Monday, March 28, 2011
Miss Julia Rocks the Cradle by Ann B. Ross
Another sign that spring is on its way is a new Miss Julia book! I was a lucky recipient of an advance readers’ copy for review of Miss Julia Rocks the Cradle by Ann B. Ross, and once again enjoy my visit with Miss Julia and her patchwork family thoroughly! Miss Julia has promised her husband Sam that she will not get involved in any way in mysteries or murder any more. This is very challenging for the very curious Miss Julia, who despite her best intentions, just asks one or two questions, and she’s off. This time it’s the death of Richard Stroud in a shed in her nephew’s* teacher’s yard. Richard Stroud is a former nemesis of Miss Julia, having taken quite a bit of her money in an investment scheme. Due to an argument with Sam, Miss Julia does do a little investigating, getting caught, yet not totally found out, twice(!). Miss Julia also has the opportunity to assist in the birth of twins during a snowstorm, and learns how to take care of babies, as they start their lives under Miss Julia’s roof. Miss Julia is a little shocked by the whole birthing and nursing processes, as she was a well-protected Southern lady her whole life and she never had children. She can be a trifle old fashioned in many ways, but her good heart usually wins the day. Miss Julia Rocks the Cradle is highly recommended for those who enjoy books with a Southern atmosphere and their mysteries light. Happy Reading! Patti *Miss Julia has a very convoluted family life.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
The Postmistress by Sarah Blake
Hello All,
The Postmistress by Sarah Blake has been on my to-be-read list for quite some time, but only after it had been sent to me by Penguin for review for the paperback release did I finally get around to reading it. I had definitely been missing something.
The impression I had from reviews last year was that the postmistress was withholding mail from residents of a small Cape village during World War II. This is only a slight bit of the story. The postmistress, Iris James is a fully fleshed out character who has reasons for her handling of the U. S. Mail.
There are two other amazing strong women in this novel, Emma Fitch and Frankie Bard. Emma is a new bride whose husband, Will, six months or so into their marriage, decides that he needs to go serve in London during the Blitz, before the United States has begun any commitment in the war in Europe. Frankie Bard is a woman reporter, based in London, and living with the horrors of the Blitz daily. Frankie and Will's paths cross in London, one night in a shelter. Frankie is then given the opportunity of a lifetime; go to Berlin, and travel with people and families to get their stories of what they've seen and why they are leaving. Most are Jews, and they all have interesting stories to tell.
All of these women come together just before the war in the small village of Franklin, Massachusetts, and their stories come together as well.
The Postmistress is an excellent book, one of the most descriptive books I've read in quite some time. I learned a lot while reading this, and was lost in the story at the same time. I can't recommend The Postmistress enough.
Happy Reading!
Patti
The Postmistress by Sarah Blake has been on my to-be-read list for quite some time, but only after it had been sent to me by Penguin for review for the paperback release did I finally get around to reading it. I had definitely been missing something.
The impression I had from reviews last year was that the postmistress was withholding mail from residents of a small Cape village during World War II. This is only a slight bit of the story. The postmistress, Iris James is a fully fleshed out character who has reasons for her handling of the U. S. Mail.
There are two other amazing strong women in this novel, Emma Fitch and Frankie Bard. Emma is a new bride whose husband, Will, six months or so into their marriage, decides that he needs to go serve in London during the Blitz, before the United States has begun any commitment in the war in Europe. Frankie Bard is a woman reporter, based in London, and living with the horrors of the Blitz daily. Frankie and Will's paths cross in London, one night in a shelter. Frankie is then given the opportunity of a lifetime; go to Berlin, and travel with people and families to get their stories of what they've seen and why they are leaving. Most are Jews, and they all have interesting stories to tell.
All of these women come together just before the war in the small village of Franklin, Massachusetts, and their stories come together as well.
The Postmistress is an excellent book, one of the most descriptive books I've read in quite some time. I learned a lot while reading this, and was lost in the story at the same time. I can't recommend The Postmistress enough.
Happy Reading!
Patti
Deep Down True by Juliette Fay
Hello All,
Deep Down True by Juliette Fay is a(nother?) story of a divorced woman emerging with her children from the divorce a stronger person and stronger family.
As I have been making some big changes in my own life, I have enjoyed reading about other women making changes in their lives. In Deep Down True, Dana Stellgarten seems to be hit with a lot, more than your average divorcee. She has an ex-husband who is living with his former mistress, a sixth grade daughter discovering the daily social changes in middle school, a seven year old son who wants to be tougher when he plays football, and her Goth sixteen year old niece comes to stay with her. Additionally, Dana has two men vying for her attention through this book, and stumbles into the perfect type of job for herself. This is not all the tragedy and/or drama that occurs in this book--heck, I don't want to give away everything!
Overall, I liked this book, and wanted to like it more, but there was just a little too much packed into one book for me. It also closed a little too much for me; with everyone in the places that they are, the transitions wouldn't just stop. I would have liked to see a more open-ended finale, knowing that it's all not going to be easy from here on, but there was a slight break in the action.
I would love to read others' opinions of this book--comment below, or direct me to other reviews.
Happy Reading!
Patti
This book was sent to me for review by Penguin Group; no other compensation was offered or accepted for this review.
Deep Down True by Juliette Fay is a(nother?) story of a divorced woman emerging with her children from the divorce a stronger person and stronger family.
As I have been making some big changes in my own life, I have enjoyed reading about other women making changes in their lives. In Deep Down True, Dana Stellgarten seems to be hit with a lot, more than your average divorcee. She has an ex-husband who is living with his former mistress, a sixth grade daughter discovering the daily social changes in middle school, a seven year old son who wants to be tougher when he plays football, and her Goth sixteen year old niece comes to stay with her. Additionally, Dana has two men vying for her attention through this book, and stumbles into the perfect type of job for herself. This is not all the tragedy and/or drama that occurs in this book--heck, I don't want to give away everything!
Overall, I liked this book, and wanted to like it more, but there was just a little too much packed into one book for me. It also closed a little too much for me; with everyone in the places that they are, the transitions wouldn't just stop. I would have liked to see a more open-ended finale, knowing that it's all not going to be easy from here on, but there was a slight break in the action.
I would love to read others' opinions of this book--comment below, or direct me to other reviews.
Happy Reading!
Patti
This book was sent to me for review by Penguin Group; no other compensation was offered or accepted for this review.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Friday Reads
Hello All!
This post is in response to Ian Lewis (@bookmeme on Twitter) who posted on Twitter "Love #fridayreads? Got a blog? Write a short piece on what reading means to you and why #fridayreads is so cool. Then, share the link." This post is also for Bethanne Patrick (@thebookmaven), Erin Mitchell (@erinfaye), Rebecca Schinsky (@bookladysblog) and Margaret Brown (@shelfmagazine), who are the wonderful people behind #fridayreads. Note: the hashtag (#) is used on Twitter to bring notice to or tag a topic.
Now, on to my response:
As you all know, I am a reader. I’d almost define myself that way before I’d say I’m a librarian, but for me, in the old fashioned way, the two go hand-in-hand.Reading is everything to me. I love to read books, read about books, talk about books, shop for books and buy books. If you have read my blog before, you know I love mysteries over every other genre, but have happily discovered other genres through book-loving friends, reading other bloggers and following book people on Twitter.
I have been very lucky to attend mystery conventions, especially Bouchercon, over the last 11 years or so. Through my attendance, I have made friendships in the mystery world with other librarians, booksellers and authors. All of these people have lead me to other books and authors. I love how the reading world works.
And now on to Friday Reads. If you are unfamiliar with Friday Reads and you are reading this, you need to go to: http://fridayreads.blogspot.com/ It defines itself as follows: “FridayReads is a community of thousands of people who come together each week to share whatever they're reading. Our goal is simple: to raise reading's visibility and encourage more people to join in!” Every Friday, all over the web, people send a tweet from Twitter, or post from Facebook, telling others what they are reading.
The BEST thing about readers, and book people of all kinds, is that we LOVE to share what we are reading!
So, what are you reading?
Happy Reading!
Patti
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Lucky Stiff by Deborah Coonts
Hello All!
I am happy to share everything with all of you about Deborah Coonts's book, Lucky Stiff! Ms. Coonts was kind enough to forward an advance readers' copy of this book for review.
In order (for me) to read Lucky Stiff, I had to run out and buy the first in this series, ,Wanna Get Lucky?, because I am one of those readers who must read series in order. I LOVED Wanna Get Lucky?, and Lucky Stiff is an excellent successor to the first book.
In Lucky Stiff, our heroine, Lucky O'Toole, in her primary role as Head of Customer Relations for the Babylon Hotel in Las Vegas, must contend with a huge boxing match, an entomologists' convention, and the auction of a virgin (certified) to the highest bidder. In a secondary role that she has fallen into, that of amateur detective, she wants to solve the murder of a oddsmaker who died in the Babylon's shark tank.
I think Lucky is one of the smarter female characters to come along in quite some time. She is intelligent, strong, remembers almost everything, knows who to know in Las Vegas, and is described as a full-figured, attractive woman. Her defenses are being broken down by new friends and a new love. And the books are very funny. It is highly complimentary when I say that Deborah Coonts has the same sense of screwball humor that Jennifer Crusie has.
For a good time (and a good mystery) read all about Lucky!
Happy Reading!
Patti
I am happy to share everything with all of you about Deborah Coonts's book, Lucky Stiff! Ms. Coonts was kind enough to forward an advance readers' copy of this book for review.
In order (for me) to read Lucky Stiff, I had to run out and buy the first in this series, ,Wanna Get Lucky?, because I am one of those readers who must read series in order. I LOVED Wanna Get Lucky?, and Lucky Stiff is an excellent successor to the first book.
In Lucky Stiff, our heroine, Lucky O'Toole, in her primary role as Head of Customer Relations for the Babylon Hotel in Las Vegas, must contend with a huge boxing match, an entomologists' convention, and the auction of a virgin (certified) to the highest bidder. In a secondary role that she has fallen into, that of amateur detective, she wants to solve the murder of a oddsmaker who died in the Babylon's shark tank.
I think Lucky is one of the smarter female characters to come along in quite some time. She is intelligent, strong, remembers almost everything, knows who to know in Las Vegas, and is described as a full-figured, attractive woman. Her defenses are being broken down by new friends and a new love. And the books are very funny. It is highly complimentary when I say that Deborah Coonts has the same sense of screwball humor that Jennifer Crusie has.
For a good time (and a good mystery) read all about Lucky!
Happy Reading!
Patti
Saturday, January 29, 2011
The Oracle of Stamboul by Michael David Lukas
Hello All,
I'm excited to tell you about a wonderfully exotic book that Harper was kind enough to send me for review. It's The Oracle of Stamboul by Michael David Lukas, and for me, it was a "once upon a time" book.
Once upon a time, a baby girl was born in a land far away, and a flock of special birds heralded her arrival, and went with her wherever she went. For a long time, Eleanora Cohen (for that was her name) lived with her father, who traveled quite a bit, and her stepmother. Eleanora was a very intelligent girl, and remembered everything she was told, and many things that she read. Her father taught her to read at an early age, and she could not get enough of books. Her stepmother stopped Eleanora's reading when she disobeyed and read when she was supposed to be doing housework.
One day, Eleanora's father told her he would be going away on a business trip to Stamboul, a large city that she had heard about her whole life, and her father would be gone for a month. Rather than stay with her stepmother, Eleanora decided to stow away among her father's traveling things, and reveal herself when they reached Stamboul. And this was just the beginning of an adventure that would include the elegant city of Stamboul, living in the beautiful home of her father's business partner, espionage, a sultan, political intrigue, and the possibility of an unexpected future.
The Oracle of Stamboul was nothing like I anticipated, based on the original summary I read, and it is a beautiful story that I'm glad I had the opportunity to read.
Happy Reading,
Patti
I'm excited to tell you about a wonderfully exotic book that Harper was kind enough to send me for review. It's The Oracle of Stamboul by Michael David Lukas, and for me, it was a "once upon a time" book.
Once upon a time, a baby girl was born in a land far away, and a flock of special birds heralded her arrival, and went with her wherever she went. For a long time, Eleanora Cohen (for that was her name) lived with her father, who traveled quite a bit, and her stepmother. Eleanora was a very intelligent girl, and remembered everything she was told, and many things that she read. Her father taught her to read at an early age, and she could not get enough of books. Her stepmother stopped Eleanora's reading when she disobeyed and read when she was supposed to be doing housework.
One day, Eleanora's father told her he would be going away on a business trip to Stamboul, a large city that she had heard about her whole life, and her father would be gone for a month. Rather than stay with her stepmother, Eleanora decided to stow away among her father's traveling things, and reveal herself when they reached Stamboul. And this was just the beginning of an adventure that would include the elegant city of Stamboul, living in the beautiful home of her father's business partner, espionage, a sultan, political intrigue, and the possibility of an unexpected future.
The Oracle of Stamboul was nothing like I anticipated, based on the original summary I read, and it is a beautiful story that I'm glad I had the opportunity to read.
Happy Reading,
Patti
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Happy Anniversary Huntington Woods Public Library!
Hello All!
I want to wish a Happy 50th Anniversary to the Huntington Woods Library (http://www.huntington-woods.lib.mi.us/). This was my home away from home for over 10 years of my life, and started me on my career in librarianship.
My family moved to Huntington Woods in the summer of 1973, when I was 9 and going into the fourth grade. Soon after we moved in, I found out the library was in walking and/or biking distance (4 blocks) with no "busy" streets to cross--I could go by myself or with my sister! This changed my life--I could go almost anytime, and though I don't remember the amount of books I could take out, it was enough to make me happy. I also don't remember participating in any other activities than the summer reading program, but that was enough.
Two weeks after I turned 16, in August 1980, I was hired by the Huntington Woods Library as a page, to shelve the books, among other tasks. I was a page for four years, and then, while in college, I became a circulation clerk. I did that for three years.
To name drop, I worked for Virginia Platter at the beginning, then for Shelley Gach Droz and with Elizabeth Levin Gulick for the last several years I was there.
I left the Huntington Woods Library in spring 1987, to embark on several job and career adventures that did not end up being as steady and as much like "home" as the library.
I saw the light in spring 1990, quit my job at that time, and by fall I was enrolled at Wayne State University in their Library Science Program. I could not escape the fate that was probably decided at 16, quite possibly as early as when I was 9. I became a librarian.
I have since worked at the Romeo District Library in Washington, MI for 14 years (http://www.libcoop.net/romeo/), and now with the Pima County Public Library in Tucson, AZ for over two years (http://www.library.pima.gov/). I have worked with all ages of patrons, and I am still one of those librarians who love to read and talk about books with people more than anything.
Happy Anniversary to Huntington Woods Library, and best wishes for the next 50 years!!!
Happy Reading!
Patti (Cheney) O'Brien
I want to wish a Happy 50th Anniversary to the Huntington Woods Library (http://www.huntington-woods.lib.mi.us/). This was my home away from home for over 10 years of my life, and started me on my career in librarianship.
My family moved to Huntington Woods in the summer of 1973, when I was 9 and going into the fourth grade. Soon after we moved in, I found out the library was in walking and/or biking distance (4 blocks) with no "busy" streets to cross--I could go by myself or with my sister! This changed my life--I could go almost anytime, and though I don't remember the amount of books I could take out, it was enough to make me happy. I also don't remember participating in any other activities than the summer reading program, but that was enough.
Two weeks after I turned 16, in August 1980, I was hired by the Huntington Woods Library as a page, to shelve the books, among other tasks. I was a page for four years, and then, while in college, I became a circulation clerk. I did that for three years.
To name drop, I worked for Virginia Platter at the beginning, then for Shelley Gach Droz and with Elizabeth Levin Gulick for the last several years I was there.
I left the Huntington Woods Library in spring 1987, to embark on several job and career adventures that did not end up being as steady and as much like "home" as the library.
I saw the light in spring 1990, quit my job at that time, and by fall I was enrolled at Wayne State University in their Library Science Program. I could not escape the fate that was probably decided at 16, quite possibly as early as when I was 9. I became a librarian.
I have since worked at the Romeo District Library in Washington, MI for 14 years (http://www.libcoop.net/romeo/), and now with the Pima County Public Library in Tucson, AZ for over two years (http://www.library.pima.gov/). I have worked with all ages of patrons, and I am still one of those librarians who love to read and talk about books with people more than anything.
Happy Anniversary to Huntington Woods Library, and best wishes for the next 50 years!!!
Happy Reading!
Patti (Cheney) O'Brien
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