Review: The Golden Hour

The Golden Hour by Beatriz Williams
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved every second that I spent with this book. First of all, anything that even mentions Wallis Simpson grabs my attention. Secondly, any book that is based in a tropical location will pull me into its pages. Thirdly, add to that, characters that I met in another book and I am hooked!!!

I won't spoil anything for you because this book has some intrigue and moments where my jaw dropped for a second and you need to experience that for yourself. I just want to tell you that the book travels a little through time, but you should not have trouble keeping up. You need this "time travel" to grab the importance of the story and how it weaves over almost 50 years.

If you have read other Beatriz books, be on the lookout for a character you have seen before (I love it when she does this).

The only thing I didn't like about this book was when it was over.

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Review: Blackberry and Wild Rose

Blackberry and Wild Rose by Sonia Velton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There are four players, Esther, Sara, Bisby, and Elias. Only two of them are married to each other, but the other two will change the course of their marriage and the lives of all four of them. I hate to give away anything because I hate when folks do that. I will just tell you that I was captivated from the first chapter wanting to know what was going to happen next. Elias is a master silk weaver and Esther longs to have her watercolor paintings made into silks. What lengths would she go to in order to see her art turned into silk? What would Elias do to remain a master? How could Sara try to ruin the lives of all four of the players? Do you see what I am saying? You really need to read this one.

Some scenes are a little violent, but it was the times and situations that the players lived in so there is no way around that.

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Review: Wallis in Love: The Untold Life of the Duchess of Windsor, the Woman Who Changed the Monarchy

Wallis in Love: The Untold Life of the Duchess of Windsor, the Woman Who Changed the Monarchy by Andrew Morton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have always enjoyed an Andrew Morton book. You can count on him to be detailed and tell things you may never have heard before. I was looking forward to reading this one the second I heard it was a book because of that fact and I must say I was NOT disappointed.

This one seems brutally honest, I mean no polishing over any fact. Let's face it, even though Wallis fascinates me, she was not someone who I would have wanted to be friends with in any way.

This is a good book for anyone trying to figure out what attracted David to her and made him give up a whole throne to have her in his life.

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Review: Hope Rides Again

Hope Rides Again by Andrew Shaffer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

These books are a fun little journey with Joe and Barack. You never know what mess they will get into next. This book is a fun way to spend a day at the pool or a long train ride. It is a fun journey and is a quick mystery that will be solved by the end of the day.

I do love that while this a complete work of fiction, some of the statements made by Joe and Barack could actually be something they would say (or so I think since I have never met either man I can't be positive).

I do enjoy the fact that Joe wrestles with himself in these books to figure out if he is going to run. He tries to figure out how he can keep serving his country, figure out who killed that guy and how he will get home to Jill for dinner.

Funtimes!

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So Long 2018

2018 was not the kindest year to me.  When I started thinking about what this year meant I was thinking about how much I hated it.  Our lives changed so much and not for the better, but I stopped. NOPE, I was not going to 2018 win.  Here is the deal, there were big changes for us, but there were a lot of good things that happened that were amazing.  My word for 2018 was the Future.  I took that word to mean something totally different when I chose it.  It does still apply though.  Future.  There are so many good things in the future that completely outweigh a crummy year, week or even day.

I went to a class the other day for journaling and the girl teaching it said everyday she writes down one good thing that happened to her that day.  Before I fall asleep at night I think about the day, but this struck me right in the face...BAM!!  Write this stuff down.  That leads me to my word this year...FORWARD.

It is a variation on the future, I know that, but I am looking forward.  Things won't always be as they are now, that is the good thing about life, it is ever-changing.  What seems horrible right now, will one day be in the past.  You can choose to look at it or forget it.  I am choosing to look back on the good.  There were many things in 2018 that were amazing for me.

1.  I saw Hamilton again
2.  I took a week off in June
3.  I went to Canada for a weekend
4.  I saw Chicago, Wicked, Rick Springfield and every play at the Market House theater
5.  I went to Disney World
6.  I bought myself cupcakes for my birthday
7. I had a tumor removed and it was a nothing tumor!!!
8. I finally got to redo the landscaping at the house.  (well I didn't someone did for me)
9.  Pepper joined our family
10. I  saw about 8 classic films on the big screen

2018 you weren't so bad, but I will see ya later.

So in love with you, my love am I

The more I think about you, the more I love you. The more I long to stare into your face. You are carved completely out of a cold substance and I hate to be cold. Why then do I love you? I love to read about you, to view photos of you, and I long to climb on your crevices.

For those that don't know what you are, you are a glacier. A massive piece of ice that moves. Yeah, it moves...it leaves in its path moraine and a U shaped valley. When you start down a fjord (an inlet of water that was formed by a melting glacier) the vegetation will be larger more lush, as you travel down the fjord closer to the glacier face it will appear smaller and in most cases, you will see NO vegetation. Instead what you will see is a large sheet of ice with crevices indentations and possibly icebergs. You will experience colors that may be indescribable....a topaz blue, granite gray, pure white, ice blue, azure, black, teal blue or teal green...and the list goes on and on.

the Lampley Glacierthe mendenhall 2008 The Lampley

the Herbert Glacier

the John Hopkins Glacier The Mendenhall Glacier 2008

Glacier Bay National Park and Reserve....the Majorie Glacier

The Sawyer Glacier (North) Tracy Arm Fjord

Tracy Arm Fjord and the granite wallsthe Mendenhall, see it before it's gone. Receding at an alarming rate.

The lovely Majorie Glacier (GBNP&R)

all that is left of a glacier

the mendenhall 2010

The Majorie and the Grand Pacific (the GP once filled glacier bay

Moraine

Review: Confections and Confessions

Confections and Confessions by Harper Lin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Being a massive fan of Harper's work I knew this one would be amazing. Dan and Amelia continue to be just adorable. John is still a jerk! This book had a serial killer and a second cupcake truck (because can you ever have enough cupcakes?). Don't forget the recipes at the end. If you have not, please read all 9, this series is so fun. Great beach or one day reads.

I am a proud member of the Review crew and super grateful to Harper for her time and talents.

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