Can I do it this year: 2012

For a few years, I have tried to read 50 books in one year. I haven't yet been able to achieve my goal in past years. I still feel like I have succeeded, because with every book I have read I have met some new characters, been to wonderful places, learned some interesting things, and read some extraordinary stories. I wouldn't have changed a thing.

I am looking forward to reading in 2012. Happy reading everyone.

Of Dutch Ways by Helen Colijn was a Christmas present. My parents were from The Netherlands and I have visited a few times. This books tells of it's history, it's traditions, it's people, it's food, it's celebrations, it's land, it's tourist attractions, it's art, and much more. I thought that I already knew a lot about the country. There was so much I have learned from this book. The book is dated from 1983. The last time I visited Holland was in 1984. Some things that I read gave me that warm cozy familier feeling.

This book may not be for everyone. It would be great for the tourist and for the person who likes to learn about other countries. It may even interest the Dutch person that has interest to learn more about their country or reminisce about the past of their country.

Rating - 5 *

Hi, Jacx! Thanks for the good luck wishes -- and the same to you.

Hi Jacx!!! Found you!! Happy Reading in the New Year!

Happy New Year!

Happy reading this year! I always enjoy your comments about books.

Just stopping to say hi!! :-)

Wow...What a nice surprise. I have been ill and then busy trying to catch up. Haven't found the time to come here and share my reading with you. Although I have been ill I was able to read some. Not as much as I would hope but enough to keep my happy.

The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson is the 2nd book in this trilogy. The 1st being The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Unlike the first book it grabbed me right from the start. If you enjoyed the first book you need to read this one.

I had forgotten what the first book was about. I had remembered that I liked it, that being my reason to purchase the second one. It wasn't long before it all started coming back to me.

With this book I felt I got a much better understanding of the main character, Lisbeth. This book answered some of the questions that the first book left me with.

Getting closer to the last page I wondered how they were going to end it. I enjoyed the opened ending. Makes you want to know what happens now.

The size of the book was a bit intimidating, but once I started reading it the size of the book just didn't matter anymore.

There were times when I got confused with the charaters. That would be because they were foreign to me, being Swedish.

The reviews I have read most have said that the first book was better than this one. The more I read the more I liked the story. I am certainly looking forward to the next book.

This book was worth my time.

Librarything thought I may like this book.

Rating - 4.5 *

Convince Them in 90 Seconds by Nicholas Boothman was an excellent read.

I had attended a networking event with Mr. Boothman as a guest speaker. Before that night I had never heard of Mr. Boothman.

Mr. Boothman tells it like it is. He teaches us with ease. Everyday events can turn out more positive. He tells us how to sell, negotiate, network, lead a team, and interviews and how to convince them in 90 seconds. Tell me that won't help you in your life.

I highly recommend this book. It's a book that will keep helping you throughout your life. It's a keeper.

There was only one other person who had this book on Librarything. Librarything was unable to tell me how much I would like it.

Rating - 5 *

Toronto Flashbacks 1 by Morley Filey is a book of postcards of old pictures of Toronto, Ontario.

Pictures ranging from 1873 and 1927. That alone would have made me buy the book for only a dollar, but when my husband looked at it he was surprised to see on one of the postcards his mothers childhood friend, Mertyle Cook, who won a gold medal at the Amsterday Olympics in 1928.

This is definately a book that I will be keeping.

Rating - 5 *

Toronto Flashbacks 2 by Morley Filey is the second boook of postcards of old pictures of Toronto, Ontario. That's in Canada, if you were wondering.

Pictures ranging from 1888 and 1945. Amazing pictures. It's like seeing the city in a different set of eyes.

Gotta keep this one.

Rating - 5 *

Found your thread! Good luck Jacx :)

Hi Narilka...glad you found me. It's nice to see you. How is your ready going so far this year?

The Girl Next Door by Elizabeth Noble. The cover and the title is what tempted me to read this book. I liked the idea of a story about people's lives who all live under one roof, an apartment building roof.

The beginning of the story was a great introduction to what one could expect. I suppose I expected too much. After the first few chapters I lost complete interest. There were times I wanted to give up on the book and place it back on the shelf.

I had difficulty remembering all the characters and their part in the book. I didn't feel close to any of them. Just when I thought I was getting to know them, another character took their place. Having to get to know them all over again later in the story.

The writing was simple. The story drawn out. The characters drab. Nothing jumped out at me. Nothing made me want to pick up the book and continue reading it.

The best part of the book was the ending. It all came together at the end. I even shed a tear.

It wasn't such a dreadful book as I may have made it sound like, but it wasn't what I expected.

Rating - 2 *

Nice reviews! Are you going to read the next Larsson book? I can't recall how many of them we have, but I haven't read them yet.

I have to read the last one. I don't own it yet. Hopefully it will be one that I read this year. I had heard of lot of hype about it but wasn't all that interested in reading it until an owner of a book store pointed it out to me, telling me that I would love this series. I am glad I listened.

Hi Jacqueline, there - now I have found you. I loved The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and I have The Girl Who Played With Fire on my TBR pile, but somehow I just never get to it. Must give it a bit of a nudge.

FYI - Your link to The Girl Next Door goes to the wrong book.

I really enjoyed both books and looking forward to reading the third. Hoping my husband will think to buy the third for my birthday. I will have to wait and see.

I noticed that The Girl Next Door goes to the wrong book. How do I stop it from doing that?

When you type in the touchstone, The Girl Next Door, look at the list to the right. After the author (currently in mine it says Jack Ketchum) it says "(others)" and if you click on that it lists a number of works with that title from different authors. Then I clicked on the title with the correct author and it corrected the touchstone to the book by Elizabeth Noble. If you click on "(work)" then it takes you to the book page rather than fix the touchstone.

I bet that made no sense at all. If you play around with it in a message, I bet you can figure it out better than I can say it.

Just stopping to say!!! I read the Girl Next Door a few years ago and thought it wasn't to bad. Strangely I don't usually read that kind of book.

20...I tried everything to get the right book for The Girl Next Door but nothing I did worked. I may try tomorrow when I am alert.

21...We may not be talking about the same book. I have been having trouble with the touchstones. It could have been just my mood or my expectations. I found it to be a long book that really never said anything of much interest.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Oh Canada, 101 Heartwaming and Inspiring Stories by adn for Canadians. Like every other Chicken for the Soul books this one is filled with short stories that are inspirational, personal, heartwarming, funny, and encouraging.

Some of the stories were written by Canadians, some we have never heard of before and others we have. There are other stories written by neighbors from the U.S. that come up for a visit and have shared their stories.

I mostly enjoyed the personal touch of every story. Although I enjoyed every story and I am a Canadian I thought there were too much stories that touched on hockey. I understand it being "our" sport, but that isn't the only sport we play and the only thing we do in Canada.

The book started off with a hockey story and throughout there were more hockey stories. I didn't mind reading them, but I feel someone else might bore of it easily.

I enjoyed Liona Boyd's songs. There were also quotes by a variety of people at the beginning of every story which I enjoyed. The sharing of memories were touching. Sometimes, it would bring memories of my own back, or shed a tear or make me chuckle. Many stories make one realize that the world is a wonderful place.

All in all, I am glad that I read this book.

Rating - 3.5 *

Brother & Sister by Joanna Trollope was a disappointment to me. All the positive reviews I have read confuse me even more.

I enjoyed the story line and the story on the whole.

It was about two grown adoptive children that had children of their own wanting to find the answers that they were missing. They felt they couldn't be what they wanted to be until they find out where they come from.

They struggle with this new part of their lives and the ones they are close too always struggle. It shows how everyone gets effected by this.

I never connected with the characters. I thought they were all unbalanced. I felt that there wasn't a positive character in the whole book.

I have enjoyed Joanna Trollope books in the past. I can't say that this is one of the better ones.

Rating - 2.5 *

Between Sisters by Kristin Hannah knocked the socks right off of me. I wasn’t expecting such a heartfelt book.

There was so much going on, but somehow I never lost track. I connected to every character. Each had their own place in the book. It was easy for me to understand what they were all about.

It’s a story about two sisters who bonded when they were children because of the way they were brought up. Meghan was there for Claire while their mother wasn’t. They shared everything. There was a point when Meghan had to make the choice of leaving Claire with her father. They have grown further apart each year that they had been separated. They both have grown in different ways that the other doesn’t understand.

In Between Sisters we see the life of Meghan and Claire, two sisters have lost their relationship, but as life happens they regain the friendship and the bond they once had. The separation had changed them both. Where they use to be the best of friends, now they hardly speak. Neither of them spoke about the time when Claire was left behind with her father and Meghan walked away.

Circumstances has brought them back together. It isn’t easy for either of them. They don’t say the words that they know they ought to. They get along like they ought to, but they are distant. They struggle with their new relationship and with the old relationship that they had and their past.

Again circumstances, have bonded them like never before. They aren’t the same young girls, but now grown women.

It may sound like another novel you may have read in the past, but let me assure you that this story is explosive. It grabs a hold of your heart and your emotions. It’s a wonderful story written to make you smile, laugh, shake your head, cry and appreciate the life you have.

Without a doubt, it’s the best book I have read this year and one of my all time favorites.

Rating - 5*

Yay!!! For finding a 5 star read. It's a great feeling to have such a big connection with a book. Lately I've seen alot of Hannah's books on display, but haven't tried one yet.

26...tjblue...This was the third book that I had read from Kristen Hannah. The first two being, Firefly Lane I gave 5* and True Colors which I gave 4*. I have some more that I am looking forward to reading.

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Workbook

First, I have to say that I had picked up the workbook instead of just the book. I had heard so many good things about the title, that I decided to read the workbook, seeing I already had it.

I enjoyed reading about leaders like Gerald Ford, Lance Armstong, Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, Lee Iacocca, Mother Teresa, and more.

It is going to take more than one read to understand Mr. Maxwell's visions of leadership. This book left me feeling closer to being a leader than I want to become.

Although, I didn't do any of the exercises this book, it is filled with all the underlining I did. This book is not a step-by-step list, but instead, it gives examples of how others have lead in the past and keeps stressing that the reader become the leader that they want to be.

This book is certainly a keeper. I plan to invite a group to read and work the workbook. I believe I will even get more out of it after doing that.

Rating - 4.5*

Speak No Evil by Allison Brennan is the first book in the “evil” series. A page turner. A fast paced novel.

It starts with the brutal murder of Angie Vance. Sheriff, Nick Thomas, from Montana, has become personally involved with this case, doing what he can to help Carina Kincaid with the San Diego Police. The San Diego Police feel that with Nick Thomas’s past experience with serial killers, that it will give them a better chance at catching the killer.

Not long after the first murder there are others. There are similarities but at the same time differences. The girls mouth is glued shut with a black bandana, the body is washed and wrapped, raped then murdered. Although they are unable to get any DNA they feel it’s the work of a serial killer.

Carina Kincaid and Nick Thomas work closely. They start to trust and open up to each other, their past bringing them closer. All along, the reader knew that these two would end up together. Their relationship was the part of the story, but it didn’t smother the story.

All in all, it was a good read. Parts of it was gruesome, but not so bad that I wanted to stop reading. I am looking forward to the next two in the series.

Rating - 4*

A friend had recommended Unmarketing by Scott Stratten to me. He assured me that reading this one book will give me all the know how on social media, he didn't tell me how much fun I would get in reading it.

The world has changed so drastically in the last decade. It will never be the same so you might as well know and understand how to use these new ways for your business.

Marketing for a business had always been a financial decision. That has changed since Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc. No need for cold calling, distribution of flyers, expensive ads.

From one of the leading experts in viral and social marketing Scott teaching us how market your business effectively to today's customers in the simplist of terms.

Scott Stratten makes unlearning our old ways and learning new ways to attract the customers you want by making relationships. How do you do that? You have to read the book.

Before I read this book, I started getting a feel for what this book is all about. I was getting tired of doing the same thing over and over and seeing the same results over and over again, getting no where fast. I started being me and making the best of me. Getting to know me first and then putting their trust in me is what makes success.

Scott added so much more to what I now believe works. Not only does it work it is so much more fun. Less stress too. What is there not to love.

Scott helps us understand the 21st century marketing approach. He speaks of pulling your customers towards you and them wanting to stay with you. This will only benefit your business.

I enjoyed this book so much. Without Scott's footnotes I may not have liked it as much. This is a book that I will keep going to for help. Plus will follow him on twitter and anywhere else I can find him.

Rating - 4.5*

A Winter Kill by Vicki Delany is the first “rapid read” I have read. At first glance, I thought I would be really disappointed. The fairly large print and the size of the book made me think that there wouldn’t be much of a plot. I was pleasantly surprised.

The story begins finding a young girls dead body and a cop that has only been around for 6 months, who feels she needs to be a part of the investigating. We quickly learn that the young girl’s family life isn’t the best. The kids at school have told the authority’s of her bad reputation. Their job is to find out why this girl was murdered and left in the winter’s forest and who did it.

Although the story moves fast I didn’t find that it was moving too fast. Easy language, but not so much that I felt that I was reading a child’s book. It was more engaging that I thought it would be. Right away, I thought this book would be great to read while traveling and vacationing. Fits perfect in a purse or small bag.

I found that I read this book at the perfect time. This felt like a little break from reading. It’s a good book to have on hand.

Rating - 3.5*

See No Evil by Allison Brennan is the second book of the “Evil trilogy”.

Assistant district attorney, Julia Chandler’s niece, Emily is charged for murder of her stepfather. Conner Kincaid, a private investigator, helps on the case along with Conner’s brother, Dillion.

When Julia finds out that Emily had be sexually abused she can’t help remember the promised she gave to her brother before he died. She feels like she has let her brother down by allowing this to happen. Julia cannot accept that Emily would ever brutally murder anyone and will do anything to find the real killer.

Other people are being murdered. An online group of troubled teens called “Wishlist” seem connected in some way.

I enjoyed the first book “Speak No Evil” and couldn’t wait to read this second book. I found once that I hit the half way mark in this book I got lost. I had trouble remembering who was who. Even at the end when it all came together I didn’t quite understand all the connections. Maybe it is just me, but I liked the first book so much more. I am looking forward to the third book in the trilogy though.

Rating - 2*

When I picked up More Bill Bramah's Ontario I knew that I would enjoy reading about the people and places of Ontario that Bill Bramah had visited while reporting for Global TV.

I don't think there were any stories longer than a page and a half. One would think there can't be much of a story in so little words, but everyone of them had so much to tell.

I learned from each and every story. I was introduced to people I will never meet but not feel like at one time I must have.

I have lived in Ontario all my life. Most of these places I have heard about but have never visited. Some of the places mentioned I had never heard about. There were even stories of my own community I didn't know about.

I loved this book. It's a book that will always be a part of my library. I am certain that when my children are my age they will also appreciate this book.

Rating - 5*

Oh, Canada by Vivien Bowers is a story told by a nine year old girl named Alice. She has started writing a blog on her “Gran’s” notebook. This book is her blog.

Her gran wanted to do a road trip with her two grandchildren across Canada, coast to coast to coast. Alice’s eight year old cousin, Cal, is along on the trip. To gran’s s surprise Cal has brought his pet hamster.

The adventure starts in Newfoundland and Labrador and travel all the provinces. I feel that this book will keep a child’s attention with its bold print, it’s colourful cartoon pictures, it’s colourful photo’s., it’s fun dialogue, it’s informative and sometimes cute side-bars which include hamster updates, Cal’s tweets, small poems and one side-bar called "Find it".

Every province starts the page with their official flower and bird and a map of that province. The topics the author has chosen are all about the same length. I feel this keeps their attention and anxious to read the next topic.

Vivien Bowers also has a page that is all cartoon called Cal’s Historical U-turn. It’s a part of history that is told in a short cartoon.

All that I read was interesting. There were even things mentioned that I didn’t know, like making a lake in Saskatchewan. Love this book. It was fun and joy to read. It will make a wonderful gift for my granddaughter.

I highly recommend it.

Rating - 5*

Thanks....Hey Canada sounds like one I'll get for my nieces. They are the right age. Of course, I'll have to read it with them!

35 - lamplight - I am sure they will enjoy it.

Fear No Evil by Allison Brennan is the last book of the “Evil” trilogy with the first two being “Speak No Evil” and “See No Evil” The saying goes, “save the best for last”. That is what Allison Brennan did. I feel it is the best of the three.

I was disappointed in the second in the series and wasn’t expecting such a captivating read.

Trask has kidnapped another young girl. It’s been five years since he had killed Kate Donavon’s friend and boyfriend. For five years Kate has been in hiding spending all her time trying to find Trask.

The victim’s brothers are involved in their sister’s rescue. Together with the FBI, it is a chase with time. They have to save her before time runs out.

This book may be not be for everyone. There are parts of it that are graphic and may be too much for some.

Although there are so many things are going on, I never lost track of the story or the characters. This was a page turner. Half way through the book the story climaxed to a point I thought the rest of the book couldn’t compete. I was wrong. It only got better. There was never a dull moment

Rating - 5*

I have only read a few of Agatha Christie’s books. Partners in Crime was the first Tuppence and Tommy book for me.

I found them to be a delightful, fun loving couple. Although they have agreed to take on a serious case to help find Russian spies by taking on the part of detectives, they have fun with it, by pretending they are other well-known detectives, like Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot searching for clues, and are constantly poking fun at each other. To me they sounded more like an old married couple than acouple in their 30’s.

Seventeen of the Blunt’s Brilliant Detectives’ cases are told in this book. Although they are separate stories they are one big story with some connecting with others. Not even being an amateur detective, I was able to solve some of the cases, but that didn’t take away from the telling of the story.

I couldn’t get enough of this book. It is a whimsical, pleasurable, and fast read. Loved it.

Rating - 5*

I love it when I read two great books in a row.

Most of us at one point in our lives have thought about how it might have been if you had stayed with that old flame of our past.

Old Flames by Kim Moritsugu is no doubt a chick-lit read. A new neighbor moves in across the street. Although they are about the same age, they couldn’t be more different, but their differences draws them to the other.

Beth is a stay-at-home mom with two children. Rachel is a high-powered career woman from Manhattan with no desire to settle down for a family life. Rachel wears all the trendy clothes and has a body that Beth wish she had.

Both women end up meeting the men they knew from their past. Maybe they will get that old feeling back and continue where they left off or maybe the past should be left in the past.

The author lets us see into both woman’s lives and what they are thinking and feeling. The reader makes it so that it feels that they know these woman. This book is light-hearted and funny. It was a fast, enjoyable read. A well balanced story.

A perfect book to read when you are in the mood to not think much about what you’re reading.

Rating - 4*

Confession by Lee Gowan is a story about Dwight Froese. He spent his childhood as an only child living on a farm in Broken Head, Saskatchewan and ends up living in Toronto to be near what he believes is his eight year old daughter.

The story flips back to the past and the future, at times telling of what has happened and other times of what was supposed to happen.

He overhears a conversation between his father, Jacob, and his father’s friend, when he was a young boy, with his father saying that God had visited him telling him that his son will one day kill him.

Dwight is a lonely boy living in a lonely prairie town. He doesn’t connect with anyone except his mother. His mother is much younger than his father. He dispises the way his father treats his mother. It’s wrong. His own relationship with his mother is oddly closer than mother and son relationships go. Their bond is so very strong.

There is only one girl, Gloria, that he has always dreamed of for as long as he could remember. She is beautiful. She has a boyfriend, Nick. She is out of his league. He feels that she is out of reach and his fantasies are the only thing that he will ever have.

When a young adult, he finds his mother dead. Dwight is outraged with his father for all that he has put his mother through and now killing her and taking her away from him. Facing his father with a gun pointed to his head Dwight pulls the trigger and kills him.

He remembers hearing the old conversation he overheard years ago. He was meant to kill his father. God had told his father. It was God’s will.

He is never arrested for the murder. The small town all know that it was Dwight whom killed Jacob Froese. The doctor swears that his mother fell hitting her head on a rock. His father wasn’t responsible for his mother’s death.

Circumstances brings Gloria and Dwight together as friends and then lovers. Dwight had plans for the future and almost convinces Gloria to follow him. Not after long, Gloria insists on going forward with the wedding with Nick.

Eight years later, after spending time away from Broken Head, he finds out that Gloria had given birth to a little girl. Dwight knows it’s his daughter. He moves to Toronto just to be near his daughter whom doesn’t even know that he exists.

There were times that I wanted to close the book and give up on it. I am sure glad that I didn’t. At times it is hard to follow. Finishing the book I understand much better. It wasnt' a favorite book of mine but it was worth reading.

Rating - 3*

Let's Talk about Epilepsy by Ann Marie Gillie are stories that come straight from the heart of people who had lived with epilepsy who decided to make the big decision to have brain surgery.

I don't understand what life is like with epilespy even though my son suffered many years with it. I only see it with my eyes. This book opened my eyes even more. My son and I unfortunately did not have any support for many years before he decided on having the surgery. This book would have him feel that he wasn't alone and other's were going through the same thing as he was.

His story is a part ot this book. His words touched me in a different way. I have lived with him and heard the stories, but it's so different to see in in written from.

Reading the other stories I understood more on how they felt during thier lives living with siezures and all that they have to go through. It's not a life that anyone would want and still so misunderstood to this day. People living with epilepsy needs support and be able to connect with other's that may be experiencing similar things than they are.

I recommend this book to everyone, to the ones living with epilepsy, to those who know soemone living with epilespy and those who don't understand epliepsy. Few people know what epilespy is or how to help someone that is having a siezure. We all need to know what we can do it this situation. Also learn to understand that these people are not freaks, but just like them except for the siezures. I am familier with epilepsy, but I still learned from these pages. It's a book for everyone.

Rating - 3*

Just noticed that you are almost half-way through your 50 book challenge. WooHoo! Way to go!

I have a feeling that it is taking me longer this year.

Theater of Illusion by Kathy Steffen takes place on a riverboat in the 1900’s. In this unusual setting, I wondered how the story would keep my interest.

It captured my interest right at the beginning with Tobias Perkins sitting on the edge of a cliff contemplating suicide. He feels his dead father, Jared Perkins, lives within him, at times controlling him, doing things that he wouldn’t normally think of doing. Jumping off the cliff is the only way that Tobias can stop his father. Although he doesn’t like the taste of drink, he continues to drink to give him the courage to end his life.

His sister, Sarah, has known for some time now that Tobias has issues and feels she can handle things without having to get her mother involved. Her dream is to be a riverboat pilot. She has missed her pilot testing in order to draw Tobias away from his suicide attempt.

Emma Perkins owns ‘The Spirit of the River’. She is a single mother and works hard to keep her riverboat afloat. Her time in precocious now as a wedding is going to take place on the boat and they have transported a traveling group on entertainers, Le Theatre d’Illusion, for the wedding party, which includes a Tiger.

The napkins that Tobias made for the wedding in the shape of animals were found tattered. Tobias blames himself, because he is unable to remember periods of time when he is drinking. It is odd to find them in this condition, but it isn’t the end of the world and everyone continue their plans for the wedding.

A performer is found missing after the riverboat launches from a brief stay on land for a picnic. At the same time, passengers are becoming seriously ill, some dying The reason for their illness is unknown. Emma fears that the illness came from the food that she served. Tobias feels that he somehow is to blame. Sarah tries to assure both mother and brother that it might not be their fault.

The character development was well done. I enjoyed the development of the story. The ending surprised me. The conclusion answered the questions of the strange events and the cause of the illness, but left me wondering about the newlyweds and why the tiger was included when it had such little significance in the story.

Rating - 3*

It's definitely taking me longer this year, but I know we can get there!

I am trying to stay optimisic.

In Killing Fear by Allison Brennan Theodore Glen always gets what he wants. He wanted Robin McKenna, when she was a stripper, but she does not trust him and tries to warn the girls that works with her to be careful. Her feeling were right when the girls that dated Theodore are found murdered.

Theodore went to prison for multiple murders. He escapes when an earthquake crumbles the prison. He wants Robin McKenna in the worst way. He will torture her for not wanting him.

Seven years ago, Detective Will Hooper started having feelings for Robin, but after questioning her about her relationship with Theodore their own relationship drastically grew apart. Will Hooper is back on the case.

Theodore is smart and enjoys playing the game. Will and Robin become the next targets for Theodore.

The story is fast paced and interesting. I kept on wanting to know what was going to happen next. There are parts of the book that are gruesome but not that gruesome that I was turned off the book. All in all, it was a good book.

Rating - 3.5

The Town That Drowned is surprisingly Riel Nason’s debut novel. This book is remarkably written and so real. She captures life in the 60’s and small town perfectly. We can easily see the images that Riel has explain in detail. It is easy to grow attached to Ruby Carson.

The story is told through Ruby Carson, a young girl, coming of age. We see inside Ruby’s thoughts and heart. We feel how close she is to her brother, labeled as “different.” We feel how she must feel when Percy is being bullied and made fun of and later herself, after falling through the ice and in the water, and saw an image of her town and some of the town’s residents underwater.

The main idea of the story is how a town, Haventon, react to their town having to be flooded. Many are forced to cope with the government’s plans to build a dam and flood their long time community. Many homes and farms have been in their family’s generation for years. We read about the struggles of the town, and also, Ruby and her family’s struggles. The story spans from 1965 – 1967.

It takes no effort at all to read this novel. The words flow into each other. Every word has been chosen carefully. There is never a moment when you lose the momentum of the story. It is a refreshing novel. A good wholesome read.

I didn’t want to story to end. I felt so connected with Ruby and I already miss her, closing the book only hours ago. I highly recommend it. It’s a book I will never forget. It will stay in my library until I share it with someone special, maybe my granddaughter when she is older.

Riel’s story was so very real to me, often reminding me of my son, (Percy) and of myself, as a young girl (Ruby).

Riel has a gift for storytelling.

Rating - 5*

"Drowned" sounds very good... Adding to my wish list now :)
Thanks!

Tempting Evil by Allison Brennan the second book in the trilogy.

There is so much happening in this novel. There is a woman trying to continue her life after her son and husband whom were killed tragically. We have the escaped prisoner who has become infatuated with a romantic novelist, a cabin in the woods in the middle of a snowstorm, a sheriff’s duty to catch the prisoner, needing to save the woman he has grown to care about and innocent people that cross the prisoner’s path. We have people trying to survive this unthinkable ordeal.

Now, that I have finished the book I have to admit that it was a fantastic read. There were times when I thought it dragged on a bit, but it soon recovered and became so intense that it was difficult to put the book down.

From what I have read about this author, I am impressed and will continue to look for her books

Rating 3.5

The Running Woman by Patricia Carlontake place in a small town, where everyone knows everyone’s business. A young teen girl is found drowned at the Larapinta bridge. Stories of how she died begin to develop.

Was she pushed, did she slip, did someone see her fall, did someone try to save her? A woman in white had been seen running away from the bridge shortly after it is said that the drowning occurred. Who was it that wore white that day by the bridge?

The town has many questions and points their fingers at the town’s people. Many in the town first thought that Carol Zamia may have argued with the difficult child and something went wrong.

Eventually, Gabriel Endicott is being looked at by police. She needs to clear her name before she is charged for this crime. She turns to her cousin and friend, Phil Sturt for help.

Although they are close and he knows her better than anyone, but he still has his doubts and tries to convince Gabriel to plead guilty and ideas of why she might have done it.

The more that Gabriel explains why it can’t possibly be her, the more the suspicion is pointed in her direction. She is on a mission to find the woman in white and keep herself out of jail.

At times this story is humorous. The whole story is repetitious, but it works. The reader is constantly told what could have happened on the day at the bridge and how the young girl drowned.

It was a enjoyable read.

Rating - 3.5*

In Tuesday's Child by Fern Michaels an attorney, Mikala Aulani, is ready for retirement, but when Adam Star, multi-millionarie, shows up and confesses that he was the one that killed his wife not his wife’s nurse, who is is innocent but is the one doing time. Mikala has always knew the woman to be innocent. She tried everything she could to prove Sohpie’s innocence.

Adam, who is on his death bed, makes Mikala a deal she can’t refuse. She is to keep this new knowledge quiet until the day he dies. In his will, he has left everything to Sophie Lee, who has spent most of her adult life in prison. Adam feels this will make up for having to spend time in jail.

Mikala gets everything ready for the release of Sophie. Sophie promises to do as Mikala says. She trusts Mikala. Mikala has made arrangements for Sophie to live with Mikala’s relatives in Hawaii, away from the media.

Many things have changed since Sophie’s arrest. She gets familiar with the idea that she will never have to want anything ever again. Life would be better than ever. She just has to sit tight until Mikala tells her that she may leave the beach home in Hawiaii and start her new life.

I enjoyed the story line. It may have been a fast read if I had wanted to pick up the book and read it. Just when I thought the plot was thickening, I was turned around and directed in a different direction. There was a point where I felt as if I missed a few chapters. There were many places in the story that left me frustrated and almost wanting me to give up on it.

I have never read Fern Michaels books before. I will not been keeping my eyes open for this author' but if I happen to come across a book of hers I would give her a second chance

Rating - 2*

After reading the first three pages, of The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards, I was looking forward to the next time I would pick up the book. Unfortunatly, the more I read, the less interested I was in the book.

It starts on the night of a snow blizzard with Norah feeling her first labor pain.. She was going to have the baby that night in her home. Norah’s husband, David, who is an orthopedic surgeon, will be delivering his baby, with the help of a nurse, Caroline.

The baby was coming fast. Not long after the first pain, the baby boy slipped into David's waiting arms. If it was going to be a boy, they agreed to call him, Paul and if it was going to be a girl, Phoebe.

Paul was a beautiful baby and perfect. Every parents dream. While the nurse takes the baby to another room to bathe him, Norah experiences another contraction. This baby was a girl. David noticed the unmistakable features of a mongoloid.

Remembering, David’s past, when his little sister became ill. How it changed everyone’s life. The pain they experienced every day until the death and not ever getting over the loss of her, wasn’t something that he wanted his wife and his family to go through.

He made a split second decision asking the nurse to take the baby to a home that he has heard about where they look after babies like this one and telling his wife that the Pheobe had died.

The nurse drives the baby to her future home.

Entering the home Caroline can not believe what she is seeing. This home will destroy Phoebe. She couldn’t leave the child here. Making a quick decision, Caroline decides she will bring up Phoebe as her own.
This is where the story starts to drag on. The climax was at the beginning of the story. I kept reading thinking that something big eventually was going to happen, but it didn’t.

I felt words were entered just to make the story longer. There was too much time on description of the character’s, what they were doing, but to my surprise there was a point in the book that it seemed that the death of a character is put in as an afterthought. There was no mention that the character was even ill.

I loved the story line, liked the character’s, but it just went on about nothing in particular for much too long.

Rating - 2.5*

After, Jack Layton's death, I felt the loss. Just when I was beginning to learn more about my country and it's politics, the country lost one of it's leaders. I felt that Jack Layton was different from other politicians. His voice, his message, his way, and his strength was like no other.

Reading this book, a year after his death, opened my eyes like no other book. I realized that I knew next to nothing about my own counties politics. The book was written in simple terms. It was informative and interesting. I sure am happy that I took the time to read it and gotten to know Jack a little better

Rating - 4*

I would consider this book as a table book with it's glossy pages and many photo's and quotes.

In a celebraties busy life, we learn that they still had time for their friends. We get a closer look at famous friendship couples like Audrey Hepburn & Sofia Loren, Julie Andrews & Carol Burnett, Coco Shanell & Misia Sert, Lucille Ball & Vivian Vance, Debbie Reynolds & Carrie Fisher, and finally Lauren Bacll & Katharine Hepburn.

It was the perfect book to take along with you while you are doing "life" but when you have a free moment to read a quick page or section. The photo's were done in black and white and done with flair.

It didn't get into too much detaill but at the same time it showed how these friendship started and grew in time.

Loved this book.

Rating - 4*