Books read Jan 15

The Christmas Note by Trenton Hughes
This story starts out with the life of Claire and Ayden.
They get married and start a life in a small town in WA state. Life is simple and they treasure the memories they create with one another and their friends.
Tragedies occur leaving one to find out they also won't be around for long. In a dream visited by their father they are told they have two choices.
Love the hand made knitted item given to them as a gift. It's something I've done myself this past year-just given a home made afghan to a relative who I felt would really treasure it.
On the note with the gift I put 1.we are only here for a short while and 2. treasure the time we have.
This book follows that same advice as they reach out to help others and not even worry about their own needs. Love all they are able to do and how many lives they touch.
Sad but a really good read. Enjoyed Christmas at the park as it's listed as being in WA state but really could be anywhere.

Christmas Miracle - A Contemporary Holiday Romance: Falling for Him by Jessica Gray
Story of Rachel and Peter Shaw, recently married and they are heading to her grandparents farm in KS for the holidays.
Other family members will be there and they enjoy their time in the snow and Forrest.
Grandparents are aging and don't move around as much any more and others are trying to get them to move into a smaller house, in the city, closer to the doctor office but they love their big old farmhouse.
Love presents and especially the ones for the young mother and her daughter as they are hand knit. I usually keep a few extra hand knitted items around also before I donate them to charity.
Touching, caring story of so many but easy to keep them straight as to who is who.
Other works by the author are highlighted at the end.
All their dreams come true with the miracle that happened.

Thunder cake  by Polacco Patricia
A grandmother helps her granddaughter get over her fear of thunder.
I remember being terrified of thunder and lightening also so thought this would be a good book to listen to.
She had the cure-make a thunder cake. Good idea to get the child mind off of the thunder. Recipe included.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

The beekeeper's daughter  by Santa Montefiore
Always interesting to learn the career/trade of others that use their hands.
Starts out with Grace and her friend Big talking about how her daughter left to go to Cape Cod to spend the weekend with her friend. They fear it was a boy.
Big told her to forbid her daughter from leaving Tagganasett Island for the rest of the summer she knows she must do it.
Problem is Grace is a beekeeper and her past is catching up to her.  Trixie is in love with Jasper, the guitar player who's from overseas.
Beatrix (Trixie) wants to go into the fashion industry but at 19 she just waits tables on the island.  Her dad, Freddie comes home and has already heard of Trixie behaving like a slut. He works in the cranberry bogs.
Story goes back in time to 1930's when Grace was a teen...
Interesting discussion of the cure of arthritis and garlic will cure a bee sting.
Really enjoyed how their lives are lived and the story is told. So many more interesting names for books the author wrote that I hope to read some day.
Really liked this book because it took me to new places and described them so well and I learned new things.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

A small farm in Maine by Terry Silver
Terry and Mark are photographers and buy a farm in 70's in Maine for weekends.
They farm the land as time goes on and all the changes that come about. Others teach them how to grow produce, flowers and herbs.
How they start with just one small plot and every year they enlarge it. Like story of greenhouse and the improvements after the first year they had to make.
Loved the part about growing seeds inside too early-this is what I have been known to do and the advice about rotating the crops.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

The liar by Nora Roberts
Starts out with Shelby going through her late husbands records, health records and bills. Things start to click the light bulb on. Now she knows his past, some of it.
She has nothing to raise her 3 year old daughter on as she owes taxes, overdue bills and has no house or cars or anything.  She's able to consign clothes and sell jewelry which wasn't what he told her they were worth, arts and books.
She arrives back home to TN and others are after her about money her husband owed them as another name. She found money and other things in his safe deposit at the bank.
Like hands on your nose, the trails, familiar surroundings and the hometown feel she is welcomed once returning home. Don't like that's there more pain for her to endure and more struggles. Griff is a handyman who likes her and her daughter and they do hit it off.
Love the words of the day!  Hot steamy sex scenes and more identities to go with who she thought was her husband.
Fast paced action, mysteries and romance.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

The black snow by Paul Lynch
Starts out with a fire and a man rushes in to save the animals. One man makes it out, the other does not. The animals all die.
Ezra, the wife is upset that her husband cancelled the insurance on the barn. There is nothing left and now they will have to sell some of the fields.
Barnabas has invested money into a lucrative business and he won't see any proceeds from it...   The dead man's wife blames Barnabas also as her husband wouldn't have gone into the burning fire.
Their son wants to know why father won't eat the meat others have given them. Something isn't quite right here and she's determined to find out the truth. The fire didn't start by itself either.
She wants to sell everything and go back to the US, he  has another idea...
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

Woman's day Cooking for two 
Lots of useful information but there is no nutritional information for the recipes.
Like that the smaller sizes are perfect for two, but we like leftovers for the next day. Most of the recipes you can also freeze for later use.
Even has desserts.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

Tovi the Penguin: goes camping
Colorful children's book about Tovi. In this episode they are going camping. They pack up their gear and walk to the campsite, it is far away and they arrive when it's getting dark.
They must get the campsite ready with fire to cook their meal and keep warm.
They hear a noise at night and get up to investigate...

LETTUCE!
Colorful children's rhyming story about a bunny who grows lettuce. It's so big and thick that he can win a ribbon and be famous and make lots of money.
He asks the owl for advice but they don't even have food on the shelves. That's gives the bunny the idea that he can help his friends in need.

Cat and Jemima J by Jane Green
This short story of a journalist who is making a list of topics she can write about when she is friended by JJ. She tells Cat of her life, baby and husband in LA but he's lied about things that will come to haunt her.
Others in the newsroom want to find JJ also to interview her.
Excerpts from Summer Secrets is also included.  Other works by the author are highlighted at the end.

What Does Super Jonny Do When Mom Gets Sick?
Colorful children's book about Johnathan who is a superhero and he has a sidekick called Bear. His mom is sick and others try to help her.
The doctors and nurses and technicians all have tools they can use to find out what's wrong-so does Jonny but different tools and gadgets.
Mom likes all the gadgets that help the others do their work but Jonny has the answer.

Pressure Cooker: 22 Amazing Pressure Cooker Recipes for Losing Your Weight (Pressure Cooker, Pressure Cooker recipes, Pressure Cooker books)
We are thinking of getting a modernized pressure cooker for a steamer, ricer and slow cooker and yogurt maker so we wanted to find out about the recipes and how much different they'd be to make.
Our concern is with the psi and will it explode. The recipes in this book do include a photo and do not have nutritional information. Some of the recipes only include a bit of the recipe-it doesn't tell you how to make parts of it=recipe 14.

 Very Coco Christmas (Coco Pinchard Series Book 4
Other works by the author are highlighted at the beginning.
Karen has spent time with her boyfriend at the school apartment she shares with others. Hot steamy sex scenes and they head back to their homes for the holiday.
She gets scared on one train and leaves her purse and money behind. The house is decorated so nicely as she helps with some of the decorating still left to do. She's also informed the family she likes her new school name, Coco and her mother has a fit and refers to her as a French prostitute.
Not only has Coco lost her money but the pictures of Daniel and his phone number as well. She tries to locate him through the book.
Circumstances lead her to leave the shop and she meets up with Daniel and events occur that lead them to all having Christmas lunch together.
What a clash as the meal is ready. Nobody leaves unscathed!
Interesting drama for a short story set in England.

Married by Midnight: A Christmas Story
The stars are aligned and Tim has proposed and it's the day to choose the wedding dress.
While planning her own Christmas eve wedding she finds an old vintage dress that she loves and there's a note pinned inside. With her sister Bea's help they might be able to use social media to help solve the mystery.
Kate does not use any of that type of media...and is fascinated when she starts to share the photo and realizes how many others 'share' it...
She hopes to find who it belonged to and also find out if they have a happy marriage - before her own wedding.
After Bea sees Kate talking to Nick and his grandfather she knows Kate and Tim are not a match made in heaven...
Like how this book actually has two stories that are connected through the dress. Enjoyed the read although I don't connect much with the English country and sayings. Other works by the author are highlighted at the end.

The Guilty by David Baldacci
Have enjoyed the other mysteries of the author and knew I'd enjoy this one.
Although 95% of the books I read are romance I do like a change of genre from time to time.
This one starts out with the shooting and things went wrong, a little girl stepped in front of her mother and both of them were shot.
He has nightmares and ends up leaving to go home to his father's. He finds out he's imprisoned-he's a judge and things aren't right with the investigation.
His father doesn't want his help but gets it anyways. With the help of a lawyer and Will doing the investigations now his dad might have a chance to get out of there.
Lots of action, fast paced and you can hear the sounds of the shots as this is an audio tape.  Other family try to help but with their testimony it might not really be helping the case. Interesting descriptions of the Biloxi/Cantrell scenery and talk of Katrina and it's aftermath.
Blue Man in DC is helping him but things are getting more complicated and he needs to drop the case....
Maybe Agent Jess could help in this case...he keeps asking if she's surfaced...
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).