Hello Readers!
It's been a while since I posted and a lot of reading has been going on! Here is a list of what I've read. I'll have a more detailed post later this week with ratings and reviews:
The Beekeeper's Daughter by Santa Montefiore
Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty
Serafina and the Twisted Staff by Robert Beatty
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
The Inner Circle by Brad Meltzer
The Fifth Assassin by Brad Meltzer
The President's Shadow by Brad Meltzer
I'm currently reading All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. What have you been reading?
Thursday, September 1, 2016
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
Reads in Review
Good morning readers!!
Today I'm posting another review. This is a book I read back in January and loved!
Title: The Pink Suit
Author: Nicole Mary Kelby
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 5
Plot:
On November 22, 1963, the First Lady accompanied her husband to Dallas, Texas dressed in a pink Chanel-style suit that was his favorite. Much of her wardrobe, including the pink suit, came from the New York boutique Chez Ninon where a young seamstress, an Irish immigrant named Kate, worked behind the scenes to meticulously craft the memorable outfits.
While the two never met, Kate knew every tuck and pleat needed to create the illusion of the First Lady's perfection. When the pink suit became emblematic, Kate's already fragile world--divided between the excess and artistry of Chez Ninon and the traditional values of her insular neighborhood--threatened to rip apart.
Moving from the back rooms of Chez Ninon to the steps of Air Force One, The Pink Suit is an enchanting, unforgettable novel about hope and heartbreak, and what became of the American Dream.
My review: I loved this book! I love anything about the Kennedy's. I thought the author did a wonderful job blending history with fiction in this novel. The suit itself is iconic alone, but to read the story of its creation and the woman Kate became was mesmerizing. Although Jackie was not mentioned often, her presence was still large in the story I thought. By the end, Kate is as much a classic as Jackie.
Recommend? Yes!!
Today I'm posting another review. This is a book I read back in January and loved!
Title: The Pink Suit
Author: Nicole Mary Kelby
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 5
Plot:
On November 22, 1963, the First Lady accompanied her husband to Dallas, Texas dressed in a pink Chanel-style suit that was his favorite. Much of her wardrobe, including the pink suit, came from the New York boutique Chez Ninon where a young seamstress, an Irish immigrant named Kate, worked behind the scenes to meticulously craft the memorable outfits.
While the two never met, Kate knew every tuck and pleat needed to create the illusion of the First Lady's perfection. When the pink suit became emblematic, Kate's already fragile world--divided between the excess and artistry of Chez Ninon and the traditional values of her insular neighborhood--threatened to rip apart.
Moving from the back rooms of Chez Ninon to the steps of Air Force One, The Pink Suit is an enchanting, unforgettable novel about hope and heartbreak, and what became of the American Dream.
My review: I loved this book! I love anything about the Kennedy's. I thought the author did a wonderful job blending history with fiction in this novel. The suit itself is iconic alone, but to read the story of its creation and the woman Kate became was mesmerizing. Although Jackie was not mentioned often, her presence was still large in the story I thought. By the end, Kate is as much a classic as Jackie.
Recommend? Yes!!
Monday, July 18, 2016
Reads in Review
Hello fellow readers!!
Just a quick update on my books I shared with you from my book bag.
Before I start, I will explain my rating system to you:
5--Amazing! I love it, I will talk about it ALOT, I will read over and over....
4--Very good. I really liked it and would recommend it to someone.
3--Good--but not great. Depending on how I feel about it, I might recommend it and more than likely will.
2--OK. Will probably not recommend and will more than likely have a hard time completing the read.
1--Not good at all. Something I would never recommend and will more than likely not finish. Not very many 1's in my library.
Title: The Collector
Author: Nora Roberts
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Rating: 3
Plot:
A woman, Lila Emerson, earns her living by house-sitting and writing young adult fantasy fiction. She is a keen observer and witnesses a murder, due to her chronic habit of people watching, from her client's high-rise apartment. She ends up becoming involved with one of the murder victim's brother and along the way of helping to solve the crime, she falls in love.
My review: I really liked the story and was caught up in it from the first chapter. I am not a prude, but I really don't need the foul language or detailed sex scenes. Some romance is great and characters venting frustration using expletives is ok, but the "F" bomb used repeatedly is a little much. Aside from that it was a good suspense book.
Recommend? Yes
Just a quick update on my books I shared with you from my book bag.
Before I start, I will explain my rating system to you:
5--Amazing! I love it, I will talk about it ALOT, I will read over and over....
4--Very good. I really liked it and would recommend it to someone.
3--Good--but not great. Depending on how I feel about it, I might recommend it and more than likely will.
2--OK. Will probably not recommend and will more than likely have a hard time completing the read.
1--Not good at all. Something I would never recommend and will more than likely not finish. Not very many 1's in my library.
Title: The Collector
Author: Nora Roberts
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Rating: 3
Plot:
A woman, Lila Emerson, earns her living by house-sitting and writing young adult fantasy fiction. She is a keen observer and witnesses a murder, due to her chronic habit of people watching, from her client's high-rise apartment. She ends up becoming involved with one of the murder victim's brother and along the way of helping to solve the crime, she falls in love.
My review: I really liked the story and was caught up in it from the first chapter. I am not a prude, but I really don't need the foul language or detailed sex scenes. Some romance is great and characters venting frustration using expletives is ok, but the "F" bomb used repeatedly is a little much. Aside from that it was a good suspense book.
Recommend? Yes
Monday, July 11, 2016
Monday Musings
Good morning readers!
Our first weekly series I'm going to start is the Monday Musings. In this series we'll discuss all sorts of topics related to books and reading. I thought since I obtain 99% of my reading material from my local library, I would start with some "musings" about libraries.
Libraries have been around since the beginning of civilization, beginning with clay tablets down through history to our modern day bound books. Instead of investigating the world history aspect of libraries, I thought we'd look at the history of libraries in America.
"The oldest library in America began with a 400-book donation by a Massachusetts clergyman, John Harvard, to a new university that eventually honored him by adopting his name. Another clergyman, Thomas Bray from England, established the first free lending libraries in the American Colonies in the late 1600s. Subscription libraries - where member dues paid for book purchases and borrowing privileges were free - debuted in the 1700s. In 1731, Ben Franklin and others founded the first such library, the Library Company of Philadelphia. The initial collection of the Library of Congress was in ashes after the British burned it during the War of 1812. The library bought Thomas Jefferson's vast collection in 1815 and used that as a foundation to rebuild.
It wasn't until waves of immigration and the philosophy of free public education for children that public libraries spread in the US. The first public library in the country opened in Peterborough, New Hampshire, in 1833. Philanthropist Andrew Carnegie helped build more than 1,700 public libraries in the US between 1881 and 1919.
Libraries may have changed over the years - no longer do pages carry scrolls in wooden buckets - but the need for a repository of knowledge remains." --History Magazine, October/November 2001 issue.
Some of my most cherished and earliest memories are of going to the library. I got my first library card at the age of 4 and loved visiting the library weekly with my Dad, who was also an avid reader. I remember bringing home 4 or 5 books and thinking I was just the stuff :) My dad taught me to read at age 4 and it was the best gift he could have ever given me. It was something we enjoyed together and since he passed when I was 10, something I still cherish. The memories of being piled up on the couch with him reading, with fans blowing (no AC back in those days) and the sun pouring through
open windows. And of course, there was always the stop at Dairy Queen for a chocolate soft serve cone after we left the library.
The scene in To Kill A Mockingbird in which Scout's teacher tells Atticus to not read with Scout anymore because she needed to learn under the instruction of her teacher, was a poignant moment for me because my teacher told my parents the same thing. One of the many reasons I love To Kill A Mockingbird. I also found a great old copy of this book at my library's book sale. :)
What are your fondest memories of the library?
Happy Reading!
shopgirl
Our first weekly series I'm going to start is the Monday Musings. In this series we'll discuss all sorts of topics related to books and reading. I thought since I obtain 99% of my reading material from my local library, I would start with some "musings" about libraries.
Libraries have been around since the beginning of civilization, beginning with clay tablets down through history to our modern day bound books. Instead of investigating the world history aspect of libraries, I thought we'd look at the history of libraries in America.
"The oldest library in America began with a 400-book donation by a Massachusetts clergyman, John Harvard, to a new university that eventually honored him by adopting his name. Another clergyman, Thomas Bray from England, established the first free lending libraries in the American Colonies in the late 1600s. Subscription libraries - where member dues paid for book purchases and borrowing privileges were free - debuted in the 1700s. In 1731, Ben Franklin and others founded the first such library, the Library Company of Philadelphia. The initial collection of the Library of Congress was in ashes after the British burned it during the War of 1812. The library bought Thomas Jefferson's vast collection in 1815 and used that as a foundation to rebuild.
It wasn't until waves of immigration and the philosophy of free public education for children that public libraries spread in the US. The first public library in the country opened in Peterborough, New Hampshire, in 1833. Philanthropist Andrew Carnegie helped build more than 1,700 public libraries in the US between 1881 and 1919.
Libraries may have changed over the years - no longer do pages carry scrolls in wooden buckets - but the need for a repository of knowledge remains." --History Magazine, October/November 2001 issue.
Some of my most cherished and earliest memories are of going to the library. I got my first library card at the age of 4 and loved visiting the library weekly with my Dad, who was also an avid reader. I remember bringing home 4 or 5 books and thinking I was just the stuff :) My dad taught me to read at age 4 and it was the best gift he could have ever given me. It was something we enjoyed together and since he passed when I was 10, something I still cherish. The memories of being piled up on the couch with him reading, with fans blowing (no AC back in those days) and the sun pouring through
open windows. And of course, there was always the stop at Dairy Queen for a chocolate soft serve cone after we left the library.
The scene in To Kill A Mockingbird in which Scout's teacher tells Atticus to not read with Scout anymore because she needed to learn under the instruction of her teacher, was a poignant moment for me because my teacher told my parents the same thing. One of the many reasons I love To Kill A Mockingbird. I also found a great old copy of this book at my library's book sale. :)
What are your fondest memories of the library?
Happy Reading!
shopgirl
Friday, July 8, 2016
Welcome!
Hello and welcome to my little blog!
As the title suggests, this is a blog about books and we will definitely be talking books! My reading runs the gamut of all different genres and I'll be using this blog to give short reviews and hopefully have some great discussions on books read or books to read. As time goes on I'll be adding more features such as reading lists, contests and maybe a reading group.
I guess I should give you a reason as to the "shopgirl" reference, but some of you may have already figured that out. I am a HUGE Jane Austen fan and one of the many movies made which reflect some of her work is You've Got Mail, which is in reference to my all-time favorite book by Austen, Pride and Predjudice. This was Meg Ryan's name in the chat room where she meets Tom Hanks, aka Mr. Darcy. And just to let you know, we will be discussing Jane Austen at random times.
Since it is summer, if you are like me, you have more time to sit and read. My son and husband's schedule is more relaxed with school being out, and the back porch calls my name (along with a book's name). So to start off the blog, I'm going to let you know what's in my book bag.
First up is The Collector by Nora Roberts. Roberts has always been a favorite of mine and her books are always good summer reads. I'm not too far into this one, but as always, I'm hooked within the first chapter.
When professional house-sitter Lila Emerson witnesses a murder/suicide from her current apartment-sitting job, life as she knows it takes a dramatic turn. Suddenly, the woman with no permanent ties finds herself almost wishing for one…
Artist Ashton Archer knows his brother isn’t capable of violence—against himself or others. He recruits Lila, the only eyewitness, to help him uncover what happened. Chalking up their intense attraction to the heat of the moment, Lila agrees to help Ash try to find out who murdered his brother and why. From the penthouses of Manhattan to grand Italian villas, their investigation draws them into a rarefied circle where priceless antiques are bought, sold, gambled away and stolen; where what you possess is who you are; and where what you desire becomes a deadly obsession…
Next is The Search. Haven't started this one yet, but it sounds like a great read. You can always count on Nora Roberts for some great suspense.
To most people, Fiona Bristow seems to have an idyllic life—a quaint house on an island off Seattle’s coast, a thriving dog-training school and a challenging volunteer job performing Canine Search and Rescue. Not to mention her three intensely loyal Labs. But Fiona got to this point by surviving a nightmare.
Several years ago, Fiona was the only survivor of the Red Scarf Killer, who shot and killed Fiona’s cop fiancé and his K-9 partner.
On Orcas Island, Fiona has found the peace and solitude necessary to rebuild her life. But all that changes on the day Simon Doyle barrels up her drive, desperate for her help. He’s an intensely private wood artist and the reluctant owner of an out-of-control puppy named Jaws.
As Fiona embarks on training Jaws, and Simon begins to appreciate both dog and trainer, the past tears back into Fiona’s life. A copycat killer has emerged out of the shadows, a man whose bloodlust has been channeled by a master with one motive: to reclaim the woman who slipped out of his hands . . .
The Witness. I checked this one out at my local library before and couldn't quite get into it. Giving it another shot. I'm sure this time around my thinking on the story will be totally different, as is the case many times when I try start a book several times.
Daughter of a cold, controlling mother and an anonymous donor, studious, obedient Elizabeth Fitch finally let loose one night, drinking too much at a nightclub and allowing a strange man’s seductive Russian accent to lure her to a house on Lake Shore Drive.
Twelve years later, the woman now known as Abigail Lowery lives alone on the outskirts of a small town in the Ozarks. A freelance security systems designer, her own protection is supplemented by a fierce dog and an assortment of firearms. She keeps to herself, saying little, revealing nothing. Unfortunately, that seems to be the quickest way to get attention in a tiny southern town.
The mystery of Abigail Lowery and her sharp mind, secretive nature and unromantic viewpoint intrigues local police chief Brooks Gleason, on both a personal and professional level. And while he suspects that Abigail needs protection from something, Gleason is accustomed to two-bit troublemakers, not the powerful and dangerous men who are about to have him in their sights.
And Abigail Lowery, who has built a life based on security and self-control, is at risk of losing both.
So that's what is in my book bag for a week or two. What's in yours?
Happy Reading!!
Shopgirl
As the title suggests, this is a blog about books and we will definitely be talking books! My reading runs the gamut of all different genres and I'll be using this blog to give short reviews and hopefully have some great discussions on books read or books to read. As time goes on I'll be adding more features such as reading lists, contests and maybe a reading group.
I guess I should give you a reason as to the "shopgirl" reference, but some of you may have already figured that out. I am a HUGE Jane Austen fan and one of the many movies made which reflect some of her work is You've Got Mail, which is in reference to my all-time favorite book by Austen, Pride and Predjudice. This was Meg Ryan's name in the chat room where she meets Tom Hanks, aka Mr. Darcy. And just to let you know, we will be discussing Jane Austen at random times.
Since it is summer, if you are like me, you have more time to sit and read. My son and husband's schedule is more relaxed with school being out, and the back porch calls my name (along with a book's name). So to start off the blog, I'm going to let you know what's in my book bag.
When professional house-sitter Lila Emerson witnesses a murder/suicide from her current apartment-sitting job, life as she knows it takes a dramatic turn. Suddenly, the woman with no permanent ties finds herself almost wishing for one…
Artist Ashton Archer knows his brother isn’t capable of violence—against himself or others. He recruits Lila, the only eyewitness, to help him uncover what happened. Chalking up their intense attraction to the heat of the moment, Lila agrees to help Ash try to find out who murdered his brother and why. From the penthouses of Manhattan to grand Italian villas, their investigation draws them into a rarefied circle where priceless antiques are bought, sold, gambled away and stolen; where what you possess is who you are; and where what you desire becomes a deadly obsession…
Next is The Search. Haven't started this one yet, but it sounds like a great read. You can always count on Nora Roberts for some great suspense.
To most people, Fiona Bristow seems to have an idyllic life—a quaint house on an island off Seattle’s coast, a thriving dog-training school and a challenging volunteer job performing Canine Search and Rescue. Not to mention her three intensely loyal Labs. But Fiona got to this point by surviving a nightmare.
Several years ago, Fiona was the only survivor of the Red Scarf Killer, who shot and killed Fiona’s cop fiancé and his K-9 partner.
On Orcas Island, Fiona has found the peace and solitude necessary to rebuild her life. But all that changes on the day Simon Doyle barrels up her drive, desperate for her help. He’s an intensely private wood artist and the reluctant owner of an out-of-control puppy named Jaws.
As Fiona embarks on training Jaws, and Simon begins to appreciate both dog and trainer, the past tears back into Fiona’s life. A copycat killer has emerged out of the shadows, a man whose bloodlust has been channeled by a master with one motive: to reclaim the woman who slipped out of his hands . . .
The Witness. I checked this one out at my local library before and couldn't quite get into it. Giving it another shot. I'm sure this time around my thinking on the story will be totally different, as is the case many times when I try start a book several times.
Daughter of a cold, controlling mother and an anonymous donor, studious, obedient Elizabeth Fitch finally let loose one night, drinking too much at a nightclub and allowing a strange man’s seductive Russian accent to lure her to a house on Lake Shore Drive.
Twelve years later, the woman now known as Abigail Lowery lives alone on the outskirts of a small town in the Ozarks. A freelance security systems designer, her own protection is supplemented by a fierce dog and an assortment of firearms. She keeps to herself, saying little, revealing nothing. Unfortunately, that seems to be the quickest way to get attention in a tiny southern town.
The mystery of Abigail Lowery and her sharp mind, secretive nature and unromantic viewpoint intrigues local police chief Brooks Gleason, on both a personal and professional level. And while he suspects that Abigail needs protection from something, Gleason is accustomed to two-bit troublemakers, not the powerful and dangerous men who are about to have him in their sights.
And Abigail Lowery, who has built a life based on security and self-control, is at risk of losing both.
So that's what is in my book bag for a week or two. What's in yours?
Happy Reading!!
Shopgirl
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