Books read July 13

Crochet Afghans: Discover How to Crochet a Perfect Afghan in Less Than a Day by Emma Brown
Starts out with a phrase about how her mother taught her many craft and household skills, but not crochet. This sounds just like me but I am now a published crochet designer.
I picked it up by myself when my son was born although I know how to knit very well. An intro starts this book off and tells you what this book will do for you. There is also a linkable video to watch.
Crochet afghans with links to videos on how to make some of the stitches that are talked about.  Different sizes of an afghan for different size beds and for what age groups.
There are color photos along the way. Mattress size chart  has the sizes and how many squares to make.
Tools and material,  along with chart for right hook or knitting needles size needed along with discussion about what type of yarn to use.
There is also a chart about the different yarn weights with important information
Terms and understanding the patterns is another chapter. Step by step color photos of how to start the project along with the written words.Basic stitches are diagrams along wit the words along with video to watch.
Other techniques are shown also. Many levels of espertise in patterns are given.
Each pattern starts out with a summary of the afghan, size, yarn and hook needled also with a guage. Color photos show you the steps along with words. Steps to finish off are also included.
Quite a large variety of afghan stitches to choose from for beginner, intermediate and experienced crocheters.
Glossary and FAQ is included along with a chart that links colors that look good together. What I like about this book is it starts with the beginner in mind but if you're beyond that you can skip over and go to the appropriate section. I always like to review the earlier parts myself because sometimes they are explained in a way I was never able to understand them.
Also love the color combinations as it's easy to follow along with the pictures and diagrams when you can actually see the pattern in the yarn. Something for everyone.
A KEEPER!

July 2017 Book Fun Magazine
This month I especially liked not only the interviews but meeting new authors to me and their works.
Color pictures are high quality and beautiful-they tell a story on their own. Books for children and adults and everybody in between. Interviews are so involved and I love the things you are taught reading them.
You have to check out this magazine and join Book Fun yourself to get free books. It's all free!

 The Lady and the Mountain Main by Misty M. Beller
1860's She was to be married and then her father died. Her new to be husband she finds with another man discussing old details and she hears he wants to kill her like he did his last wife.
They are to be married and he will take over everything-she was to inherit the following February as her father's will stated. She takes off and with help ends up traveling by train to St. Louis where she sees advertisements for brides to head to the west.
She loses her purse, all her money and unless she finds a job she's stuck there and she knows Simon, her intended will be hunting her down. She travels with others and ends up in Butte, Montana but the man advertising for a bride is dead. She's left at his brother and sisters house for a few days.
Events occur that keep her there and I love the parts where she learns about taking care of people and the animals. Love the travel and how she even learns to cook. She's always thinking of others and Gideon is always doing things for others. After the health emergencies she heads to town to find a job to earn money.
Gideon stays in town til the next day waiting on supplies when he figures out Simon has hired hands there to kidnap her but he's too late.. God is present when he is called about to help them with troubling decisions and hope they are on the right paths. Love the herbs and how they are used.
Have had this book for a while and glad I finally read it. Other works in this series, are also highlighted at the end.

Ernest Hemingway, selected letters, 1917-1961

So fascinating to hear the letters, who they are from and who he replies to and the subject matter.

You can follow his reporter career during the war and all the exotic places visited.

I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

The Secret Santa Wishing Well by Nikki Lynn Barrett

Have had this book for a while and finally got to read it and wish I had read it earlier.

It's a great story about a women who works a lot of hours and has 2 children. They babysitter and 2 kids visit the mall at Christmas time and the young son wanders off to talk to Santa's helper.

He encourages him to make a wish and gives him the penny to throw in the well. We find out later in the book what he wishes for. The young boy is so busy with community service projects at his age that the helper nominates him to get the award.

Alternating chapters also follow the helper and his family problems and how he becomes involved with the mother and her children.

Love that it's around the holidays and that they get to spend some quality time together. Love the date night and the ride, precious! Events take a bad turn for them both and you wonder if they will ever get back together when the little boy has run away from visiting his bio dad on Christmas eve.

There's a lot to this book, easy to follow, handful of characters and lots of things they do together and with others.

Hope I can collect the other books in this series. Passionate steamy sex scenes also.

A home is not a home, life within a nursing home by Tulloch_ G. Janet 

Tells you what to expect when you have to move to a nursing home to live our your life. They are depressing but you can make yourself do things so you don't think about all that.

Some like the one my mother in law was in had crafts, listening to old time music, getting her hair and nails done, groups would come in to sing or play music, lots of activities. The jewelry they'd make would be sold at the annual Christmas bazaar to give them money to visit places throughout the year-going to the store, stopping for ice cream on a hot summer day, going out to lunch, etc.

Some tragic stories in this book.

I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

Slow dancing by Benedict_ Elizabeth
Two women meet in college and become friends. Story goes to the present time and then chapters go back in time so you can understand their relationship.
Story follows David who has a teen daughter and he wants a story on immigration. Lexie is a lawyer sticking up for the immigrants.
Nell is the woman who loves talking to her girlfriend about the men she's been with. Lots of drama
Steamy descriptions of sex with other partners and themselves. Love hearing the travel and the places they visit or live.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

We swam the Grand Canyon by Beer_ Bill 

Two crazy guys in the 1950's decide to swim down the Colorado River which is part of the grand canyon. Describes in detail how they prepared for it and the things they took.

Very adventurous and I'm not really sure they are sane to do the things they did. Loved hearing of the floatable rubber suitcases and clothes.

Whirlpools, dangerous and exciting. So much pain and struggles along the way but also awesome scenes they describe.

I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

William Tell by Bawden_ Nina 

Have always heard about how he had to shoot an arrow at the apple on his sons head. This is the story why he had to do that.

Like the way the three countries come together. 

I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).