Monday, September 24, 2012

Books I read in Sept 2012

 more to come

 Twelve Months by Steven Mancheste
ISBN:         9781611880533
Don DiMarco lives with his wife Isabella who not only loves her job in the house but also her job with disabled people.
Riley their daughter after college is now an advocate for disabled people. She is now married to Michael and they have 2 kids.
He is now retired, early at 57 and lives in a neighborhood where life is peaceful.
He finds out he has stage 4 colon cancer and after talking to many docs he decides what path to take.
They hadn't even taken on the world-seeing it on their own time, enjoying each others company.
Such good memories of places they used to go to-they are local to me also.
Love to hear of the puzzle building as it's one of my favorite things to do also, and how it helps bring the family closer and just talk, bring an inner peace to oneself.
The memories as he relives and says goodbye to his past: the Portuguese food, as I'm the same nationality it is a treat.
Good touch with the history of the places they visit and learning about race car driving, Indian traditional pow wow.
Making amends to other things troubling him, he plans to meet head on.
That and his bucket list of things to do in his lifetime keep him occupied.
So many emotions have gone through me and I was so fearful to read the ending...


Leaves by Michael Baron
ISBN:         9780984190546
 Foliage of autumn leaves along Connecticut, breathtaking!
That and other things made me want to read this book as I love being able to see the colors now and love the scenery.
The siblings sat around the kitchen table to discuss plans for the annual tradition. No spouses or children, just the immediate family. Everyone would have a job to fulfill.
The Sugar Maple Inn had a yearly October Halloween open Inn event that both Bethany and Joseph Gold had taken special pleasure in bringing to the community. Now that they were gone the children were going to make sure it continued this year before the Inn was sold.    
Love the references to the musical artists that I still follow.
Each of the children have their own lives and are at various stages of relationships and some have children of varying ages.
Love the photography and culinary skills.
Love how she experiments with herbs and spices to perfection.
The book is very detailed, descriptive enough and warm and welcoming that I feel a part of the family. Many of the events that do take place I've lived through myself so I know the pain and sorrow and joy and happiness.
Love how some things that occur bring up memories of the past, the siblings getting along and being a family.
Even though there are a lot of characters in this book they are very easy to keep track of and I love how the chapters are set up. Nothing in confusing in this book.
First you start out just meeting them and as time goes on you discover the relationship problems they are having, sometimes it's just the kids problems.
Love how the brothers and sisters can just drop in on another sibling and talk about their problems.
One thing I do when I find a new author to read and like what I'm reading is to go visit their site, which I did and I can't wait to find the other books he's written so I can read them as well.  This book also includes a chapter of Micheal's other works.
Happy to learn this is one of a series, oh sweet!


Josh by R.C. Ryan
ISBN:         9781455502431
Josh Conway lives on the ranch with his brothers, father, and grandfather and they have 2 females who do the domestic for them. He is also a top notch climber and has been known to help the officials by going up into the mountain to help rescue people who are lost.
His mother had disappeared when he was younger, with no clues. He finds calm on the mountain on his ledge. He gets summoned and is able to find the woman photographer, Sierra Moore and ends up bringing her back to the house. Things occur that made her stay a bit longer and the cops are called in.
She stays even longer and capture ranch life with her camera. Even witnessed the roundup and was able to help the women on the ranch to a girls only day out on the town at the salon.
With the threats no longer a problem Josh and Sierra plan to spend some time on the mountain getting to know one another better and she wants to again capture the snowfall with her camera.
The wildlife are extraordinary and I loved hearing about the different colors of the sun rises and sets and the descriptions of the flowers, plant life, etc
Things don't go as planned for their trip and others have to come to the mountain to help...
Loved how the family life is portrayed as hard working and caring people.
Love that this is a series with the other brothers having their own books.
    



A Fool's Gold Christmas by Susan Mallery
ISBN:         9780373777020
Dante Jefferson a lawyer had rented some space at the dance studio but he needed some quiet time where he would be able to talk to his partner overseas.
Evangeline Stryker is Rafe's sister and she's at the studio. Her mother is May and she has raised 4 boys til her husband died, had a weekend fling and Evie was the result. She felt like an outsider cuz of the age difference and nobody knows who her father is.
She stumped what she is to do with 60 girls that need to be taught how to dance for the annual Christmas Eve show. The instructor has left town with her male friend and Evie has no clue what to do with the girls.
She approached her sister in law to be, Charlie the woman firefighter for some help.
Charlie tells her who to contact for all the aspects of the event, things the people in town do every year. The townsfolk help everybody out, as in turn help when needed.
Thanksgiving day was going to be a new thing for Evie who's not used to being around friends, and relatives. The girls only meet at Jo's Bar, watching the parade on TV then off to Rafe's for the big dinner.
Dante pairs up with Evie as they go around town to do the props for the CE ballet/event. They practice kissing also as they know they will be under a mistletoe this season.
Love this town and how comfortable they make everyone feel. Catching up with everybody and what's new in their life's is always fun. It's not too confusing.
Day after the holiday the townsfolk were busy redoing all the autumn scenes with ones for Christmas.
It resembled a magical wonderland, like a snow globe.
Second chances for each of them involves different things, different people. Someone they want to impress that they can be proud of...
Evie spreads herself thin by accepting to do charity work during the holiday season, she just wants to fit in...




Better Than Chocolate by Sheila Roberts
ISBN:         9780778313458
Each chapter starts out with wise words from the published relationship books of Muriel Sterling
Samantha Sterling new dead father ran the chocolate business into the ground. Now that he's gone she has to figure out a way to make it a thriving business so the family can live off of the proceeds.
Her sisters will return to their west coast matchmaking services after the funeral and she'll have to sort out what's left of the business.
Blake Preston, the former football hero of Icicle Falls High is now the new bank manager and she had to go meet him and try to get an extension on their loan.
He feels bad but the bank business can't meet its deadlines if the loans don't pay every month.
The family story goes back to the original owners and how it is what it is today through hard work.
Love how the women all use Skype to figure out how to save the company once they learn Waldo let his life insurance payments cease.
They brainstorm and think a  chocolate festival with all the businesses in town on board will help their financial problems. Cecily will end her matchmaking business and come back to WA from LA.
Muriel grieves and has dreams of chocolate, I want what pills she's on, whew!
Mr. Dreamy contest would be worth the admission of the ticket. There are some problems with permits and Cecily is more interested in the hunk that runs the Man Cave hangout then the festival.
Other townsfolk join in to help as it will aid their businesses as well.
Support group for the grieving one is found to be a good idea.
Bad business goings on at the bank, behind Blake's back and he has nothing to do with it. If Samantha finds out he might as well leave town.
Anything that could go wrong is going wrong, enough to make her want to throw the towel in. She can't compete with nature disasters.
This is a town that cares about those who live in it and their festivals show the love. Even though there are only 3 sisters and their mother a lot of others came out in this book and it's easy to keep them straight, as to who is who. really enjoyed this book!
Comes with recipes and the first chapter of the next in this series, woohoo, didn't see that coming!



Sweet Laurel Falls by RaeAnne Thayne
ISBN:         9780373776702
Maura McKnight-Parker wanted a vacation from Christmas.
She runs a book/coffeehouse and is open to book clubs to meet.
Hope's Crossing is the type of town that belongs in a snowglobe. Everything is in place and it looks so magical especially when it snows.
The straw that broke the camel's back is when her grown daughter, Sage brings her father into the bookstore on the night of the Christmas party. Maura has had a tough year, she buried her younger daughter.
They head to her office and she admits that Jackson Lunge is her bio father. She had tried to contact him when he went away to college. She's not seen him in twenty years and it's been quite a shock to her system.
He's now an architect and he does lectures at college and that's where Sage had a conversation with him.
He now plans to stick around for a few weeks to get to spend time with his daughter as it's the slow time of the year for him. He also sees his father at the bookstore, being mean and rude and when he sees him he becomes ill and falls.
Harry agrees to be attended by EMT's and the hospital. Jackson thinks things would go back to normal if he just left.
They each daydream about their sensual sex life as teens, the places they shared their lifes together.
When a crises hits someone in town the angel of hope pays a call, either by giving them cash or a much needed gift, or food.
The angel is about to be uncovered as Jackson has seen the person in action.
Tempers flare as Sage informs them both she is taking a semester off from college. He has a plan that might work for them all and it's accepted.
It helps them all out but it brings them all closer to one another. He's going to bid on the new town project, open an office in town and Sage can work there til the next semester to even see if she likes that type of career.
Sage is hiding major secrets and her parents both have feelings for one another but won't even 'go there'. They each have enough going on in their lives to not further complicate matters...
There are more turmoils ahead that can ruin many others lifes.
Love the butterfly envelope and the significance...
Love this series and can't wait to read the next one.


Blackberry Winter by Sarah Jio
ISBN:         9780452298385
Love how the book got it's title and the story behind the title.
1933 and Vera Ray is at work at the hotel as a maid. She's left her 3 year old at home and the house was freezing cold as it had started to snow. The landlord was there for his rent money, now 3 weeks late but Daniel needed shoes.
He will force himself on her the next time to get his money's worth he threatened. When she gets home Danny is gone...
The story alternates from Vera, in the past to Claire 80 years in the future-present day.
Same date 80 years later: Claire Aldridge Kennsington works at the paper and her husband's, Ethan, family owns it. She called in and was given the blackberry winter story, due Friday.
The story of the missing boy 80 years prior has tugged at Claires' heart and she will write her story on that.
She gets her daily hot chocolate, Dominic owns the building now and allowed her to go upstairs, from the same building as where the bar used to be 80 years ago. There is an apartment upstairs where Vera used to live.
Claire has suffered a lot of grief over the past several years and hasn't moved on yet...
As I try to piece all the information together from different years I am shocked to find so many similarities between the two.
Such good memories of the danceathon when I watched it during movies of the 1930's.
When Claire has it all figured out she hopes the newspaper will allow her to run the story...
Love hearing of the other legends about the blackberry. This story kept my interest and I was able to read it in one day. Such a touching story.

 The Accidental Bride by Christina Skye
ISBN:         9780373776597
Jilly O'Hara runs her own restaurant and is very happy with the progress it's made since she opened its doors.
Caro MacNeal and Grace Lindstrom were worried as they'd not heard from Jilly in some time. They were in the knitting shop on Summer Island, Oregon.
They were restoring an old house to bring it back to its glory as an old landmark on the island.
After Jilly has a heart emergency and is told to take things easy, no more cooking, her 3 best friends set up a cooking retreat for her in Wyoming.
Problem is things are not what they seem...
At the small airport she met a man, Walker Hale and his service dog, Winslow but he was difficult to get much out of their conversation.
She is quite taken with him and his dog and learns how the town has never forgotten the hero he is although he was never given a parade or any other recognition for saving many lives.
She is starting to knit now and accepts dinner from Walker and as things get heated he gets many phone calls about the trip he's taking in the morning but she hears things that make it sound dire, so desperate he has to leave that night. She has agreed to watch the dog til he gets back...
It's suggested to raise the morale of the owner of the retreat that they get married...
He's kept a lot of secrets from her and she's kept many from him and they all come out eventually and it's interesting to see how they handle the truth...
Love the knitting and the references to their relationship with one another.
A series where the other woman have their own story, super! Many references to everything taught in this book are noted at the back.
Can't wait to get the rest of the series.





An Outlaw's Christmas by Linda Lael Miller
ISBN:         9780373777013
Sawyer McKettrick, Blue River, TX Dec 1915    just off the train on the back of his horse, Cherokee and he got shot in the shoulder. The horse sped away in the deep powdery snow while he slouched over the horse and held on for dear life.
Piper St. James is the school teacher getting ready to decorate the tree for the holidays.
Her cousin, Dara Rose had talked her into coming all the way from Maine to teach. She's wondering if she has made a mistake...
She goes through the trouble of getting the unconscious man into the school, taking care of his horse, getting wood and water and then attending to his wounds.
Sawyer's cousin Clay, who's married to Dora arrives and with a doc mends him up some and puts him to rest on her bed. Now who will ever marry her if they find out she lived with a man and no chaperone??
The solution is for him to rest there for a few days then travel to something closer to town. Clay has to tend to his wife who may be giving birth soon....
They spend a lot of time together talking about the past and what he hopes to accomplish as the new sheriff-taking over from Clay.
She gets into the same bed with him for warmth and agrees to marry him in name only when the preacher can get there due to the fact that he's been alone in the same building as her...
She fears the one who shot at him will return...
Characters are easy to keep track of although the story line introduces many during the book.
Births, deaths, shootings, holiday shows and so much more on top of very steamy hot sex make this a very worthwhile read.



A Christmas Hope   A Linden Corners Novel by Joseph Pittman
ISBN:  9780758276957
Story of a little boy, Thomas Van Diver growing up in Linden Corner and his father has been drafted, around Christmas, his birthday also.
He's returned in hopes to recover the magic Christmas once way, the antique book his father read to him, with the green suited Santa.
Nora Connors Rainer, lawyer, and her son Travis, 12 years old had made it back home, upstate NY area where the windmill and it's sails were spinning. She will run her new business 'A Doll's House'.
Back to present time, Thomas has also returned to live out his days at the retirement home and he approaches Nora with a request to find the book his father had once read to him when he was 5 years old... before this Christmas.
A lot of the townspeople and their daily life come to the forefront. Brian Duncan, bar owner and he helped bring the community together for events.
He had done the same thing Nora had done a few years earlier. he returned to the town with his daughter, wife dead and he bought the bar in town. She's now 9 years old.
Each chapter is devoted to Nora, Brian and Thomas. They do meet at Brians request for dinner as he lives in the farmhouse that Thomas had grown up in and he tells them of his memories.
Mystery upon mystery continues as Nora takes Brian with her to a neighboring town to do further research on the book...
Traditions are talked about and they come to life as much as possible. Everybody hopes for something different this year and Christmas they have hope they will come.
More events take place that really light up the holiday for everybody. This is a book with traditions such as Norman Rockwell and Thomas Kincaid, it's all about the light...
I can't wait to read the other books in this series.
Even though this is part of a series I was able to keep track of who is who and wasn't overwhelmed with all the characters.


The Carson Springs Trilogy Stranger in Paradise, Taste of Honey, and Wish Come True by Eileen Goudge
ISBN:         9781453276280
The reason I selected this book is because it is a finished series-3 books, one right after the other. I don't have to wait a year for the next book to be written. It's easy to follow reading it back to back.
 Stranger in Paradise, This book is about Samatha and her life, her new boyfriend, her daughters: Alice and Laura, and other relatives.
Smaatha's daughter Alice had just married West Carpenter-he's only a few years older than herself, 50's. Her sister is Audrey and she's at the wedding festivities also. Very detailed descriptions of the countryside, flowers, orchards, etc. Very lush ground.
Love the little shops throughout the town, as Sam walks by and remembers her past life.
Pleasantly surprised with the lovemaking in this book.
Laura has taken in Flinch and is in no rush to get rid of her, She helps out at the farm.
Alice is back and she and Laura go to their mothers house and ask why is she dating a man young enough to be her son. They have a discussion and move on.. It's only been a few years since her husband has been dead.
Ian Carpenter makes Sam feel youthful again, more energy and she loves how he is with her, just the things he does. With her age of 50 and no periods for a while she doesn't think they need protection..
This book is also about Finch, it first starts out with her journey from the east coast to the west coast and how she settled in Carson Springs.
All of their lifes are webbed together in this town where everybody cares for one another.
Love hearing of the nuns and their daily life and how they are able to earn money.  Proverbs about flowers and spices are a nice touch. Always love to learn new things.
Love the romance, the mystery and the travel, new places for me and the very detailed descriptions of the houses, furnishings, gardens, trees, layout of the town-the stores there and the people.
Sam travels to spend the weekend with Ian in New York as he oversees a mural being put up. She finally tells him of her secret and he needs a bit of time to digest it all...
Story goes on as we follow people's personal and work lifes and it's easy to keep the characters straight. Nice mix of narrative and dialog.
Besides a murderer on the loose there are illnesses, pregnancies and economy issues to deal with.
Love how it all come together in the end, everything has been ironed out...
 .
Taste of Honey
This family and others continues with Gerry's story. From when she first entered the convent, and had a baby that she gave up she regretted her actions. She's very good friends with Samatha.
Now that she's on the outside with a family, Andie and Justin for children and divorced living in Carson Springs she's reminded so much of her lost daughter. She had hired a PI to track her down and even knows her name.
Her best friend Sam is pregnant and she wishes she had what Sam has.
Love hearing of the towns traditions especially around the holidays and about the knit and crochet projects for the new baby.
On Christmas day Gerry called to set up a meeting with the daughter she had given away, and Claire had answered. She's in a serious reltionship with Bryon who's attending college to be a doctor. She is a laywer and she'd rather be cooking. She agrees to the meeting after talking to her friend and calls Claire back to set it up.
Gerry is now involved with the orchestra leader.
Andi is friends with Simon and they both share that their fathers had walked out on them, and divorced.
She is also friends with Finch, who Laura adopted.
Gerry works at Blessed Bee right at the convent where the nuns live. It's a thriving business.
Love hearing all about the happenings with the others in town, it's so easy to follow them from book to book as their new lives progress.
They do meet and Claire is able to spend a few days visiting and meeting the others in Gerry's life...
A mystery surrounding who Claire's father is after she's talked to who Gerry told her it was...
Pregnancy, cooking ideas, wedding, decisions about work, sex and births all come together to make this a really good read.
So fascinating to read about the bee business.
After the accident things will never be the same. Glad to see this book come full circle for so many..
.
Wish Come True
Book 3 continues with the family saga in Carson Springs.
This book starts out with Anna  Vincenzia, Monica's sister who was a celebrity but after a car crash was in a wheelchair.
After Anna's father died, she left college to tend to her mother, and then to Monica. She was overweight but now was on a mission to get in charge of her life.
Life in Carson Springs continues with a baby christening and getting the latest on the local shopkeepers and all their families.
We learn what Anna really does during the day taking care of Monica, not only answering her fan emails which she loves to do, it puts her into another world, but the daily hassles of a chair bound young woman. She's put her life on hold to tend to the needs of her mom and her sister.
When Monica ends up hospitalized due to her excessive drinking Anna thinks it's time to put her in rehab....
Finch sticks up for a new student and they become friends.
Anna meets Marc-the counselor, married, wife in an institution, at the rehab center and he agrees to go with her to see into facilities for her mother. Anna is to bring Monica home that day also. Love the sex scenes, they come at just the right time.
Anna finds herself locked up in jail for her sister's murder. what else can the cops possibly be thinking?
Love the ideas the community come up with to help Anna... and to come up with leads to solve the mystery of who did kill her sister..
Love all the twists and turns just when you think you have the whole plot figured out.



 Knitting for Baby 30 Heirloom Projects with Complete How-to-Knit Instructions by Melanie Falick and Kristin Nicholas
ISBN:         9781453268131
Ah another knitting book for baby patterns. Well although a LOT of my charity work is making things for babies and I'm a published crochet designer this book got my attention from
not only the baby on the front but the colors combined on the sweater. Baby is real cute also!
I was hoping to find some interesting patterns I might use for my charity knitting, just tired of the same 6 patterns for baby blankets I use.
Love how it starts out with what knitting means to the authors. It is a work of love.
Starts out with the tools of the trade and explains about them along with pictures.
Love the little tips along the way, those are hard to come by.
Shows how to cast on using many different methods and how to knit and purl, how to bind off and sew the seams.
Has directions on how to make a checkered blanket, cushion and blocks.
As projects go on other techniques for sewing and making different stitches are explained, in detail along with photos.
My favorite would be the heart charted sweater. I have done them for a company once and loved the techniques and the charts are easy to understand. This even comes with an adult version!
So many tips and techniques for circular knitting and DP needles as well.
Nordic designs are what I would call for advanced knitters but even as a beginner once you have the gauge down there's no reason you can't tackle one of the Nordic sweater/charted designs. Just take your time because you will be working with multiple strands at one time.
Toddler mittens with motifs on the outside are another favorite of mine. unlimited possibilities with just the basic pattern.
Toys would be another big hit along with the felted diaper bag.
What a treasure of patterns, tips and techniques in this book. Definitely one to add to your collection as a 'keeper'.



Animal ABC's (ABC cards for little ones)  by Cindy Bracken
Illustrated very colorful basic book for children. The thing I really liked about this book is the animals selected are not the ones typically associated with the ABC's. I also really liked that each card/page shows the upper and lower letter and spells out the animal word.

GlobalGreenGame (Patterns of UnSustainable TShirts) Temba Msezane
Illustrated very colorful book about clothes mostly and how they are worn today, given to charity and remade into something someone else
somewhere in the world will wear it.

FRUITS - BASIC SET (TODDLER'S VOCABULARY BOOSTER) by Mary Monette Barbaso-Crall
Illustrated very colorful basic pictures of fruit that the young child can associate with. Other collections are available.
B00999168S

I Love Bouncing Balls by Alice Prince
Illustrated colorful children's book. What I like about this book is not only are they showing different color balls, they are showing the word for the color. Also they are counting numbers and depicting how many times the ball has bounced.
Good tool for children to learn from.
B0095XBM78


The Three Little Wolves and the big bad hungry pig by Sharlene Alexander
Illustrated colorful children's book that is unusual as to what we always read as children.
In this tale it's the 3 wolves that are being chased from the big bad hungry pig.
The wolves loved to bake and they made furniture out of food. They left their mother's home to build their own.
First one made his house out of angel food cake, next one had brownies, next had cookies.
The pig came by and shouted, let me in or I'll eat your house up.
He did the same thing at the house of brownies. When he came to the house of cookies he attempted to eat them but something went wrong..



 Grandpa's Best Christmas Eve Ever by Patti Seymour Kilham
Illustrated very colorful children's book about a story a grandfather tells his grandson about his best every Christmas Eve. He knows it's Jesus's birthday and he
wants to thank him for the gift that he got one year. He had always wanted a dog and when he went to bed with the snow falling he had no idea what would wake him up...


A Tree Grows in Brooklyn By Betty Smith
Francine and her brother Nealy are raised in the Brooklyn area and as they are growing up they do things for the family. Running out to get bread when it's just off the truck, getting certain cuts of meat for the family meal.
Their father works as a waiter but temporarily, only permanent on weekends. The mother cleans tenement apartment houses.
Tells how the children struggle and they look forward to a sugar bun on Saturdays and they feel pretty rich but they are not.
Talks about how bad their father gets with his drinking, the attack on Francine right in her own apartment just going home from school,
the food available, treats they make room for...
Her lies, her stories and her imaginations are going to get her in trouble.  She gets really close to her mother when she's about to birth a child.
She gets a job in the newspaper dept and learns how to survive as she becomes an adult. Never finishing high school she does pay for college courses to advance her job.

  Easy on the Eyes by Jane Porter
Another great read from Jane about an almost 40 year old woman that has gone through a marriage and is now a widow and spends 100% of her time
devoted to her TV entertainment news program. Problem is the younger woman in her 20's that she trained now wants her job and the company wants to
give it to her. She finds out some information about lipo surgery, face lifts, etc and knows it's just not for her but she might have to go that route
to keep her job. She makes some tough choices as life goes on and her relationships fail and blossom...

  Relentless Pursuit by Sara Orwig
5 yo Caroline has lost her father and his brother is the guardian and he's at a loss as to what to do with her as she's hiding in a shell. He confronts other professionals and hopes to hire a kindergarten teacher who will break the shell and bring her back to what she once was.
They meet and she agrees to gather some things and meet him for the plane ride back to his home in Dallas, TX.  He's paying a very high price per day for her services...
Will Delaney is going to try to persuade Ava Barton to stay longer than the weekend to help his niece.
They are both sexually drawn to one another and she is afraid to stay longer because of that. She has seen only in one day a slight breakthrough to the little girl and gives him other suggestions that may make her open up more.
He's willing to give her a bunch of money to get his neice ready for kindergarten in the fall and she has a lot of choices now to decide what to do with her life and her dream.
Very easy to follow the two main characters and the little girl. There are other family members but they trickle in and are easy to keep track of.


  Forever Hers by Ednah Walters
This family saga continues with the story of Eddie, the cop. His mother had walked out on him, his sister and their father when she became famous as an author. He will never forgive her for that.
His family has tricked him into traveling to Sandpoint, Idaho to take care of the housekeeper of the house Baron and Kara own. He knows she is troubled and has really no idea what is wrong but he
will find out in time as he is there, on suspension from work for several weeks. He also meets up with other local cops who he lends a hand to in solving some hard cases.
Love the family atmosphere and the setting with the neighbors being so friendly. I laughed so hard when Eddie's family members show up to do some work-love the bantering they have for one another.
So happy to find that Amy is so strong in what she does, her work and in raising her child and is willing to go the distance to do more to safeguard them.
Also love how they get to know one another and then the family bombards their lives. Others who've not read the whole series might find their presence a bit overwhelming as there is a bunch of them. They will not hurt you, just go with the flow.
So many things I learned in this book and I was glad for the travel as I had just gone to Charlottesville a year ago and other new places.

    Planning for Love by Christi Barth
ISBN:         9781426894213
Ivy Rhodes is the wedding planner and no mishaps ever occur at them, as per her order and calm.
The bride won the contest where the Wild Wedding Smackdown was to film her wedding. When Ivy falls down a few steps Bennett Westcott from True Life Productions rescues her and hopes she won't sue them as it was his camera bag she had stumbled over.
As the day goes on he dwells into how she can remain so calm throughout all the mishaps that occur and she tells and explains how she is able to do the whole thing without any visible signals to her other staff.
He loves the behind the scenes information from her.
After hot steamy sex that they connect on all levels she takes him out for the day and they thoroughly enjoy themselves and learn more about one another. He leaves in a hurry as he knows it's only a one night deal.
Love the scenery and landmarks that are highlighted of Chicago.
The TV company does track her down with an offer to follow her around the tape the weddings she plans for others. It will give her enough to fund her store which she already has ideas for. It's a gamble and even her associates think it's a good one.
She is more than surprised when she finds that Ben and his assistant will be the ones to tape the show. Her assistant has to step in and inform her that she needs to stop wanting to go to bed with Ben and concentrate on the weddings.
He is there to see how problems are handled and he asks later how she does it and she tells him. She does not want to have a replay of his earlier one night stand, she says he's a player and she doesn't want to be played.
Ben tries to out run his problem, and then the manager finds him trying to outrun his problems and he's not a runner. Talking to the manager helps a bit but he can't get her out of his mind.
Love how there are essentially just the two of them and a handful of other workers in this book, very easy to keep track of who's who.
Love all the marriage quotes from famous people at the start of every chapter.
Potential disaster from the TV show and now the wedding, she can't take much more but Ben has something up his sleeve...
He tells her about the family curse and she kinda thinks it not believable at all...



One Summer A Shelter Bay Novel by Joann Ross
Charity is starting over again after  walking away from Ethan before they married. She's a veterinarian in Shelter Bay, Oregon.
Gabriel St. James is back in town after going across the US taking pictures for a job. He's traveled easily in the pull behind the truck mobile home. He's a world famous photographer and also an ex Marine.
There are other subplots with Charity's mother and others in town. Also Johnny and his sister Angel who are once again at a foster home. Their mother was locked in a mental institution and they are going from home to home.
They had met at the wedding of their friend.
She talks to him when they go out for a meal, on the beach.
She tells him of the foster camp, Camp Rainbow and she tries to talk him into volunteering as she plans to do.
When the fire breaks out it brings them all together but death follows...
Love the place this is located and the things in the area, very well described. Hot steamy sex just adds to this book and now I can't wait to get the other ones n this series!

Sudden Fury The Last Gunfighter by William Johnstone
Northern CA where the redwood grow so tall you can't see the sky there is a creature in the woods. Frank Morgan, the drifter is the fastest drawer on the gun and he has a reputation. He runs into a section of the woods where there are several men who are dead, they don't even resemble men's bodies but he had heard the sounds of them being slaughtered. Others come into the area, loggers who knew those who are dead and they take their friends back to Eureka to get buried.
Frank continues onto where the mansion where Chamberlain put money up for the head of the terror-who he thinks is doing the slaughtering. He has an arch enemy so he has many guarding his complex. Bosworth is the enemy and owns as much logging land as he does. After talking to Chamberlain the younger daughter approaches him and he listens to her story about her brother Ben who was ousted when he refused to go into the family business after their mother had passed away.
She is convinced he is out there and gives him the necklace Ben had given her so when he runs into Ben it will assure him that she sent him. He meets many other obstacles and does find Ben's cabin on the cliffs of the redwoods where the erosion has brought some of the bottom of the cliff.
Frank meets other resistances along the trail and he relies on his dog and horses. they move as one.

Stone Soup by Marcia Brown
An old tale for children that tells how to make stone soup.  The soldiers were walking down the street on their way home from the war. They hadn't eaten in quite some time. they hope to find some food to eat there when they saw lights in the town.
The townsfolk hid all they had to eat cuz they hardly had enough to eat for themselves.
The soldiers showed them how to make stone soup. What happened next was like magic and everybody was able to eat...

Together Alone by Barbara Delinkky
3 woman send their children to college and they wonder how to fill their empty days.
Kay Davies will work. Celeste Prince will plan a nose job, romance and sex via an ad. Love how the women get together and figure out exactly what to write for the ad.
Emily Arkin has time now to finally heal from the hurt and reunite with her husband but he's not home much due to work.
She's fearful and alone and takes in a boarder-a widower with an infant. She helps him fix up the apartment above the garage in order for him to rent it. He's a cop and she can talk to him on his level.
Things got calmer when Jill was born but she'd never forget her first born. She's not had closure and now her husband will be traveling or longer lengths of time and she's not been invited. Brian the new resident
has gone to his boss to find out what happened to Emily and he lends him a folder with the information.
Lot of memories over the years and lifes have changed and people have grown apart, others much closer. Emily has struck up a sexual affair and all the ramifications of that...

The Truth About Tara by Darlene Gardner
ISBN:         9780373718030
 Jack DiMarco had followed a doctor to the island off the Chesapeake shore in hopes of having him do an arm surgery so he could play baseball again. After talking to him he was back on the mainland with the advice to find a different job in life or rehab as another had done.
Earlier he had stopped a PE school teacher on her way to work and showed her the picture from his sister Maria, a PI of what a missing 3 yo child would look like 30 years later and it fit her description completed. Tara Greer denied that it was her and that
she had always lived in town, not in another state at all. Problem is she has memories of being someplace else, being shaken to shut up... Could it be that she really is that missing person.
She was always running to her mothers help, she had fostered a Downs syndrome boy. Tara's father and sister had died in a crash in the past and the anniversary date was coming soon and probably her mother'd want to commemorate it.
Her friend Mary Dee had recently married and was always trying to hook Tara up with eligible bachelors.
Love the locale of the seashore, wild ponies and other trips around the area.
Her mother had signed them up for summer camp for 2 weeks so they'd all be together: tara, Carrie and Danny.
Tara begins to doubt things when she asks to borrow the picture albums from before they moved to town and her tells her they all got damaged. There are no infant pictures of her, just toddler ones...
As Jack is rehabbing himself with exercises his coach had given him he finds the ad in the paper for a volunteer position at Camp Daybreak. He figures it will fill in some hours of his new daily life.
Jack's not told Tara about his past and his injuries. Tara has not told Jack about her past, her injuries and life choices...
Besides Jack and Tara spending time together, Carrie has her eyes on the camp owner, Gus, who also plays in the band on Friday nights.
Tara takes matters into her own hands and does and doesn't want to see the results....
        

 My Kind of Christmas by Robyn Carr
ISBN:         9780778313854
Angela LaCroix had changed since her near death car accident. She was heading to Virgin River to spend time with her sister and she stood up to her mother when it came time to go back to medical school. She needed some time.
Her aunts Mel and Brie at Jack's bar were happy to see her and have her for a visit.
While collecting a few staples from the kitchen she saw Patrick Riordan leave the bar and got the scoop on him. Her plan is to stay in the cabin-in the woods, no TV and very slow net connection. Peace and quiet for a month.
The annual raising the Christmas tree, such events where the whole town came out to meet and greet each other.
Patrick is suffering from the combat and he looks in every day at his best buddy's wife Marie and their young son to be sure things are ok. He's the boys godfather.
She has a coffee with him when she finds him staring at her and they talk about their past lives, the hurt of being left and their job choices.
Love this town and being able to catch up with everybody that lives in it especially around the holidays.
They get to know one another pretty well, as they share their inner most thoughts and dreams with one another.
She is concerned because they are 10 years apart but he feels very close to her just talking because of the things she's gone through in her life.
Hot lovemaking only adds to this story. Paddy is due to leave on the 23rd and stop to see Marie for Christmas. Angie has to get on with her life also. The emergency has set her in motion as to what she needs to do.
Loved learning about a new medical treatment and can't wait to try it.. love the care and share that went into this book, it's not only about the holiday, this town always has magic and miracles, even when the WHOLE family descends upon them all..



  The Prodigal Cowboy by Kathleen Eagle
ISBN:         9780373656912
Bella Primeaux was the one interviewing Ethan, first they caught up on what was going on in their lives. Since they shared history class he ended up in prison but was now breaking mustangs for a prize. He takes after his father.
She is a news reporter and good at what she does.
They are both of the South Dakota Indian tribes.
His dad Logan filled Bella in on how he was in the Army upon graduating from school and the way he went to prison as the Senator's daughter was the one who stole the car.
Love hearing and touring of the Square One program and the Wild Horse Sanctuary, autumn fall festival with all the handicrafts, love the lessons on how to approach and ride a horse, etc
Bella is all over the county collecting news about the program and the art festival. She's even agreed to look up Ethan for a horse riding lesson. She is trying to get news from both sides of the conflict, one is human interest, the other is political.
They work together and do find out of the illegal activity and a murder from years ago and why the government now doesn't want to turn over the land to the Native Americans.
With hot steamy sex this is a really good read.

Vegetables BASIC SET (TODDLER'S VOCABULARY BOOSTER by Mary Monette Barbaso-Crall
Illustrated children's book about different vegetables that are very common.
The bright colors and shapes made the vegetables very identifiable. Some of the vegetables have unfamiliar colors to me-on the East Coast.

That Winter  by Jeremy Mark Lane- winter is one of my favorite months so when given the choice of a free audio book I selected this book.
Starts out with the descriptions of the winter and how different it is from other seasons.
One year Gabriel, a reporter with interviews barely noticed the cold at all. He was in a diner and noticed a woman who walked in, with her mother. Lucy had tracked him down and left a message at his dorm.
They make plans for a movie, after meeting her father-the next night. Love the descriptions of the places they traveled through.
3 weeks they drove all over the towns and talked to one another in person or on the phone. He was in love with her until that one December night. They were to meet at the diner.
She told her how she'd not be good for him and got up to leave.  All he could think of was her lips. He let her go but she was always in his heart...
Short story that you will remember as if it was 900 pages long because there was so much to the story.
B0052GOZXK


The Beach Trees by Karen White
What first attracted me to reading this book are the words, beach and trees, 2 of my favorite things.
This is a story about Julie Holt who has traveled to Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina with a 5 year old boy, Beau.
Rayvon is the older woman who answered the door. Monica's son, Beau is now her charge and she had to explain about Monica's death. She knows of the family heart problems.
Monica's paintings were how the two women had met in New York.
The house in Biloxi and Beau were now hers. She was told to bring the boy to his grandmother and she'd have more answers.  She was given a framed picture, a portrait of a woman from the waist up.
It's a priceless form of art made by her grandfather. She is so lost with all the clues.
She keeps in touch with the detective in MA with leads to a person who might've taken her sister-Chelsea.
Love the descriptions of the New Orleans area as I am familiar and have seen what the damage was of my cousins house and surrounding area.
Julie needs to make a decision as to what to do with the painting and work, school for Beau.
She hopes by being around them can piece why Monica left the area and help make decisions as to the house.
Love the symbolism of the beach trees since the hurricane.
When they work together they discover many things from the past that when pieced together actually start to explain why Monica had left and why others left and why she took the painting..

When Snow Falls by Brenda Novak
ISBN:         9780778313717
Cheyenne Christensen never recalls it snowing in Whiskey Creek.
She recalls her mother Anita having cancer and she had to take care of the family herself, and tend to her moms' medicine.
The older daughter, Presley works at a casino. Least they are not begging on street corners or malls.
Eugene Crouch the PI had shown Presley pictures of Chey and her mother, why wasn't she in the picture also and why the different names?
Chey works at the B&B and they are trying to drum up business, maybe the murder of Mary Hatfield will be the trick.
Chey wasn't able to go on the cruise with her other girlfriends because she had no birth certificate and her mother wasn't sure where she was born...
Dylan is her first hookup at 31 years old. She really has a crush on Joe but her best girlfriend, Eve wants him for herself
She pesters her mom about where she was born, before she dies and she keeps saying Wyoming but Chey has checked all the towns to no avail. Her sister has kept her secret well...
Chey learns a lot more about Dylan when he loses a dart bet. he's got to answer 20 questions. She finally breaks down and tells him of her fears of her past.
Some unexplained things happen and Chey has decisions to make to move forward.

    
         The Carson Springs Trilogy Stranger in Paradise, Taste of Honey, and Wish Come True by Eileen Goudge
ISBN:         9781453276280
The reason I selected this book is because it is a finished series-3 books, one right after the other. I don't have to wait a year for the next book to be written. It's easy to follow reading it back to back.
 Stranger in Paradise, This book is about Samatha and her life, her new boyfriend, her daughters: Alice and Laura, and other relatives.
Smaatha's daughter Alice had just married West Carpenter-he's only a few years older than herself, 50's. Her sister is Audrey and she's at the wedding festivities also. Very detailed descriptions of the countryside, flowers, orchards, etc. Very lush ground.
Love the little shops throughout the town, as Sam walks by and remembers her past life.
Pleasantly surprised with the lovemaking in this book.
Laura has taken in Flinch and is in no rush to get rid of her, She helps out at the farm.
Alice is back and she and Laura go to their mothers house and ask why is she dating a man young enough to be her son. They have a discussion and move on.. It's only been a few years since her husband has been dead.
Ian Carpenter makes Sam feel youthful again, more energy and she loves how he is with her, just the things he does. With her age of 50 and no periods for a while she doesn't think they need protection..
This book is also about Finch, it first starts out with her journey from the east coast to the west coast and how she settled in Carson Springs.
All of their lifes are webbed together in this town where everybody cares for one another.
Love hearing of the nuns and their daily life and how they are able to earn money.  Proverbs about flowers and spices are a nice touch. Always love to learn new things.
Love the romance, the mystery and the travel, new places for me and the very detailed descriptions of the houses, furnishings, gardens, trees, layout of the town-the stores there and the people.
Sam travels to spend the weekend with Ian in New York as he oversees a mural being put up. She finally tells him of her secret and he needs a bit of time to digest it all...
Story goes on as we follow people's personal and work lifes and it's easy to keep the characters straight. Nice mix of narrative and dialog.
Besides a murderer on the loose there are illnesses, pregnancies and economy issues to deal with.
Love how it all come together in the end, everything has been ironed out...
 .
Taste of Honey
This family and others continues with Gerry's story. From when she first entered the convent, and had a baby that she gave up she regretted her actions. She's very good friends with Samatha.
Now that she's on the outside with a family, Andie and Justin for children and divorced living in Carson Springs she's reminded so much of her lost daughter. She had hired a PI to track her down and even knows her name.
Her best friend Sam is pregnant and she wishes she had what Sam has.
Love hearing of the towns traditions especially around the holidays and about the knit and crochet projects for the new baby.
On Christmas day Gerry called to set up a meeting with the daughter she had given away, and Claire had answered. She's in a serious reltionship with Bryon who's attending college to be a doctor. She is a laywer and she'd rather be cooking. She agrees to the meeting after talking to her friend and calls Claire back to set it up.
Gerry is now involved with the orchestra leader.
Andi is friends with Simon and they both share that their fathers had walked out on them, and divorced.
She is also friends with Finch, who Laura adopted.
Gerry works at Blessed Bee right at the convent where the nuns live. It's a thriving business.
Love hearing all about the happenings with the others in town, it's so easy to follow them from book to book as their new lives progress.
They do meet and Claire is able to spend a few days visiting and meeting the others in Gerry's life...
A mystery surrounding who Claire's father is after she's talked to who Gerry told her it was...
Pregnancy, cooking ideas, wedding, decisions about work, sex and births all come together to make this a really good read.
So fascinating to read about the bee business.
After the accident things will never be the same. Glad to see this book come full circle for so many..
.
Wish Come True
Book 3 continues with the family saga in Carson Springs.
This book starts out with Anna  Vincenzia, Monica's sister who was a celebrity but after a car crash was in a wheelchair.
After Anna's father died, she left college to tend to her mother, and then to Monica. She was overweight but now was on a mission to get in charge of her life.
Life in Carson Springs continues with a baby christening and getting the latest on the local shopkeepers and all their families.
We learn what Anna really does during the day taking care of Monica, not only answering her fan emails which she loves to do, it puts her into another world, but the daily hassles of a chair bound young woman. She's put her life on hold to tend to the needs of her mom and her sister.
When Monica ends up hospitalized due to her excessive drinking Anna thinks it's time to put her in rehab....
Finch sticks up for a new student and they become friends.
Anna meets Marc-the counselor, married, wife in an institution, at the rehab center and he agrees to go with her to see into facilities for her mother. Anna is to bring Monica home that day also. Love the sex scenes, they come at just the right time.
Anna finds herself locked up in jail for her sister's murder. what else can the cops possibly be thinking?
Love the ideas the community come up with to help Anna... and to come up with leads to solve the mystery of who did kill her sister..
Love all the twists and turns just when you think you have the whole plot figured out.



     Knitting for Baby 30 Heirloom Projects with Complete How-to-Knit Instructions by Melanie Falick and Kristin Nicholas
ISBN:         9781453268131
Ah another knitting book for baby patterns. Well although a LOT of my charity work is making things for babies and I'm a published crochet designer this book got my attention from
not only the baby on the front but the colors combined on the sweater. Baby is real cute also!
I was hoping to find some interesting patterns I might use for my charity knitting, just tired of the same 6 patterns for baby blankets I use.
Love how it starts out with what knitting means to the authors. It is a work of love.
Starts out with the tools of the trade and explains about them along with pictures.
Love the little tips along the way, those are hard to come by.
Shows how to cast on using many different methods and how to knit and purl, how to bind off and sew the seams.
Has directions on how to make a checkered blanket, cushion and blocks.
As projects go on other techniques for sewing and making different stitches are explained, in detail along with photos.
My favorite would be the heart charted sweater. I have done them for a company once and loved the techniques and the charts are easy to understand. This even comes with an adult version!
So many tips and techniques for circular knitting and DP needles as well.
Nordic designs are what I would call for advanced knitters but even as a beginner once you have the gauge down there's no reason you can't tackle one of the Nordic sweater/charted designs. Just take your time because you will be working with multiple strands at one time.
Toddler mittens with motifs on the outside are another favorite of mine. unlimited possibilities with just the basic pattern.
Toys would be another big hit along with the felted diaper bag.
What a treasure of patterns, tips and techniques in this book. Definitely one to add to your collection as a 'keeper'.

 Heart of the Mountain Man by William W. Johnstone
Monte is the new sheriff after he cleared his past. Big Jim Slaughter comes into town and wants his share of the money.
When Monte refuses him, as he no longer has it, later Jim steals his wife and takes her to hole in the wall.
With Smoke Jensens's help and other trusted friends they find a way into the canyon to rescue her. Love how the trails are sought with specialists to lead them on.
Between others getting shot and being tended to, to killings, and gunfights, and to how she is treated and all the detailed scenery makes this a really good western book.
What I really like are the references to others and what book they first appear in, kinda clues you in that they have a story of their own to tell.
Glad to know there are many other books in this series cause the characters spoke to me...

Happy Hat Day by Gerald Hawksley
Illustrated very colorful drawn children's book about how the Hatster delivers a new hat to everybody in
the world once a year. They all get in the hat parade around town. There are hundreds of hats, different shapes, sizes, colors
and some with fur, some feathers. The old hats are thrown into the Hatty Tree.
The birds will reuse them. They have Hatty Pie and go to bed at night dreaming of their new hats.

Knitting 24/7 30 Projects to Knit, Wear, and Enjoy, On the Go and Around the Clock by Avery, Véronik
Publisher:         ISBN:         9781453268124
I wanted to read this book especially because I think I can and probably have knitted 24/7 for a few days, even in my sleep.
Such classics and everyday items as wristers, socks/slippers, bags, skirt, vest, scarf, hats, pillow, shrug/shawls,
All are very easy to understand directions, and diagrams, some charted instructions, kitchen accessories and much more...
The book is divided into sections: A.M., P.M, and Weekend wear but you can really wear these any day, in my opinion.
My favorite would be the mesh top as I could wear it with many other blouses under.
The book also includes an appendix and very detailed section on the stitches and other shortcuts. Very well laid out pattern instructions, easy to put your finger on a specific thing in each pattern.
I also like how the patterns chosen look sensational because of the twists and cabling involved but they are essentially just a basic 4 row repeat so these are not hard to do.

A Tangled Affair by Fiona Brand
Couldn't really get into this book as I felt bombarded with a ton of names that didn't seem to pair up with who they were to pair up with, their spouses. Although a bunch of places are mentioned there is no real detail to them, as to take me away from where I'm physically at right now. I didn't feel any part of this book. I did read she had to break up the couple because she just might be pregnant but he was going to marry the other woman anyways.
That just doesn't sit right with me and that's probably the one thing that stuck in my mind. Book just didn't seem to have a lot of substance. By the time you get to the end you do find out there was a ton of misunderstandings-the whole book but they set things right at the end.


    
Prepare by Geoffrey Germann
This book is about the senses and how we can use them. I, because I am blind use all my other senses besides vision to tell me all kinds of things that an ordinary person with no disability wouldn't even consider.
The book starts out with a robbery of a convenience store but somebody intervenes and stuns the 4 intruders. He is not seen and moves quickly. It seems the intruders are tazzered somehow. Next we meet up with a nurse in the ER, Corrine who almost gets in the line of fire but a guy with motorcycle gear, Daniel Kiel is there to deflect the shot-is how she sees things.
Love how he intrudes on others life's' to rescue them from harm and how he escapes by going under the city.
What struck me at first was a summary of this book, mentioning the Orchard. I love orchards but didn't realize this is a city battlefield of gangs. It's really a good read and I find myself clearing my other work load to read this book. He is trying to atone for all his fathers mistakes with the violence he saw first hand. With his knowledge of that and high technology he is able to stop some of the violence and corruption...
The police chief, 2 years from retiring is amazed one night there are no stabbings or gunshots or wounds of any sort from the Orchard.
Love all the high tech talk about what makes the suit work and how it came into being.
With Adam's help they make genius equipment and moves. Darren was only to stop one crime a night but he did too many some nights and Adam and others found out...
His mind goes back in time to when his father was taken from them and other times he recalls that started him realizing what his father was really doing..
Love how the story evolves and continues with more things to consider=reminds me of the A Team on TV where they always had backup plans. I didn't see the ending but love what they do...

Summer Vows  A Hideaway Wedding by Rochelle Alers
ISBN:         9780373534777
Family bet is who is to wed before New Years. Each has put up a million dollars, in their name, as an endowment in their alma mater.
The eligible ones would be Jason and Ana Cole, twins and their cousin Nicholas Cole Thomas. None even want to marry as they are so involved in their business careers, til they meet a very special person that will change their lives.
Although this is part of a series I felt the characters were well defined and I could catch up on prior events in their lives, I didn't feel like I was stepping into a book where I was clueless.
Because of the shooting the family decided to move Ana under safe keeping to the Keys in Florida where Jacob Jones could look out after her.
Love the places this book takes me to and the new things I learned.
Love the family traditions and detailed descriptions of the different places in the book and how easy going the family seems.
Ana thinks Basil Irvine put the hit on her. Camille works and plays with Basile and knows where he is and what he's up to at all times...but her past just walked into her present life.
Like sexual bantering between the two of them. Love the family and how they look out for one another and there are SO many of them, in all different fields, all over the US. Love story of the grandparents and their parents is great.
Love how Key West is displayed, very true to life.
Because of the bugs found at Camilles they now have to move Ana again. The marshal will accompany her to keep her safe. And they had a marriage license.
Pure bliss but there is even a bigger surprise on their return to the states...




Loving by Danielle Steel
Bettina has just lost her father, a millionaire who's given her everything she's ever wanted.
The family friend, Ivol Stewart helps her sell all the houses around the world and other items and now she has to pay back his debts and there's not much left.
She planned to go to a woman's shelter til she gets a job and a more permanent place to stay.
Love the details of the items, very descriptive and I can't even imagine seeing never mind having these items in my hands.
He started buying some furniture from her sale, for her to keep. Some were very pricey.
She is in love with him and he with her but he's old enough to be her father. She gets a job she's going to love and her life seems to be in order.
She feels so betrayed upon her return from the tour of the show she was assistant for.
She is an adult now and learning things the hard way...He gets the divorce and she marries the main actor and puts her jewelry away as a nest egg-just in case.
Anthony Pierce is now her husband-she needed to keep him in the country and it was the only way...
She moves on again to another husband, John Field strange circumstances and another pregnancy.
She loved to direct the play and starts her own play after the child is born. But John although he helped save her he shows no interest in her play. She is so
determined to make a living for herself with what she knows and loves.

The S Factor Diet The Happiest Way to Lose Weight - Drop a Dress Size in 2 Weeks by Lowri Turner
ISBN:         9781848990388
 Based on dieting and how hormones play a big part in losing and maintaining weight. Love the explanation of how the hormones work in your body.
It's right on track.
There are also bullet lists of symptoms and which hormones from them you need to concentrate on eating more foods from.
The foods are very healthy and you di need to keep track of your cycles.
The book lists 14 days of meals, depending on your scores from the above factors: and then how to make them.
I think you really have to be dedicated enough to do the full diet in the 14 days allocated. It seems to me to be very time consuming if you are to use the foods they want you to prepare from the menus listed.
What makes it very easy is that each menu item is highlighted with which hormone the food will be stimulating.
Love how the recipes are displayed: the time is one thing that I pay particular attention to, and the ingredients needed.
Pictures of the food is very pretty. An index is at the back of the book making it easy to use to find a certain recipe or section.


Mistletoe and Root Beer by Paul H. Tubb
Illustrated children's book, very colorful with a story.
Christmas poems touching on a number of subjects, Scrooge, Little Timmy, Santa comes to town, etc.
Religious poems as well about the meaning of the holiday and sometimes using phrases from well known carols.
Added feature is 12 days of Christmas, quite different than the traditional.

 Calico Joe by John Grishma
Love baseball stories and this one is a good one.
Story of not only the professional life of a baseball player but his personal home life.
Love the 'fresh from the garden vegetables' when Paul is home for a meal.
Such honor when the player returns rather than playing on the team the field/organization has hired him in his handicap state to take care of the field and scoreboard for life.
The incident that ended one person's life, Joe Castle on the field Warren Tracy won't even come to terms about. His son Paul wants him to apologize to the old dying man before it's too late. He knows and his father knows what happened.
Things really get scary when the police are called for a threat to kill the family cuz of what happened.
The abuse and what the family puts up with are uncalled for and now I realize there's more to the story of what really happened with the pitch.

About That Night by Julie James
Celine had been stood up by him years earlier and now they are forced to spend time together.
She read of his mother dying and that's probably why he didn't show up for their date. 9 years later:
Kyle Rhodes is a runner but has a bracelet on his ankle as he was out of prison but on home dentention. He had been dating Danielle but she stopped showing up and left him a tweet and the link showing her with another guy.
He's a billionaire and she was a super model. He drank himself to help forget about her.
He also knows computers and he knows he could've removed them but he took down the site instead.
He went to Tijuana after that. After 2 days he saw the report that the FBI were looking for him in regards to her death.
His sister Georgia didn't like he wanted to plead guilty. He just wanted it over with quickly. She makes a deal to get him out early and now he can help with another crime that took place when he was in prison.


Army: Picture Book (Educational Children's Books Collection) - Level 2 by Planet Connection
Illustrated book showing different thing that one relates to being in the Army. Things from boots to
helmets, dogtags and then some weapons and vehicles with explanation telling why they have them, use them.


Speechless by Hannah Harrington
Is a young adult book about Chelsea Knot and how she lies to her parents and goes with her best friend Kristen for the New Year Eve party where there is alcohol and guys.
She has a bit too many and on her way to the guest bathroom she comes across a scene that she takes back downstairs and blabbers to others who inform her they will take care of the people, and they leave the house.
She wakes up the next morning to find out what happened when she passed out and she tells her parents what happened.
In school she now has to live with herself and others as they shun her so she takes a vow of silence even at school. One teacher daily gives her a detention slip while other teachers help her to still communicate without her voice.
What inspired her was a National Geographic story about a monk. Some of her older friends really beat up on her car, locker, etc, it's like she's being bullied.
As things get worse for her with the kids at school it also gets good for her because of a new friend that takes her to a diner. That friendship leads to many things for the family in time.
Glad to see the ending and how the one she hurt the most with her lie had the right answers for her.

TOYS - BASIC SET (TODDLER'S VOCABULARY BOOSTER by Mary Monette Barbaso-Crall
Illustrated very colorful children's book showing common everyday toys that are identifiable.
Good for boys and girls, shows 10 different items.
B009CA6OG8


Home-made toys for girls and boys: wooden and cardboard toys, mechanical and electrical by A. Neely Hall
This hand drawn illustrated book shows toys of days gone by, how they were made and using materials that everybody can get easily.
Pinwheels not only fascinate children but wind can help make an item move.
Planes are another thing good for boys and girls.
Railway would be a big hit also. Some of these toys can be made with minmal help from an adult. Some would need more extensive help with an adult.
I want to start at the very beginning and make them all.
Love spinning tops and things made with rubber bands. To a child it would be like magic.
B008IVGYQW

Summerland by Elin Hilderbrand
This book is about teens that after a graduation party on the beach take a ride and it changes their lives forever.
One is dead and one in a coma. Two others were not majorly hurt on the outside, but the inside is a different story. This is the tale of how they,
their friends and parents and the town continue to go on and their thoughts and feelings along the way.
One of them know what really happened and you have to read the book to find out if that secret is revealed. I love Elin's summery book covers and the subjects
she raises as they are everyday things that do happen to everybody in one way or another. The emotions are so varied and if you can talk about them it's a good thing to help the healing process...
I rate this a 4 because it was so hard for me to follow because each chapter came from a different point of view of the teller. Things moved along but I got lost as to who everybody was...
 
Phoenix by A.J. Scudiere
ISBN:         9781937996093
This book is action packed, a bit of romance, and a lot of mystery, not only in the fire department, but police department and other state departments to get to the truth of the matter as to why
a woman was murdered on her couch when 2 little boys were left to burn in the arson fire. Amazing how all the clues lead to them solving the mysteries as other mysteries arise.
I was first attracted to this book because the main character is a fire fighter. I am totally terrified of fire and for many years after my kids left home I would need to sleep with the light on so I could see down the hallway, in case of fire. Witnessed 2 fires in a mobile home, starting in wee hours of the morning. It's so terrifying. I love learning how the people do it, safeguard others in harms way.
Jason after having fought the house fire was back in his apartment, just woken up by the phone and noticing there's not much Kelly had left behind.
After struggling through one fire that leaves him with nightmares he heads home for a few days and is finally able to sleep. Problem is his mom informs him of her new job with child and family services. They adopted him after the fire in his apartment with his mother. They were not able to save her.
He never knew of the other child, his brother.
With all that turmoil he also had job problems. He would have to qualify for a higher level of EMT to keep his job and maybe help others out in the firehouse to even have a job months down the road.
He's also got some leads on his brother, still not knowing if he lived or what his name is.
Gunman, cars on fire and screaming from him to the firemen to go get his brother still inside the building...
Although this is all taking place it's not hurried or too fast. You have time to take this all in. Never a dull moment between all that and his money and work problems. He does find out in time that the original fire was probably arson but that's not what others have told him. It's a surprise as to who was at the fire that night.
They meet with others involved and not sure what to do about opening a can or worms or to let the trail of finding his brother/dead or alive, stop there to protect others life's.
Deaths of fireman always brought them all down and they knew who was to blame.
The deeper they dig the more people are involved and it's looking like murder, arson and others who are now dead or have been threatened. Bigger and bigger case.
Love all the learning of the fire protocol when the firemen first come to a fire. So many things I learned.
Love how everything is linked together but you don't find out everything til the very end...
 


No comments: