infiltrate the émigré community of Russian aristocrats who socialize with German officers, including the man who killed her husband.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Lana’s cover story makes her the mistress of Guy Pascal, a wealthy Swiss industrialist and fellow resistance member, in whose villa in Cap Ferrat she lives. Together, they gather information on upcoming raids and help members of the Jewish community escape. Consumed by her work, she doesn’t expect to become attached to a young Jewish girl or wonder about the secrets held by the man whose house she shares. And as the Nazis’ deadly efforts intensify, her intention to protect those around her may put them all at risk instead.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">With Anita Abriel’s “heartfelt and memorable” (Pam Jenoff, </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">New York Times </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">bestselling author) storytelling, </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Lana’s War</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> is a sweeping and suspenseful tale of survival and second chances during some of the darkest days of history.</span>N. Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05683401464609368949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837241582241944875.post-40473761103871698792021-02-09T17:27:00.004-08:002021-02-09T17:27:59.156-08:00A Summer to Remember By Erika Montgomery- Book Review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh7fUUU89d0WJrl4NCedC0NiM3RGm3UVb6tH1A7Kxvm54c1Y71ZDrCE4SqCNeiuAFPkG3Gm9gZE93Xcr1fyLieH2_5JZrpLCDN1JsNPsu_cyc60S7ZQAEG3JDghuScg_ATm017E79IXTA/s500/summer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="326" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh7fUUU89d0WJrl4NCedC0NiM3RGm3UVb6tH1A7Kxvm54c1Y71ZDrCE4SqCNeiuAFPkG3Gm9gZE93Xcr1fyLieH2_5JZrpLCDN1JsNPsu_cyc60S7ZQAEG3JDghuScg_ATm017E79IXTA/s320/summer.jpg" /></a></div><br /> My Review-<p></p><p>A Summer to Remember is a delightful story of Frankie Simon traveling to Cape Cod to find the truth of her mother's past and to search for her father.</p><p>A great story of love and family secrets. An added bonus of this story was the old movie references and the setting of Cape Cod.</p><p>Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers of this book for my honest review.</p>Amazon.com's description of the book-<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">For thirty-year-old Frankie Simon, selling movie memorabilia in the shop she opened with her late mother on Hollywood Boulevard is more than just her livelihood—it’s an enduring connection to the only family she has ever known. But when a mysterious package arrives containing a photograph of her mother and famous movie stars Glory Cartwright and her husband at a coastal film festival the year before Frankie’s birth, her life begins to unravel in ways unimaginable.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">What begins is a journey along a path revealing buried family secrets, betrayals between lovers, bonds between friends. And for Frankie, as the past unlocks the present, the chance to learn that memories define who we are, and that they can show us the meaning of home and the magic of true love.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Experience the salty breeze of a Cape Cod summer as it sweeps through this sparkling, romantic, and timeless debut novel tinged with a love of old Hollywood.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" />N. Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05683401464609368949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837241582241944875.post-11142426058467876852021-01-26T15:56:00.000-08:002021-01-26T15:56:05.175-08:00The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth - Book Review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmOQyayQ-bJ8UQIXU8qRZ9vqUZo2gdF6JNq-0lRLaN8bprt4t2vInNe9gkRnTqro3-8mkhnnODdW76x9vuzNdPvZ4rAMeLT6zOHFWvzmnefrpuMEXM4YHyXVd0jSCgUCfKKAKNH2DqiNE/s500/good+sister.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="329" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmOQyayQ-bJ8UQIXU8qRZ9vqUZo2gdF6JNq-0lRLaN8bprt4t2vInNe9gkRnTqro3-8mkhnnODdW76x9vuzNdPvZ4rAMeLT6zOHFWvzmnefrpuMEXM4YHyXVd0jSCgUCfKKAKNH2DqiNE/s320/good+sister.jpg" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><b><u>My review-</u></b> This is my first Sally Hepworth novel I have read, but it certainly won't be the last! This book is a thriller, family drama and love story all rolled into one. <div><br /></div><div>Fern and Rose are twin sisters. Fern has had to struggle her whole life. Rose has had to look after Faith. Fern sees an opportunity to help her sister Rose that can't have a baby of her own. But, once Rose finds out Fern is pregnant things start to go very wrong between the sisters. This will be a book that you will not want to put down till the end. </div><div><br /></div><div> 5 stars for The Good Sister!! </div><div><div><br /></div><div>Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advanced copy for my honest review.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Amazon.com's description of the book-</u></b><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Fern Castle works in her local library. She has dinner with her twin sister Rose three nights a week. And she avoids crowds, bright lights and loud noises as much as possible. Fern has a carefully structured life and disrupting her routine can be dangerous.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">When Rose discovers that she cannot get pregnant, Fern sees her chance to pay her sister back for everything Rose has done for her. Fern can have a baby for Rose. She just needs to find a father. Simple.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Fern's mission will shake the foundations of the life she has carefully built for herself and stir up dark secrets from the past, in this quirky, rich and shocking story of unexpected love.</span></div></div>N. Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05683401464609368949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837241582241944875.post-90468722281835204252021-01-24T19:06:00.004-08:002021-01-24T19:06:59.750-08:00Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson - Book Review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOwpcZWGN4EOqq1qLyjD3yx2lNX4Pgb5D1rtybzLbS7LYZmC1oqW8FeGJYBTQwrUE8BZ9DC15l17QizsL91TiB9mxZLNDbJ4YkYdAGiMpH-hpecHUh8R7w5p0eU8ucENb4gD0Wml43CY/s500/yellow+wife.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="331" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOwpcZWGN4EOqq1qLyjD3yx2lNX4Pgb5D1rtybzLbS7LYZmC1oqW8FeGJYBTQwrUE8BZ9DC15l17QizsL91TiB9mxZLNDbJ4YkYdAGiMpH-hpecHUh8R7w5p0eU8ucENb4gD0Wml43CY/s320/yellow+wife.jpg" /></a></div><p><br /></p><u><b>My review-</b></u><p></p><p>This is a book I will not forget! When Pheby was taken to Devil's Half Acre and had to get other slaves ready for the auction block so she could survive I could feel her struggle. This was such a great story of love, hope, survival and also the cruelty that existed back in Pheby's time. I was shocked to read this was based on history that actually happened. Pheby Delores Brown was a true survivor in this story. I did not want to put this book down and would love to read more books by this author.</p><p>Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers of this book for my copy for an honest review. 5 out of 5 stars!!!</p><p><b><u>Amazon.com's</u></b> description of the book-</p><p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Born on a plantation in Charles City, Virginia, Pheby Delores Brown has lived a relatively sheltered life. Shielded by her mother’s position as the estate’s medicine woman and cherished by the Master’s sister, she is set apart from the others on the plantation, belonging to neither world.</span></p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">She’d been promised freedom on her eighteenth birthday, but instead of the idyllic life she imagined with her true love, Essex Henry, Pheby is forced to leave the only home she has ever known. She unexpectedly finds herself thrust into the bowels of slavery at the infamous Devil’s Half Acre, a jail in Richmond, Virginia, where the enslaved are broken, tortured, and sold every day. There, Pheby is exposed not just to her Jailer’s cruelty but also to his contradictions. To survive, Pheby will have to outwit him, and she soon faces the ultimate sacrifice.</span>N. Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05683401464609368949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837241582241944875.post-66229640734538258822021-01-08T16:41:00.000-08:002021-01-08T16:41:35.616-08:00Book Review- An Ordinary Life by Amanda Prowse<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgomu551QLOWXlE7t715YDbB1QJ60eltXQiXsZYDIjP5xJCz19ScqS6ICCFRxebLB8HRCuOZaJHdxa0ehB4KDDfB9L1fbIAJCrD0jQODcVWTvVbuC7I5hy6riCEyvlbRwteuixVUP0GZt0/s218/ordinary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="218" data-original-width="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgomu551QLOWXlE7t715YDbB1QJ60eltXQiXsZYDIjP5xJCz19ScqS6ICCFRxebLB8HRCuOZaJHdxa0ehB4KDDfB9L1fbIAJCrD0jQODcVWTvVbuC7I5hy6riCEyvlbRwteuixVUP0GZt0/s0/ordinary.jpg" /></a></div><br /><b><u> My review-</u></b><p></p><p>This book was a definite 5 stars for me!! This is a beautiful story of Molly's life. At 94 years old, Molly always liked to say her life has been ordinary. But, in reality her life has been anything but ordinary. The life of Marvelous Molly was brave and heartbreaking at the same time. I do not want to give any story spoilers here, other than to say READ IT! You will not be sorry.</p><p>Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book. After reading this book I look forward to reading other books written by Amanda Prowse. </p><p><br /></p><p>5 out of 5 stars!!!</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><u><b>Book Description from Amazon.com-</b></u></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><b><br /></b></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><b>From the bestselling author of <i>The Girl in the Corner</i> comes a tale of love, loss—and one last extraordinary dance.</b></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;">Christmas Eve, 2019. Ninety-four-year-old Molly lies in her hospital bed. A stroke and a fall may have broken her body—but her mind is alive with memories.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;">London, 1940s. Molly is a bright young woman, determined to help the war effort and keep her head up despite it all. Life becomes brighter when she meets and falls in love with a man who makes her forget everything with one dance. But then war forces her to make an unforgettable sacrifice, and when she’s brought to her knees by a daring undercover mission with the French Resistance, only her sister knows the secret weighing heavily on Molly’s heart.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;">Now, lying in her hospital bed, Molly can’t escape the memories of what she lost all those years ago. But she is not as alone as she thinks.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: -4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;">Will she be able to find peace—and finally understand that what seemed to be an ordinary life was anything but?</p>N. Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05683401464609368949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837241582241944875.post-45185535543647787402020-12-30T17:15:00.000-08:002020-12-30T17:15:02.883-08:00Don't look for me by Wendy Walker - Book Review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPUceZb7d7zLyYs1I5NtMIPF-QtPHjd1TiJkT-r67D9vNtAbLb3NezTkadUR2GJZJktMAL_Bv5HZIzQ41iXsRkytn03SsxCeCh0Jv5huOiubV5cfSBNYymRlWTaQhMNQ4YS3uQSN4Uh4Y/s218/dont.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="218" data-original-width="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPUceZb7d7zLyYs1I5NtMIPF-QtPHjd1TiJkT-r67D9vNtAbLb3NezTkadUR2GJZJktMAL_Bv5HZIzQ41iXsRkytn03SsxCeCh0Jv5huOiubV5cfSBNYymRlWTaQhMNQ4YS3uQSN4Uh4Y/s0/dont.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><u>My review:</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In the book you can feel Molly and her families grief at the death of Molly's daughter. The whole family has not recovered. It would be understandable if Molly did just up and leave, after all she is blamed for the death. It appears she has, everything points to that conclusion. Until, her daughter Nicole receives some new information. Did Molly really leave? This is a perfect thriller. It had me thinking I knew the answer then some new information shows up. It wasn't until the very end until we find out what actually happens to Molly.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers of this book for an ARC copy for my honest review. I look forward to reading more books from this author. 5 Stars out of 5!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><u>Amazon.com's description of this book-</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>They said she walked away. But what really happened to Molly Clarke?</i></b></div><p><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">From the bestselling author of </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">All Is Not Forgotten </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">comes a compelling and emotionally powerful story of a daughter's desperate search to find her mother before it's too late.</i><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">They called it a “walk away.” The car abandoned miles from home. The note found at a nearby hotel. The shattered family. It happens all the time. Women disappear, desperate to start over. But what really happened to Molly Clarke?</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The night Molly disappeared began with a storm, running out of gas, and a man offering her a ride to safety. But when the doors lock shut, Molly begins to suspect she has made a terrible mistake.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">A new lead brings Molly’s daughter, Nicole, back to the small, desolate town where her mother was last seen to renew the desperate search. The locals are sympathetic and eager to help. The innkeeper. The bartender. Even the police. Until secrets begin to reveal themselves and Nicole comes closer to the truth about that night―and the danger surrounding her.</span></p><p><br /></p><br /> <p></p>N. Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05683401464609368949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837241582241944875.post-31028008062220145652020-10-02T11:09:00.001-07:002020-10-02T11:09:42.103-07:00Review- Real Estate Rescue by Tracy McLaughlin<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhowccmqhQChKaLVhoa3cBZoMtwzYsWdRGDKZKqU5AxX75jDFhgx9QBnH3kZE0TiuJ-2ARKfvlFWc8XSBxk_T58KQcTVOn8ppYt_UJzceWQqnhq-1NdzFYi2mPfp0sCpMteiIVQ-EWJV_8/s385/real.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhowccmqhQChKaLVhoa3cBZoMtwzYsWdRGDKZKqU5AxX75jDFhgx9QBnH3kZE0TiuJ-2ARKfvlFWc8XSBxk_T58KQcTVOn8ppYt_UJzceWQqnhq-1NdzFYi2mPfp0sCpMteiIVQ-EWJV_8/s320/real.png" /></a></div><br /> <b><u>My review</u></b>-<p></p><p>This book offers many ideas and tips for people wanting to buy or sell a home. I like the examples that Tracy McLaughlin gave throughout the book. Although, I new most of the advice in this book I was still pleasantly surprised to find much needed information that was new to me. A lot of helpful information!!</p><p>Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers of this book for a copy for my honest review. 4 out of 5 stars!!</p><p><b><u>Amazons description of the book-</u></b></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><strong>The advice you didn’t know you needed.</strong> Because most people only enter the real estate world once a decade or less, few really know how it works. The housing market elicits a lot of emotions, from excitement to anxiety. Oftentimes, this can blind us to the realities of how the market works. Top residential real estate agent Tracy McLaughlin is here to change our understanding of the home sale process. From those buying their first home to sellers with some experience, this book is packed with essential advice.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><strong>A roadmap for buyers and sellers.</strong> In nearly all real estate sales, buyers and sellers leave behind thousands—or even hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars—on the table. As frightening as this reality is, it continually happens because one simple decision, among the countless made during the entire process, can greatly impact the outcome of the transaction.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><strong>Bridging the gap between information and expertise.</strong> Because of the way technology has impacted real estate sales, buyers and sellers have greater access to information and even the ability to direct the sales process. While knowing market information is helpful in real estate sales, most people still lack a key aspect: expertise. By presenting an inside view on sales, McLaughlin provides a guide for maximizing the value of the sale and purchase of homes.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><strong>In this book by real estate expert Tracy McLaughlin, readers will find…</strong></p><ul style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 0px 18px 20px; padding: 0px;"><li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Detailed guidelines for how to save money and make money</li><li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Advice for finding the right real estate agent</li><li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">The real estate for dummies book every home buyer or seller needs</li></ul><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><strong>If you’ve looked for guidance in books such as <em>Dream Home, Nolo’s Essential Guide to Buying Your First Home,</em> and <em>Home Buying Kit For Dummies,</em> then you’ll find more of what you’re looking for in <em>Real Estate Rescue with Tracy McLaughlin</em>.</strong></p>N. Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05683401464609368949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837241582241944875.post-76620575238501630322020-10-01T19:00:00.005-07:002020-10-01T19:00:48.150-07:00All that Glitters by Danielle Steel- Book Review<p><br /><b><u></u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-yvXHkH_ZiT_R8Qbu1jxOYwLrn21ibVDGjm2YnJHAzt83UJ16Hv7XgvZv9MAmWb3VNvO5PIj-0870XBoebekK73zBj0BTJxgYeVFA1m4KgZoqzJAAI7UxlwsJqOlACWsjQ4TPRJV7Dr0/s499/glitters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="329" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-yvXHkH_ZiT_R8Qbu1jxOYwLrn21ibVDGjm2YnJHAzt83UJ16Hv7XgvZv9MAmWb3VNvO5PIj-0870XBoebekK73zBj0BTJxgYeVFA1m4KgZoqzJAAI7UxlwsJqOlACWsjQ4TPRJV7Dr0/s320/glitters.jpg" /></a></u></b></div><b><u><br /></u></b><p></p><p><b><u>My Review-</u></b></p><p>All that Glitters reminds me of the old Danielle Steel books that made me a huge Danielle Steel fan. The book has glamour, love and tragedy. </p><p><br /></p><p>The story is about Coco and Sam, after the loss of Cocos parents she turns to relationships with men that are not a good fit for her. As a reader it was hard to see her staying with those men and not seeing them for what they really are and for her to keep falling so fast for the wrong men. Sam is her friend that stays by her side through it all, while having his own personal hardships to deal with. I saw the ending coming but was glad that I guessed correctly.</p><p><br /></p><p>A delightful easygoing read that is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC of this book for my honest review. 4 out of 5 star!!</p><p><b><u>Book description from Amzon.com-</u></b></p><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Nicole “Coco” Martin is destined to have it all. As the only child of doting and successful parents, she has been given every opportunity in life. Having inherited her mother’s stunning beauty and creativity, along with her father’s work ethic and diligence, she has the world at her feet. Her graduation from Columbia is fast approaching, and with it the summer job of her dreams working at a magazine. Between work, leisurely weekends at her family’s home in Southampton, and spending as much time as possible with her best friend, Sam, life couldn’t be better—until tragedy strikes. Coco’s beloved parents are killed in a terrorist attack while on vacation in France.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Now devastated and alone, Coco must find a way to move forward and make her way in the world without the family she loved. Determined to forge her own path and make her parents proud, Coco pursues her dreams, dazzled by exciting opportunities that come her way. Her goals are to think outside the box—and always play by her own rules. As she finds herself drawn to charismatic, fascinating men, each relationship will teach Coco new lessons, some delightful, some painful. She will come to realize what matters, and how strong she truly is—and in the end, she will discover herself.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Richly exploring one woman’s poignant journey through life, </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">All That Glitters</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> is a compelling tale of challenges, heartbreak, discovery, and triumph, a powerful reminder that all that glitters is not the essence of life. And what is truly worth having was right there in our hands all along.</span></div>N. Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05683401464609368949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837241582241944875.post-85076640163371664892020-09-30T17:14:00.001-07:002020-09-30T17:14:23.234-07:00The Recipe Box by Viola Shipman- Book Review<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGJ8uoWk_lf-Rc_meQ8fII1xXx2YoWVm7dAyx3a-7jlvJaktX6vqEavKNXnaCxDI5zI2vrwtZX7mzs99txgzTrcMuux3DLx5M5l9C_gzYp5sVCQ41FaLnlFetcI7QU-KU1nUV3d990oUg/s499/recipe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="324" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGJ8uoWk_lf-Rc_meQ8fII1xXx2YoWVm7dAyx3a-7jlvJaktX6vqEavKNXnaCxDI5zI2vrwtZX7mzs99txgzTrcMuux3DLx5M5l9C_gzYp5sVCQ41FaLnlFetcI7QU-KU1nUV3d990oUg/s320/recipe.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><b><u>My review</u></b>-</p><p>The Recipe Box is a heartwarming story of Sam Mullins, the women in her life and the value of a recipe box filled with treasured family recipes. The description of Sams hometown in Michigan and the stories with the recipes included in the book really made the book even more enjoyable. </p><p>Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers of this book for a copy for my honest review. 4 out of 5 stars!!</p><p><b><u>Here is the description of The Recipe Box from Amazon.com</u></b>-</p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Growing up in northern Michigan, Samantha “Sam” Mullins felt trapped on her family’s orchard and pie shop, so she left with dreams of making her own mark in the world. But life as an overworked, undervalued sous chef at a reality star’s New York bakery is not what Sam dreamed.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">When the chef embarrasses Sam, she quits and returns home. Unemployed, single, and defeated, she spends a summer working on her family’s orchard cooking and baking alongside the women in her life―including her mother, Deana, and grandmother, Willo. One beloved, flour-flecked, ink-smeared recipe at a time, Sam begins to learn about and understand the women in her life, her family’s history, and her passion for food through their treasured recipe box.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">As Sam discovers what matters most she opens her heart to a man she left behind, but who now might be the key to her happiness.</span></p>N. Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05683401464609368949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837241582241944875.post-37106600334248169852020-09-28T14:48:00.001-07:002020-09-28T14:49:17.832-07:00Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman book review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDwWAi7mwt5vE0zgsEiOC1P8G3e9eSkSzWEdE_w6vHmMMFck2fFxdxcCACbfWRzlIQt9EipmicKdH5VdstbITMRIXU-iv5JMQxMvkJouQoFeimGpB9b7h86ksTZ1R9D86ItsqNZjv5kl8/s499/magic.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="336" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDwWAi7mwt5vE0zgsEiOC1P8G3e9eSkSzWEdE_w6vHmMMFck2fFxdxcCACbfWRzlIQt9EipmicKdH5VdstbITMRIXU-iv5JMQxMvkJouQoFeimGpB9b7h86ksTZ1R9D86ItsqNZjv5kl8/s320/magic.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><u><b>My review</b></u><br /> After reading Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic, I was very eager to read about Maria Owens and what caused her to curse the rest of her family for generations to come. Magic Lessons is told in the time of the Salem Witch trials. A time when being an independent woman and especially an independent woman with knowledge of healing is a dangerous time. <p></p><p> Although, Magic Lessons is a prequel it is a book that can stand alone. Very enjoyable read!! I look forward to reading other books by Alice Hoffman.</p><p>I received this book from NetGalley for my honest review. Thank you to Simon Schuster and NetGalley for a copy of Magic Lessons !!! 4.5 out of 5 stars!!!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>N. Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05683401464609368949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837241582241944875.post-2400532528872714442020-07-31T08:50:00.001-07:002020-07-31T08:50:18.094-07:00The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles - Book Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><u>Here is the books description from Amazon.com</u></b></div>
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Based on the true World War II story of the American Library in Paris, an unforgettable novel about the power of books and the bonds of friendship—and the ordinary heroes who can be found in the most perilous times and the quietest places.</b><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Paris, 1939.</b><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Young, ambitious, and tempestuous, Odile Souchet has it all: Paul, her handsome police officer beau; Margaret, her best friend from England; Remy, her twin brother who she adores; and a dream job at the American Library in Paris, working alongside the library’s legendary director, Dorothy Reeder. When World War II breaks out, Odile stands to lose everything she holds dear—including her beloved library. After the Nazi army marches into the City of Light and declares a war on words, Odile and her fellow librarians join the Resistance with the best weapons they have: books. Again and again, they risk their lives to help their fellow Jewish readers, but by war’s end, Odile tastes the bitter sting of unspeakable betrayal.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Montana, 1983.</b><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Odile’s solitary existence in gossipy small-town Montana is unexpectedly interrupted by her neighbor Lily, a lonely teenager craving adventure. As Lily uncovers more about Odile’s mysterious past, they find they share not only a love of language but also the same lethal jealousy. Odile helps Lily navigate the troubled waters of adolescence by always recommending the right book at the right time, never suspecting that Lily will be the one to help her reckon with her own terrible secret.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Based on the true story of the American Library in Paris, </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The Paris Library </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">is a mesmerizing and captivating novel about the people and the books that make us who we are, for good and for bad, and the courage it takes to forgive.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><u><b>My review-</b></u></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I really enjoyed reading this story of Odile and the American Library in Paris! It was very interesting to learn how the people working at the library tried to get books to its patrons during World War II and to protect the great books of the library. The story of Odile an her family showed such courage and heartache. A great read! 5 out of 5 stars!! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers of this book for an ARC copy for my honest review.</span>N. Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05683401464609368949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837241582241944875.post-71477774994608445902020-06-30T20:43:00.000-07:002020-06-30T20:43:17.558-07:00The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult - Book Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-x2jAwIYycXIuguo_1Sy2JZCFyOPxjn0lsCOzANX42O6taVe5j2ymrwZNiNZxuxD_GtXXPbwlr98ejTYx8MP2dOBoMtwZ8GpHtiyj1ZnG5k7-C7HgtzlRbBESd6CPnmp2eU3S8i5FpQ/s1600/jodi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="329" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-x2jAwIYycXIuguo_1Sy2JZCFyOPxjn0lsCOzANX42O6taVe5j2ymrwZNiNZxuxD_GtXXPbwlr98ejTYx8MP2dOBoMtwZ8GpHtiyj1ZnG5k7-C7HgtzlRbBESd6CPnmp2eU3S8i5FpQ/s320/jodi.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
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<b><u>My review:</u></b></div>
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In The Book of Two Ways, Dawn reaches a point in her life where she questions her life choices. Should she now live her life differently or continue on with her life as it is. That is a question that is never easy to answer. Jodi Picoult took great care in explaining Egyptian hieroglyphs and other Ancient Egyptian customs, which I found fascinating! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers of this book for an ARC copy for my honest review. 4 out of 5 stars!</div>
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<b><u>Amazon.com's description of the book-</u></b></div>
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">From the #1 <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of <i>Small Great Things</i> and <i>A Spark of Light</i> comes a riveting novel about the choices that alter the course of our lives.</b><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Everything changes in a single moment for Dawn Edelstein. She’s on a plane when the flight attendant makes an announcement: Prepare for a crash landing. She braces herself as thoughts flash through her mind. The shocking thing is, the thoughts are not of her husband but of a man she last saw fifteen years ago: Wyatt Armstrong.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Dawn, miraculously, survives the crash, but so do all the doubts that have suddenly been raised. She has led a good life. Back in Boston, there is her husband, Brian, their beloved daughter, and her work as a death doula, in which she helps ease the transition between life and death for her clients.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">But somewhere in Egypt is Wyatt Armstrong, who works as an archaeologist unearthing ancient burial sites, a career Dawn once studied for but was forced to abandon when life suddenly intervened. And now, when it seems that fate is offering her second chances, she is not as sure of the choice she once made.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">After the crash landing, the airline ensures that the survivors are seen by a doctor, then offers transportation to wherever they want to go. The obvious option for Dawn is to continue down the path she is on and go home to her family. The other is to return to the archaeological site she left years before, reconnect with Wyatt and their unresolved history, and maybe even complete her research on The Book of Two Ways—the first known map of the afterlife.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">As the story unfolds, Dawn’s two possible futures unspool side by side, as do the secrets and doubts long buried with them. Dawn must confront the questions she’s never truly asked: What does a life well lived look like? When we leave this earth, what do we leave behind? Do we make choices . . . or do our choices make us? And who would you be if you hadn’t turned out to be the person you are right now?</span><br />
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<br />N. Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05683401464609368949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837241582241944875.post-81823088300397503822020-06-30T20:05:00.000-07:002020-06-30T20:05:35.761-07:00Fearless by Fern Michaels - Book Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-12-FSw6UaT2oDnNGPE94O12u2kwNacqmURXHOJKTr2VVfQl5JVMLAA1xwqa7dWvIMiS-o6DXp4z1EUBdqdzXgMGOPrTc3CmeIVAdWvVWgOW2J14AaPZjLofPNjcuxgRK0eSiCH7ujU/s1600/fearless.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="330" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-12-FSw6UaT2oDnNGPE94O12u2kwNacqmURXHOJKTr2VVfQl5JVMLAA1xwqa7dWvIMiS-o6DXp4z1EUBdqdzXgMGOPrTc3CmeIVAdWvVWgOW2J14AaPZjLofPNjcuxgRK0eSiCH7ujU/s320/fearless.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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<u><b>My review:</b></u></div>
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Fearless is a good suspense novel that you wont want to put down. As a reader it is easy to see that Ryan Robertson was not a man to be trusted and yet with everything that happened on the cruise ship Anna Campbell still invites him and his family into her and her daughters life. The book had a lot of twists that kept me reading but the ending seemed abrupt. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers of this book for a copy for my honest review. 4 out of 5 stars!</div>
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<b><u>Amazon.com's description of the book:</u></b></div>
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>Weaving a thread of suspense into her trademark powerful storytelling, #1 </i></b><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">New York Times<i> bestselling author Fern Michaels delivers a compelling new novel about a woman who learns that her new life may not be all it appears . . .</i></b><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Anna Campbell is ready to take her first tentative steps back into the world after widowhood. On a singles cruise, she meets divorced professor Ryan Robertson, and the sparks between them are undeniable. Back home in West Texas, Anna and Ryan continue their romance, and Anna decides it’s time for their families to meet.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Anna is delighted when her daughter, Christina, hits it off with Ryan’s daughter, Renée. The two girls are close in age and have lots in common. Ryan’s son, Patrick, is college-bound and somewhat aloof, but Anna feels sure they’ll grow closer in time. She happily accepts Ryan’s proposal, confident in the bond they’ve formed.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">But the idyllic relationships Anna is hoping for is quickly thrown into doubt. Ryan and his children may not be all she thinks they are. And as the situation grows more desperate, Anna must reach deep within and draw on all her courage and self-reliance to fight for the family and home she deserves . . .</span>N. Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05683401464609368949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837241582241944875.post-48443178089241630202020-06-26T17:48:00.003-07:002020-06-26T17:48:54.165-07:00The Radium Girls by Kate Moore- Book Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVqjlSNcNZlKoQ5UAKi2YrvLfFEk8SSBqYYHpKmhUk_4ZLewJK1WnyoLLiuArB84LsCThwZ6I7FF4fMleaoliDD-3rGKrmBi3aWqbjFjK4q0l7N-g7yx8-rYo_P8zlO8g7GJC6ZtykRnY/s1600/Radium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="328" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVqjlSNcNZlKoQ5UAKi2YrvLfFEk8SSBqYYHpKmhUk_4ZLewJK1WnyoLLiuArB84LsCThwZ6I7FF4fMleaoliDD-3rGKrmBi3aWqbjFjK4q0l7N-g7yx8-rYo_P8zlO8g7GJC6ZtykRnY/s320/Radium.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
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<u><b>My Review-</b></u><br />
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Knowing what we know now about the effects of radium, this book was a must read for me. Radium was touted as the cure all and most fantastic discovery in the early 20th century. The story of the Radium Girls, is a hard book to read because of how dangerous we now know radium is. The girls trusted their employers and the many people saying radium was safe. Kate Moore tells the girls struggles with medical issues, the courts, and also the employment safety laws that were created.<br />
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers of this book for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. 5 out of 5 stars!!<br />
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<u><b>Amazon.com's description of the book-</b></u><br />
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<em style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">For fans of Hidden Figures, comes the incredible true story of the women heroes who </em><em style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">were exposed to radium in factories across the U.S. in the early 20th century, and their brave and groundbreaking battle to strengthen workers' rights, even as the fatal poison claimed their own lives...</em><br />
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The Curies' newly discovered element of radium makes gleaming headlines across the nation as the fresh face of beauty and wonder drug of the medical community. From body lotion to tonic water, the popular new element shines bright in the otherwise dark years of the First World War.</div>
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Meanwhile, hundreds of girls toil amidst the glowing dust of the radium-dial factories. The glittering chemical covers their bodies from head to toe; they light up the night like industrious fireflies. With such a coveted job, these "shining girls" are the luckiest alive — until they begin to fall mysteriously ill.</div>
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But the factories that once offered golden opportunities are now ignoring all claims of the gruesome side effects, and the women's cries of corruption. And as the fatal poison of the radium takes hold, the brave shining girls find themselves embroiled in one of the biggest scandals of America's early 20th century, and in a groundbreaking battle for workers' rights that will echo for centuries to come.</div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Written with a sparkling voice and breakneck pace,</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><em style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The Radium Girls</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">fully illuminates the inspiring young women exposed to the "wonder" substance of radium, and their awe-inspiring strength in the face of almost impossible circumstances. Their courage and tenacity led to life-changing regulations, research into nuclear bombing, and ultimately saved hundreds of thousands of lives...</span><br />
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<br />N. Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05683401464609368949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837241582241944875.post-24353653950503624982020-06-23T11:23:00.000-07:002020-06-23T11:23:01.856-07:00A Walk Along the Beach by Debbie Macomber - Book Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMA5W5jCMFBaMjRHnuGkyDtxTJRTRwk7RNS6DzuuKSXT-dC9FarCayTK2DCv34SCuEml8vgfLLZ8eUOVtvFiNidJSNJ3C5n0j5e8Hq4AdbRPHHkn2dayT-ed0cT4Oq30h1LykNWuWlgWE/s1600/debbie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="329" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMA5W5jCMFBaMjRHnuGkyDtxTJRTRwk7RNS6DzuuKSXT-dC9FarCayTK2DCv34SCuEml8vgfLLZ8eUOVtvFiNidJSNJ3C5n0j5e8Hq4AdbRPHHkn2dayT-ed0cT4Oq30h1LykNWuWlgWE/s320/debbie.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
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<u><b>My review-</b></u></div>
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This book is one of the reasons why Debbie Macomber is one of my favorite authors. Debbie Macomber's books are usually very lighthearted and easy going. With A Walk along the Beach, Debbie Macomber tells a heartbreaking story of two sisters that have to overcome so much loss and then a devastating illness of one of the sisters. I enjoyed this book very much! Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read and review this book for my honest review. A 5 out of 5 stars!</div>
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<u><b>Amazon.com's description</b></u> -<br />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Two sisters must learn from each other’s strengths and trust in the redeeming power of love in a touching new novel from #1 <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author Debbie Macomber.</b><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The Lakey sisters are perfect opposites. After their mother died and their father was lost in grief, Willa had no choice but to raise her sister, Harper, and their brother, Lucas. Then, as an adult, she put her own life on hold to nurse Harper through a terrifying illness. Now that Harper is better and the sisters are living as roommates, Willa has realized her dream of running her own bakery and coffee shop, bringing her special brand of caretaking to the whole Oceanside community.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Harper, on the other hand, is always on the go. Overcoming a terrible illness has given her a new lease on life, and she does not intend to waste it. When Harper announces her plan to summit Mount Rainier, Willa fears she may be pushing herself too far. Harper, for her part, urges Willa to stop worrying and do something outside of her comfort zone—like taking a chance on love with a handsome new customer. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Sean O’Malley is as charming as he is intriguing—a freelance photographer whose assignments take him to the ends of the earth. Soon Willa’s falling for him in a way that is both exciting and terrifying. But life has taught Willa to hedge her bets, and she wonders whether the potential heartache is worth the risk. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Life has more challenges in store for them all. But both sisters will discover that even in the darkest moments, family is everything</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">N.</span>N. Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05683401464609368949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837241582241944875.post-78540381979031721852020-06-22T18:58:00.000-07:002020-06-22T19:00:15.268-07:00The Woman of a Thousand Names by Alexandra Lapierre - Book Review <div>
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><u>My Review:</u></b></div>
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This book tells the story of the amazing life of the well known Mata Hari. It was very interesting to read the story of her life. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers of this book for a copy for my honest review. 4 out 5 stars<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><u>Amazon's description of the book:</u></b></div>
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From the internationally bestselling author of the “fascinating epic” (Associated Press) </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Between Love and Honor </i></span><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">comes a </b><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">rich, sweeping tale based on the captivating true story of the Mata Hari of Russia, featuring a beautiful aristocrat fighting for survival during the deadly upheaval of the Russian Revolution.</b><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Born into Russian aristocracy, wealth, and security, Moura never had any reason to worry. But in the upheaval of the Bolshevik Revolution, her entire world crumbles. As her family and friends are being persecuted by Vladimir Lenin’s ruthless police, she falls into a passionate affair with British secret agent Sir Robert Bruce Lockhart. But when he’s abruptly and mysteriously deported from Russia, Moura is left alone and vulnerable.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Now, she must find new paths for her survival, even if it means shedding her past and taking on new identities. Some will praise her tenderness and undying loyalty. Others will denounce her lies. But all will agree on one point: Moura embodies Life. Life at all cost.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Set against the volatile landscape of 20th-century Russia, </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The Woman of a Thousand Names </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">brings history to vivid life in a captivating tale about an extraordinary woman caught in the waves of change—with only her wits to save her.</span><br />
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N. Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05683401464609368949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837241582241944875.post-84366793771654588242020-05-31T19:44:00.001-07:002020-05-31T19:44:36.416-07:00Mrs. Lincoln's Sisters by Jennifer Chiaverini - Book Review<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCep-Nfcu6IWxELsvoFCPCP395ExEM5VcNfEHtIWYrwWmJ94GEz8K7HEjKNP2nZ5fzDHMwwUQD-haRBkujCIoydmfRET6EEoiSgqRpRIaxk1ENA7j6d_Vc5drm2GZZZ2l357xlrkxVdxQ/s1600/lincoln.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="218" data-original-width="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCep-Nfcu6IWxELsvoFCPCP395ExEM5VcNfEHtIWYrwWmJ94GEz8K7HEjKNP2nZ5fzDHMwwUQD-haRBkujCIoydmfRET6EEoiSgqRpRIaxk1ENA7j6d_Vc5drm2GZZZ2l357xlrkxVdxQ/s1600/lincoln.jpg" /></a></div>
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<u><b>My review:</b></u><br />
This is the first time I have read a Historical Fiction story about Mary Todd Lincoln. Mrs. Lincoln's Sisters is written from the sister's point of view and take us through both pre- and post-Civil war. Before reading this book I never really had an interest in Mary Todd Lincolns sisters, or what happened to Mary Todd after President Lincoln's death. However, I did not want to stop reading this book and really liked the different views of each of the sisters. I look forward to reading more books by Jennifer Chiaverini. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book for my honest review. 5 Stars!!<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><u><b>Amazon.com's description of Mrs Lincolns Sisters:</b></u></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">In May 1875, Elizabeth Todd Edwards reels from news that her younger sister Mary, former First Lady and widow of President Abraham Lincoln, has attempted suicide. </span><br />
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Mary’s shocking act followed legal proceedings arranged by her eldest and only surviving son that declared her legally insane. Although they have long been estranged, Elizabeth knows Mary’s tenuous mental health has deteriorated through decades of trauma and loss. Yet is her suicide attempt truly the impulse of a deranged mind, or the desperate act of a sane woman terrified to be committed to an asylum? And—if her sisters can put past grievances aside—is their love powerful enough to save her? </div>
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Maternal Elizabeth, peacemaker Frances, envious Ann, and much adored Emilie had always turned to one another in times of joy and heartache, first as children, and later as young wives and mothers. But when Civil War erupted, the conflict that divided a nation shattered their family. The Todd sisters’s fates were bound to their husbands’ choices as some joined the Lincoln administration, others the Confederate Army.</div>
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Now, though discord and tragedy have strained their bonds, Elizabeth knows they must come together as sisters to help Mary in her most desperate hour. </div>
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<br />N. Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05683401464609368949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837241582241944875.post-10975718747605306232020-05-17T09:53:00.001-07:002020-05-17T09:53:09.758-07:00Finding Treasure in Community Cookbooks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfwaBETcwHXXBVxHGuUmxMsh3X8kUFUyA6lYRsFWmkwVjBFKZNudXnNaRq1-gJlseGWJGhodkxJX8aZg1v5SRsd88i_w-6u-AYSNmuV4DamXU30wV9BifMMZB8HlOx1_pdONFYWFEjgiA/s1600/cookbooks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfwaBETcwHXXBVxHGuUmxMsh3X8kUFUyA6lYRsFWmkwVjBFKZNudXnNaRq1-gJlseGWJGhodkxJX8aZg1v5SRsd88i_w-6u-AYSNmuV4DamXU30wV9BifMMZB8HlOx1_pdONFYWFEjgiA/s320/cookbooks.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Lately, I have been collecting community cookbooks. I love a recipe that is a family favorite or treasured because it was passed down through family members. I can imagine the women who submitted the recipes being approached for their best recipes to be published so their organization can raise some money. I know a lot of women find it hard to part with family recipes. </span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I really love an old cookbook that has stains on a page and personal notes written. You know a cookbook was a treasure to someone when they have an inscription written in them.</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Many of the cookbooks have regional favorites and secrets to the past. Some of the people and organizations are no longer around today. For me, each cookbook offers an heirloom that was past on with love. Thank you, ladies.</span></span>N. Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05683401464609368949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837241582241944875.post-2197426031756412372020-04-29T19:58:00.000-07:002020-04-29T19:58:48.765-07:00The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate - Book Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikYXj85L7Veh4Qdnz-VvBuZsQLqEFI6pwcOvwJoYxDPs_Jd1r9nXpLcbxEwlA_ZC9KikDrpUcj0bcEY4pa17JvdVhrn_mVc0wlkvpTBJUBFZY7FwgJhWfLnz07nzVRUc1Q0aoGWiPxhBw/s1600/the+book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="329" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikYXj85L7Veh4Qdnz-VvBuZsQLqEFI6pwcOvwJoYxDPs_Jd1r9nXpLcbxEwlA_ZC9KikDrpUcj0bcEY4pa17JvdVhrn_mVc0wlkvpTBJUBFZY7FwgJhWfLnz07nzVRUc1Q0aoGWiPxhBw/s320/the+book.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
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<u><b>My review:</b></u></div>
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I am a huge fan of Historical fiction and this book did not disappoint. It is written in two time periods, Louisiana 1875 and Louisiana 1987. Benny from 1987 as a new teacher trying to motivate her students to care about local history and the local plantation where Hannie was a slave back in 1875. I could really feel Hannie's pain of losing her family and trying to find them against all the dangers that came with searching. The actual "Lost Friends" advertisements really brought the story to life. </div>
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I really enjoyed reading this book. There was so much pain in the lives of not only the slaves but also from the current owner of the Plantation. As I was reading I kept wondering how much more can Hannie endure in her search for her family. The ending was a pleasant surprise. </div>
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A definite five stars! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers of this book for my advanced copy for my honest review.</div>
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<u><b>Amazon.com description of this book:</b></u></div>
<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>NEW YORK TIMES </i>BESTSELLER • From the bestselling author of <i>Before We Were Yours </i>comes a new historical novel: the dramatic story of three young women searching for family amid the destruction of the post–Civil War South, and of a modern-day teacher who learns of their story and its vital connection to her students’ lives.</b><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Bestselling author Lisa Wingate brings to life startling stories from actual “Lost Friends” advertisements that appeared in Southern newspapers after the Civil War, as newly freed slaves desperately searched for loved ones who had been sold away.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Louisiana, 1875: </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">In the tumultuous era of Reconstruction, three young women set off as unwilling companions on a perilous quest: Hannie, a freed slave; Lavinia, the pampered heir to a now destitute plantation; and Juneau Jane, Lavinia’s Creole half sister. Each carries private wounds and powerful secrets as they head for Texas, following roads rife with vigilantes and soldiers still fighting a war lost a decade before. For Lavinia and Juneau Jane, the journey is one of stolen inheritance and financial desperation, but for Hannie, torn from her mother and siblings before slavery’s end, the pilgrimage west reignites an agonizing question: Could her long-lost family still be out there? Beyond the swamps lie the limitless frontiers of Texas and, improbably, hope.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Louisiana, 1987: </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">For first-year teacher Benedetta Silva, a subsidized job at a poor rural school seems like the ticket to canceling her hefty student debt—until she lands in a tiny, out-of-step Mississippi River town. Augustine, Louisiana, is suspicious of new ideas and new people, and Benny can scarcely comprehend the lives of her poverty-stricken students. But amid the gnarled live oaks and run-down plantation homes lie the century-old history of three young women, a long-ago journey, and a hidden book that could change everything.</span>N. Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05683401464609368949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837241582241944875.post-58267917631539744622020-04-11T15:31:00.001-07:002020-04-11T15:31:09.578-07:00On Ocean Boulevard by Mary Alice Munroe - Book Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjx_43fFE0TaM4cCwkWPOBWcuZHn3Fp2jGPVAhI8tauzONWq3r8pY2Y8HKEnXIGiMKED4yYmM2C9P6vVtSZk_dCDoZC1lDW6o7v5ve_z8rq54DAsJ4hrnrXQ8uuneKzWt88nye6rZN3pU/s1600/ocean1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="331" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjx_43fFE0TaM4cCwkWPOBWcuZHn3Fp2jGPVAhI8tauzONWq3r8pY2Y8HKEnXIGiMKED4yYmM2C9P6vVtSZk_dCDoZC1lDW6o7v5ve_z8rq54DAsJ4hrnrXQ8uuneKzWt88nye6rZN3pU/s320/ocean1.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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<u><span style="font-size: small;">My Review:</span></u></h3>
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<span style="font-size: small;">On Ocean Boulevard is a 6 book in the Book House Series. You do not have to read the other books in the series because this book stands perfectly on its own. I really enjoyed meeting the Rutledge family and will definitely go back and read this series from the beginning just to get to know them all better. I loved reading about Linnea and Cara and their work with the turtles! </span></h3>
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I would rate this a 5 out of 5 stars!! Definitely a good summer/beach read. Or read it anytime you want to feel swept away by a more relaxing beautiful destination.</div>
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher of this book for my copy of an ARC book for my honest review.</div>
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<u>NetGalley's Description:</u></h3>
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<b><span style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none;">The <i style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none;">New York Times </i>bestselling author of <i style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none;">The Summer Guests </i>returns at long last to her beloved Beach House series in this breathtaking novel about one family’s summer of forging new beginnings against the enduring beauty and resilience of the natural world.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none;" />It’s been sixteen years since Caretta “Cara” Rutledge has returned home to the beautiful shores of Charleston, South Carolina. Over those years, she has weathered the tides of deaths and births, struggles and joys. And now, as Cara prepares for her second wedding, her life is about to change yet again.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none;" />Meanwhile, the rest of the storied Rutledge family is also in flux. Cara’s niece Linnea returns to Sullivan’s Island to begin a new career and an unexpected relationship. Linnea’s parents, having survived bankruptcy, pin their hopes and futures on the construction of a new home on Ocean Boulevard. But as excitement over the house and wedding builds, a devastating illness strikes the family and brings plans to a screeching halt. It is under these trying circumstances that the Rutledge family must come together yet again to discover the enduring strength in love, tradition, and legacy from mother to daughter to granddaughter.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none;" />Like the sea turtles that come ashore annually on these windswept islands, three generations of the Rutledge family experience a season of return, rebirth, and growth. “Authentic, generous, and heartfelt” (Mary Kay Andrews, <i style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none;">New York Times</i> bestselling author),<i style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none;"> On Ocean Boulevard </i>is Mary Alice Monroe at her very best.</b></div>
N. Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05683401464609368949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837241582241944875.post-21451081550094147802020-04-08T16:14:00.005-07:002020-04-08T16:14:50.987-07:00What You Wish For by Katherine Center- Book Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgApvE2c-c_0Zyh9BKVs0Y8XoXG4eqfvPR6kWzsxnzLW_OXaCH755mwzVSvOsQPokKJk9IvDygl5FLztcYkEWpvuJq3OC90xdji-5_A7u-EXHo_6nGEPRTv_7maLajqhZPI_W6z9b9AOYY/s1600/what.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="328" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgApvE2c-c_0Zyh9BKVs0Y8XoXG4eqfvPR6kWzsxnzLW_OXaCH755mwzVSvOsQPokKJk9IvDygl5FLztcYkEWpvuJq3OC90xdji-5_A7u-EXHo_6nGEPRTv_7maLajqhZPI_W6z9b9AOYY/s320/what.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
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<u><b>My Review:</b></u></div>
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I loved the story of Samantha and Duncan. Samantha knew Duncan from a previous job. When Duncan becomes the new Principal at her new school, Duncan he is no longer the carefree man she used to know. You can feel Samantha's disappointment and heartache. I really enjoyed the way Katherine Center wrote this book. <br />
This book is a 5 out of 5 stars for me. It was a really enjoyable read with some interesting character you get to meet along the way. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers of this book for an opportunity to read this book for my honest review. I always like finding a new author to read. I will be reading more books by Katherine Center.<br />
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<u><b>Amazon.com's description:</b></u><br />
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Samantha Casey is a school librarian who loves her job, the kids, and her school family with passion and joy for living.<br />But she wasn’t always that way.<br />Duncan Carpenter is the new school principal who lives by rules and regulations, guided by the knowledge that bad things can happen.<br />But he wasn’t always that way.</div>
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And Sam knows it. Because she knew him before—at another school, in a different life. Back then, she loved him—but she was invisible. To him. To everyone. Even to herself. She escaped to a new school, a new job, a new chance at living. But when Duncan, of all people, gets hired as the new principal there, it feels like the the best thing that could possibly happen to the school—and the worst thing that could possibly happen to Sam. Until the opposite turns out to be true. The lovable Duncan she’d known is now a suit-and-tie wearing, rule-enforcing tough guy so hell-bent on protecting the school that he’s willing to destroy it.</div>
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As the school community spirals into chaos, and danger from all corners looms large, Sam and Duncan must find their way to who they really are, what it means to be brave, and how to take a chance on love—which is the riskiest move of all.</div>
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With Katherine Center’s sparkling dialogue, unforgettable characters, heart, hope, and humanity, WHAT YOU WISH FOR is the author at her most compelling best.</div>
N. Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05683401464609368949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837241582241944875.post-23930113417679602962020-04-01T20:21:00.001-07:002020-04-01T20:21:33.660-07:00Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner - book review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia6Dg8G0eJ8OKsApuBK8WoDpkBUOEUJomu78TbVU1Bem_cCz-LriQceUtON6nzq8cCyH_Y9i5AipgROZ8pxeAgg9Sb-mLyflkLLfoYbMlOZHQOHl9d59aDv9YPMt1Ct7AXmPX6XgjkULQ/s1600/everything.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="218" data-original-width="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia6Dg8G0eJ8OKsApuBK8WoDpkBUOEUJomu78TbVU1Bem_cCz-LriQceUtON6nzq8cCyH_Y9i5AipgROZ8pxeAgg9Sb-mLyflkLLfoYbMlOZHQOHl9d59aDv9YPMt1Ct7AXmPX6XgjkULQ/s1600/everything.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b><u>My Book Review:</u></b><br />
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I enjoyed reading this book of the story of two sisters Jo and Bethie. There was a lot of plot twists that kept it interesting. The story was written from both sisters perspective, which was interesting to see how different they viewed things. The ending almost had me in tears, which is rare.<br />
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy for my honest review. The book did exactly what I wanted it to do, keep me entertained and had me question my beliefs. I would give this 5 out of 5 stars!<br />
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<b><u>Amazon.com's description of the book:</u></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Do we change or does the world change us?</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Jo and Bethie Kaufman were born into a world full of promise.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Growing up in 1950s Detroit, they live in a perfect “Dick and Jane” house, where their roles in the family are clearly defined. Jo is the tomboy, the bookish rebel with a passion to make the world more fair; Bethie is the pretty, feminine good girl, a would-be star who enjoys the power her beauty confers and dreams of a traditional life.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">But the truth ends up looking different from what the girls imagined. Jo and Bethie survive traumas and tragedies. As their lives unfold against the background of free love and Vietnam, Woodstock and women’s lib, Bethie becomes an adventure-loving wild child who dives headlong into the counterculture and is up for anything (except settling down). Meanwhile, Jo becomes a proper young mother in Connecticut, a witness to the changing world instead of a participant. Neither woman inhabits the world she dreams of, nor has a life that feels authentic or brings her joy. Is it too late for the women to finally stake a claim on happily ever after?</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">In her most ambitious novel yet, Jennifer Weiner tells a story of two sisters who, with their different dreams and different paths, offer answers to the question: </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">How should a woman be in the world?</i>N. Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05683401464609368949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837241582241944875.post-17104811501231142132020-03-01T09:05:00.003-08:002020-03-01T09:05:39.055-08:00The Confession Club by Elizabeth Berg - Book Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwWawq7uQTbQmsKd1MM2a3BnplBm6ezB7jrnHdYRvmYmqo6HJPPBVN9n6LEHb-_4o25JEIHj8aBoh791JwVDeqaoU9OMdtPPf_OuaaV9sAoEoRKQON-umuZ1Rhs-3dOhV55eNo_KPD3EY/s1600/confession.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="331" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwWawq7uQTbQmsKd1MM2a3BnplBm6ezB7jrnHdYRvmYmqo6HJPPBVN9n6LEHb-_4o25JEIHj8aBoh791JwVDeqaoU9OMdtPPf_OuaaV9sAoEoRKQON-umuZ1Rhs-3dOhV55eNo_KPD3EY/s320/confession.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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<u><b>My review:</b></u></div>
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Sometimes you just want to read a book that you can escape into and just make you feel good. This is one of those books. When I read this book I did not realize it was third in a series. It can definitely be a stand alone book. I love reading stories of women's friendships. The Confession Club was a delightful book. I enjoyed getting to know all of the characters and the idea of a monthly supper club turning into a confession club was just too enticing not to read!! I particularly loved the story of Iris. </div>
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I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher for my honest opinion. Definitely a 5 out of 5 stars for me!! I will go back and read the other two books in the series and look forward to reading more from Elizabeth Berg.</div>
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<u><b>Amazon.com's description of the book:</b></u></div>
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>USA TODAY</i> BESTSELLER • An uplifting novel about friendship, surprising revelations, and a second chance at love, from the <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of <i>The Story of Arthur Truluv</i>.</b><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">When a group of friends in Mason, Missouri, decide to start a monthly supper club, they get more than they bargained for. The plan for congenial evenings—talking, laughing, and sharing recipes, homemade food, and wine—abruptly changes course one night when one of the women reveals something startlingly intimate. The supper club then becomes Confession Club, and the women gather weekly to share not only dinners but embarrassing misdeeds, deep insecurities, and long-held regrets.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">They invite Iris Winters and Maddy Harris to join, and their timing couldn't be better. Iris is conflicted about her feelings for a charming but troubled man, and Maddy has come back home from New York to escape a problem too big to handle alone. The club offers exactly the kind of support they need to help them make some difficult decisions.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br />The Confession Club </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">is charming, heartwarming, and inspiring. And as in the previous books that take place in Mason, readers will find friendship, community, and kindness on full display.</span><br />
<br />N. Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05683401464609368949noreply@blogger.com0