Tricia's bookshelf: all en-US Mon, 23 Sep 2024 12:18:36 -0700 60 Tricia's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg The Year of Soup 21395440 300 Howard R. Reiss 0615725465 Tricia 0 to-read 3.83 2012 The Year of Soup
author: Howard R. Reiss
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Lost Daughter 1058564
But she soon finds herself intrigued by Nina, a young mother on the beach, eventually striking up a conversation with her. After Nina confides a dark secret, one seemingly trivial occurrence leads to events that could destroy Nina’s family.]]> 140 Elena Ferrante 1933372427 Tricia 3 3.70 2006 The Lost Daughter
author: Elena Ferrante
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2006
rating: 3
read at: 2023/08/14
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves:
review:

]]> Fraidy Hole 183893686 "Fraidy Hole promises to be a riveting journey that will leave you stunned and pondering long after the final page is turned. In essence, it is an enthralling read that demands to be devoured, one startling revelation at a time." -Literary Titan (Gold Award Winner)

"Love the title! it made a 64-year-old dude pay attention. It reeks of childhood and scariness. The dialog is strong and Andrea writes very well." -John Koehler, President and Publisher of Koehler Books

"I am pleased to say that we find Fraidy Hole to be of considerable merit and believe it would appeal to the reading public. The work is well written and has literary merit." -James Houghton, Commissioning Editor for Olympia Publishers

The mind is a curious thing. It allows us to reach back into our memory banks and retrieve emotions, thoughts, smells, and feelings that can act as filler for our sometimes empty lives, warming the spaces in our hearts that are sometimes left void and broken. It can also completely drop memories, forcing us to forget the painful chapters so that we are able to cut ties and move on. What happens though, when the lines are blurred... when reality and the nightmares of your past collide? Can the mind make sense of it all? Can the brain and heart sort out the drama and the subtext? What happens to the soul when the mind cracks, even just a little? Fraidy Hole , the fictional dark suspense thriller that centers around a grandfather trying to save his granddaughter from herself, plays upon exactly that line of questioning. Told from a Grandfather's perspective, Fraidy Hole follows the unconventional life of his Granddaughter, Arlo, as she navigates the pitfalls of adolescence into adulthood, paired with the unfortunate events that unfold while she is being influenced by an unusual leader into her darkness, her best friend, Bast. Together, they are torn between hiding in and trying to escape the Fraidy Hole .

*2023 Literary Titan Gold Award Winner
*2023 Literary Global Book Award Finalist
*2023 Hollywood Book Festival Honorable Mention]]> 205 Staci Andrea 1685133118 Tricia 0 to-read 3.66 Fraidy Hole
author: Staci Andrea
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.66
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/08/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[All Is Not Forgiven (Detectives Kenda & Wilson, #1)]]> 123029184 When murder is your business, solving the case is personal �

The Homicide Hunter’s riveting debut novel proves that fiction really can be stranger than truth �

All Is Not Forgiven is the debut crime novel by television star Joe Kenda, a former homicide detective, whose hit series Homicide Hunter and Homicide Hunter: American Detective air on Investigation Discovery, the #1 true crime channel available in more than 80 million homes.

In this first novel, the rookie Det. Kenda investigates a 1975 case that begins with the murder of a beloved Colorado philanthropist and society figure whose husband, a gambler and womanizer, appears to have an air-tight alibi.

Mentored by his veteran partner Det. Lee Wilson, a former Nashville singer turned skilled investigator, Kenda’s case quickly attracts attention from the FBI, CIA, and Interpol, for its similarity to a string of killings involving wealthy married women. All the murders appear to have been committed by a hired professional whose trademark is the use of an unusual form of lethal ammunition that leaves no trace.

Detectives Kenda and Wilson travel across the country, following leads to Las Vegas and a mob “made man� pit boss who moonlights as a matchmaker for hit men. In this first extraordinary case, the detectives join a full law-enforcement blitz to track down a twisted killer who has made murder his business.]]> 238 Joe Kenda Tricia 0 to-read 3.53 2023 All Is Not Forgiven (Detectives Kenda & Wilson, #1)
author: Joe Kenda
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.53
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/08/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> World War II Love Stories 22305320
World War II Love Stories tells the unforgettable stories of those couples brought together by war. They are enduring tales of great love, intense passion, and often tragedy, but most of all they are tales that celebrate the human spirit at its time of greatest trial.]]> 187 Gill Paul Tricia 0 to-read 3.47 2014 World War II Love Stories
author: Gill Paul
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.47
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/05/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Titanic Love Stories: The True Stories of 13 Honeymoon Couples Who Sailed on the Titanic]]> 12953569 192 Gill Paul Tricia 0 to-read 4.19 2011 Titanic Love Stories: The True Stories of 13 Honeymoon Couples Who Sailed on the Titanic
author: Gill Paul
name: Tricia
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/05/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Last Woman Standing 27880561
But when the silver-tongued Behan proves unreliable, it is legendary frontiersman Wyatt Earp who emerges as Josephine’s match. As the couple’s romance sparks, Behan’s jealousy ignites a rivalry destined for the history books�

At once an epic account of an improbable romance and a retelling of an iconic American tale, The Last Woman Standing recalls the famed gunfight at the O.K. Corral through the eyes of a spunky heroine who sought her happy ending in a lawless outpost—with a fierce will and an unflagging spirit.]]> 300 Thelma Adams 1503990192 Tricia 0 currently-reading 3.75 2011 The Last Woman Standing
author: Thelma Adams
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/09/25
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> What's Left Unsaid 56755721 An enthralling novel of secrets, second chances, and confronting the past by the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of When I’m Gone.

After a series of devastating losses, Chicago journalist Hannah Williamson has landed in Senatobia, Mississippi, to care for her bedridden grandmother and endure grunt work at a small newspaper. But in cleaning out its archives, Hannah discovers a compelling distraction from her a series of rejected articles from the 1930s that illuminate a long-hidden mystery.

The articles, penned by a young woman named Evelyn, are haunting accounts of first love, trauma, and surviving a mysterious shooting that left Evelyn paralyzed at the age of fourteen. The articles stir up more questions than answers, and Hannah becomes consumed by what’s left unsaid. Encouraged by Guy Franklin, a local middle school teacher, Hannah’s investigation into Evelyn’s past becomes more personal with each new reveal. For Hannah, as both a journalist and a woman bearing her own emotional wounds, this is a chance to move forward and bring closure to the story of the girl whose secrets are buried in Senatobia.

What Hannah’s about to discover next is that, even after nearly a century, the truth she’s been looking for still has the power to change lives. Especially her own.]]> 400 Emily Bleeker 1542027195 Tricia 0 currently-reading 4.16 2021 What's Left Unsaid
author: Emily Bleeker
name: Tricia
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/09/25
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[We Sink or Swim Together (A Love...Maybe Valentine)]]> 24916895 The Weepy One: Part of the Love…Maybe ebook short story collection.

Gerda Nielsen is on her way from Brooklyn to Liverpool aboard the ill-fated Lusitania in 1915.

Jack Walsh is returning to England, ready to take up a post developing new types of portable field telephones to help the war effort. Unmarried, he’s keen to settle and as he and Gerda spend more and more time onboard together they realise that each has found someone very special.

But it’s the afternoon before they dock in Liverpool, and tragedy strikes. As the torpedoed ship lists to one side Jack and Gerda must make frightening decisions that become a matter of life or death �

A beautiful, romantic and moving tale based on a true story.

***This is a short story, which you can also buy as part of the Love…Maybe Eshort Collection***

]]> 57 Gill Paul 0008136114 Tricia 4 Good short book

If you enjoy ready real life love stories you will.lime this shirt read. It is definitely a different way of meeting someone, falling in love and in today's world would be considered falling in love and proposal of marriage too quickly, but we must remember that things were done much differently in that time period. If you are looking for something in a different.time period and a quick love story to read, this would be it.]]> 3.74 2015 We Sink or Swim Together (A Love...Maybe Valentine)
author: Gill Paul
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2022/09/16
date added: 2022/09/16
shelves:
review:
Good short book

If you enjoy ready real life love stories you will.lime this shirt read. It is definitely a different way of meeting someone, falling in love and in today's world would be considered falling in love and proposal of marriage too quickly, but we must remember that things were done much differently in that time period. If you are looking for something in a different.time period and a quick love story to read, this would be it.
]]> The Affair 18917557

Rome 1961. The cameras roll on the film set of Cleopatra and the explosive Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton love affair is about to capture the world’s attention.


When Diana Bailey begins work as a historical advisor, tensions are running high. The film is in financial crisis and a media storm is brewing over the Taylor-Burton relationship.


Diana adjusts to a new life away from her troubled marriage, and strikes up a close friendship with Helen, a young make-up artist, as well as seeking solace in Ernesto, a charismatic member of the film crew. But Helen is harbouring a dark secret - one that will affect Diana in more ways than she could ever imagine�


An enthralling story of love and passion, set against the stunning backdrop of one of the most iconic Hollywood movies ever made.]]> 483 Gill Paul 0007494114 Tricia 4 Love, history.and Italian Law...now I want to visit Italy

This was a gold book, but it took too much time for me to read because there where you live parts where I got bored with it. Not totally sure why, but could it be because I personally haven't been much interested in the 1960's era. When I did yet into the book it was hard to put down. I do think others would.find it more interesting than me, especially if you like reading about Elizabeth Taylor and her life. Even reading about movie making, including the sets, paparazzi and stars in general. I learned a little .something about history as well. So not all was lost. I can say it has me interested and wanting to visit Italy now!]]> 3.83 2013 The Affair
author: Gill Paul
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2022/09/16
date added: 2022/09/16
shelves:
review:
Love, history.and Italian Law...now I want to visit Italy

This was a gold book, but it took too much time for me to read because there where you live parts where I got bored with it. Not totally sure why, but could it be because I personally haven't been much interested in the 1960's era. When I did yet into the book it was hard to put down. I do think others would.find it more interesting than me, especially if you like reading about Elizabeth Taylor and her life. Even reading about movie making, including the sets, paparazzi and stars in general. I learned a little .something about history as well. So not all was lost. I can say it has me interested and wanting to visit Italy now!
]]> The Second Mrs. Astor 56574778 Perfect for fans of Jennifer Chiaverini and Marie Benedict, this riveting novel takes you inside the scandalous courtship and catastrophic honeymoon aboard the Titanic of the most famous couple of their time—John Jacob Astor and Madeleine Force. Told in rich detail, this novel of sweeping historical fiction will stay with readers long after turning the last page.

Madeleine Talmage Force is just seventeen when she attracts the attention of John Jacob “Jack� Astor. Madeleine is beautiful, intelligent, and solidly upper-class, but the Astors are in a league apart. Jack’s mother was the Mrs. Astor, American royalty and New York’s most formidable socialite. Jack is dashing and industrious—a hero of the Spanish-American war, an inventor, and a canny businessman. Despite their twenty-nine-year age difference, and the scandal of Jack’s recent divorce, Madeleine falls headlong into love—and becomes the press’s favorite target.

On their extended honeymoon in Egypt, the newlyweds finally find a measure of peace from photographers and journalists. Madeleine feels truly alive for the first time—and is happily pregnant. The couple plans to return home in the spring of 1912, aboard an opulent new ocean liner. When the ship hits an iceberg close to midnight on April 14th, there is no immediate panic. The swift, state-of-the-art RMS Titanic seems unsinkable. As Jack helps Madeleine into a lifeboat, he assures her that he’ll see her soon in New York�

Four months later, at the Astors� Fifth Avenue mansion, a widowed Madeleine gives birth to their son. In the wake of the disaster, the press has elevated her to the status of virtuous, tragic heroine. But Madeleine’s most important decision still lies ahead: whether to accept the role assigned to her, or carve out her own remarkable path…]]> 317 Shana Abe 1496732057 Tricia 5 Beautifully written

This book is beautifully written and heartfelt. I didn't know.much about the Astor family or the ordeal John and Madeline Astor went through during their courtship, short marriage and after the.sinking of the Titanic. I .are one mistake while halfway through this book and that was going to Google to find our more about them. I think doing that made me lose some interest in their story. But what I read online about them was written almost exactly in the book.

I found this love story beautiful and although there was a great age.difference between them, I didn't find it as odd as many others who've read the book did. I think it was just a sign of the times and times before that older me married much younger women. In today's world its looked down upon and rightfully so, but not for back in the late 1800's to early 1920's.

I really enjoyed this book, even as heartbreaking as it is. I cried and felt Madeline's loneliness and pain. ]]> 4.17 2021 The Second Mrs. Astor
author: Shana Abe
name: Tricia
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2022/07/25
date added: 2022/07/25
shelves:
review:
Beautifully written

This book is beautifully written and heartfelt. I didn't know.much about the Astor family or the ordeal John and Madeline Astor went through during their courtship, short marriage and after the.sinking of the Titanic. I .are one mistake while halfway through this book and that was going to Google to find our more about them. I think doing that made me lose some interest in their story. But what I read online about them was written almost exactly in the book.

I found this love story beautiful and although there was a great age.difference between them, I didn't find it as odd as many others who've read the book did. I think it was just a sign of the times and times before that older me married much younger women. In today's world its looked down upon and rightfully so, but not for back in the late 1800's to early 1920's.

I really enjoyed this book, even as heartbreaking as it is. I cried and felt Madeline's loneliness and pain.
]]> A Stolen Life 11393898
Dugard's memoir is written by the 30-year-old herself and covers the period from the time of her abduction in 1991 up until the present. In her stark, utterly honest and unflinching narrative, Jaycee opens up about what she experienced, including how she feels now, a year after being found. Garrido and his wife Nancy have since pleaded guilty to their crimes.]]> 268 Jaycee Dugard 1451629206 Tricia 4 4.09 2011 A Stolen Life
author: Jaycee Dugard
name: Tricia
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2021/01/06
date added: 2022/07/11
shelves:
review:
I read this a year ago and.thought.I wrote a review, but it does t appear to be here. This was a hard book to read due.to the situation its about. I give Jaycee a lot of credit for reliving the events.just to put it into words for others like myself to read. She's an incredibly strong young woman to do so. I'm not going into details because I feel this is a story most should read. Just reading what she.did to survive and all the mind games was unreal. Thank you for making others aware of how horrible and sick people can be.
]]> Women & Children First 41142385
As desperate hands emerge from the icy water, a few lucky row boats float in the darkness. On the boats are four survivors.

Reg, a handsome young steward working in the first-class dining room; Annie, an Irishwoman travelling to America with her children; Juliet, a titled English lady who is pregnant and unmarried, and George, a troubled American millionaire.

In the wake of the tragedy, each of these people must try to rebuild their lives.
But how can life ever be the same again when you’ve heard over a thousand people dying in the water around you?

Haunting, emotional and beautifully written, Women and Children First breathes fresh life into the most famous disaster of the 20th century. A gripping read from the bestselling author of The Secret Wife.]]> 478 Gill Paul Tricia 5 My first Gill Paul book read...and WOW!

This is the first book I've ever read by Gill Paul and I now know won't be my last! Women & Children First was extremely difficult to put down each night. I bought it in August 2018 and for the life of me can't figure out why I didn't read it sooner. I really found a love for historical fiction.

This beautifully written novel follows three passengers, an employee and their acquaintances of the ill fated Titanic. I was so invested in each of the main characters and others within the storyline that I felt the anxiety and fear they could have felt. The only thing missing were the real screams of terror of those who perished in the cold night air and water. I truly appreciate the time the author put into researching the facts of this tragedy to form such a fantastically written novel. I cried as the characters urgently looked and tried to help other victims and could only imagine how they felt when they realized who was lost forever. There were situations within the story I had no idea what had occurred, like what happened as they came into NY harbor and disembarked the ship or went to claim the dead. How awful it must have truly been is difficult for anyone to even understand.

When we've watched or read other accounts of the Titanic, we rarely know what happens in the months and years that follow the survivors. It was painfully refreshing to read how the characters moved forward. Once again there were times I cried yet again.

This is a great book for any book club or even a high school English class to review. It such a wonderful book bug I warn you, its so hard to put down. There were nights I began reading at bedtime and would find myself still deep within the pages at 4:00 am! Read it and feel it.]]> 4.26 2012 Women & Children First
author: Gill Paul
name: Tricia
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at: 2022/07/10
date added: 2022/07/10
shelves:
review:
My first Gill Paul book read...and WOW!

This is the first book I've ever read by Gill Paul and I now know won't be my last! Women & Children First was extremely difficult to put down each night. I bought it in August 2018 and for the life of me can't figure out why I didn't read it sooner. I really found a love for historical fiction.

This beautifully written novel follows three passengers, an employee and their acquaintances of the ill fated Titanic. I was so invested in each of the main characters and others within the storyline that I felt the anxiety and fear they could have felt. The only thing missing were the real screams of terror of those who perished in the cold night air and water. I truly appreciate the time the author put into researching the facts of this tragedy to form such a fantastically written novel. I cried as the characters urgently looked and tried to help other victims and could only imagine how they felt when they realized who was lost forever. There were situations within the story I had no idea what had occurred, like what happened as they came into NY harbor and disembarked the ship or went to claim the dead. How awful it must have truly been is difficult for anyone to even understand.

When we've watched or read other accounts of the Titanic, we rarely know what happens in the months and years that follow the survivors. It was painfully refreshing to read how the characters moved forward. Once again there were times I cried yet again.

This is a great book for any book club or even a high school English class to review. It such a wonderful book bug I warn you, its so hard to put down. There were nights I began reading at bedtime and would find myself still deep within the pages at 4:00 am! Read it and feel it.
]]> Split Decision: Life Stories 59366141
Ice-T rose to fame in the late 1980s, earning acclaim for his music before going on to enthrall television audiences as Odafin “Fin� Tutuola in Law & Special Victims Unit . But it could have gone much differently.

In this “poignant and powerful� ( Library Journal , starred review) memoir, Ice-T and Spike, his former crime partner—collaborating with New York Times bestselling author Douglas Century—relate the shocking stories of their shared pasts, and how just a handful of decisions led to their incredibly different lives. Both grew up in violent, gang-controlled Los Angeles neighborhoods and worked together to orchestrate a series of jewelry heists.

But while Ice-T was discovered rapping in a club and got his first record deal, Spike was caught for a jewelry robbery and did three years in prison. As his music career began to take off, Ice made the decision to abandon the criminal life; Spike continued to plan increasingly ingenious and risky jewel heists. And in 1992, after one of Spike’s robberies ended tragically, he was sentenced to thirty-five years to life. While he sat behind bars, he watched his former partner rise to fame in music, movies, and television.

“Propulsive� ( Publishers Weekly , starred review), timely, and thoughtful, two men with two very different lives reveal how their paths might have very well been reversed if they made different choices. All it took was a s plit decision .]]> 304 Ice-T 1982148772 Tricia 0 to-read 4.24 Split Decision: Life Stories
author: Ice-T
name: Tricia
average rating: 4.24
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/07/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Lies I Told 59421885 For a woman obsessed and a killer in her shadow, remembering the past becomes a mind game in a novel of psychological suspense by New York Times bestselling author Mary Burton.

Twin sisters Marisa and Clare Stockton were sixteen when Clare’s body was found in Virginia’s James River. No arrests were made. Fourteen years later, Marisa’s friends and dedicated career as a photographer help her to cope with the open wound of the past. But Marisa still feels the hurt—and the unsolved murder isn’t the only thing haunting her.

A recent car crash has erased ten days of Marisa’s memories—a black hole leading up to the accident that’s left her disoriented. Every text and phone call from that crucial missing time has vanished, along with her phone. A photograph she took of the river has disappeared. A new neighbor Marisa believes she knows introduces himself as if he were a stranger. And there’s the growing fear that her near-fatal accident was no accident at all. As dreams of Clare and nightmares of the crash begin to converge, so do two disturbing puzzles fourteen years apart.

Putting the pieces together could be fatal. As she struggles to remember everything, Marisa closes in on a killer—without realizing that he’s already closed in on her.]]> 350 Mary Burton 1542032628 Tricia 0 to-read 4.14 2022 The Lies I Told
author: Mary Burton
name: Tricia
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/07/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> My Darling Husband 55871027 Bestselling author of Dear Wife and The Marriage Lie, Kimberly Belle returns with her most heart-pounding thriller to date, as a masked home invader reveals the cracks in a marriage.

Everyone is about to know what her husband isn’t telling her�

Jade and Cam Lasky are by all accounts a happily married couple with two adorable kids, a spacious home and a rapidly growing restaurant business. But their world is tipped upside down when Jade is confronted by a masked home invader. As Cam scrambles to gather the ransom money, Jade starts to wonder if they’re as financially secure as their lifestyle suggests, and what other secrets her husband is keeping from her.

Cam may be a good father, a celebrity chef and a darling husband, but there’s another side he’s kept hidden from Jade that has put their family in danger. Unbeknownst to Cam and Jade, the home invader has been watching them and is about to turn their family secrets into a public scandal.

With riveting twists and a breakneck pace, My Darling Husband is an utterly compelling thriller that once again showcases Kimberly Belle's exceptional talent for domestic suspense.]]> 352 Kimberly Belle 0778311562 Tricia 0 to-read 3.59 2021 My Darling Husband
author: Kimberly Belle
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/07/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Working Fire 34085422 From the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of When I’m Gone comes a compelling novel of a bond between sisters, tested by tragedy�

Ellie Brown thought she’d finally escaped her stifling hometown of Broadlands, Illinois; med school was supposed to be her ticket out. But when her father has a stroke, she must return home to share his care with her older sister, Amelia, who’s busy with her own family. Working as a paramedic, Ellie’s days are monotonous, driving an ambulance through streets she’d hoped never to see again.

Until a 911 dispatch changes everything. The address: her sister’s house. Rushing to the scene, Ellie discovers that Amelia and her husband, Steve, have been shot in a home invasion. After Amelia is rushed to the hospital, Ellie tries to make sense of the tragedy. But what really happened inside her sister’s house becomes less and less clear. As Amelia hangs on in critical condition, Ellie uncovers dark revelations about her family’s past that challenge her beliefs about those closest to her…and force her to question where her devotions truly lie.]]> 322 Emily Bleeker 1542095727 Tricia 4 A good plot/storyline but missing explanation

This is a good book with an interesting storyline about two sister with a close relationship. It's not about one tell both sides, but of each telling their own story. It weaves back and forth from Amelia's side from a few weeks prior to current day by younger sister Ellie. I liked how the story went back and forth and it did a nice job of showing how close the sisters are.

There were areas where the storyline didn't seem realistic, of which I, for the first time ever, highlighted and made notes about on my Kindle. I try not to give too much away, but this is what bothered me. First, Am else's new friendship with the man named Randy. There is a part that she makes it sound like she knew him, but she questions how well she thought she knew him. It didn't make sense. He's new to town and there is no way she could develope such a good relationship with a man like that. What woman would become such fast friends with a new man that she questions herself about? She didn't seem like a woman that would do that. We second, M (Amelia) and L's (Ellie) dad, Chief Brown is disabled from a stroke. It sounded like a bad stroke were he couldn't walk and hardly speak, yet he came up missing? My own father had a serious stroke, so I could relate to the seriousness of it. Third, I'd relationship to Collin didn't seem serious, yet they were engaged. I could easily tell what was going to happen param without anything happening.

I began reading this because I had read and enjoyed the previous book I read by this author. When I read about this book I could relate to the dad's stroke and his daughters taking care of him. My husband is a volunteer firefighter and paramedic, so I could relate to the life style and family dynamics. I do recommend it as one to read, even though I felt there were some parts that could have been written better to make the story stronger. I also feel that there is so much left unexplained, missing and needed more attention. It felt like writing was rushed and the editor should have last the author finish. It has a good storyline and plot, but the ending and areas within need some work.]]> 4.03 2017 Working Fire
author: Emily Bleeker
name: Tricia
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2022/07/04
date added: 2022/07/05
shelves:
review:
A good plot/storyline but missing explanation

This is a good book with an interesting storyline about two sister with a close relationship. It's not about one tell both sides, but of each telling their own story. It weaves back and forth from Amelia's side from a few weeks prior to current day by younger sister Ellie. I liked how the story went back and forth and it did a nice job of showing how close the sisters are.

There were areas where the storyline didn't seem realistic, of which I, for the first time ever, highlighted and made notes about on my Kindle. I try not to give too much away, but this is what bothered me. First, Am else's new friendship with the man named Randy. There is a part that she makes it sound like she knew him, but she questions how well she thought she knew him. It didn't make sense. He's new to town and there is no way she could develope such a good relationship with a man like that. What woman would become such fast friends with a new man that she questions herself about? She didn't seem like a woman that would do that. We second, M (Amelia) and L's (Ellie) dad, Chief Brown is disabled from a stroke. It sounded like a bad stroke were he couldn't walk and hardly speak, yet he came up missing? My own father had a serious stroke, so I could relate to the seriousness of it. Third, I'd relationship to Collin didn't seem serious, yet they were engaged. I could easily tell what was going to happen param without anything happening.

I began reading this because I had read and enjoyed the previous book I read by this author. When I read about this book I could relate to the dad's stroke and his daughters taking care of him. My husband is a volunteer firefighter and paramedic, so I could relate to the life style and family dynamics. I do recommend it as one to read, even though I felt there were some parts that could have been written better to make the story stronger. I also feel that there is so much left unexplained, missing and needed more attention. It felt like writing was rushed and the editor should have last the author finish. It has a good storyline and plot, but the ending and areas within need some work.
]]> Bless Your Heart, Rae Sutton 58429281 Sometimes what your life is missing is an eccentric group of older ladies to take you under their wing...

When Rae Sutton's mama passes away and leaves her the house where she grew up, Rae can't imagine how the little old place might restore her broken life. Mourning the recent loss of her marriage, she takes the house and settles back into her tiny hometown with her fourteen-year-old daughter, Molly Margaret, and their overweight dog.

There she’s embraced by her mother's close-knit circle of friends, the Third Thursday ladies. Though almost half their age and far less confident of positive outcomes, Rae joins their ministry-slash-book-club-slash-gossip circle and allows the women to speak wry honesty and witty humor into her tired heart. As a new career and a new romance bring their own complications, Rae relies on the unlikely family she's found and begins to wonder if her future holds more hope than she ever could have imagined.]]> 336 Susannah B. Lewis 078524820X Tricia 0 on-hold, to-read 3.70 Bless Your Heart, Rae Sutton
author: Susannah B. Lewis
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.70
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/06/26
shelves: on-hold, to-read
review:

]]> When I'm Gone 27401883 An Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestseller.

Dear Luke,First let me say—I love you…I didn’t want to leave you�

Luke Richardson has returned home after burying Natalie, his beloved wife of sixteen years, ready to face the hard job of raising their three children alone. But there’s something he’s not prepared for—a blue envelope with his name scrawled across the front in Natalie’s handwriting, waiting for him on the floor of their suburban Michigan home.

The letter inside, written on the first day of Natalie’s cancer treatment a year ago, turns out to be the first of many. Luke is convinced they’re genuine, but who is delivering them? As his obsession with the letters grows, Luke uncovers long-buried secrets that make him question everything he knew about his wife and their family. But the revelations also point the way toward a future where love goes on—in written words, in memories, and in the promises it’s never too late to keep.

]]> 366 Emily Bleeker 150396440X Tricia 4 Not what I expected

Wow! This book was nothing what I expected when I first started reading it. I honestly didn't expect to get very far because I didn't think I could take reading a sad book about a dead wife after just finishing two previous books that were like fairy tales. Much to my surprise and after getting past a slow start, I found it hard to put the book down. It was surprisingly much better than expected.

The story is about a young widowed father and how he coupes with the loss of his wife. How he deals with her loss and manages life without her while raising their three children. Before his wife died, she made arrangements to help him along and reveals these arrangements through a series of letters. If you've seen the movie "P.S. I Love You" you will find this somewhat familiar. At the point this book and the movie seemed a lot a like and I thought it would be, there seemed to be new things that happened that I didn't expect. I don't want to go into a lot of detail for fear that I might give something away.

There seemed to be a lot of things happening in this story. Although I felt there were other similarities to other movies as well and not much originality, I still enjoyed the book. There was truly enough that kept.me interested and wanting to come back to the book to find out what happened. I find that once I feel I get.to know a character(s) in a book I want to know what know what happens.

There were parts of this storyline that made me cry, but it also made me smile and laugh. I found myself questioning myself as to what would I do if I was in Luke's situation? what if I was his wife and I knew I was dying? Would I have done everything she had done? Would I have left my family and friends letters? Would you?]]> 4.00 2016 When I'm Gone
author: Emily Bleeker
name: Tricia
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2022/06/22
date added: 2022/06/22
shelves:
review:
Not what I expected

Wow! This book was nothing what I expected when I first started reading it. I honestly didn't expect to get very far because I didn't think I could take reading a sad book about a dead wife after just finishing two previous books that were like fairy tales. Much to my surprise and after getting past a slow start, I found it hard to put the book down. It was surprisingly much better than expected.

The story is about a young widowed father and how he coupes with the loss of his wife. How he deals with her loss and manages life without her while raising their three children. Before his wife died, she made arrangements to help him along and reveals these arrangements through a series of letters. If you've seen the movie "P.S. I Love You" you will find this somewhat familiar. At the point this book and the movie seemed a lot a like and I thought it would be, there seemed to be new things that happened that I didn't expect. I don't want to go into a lot of detail for fear that I might give something away.

There seemed to be a lot of things happening in this story. Although I felt there were other similarities to other movies as well and not much originality, I still enjoyed the book. There was truly enough that kept.me interested and wanting to come back to the book to find out what happened. I find that once I feel I get.to know a character(s) in a book I want to know what know what happens.

There were parts of this storyline that made me cry, but it also made me smile and laugh. I found myself questioning myself as to what would I do if I was in Luke's situation? what if I was his wife and I knew I was dying? Would I have done everything she had done? Would I have left my family and friends letters? Would you?
]]> <![CDATA[Jingle All the Way (Jingle, #1)]]> 18602549
Little ones will love hearing this story as a narrator reads to them, page by page. And if he's nearby, the Jingle Story Buddy stuffed animal will respond when you read key phrases from the story.]]> 16 Tom Shay-Zapien Tricia 0 4.14 2013 Jingle All the Way (Jingle, #1)
author: Tom Shay-Zapien
name: Tricia
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at: 2022/06/09
date added: 2022/06/09
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Human resources: recruitment and selection]]> 26570028 43 The Open University 147300019X Tricia 0 3.77 2015 Human resources: recruitment and selection
author: The Open University
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at: 2022/06/09
date added: 2022/06/09
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Cinderella's Shoes (Fairy-tale Inheritance #2)]]> 40629700
Now that Cinderella’s dress has been safely hidden away, Kate Allen sets her sights on finding the magical glass slippers. The Kolodenkos claim Cinderella’s shoes have been lost to the family, but Kate is convinced she knows where they are. Or at least, who might know where they are.

With her dad still missing, Kate could use a pair of shoes with the power to reunite loved ones. But to find the famous glass slippers, she’ll have to get around the tight-lipped Kolodenko family and travel to post WWII Poland.

As official keeper of the wardrobe for Cinderella’s heirlooms, she’s learning that balancing alliances between Cinderella’s heirs and the stepsister’s descendants may cost her more than she’s willing to give up.

Can she stop a family feud that has lasted for centuries?

Find out in this exciting follow-up to the novel Cinderella's Dress.]]> 326 Shonna Slayton 0997449950 Tricia 5 Even better than the first, I'm ready to travel!

I really enjoyed the first book, Cinderella's Dress (must read first) and this one didn't disappoint! I think I enjoyed this second even more! As I would read I'd think to myself, "that can't happen", but remind myself it's a story, so anything is possible. The descriptions of places and things were well done and I felt as if I was transformed and on the journey with Kate. I felt the chill of the cave, the cold stone walls of the castle and even, without being told walking on a cobblestone floor in a castle. The heat on a summers day on train in Italy was even flat. The magic of this story felt real and I liked being transformed into another magical world far from today's real work issues. I wish there was more to read about Kate and Johnny. Take me more into their romance and the magic of being a keeper. I want more about their love affair. If I could, I'd write about it as a follow up to these other stories!]]> 4.10 2015 Cinderella's Shoes (Fairy-tale Inheritance #2)
author: Shonna Slayton
name: Tricia
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2022/06/09
date added: 2022/06/09
shelves:
review:
Even better than the first, I'm ready to travel!

I really enjoyed the first book, Cinderella's Dress (must read first) and this one didn't disappoint! I think I enjoyed this second even more! As I would read I'd think to myself, "that can't happen", but remind myself it's a story, so anything is possible. The descriptions of places and things were well done and I felt as if I was transformed and on the journey with Kate. I felt the chill of the cave, the cold stone walls of the castle and even, without being told walking on a cobblestone floor in a castle. The heat on a summers day on train in Italy was even flat. The magic of this story felt real and I liked being transformed into another magical world far from today's real work issues. I wish there was more to read about Kate and Johnny. Take me more into their romance and the magic of being a keeper. I want more about their love affair. If I could, I'd write about it as a follow up to these other stories!
]]> <![CDATA[Cinderella's Dress (Fairy-tale Inheritance #1)]]> 40389424 An unexpected inheritance...


Kate Allen is about to find out her family has a unique relationship with a fairy tale.

On the home front in 1944, Kate wants to do her part for the war effort.

She'd prefer filling in for the window dressers at the New York department store where she works, but her mother insists on sending her to audition for roles she never gets.

When relatives arrive from war-torn Poland with a mysterious steamer trunk and an even more mysterious story, her life is about to get complicated.

Kate's aunt, who is suffering from dementia, tries to convince Kate she is next in line to be the keeper of the wardrobe for Cinderella's family--the real Cinderella.

If the family secret is true, this might be the most important role Kate has ever auditioned for. Will she get to the truth before it's forgotten?

If you like fairytale retellings and are looking for something new to the genre, you'll love this historic twist to a well-known tale.

Buy Cinderella's Dress today.
]]> 320 Shonna Slayton 0997449985 Tricia 5 A familiar fairy tale with unique twists

This isn't a typical fair tale set in today's world, but an old tale with an untold story set in the 1940's America. I started reading this thinking it was for teenage girls, but as a middle aged, married mom I found it interesting, unique and a fun story that was a wonderful continuation of an old much loved fairy tale.

Telling this continued story worked wonderfully in a more modern time of the 1940's. I don't think it would have worked well had it been written for a more recent time of the 1960's or later. Although I wasn't born until the 1970's, I could pitched the 1940's era easily based on family photographs and remembering my grandparents home from my childhood. The way things were described in the book took me back to the smells of home cooked meals made by my grandparents and their furniture I remember in their home. I felt almost felt like I went back in time myself.

I don't want to say too much more for fear I'd give something away, however I could see some people thinking that there are parts in this book that could be far fetched. What you must remember that the way of life was much different during WWII in the 1940's than in more modern war times. So a teenage girl working beside her mother and having career goals without college experience wasn't so unheard of back in that time.

While reading don't think so hard about what could and couldn't be true. Just read it and enjoy it. Anything can happen. It's a sequel to a famous fairy tale. Its a wonderful what if story.]]> 3.88 2014 Cinderella's Dress (Fairy-tale Inheritance #1)
author: Shonna Slayton
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2022/05/30
date added: 2022/05/31
shelves:
review:
A familiar fairy tale with unique twists

This isn't a typical fair tale set in today's world, but an old tale with an untold story set in the 1940's America. I started reading this thinking it was for teenage girls, but as a middle aged, married mom I found it interesting, unique and a fun story that was a wonderful continuation of an old much loved fairy tale.

Telling this continued story worked wonderfully in a more modern time of the 1940's. I don't think it would have worked well had it been written for a more recent time of the 1960's or later. Although I wasn't born until the 1970's, I could pitched the 1940's era easily based on family photographs and remembering my grandparents home from my childhood. The way things were described in the book took me back to the smells of home cooked meals made by my grandparents and their furniture I remember in their home. I felt almost felt like I went back in time myself.

I don't want to say too much more for fear I'd give something away, however I could see some people thinking that there are parts in this book that could be far fetched. What you must remember that the way of life was much different during WWII in the 1940's than in more modern war times. So a teenage girl working beside her mother and having career goals without college experience wasn't so unheard of back in that time.

While reading don't think so hard about what could and couldn't be true. Just read it and enjoy it. Anything can happen. It's a sequel to a famous fairy tale. Its a wonderful what if story.
]]> No Place To Run 59683458
Heading south, Aidan finds a fire-ravaged town covered in missing-teenager posters. The locals seem afraid, the sheriff won’t answer any questions and it looks like another dead end � until a chance meeting with returned local Lana gives Aidan his first clue. But as they piece together what happened, Lana and Aidan make deadly enemies. Enemies willing to do anything to silence them - and to protect the terrible truth about what is really going on in the forest...]]> 347 Mark Edwards 1542027896 Tricia 0 to-read 3.83 2022 No Place To Run
author: Mark Edwards
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/05/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Where the Crawdads Sing 42421761
But Kya is not what they say. A born naturalist with just one day of school, she takes life's lessons from the land, learning the real ways of the world from the dishonest signals of fireflies. But while she has the skills to live in solitude forever, the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. Drawn to two young men from town, who are each intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new and startling world–until the unthinkable happens.

In Where the Crawdads Sing, Owens juxtaposes an exquisite ode to the natural world against a profound coming of age story and haunting mystery. Thought-provoking, wise, and deeply moving, Owens’s debut novel reminds us that we are forever shaped by the child within us, while also subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.

The story asks how isolation influences the behavior of a young woman, who like all of us, has the genetic propensity to belong to a group. The clues to the mystery are brushed into the lush habitat and natural histories of its wild creatures.]]> 370 Delia Owens Tricia 4 An easy read that kept me engaged

This book is an easily read book for someone like me who isn't an avid reader and it kept me engaged. It reminded me of my own mother in many different ways as she was born three years before the character Kya and lost her mother at only 4 months old. I kept every bit if Kya's loneliness, fear, want for friends, new love, abandonment and even wanting to be alone.

I wish the book had told me more. It felt like there were places in the story that.more could have been shared about the main character and what was going but that it was rushed to be written a d finished. I think Kya's life story could have been written into several books instead of one. There were many things skipped over and not said.

Despite that I enjoyed this book. I read it because I know there is a moving coming out soon and I'm looking g forward to seeing it. I just wonder how it will compare... So we shall see.]]> 4.60 2018 Where the Crawdads Sing
author: Delia Owens
name: Tricia
average rating: 4.60
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2022/05/15
date added: 2022/05/15
shelves:
review:
An easy read that kept me engaged

This book is an easily read book for someone like me who isn't an avid reader and it kept me engaged. It reminded me of my own mother in many different ways as she was born three years before the character Kya and lost her mother at only 4 months old. I kept every bit if Kya's loneliness, fear, want for friends, new love, abandonment and even wanting to be alone.

I wish the book had told me more. It felt like there were places in the story that.more could have been shared about the main character and what was going but that it was rushed to be written a d finished. I think Kya's life story could have been written into several books instead of one. There were many things skipped over and not said.

Despite that I enjoyed this book. I read it because I know there is a moving coming out soon and I'm looking g forward to seeing it. I just wonder how it will compare... So we shall see.
]]> Where She Went (If I Stay #2) 38324044
Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future - and each other.

Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.]]> 276 Gayle Forman Tricia 0 4.10 2011 Where She Went (If I Stay #2)
author: Gayle Forman
name: Tricia
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at: 2021/09/29
date added: 2021/09/29
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Miracles from Heaven: A Little Girl, Her Journey to Heaven, and Her Amazing Story of Healing]]> 25356182


Annabel Beam spent most of her childhood in and out of hospitals with a rare and incurable digestive disorder that prevented her from ever living a normal, healthy life. One sunny day when she was able to go outside and play with her sisters, she fell three stories headfirst inside an old, hollowed-out tree, a fall that may well have caused death or paralysis. Implausibly, she survived without a scratch. While unconscious inside the tree, with rescue workers struggling to get to her, she visited heaven. After being released from the hospital, she defied science and was inexplicably cured of her chronic ailment.

MIRACLES FROM HEAVEN will change how we look at the world around us and reinforce our belief in God and the afterlife.]]> 213 Christy Wilson Beam Tricia 0 to-read 4.38 2015 Miracles from Heaven: A Little Girl, Her Journey to Heaven, and Her Amazing Story of Healing
author: Christy Wilson Beam
name: Tricia
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/01/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Freedom: My Book of Firsts 29471915 In the follow-up to her #1 bestselling memoir, A Stolen Life, Jaycee Dugard tells the story of her first experiences after years in the joys that accompanied her newfound freedom and the challenges of adjusting to life on her own.When Jaycee Dugard was eleven years old, she was abducted from a school bus stop within sight of her home in South Lake Tahoe, California. She was missing for more than eighteen years, held captive by Philip and Nancy Garrido, and gave birth to two daughters during her imprisonment. In A Stolen Life Jaycee told the story of her life from her abduction in 1991 through her reappearance in 2009. My Book of Firsts is about everything that happened next. “How do you rebuild a life?� Jaycee asks. In these pages, she describes the life she never thought she would live to from her first sight of her mother to her first time meeting her grownup sister, her first trip to the dentist to her daughters� first day of school, her first taste of champagne to her first hangover, her first time behind the wheel to her first speeding ticket, and her first dance at a friend’s wedding to her first thoughts about the possibility of a future relationship. This raw and inspiring book will remind you that there is, as Jaycee writes, “life after something tragic happens…Somehow, I still believe that we each hold the key to our own happiness and you have to grab it where you can in whatever form it might take.� Freedom is an awe-inspiring memoir about the power we all hold within ourselves.]]> 274 Jaycee Dugard Tricia 0 to-read 3.91 2016 Freedom: My Book of Firsts
author: Jaycee Dugard
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/01/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Essential Optavia Diet Cookbook 2020: A Complete Simple Guide on How to Use Optavia Diet to Lose Weight Rapidly and Effectively]]> 54910762 78 Anthony Dickens Tricia 0 currently-reading 3.56 The Essential Optavia Diet Cookbook 2020: A Complete Simple Guide on How to Use Optavia Diet to Lose Weight Rapidly and Effectively
author: Anthony Dickens
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.56
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2020/09/16
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> Working Fire 34204809 From the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of When I’m Gone comes a compelling novel of a bond between sisters, tested by tragedy�

Ellie Brown thought she’d finally escaped her stifling hometown of Broadlands, Illinois; med school was supposed to be her ticket out. But when her father has a stroke, she must return home to share his care with her older sister, Amelia, who’s busy with her own family. Working as a paramedic, Ellie’s days are monotonous, driving an ambulance through streets she’d hoped never to see again.

Until a 911 dispatch changes everything. The address: her sister’s house. Rushing to the scene, Ellie discovers that Amelia and her husband, Steve, have been shot in a home invasion. After Amelia is rushed to the hospital, Ellie tries to make sense of the tragedy. But what really happened inside her sister’s house becomes less and less clear. As Amelia hangs on in critical condition, Ellie uncovers dark revelations about her family’s past that challenge her beliefs about those closest to her…and force her to question where her devotions truly lie.]]> 0 Emily Bleeker 1536690430 Tricia 0 to-read 3.67 2017 Working Fire
author: Emily Bleeker
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2017/06/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Working Fire 34204810 From the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of When I’m Gone comes a compelling novel of a bond between sisters, tested by tragedy�

Ellie Brown thought she’d finally escaped her stifling hometown of Broadlands, Illinois; med school was supposed to be her ticket out. But when her father has a stroke, she must return home to share his care with her older sister, Amelia, who’s busy with her own family. Working as a paramedic, Ellie’s days are monotonous, driving an ambulance through streets she’d hoped never to see again.

Until a 911 dispatch changes everything. The address: her sister’s house. Rushing to the scene, Ellie discovers that Amelia and her husband, Steve, have been shot in a home invasion. After Amelia is rushed to the hospital, Ellie tries to make sense of the tragedy. But what really happened inside her sister’s house becomes less and less clear. As Amelia hangs on in critical condition, Ellie uncovers dark revelations about her family’s past that challenge her beliefs about those closest to her…and force her to question where her devotions truly lie.]]> Emily Bleeker 1536690449 Tricia 0 to-read 4.00 2017 Working Fire
author: Emily Bleeker
name: Tricia
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2017/03/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Wreckage 23745132
The public is fascinated by the castaways� saga, but Lillian and Dave must return to their lives and their spouses. Genevieve Randall—a hard-nosed journalist and host of a news program—isn’t buying it. She suspects Lillian’s and Dave’s explanations about the other crash survivors aren’t true. And now, Genevieve’s determined to get the real story, no matter how many lives it destroys.

In this intriguing tale of survival, secrets, and redemption, two everyday people thrown together by tragedy must finally face the truth…even if it tears them apart.]]> 305 Emily Bleeker Tricia 0 to-read 3.81 2015 Wreckage
author: Emily Bleeker
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2017/02/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Two by Two 30094689
At 32, Russell Green has it a stunning wife, a lovable six year-old daughter, a successful career as an advertising executive, and an expansive home in Charlotte. He is living the dream, and his marriage to the bewitching Vivian is at the center of it. But underneath the shiny surface of this perfect existence, fault lines are beginning to appear . . . and no one is more surprised than Russ when every aspect of the life he has taken for granted is turned upside down.



In a matter of months, Russ finds himself without a job or a wife, caring for his young daughter while struggling to adapt to a new and baffling reality. Throwing himself into the wilderness of single parenting, Russ embarks on a journey at once terrifying and rewarding -- one that will test his abilities and his emotional resources beyond anything he's ever imagined.



When a chance encounter with an old flame tempts him to take a chance on love again, he will navigate this new opportunity with trepidation and wonder. But with the loyal support of his parents, the wisdom of his older sister, Marge, and in the hard-won lessons of fatherhood, Russ will finally come to understand the true nature of unconditional love -- that it is a treasure to be bestowed, not earned.]]> 912 Nicholas Sparks 1455541583 Tricia 0 to-read 4.14 2016 Two by Two
author: Nicholas Sparks
name: Tricia
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2017/02/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Chasing Spring 28694523
I didn't ask for a hero. I don't want to be saved.

To me, Lilah Calloway meant late nights sneakin'; out, moonlit hair, and sparklers in July. She was my best friend until the day she left and I'd assumed Blackwater had seen the last of her. Then, like a tempest, she rolled back into town for the final half of senior year. The chopped hair and dark devil-may-care attitude warned most people away, but I knew if I fought hard enough, I could find the lost girl.

I didn't want to be her hero. Some girls don't need to be saved.]]> 306 R.S. Grey Tricia 3 3.64 2016 Chasing Spring
author: R.S. Grey
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at: 2016/02/21
date added: 2017/01/12
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Thrive: Finding Happiness the Blue Zones Way]]> 10341558
Working with leading researchers, Buettner identifies the happiest region on each of four continents. He explores why these populations say they are happier than anyone else, and what they can teach the rest of us about finding contentment. His conclusions debunk some commonly believed Are people who have children happier than those who don't? Not necessarily—in Western societies, parenthood actually makes the happiness level drop. Is gender equality a factor? Are the world's happiest places to be found on tropical islands with beautiful beaches? You may be surprised at what Buettner's research indicates.

Unraveling the story of each "hotspot" like a good mystery, Buettner reveals how he discovered each location and then travels to meet folks who embody each particular brand of happiness. He introduces content, thriving people in Denmark, in Singapore, in northeastern Mexico, and in a composite "happiest place in America." In addition, he interviews economists, psychologists, sociologists, politicians, writers, and other experts to get at what contributes to each region's happiness, from the Danish concept of hygge, which translates to creating a feeling of coziness, to the Mexican love of a good joke.

Buettner's findings result in a credible, cross-cultural formula and a practical plan to help us stack the deck for happiness and get more satisfaction out of life. According to Buettner's advisory team, the average person can control about forty percent of his or her individual happiness by optimizing life choices. These aren't unreasonable demands on a person's lifestyle, and they often require only slight changes. They fall into three categories tha]]> 306 Dan Buettner Tricia 0 on-hold, to-read 4.02 2009 Thrive: Finding Happiness the Blue Zones Way
author: Dan Buettner
name: Tricia
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2016/02/29
shelves: on-hold, to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Tony Northrup's DSLR Book: How to Create Stunning Digital Photography]]> 13529644
* Composition
* Exposure
* Shutter speed
* Aperture
* Depth-of-field
* ISO
* Natural light
* Flash
* Posing
* Troubleshooting bad pictures
* Using raw files
* Studio lighting
* Night photography
* HDR
* Macro/close-up photography

Then, you will learn the pro's secrets for photographing these subjects:

* People (candid, casual, formal, and underwater portraits)
* Weddings
* Pets
* Wildlife (mammals, birds, insects, fish, and more)
* Landscapes
* Cityscapes
* Sunrises and sunsets
* Flowers
* Forests, waterfalls, and rivers
* Fireworks
* Stars]]> 502 Tony Northrup Tricia 0 on-hold, to-read 4.31 2011 Tony Northrup's DSLR Book: How to Create Stunning Digital Photography
author: Tony Northrup
name: Tricia
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2016/02/29
shelves: on-hold, to-read
review:

]]> If I Stay (If I Stay, #1) 6564365 A critically acclaimed novel that will change the way you look at life, love, and family

In the blink of an eye everything changes. Seventeen ­year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall what happened afterwards, watching her own damaged body being taken from the wreck. Little by little she struggles to put together the pieces—to figure out what she has lost, what she has left, and the very difficult choice she must make.
Heartwrenchingly beautiful, Mia's story will stay with you for a long, long time.]]> 196 Gayle Forman Tricia 5 3.98 2009 If I Stay (If I Stay, #1)
author: Gayle Forman
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2009
rating: 5
read at: 2016/02/16
date added: 2016/02/29
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Innovative Admin (All Things Admin Book Series)]]> 19234943 This must-have book for admins helps you learn how to embrace innovative thinking that makes you invaluable to your boss, your co-workers and your company.
In this informative and motivating book, you'll discover:
What it means to be The Innovative Admin
How you can unleash your mind to think innovatively
Techniques you can use to bring out the administrative leader inside you
Ways you can tap into your creativity and initiative to get ahead
The Innovative Admin empowers you to become the best you can be by enhancing your capacity for innovation. Read it and grow your administrative career to exciting new levels. Innovation isn't just for technology - it's the key to your career future.]]> 161 Julie Perrine Tricia 4 3.72 2012 The Innovative Admin (All Things Admin Book Series)
author: Julie Perrine
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2016/01/10
date added: 2016/02/22
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[On the Island (On the Island, #1)]]> 15505346
T.J. Callahan has no desire to leave town, not that anyone asked him. He's almost seventeen and if having cancer wasn't bad enough, now he has to spend his first summer in remission with his family—and a stack of overdue assignments—instead of his friends.

Anna and T.J. are en route to join T.J.'s family in the Maldives when the pilot of their seaplane suffers a fatal heart attack and crash-lands in the Indian Ocean. Adrift in shark-infested waters, their life jackets keep them afloat until they make it to the shore of an uninhabited island. Now Anna and T.J. just want to survive and they must work together to obtain water, food, fire, and shelter.

Their basic needs might be met but as the days turn to weeks, and then months, the castaways encounter plenty of other obstacles, including violent tropical storms, the many dangers lurking in the sea, and the possibility that T.J.'s cancer could return. As T.J. celebrates yet another birthday on the island, Anna begins to wonder if the biggest challenge of all might be living with a boy who is gradually becoming a man.]]> 328 Tracey Garvis Graves 1405910216 Tricia 0 to-read 4.09 2011 On the Island (On the Island, #1)
author: Tracey Garvis Graves
name: Tricia
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2016/02/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Orphan Train 15818107 This is an alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780061950728, found here.

The author of Bird in Hand and The Way Life Should Be delivers her most ambitious and powerful novel to date: a captivating story of two very different women who build an unexpected friendship: a 91-year-old woman with a hidden past as an orphan-train rider and the teenage girl whose own troubled adolescence leads her to seek answers to questions no one has ever thought to ask.

Nearly eighteen, Molly Ayer knows she has one last chance. Just months from "aging out" of the child welfare system, and close to being kicked out of her foster home, a community service position helping an elderly woman clean out her home is the only thing keeping her out of juvie and worse.

Vivian Daly has lived a quiet life on the coast of Maine. But in her attic, hidden in trunks, are vestiges of a turbulent past. As she helps Vivian sort through her possessions and memories, Molly discovers that she and Vivian aren't as different as they seem to be. A young Irish immigrant orphaned in New York City, Vivian was put on a train to the Midwest with hundreds of other children whose destinies would be determined by luck and chance.

The closer Molly grows to Vivian, the more she discovers parallels to her own life. A Penobscot Indian, she, too, is an outsider being raised by strangers, and she, too, has unanswered questions about the past. As her emotional barriers begin to crumble, Molly discovers that she has the power to help Vivian find answers to mysteries that have haunted her for her entire life - answers that will ultimately free them both.

Rich in detail and epic in scope, Orphan Train is a powerful novel of upheaval and resilience, of second chances, of unexpected friendship, and of the secrets we carry that keep us from finding out who we are.]]> 278 Christina Baker Kline Tricia 0 to-read 4.18 2013 Orphan Train
author: Christina Baker Kline
name: Tricia
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2016/02/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Gone Girl 19288043 What have we done to each other?

These are the questions Nick Dunne finds himself asking on the morning of his fifth wedding anniversary when his wife Amy suddenly disappears. The police suspect Nick. Amy's friends reveal that she was afraid of him, that she kept secrets from him. He swears it isn't true. A police examination of his computer shows strange searches. He says they weren't made by him. And then there are the persistent calls on his mobile phone.

So what did happen to Nick's beautiful wife?]]> 415 Gillian Flynn 0307588378 Tricia 0 to-read 4.22 2012 Gone Girl
author: Gillian Flynn
name: Tricia
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2016/02/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Scoring Wilder 21843117 What started out as a joke� seduce Coach Wilder—soon became a goal she had to score.

With Olympic tryouts on the horizon, the last thing nineteen-year-old Kinsley Bryant needs to add to her plate is Liam Wilder. He's a professional soccer player, America's favorite bad-boy, and has all the qualities of a skilled panty-dropper.

� A face that makes girls weep � check.
� Abs that can shred Parmesan cheese (the expensive kind) � check.
� Enough confidence to shift the earth’s gravitational pull � double check.

Not to mention Liam is strictly off limits . Forbidden. Her coaches have made that perfectly clear. (i.e. “Score with Coach Wilder anywhere other than the field and you’ll be cut from the team faster than you can count his tattoos.�) But that just makes him all the more enticing…Besides, Kinsley's already counted the visible ones, and she is not one to leave a project unfinished.

Kinsley tries to play the game her way as they navigate through forbidden territory, but Liam is determined to teach her a whole new definition for the term “team bonding.�

A fun & sexy New Adult Romance (age 17+)]]> 402 R.S. Grey Tricia 0 to-read 3.97 2014 Scoring Wilder
author: R.S. Grey
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2016/02/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Great Gatsby 4671 The only edition of the beloved classic that is authorized by Fitzgerald’s family and from his lifelong publisher.

This edition is the enduring original text, updated with the author’s own revisions, a foreword by his granddaughter, and with a new introduction by National Book Award winner Jesmyn Ward.

The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s third book, stands as the supreme achievement of his career. First published by Scribner in 1925, this quintessential novel of the Jazz Age has been acclaimed by generations of readers. The story of the mysteriously wealthy Jay Gatsby and his love for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan is an exquisitely crafted tale of America in the 1920s.]]> 180 F. Scott Fitzgerald 0743273567 Tricia 0 to-read 3.93 1925 The Great Gatsby
author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.93
book published: 1925
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2016/02/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> To Kill a Mockingbird 2657
Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, "To Kill A Mockingbird" takes readers to the roots of human behavior - to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, humor and pathos. Now with over 18 million copies in print and translated into forty languages, this regional story by a young Alabama woman claims universal appeal. Harper Lee always considered her book to be a simple love story. Today it is regarded as a masterpiece of American literature.]]> 323 Harper Lee 0060935464 Tricia 0 to-read 4.25 1960 To Kill a Mockingbird
author: Harper Lee
name: Tricia
average rating: 4.25
book published: 1960
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2016/02/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Child of Mine 17312767 �
As families grow under Katie's careful watch, her husband wants to move on to adoption. But Katie, who was adopted as a newborn, can't bear the thought of never having a biological connection to anyone.
�
So she sets off on a journey to the other side of the country, along with her emotionally unstable sister, to find her biological relatives.
�
What she discovers about her roots --and about the parents who adopted her -- rocks her world in a way she never could have expected. And even as she deals with what she finds, she still needs to figure out a way to become a mother.]]> 256 Judy Mollen Walters 1475601654 Tricia 5 3.93 2013 Child of Mine
author: Judy Mollen Walters
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at: 2013/08/30
date added: 2016/02/03
shelves:
review:
I remember seeing this book posted on Facebook by a friend who knows the author. I've never been a big book reader, but since this was a friend of a friend I thought I'd give it a chance. I remember having a hard time putting the book down. It was one until could somewhat relate to as I was someone who wanted several children, but due to health issues we only have one. The urge and want to be a mother was still fresh in my mind. I loved that this book kept me on my toes with its twists and thoughts of "oh my gosh! WhAt just happened?" When you think you know what's going to happen and turn right you are then thrown a curve ball and quickly turn left. It wasn't predictable. I really enjoyed this and would like to see what else Judy Millen Walters has to offer!
]]> The Fault in Our Stars 12970552
Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning author John Green's most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.]]> 322 John Green Tricia 5 I was angry. I smiled. I cried. And I laughed

I'm not a teenager, but a 41 year old wife and mother. I read this because I want to see the movie, but must get through the book first. This book took me back to a time when I lost a friend to a car accident in high school and a few months later a guy I dated before my senior year of high school in a motorcycle accident. I relived that same pain, although it was different for the characters in the book. It also reminded me of my fears and the pain I dealt with in my early 20's when I was in college finding out I didn't have colon cancer, but relieved it was Crohn's disease.

I recommend this book to anyone who feels that they are going through a difficult time to remind themselves that there are others in our world facing a worse fate. Your life could be faced with something far worse, like Hazel Grace's or Gus'. What would you do if you were faced with cancer or some other life threatening disease? I found the innocent romance was breath of fresh air. I smiled. I cried. I laughed. I was angered and I felt a sense of relief. Now I want to visit Amsterdam.]]> 4.32 2012 The Fault in Our Stars
author: John Green
name: Tricia
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at: 2016/02/03
date added: 2016/02/03
shelves:
review:
I was angry. I smiled. I cried. And I laughed

I'm not a teenager, but a 41 year old wife and mother. I read this because I want to see the movie, but must get through the book first. This book took me back to a time when I lost a friend to a car accident in high school and a few months later a guy I dated before my senior year of high school in a motorcycle accident. I relived that same pain, although it was different for the characters in the book. It also reminded me of my fears and the pain I dealt with in my early 20's when I was in college finding out I didn't have colon cancer, but relieved it was Crohn's disease.

I recommend this book to anyone who feels that they are going through a difficult time to remind themselves that there are others in our world facing a worse fate. Your life could be faced with something far worse, like Hazel Grace's or Gus'. What would you do if you were faced with cancer or some other life threatening disease? I found the innocent romance was breath of fresh air. I smiled. I cried. I laughed. I was angered and I felt a sense of relief. Now I want to visit Amsterdam.
]]> <![CDATA[P.S. I Love You (P.S. I Love You, #1)]]> 366522 A novel about holding on, letting go, and learning to love again.

Now in paperback, the endearing novel that captured readers' hearts and introduced a fresh new voice in women's fiction Cecelia Ahern.

Holly couldn't live without her husband Gerry, until the day she had to. They were the kind of young couple who could finish each other's sentences. When Gerry succumbs to a terminal illness and dies, 30-year-old Holly is set adrift, unable to pick up the pieces. But with the help of a series of letters her husband left her before he died and a little nudging from an eccentric assortment of family and friends, she learns to laugh, overcome her fears, and discover a world she never knew existed.

The kind of enchanting novel with cross-generational appeal that comes along once in a great while, PS, I Love You is a captivating love letter to the world!

]]> 501 Cecelia Ahern 0786890754 Tricia 0 to-read 4.05 2004 P.S. I Love You (P.S. I Love You, #1)
author: Cecelia Ahern
name: Tricia
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2004
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2016/01/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Message in a Bottle 3478
Nicholas Sparks is our very best chronicler of the human heart. His stunning first novel, The Notebook, has been given by friend to friend and lover to lover all over the world as a testament to the timeless power of love. But if we thought he could never again move us so deeply, he now shows us he can-in a story that renews our faith in destiny...in the ability of true lovers to find each other no matter where, no matter when... Message In A Bottle

Thrown to the waves, and to fate, the bottle could have ended up anywhere. Instead, it is found just three weeks after it begins its journey. Theresa Osborne, divorced and the mother of a twelve-year-old son, picks it up during a seaside vacation from her job as a Boston newspaper columnist. Inside is a letter that opens with:

My Dearest Catherine, I miss you my darling, as I always do, but today is particularly hard because the ocean has been singing to me, and the song is that of our life together...

For "Garrett," the man who signs the letter, the message is the only way he knows to express his undying love for a woman he has lost. For Theresa, wary of romance since her husband shattered her trust, the message raises questions that intrigue her. Who are Garrett and Catherine? Where is he now? What is his story?

Challenged by the mystery, and pulled to find Garrett by emotions she does not fully understand, Theresa begins a search that takes her to a sunlit coastal town and an unexpected confrontation. Brought together by chance-or something more powerful-Theresa and Garrett are people whose lives are about to touch for a purpose, in a tale that resonates with our deepest hopes for finding that special someone and everlasting love.

Shimmering with suspense and emotional intensity, Message in a Bottle takes readers on a hunt for the truth about a man and his memories, and about both the heartbreaking fragility and enormous strength of love. For those who cherished The Notebook and readers waiting to discover the magic of Nicholas Sparks's storytelling, here is his new, achingly lovely novel of happenstance, desire, and the choices that matter most...]]> 342 Nicholas Sparks 0446676071 Tricia 5 3.99 1998 Message in a Bottle
author: Nicholas Sparks
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.99
book published: 1998
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2016/01/05
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]]> A Walk to Remember 3473 A high school rebel and a minister's daughter find strength in each other in this star-crossed tale of "young but everlasting love" (Chicago Sun-Times).There was a time when the world was sweeter....when the women in Beaufort, North Carolina, wore dresses, and the men donned hats.... Every April, when the wind smells of both the sea and lilacs, Landon Carter remembers 1958, his last year at Beaufort High. Landon had dated a girl or two, and even once sworn that he'd been in love. Certainly the last person he thought he'd fall for was Jamie, the shy, almost ethereal daughter of the town's Baptist minister....Jamie, who was destined to show him the depths of the human heart-and the joy and pain of living. The inspiration for this novel came from Nicholas Sparks's sister: her life and her courage. From the internationally bestselling author Nicholas Sparks, comes his most moving story yet....]]> 240 Nicholas Sparks 0446693804 Tricia 4 4.16 1999 A Walk to Remember
author: Nicholas Sparks
name: Tricia
average rating: 4.16
book published: 1999
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2016/01/05
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review:

]]> <![CDATA[Planet Explorers Walt Disney World 2013: A Travel Guide for Kids]]> 11982249
Check out the all new companion game to this book, DISNEY WORLD DETAILS!

Explore the planet with this Walt Disney World guidebook written just for kids. This fun and informative ebook includes everything an 8-12 year-old needs to know about Walt Disney World, including information about attractions in all four of the parks, food options near favorite rides, shows and Disney resorts.

Children are what Walt Disney World is all about. Why not buy an affordable guidebook written just for them? Let older children plan out your days in the park and give them a useful tool to do it. They'll love the interactive hyperlinks and interesting trivia about Walt Disney throughout. These links fire up learning and make a Walt Disney World vacation even richer for the whole family.

Every area and attraction of Walt Disney World is covered and given a notation of S (Scary), A (Awesome), T (Thrilling), D (Dark), or W (Wet) when necessary. Fastpass attractions are marked as well. There is a section devoted to each of the theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios and Disney's Animal Kingdom. Another large section describes the rest of Walt Disney World, including Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, Downtown Disney, each Walt Disney Resort and several food spots. Finally, the book wraps up with a short quiz, "Disneyisms," and interactive links about several Disney Imagineers.

The book contains tween-friendly descriptions of what's what at Walt Disney World for 2013 and includes useful tips at the end of each park section to help time-crunched families get more excitement out of each day. Now kids can help plan the family vacation.]]> 127 Laura Schaefer Tricia 4 3.72 2011 Planet Explorers Walt Disney World 2013: A Travel Guide for Kids
author: Laura Schaefer
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2016/01/03
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review:

]]> <![CDATA[Be the Ultimate Assistant: A celebrity assistant's secrets to working with any high-powered employer]]> 19033106 178 Bonnie Low-Kramen Tricia 0 3.68 2004 Be the Ultimate Assistant: A celebrity assistant's secrets to working with any high-powered employer
author: Bonnie Low-Kramen
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2004
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2016/01/03
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga, #4)]]> 1162543 "Don't be afraid," I murmured. "We belong together."
I was abruptly overwhelmed by the truth of my own words.
This moment was so perfect, so right, there was no way to doubt it.
His arms wrapped around me,
holding me against him....
It felt like every nerve ending in my body was a live wire.
"Forever," he agreed.

WHEN YOU LOVED THE ONE WHO WAS KILLING YOU, IT LEFT YOU NO OPTIONS. How could you run, how could you fight, when doing so would hurt that beloved one? If your life was all you had to give, how could you not give it? If it was someone you truly loved?

TO BE IRREVOCABLY IN LOVE WITH A VAMPIRE is both fantasy and nightmare woven into a dangerously heightened reality for Bella Swan. Pulled in one direction by her intense passion for Edward Cullen, and in another by her profound connection to werewolf Jacob Black, a tumultuous year of temptation, loss, and strife have led her to the ultimate turning point. Her imminent choice to either join the dark but seductive world of immortals or to pursue a fully human life has become the thread from which the fates of two tribes hangs.

NOW THAT BELLA HAS MADE HER DECISION, a startling chain of unprecedented events is about to unfold with potentially devastating, and unfathomable, consequences. Just when the frayed strands of Bella's life - first discovered in Twilight, then scattered and torn in New Moon and Eclipse - seem ready to heal and knit together, could they be destroyed... forever?

THE ASTONISHING, BREATHLESSLY anticipated conclusion to the Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn illuminates the secrets and mysteries of this spellbinding romantic epic that has entranced millions.]]> 756 Stephenie Meyer 031606792X Tricia 4 3.74 2008 Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga, #4)
author: Stephenie Meyer
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at: 2014/09/13
date added: 2014/09/13
shelves:
review:

]]> The Lovely Bones 12232938
So begins the story of Susie Salmon, who is adjusting to her new home in heaven, a place that is not at all what she expected, even as she is watching life on earth continue without her -- her friends trading rumors about her disappearance, her killer trying to cover his tracks, her grief-stricken family unraveling. Out of unspeakable tragedy and loss, The Lovely Bones succeeds, miraculously, in building a tale filled with hope, humor, suspense, even joy.]]> 372 Alice Sebold 0316166685 Tricia 0 to-read 3.87 2002 The Lovely Bones
author: Alice Sebold
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2002
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2014/09/13
shelves: to-read
review:
I always start reading this book and then after several chapters I put it down. I get depressed. Goal before the end of the year is to finish it!
]]> <![CDATA[Miss Minimalist: Inspiration to Downsize, Declutter, and Simplify]]> 11578739 117 Francine Jay 0984087338 Tricia 0 to-read 3.74 2011 Miss Minimalist: Inspiration to Downsize, Declutter, and Simplify
author: Francine Jay
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2014/09/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Last Song 6400090 Alternate Cover Edition can be found here

Seventeen-year-old Veronica 'Ronnie' Miller’s life was turned upside-down when her parents divorced and her father moved from New York City to Wilmington, North Carolina. Three years later, she remains angry and alienated from her parents, especially her father . . . until her mother decides it would be in everyone’s best interest if she spent the summer in Wilmington with him. Ronnie’s father, a former concert pianist and teacher, is living a quiet life in the beach town, immersed in creating a work of art that will become the centerpiece of a local church.

The tale that unfolds is an unforgettable story about love in its myriad forms - first love, the love between parents and children - that demonstrates, as only a Nicholas Sparks novel can, the many ways that deeply felt relationships can break our hearts . . . and heal them.]]> 390 Nicholas Sparks 0446547565 Tricia 0 to-read 4.16 2008 The Last Song
author: Nicholas Sparks
name: Tricia
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2014/06/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back]]> 9712508
—Ron Hall, coauthor of Same Kind of Different as Me

“Do you remember the hospital, Colton?� Sonja said. “Yes, mommy, I remember,� he said. “That’s where the angels sang to me.�

When Colton Burpo made it through an emergency appendectomy, his family was overjoyed at his miraculous survival. What they weren’t expecting, though, was the story that emerged in the months that followed—a story as beautiful as it was extraordinary, detailing their little boy’s trip to heaven and back.

Colton, not yet four years old, told his parents he left his body during the surgery–and authenticated that claim by describing exactly what his parents were doing in another part of the hospital while he was being operated on. He talked of visiting heaven and relayed stories told to him by people he met there whom he had never met in life, sharing events that happened even before he was born. He also astonished his parents with descriptions and obscure details about heaven that matched the Bible exactly, though he had not yet learned to read.

With disarming innocence and the plainspoken boldness of a child, Colton tells of meeting long-departed family members. He describes Jesus, the angels, how “really, really big� God is, and how much God loves us. Retold by his father, but using Colton’s uniquely simple words, Heaven Is for Real offers a glimpse of the world that awaits us, where as Colton says, “Nobody is old and nobody wears glasses.�

Heaven Is for Real will forever change the way you think of eternity, offering the chance to see, and believe, like a child.]]> 187 Todd Burpo Tricia 5 4.11 2010 Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back
author: Todd Burpo
name: Tricia
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2014/06/29
shelves:
review:

]]> Impossible 26512
Everything Sasha does is within the boundaries of tradition. Liam is sockless in December. Sasha is widowed, a woman who knows she was lucky enough to be married to the most wonderful man in the world and thankful for every moment they had. Liam is half in and half out of a marriage that only a “wacky� artist could manage, and that his own impossibly impulsive behavior has helped tear apart. But while Sasha has been methodically building her father’s Parisian art gallery into an intercontinental success story, Liam has been growing into one of the most original and striking young painters of his time. So while the two are utterly unalike-–and a nine-year age difference stares them squarely in the face-–the miracle of art brings them crashing together. Now the question is, can Sasha guard her reputation while juggling a secret, somewhat scandalous relationship? And how can Liam, who lives for the moment, put up with a woman who insists on having things her own way, in her own style, and at her own time?

For Sasha, it’s a matter of keeping Liam hidden from her grown children and well-heeled clientele as she commutes between New York and Paris and two thriving galleries. For Liam, it’s about creating chaos out of order, bringing out the wild streak that Sasha barely knows she has, of choosing pizza over foie gras, and making love when others are busy making money. That is, until a family tragedy suddenly alters Liam’s life�-and forces a choice and a sacrifice that neither one of them could have expected. But from the snow falling on the Tuileries to the joy of eating ice cream by candlelight, the artist and the art dealer have tasted perfection. And giving up now might just be the most impossible thing of all.

With unerring insight into the hearts of men and women�-and into the soul of the artist-–Danielle Steel takes us into a world of glamour and genius, priceless art and dazzling creativity. From the luxurious galleries of Europe to the endless beaches of the Hamptons, Impossible weaves an extraordinary tale of love and compromise, of taking chances and counting blessings. With brilliant color and breathtaking emotion, Danielle Steel has written her most compelling novel to date.

From the Hardcover edition.]]> 416 Danielle Steel 0440242010 Tricia 0 to-read 3.56 2005 Impossible
author: Danielle Steel
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2005
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2009/08/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Coming Out 25352
For Olympia’s husband, Harry, whose parents survived the Holocaust, the idea of a blue-blood debutante ball is abhorrent. Her daughter Veronica, a natural-born rebel, agrees�-while Veronica’s identical twin, Virginia, is already shopping for the perfect dress. Then there’s Olympia’s ex, an insufferable snob, who sees the ball as the perfect opportunity for a family feud. And amid all the hubbub, Olympia’s college-age son, Charlie, is facing a turning point in his life�-and may need his mother more than ever. But despite it all, Olympia is determined to steer her family through the event until, just days before the cotillion, things begin to unravel with alarming speed.

From a son’s crisis to a daughter’s heartbreak, from a case of the chicken pox to a political debate raging in her household, Olympia is on the verge of surrender. And that is when, in a series of startling choices and changes of heart, family, friends, and even a blue-haired teenager all find a way to turn a night of calamity into an evening of magic. As old wounds are healed, barriers are shattered and new traditions are born, and a debutante ball becomes a catalyst for change, revelation, acceptance, and love.

In a novel that is by turns profound, poignant, moving, and warmly funny, Danielle Steel tells the story of an extraordinary family�-finding new ways of letting go, stepping up, and coming out...in the ways that matter most.]]> 210 Danielle Steel 0385338325 Tricia 0 to-read 3.47 2006 Coming Out
author: Danielle Steel
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.47
book published: 2006
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2009/08/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Second Chance 59857
It didn’t take long for the dominoes to start falling. First, John introduced Fiona to his hostile daughters and their bloodthirsty Pekingese and snarling housekeeper. Then, after a disastrous dinner party with John’s biggest client, Fiona and John’s relationship began to unravel with alarming speed. What happens next will set Fiona on a journey filled with pain, revelation, and awakening. When she risks everything and returns to Paris alone, an extraordinary series of events begins to unfold. And as the snow falls on the city of light, the curtain will rise on a second act Fiona never saw coming.

In a dazzling tale of modern misadventures and career-crossed relationships, Danielle Steel captures the heady magic of instant attraction, the challenges of change-–and the hope that comes when we dare to do it all over again.]]> 336 Danielle Steel 0440240794 Tricia 0 to-read 3.70 2004 Second Chance
author: Danielle Steel
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2004
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2009/08/24
shelves: to-read
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]]> The Kiss 891081
Now, inside a London hospital, Isabelle and Bill cling to life. In the weeks that follow, they traverse a road to recovery littered with challenges of the body, spirit, and heart. Together, they must find the strength to embrace life again. But changing relationships and another loss conspire to separate them once more. And this time they could lose each other forever.

In a novel that is as compelling as it is compassionate, Danielle Steel weaves a story of courage in the face of unimaginable loss, exploring the strength it takes to conquer our greatest fears, showing us how the toughest choices can yield the most unexpected rewards ... and how the longest journeys can begin with a single kiss.]]> 448 Danielle Steel 044023669X Tricia 0 to-read 3.75 2001 The Kiss
author: Danielle Steel
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2001
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2009/08/24
shelves: to-read
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]]> Safe Harbour 59889
Matt Bowles senses something magical about Pip, who reminds him of his own daughter at that age, before a bitter divorce tore his family apart and swept his children halfway across the world. At first, Ophelie is thrown off-balance by her daughter's new companion--until she realizes how much joy he is bringing into their lives. As Matt confronts unfinished business from his past, and Ophelie is struck by a stunning betrayal, out of the darkness that has shadowed them both comes an unexpected gift of hope.]]> 338 Danielle Steel 0739437585 Tricia 0 to-read 4.07 2003 Safe Harbour
author: Danielle Steel
name: Tricia
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2003
rating: 0
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date added: 2009/08/24
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]]> Sunset in St. Tropez 59850
As Diana Morrison laid the table for six at her elegant Central Park apartment, there was no warning of what was to come. Spending New Year's Eve together was a sacred tradition for Diana, her husband of thirty-two years, Eric, and their best friends, Pascale and John Donnally and Anne and Robert Smith. The future looked rosy as the long-time friends sipped champagne and talked of renting a villa together in the South of France the following summer. But life had other plans...

Just two weeks after New Year's, tragedy strikes the heart of their close circle, as Robert Smith suffers a sudden, unexpected loss. Without hesitation, Diana and Eric, Pascale and John rally to his side, united in their support, love, and shared grief. Convinced that a change of scenery is just what Robert needs, they urge him to join them on the Riviera in August. But as they soon discover, the ramshackle old mansion they rented in St. Tropez--sight unseen--is far different from the exquisite villa and sun-drenched gardens touted in the brochure. Cobwebs hang from the ceiling. Beds collapse beneath them. All while a would-be housekeeper in a leopard-skin bikini and six-inch heels sashays through the house with a trio of yapping poodles at her heels. But the biggest surprise of all is the woman Robert invites to the villa as his guest--a lovely, much-younger film actress with mile-long legs and a million-dollar smile. Diana and Pascale hate her on sight. But the men are dazzled. And amid the crumbling furniture and the glorious sunsets, the strained relationships and the acts of forgiveness, more surprises are in store for the villa's occupants. With the last days of summer fast approaching, each couple finds themselves changing in unexpected ways, as old wounds are healed, new love discovered, and miracles unfold...all beneath the dazzling sun of St. Tropez.

By turns wise and moving, heartbreaking and wickedly funny, Danielle Steel's new novel is about forgiving without forgetting, about the sorrow that shadows our lives and the hope that saves us. And it is about once-in-a-lifetime friendships...the kind that heal, sustain, and change us forever.]]> 288 Danielle Steel 055214911X Tricia 0 to-read 3.67 2000 Sunset in St. Tropez
author: Danielle Steel
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2000
rating: 0
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]]> H.R.H. 94812 The conflict between the old world and the new...between responsibility and freedom...between duty and love...

Princess Christianna, happier in jeans and a sweatshirt than in the formal life of European royalty, leaves university to travel to East Africa as a volunteer for the Red Cross. Determined to make a difference, she plunges into the dusty, bustling life of an international relief camp, and is anxious to keep her identity a secret from her fellow aid workers.

Dr. Parker Williams, who works alongside Christianna and shares her dedication to healing, has no idea who she is - but as violence approaches and invades the camp, and the pressures of her royal life beckon her home, her struggle for freedom takes an extraordinary turn.

By a simple twist of fate, in one shocking moment, Christianna's life is changed for ever - in ways she could never have foreseen.]]> 323 Danielle Steel 0385338295 Tricia 0 to-read 3.68 2006 H.R.H.
author: Danielle Steel
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2006
rating: 0
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date added: 2009/08/24
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]]> The Rescue 3462
BookPage calls Nicholas Sparks, "a modern master of fateful love stories," and his phenomenal bestsellers- The Notebook, Message in a Bottle, and A Walk to Remember- have made him one of America's most beloved storytellers. Here, in his newest work, Sparks tells a story about making the greatest commitment of all...loving someone forever.

The Rescue

When confronted by raging fires or deadly accidents, volunteer fireman Taylor McAden feels compelled to take terrifying risks - risks no one else in the department would ever take - to save lives. But there is one leap of faith Taylor can't bring himself to make: He can't fall in love. For all his adult years, Taylor has sought out women who need to be rescued, women he leaves as soon as their crisis is over, as soon as the relationship starts to become truly intimate.

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, a boy with severe learning disabilities and for whom she has sacrificed everything. Unconscious and bleeding, she-but not Kyle-will be found by Taylor McAden. And when she wakes, the chilling truth becomes clear to both of them: Kyle is gone.

During the search for Kyle, the connection, the lifeline, between Taylor and Denise takes root. Taylor doesn't know that this rescue will be different from all the others, demanding far more than raw physical courage. That it will lead him to the possibility of his own rescue from a life lived without love. That it will require him to open doors to his past that were slammed shut by pain. That it will dare him to live life to the fullest by daring to love.

In The Rescue Nicholas Sparks weaves his inimitable spell, immersing us in the passions and the surprising complexities of modern relationships-and in doing so, teaching us something about our own.]]> 339 Nicholas Sparks 0446696129 Tricia 5 4.11 2000 The Rescue
author: Nicholas Sparks
name: Tricia
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2000
rating: 5
read at: 2006/04/01
date added: 2009/08/24
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I'm not a huge book reader...shame on me! However I had a really hard time putting The Rescue down. I read it back in the Spring of 2006 while expecting my first child. If you are not an avid reader, check this one out. You too may find it hard to put down.
]]> <![CDATA[Eclipse (The Twilight Saga, #3)]]> 428263 "BELLA?"
Edward's soft voice came from behind me. I turned to see him spring lightly up the porch steps, his hair windblown from running. He pulled me into his arms at once, just like he had in the parking lot, and kissed me again.
This kiss frightened me. There was too much tension, too strong an edge to the way his lips crushed mine - like he was afraid we had only so much time left to us.

As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob - knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which?

READERS CAPTIVATED BY Twilight AND New Moon will eagerly devour Eclipse, the much-anticipated third book in Stephenie Meyer's riveting vampire love saga.]]> 629 Stephenie Meyer 0316160202 Tricia 4 3.73 2007 Eclipse (The Twilight Saga, #3)
author: Stephenie Meyer
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2007
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[New Moon (The Twilight Saga, #2)]]> 49041 There is an alternate cover edition for ISBN13 9780316160193 here.

I knew we were both in mortal danger. Still, in that instant, I felt well. Whole. I could feel my heart racing in my chest, the blood pulsing hot and fast through my veins again. My lungs filled deep with the sweet scent that came off his skin. It was like there had never been any hole in my chest. I was perfect - not healed, but as if there had never been a wound in the first place.

I FELT LIKE I WAS TRAPPED IN ONE OF THOSE TERRIFYING NIGHTMARES, the one where you have to run, run till your lungs burst, but you can't make your body move fast enough.... But this was no dream, and, unlike the nightmare, I wasn't running for my life; I was racing to save something infinitely more precious. My own life meant little to me today.

FOR BELLA SWAN THERE IS ONE THING more important than life itself: Edward Cullen. But being in love with a vampire is even more dangerous than Bella could ever have imagined. Edward has already rescued Bella from the clutches of one evil vampire, but now, as their daring relationship threatens all that is near and dear to them, they realize their troubles may be just beginning....

LEGIONS OF READERS ENTRANCED BY THE New York Times bestseller Twilight are hungry for the continuing story of star-crossed lovers Bell and Edward. In New Moon, Stephanie Meyer delivers another irresistible combination of romance and suspense with a supernatural spin. passionate, riveting, and full of surprising twists and turns, this vampire love saga is well on its way to literary immortality.]]> 563 Stephenie Meyer 0316160199 Tricia 4 3.61 2006 New Moon (The Twilight Saga, #2)
author: Stephenie Meyer
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2006
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[The Notebook (The Notebook, #1)]]> 15931
Set amid the austere beauty of coastal North Carolina in 1946, The Notebook begins with the story of Noah Calhoun, a rural Southerner returned home from World War II. Noah, thirty-one, is restoring a plantation home to its former glory, and he is haunted by images of the beautiful girl he met fourteen years earlier, a girl he loved like no other. Unable to find her, yet unwilling to forget the summer they spent together, Noah is content to live with only memories...until she unexpectedly returns to his town to see him once again.

Allie Nelson, twenty-nine, is now engaged to another man, but realizes that the original passion she felt for Noah has not dimmed with the passage of time. Still, the obstacles that once ended their previous relationship remain, and the gulf between their worlds is too vast to ignore. With her impending marriage only weeks away, Allie is forced to confront her hopes and dreams for the future, a future that only she can shape.

Like a puzzle within a puzzle, the story of Noah and Allie is just the beginning. As it unfolds, their tale miraculously becomes something different, with much higher stakes. The result is a deeply moving portrait of love itself, the tender moments and the fundamental changes that affect us all. Shining with a beauty that is rarely found in current literature, The Notebook establishes Nicholas Sparks as a classic storyteller with a unique insight into the only emotion that really matters.

"I am nothing special, of this I am sure. I am a common man with common thoughts and I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten, but I've loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough."

And so begins one of the most poignant and compelling love stories you will ever read...The Notebook]]> 214 Nicholas Sparks 0553816713 Tricia 0 to-read 4.07 1996 The Notebook (The Notebook, #1)
author: Nicholas Sparks
name: Tricia
average rating: 4.07
book published: 1996
rating: 0
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]]> The Time Traveler's Wife 14050 537 Audrey Niffenegger 0965818675 Tricia 0 to-read 3.90 2003 The Time Traveler's Wife
author: Audrey Niffenegger
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2003
rating: 0
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date added: 2009/08/24
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]]> The Diary of a Young Girl 48855
In 1942, with the Nazis occupying Holland, a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl and her family fled their home in Amsterdam and went into hiding. For the next two years, until their whereabouts were betrayed to the Gestapo, the Franks and another family lived cloistered in the “Secret Annexe� of an old office building. Cut off from the outside world, they faced hunger, boredom, the constant cruelties of living in confined quarters, and the ever-present threat of discovery and death. In her diary Anne Frank recorded vivid impressions of her experiences during this period. By turns thoughtful, moving, and surprisingly humorous, her account offers a fascinating commentary on human courage and frailty and a compelling self-portrait of a sensitive and spirited young woman whose promise was tragically cut short.
--back cover]]> 283 Anne Frank Tricia 0 to-read 4.19 1947 The Diary of a Young Girl
author: Anne Frank
name: Tricia
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1947
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[The da Vinci Code (Robert Langdon, #2)]]> 968 The da Vinci Code, The da Vinci Code, The da Vinci Code, and The da Vinci Code

While in Paris on business, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon receives an urgent late-night phone call: the elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum. Near the body, police have found a baffling cipher. While working to solve the enigmatic riddle, Langdon is stunned to discover it leads to a trail of clues hidden in the works of Da Vinci -- clues visible for all to see -- yet ingeniously disguised by the painter.

Langdon joins forces with a gifted French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, and learns the late curator was involved in the Priory of Sion -- an actual secret society whose members included Sir Isaac Newton, Botticelli, Victor Hugo, and Da Vinci, among others.

In a breathless race through Paris, London, and beyond, Langdon and Neveu match wits with a faceless powerbroker who seems to anticipate their every move. Unless Langdon and Neveu can decipher the labyrinthine puzzle in time, the Priory's ancient secret -- and an explosive historical truth -- will be lost forever.

The Da Vinci Code heralds the arrival of a new breed of lightning-paced, intelligent thriller utterly unpredictable right up to its stunning conclusion.]]> 489 Dan Brown Tricia 0 to-read 3.92 2003 The da Vinci Code (Robert Langdon, #2)
author: Dan Brown
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2003
rating: 0
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]]> Les Misérables 24280 1463 Victor Hugo 0451525264 Tricia 0 to-read 4.19 1862 Les Misérables
author: Victor Hugo
name: Tricia
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1862
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[Little Women (Little Women, #1)]]> 1934 This is an alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780451529305.

Generations of readers young and old, male and female, have fallen in love with the March sisters of Louisa May Alcott’s most popular and enduring novel, Little Women. Here are talented tomboy and author-to-be Jo, tragically frail Beth, beautiful Meg, and romantic, spoiled Amy, united in their devotion to each other and their struggles to survive in New England during the Civil War.

It is no secret that Alcott based Little Women on her own early life. While her father, the freethinking reformer and abolitionist Bronson Alcott, hobnobbed with such eminent male authors as Emerson, Thoreau, and Hawthorne, Louisa supported herself and her sisters with "woman’s work,� including sewing, doing laundry, and acting as a domestic servant. But she soon discovered she could make more money writing. Little Women brought her lasting fame and fortune, and far from being the "girl’s book� her publisher requested, it explores such timeless themes as love and death, war and peace, the conflict between personal ambition and family responsibilities, and the clash of cultures between Europe and America.

]]> 449 Louisa May Alcott Tricia 0 to-read 4.16 1868 Little Women (Little Women, #1)
author: Louisa May Alcott
name: Tricia
average rating: 4.16
book published: 1868
rating: 0
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date added: 2009/08/24
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]]> <![CDATA[Twilight (The Twilight Saga, #1)]]> 41865
First, Edward was a vampire.

Second, there was a part of him - and I didn't know how dominant that part might be - that thirsted for my blood.

And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.

Deeply seductive and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight is a love story with bite.]]> 498 Stephenie Meyer 0316015849 Tricia 5 3.66 2005 Twilight (The Twilight Saga, #1)
author: Stephenie Meyer
name: Tricia
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2005
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2009/08/24
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review:

]]>