Six Month Reading Status

It's almost hard to believe half of the year is gone by already. My reading goal is to surpass last year's total of 213 books read by at least one book. End of June are best and worst listed.

Challenges begun and status:


WWII challenge 3/6 read
Chick Lit Challenge 9/10 (2 not reviewed)
Cozy Mystery Challenge 6/6 read ~ completed

January 5,372 pages read

I Don't Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson 3*** 337 pp
Night of Many Dreams by Gail Tsukiyama 3*** 275 pp

Scot On The Rocks by Brenda Janowitz 4 ***** 295 pp
Lucia, Lucia by Adriana Trigiani 4.5 **** 263 pp
The Christmas Edition by Robin Shope 4**** 236 pp
Off Season by Anne Rivers Siddons 4**** 358 pp
The Dog Days of Charlotte Hayes by Marlane Kennedy 4**** 240 pp
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks 4**** 372 pp
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford 5***** 290 pp
Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson 3 *** 309 pp
The Good Sister by Diana Diamond 4**** 296 pp
Collision of Angels by Michael Carver 2.5** 438 pp
Firefly lane by Kristin Hannah 4**** 479 pp
Good-Bye and Amen by Beth Gutcheon 3 *** 279 pp
The Kiss Murder by Mehmet Murat Somer 2.5** 256 pp
Little Skink's Tail by Janet Halfmann 5***** 32 pp
Faithful unto Death by Caroline Graham 5 ***** 311 pp
Delicate Edible Birds by Lauren Groff 2** 306 pp

February 5136 pages read

Rococo by Adriana Trigiani 4**** 272 pp
Vineyard Chill by Philip Craig 4**** 256
Death by Latte by Linda Gerber 3*** 224 pp
Mistress Shakespeare by Karen Harper 3.5 *** 384 pp
The Help by Kathryn Stockett 5***** 464 pp
The Pre-Nup by Beth Kendrick 4**** 304 pp
Waggitt Again by Peter Howe 3*** 304 pp
A Fool and His Honey by Charlaine Harris 4**** 272 pp
Big Cherry Holler by Adriana Trigiani 4**** 304 pp
The Language of Threads by Gail Tsukiyama 4.5**** 288 pp
Death of a Witch by M.C.Beaton 4**** 256 pp
Irreplaceable by Stephen Lovely 4**** 352 pp
Death by Pantyhose by Laura Levine 4**** 256 pp
Unpolished Gem by Alice Pung 3*** 304 pp
The Italian Lover by Robert Hellenga 4**** 368 pp
Dating Da Vinci by Malena Lott 3*** 288 pp
Death by Bikini by Linda Gerber3*** 240 pp

March 4918 pages read

The Suburban Dragon by Garasamo Maccagnone 5***** 50 pp
To My Senses by Alexandrea Weis 3*** 336 pp
Dead Man Docking by Mary Daheim 3*** 320 pp
Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs 4**** 384 pp
Sonata for Miriam by Linda Olsson 4**** 304 pp
Galway Bay by Mary Pat Kelly 5***** 576 pp
Oolong Dead by Laura Childs 5***** 336 pp
MacKenzie Blue by Tina Wells 4**** 224 pp
Life Sentences by Laura Lippman3*** 352 pp
Palace Circle by Rebecca Dean 5***** 432 pp
Murder at Madingley Grange by Caroline Graham 4***** 292 pp
A Recipe 4 Robbery by Marybeth Kelsey 4**** 288 pp
Third Strike by Philip Craig & William Tapply 5***** 336 pp
Manual of Detection by Jedediah Berry 3*** 288 pp
Sweet Waters: An Otter Bay Novel by Julie Carobini 3***400 pp

April 5444 pages read

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe 5***** 384 pp
Stiffs and Swine by J.B. Stanley 4**** 288 pp
The Battered Body by J.B. Stanley 4**** 312 pp
The Sweetgum Knit Lit Society by Beth Pattillo 4**** 352 pp
Steamed by Jessica Conant-Park and Susan Conant 2** 320 pp
The Local News by Miriam Gershow 3*** 368 pp
The Towering World of Jimmy Choo by Lauren Goldstein Crowe and Sagra Maceira De Rosen 2** 240 pp
The Witch's Grave by Shirley Damsgaard 4**** 272 pp
A Flickering Light by Jane Kirkpatrick 4**** 400pp
The Big Dig by Linda Barnes 4**** 352 pp
Dare to Die by Carolyn Hart 5***** 304 pp
Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea by Janet Halfmann 4**** 32 pp
Plot Counter-Plot by Anna Clarke 3*** 192 pp
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton 5***** 560 pp
Shanghai Girls by Lisa See 4**** 336 pp
The Walking People by Mary Beth Keane **** 416 pp
Tender Graces by Kathryn Magendie 4.5 ***** 316 pp

May 7542 pages read

Letter from Home by Carolyn Hart 4**** 272 pp
Dork Diaries by Rachel Renee Russell 4**** 288 pp
A Murderous Innocence by Susan Oleksiw 3.5*** 263 pp
Cream Puff Murder by Joanne Fluke 3*** 288 pp
The Tree of Death by Marcia Muller 3.5*** 208 pp
Cut, Crop & Die by Joanna Campbell Slan 4.5**** 336 pp
Angel Falls by Kristin Hannah 4**** 432 pp
Paper, Scissors, Death by Joanna Campbell Slan 4.5**** 336 pp
A Highland Christmas by M.C. Beaton 4**** 160 pp
Book of Fate by Brad Meltzer 4.5**** 640 pp
Fault Line by Barry Eisler 4.5 **** 320 pp
Mating Rituals of the North American Wasp by Lauren Lipton 4**** 368 pp Girls in Trucks by Katie Crouch 2** 272 pp
It Happened in Italy by Elizabeth Bettina 4**** 384 pp
Mounting Fears by Stuart Woods 4**** 304 pp
Murder Under Blue Skies by Willard Scott & Bill Crider 3*** 368 pp
Desert Sinner by Ralph McInerney 3*** 250 pp
Saints in Limbo by River Jordan 4.5***** 352 pp
High Water by Lynn Hightower 3*** 336 pp
A Hint of Wicked by Jennifer Haymore 3.5 *** 432 pp
September by Rosamund Pilcher 4**** 613 pp
Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich 5***** 320 pp

June 5064 pages read

Deception by Christiane Heggan 4**** 378 pp
Sister Chicks in Wooden Shoes by Robin Jones Gunn 2.5** 288 pp
Something Borrowed by Emily Griffin 3.5*** 352 pp
The Leisure Seeker by Michael Zadoorian 4**** 288 pp
Worshipful Lucia by E.F. Benson 4.5**** 175 pp
Only You by Deborah Grace Staley 4 **** 208 pp
The Captain's Bride by Lisa Tawn Bergren 4.5**** 400 pp
Tomorrow's Treasure by Linda Lee Chaikin 4**** 392 pp
The Night Gardener by George Pelicanos 4**** 372 pp
The Dixie Divas by Virginia Brown 4.5**** 308 pp
The Crying Tree by Naseem Rakha 5 *****353 pp
Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater (audio) 2 hours
The Gifts of War by Mackenzie Ford 3.5*** 350 pp
Summer at Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs 4**** 544 pp
The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson 4.5**** 336 pp
Trouble for Lucia by E.F. Benson 4.5**** 176 pp
The Wackiest, Wildest, Wierdest Animals in the World by Jack Hanna 4 **** 32 pp
Midnight Sun by Lisa Tawn Bergren 4**** 384 pp
A Man to Call My Own by Johanna Lindsey 4**** 442 pp
Corpse Pose by Diana Killian 4**** 276 pp
A Killer Collection by J.B. Stanley 4**** 202 pp

6 month totals: 110 books / 34,668 pages read

There have been some amazing books published this year but the best four that I read are:

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Galway Bay by Mary Pat Kelly

The Crying Tree by Naseem Rakha

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

Probably the worst three I have read are:

Delicate Edible Birds by Lauren Groff

Steamed by Susan Conant and Jessica Conant-Park

Girls in Trucks by Katie Crouch

The absolute worst book I started and gave up half way was Blonde Roots by Bernardine Evaristo. It's not on the read list because I absolutely could not finish it.

What has been your best and worst of this year so far?

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Marcia at the Printed Page . Anyone can play along. Just leave a link to your MM at Marcia's blog and visit listed links to see what others received in the mail. It's always fun to see what books are making the rounds of mailboxes around the world. Hope you had a good week. I was particularly blessed with book riches. Here's what showed up:

Monday: Circle of Friends, James by L. Diane Wolfe for an author guest post August 19th.

Tuesday: The Hidden Man by David Ellis and the Holy Bullett by Luis Miguel Rocha, both from SA.

Friday Benny & Shrimp by Katarina Mazetti from SA ( I think) not sure where else it would be from.

Then I got a book bag from J.B. Stanley with these eight (8!) books. Yowzer, talk about doing the happy dance. These first three books are all by J. B. Stanley and comprise her Collectible mystery series.

A Killer Collection
A Fatal Appraisal
A Deadly Dealer
A Killer Stitch by Maggie Sefton
Dying to Sell by Maggie Sefton
All Dolled up for Murder by Deb Baker
Corpse Pose by Diane Killian
Dearly Depotted by Kate Collins

J.B. will be here doing a guest post and giveaway on July 7th. The winner can choose out of 5 possible books and then J.B. is throwing in some other "goodies" as she puts it. I have reviewed two of her Supper Club mysteries here before and the choices are from that series. She will be sharing a new recipe with you also on the 7th. So new, in fact J.B. just told me her editor hasn't even seen it yet ! So be sure to come back then to read what she has to say. As with Joanna C. Slan, I told her she could post about " anything she wants ". We'll see what happens this time !

Saturday: Red to Black by Alex Dryden from SA

So, how was your week? Anything that got you to do the happy dance?

Review: The Crying Tree by Naseem Rakha

Nate and Irene Stanley and their two children, Shep and Bliss, move from Illinois to Oregon supposedly for a better work situation for Nate. One day Nate comes home to find their 15 year old son, Shep, gasping his last breath with a bullet wound in his chest. The house is trashed and some valuable items are missing. The general conclusion is Shep interrupted a random robbery. After several weeks, the killer is caught, tried and eventually sent to prison. The story follows the Stanley family and how they cope with the aftermath of such a heartbreaking tragedy.

For a long time after the murder, Irene spirals down into an abyss of depression, finding it increasingly difficult to claw her way out. She has a hard time even dealing with everyday needs and the family dynamics seriously erode. Irene begins to use vodka as a crutch just to get through the day leaving Bliss and Nate to their own devices. Irene's intense hatred of Shep's killer was slowly killing her. She lived for the day he would be executed.

But the wheels of justice grind slowly and after years of feeling half dead herself, on what would be Shep's 27th birthday, Irene has an emotional epiphany. She decides she cannot hold onto the hate any longer. Unbeknownst to her family, she writes a letter to the killer forgiving him and setting off a chain reaction that no one could have ever imagined. When Nate finds out about the years of correspondence, he goes ballistic and he reveals some shocking truths about their son and what really happened on that fateful day. Irene is now determined on a whole new course of action.

This is just the bare bones of the plot. Let me say right off, I could not put this book down. The numerous twists and turns in plot and depth of the characters make this a stellar read. It is so incredibly well written and flows seamlessly from numerous points of view. Every character's thoughts and emotions are perfectly executed. The raw emotion in this book will grab you by the heart and not let go. I think this is one of the best books I have read this year. Highly recommended. 5*****

The Gifts of War by Mackenzie Ford

From the back cover:

"During the Christmas truce of 1914, a German gives a British soldier a photo, and they make a pact. Hal, the British soldier, promises to find his enemy's English girlfriend, Sam, and let her know her fiance is alive and thinking of her. Several weeks later, Hal- now injured- is discharged from the army and goes to Stratford-upon-Avon to fulfill his promise. But things take an unexpected turn when he meets the woman in the photo and falls in love with her himself. As their romance blossoms, Sam shares with Hal her most private confidence. Her newborn son is of German lineage, information that threatens her reputation and her job as schoolteacher. Fearful that he will lose Sam, Hals holds tight to the secret-and the photograph - that brought them together.

Mackenzie Ford sets the story of Hal and Sam's love affair against the broader landscape of England at war and brilliantly captures the era and the fates of men and women caught in the sweep of history. A vivid tale of romance, adventure and intrigue."

My thoughts,: The first two sentences in this book evoked such an image for me.

"It is 2: a.m., raining hard, and the cobblestones on the Boulevard Raspail are glittering like a thousand silver spoons. Vast puddles are forming in the gutters, black as ink."

I love the contrast. A promising beginning to an interesting story. This was a good book and I did enjoy it, BUT, there are things about the whole premise that I found disturbing.

Hal and the German soldier, Wilhelm, made an honor bound pact. Once Hal saw Sam and before he even got to know her, he threw honor out the window and decided he wanted her for himself. Would this really happen in 1914? Would a British soldier or anyone for that matter, in that day and age give their word so lightly and dishonor their solemn agreement for the sake of love or lust at first sight? Somehow, I think not.

So basically we have a budding relationship built on deceit. Not the most auspicious beginning for any future together. Sam made no bones about her love for Wilhelm at the same time as she realized how difficult it would be to have a German fiance. Understandably, anti-German sentiment was high at the time. I found it hard to like Hal as he never gave Sam the opportunity to get to really know him and make her own decision. The reader is privy to his private thoughts with some semblance of a guilty conscience but he does not act on it. Hal just hoped that it will all work out in the end. At several points in the story, he even hoped that Wilhelm would not survive the war.

Once Hal had been released from active duty, he pursued a career in Intelligence at the War Office. Here his talents shone as he quickly made his way up the ladder. I did find this part of the book interesting; a look behind the scenes in the war rooms with the ferreting out of traitors. Hal's commitment to his Intelligence work did endear him to me a little but decisions he made in his personal life still annoyed me.

There were several other concurrent plotlines that I found intriguing. Hal's sister Izzy was a fun character who really came to life on the pages. She was a nurse at the front just when the medical world was learning more about blood types and transfusions. Izzy kept a journal about her war experiences. Supposedly, this was not condoned by the military but Izzy was a woman who knew her own mind and was very outspoken. She was one of the highlights of the story for me. There are some very realistic war tidbits in the story, serving to reinforce the challenges of the time frame.

The back cover touts this as a love story but to me it was very one-sided between Hal and Sam anyway. A lot of it just made me sad to think that the lives of so many people were turned upside down by the futility of war. Overall, I did like the book but the ending was a little bit of a disappointment. Would I still recommend The Gifts of War? Yes, definitely. 3.5 ***

Mackenzie Ford is the nom de plume of a well known and respected historian who lives in London.

A big thank you to Doubleday and Shelf Awareness for an advance copy of this book.

Review & Giveaway: The Night Gardener by George Pelicanos

From the back cover:

When the body of a local teenager is found in a community garden, detective Gus Ramone relives intense memories of a twenty-year old case. Back when he was a rookie, Ramone and his partner "Doc" Holiday assisted legendary detective T.C. Cook in the investigation of a series of murders involving young victims. The killer, dubbed the "Night Gardener", was never caught.

The fierce sense of anger, regret, and purpose that once burned among these three men comes rushing back as they race to vanquish the monster who has stalked their dreams. For Cook, now retired, it means solving one of the few cases that eluded him. For Holiday, whose career as a cop was derailed, it's one last chance to redeem himself. For Ramone, catching the killer means not only doing his job but knowing that his own teenage son, who is a friend of the dead boy, won't be the next victim.

My Thoughts:

The number of characters in this book is almost overwhelming but the three cops are the main focus of the book. Pelecanos delves deeply into the lives of these three and how their being a cop defined them. I liked the way Pelecanos set up the scenario with the introduction of the characters right at the first crime scene. The book then fast forwards 20 years and we see where the characters' lives have taken them and how they intersect at the new crime investigation.

The book flows at an even but somewhat leisurely pace, almost mirroring a real investigation, as pieces of the puzzle are fit into place and then another one and so on. Pelecanos also gives the reader an indepth look at the personal lives of the three men and the interactions with their families. I think this is one factor that gives the book such authenticity. Although there is no dramatic denoument at the finale, the end is almost a reiteration of the beginning. Pelecanos takes the reader back to the original crime scene, but this time we see who the murderer is. Interesting treatment of a crime and the ensuing investigation.

Since I had never read any of Pelecanos' books before, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was very pleased to see how Pelecanos let the reader into the heads of the characters. The supporting characters are fully fleshed out giving the book a very believable feel. His masterful use of local dialect gives an extra dose of reality. Even though the book is more police procedural and character study than a traditional mystery, this book held my attention to the end. 4****

For Author's website see here.

Now for the GIVEAWAY. Hachette is so generous in allowing me to give away 5 copies of the book. Only US and Canada, please and no P.O. boxes.
4 Copies selected by random.org and 1 copy to INSTANT WINNER. This has been won by Serena of Savvy Verse and Wit.
July 2nd at 5 PM is the deadline to enter. Good luck!

For your official entry: leave a comment with your e mail contact, please.

For 3 bonus entries: become a public follower. Friends Google connect. Already one? That counts!

For 1 more bonus entry: put link to contest in your sidebar.


Aaron, Aidan, Alberto, Alden, Alfredo, Alfred, Alphonse, Alonso, Alvin, Angus, Angelo, Archer, Andre, Armand, Arnold, Arturo, Aubrey, Augustus, Austin, Ambrose, Avery, Antoine, or Antonoio

***Please, I beg you, only one (1) comment box is necessary, just leave a little space between your answer and your bonus entry comments. Also be sure to leave an e mail address so I can contact you when you win!

A big thank you to Valerie at Hatchette Book Group for a review copy of this book.

Celebrate! Winners announced.

Cel-e-brate! Come on! Come on! Everybody had a good time . . . . and now it's time to announce The Winners! Hooray, we love to announce winners.

After adding in all the bonus entries and making my list, checking it twice, gonna find out who's . . . no, wait , that's another list.

Anyway, enough with the technical hoo-ha. Out of 102 entries, random.org came up #'s 8 and 23. Would the real # 8 and # 23 please stand up. Huh, you need to know who you are?

Oh, ok, # 8 is Molly and # 23 is Ladytink.

Now, wasn't that fun? Let's start another contest tomorrow. See Pudgy for details.

Review: The Dixie Divas by Virginia Brown

When lately divorced Trinket Truevine comes home to Cherry Hill, Mississippi to care for her aging parents, she finds a lot more than she bargained for. She pictured a peaceful and quiet life serving her parents iced tea on the veranda. Ha! Not happening!

Southerners take family history and old family grudges seriously. Very, very seriously. Sometimes there are dire consequences; like murder. Trinket's cousin, Bitty has been most vituperative about her ex husband since the divorce. Now that his death is declared a homicide, it's only logical for the police to consider Bitty as the primary suspect. Bitty introduces Trinket to her group of friends known as the Dixie Divas. The Divas are called in to assist Bitty and Trinket in proving Bitty's innocence. That's when the rollicking fun begins.

As in any cozy, it is not as much about the mystery as it is the characters and the setting. In this fun cozy, Brown does not disappoint at all. The Dixie Divas had me laughing out loud with some of their antics. I used a paragraph from the book in a Teaser Tuesday segment just so you could get an idea of the author's teriffic sense of humor. Along with a few humorous subplots and some snippets of romance, a hair raising denoument just ended this book perfectly.

Recommended for fans of cozy mysteries, southern humor and light reading. A big thank you to Deb Smith from Belle Bridge Books for a copy of the book. 4.5****

Review: The Wackiest Wildest Weirdest Animals in the World by Jack Hanna

Wow, this is such a fun and informative book! Mr. Hanna, in his years of experience documenting wild life, has chosen 30 animals that he considers to be wacky, wild and weird.

Each page features a large picture plus a smaller inset of close up features of that animal. Every page also includes what the animal eats, where they live and how big they get. Part of the page is devoted to the very facts that make the animal weird, wacky or wild.

One of the most interesting pages to me was the emperor penguin with three good close up pictures. Did you know that the emperor penguin can stay underwater for up to 20 minutes at a time while searching for food? They can withstand temperatures of -75 degrees F. This is one aptly named penguin; emperors grow to 4 feet tall and can weigh up to 85 pounds. That is one impressive and truly magnificent animal!

Another page I found most interesting was about the octopus. Who knew an octopus had 3 hearts? Or that an octopus can lay more than 200,000 eggs at a time? Wow, that's a lot of potential babies but in actuality, only a few survive to be adults.

There are 28 more animals that round out this fascinating book.This one may be geared towards kids, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. The pictures are extremely colorful and detailed. I just loved the close up insets. At the end of the book is a comprehensive glossary . A lot of candidates in that glossary to use in Wondrous Words Wednesday, that's for sure! Included with the book is a DVD of bloopers and behind the scenes shots from Mr. Hanna's TV show.

About the book : Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (June 9, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1400311403
ISBN-13: 978-1400311408
Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 10.4 x 0.5 inches

Author's website can be found here.

A big thank you to Thomas Nelson for a copy of this teriffic book. 4****

Brand new Bingo Award

While I am always most appreciative of any award, this new one from Karen of Bookin' with Bingo really, really touched me. I can't even express what her kind words mean to me but I just teared up. Sniff . . .This "B-I-N-G-O" BEAUTIFUL BLOG AWARD means that this blog is...

B: Beautiful
I: Informative
N: Neighborly
G: Gorgeous
O: Outstanding

Please look carefully at as many blogs as you can to find the top FIVE blogs that YOU think also exemplify these standards and pass it along to them. Please don't break this chain of FIVE! If you are someone who doesn't want awards or doesn't pass them on, please tell the person who is giving it so they can share it with someone who would want it. Thank you. Also, link your award to the person who gave it to you so when people link on the person's name or blog name, it will take them there to see that person's BINGO-RIFFIC BLOG.

I wrote down the five criteria words on a piece of paper and each word brought a lot of blogs to mind so it is hard to narrow it down but here are my choices:

Beautiful: Toni of A Circle of Books. One of the first things that attracted me to her blog was the header. It just bespoke elegance and love of reading to me before I even read one post. After being a follower for quite some time now and thoroughly enjoying every post, I know how beautiful a person Toni is. Her spirit and personality just shine through.

Informative: Rebecca of Lost in Books has an extremely informative blog. In fact she has a new feature called Take Me Away Saturday that is so well researched and interesting, I look forward to the next segment as soon as I read the current one. If you haven't read this feature, you are truly missing something unique. I love the maps she creates too showing the featured country and it's writers. Great job, Rebecca!

Neighborly: When I think of friendly and neighborly, I think of Debbie of Wrighty's Reads. She is one of the sweetest, nicest, most caring people I have "met" on line. Wrighty is always willing to give encouragement to all with a kind and friendly word. She is willing to share her innermost vulnerabilities and joys with the blogging community. It is an honor to be considered her friend.

Gorgeous: Carey of Tome Traveller is my choice for this criteria. Her blog is just so beautiful, almost breathtaking when you open the page. Every thing about her is gorgeous also. Carey really spends a lot of time on her content and it shows. I love to visit!

Outstanding: To my mind, this encompasses every wonderful quality there is: friendliness, caring, intelligence, wit, informative, fun. You name it and Dar of Peeking Between the Pages has it. If you are not a follower of this fabulous blog you are missing something very ,very special. Please visit these blogs and spread some comment love.

Thank you again Bingo!

Debbie of Wrighty's Reads has added to my Literary Blogger award and this one has been passed on. Thank you, Debbie. This is an award that is truly cherished. I would like to think I have inspired at least one person to read a new book.

Review: Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

Rachel and Darcy, best friends since elementary school, are always there for each other even though they seem like opposites in many way. Rachel is focused and goal oriented while Darcy likes to have a good time and luckily, things just seem to fall into place for her. Rachel felt that Darcy was always the "pretty one, the lucky one, the charmed one". You just know at some point maybe a hint of resentment will come into the picture.

Fast forward to Rachel's 3oth birthday party given by Darcy. Rachel is now an associate in a Manhattan law firm which, by the way, she hates. Darcy has a glamorous, fun job in public relations and is engaged to an absolutly gorgeous guy named Dex who she met through Rachel. A few too many drinks at the festivities finds Darcy not feeling well and heading for home without Dex. Rachel and Dex stay after the party to have one final drink together and end up in Rachel's apartment for the night. Dex cannot believe he cheated on Darcy and the two of them come up with elaborate excuses for where they were.

Now the unexpected happens. Rachel finds herself really in love with Dex and miraculously he returns the feelings but what will he do about it? Now only two months before the wedding, will he leave Darcy to be with Rachel or will he go through with the nuptials leaving Rachel with a broken heart?

Actually I was afraid this book would be too predictable but I was wrong, I kept wondering what was going to happen because the wedding was getting closer and closer and Dex hadn't made any moves yet. Rachel visits her old friend Ethan in London to discuss the situation. Will Ethan be a wild card in this triangle? Well, I guess you'll have to read the book and see!

Giffen does a great job building up the characters of Rachel and Darcy. There are some other supporting characters that really add to the story. Although chick lit is not my first genre of choice, I did enjoy this one a lot. Recommended for fans of chick lit and romance. 3.5 stars

Emily has written several other novels. Author's website can be found here

A big thank you to Goodreads for a copy of this book.

Winners of A Hint of Wicked

Hooray! We have some winners, 5 6 7 to be exact.

Update: Caffey just replied that she won previously on another blog so the next number up on random.org is Just.Me and she has been notified.

Update #2 Tea has declined her win so the next person on the list is Lisa and Lisa has now been notified. Dagnabit! I am going to give 5 books away. Seriously, I am.

Mission accomplished~ Phew!

Using random.org, the 5 winners of A Hint of Wicked are :

tea

booklover1335

caffey

pissenlit

leslie

All winners have been notified by e mail. Please respond within 48 hours or I will need to pick another winner. Unfortunately, one entrant did not leave an e mail address and their blog is not public so that entry was disqualified. Congratulations to the winners and a big thank you to all the entrants.

Guest Post and Giveaway with Joanna Campbell Slan

It's my pleasure to welcome Joanna Campbell Slan to visit with us today. She is one funny lady so enjoy this guest post. Don't forget to scroll all the way to the bottom and enter the contest. This is one you won't want to miss!


Joanna:
ANYTHING I WANT…SHE SAID I COULD! Honestly! She did . . . . .


Wow, what a trusting soul.

See, I could write about my books and the new one Cut, Crop & Die which is out this month. Or about scrapbooking, which I love and tackle in my character’s blog http://kikilowenstein.blogspot.com/ Or about my office. Yeah, my office. What a disaster. It’s a total mess because this morning I finished making a new belly band for my Bichon-poodle mix dog, Rafferty.

I can hear you scratching your head. “What’s a belly band?”

Well, it’s a garment for your pooch. It’s also known in the UK as a “wanker wrapper.” Essentially, it’s a doggy diaper designed to keep dear Rafferty from decorating our home in shades of yellow. See, he’s a rescue pup and he’s awfully attached to me. So when I’m out of sight, he…uh…dribbles.

I lie.

He doesn’t dribble. He squirts! With gusto!

(Right about now, Kaye is taking an oath NEVER, EVER to let an author write about “anything she wants.” Sorry, Kaye, but life is chock full of hard lessons.)

Last night, Rafferty got upset because my home-from-college son was trooping around the house at 3 a.m. So Raffie decided to cry. And squirt. This was bad because my dear husband forgot to strap Raffie into his old belly band. My husband claims he couldn’t find the belly band. Today I’ve made a new one and we have TWO belly bands. It’s harder to lose TWO of anything. (Trust me, I know this from experience.)

So, to recap: Last night at 3 a.m., Raffie’s crying woke me up. I ran downstairs to see what was bothering my dog because that’s what a good dog-mother does. That’s how I stepped in the squirt. If I hadn’t already been awake, I surely was after my toes got wet. I let Raffie outside, put on Raffie’s belly band—which was sitting RIGHT there for goodness sake!--and went upstairs to wash my foot.

Consequently, I am of no earthly use to anyone. Anyone! Including our dear Kaye. Who will never, EVER, let an author write about “just anything” again.

It's fine with me, Joanna, I did tell you that you could write about anything. You surprised me, but of course you did make me laugh out loud as usual. Thank you so much for sharing your wit with us and for generously allowing me to give away two of your fun books.

And now on to the giveaway. Joanna is generously giving away two copies of her books; one copy of Paper, Scissors, Death and one copy of Cut, Crop & Die . When the winners are notified, the first winner to respond with their address gets their choice of which book. I've read them both and enjoyed them immensely. No matter which one you win, you will like it! I promise. Just for a refresher in case you missed (really, you missed it?) the stellar review of Cut Crop & Die, see here.

For your official entry: tell me what, if any, kind of crafts you enjoy doing.
For 3 bonus entries: become a public follower.Already one? That counts!
For 1 more bonus entry: put link to contest in your sidebar.

*****EEEK. . . . Scrap Girl reminded me I didn't state if International. I am so sorry, but it is US and Canada only. **** Again, my apologies


***Please, only one (1) comment box is necessary, just leave a little space between your answer and your bonus entry comments. Also be sure to leave an e mail address so I can contact you when you win! Deadline is 5 PM on June 21st. Thanks for visiting. Good Luck!

Wondrous Words Wednesday

Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Bermuda Onion. This is where we share new to us words that we have come across during our week of reading. My words this week are all taken from Worshipful Lucia by E. F. Benson. PBS ran a series taken from these books called Mapp & Lucia with Geraldine McEwan as Lucia. If you would like some more info about E.F. Benson and the books, Wikipedia has some delightful info here.

1. tesselated: checkered , in a pattern like mosaic
2. mephitic:
   –adjective
   1.
   offensive to the smell.
   2.
   noxious; pestilential; poisonous.
3. hypocausts: an ancient Roman central heating system with underground furnace and tile flues to distribute the heat

Unfortunately I did not write down the page these words were on so I can't use it in the original sentence. The brief scenario is that Lucia was having some work done in her garden and found pottery shards that convinced her she was living on top of a Roman acquaduct. Hilarity ensues as she alerts the media but it turns out to be just some old pottery from around the 1850's.

Joanna's 10 top summer things to do in St. Louis

Hey, y'all, I just thought I would share with you part of an e- mail from Joanna Campbell Slan, author of the Kiki Lowenstein series. Joanna will be here tomorrow with a guest post and a chance to win a copy of her first book, Paper, Scissors, Death and a chance to win a copy of her second book, Cut, Crop & Die. See review here. This will just give you a taste of her sense of humor. Be sure to come back tomorrow (June 11th)for a chance to win one of her teriffic cozy mysteries.

Ten Fun Summer Things to do in St. Louis

1. Chase deer out of your lawn. Curse at deer while they laugh at you and eat your expensive plants.

2. Re-plant expensive plants. Decide you hate Bambi.

3. Buy "Not Tonight Deer" spray by the gallon.

4. Spray lawn with deer repellant. Notice lawn smells like sewage. Deer laugh at you. They like sewage. Your dogs roll in the new smell.

5. Stomp down mole tunnels. Deer and moles BOTH laugh at you. Dogs stink.

6. Pull tiny deer ticks off your body. Your spouse laughs at you and calls you a "tick magnet." Dogs have no ticks or fleas, but still smell bad. Really bad.

7. Find ticks on spouse's body. She is no longer laughing. Dogs go to groomer. You need couple's therapy. Dogs are clean and happy.

8. Call Critter Control to set up mole traps. They charge you $55 per mole they catch. Dead moles are marked with orange flags so dogs can dig them up and eat them then puke. Neighbors are laughing at you.

9. Watch orange flags pop up all over your lawn. You now owe Critter Control $550, and your lawn looks like a crazed surveyor is planning to put a road through it. Dogs go to the vet for upset tummies.

10. Move to Washington, D.C.

I guess moles are a real nuisance in Missouri. For a quick peek how moles fit into the story see Teaser Tuesday here.

Teaser Tuesday

It's Tuesday, Where are you ? is hosted by Raidergirl3. This week I am in Mississippi with my friend Bitty and several of her friends known as the Dixie Divas. We are carrying Bitty's ex-husband to the Hill Crest Cemetery. Oh, by the way, did I mention we found him in Bitty's front hall closet? Dead ? Yup, as a doornail. We had to move him. Right? What else could we do but wrap him up in a Persian rug ( a very expensive one, I might add) and get his sorry butt out of Bitty's house. And what better place than a cemetery to leave him? Just your ordinary, run of the mill midnight excursion!

This week's Teaser, hosted by Miz B, is taken from Dixie Divas by Virginia Brown. Of course, you know I have to do more than the 2 sentences. Senior citizen rebel, that's me! Anyway . . .

"Don't even think about it," she said to the plastic-wrapped corpse, then knocked back a slug of Jack Daniels. "How did she do that, " Sandra wondered, "without spilling a drop of whiskey?"

"Bitty is a woman of many talents," said Rayna as she covered the senator discreetly with the dark burgundy carpet. We got him tucked into it again, ignoring Bitty's suggestion that we "just stick his head back up his ass and roll him like a truck tire the rest of the way to the vault."

This book is a riot. If you like cozies even half as much as I do, I think you would enjoy this one.

If Sally Field only knew . . . . . .

If Sally Field only knew how often people would quote the beginning of her Oscar acceptance speech . . . "You like me, you really like me..." , I think she would be amazed. I only hope this is true but I sure have been made to believe that with all these fantastic awards from so many wonderful bloggers. I know this is weeks overdue and again, my apologies, but here we go. . . .

Caspette of The Narrative Causality has so graciously added to my Friendly Blogger award. I am so thrilled to be considered a friend to Caspette. Thank you so much, Caspette. This award has been previously passed on.

Karen at Bookin with Bingo, my good Florida book buddy, has been so kind as to pass on the Enchantment Award. Thank you so much, Karen for this wonderful award.

"This award signifies a blog that cares". The award is given with these words:'The only requirement for this award is that you shared it with whomever you like, sharing the love is always a good thing. The blog has to show only one characteristic, caring. So, start sharing this enchanted award with five other bloggers. Let your bloggers know they have received this enchanted award. (Remember, fairies are fickle wee things, don't incur their displeasure by ignoring their gift). I would like to pass this on to:

Alyce at At Home With Books

Dar at Peeking Between the Pages

Debbie at Wrighty's Reads

Blodeuedd of Book Girl of Mur-Y-Castell has done me the honor of adding to the Lets Be Friends award. This is so fantastic to think a blogger on the other side of the ocean and I have found common ground in our love of books. Thank you so much Blodeuedd.I am so delighted. This award has previously been passed on.

Molly at My Cozy Book Nook just inspires comments as she is so insightful and incredibly erudite, I am in awe every time I visit. She has so graciously honored me by adding to my You Don't Say Award. This one has been previously passed on. Thank you so much Molly, it means a lot to me coming from you.

A big thank you to Yvonne at Socrates book reviews

for this incredible honor. If I have inspired even one blogger to read one book I have mentioned or reviewed, I am grateful. This is what the book blogging community is all about, sharing our love of the printed word.

The Literary Blogger Award acknowledges bloggers who energize & inspire reading by going the extra mile.These amazing bloggers make reading fun & enhance the delight of reading!

The Rules:

1) Put the logo on your blog/post.

2) Nominate up to 9 blogs.

3) Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.

4) Let them know that they've been nominated by commenting on their blog.

5) Remember to link to the person from whom you received your award.

I would like to pass this award on to:

Cathy at Kittling Books

Lisa at Books Ahoy

Molly at My Cozy Book Nook

Sally at Books and Musings from Down Under

Sandra at Fresh Ink Books

If you have not visited these blogs recently, like today, please stop in and say hi. All these bloggers work so hard to maintain their excellent standards and are so incredibly friendly and wonderful. Hugs to you all! Kaye (& Pudgy, of course.)

Book Tour : Sister Chicks in Wooden Shoes by Robin Jones Gunn

Summary: When a mammogram result comes back abnormal, midlife mama Summer Finley makes a snap decision to relegate fear to the back burner and fulfill a lifelong dream. Summer heads for Holland where she meets up with tulips, wooden shoes, and her best friend, Noelle.

Pen pals since fourth grade, Summer and Noelle have never met face-to-face. Through decades of heart-level correspondence, they have sustained a deep friendship. A week of adventure helps both women trade anxiety for a renewed and deeper trust in God. When Summer confides in Noelle about the abnormal medical report, Noelle finds the freedom to share a long-held heartache, and both women discover they needed each other more than they realized.

Women ages 35 and up, readers of Christian Boomer Lit, and fans of books such as The Yada Yada Prayer Group will enjoy Robin Jones Gunn’s humorous and uplifting style. True-to-life characters and moments of poignancy bring a deeper understanding of the value of life and the gift of true friends. Readers guide and bonus material included.

My Thoughts:

I wanted to like this book, I really did, but I have to say honestly this book was a bit of a disappointment. The characters felt flat to me and the dialogue came across as stilted. Also, I think the absence of other minor plot lines is one of the reasons I found the book lacking. The Christian themed element in this story felt overly "preachy" to me. I would have liked to have seen more character depth.

I had hoped for more descriptive passages about the country as this was a first visit to Holland for Summer. But, alas, that too was sparse. Although when the two friends visited the Rijksmuseum, the art descriptions really made me want to visit. This was the first real emotion I felt from Summer as the art work truly touched her. Unfortunately, this was close to the end of the book. I am not rating the book because I don't think that would be fair to the author for this one. I feel this is probably more of just a matter of personal taste as the book and I were not a perfect fit but it might just be the book for someone looking for a simple Christian themed light read.

Be sure to visit the Random House website for more info on the Sisterchicks books.

https://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781601420091&ref=externallink_mlt_sisterchicksinwoodenshoes_sec_0423_01

Author Bio: Robin Jones Gunn is the best-selling and award-winning author of over seventy books, including the Glenbrooke, Christy Miller, Sierra Jensen, Katie Weldon, and Christy and Todd: The College Years teen series. The Sisterchicks® series has sold more than 300,000 units, bringing her total sales to more than 3.5 million books worldwide. A Christy Award winner, Robin is a popular speaker, both at home and abroad, and is frequently interviewed on radio and on television.

http://www.robingunn.com/ is the author's website
http://www.sisterchicks.com/

Review: It Happened in Italy by Elizabeth Bettina

The author, Elizabeth Bettina, tells the true story of her journey of discovery about how Jews were treated throughout parts of Italy, especially Campagna, during World War II. The catalyst for this search was a photo of the author's grandparents on the steps of a Catholic church in Campagna, Italy. Why was a rabbi standing on the steps with the bridal party? During the summer, Elizabeth and her grandmother generally went to Campagna to visit family. While there she learned an amazing story about a man named Giovanni Palatucci.

Palatucci, in his official capacity of Questore ( part police chief, part immigration and census officer), had access to lists of foreign residents in Italy. Even though Italy was allied with Germany at the early part of the war, Palatucci knew that if the Nazis got hold of these lists, the Jews would be deported to concentration camps. At risk to his own life, Palatucci not only hid these lists, but helped people leave the country with false documentation or if they stayed in Italy, he helped to hide them. In September of 1943, Italy changed sides, so to speak and now Germany was their enemy. Unfortunately, Palatucci was caught by the Nazis and sent to Dachau where he died just two months before the camp was liberated.

A lot of the Jewish people were sent to an official Italian government internment camp where they not only survived but they actually thrived. The words internment camp bring images to the mind of such horrible places like Dachau, Auschwitz or Buchenwald inhabited by skeletal thin people with almost lifeless eyes, dressed in rags. One does not imagine internees wearing their own clothes, being well fed, allowed to practice their own religion and being treated with respect. But this is what happened in Italy during WWII even though many people never heard such stories before.

Through connections in Italy and in New York, Elizabeth soon began to hear more stories of the courageous Italians who helped the Jews avoid being captured by the Nazis. She thought this is one story that the world should know. Between many trips to Italy and meeting many people in the U.S.A, Bettina began to document the stories of the survivors. The stories were almost identical: if it were not for the Italian people during the war, the survivors had no doubt they would not have made it out alive. Along with the survival stories is documented the extreme gratitude toward the many Italians who risked their own lives to save the lives of the Jews. In a way, this book is a celebration of a people, who in a time when the world seemed to have gone mad, had the heart to defy the Nazis and help out their fellow man no matter what their religion.

This book is a fascinating look into history and the lives of numerous people who managed to survive the holocaust. At least 80 per cent of the Jews in Italy survived whereas in other parts of occupied Europe it was the exact opposite, a heart -wrenching 80 per cent did not survive at the hands of the Nazis. Unfortunately, some families had been split up with some being in Italy and some who never made it to safety. I can't even begin to fathom the guilt the survivors must have felt. The world should never forget these events.

At the end of the book are some very comprehensive appendices of information, including the names of the internees and the survivors who were interviewed and documented. There is also a timeline for the events in the book. An extensive bibliography is included. Throughout the book are numerous interesting photos. I really liked this book as I think it almost renews one's faith in humanity. Bettina is correct in thinking that this is a story that needs to be told. 4****

A big thank you to Thomas Nelson Publishing for a copy of this wonderful book.

Book Tour & Giveaway: A Hint of Wicked by Jennifer Haymore

CAUGHT BETWEEN DUTY AND DESIRE . . .Sophie, the Duchess of Calton, has finally moved on. After seven years mourning the loss of her husband, Garrett, at Waterloo, she has married his cousin and heir, Tristan. Sophie gives herself to him body and soul. . . until the day Garrett returns from the Continent, demanding his title, his lands-and his wife.TORN BETWEEN TWO HUSBANDS . . .Now Sophie must choose between her first love and her new love, knowing that no matter what, her choice will destroy one of the men she adores. Will it be Garrett, her childhood sweetheart, whose loss nearly destroyed her once already? Or will it be Tristan, beloved friend turned lover, who supported her through the last, dark years and introduced her to a passion she had never known? As her two husbands battle for her heart, Sophie finds herself immersed in a dangerous game-where the stakes are not only love . . . but life and death.

My thoughts:

One of the elements of the story I really enjoyed, besides the great romance plot line, was the atmosphere of the times. It gives the readers' imaginations room to soar. It was fun being immersed in a world of Dukes, Duchesses and all the accoutrements of that lifestyle. Maids and butlers are certainly not part of my world but I enjoyed reading about a world where they are part of everyday life of the ton.

There is a lot going on in this book. The re-appearance of a long- thought -dead husband Garrett wreaks havoc with Sophie's and her present husband Tristan's lives. Throw in a false friend, an avaricious actor, a simpering, silly sister-in-law who swears she is in love and a plot to drive a person mad: well, you have one intriguing book that is hard to put down. Along with all the action, there is an intense love story. Sophie is a deep character with a mind of her own. When her family is threatened she does what has to be done. She cares about her husbands and has a hard time deciding who is eventually right for her not wanting to hurt either in the process. It's a fun read seeing how Sophie, Tristan and Garret resolve all this and triumph over maliciousness.

If you like historical romance books that are sassy, sexy, scintillating and with plenty of steamy spice and sultry sizzle, this is the book for you!

Author Bio:

I’ve been writing since I could pick up a pencil….
Wait, no…that’s what every other writer says! I started writing just before my eighth birthday, and it wasn’t on my own volition. I was sailing with my family in a 42-foot sailboat across the Pacific, and since there were no local schools (except those pertaining to fish) nearby, my mother homeschooled me. She was a strict taskmaster! A veritable slave driver! She demanded a new story every day. So I’d sit in the boat’s galley and write. And stare out the porthole, and write some more. And doodle, and write some more. By the time we arrived in Hawaii the following year, I had a portfolio of stories, and I was hooked. Since then I haven’t stopped. (Well, much. I did take breaks now and then, for things like college, young kids, and a master’s degree.)

I love to read just as much as I love to write, and actually the reading bug hit me at about the same time my mom was cracking the whip over my head and commanding me to write. What else to occupy your time with when there are no other kids to play with and nothing to do but stare at the endless sea? Some of my most recent favorites: The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, River God by Wilbur Smith, and anything by Laura Kinsale and Loretta Chase.

Author Website

Author Blog

Facebook Page

http://twitter.com/jenniferhaymore

Where to go from here: Kindly visit these other blogs on the tour for more reviews and another chance at the giveaway.
http://mindingspot.blogspot.com/ - June 3 review and giveaway
http://thereviewfromhere.wordpress.com/ - June 4 review
http://www.thebookgirl.net/ - June 5 review and giveaway
http://yougottareadreviews.blogspot.com/ - June 6 review and giveaway
http://martasmeanderings.blogspot.com/ - June 8
http://www.bookwormygirl.blogspot.com/ - giveaway
http://www.alphaheroes.blogspot.com/ - review

Now for the GIVEAWAY. Hachette is so generous in allowing me to give away 5 copies of this great book. Only US and Canada, please and no P.O. boxes.

June 15th at 5 PM is the deadline to enter. Good luck, all!

For your official entry: tell me why you would like to read this book.

For 3 bonus entries: become a public follower.Already one? That counts!

For 1 more bonus entry: put link to contest in your sidebar.

***Please, I beg you, only one (1) comment box is necessary, just leave a little space between your answer and your bonus entry comments. Also be sure to leave an e mail address so I can contact you when you win! Entries without a reason why you want this book will be disqualified. ***

A big thank you to Anna at Hatchette Book Group for a review copy of this book.