Sunday, April 1, 2012

books i read march 2012

54 books this month

Knits for Nerds 30 Projects: Science Fiction, Comic Books, Fantasy by Joan of Dark a.k.a Toni Carr
ISBN: 9781449407919
Even though there are categories: Science Fiction, Comic Books, Fantasy, if you change the colors to something mild the patterns can be adapted for everyday use.
There are some very easy patterns to knit, some are charted.
Cute: baby elf hat with horns is adorable and could be used on a daily basis.
Hand coverings in different varying lengths and patterns make it so the easy to advanced knitter wouldn't be lost making these.
Head coverings and cape/wraps are also a high priority.
Great for make believe or a child dressing up or for a Halloween costume.
Let your imagination go wild and use the patterns in the book to make a whole new world.
Glossary with pictures of how to do some techniques is at the end, very helpful and knowledgeable info there.




CLASSIC ELITE QUICK KNITS 100 Fabulous Patterns for Wraps, Socks, Hats, and More by Classic Elite
I was hoping this book would be about some basic patterns and it is that and more. It covers patterns for average and advanced knitters. I feel one has to know or learn quick how to use knitters charts to be able to knit items from this book.
Patterns are for clothing and/or accessories for many members of your family..
What a treasure this book is: the patterns, color sequences and the items themselves.
I am sitting here trying to decide which needs to be started today.
For the patterns with charts, the written instructions are not included but they do point out when a new pattern starts, but you really have to know how to use charts.
Head coverings, sock section, neck/shoulder adornments, and blankets/bags.
Has an extensive glossary of terms used along with other information to help you select your yarn thickness.
Very good resource book.



OUT OF MY LEAGUE by Dirk Hayhurst
This book is written by and spoken from Dirk's point of view as he is the one going through all of it.
Talk of him growing up in his family where his dad would help him by coaching in baseball. Over time it's all Dirk wants to do.
Being in the minor league hasn't amounted to a big pay check and because of what he shows on the mound he is moved to the major league where things turn around ten fold for him.
Liked how he handled the let down of losing a game and that others could see it also.
Love the guy talk and pranks along the way. A man would super really love this book as they could relate more to the things that happen. I just like baseball so the story line was interesting to keep me reading through 400 pages.
A plus was the romance to Bonnie and how the book and season follows her as well in every day life.
Besides traveling to different new places to me, there is also a lot I was able to learn. The most funnier things were the beer bag and princess knapsack.


Big Cat, Small Cat by Ami Rubinger
Pub Date: March 17, 2009
ISBN: 9780789210296
Illustrated, very colorful children's book.
Pages show and state in words about the sizes and shapes and other characteristics of different cats.
Good educational tool and fun for all.


I Dream of An Elephant by Ami Rubinger
Pub Date: March 22, 2010
ISBN: 9780789210586
Illustrated, very colorful children book.
This is the type of book that allows the child to fill in a blank with the answer they want.
The choices are usually a color and the colors of the items in question are shown. You can point to them.
Follows an elephant through their day, flowers, other animals, different forms of weather,
Can even be used a counting book.



Dog Number 1, Dog Number 10 by Ami Rubinger
ISBN: 9780789210661
Illustrated, very colorful educational children's book.
Each dog not only has their own name, but a number and each has something different about themselves.
Good for not only colors but numbers and playing counting games.
Also adding game at the end when the book combines different numbered dogs on a page.



Sweet Anger by Sandra Brown
Carly works at the local TV station and is a personality on live TV. She's just lost her husband to a truck hitting him.
She learns she is pregnant and she wants Thomas's children to have the house that is rightly theirs. She can continue to
work and a new district attorney, Hunter McKey has come into town telling her that her husband was to be tried for stealing money from accounts.
She searches her house top and bottom to find something that will credit her husband as having nothing to do with the allegations.
She comes to awareness where she's on the couch in a room off the courtroom and she has her hands around his neck wanting more kisses until she realizes that it's Hunter, not Tom at all.
She had suffered a miscarriage just 3 days prior to the trial and the doctor now ordered her to bed rest.
After 5 months she was back at work feeling renewed.
She got the job of being the breaking news reporter-giving up her entertainment position. She would be up against Hunter in court, following his every move and she hopes to gain the information she needs to set him in his place.
Hunter fantasizes about being with her and she just can't help herself with wanting to be loved.
She gets suspended for 3 months and takes off for parts unknown.
He attempts to find her by hounding her boss to no avail. He's going out of his mind with the loss of her.
Things heat up and become steamy when he does find her....
New work detail, his ex spouse and Carly shows up unexpectedly...

Financial Peace of Mind by Steven Trumble and Katherine Ross
What a great guide for all your financial needs. Like how the book is laid out in chapters and the followup worksheets for you to fill in your own information.
There is much to gain, even if you are set with your finances and goals, to refresh. This book is so up to date it even mentions Obama Health Care Program.
There's parts about organizational and budgeting basics. This section will come in very handy when I talk to my mom this week about her will and what it should
cover. Also about power of attorney and other forms of insurance.
This book just covers everything to help you understand how the systems work and how to stay afloat and out of trouble.
There are also links for the internet for you to check further into things: credit score, IRS, and other things.


read 3/28 pub May 15, 2012 A Color Game for Chester Raccoon by Audrey Penn
ISBN: 9781933718583
Illustrated very colorful children's book. Not only good for colors but counting games as well.
TYpical day in the life of Chester the Raccoon and what creatures he comes across and their color. Quite the selection of animals, birds and other natural things.
Book at the end suggests you play the color game and first start with white...

Hearts of Darkness:James Taylor, Jackson Browne and Cat Stevens The Unlinekly Rise of the Singer-Songwriter by Dave Thompson
The cover got to me because I grew up with James Taylor, Jackson Browne,
and Cat Stevens. Love their music even to this day I search for them on XM radio.
Everything from why their names were changed, moving and the instruments they played and
the music revolution.
Record companies, the politics and the signing, not knowing what you were really signing away,
who you were friends with and the travel, places near and far and who were there. The bands
and recollection of things happening all made the music we listen to today.
Love reading about the refereneces to the Newport Folk Festival as it's only 15 minutes from
my house.
Always interesting to find out how and why and who the songs were written about.
Adult book because of the swearing words.
Love the epilogue, tells you where they are now
And the very detailed discography.


The Alibi by Sandra Brown
Luke is dead at the hotel, shot 2 times. They inform his wife and she's not surprised he's not been murdered from his lovers husband. He has had many affairs in the past and although they are married, live in the same house, she knows nothing of his style or meetings of his life.
At the hotel there was also several others who had come down with food poisoning that may have seen the murderer. The cops try to get through to the ER doctor that they must talk to the people right then and there to help solve the murder case.
One investigator had spent the night with a woman he had met at the fair. She left before the next day and now he knows why she was on the phone when he walked into the bedroom and who she is and who she is related to.
Was never just a simple death, a lot of others are involved: unknown relatives, blackmail, insider trade secrets
Love that they staged the scene to catch the real murderer at the end.

prime time by sandra brown (rachel ryan)
She's trying to get the scoop of a lifetime to get her the better job at the network.
He is a recluse and is getting very old and he has stipulations to the interview.
Andi has the interview and he wants her to stay at the family house. Her film/audio crew will stay in the bunkhouse.
Ryan the son has objections but his dad holds his ground.
Health issues arise and Ryan falls apart and Andi tries to help but can she achieve a better outcome?
Just when you think a happily ever after ending, everything erupts and there is no way this is going to be a happy ending....

The Returning by Ann Tatlock
A man returns home to the place his wife and three kids moved to when he went to prison. It's ideal for them, the kids play on the water and there are jobs for the teens.
He tries to fit in with them all. There is a boy who has autism and he's open to hugs. The others are very hesitant to show their love.
The father also was an alcoholic. Now they find out the oldest daughter, Rebecca has been out drinking at nights after escaping from her bedroom window. They have a lot to deal with
amont the problems he has, his job cleaning up dishes at a restuarant. He hopes to move back to Rochester where the job opportunities are better with better pay. His wife and kids
want to stay put til they are out of high school at least.
He has also found faith in religion again.
Most couples don't stay together when one gets out and he knows it will be a struggle.


read 3/28 pub 5/1 Out of the Blue: A Book of Color Idioms and Silly Pictures by Vanita Oelschlager
ISBN: 9780983290421
Illustrated and very colorful children's book about color.
One side of the page will show the animal in a normal situation. The other side shows the same animal showing them as an emotion that depicts a color.
This can also be used, some pages as a counting tool.
Very silly, just right for bedtime.



Mooshka, A Quilt Story By Julie Paschkis
ISBN: 9781561456208
I was first attracted to this book because of the word Quilt. The cover is very pretty and I know it can be done by quilting various fabrics together to tell a story.
Karla calls her favorite quilt, Mooshka.
It protected her from scary things. Also the quilt would talk to her: sweet dreams, it said, every night.
This quilt, made by her grandmother stitched it, told her of what the squares meant with a story. Precious stories she could rest her head on and listen to the quilt tell her what the square was about.
One day a new crib was moved in and her new baby sister was in the same room as her. The quilt stopped talking.
Karla then retells all the squares stories to her sister.



North of Heartbreak By Julie Rowe
9781426893629
Willa is a trained nurse and has many settlements in the wilds of Alaska. She has run away from society as her ex husband not only beat her but made her lose the baby and any further chance of having a baby.
She does not trust any man now but wants to try again with a new pilot that is sent there to help with the other pilots.
They start out by just kissing and she tolerates that. They go out on emergencies that puts their own life in danger but they only want to help the ones they are called to the area to help.
She almost faints when she sees the bear is after him Liam and has visions of him lying in blood.
Like how the terms of the local tribes and their clothes is explained, makes me feel like I'm there with them. How they use trees and smoke as signals and other things I've learned about the tribe.
Like how they explain why the bears are further inland, makes sense if you're familiar with the area.
When Liam tells her why she should know who he is from the TV reports he has to tell her why as she never has time for TV.
When his father comes to pay a visit things get out of control and he thinks Willa is after his sons money like the last female.
These two have a lot to work through to get to the point of being civil to one another in the plane on an emergency trip.
She just had one thing to tell him and she knew he'd run back down to the southern US for good.
Sex scenes are an added plus to this wilderness novel.


Making Piece A memoir of love, loss and pie by Beth M. Howard
9780373892570
The power of pie!
This is a story of a woman who loses her husband that was just about to sign the divorce papers.
They've traveled and lived all over the world and he could never find enough time for her.
Love to learn new things: pie safe, had no idea that's what they were called.
Love scenery of Washington along Olympic Mountains western area where we first learn of how she made her first pie ever, the instructions are priceless!
Making pies to her is like what knitting does for me-calms, relaxes me.
Love the shortcuts to baking pies and learning how she perfects her technique.
She has returned to Portland, Oregon from Texas after he dies and tries to get a job making pies. Nobody is hiring.
Heartwretching to hear of her going through Marcus things to be donated, given away or to keep a few for her memories.
The RV Camper that he wanted to travel to every national park and camp at is a bucket list item for me as well.
She loaded up the camper and drove it to her friends in CA and met up with another friend who would return in 30 days so
they could start their venture: how pie helps me grieve with my loss. making pies on the road.
She starts by researching the other places around town that sell pie. They filmed and showed how pies are made at different
establishments and at others homes: baking parties learning something new at every stop.
Love the idea of the Spur Award and how she uses it not only with horses but other major aspects of her life.
Story of how she is coping with her grief is spot on, even with her thyroid problem.
Judging at the various events was eye opening in what they do to their creations and creatures to be assured a ribbon.
And recipes are included!

The Switch by Sandra Brown
Lawson was in town and had set up a date escort with Maleena. Problem is it was Jillian who had showed up. The girls are identical twins and Maleena needed a night off.
Mercenaries, stock market agents, FBI agents, Cult like organizations are all in this book.
This fast paced and interesting to see what's going to happen and how it involved them all.
Sides have changed and now there's a goal to just survive.
Medical records come to the rescue at the very end to solve all the questions.
Love the different places I was taken to in this book.

Lethal by Sandra Brown
The sick man on the lawn draws Emily and her mom, Honor to go outside.
Honor sees nothing out of the ordinary when she peers outside in the Mississippi bayou.
He attacks her and holds her hostage as he takes her over when she gets close to him.
The attacker, Covern checks out her house and computer to try to find out where Eddie, her husband, who had recently passed away had hid the bonds, or gold or the money.
She knows nothing of any of this.
This story follows what the attacker is thinking and what she is trying to do to get away while
keeping her and her daughter safe.
The reader is also up to date on what the investigation is doing and how close they are to solving the mysteries.
Lot of moles in the police departments and the 'agencies'.




Only His Fool's Gold Series by Susan Mallery
Love the sound of this town, close to the city and in the heart of the mountains and country and wine vineyards nearby.
Nevada was trying to get the next site job. She thought she'd be meeting with the older man, not the son, who she had gone to bed with years prior.
Tucker doesn't know why she won't take the job, she finally agrees and it's so hard to keep business in the forefront because she wants to have sex with him.
Nevada is a triplet, Montana and Dakota are her sisters.
Ethan, her brother took over the family business, when their father unexpectedly had passed away just weeks ago.
He introduced wind turbines and was able to help put all of them through college, putting his education on hold.
This is the town where every main job is done by woman, it still astonishes me!
There is also a story of their mother, Denise. She has hooked up with a man her own age and after they hook up she has a crisis and breakdown because she feels she's betrayed her dead husband.
The building of the casino is in place and on schedule. They have to do some blasting which is new to Nevada.
It started with a kiss and then onto hot steamy sex.
Kat, who had gone out with Tucker 10 years ago is back in town. She is the famous metal sculpture and wants to give the town square a giant vagina.
artist. Kat shares another secret with Nevada.
After the explosion there is a problem that halts further progress on the casino.
Another story is when Jo tells Will of her past and he can't forgive her and move on, he wants to leave.
Nevada's sisters are to be married on the same day, same ceremony. Lot of work for a double wedding.
Love what they did rather than having the wedding cake, so unique.


one summer by David Baldacci
Jack is on his deathbed, but his wife dies and the kids are sent to other homes.
In SC he gets better and rejoins all the kids to be a family again.
Jack returned from the war with many medals is a construction worker and after he had worked 3 hours he was getting pains in his back, legs, all over.
The doctors told him 6 months if he was lucky. They were in Ohio where her family had moved to due to her dads' job relocation.
Jack was getting worse, on oxygen and taking pain meds.
3 kids and he's not sure how they are going to handle his severe illness.
He's written Lizzie letters, numbered, one for the last weeks of his life.
Lizzie wants to spend one summer at the Palace, her summer home and Jack thought her and the kids would enjoy it.
Lizzie leaves to get his meds at the pharmcy, roads are icy and next he's awake and cops are telling him she's dead.
Lot of changes occur when he's in the nursing home when his daughter smiles at him. He does recover and nobody has a clue as to why.
He collects the kids and bring them all to live in Cleveland, Ohio and they will summer at the Palace, that he can fix up. Lizzie's lighthouse is on the property also.
Lizzie's grandmother who had just passed away had left a note with her lawyer for Jack when he showed up with the kids.
Life of living at the beach and the everyday chores and parties, sand angels, all this brings back nice memories.

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
Starts out with young teens looking up the date of their 30th birthdays.
Then they are in their late 20's and they have no idea where they are going or what they will be doing.
They grew up together, right next door to one another and did everything together.
Years later: Darcy is to be married and they all go out drinking, problem is Rachel is so drunk she goes to bed with Darcy's boyfriend, Dexter and
it doesn't stop there. Seems he wants to know her better than worry about marrying Darcy.
There are many relationships they each go through and hope they've made the right decisions.
Love trip to England and the castles sound gorgeous.


Bring Me Home for christmas by Robyn Carr
Rich normally comes every year or so to meet up with his other Marine friends to Virgin River to go hunting and flyfishing and to set up the annual Christmas tree in the town square.
Becca was engaged to Denny, one of Rich's friends and they broke up after he had just lost his
mother and signed up for the war.
She's got some time on her hands as she lost her fulltime job teaching and was doing
sub work now but it's a school holiday-the week of Thanksgiving.
It was a total surprise when Becca showed up and Denny flipped out.
A medical mishap and now Becca will be staying for up to 6 weeks time.
While he watches her at night at his place she's at the bar owner's house during the day where the 7yo
and 4yo are around some. Love that she gets to teach them things, especially help to make the Thanksgiving
decorations for the table. The table is so big they move the celebrate to the church hall.
She's also had a chance to talk to Denny to find out what happened with him. We know from previous books
that he left San Diego to go to Virgin River to find his real father, whom his mother said was Jack. They
bonded but it was not Jack at all but the relationship stayed intact as the whole town just helps everybody
out that needs help.
Love again hearing about the locals and what's going on in their lives.
Never know which way things will do with these novels, at times everything seems set in stone then things
crumble to reveal a different ending...
And Mother Nature has to put in her two cents worth!


Hotel Vendome by Danielle Steel
Hugh has built a hotel that is fit for a king or queen. After a few years his wife leaves them and he gets to raise their daughter which he has no problem doing.
His whole life is Heloise and the hotel.
As years go by Heloise also loves the hotel business and applies to a Swiss school to get further training. She gets in and he finds himself lost while she's gone
so he undertakes a new project: redoing some of the larger suites. The designer is one he feels very comfortable with and really likes what she's done with the one
suite, enough to offer her the job of doing the rest.
Heloise is now doing an internship for 6 months in Paris along with her lover but things don't go so well.
She had visited with her mom a few times over the years but she was so wrapped up in her drugs, new babies and her music lover to even give her notice.
Now that she's back in NY with her dad they find their interests are the same and they get to talk about their love for one another and how they can further their
relationship and allow others to come in.


Bright Island by Mabel L. Robinson
ISBN: 9780394809861
First thing that attracted me to this book was that it's about an island. Love islands as I spent many a year in my teens growing up on one local one.
Next thing is the state of Maine. We have traveled around the state and have spent many a week there just discovering new things.
Mary Curtis has 6, 4 living boys who were now all married and living on the mainland and the last child she had a daughter which she named, Thankful.
They were all coming to visit for the day to have a Sunday dinner.
The family has decided come September she will spend time over on the mainland going to regular schools. Spend a few weeks with one relative and then onto
another. Thankful is not too keen as she likes her daily routine of jumping into the frigid ocean for a quick wake up swim, then onto breakfast, feeding the
animals and other chores before she heads out in her sailboat, The Gramp. she misses him so much and loves being so free to do, dress and as she likes on the island.
The mainland will be so different.
The charcoal type drawings throughout the book are interesting to visualize.
Another solution presents itself and that is what Thankful wants and is able to get.
Is this going to be the right choice for her?
Love not only the Latin language, I had picked up a book of my brother's once to study it. but also the knowledge of the winds and sailing. What a lesson!
Highlander traditions, song and dance and everything it stands for comes out in this book.
Not only the weather she knew about but the signs of fall, when certain berries were a certain color, I remember those.
Happy to hear the gift her gramps gave her in his will, priceless!
Wish there was a previous book when the grandfather was alive and teaching her everything.


Getting Rid of Bradley by Jennifer Crusie
She's just gotten divorced and feels free again. Until she gets mugged in the alley.
Bad things lead to her ex-husband, Bradley but she holds the secret.
Somebody blows up her house, many times, her car, and the protection comes to pay a visit and
stay. She has feeling for the cop and he as well.
Lucy can't wait til they find out the person, there are a ton of bank bonds out there
still and a strange double identity.
Comical and serious at the same time.


Mad About the Boy by Suzan Battah
Julia was shopping when Kelly saw her and attempted to meet up with her.
Julia found a cute guy and asked him to be her pretned boyfriend and he agreed to have dinner with her Friday night in exchange.
They finally got rid of Kelly and exchanged cell phone numbers and then left the store.
Kelly was mad that she'd not heard back from Sebastian when she thought Julia was dating him.
By Designs is her company and a lot of the detailed descriptions are about the places she goes through and sees.
She's not felt anything for a man since her husband died 2 years ago.
He is a surfing champion and also is part owner of THE Augustine Hotel there in Miami.
Surfing lessons, like to learn new things with each book I read.
He has the hots for her but is too busy with charity events he has no time for himself.
She has the hots for him and wants him but her dead husbands face keeps coming into her line of vision and she feels like she'd be out of line by forgetting him and moving onto another man.
After a long time in the hospital recuperating from a car crash her mother in law comes to the rescue and gets her to not feel guilty and to start eating again.
He whisked her away for a few days to a pivate island where we find it a hot and steamy scene.
They return after much needed relaxation to their jobs which leave them but just a few hours every week to get together with one another.
The wedding of her girlfriend finally happens and he has had a visit from his fathers wife, leaving Dylan the 4 yo at his apartment, til she takes him back from the nursery school.
Health issues arise leaving him very concerned about her.
Death, custody and other major things happen that keep them away from one another and at the same time bring them together.
Will they ever be at a place where both of them can come together?

First Impressions by Jude Deveraux
Eden Palmer was sent away when as a teen she became pregnant from a rape on her way home. She ended up filing papers for a woman in the Carolinas. When her son was released from jail, a sex pedophile, she had
to leave and journeyed to NY where she got a job in the publishing field and raised her 5 yo daughter. Now she's notified she owns the house as both the mother and her son are gone. Her daughter is pregnant and
expecting her first. Eden decides to check out the house and spend some time with the longtime residents still alive.
Jared McBride is sent to find out things about this woman as her name was on a paper that a spy swallowed before he died. He's been part of special ops for many years and is recuperating, taking things slow as his leg heals. He will take up residency in the 'washroom' where he will spend time fishing and relaxing.
Because she attacked him in her house when he was attempting to reset the breakers she felt bad and invited him to live in her house so it'd be easier to feed him.
Love how the garden helped solved some riddles and puzzles and mysteries in this book. Learned a few things about wisteria as well.
The history of the garden was fascinating and going to look awesome once planted. Excellent finish.



If You Were My Man by Francis Ray
Mathailda owns the prestigious restaurant in South Carolina.
Rafael is on duty with his special ops buddies, he mostly talks others down or out of the line of fire.
They have started dating and family gets in the way. Her sister is in town and bad things start happening at the restaurant.
And now she is pregnant.
His sisters and family come to the rescue towards the end of the book to get them both to realize what's important.



Lord of the Mullets by A. M. Sawyer
A mythical magical land...
Matilda and Sasha rule the world. They make things appear and can control the king.
He has nothing left worth any value.
King does tell the women the weaknesses of the enemy surrounding them on all accounts.
Now the women take their time to travel to the different parts to conquer the enemies there so they can rule.
Fred, George and Billy have no one to ask for a loan so they can get money for beer. They are the southern army, Trailer Country better known as. A black cloud appears and afflicts pain and hurt on everybody but the 3 boys. The others are withering in pain and seem to have a hangover.
The boys wander around to try to figure out what's going on.
On their way to cut off the witches from destroying a town they hit the gun shack and armor themselves with what they will need.
Each chapter we find them at a different location and it's explained how they got there and why
they are there and how it will help them beat the witches and warn the others.
Lots of quests, almost like Lord of the Rings, and the Three Musketeers along with several other movies.
There is so much to get out of this book. At times it's also like a comic book series with the 'SLAP' and
other action words. I like where they go and what they do to achieve the final outcome. Didn't see that ending coming.




One Easter Basket by Cindy Bracken ASIN: B007GE8JF6
Illustrated, very colorful children's book.
Starts out with one Easter basket and it is a counting
game as to what goes in the basket on each page. After
it's all counted I can imagine it would be a very nice
basket.



Lion Pictures by G. Alexander ASIN: B0074B6UTI
A colorful book that has fifty pictures of lions.
Different species of lions and mostly shows them
sitting in their environment in the tall grass.


Fish Pictures Volume 3 ASIN: B00746N6AY by G. Alexander
A colorful book that has 49 pictures of fish.
The book shows a lot of different types of fish
and different colors, some are at an aquarium and
in their own tank, some share the tank with their
friends.

Baby Farm Animals by Cindy Bracken ASIN: B006M1TKDO
Illustrated and very colorful book about baby farm
animals.
It not only tells you what the adult animal is called
but what the baby animal is called.


It's Wintertime, Freddie Frog by Karl and VonLogan Brimhall
Illustrated children colorful book about a frog that is
wondering why instead of seeing summer insects and bugs
there is white snow falling from the sky.
Snowmen, shovels, hockey pucks and icicles are what he
finds when he looks around at the snow.


The Summer My Life Began by Shannon Greenland
A few things struck my interest: an island, word summer and sky is blue.
Just two things I like to get out of every book I read: learn something new and to be
taken away to a new place. This book has that and much more.
Her whole life was planned out for her, as were her other brothers and sisters lives.
College, law school and then the family law firm. Just before graduation she had gotten
a note that Aunt Tilly wanted her to spend the summer with her at the Outer Banks in NC.
The island with the bed and breakfast is in the outer banks, loved hearing of the wild ponies
when Nicholas Sparks wrote about it.
They never talked about Aunt Matilda but they agreed to let her go for one month and then she
could come back and work a month as an intern.
She and her sister were planning on what she could do there, cooking was a high priority and a summer romance.
She loved to cook but her mother when caught, would scold her and tell her she's never to cook, always to be served.
She hopes to be able to cook this summer and meets a challenge when she can pick out what spices were in the fish the first night she was on the island.
When she arrived some bad things happened and some good things. It was not at all like she
expected and there were other family secrets as well. Why had no one even talked about the secrets so deeply hidden....
Love detailed descriptions of all the lush vegetation on the island.
Wow and to learn about surfing, never knew about a guard before.
And I love the indepth secret of the family, as more is revealed and more is hidden.
Love combinations of foods and spices, gives me an idea of what to use in my own homemade muffins.
I did laugh out loud when she answered the phone thinking it was her sister and it was her mother and she told her where she was. I never laugh out loud, it was SO unexpected.
Glassblowing, love to watch the artist do this craft in person, such a treasure to hear the objects being described.
Love the ending and wish there was another book as in a series, the next part...


Only The Strongest Survive by Ian Fox
This book starts out with a kidnapping of the CEO of a huge company that is worth billions in the stock market.
Although I don't normally read thriller books this one held my interest because of the many aspects of it.
The book concentrates on those who now run the company and the decisions they make with Emeily gone-they are still not sure if it was a kidnapping or she just needed a week away from things.
Love the story line and learning about the stock market.
Her life is spared, brought back to life and must now live where she has no outside contact with others but has transferred 2 million dollars to John. She had taken over his familys company several years ago and now John wants what the company was really worth-10 million.
One brother, Ronald has no idea she is alive again, last he left her was in the ground in a coffin, buried.
I am caught up in the moment of reading this and I can't seem to read fast enough to find the answers I want.
John leaves many nights and from her basement room she can hear the alarm that sounds when one comes and goes into the complex.
The story goes back in time as to how she got the position she held at the company and then to the present: She does get to spend some time with John as she advises him what to buy and sell and they get to talk about the past. She gets to know him.
Love the explanations of how to buy and sell and why.
Journalism during war or earthquakes was a new one for me.
I am totally petrified for her and then he announces he will set her free.
There is some sex and at times it appears to be rather brutal and at other times it's just a passion for sex.





The Perfect Family by Kathryn Shay
When her senior year son comes out she is there to support him and others are also but it has
caused such a drastic change in his other relationships with others in town and his immediate friends.
Jamie has made a pact with his friend that they would both tell their mothers today. Luke didn't and told Jamie this. Jamie writes a journal to get his thoughts down on paper.
His mother, Maggie feels a lot of things, she's happy if Jamie is happy. Maggie would tell her husband, Michael tonight. Michael wonders if something he did or didn't do when the child was growing up could've stopped Jamie from being gay. Michael says the church says being gay is a sin.
Discusses how others take the news as they are told.
Other family secrets come to light also.
Therapy group is an eye opener Everything is going on an even keel, as much as can be expected when he is in charge of the blood drive at the school and prom season is approaching and he plans to go with his male date we find others who will not allow them to go to pre parties together, parents who want to escape by having an affair, and a suicide attempt.


Buried in Buttercream A Savannah Reid Mystery by G.A. McKevett
Something about the title made me want to read this book.
From the first page it's action packed and a mystery all in one. She won't just stand there
and let things happen. She is a policewoman and on her wedding day, just an hour before it
was to happen the community hall where it was to take place burns and with all her wedding
apparel and that of the bridesmaids. She looks at the crowd and figures out who it is and goes
after them. She then goes home to where her whole family and extended family are staying overnight in the tiny house with her and her grandmother. They've eaten most of the wedding meal and cake also. All I can think is: oh man, what next...
3 attempts and they are still not married but are trying to track down a killer. Leads them to
investigate at the local strip club and travel to Las Vegas and the islands off the coast.
Other catastrophes occur and other mysteries that I don't think they will ever get to get
married in this book, maybe the next one.


Summer Days By Susan Mallery

Rafe Stryker has come back to Fool's Gold, he just couldn't say no to his mother.
Heidi Simpson came to get her goat that had blocked Rafe from going any further.
She sold goat products and that made the mortgage payments.
Fool's Gold is a town where the fire chief is a woman, the police chief is a woman,
lawyer who is a female, Judge is a woman, baliff is a woman, you get the picture.
This is the first Fool's Gold book I've read and didn't realize there was a lack of
men in town.
His mother had given Glen $250,000 to buy his ranch, he never owned it and the money
went to a friend for medical expenses.
Never knew the things I learned about goats in this book, and about wine, glad they explained.
Judge has given them a few weeks til she can reach a decision. Her lawyer thinks
the solution is for Heidi to have sex with Rafe.
Glen and May, Rafe's mother have romantic tendencies. They are all living in the farm house
as it's a waste of money to stay at the lodge for indefinite length of time til the judge
gets back to them.
They decide to build up the ranch, fences, barn building and inside of the farmhouse to bring
it up to standards.
Spring festival sounds great, food, crafts and the locals all getting together and on Mothers Day
weekend.
May was bringing in more animals to the farm, sheep, llamas and others to arrive she said.
Rafe had looked over the new casino and 300 room hotel and was hoping when he won the ranch back he
could build a 100 home complex for the workers of the casino.
After spending the night together Heidi discovers the plans and thinks she has been betrayed. she will end up with nothing because he will win the ranch. Love the decision the judge did have to make.
His mom surprises them all with her purchases and he has no idea where that money came from.
All this and steamy hot sex makes this an excellent read and I will now go find the others in the series because I know they will just as good as this one.



The Perfect Christmas by Debbie Macomber
Cathy has decided to use a professsional matchmaker as she's had no luck on her own or her girlfriends blind dates.
Simon is the professional psychologist that has a dating service as well.
He's told her she needs to do a few tasks first then she will meet Mr. Right-John.
She's a bell ringer around the Christmas holidays near a store and finds some good people out there and some not so good people that left money for the pot.
Her next task is to fly in to meet Santa from up above the ceiling then help him with picture taking sessions.
Next task is to put on a dinner for her neighbors.
These are very trying tasks and things don't go just right but Simon is there to pick up the pieces.


Hounds and Heroes by Bill Miller
The Hunt was allowed access to the farms every year. It was just the understanding that the farmers would move their animals to other pastures so the fox population would be kept under control.
Carly had begun to see a nightly fox to their farm at nightfall.
She hoped to ride with the Hunt one day.
She lived on the farm and her grandfather took care of her.
Charcoal drawings of what's going on appear in the book.
This is the story of a hound, Hampton that starts out lead on the hunt, loses the scent and relaxes in the stream for a minute and then gets separated from the others and ends up running for miles
and finds himself in the city-very unfamiliar territory.
After school her friend Freddie and her got on dirt bikes and rode to see if they could find the hound dog. They did find some prints....
There are places that the speaker is the hound himself and also the US Vet and what is going through their minds.
Fred's disappearance brought them all together.
They are calling Carly the hero for following Hampton.
Thanksgiving Hunt is what happens next and it's a very troubled time with the train coming and the Hunt heading towards the train...



Summer's Child by Luanne Rice
This is the first story of Mara Jameson. She had gotten married and was pregnant. Then she just disappeared and years later no one had
heard of her again.
Patrick Murphy is the retired state police detective who is intrigued by the reports of Maya and tries to track her down by clues left.
Her parents are dead and she had lived with her grandmother, Mauve. Mauve's best friend, Clara grew up together in the seaside town of
Hubbard's Point.
At Cape Hawk Rose plays with Jessica and it's close to her birthday and she has high hopes of seeing the whale, Nanny who comes to visit her
every summer.
Capt Hook is the local oceanographer and has a love interest in Lily
and captain of the ferry where he has an office near Rose's mom yarn shop where Rose's mom, Lily rented the store along with
an apartment for them both.
Jessica can't even tell her best friend that her birthday is the same date as Roses cuz her dad might come find them and make them go back
to live with him. She has bad dreams of what he did to a dog. She is now happy to be away from him where nobody knows them.
hate how the husband they ran away from uses the interent to get others to send him money and to trick her into sending a message under one
of her alias names. He will be able to track down where she is now. Reminds me of one coming into an authors chat saying her daughter and
family had gotten burnt out of their home and she loves to read. Ended up getting the author to send her books and I'm thinking to myself
what's wrong with the free library? Hope it didnt happen and I do hate scammers.
Cool to have all these various stories connected by just one person. Like how the stories are all told.
Love new things this book has taught me, pocket rosary also known as chapette, i've made these for nursing home.
Also pine needle pillows-how neat of an idea!
This book follows Rose's journey to better health.
There are just a few things that link this whole book and all the characters together. What a tale!



The Joyous Hills by Peggy Gaddis
Ben picked her up at the train station and she didn't like his choice of cars.
She can't just give up her career when he's ready to retire.
Sally Jardin is at the home to recuperate from everythings that's happened. It's just been too much too fast.
The place is in the country and it takes some time to not only get used to the residents living there but also the animals that come by often.
Dr. Seth Wayne is an aboringine and is Ben's grandfather and his job is to restore the flowers that city folk will just rip out of the ground.
She had talked him into giving free talks to children so he could educate the kids on what and how to pick flowers so they'd not be ruined. She got what she wanted in the long run.
He is a world reknown botantist, reminds me of Grandpa on The Walton's, He had a Masters degree in botany also.

Illusions of Love by Cynthia Freeman
Leaving France after the war he made his way to USA and then to Panama to get to the west. Although sick someone helped him and he continued his journey. struck it rich in CA and staked others money so they could dig for gold. His parents had died and now the rest of the family wanted to stay in Jerusalem and not to the USA. He felt there was nothing worth living for. He was introduced to Sarah and married her.
Martin has met Jenny again after 25 years and now he's not going to let anybody
stand in their way. Before it was religion and he gave in and married whom his parents
wanted him to.
Silvia-who his parents picked for Martin
Martin never feels like he's earned being the head of they dynasty so he leaves CA for NY to head up his college roommates firm.
Martin and Jenny make decisions that makes them happy til after his father is taken ill and Martin flies back to CA.

Like The First Time by Francis Ray
A few woman get laid off due to bad economic times and one other wants to get with them to do something she's put off her whole life.
One is good at selling, one at making beauty products and one has all the money. They can go in together and make it work.
Although they put their all into this project some of their spouses or loved ones think they have made a mistake. This book follows
their lives and how they are able to accomplish it all and what they've had to give up for it.
Such an awesome idea for things you can do at home but it's more work than just for one person on their own.
Such a diverse group of women, strong, easy to keep track of them and their loved ones.


Keeping Secrets & Telling Lies by Trice Hickman
About a black woman who marries a white male. That's only the start of their problems. It's not them that have the problem
but others in their lives just don't accept it. They are both highly successful people in the buisness world and they have a
5 yo daughter who goes to the prestigous schools. When Victoria goes to sign her up she sees an old boyfriend who had cheated
on her. He's there with his son to register him for the same school. She sees him at the wedding of her friend because he's
there with his cousin Samatha. Ted's mother is very ill and not expected to live but a few days so he hightails it to Boston
to be with her and the siblings. What is learned will not only shatter his life but the whole family.
He was also handed an envelope at the funeral that he didn't open til later.
He didn't tell his wife everything either.
She didn't tell her husband everything either.

Scrapbook Of Secrets by Mollie Cox Bryan
The group of woman who meet to work on their scrapbooking have found out some interesting things. Weird things like one of their mothers getting stabbed in the neck, not feeling it, but having to be operated on. Their way home they drove by the one who had died to discover her husband had cleaned out all his wives things, all her scrapbooking so the woman take it all so they can go through it
later. They do not think she committed suicide as she had young children. They hope to find more clues to back up the fact that they think she was murdered. One thing they find out had brought in a lot of money for the family.
The chapters are very short and there are a lot of them. I do not think with everybody involved that I could even tell you who is married to who and what kids they have. There are just so many people.
The mystery becomes more than that as other things come to light and things are happening to others in the community.
Love the glossary of terms used, tips and tricks and how to do scrapbooking. Also love that this is a series and there is more to come of the same type of mysteries with most of the same group of people. This means that maybe I'll be able to keep the characters straight.


Fortune's Secret Baby by Christyne Butler
Cooper Fortune has just recently found out through a DNA test that he is the father of Anthony. He had met and hooked up with a woman in Minnesota when he
was traveling and he moved on after 6 months. She became pregnant and never told him, just dropped the baby off at a relatives house nearby along with
the coin. The coin holds a mystery for those who have one.
This story is also about the family unit, the extended family and friends in the town of Red Rock, Texas.
He starts to date the horse trainer, Kelsey Hunt that lives above the stables and really finds himself falling in love with her and her with him.
He has moved into one of the houses on the ranch so he can not only be nearer to his sister in law, who will lend a hand with the baby, but his horse, Silo.
Health tragedy brings the whole family together.
OK book , wish we could've learned more about her being a horse whisperer or a mystery about the coins.
Descriptions of the scenery was good.
The Daddy Catch by Leigh Duncan
Dan Hamilton is a surgeon who is interested in some land where he could build the medical center. The proceeds from that will
fund the community center for foster kids who have aged out of the system. He is a mentor to many of them and as the original
group of guys wants to go to Belize to fly fish he needs to learn how to. He wants to build condos.
Jess Cofer, widowed 5 years ago runs her late husbands fly fishing store. She wants to only preserve the land where the shop is
located. She is all into the preserving of the land.
She agrees to teach him how to fly fish after taking a Saturday lesson with dads and their kids. He takes private lessons one day
a week, then teaches the foster kids what he's learned.
She's helping him locate equipment for the foster kids on learn with.
Besides the romance I do like this book a lot, takes me to places i've never been, very descriptive area.
Also i feel with what i've read about fly fishing in this book that i could probably cast and not be too bad at it. Again very descriptive
about that, the fish, the equipment, how to tie flies, beach areas, scenery of Florida makes this a well rounded book to read.
Dan really gets along with her son Adam and includes him when he can.




An Innocent in Paradise by Kate Carlisle
Logan Sutherland and his twin own the whole Carribean island and the buildings on it.
Grace Farrell works as a waitress for their bar til she tips all the drinks over and Logan rescues
the rest. He finds out she's never done this type of work but is willing to do any job he wants her to so she can continue her research into the rare spores that are on the island for medical research.
He's given her one week to learn the job or she's off the island.
He starts to watch her at work and they spend time together. He talks to her of his plans for a sports center and she talks of her spores and what they can mean to the world for cures for diseases.
His father and brother show up with their friends who are the architect/designers and they spend a whole day just going over the whole island.
Little does Grace know what they have decided but she ends up seeing some plans that were old ones but she jumped to the wrong conclusions.
Will they ever be able to be together?


The One She Left Behind by Kristi Gold
Sam, his ex wife Darlene and their daughter, Jamie.
Savannah Greer left town as a teen but is back for her fathers funeral.
After the funeral all the people her age arrange for a get together. When in high school they were known as the 6 pack club and didn't go anywhere without one another.
Time to catch up with what everyone is doing and with whom they are with.
Her and her mom, Ruth are having a hard time getting along, they've drifted apart over the 10 years Savvy has been gone.
small town festivals are really cool to hear about, all the activities and the food.



Only Hers
Shannon is a nurse that needs some downtime so for a few weeks she travels to one of her patients cabins in the woods but she's met with the landowner. Matt brings her to the ranch house where the housekeeper, Octavia makes her feel welcome. She has a letter that says she
can stay for a few weeks time. The patient has since died now and the turmoil over the land is in upheaval. They have to work it out for themselves so she starts to learn how the horse ranch works by doing the chores involved.

Heart of the Falcon
Dam meets Madeline-one of his friends sisters, in the city. They share lunch and some sight seeing around San Antonio.
He thinks nothing of going 900 miles to get the pair of boots he likes. They both work in the petroleum industry and are
bound to run into one another again as he's moving his business to Houston.
Shes pregnant and he's responsible and does take care of her medically. She befriends his mother and they get close and
she's off to visit with her relatives.
Twins party was not the place to tell the family. just to enjoy the madhouse of all relatives meeting to celebrate.
Also touches on the romance of Felicia and John Henry.

Break Every Rule:
This last book of the saga is about Domonica Falcon, she's just returned from Paris and wants to start her business in town.
Trent is a guy who got a break from a trucker who know trusts him and his wife with their decisions, business and on the house front. He is the supervisor for her store.
Interesting to learn about the trucking business.
Others in the family have a bit of time in this book also.
Her photography business can't seem to get off the ground and he offers to help with a business plan and introductions to others at a dinner party.

read 3/6/12 pub aug 1, 2012
Angel of the cove by Sandra Robbins
The description of what this book is about first struke me as one I had to read. Reminds me of
Mary Ellen of the Waltons and how she wanted to get on her horse and visit all the mountain people
as they had no means to get to town to see a doctor.
Anna is on her way to her a midwifes home, Uncle Charles the country doctor in his buggy are taking her
to the Cove where Granny Lawsom lives.
The descriptions of the flowers along the way sound beautiful.
She's only going to be on the mountain til the fall when nursing school starts. Or if God has another
path for her to follow.
Such a simple life, self sustaining and you trade food with others for the food they have.
Granny knows enough about the plants and how to use them to make medicine.
Ah love the explanation of a honeymoon cabin, barn raisings, like to learn new things with each book I read.
Lot of praying to God, inspiritational moments and bible scriptures.
Simon the preacher has also taking a liking to Anna and hopes she will stay at the cove and not go to NY.
Anna doubted she could do nursing after a wounded man comes to Granny's to get stitched up. She left the
area and sneeked back into her bedroom, she just couldn't face them.
The man's son the next day brought a loaf of bread in lieu of payment.
The lessons in herbs and what they could do to make a person feel better was a tremendous help to Anna.
God provided the plants to grown.
Bible stories are told to the children who are in Anna's care after their mother gave birth and the father
travel to get the mothers sister to help out.
After birth the baby is wrapped in the fathers shirt, what a legend/tradition, 4th of July pitching silver dollars.
Carefree lifestyle but when work needed to be done there was no whining, everybody pitched in.
When Simon kissed her she sent him away and they rarely now met at others houses.
She's got the healing hands as she breathes life back into a lifeless body, an angel they call her.

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