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08 May 2023

2023 Summer Reading Guide

 The new guide is here!! This summer I chose books that I loved that I hoped you would love too.  I added some different categories that could fit into our busy lives.  I would love to know what you think about any of the books on this list.  



Click the link for a downloadable copy and thank you for stopping by.  




June Book Pick

 I will be the first to admit that I don't enjoy country music, but I will also admit that there are some excellent stories in those classic country songs.  This book was like a country song from start to finish, trials, tribulations, sex, cheating, rags to riches....it is all here.  


Lillian Water's doctor told her she will soon lose her health battle and the voice that made her a country music mini-queen.   She knew she had to go out and do the thing she loved the most, play music. She gathers her band and heads out for that Farewell Tour.  While we travel with Lillian through life and touring, she gives us a look into her past.  It is an ugly past full of alcohol and forced sexual encounters (this is a warning if you don't like to read about these subject matters).  

Lena was born poor, she went to work when she was a child because it was the only way that she could eat.  From an early age she loved music and one day she figured out how she could get that first guitar.  Once the guitar goal was obtained she headed to make her dreams come true. The guitar was her everything.  She escaped her horrible young life for a life of music, but here at the end of her career, she needs to go home to fix some broken fences.  

I read the print book because of the cover, I mean look at this, it is gorgeous, then I loved the book so much that I did the audio.


  I am going to recommend the audio because the narrator embodies what you think Lena/Lillian would sound like and in a couple of spots, she sings to us.  

16 April 2023

May book pick

 I finished this book back in November and could not wait to share it with the world!!! Susan Meissner is my top favorite author right now.  She always writes a book that gives me a story I didn't expect, a setting that is familiar, but not like other books and she gives me a book that I have trouble putting down.  I would love to know what you think about this one.  It hasn't become my favorite Meissner book, but I would say it is a solid #3.  What are 1 and 2???? A Fall of Marigolds and As Bright as Heaven


Here is my review from November....




Susan can always tell a story that will pull me right into the middle and make me feel all of the emotions and this one is no exception. This one is about a young lady named Rosie, who is raised on a vineyard where her father was employed. One day her family was killed in an accident and she was the sole survivor. The vineyard owners, Truman and Celine, took Rosie in as her guardians. The whole plan was to use Rosie as a maid and not raise her as their child. The story pivots on one fateful night and Rosie later discovers that she is pregnant.


There is a second storyline that features Truman's sister, Helen, as a caregiver for children overseas in pre-war Europe. She and Rosie had developed a relationship over the years whenever Helen visited the vineyard and Helen had written letters to Rosie. They both had a deep friendship.

War then breaks out and uproots everything. Pregnant Rosie is sent away and Helen is struggling to survive in Europe. Each of them longs to talk to the other one and is trying to discover a way out of the turmoil around them.

You're going to love this one!!

Review: Demon Copperhead

Demon Copperhead Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Review: Coffee, Cream Pies, and Crimes

Coffee, Cream Pies, and Crimes Coffee, Cream Pies, and Crimes by Harper Lin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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Review: The Secret Book of Flora Lea

The Secret Book of Flora Lea The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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19 March 2023

Review: If a Poem Could Live and Breathe: A Novel of Teddy Roosevelt's First Love

If a Poem Could Live and Breathe: A Novel of Teddy Roosevelt's First Love If a Poem Could Live and Breathe: A Novel of Teddy Roosevelt's First Love by Mary Calvi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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Review: Game Show Confidential: The Story of an American Obsession

Game Show Confidential: The Story of an American Obsession Game Show Confidential: The Story of an American Obsession by Boze Hadleigh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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Review: King Charles

King Charles King Charles by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

These little books are so thrilling. They aren't too in-depth and gloss over some points of the subject's life, but they are fun and brilliantly illustrated. I enjoyed this one because we get Charles III early life, and how he was groomed for the day that has now arrived for him. If you have not checked out this book, or any other book of this series, do yourself a favor and try one, or ten.

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Review: Lady Sunshine

Lady Sunshine Lady Sunshine by Amy Mason Doan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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April Book Pick

 I was in a Daisy Jones and the Six vibe because everyone has been talking about the book again (thanks to the TV show) so I picked up this book.  I loved this dual timeline book from the first chapter.  Jackie is the niece of a famous rock star and her well-to-do parents let her go speed the summer with her uncle and her first cousin, Willa at a home named The Sandcastle.  Jackie tells us all about the things they did, the places they hid, the family fights, and how she longed to stay at The Sandcastle forever.  Forever lasted about two years, until someone dies and someone never returns.  


Fast forward to 1999, Jackie inherited The Sandcastle and wants to get rid of it as quickly as possible.  There is a musician on-site
recording an album and the two of them form a friendship and figure out how a person can heal from their past.   


Review: Following Jimmy Valentine