Monday, March 2, 2015

It's Monday What Are You Reading?



 Wow!  These audio books are helping me get more reading done and at the same time actually enjoy some mundane tasks.  Plus, I need to read them and pass them on..........
The Rescue by Nicolas Sparks
I picked this up at a library book sale and it was very good.  As you can see it was an audio book.  The only issue I had was when they tried to do the voice of a child that couldn't speak very well and when the male reader tried to do a female voice it wasn't very convincing and took your mind off of the story line.  It was a good book though and I would give it a 4 out of  5.
 "When confronted by raging fires or deadly accidents, volunteer fireman Taylor McAden feels compelled to take terrifying risks to save lives. But there is one leap of faith Taylor can't bring himself to make: He can't fall in love.
Then, one day, a raging record breaking storm hits his small Southern town.  Denise Holton, a young single mother, is driving through it when her car skids off the road.  With her is her four-year-old son, Kyle.  Unconscious and bleeding, she---not Kyle---is found.  And when she wakes up, the chilling truth becomes clear to both of them;  Kyle is gone.
Driving the search for Kyle, the connection, the lifeline, between Taylor and Denise takes root. Taylor doesn't know that this rescue will lead him to the possibility of his own rescue from a life lived without love."

I have a cd/tape player in the kitchen and the bedroom.  This is what's playing in the bedroom but since I don't spend as much time in there as I do the kitchen, this one didn't get finished yet.

 I did finish this fiction book and it is the second book in the Cold Sassy series by Olive Anne Burns
She died before she finished it but her editor and a neighbor pieced it together and published it along with a wonderful history of her life and the REAL people of Cold Sassy.  I enjoyed the story of her life tremendously and  her husband's last name was Sparks....I wonder if Nicholas and he were related?  They were both writers.  She and her husband had a very interesting and wonderful life together and their sense of humor during some of their most painful struggles was admirable. I continue to love real life stories better than fiction.  I highly recommend this book for the non-fiction part and the photos of the REAL people of Cold Sassy.  5 out of 5

I finished this book, Call The Midwife by Jennifer Worth.
I like the PBS series on television except for all the screaming and overacting during childbirth.  I don't remember ever screaming or hearing anyone scream or carry on like they portray childbirth on t.v. And I wasn't drugged either just a shot to ease the pain but nothing to block it out.  Anyway, the book, as usual, is better than the movie but also more graphic but this is written by the woman who lived it so I was impressed with her writing ability and also the fact that these stories are true and were happening when I was a little girl.  I really was born in the "old days". If you're a mother you will enjoy it but if you haven't had children or plan on it in the future maybe not so much. LOL! 5 out of 5!

As for my tablet.........I read and finished Durable Goods by Elizabeth Berg.
 
" On the hot Texas army base she calls home, Katie spends the lazy days of her summer waiting: waiting to grow up; waiting for Dickie Mack to fall in love with her; waiting for her breasts to blossom; waiting for the beatings to stop. Since their mother died, Katie and her older sister, Diane, have struggled to understand their increasingly distant, often violent father. While Diane escapes into the arms of her boyfriend, Katie hides in her room or escapes to her best friend’s house—until Katie’s admiration for her strong-willed sister leads her on an adventure that transforms her life.
Written with an unerring ability to capture the sadness of growth, the pain of change, the nearly visible vibrations that connect people, this beautiful novel by the bestselling author of Open House reminds us how wonderful—and wounding—a deeper understanding of life can be."
 I had read The Art of Mending several years back and remembered enjoying it...I think.  I might have to reread it as I can't recall the storyline at all.  I did realize that I wanted to read more of Elizabeth Berg though.  So I got my first audio book on my tablet and hooked my headphones up to it and did crocheting and it was a pleasant way to spend some evenings doing 2 things I really enjoyed at the same time!
The narrating and the quality of the audio was great but the story just didn't ever go anywhere really.  It was good and kept your interest but by the time I got to the end I was like "that's it?"  But she is definitely a great writer and I do plan on reading more of her but she is also a writer that tells stories within stories and knows much about life and isn't afraid to write about it.  Her books are not "thrillers" though and won't keep you on the edge of your seat but she will touch your heart...many times over.  There are some writers that need to be "introduced" before you can truly enjoy their books and she is one of them.  I think I'm prepped to read more of her now.  3 out of 5 
Another thing....I love all her covers! 

This week I'll be reading The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult.  I had started it as a library book but didn't have it finished so I took it back.  It's on my tablet now and I started reading it all over again.  It has a Nazi Germany theme so I wasn't sure I could handle it and some of it is very tough but she's a great writer and keeps you moving through it until you come out on the other side...unharmed.  I should probably finish this week.





For my non-fiction choice I am going to read a book I picked up somewhere at a sale...library, garage, not sure where but it's old.  Enos Mills of the Rockies by Hildegard Hawthorne and Esther Burnell Mills.
 "Enos Mills was a famous guide and interpreter of the Rockies and author of many successful books on the country he loved and understood so well."
The book I have was copyrighted in 1935 but the inscription below was dated 1945.  I'm not sure what relation the autographer was to Enos but hopefully the book will tell me.  I love nature books and the back cover lists 15 books that he wrote.

 As for the audio tape in the kitchen..........I'll be listening to Embraced by the Light by Betty J. Eadie
"The most profound and complete near-death experience ever!" "The inspiring NYT's bestseller read by the author."
So, that's it for this "book journey" edition and be sure and stop over to peruse all the people linking up with Sheila today over at Book Journey

Happy Trails!


16 comments:

  1. I recognize a few of these authors. I can't wait to jot down some of the titles to put on my reading list. You asked me about the essential oils. I got a 'starter' pack on Amazon and they were around $40....I thought that was reasonable for a nice variety that will last me a long time. Sweet hugs, Diane

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    1. That is a great price for essential oils as bottle that size can cost up to $12 each! I'm off to shop on Amazon!
      Thank you!

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  2. I am still watching episodes of call the midwife. I have heard that screaming before...natural childbirth..isn't a picnic. I think I may have called out loudly...nearly screamed during the birth of my girls.
    I am reading blogs:)

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    1. All I had was a shot in the butt but as I've said before....I come from stoics....no royalty in my family....I think my Irish relatives were probably peasants that had their babies in the fields. LOL!

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  3. I have Call the Midwife waiting on my kindle--I'm hoping to start it soon!

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    1. There's one chapter on prostitution but the author is a realist and doesn't dramatize it anymore than it already is. It's a rough chapter and there were tears shed on that one for sure but it's the truth and I try never to shy away from the truth regardless of how unpleasant.

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  5. I'm still reading a Hemingway book. I ordered too many from the library this week. I'm realizing he writes about his life and drinks a lot.

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    1. For some reason it seems like all the famous writers of that era were heavy drinkers or drug users. Heck, I'd have a good story line too if I was in "la-la" land all the time.LOL!

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  6. I like good books reviews & yours are very well done.... Also appreciated your comment to the lady gun "shopper". Fear & rampant paranoia is loose even in rural areas. And having a handgun next to your bed is more likely to hurt a child, spouse or yourself......

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    1. Thank you as I have not done book reviews before but I try to relate what I would want to know about a book before reading them. I'll be by to visit soon!

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  7. Great post!!
    I am so impressed with all the reading that you've been doing, and thank you for your reviews.

    I watched "Call the Midwife" on Netflix. I enjoyed it, but as you say... it is a bit grown up.. so I wouldn't watch it with youngsters.

    I just finished the second book in the farm stand murder mystery series, and I am about to begin the 3rd book.
    Although, I am also beginning a book titled " All the light we cannot see", by Anthony Doerr. Have you heard of it??

    Have a happy, book reading day!

    ~K.

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    1. Hi Kerin,
      I've heard of that book but have not read it. There seems to be many books out now about WWII. I might take a break from them after The Storyteller. Your Farmstand mystery series sounds like the just the "lighter" book I'll be ready for. I know they were on my list already to read if it's the ones I'm thinking about. Have you read any Candy Holiday mysteries? They are about a blueberry farm in Maine. I enjoyed those when I needed a break from the more "serious" literature.

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  8. The written word is getting much love from you this week. Your reading progress is way ahead of mine but I've been getting a lot of reading done. It's so relaxing.

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    1. Relaxing is right! That's why I can't read during the day...only audio because actual reading makes me doze off! LOL!

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  9. I love reading, and I always enjoy your book reviews. Glad you enjoyed reading Call the Midwife, I learned a lot from it and loved the evocation of the 'old days'! There are two other books by Jennifer Worth too following on from this one. We are watching a new series of the tv show over here....perfect for Sunday night crochet and knitting :)
    Happy March, dear Sam!
    Helen xox

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