Cynthia's bookshelf: all en-US Tue, 24 Sep 2024 02:55:05 -0700 60 Cynthia's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[99: Gretzky: His Game, His Story]]> 18005390 336 Al Strachan 0771083254 Cynthia 3
But I think it’s a testament to just how big of a name Wayne Gretzky is (especially among those in my age group) that I wanted to read this book anyway. Growing up in the 1980s, every boy I knew wanted to BE Gretzky. Living less than two hours outside Toronto, it’s sort of expected that you’re a Maple Leafs fan, but in the 1980s, everything was about the Edmonton Oilers.

Read the rest of my review here:

Merged review:

This was a strange book pick for me: as much as I’m afraid of having my Canadian passport revoked for admitting this, I’m not really a hockey fan. I’m pretty sure I couldn’t name a single player on the Leafs right now. I don’t even remember who won the Stanley Cup in 2013.

But I think it’s a testament to just how big of a name Wayne Gretzky is (especially among those in my age group) that I wanted to read this book anyway. Growing up in the 1980s, every boy I knew wanted to BE Gretzky. Living less than two hours outside Toronto, it’s sort of expected that you’re a Maple Leafs fan, but in the 1980s, everything was about the Edmonton Oilers.

Read the rest of my review here: ]]> 3.73 2013 99: Gretzky: His Game, His Story
author: Al Strachan
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2014/01/04
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves:
review:
This was a strange book pick for me: as much as I’m afraid of having my Canadian passport revoked for admitting this, I’m not really a hockey fan. I’m pretty sure I couldn’t name a single player on the Leafs right now. I don’t even remember who won the Stanley Cup in 2013.

But I think it’s a testament to just how big of a name Wayne Gretzky is (especially among those in my age group) that I wanted to read this book anyway. Growing up in the 1980s, every boy I knew wanted to BE Gretzky. Living less than two hours outside Toronto, it’s sort of expected that you’re a Maple Leafs fan, but in the 1980s, everything was about the Edmonton Oilers.

Read the rest of my review here:

Merged review:

This was a strange book pick for me: as much as I’m afraid of having my Canadian passport revoked for admitting this, I’m not really a hockey fan. I’m pretty sure I couldn’t name a single player on the Leafs right now. I don’t even remember who won the Stanley Cup in 2013.

But I think it’s a testament to just how big of a name Wayne Gretzky is (especially among those in my age group) that I wanted to read this book anyway. Growing up in the 1980s, every boy I knew wanted to BE Gretzky. Living less than two hours outside Toronto, it’s sort of expected that you’re a Maple Leafs fan, but in the 1980s, everything was about the Edmonton Oilers.

Read the rest of my review here:
]]> <![CDATA[Claudia and Mean Janine (The Baby-Sitters Club, #7)]]> 48866 160 Ann M. Martin 0590410415 Cynthia 2 books-read-with-charlotte 3.75 1987 Claudia and Mean Janine (The Baby-Sitters Club, #7)
author: Ann M. Martin
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.75
book published: 1987
rating: 2
read at: 2012/12/27
date added: 2023/11/30
shelves: books-read-with-charlotte
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The White Queen (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #2)]]> 5971165
Elizabeth Woodville, a woman of extraordinary beauty and ambition, secretly marries the newly crowned boy king. While she rises to the demands of her exalted position and fights for the success of her family, her two sons become the central figures in a famous unsolved mystery that has confounded historians for centuries: the lost princes in the Tower of London.

They ruled England before the Tudors, and now internationally bestselling author Philippa Gregory brings the Plantagenets to life through the dramatic and intimate stories of the secret players: the indomitable women.]]> 415 Philippa Gregory 1416563687 Cynthia 0 3.96 2009 The White Queen (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #2)
author: Philippa Gregory
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at: 2017/11/13
date added: 2017/11/13
shelves:
review:

]]> Thinking of You 114119 416 Jill Mansell 0755328116 Cynthia 4 3.82 2007 Thinking of You
author: Jill Mansell
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at: 2017/08/17
date added: 2017/10/23
shelves:
review:

]]> Don't Want to Miss a Thing 16925847
Comic-strip artist Molly Hayes lives in the beautiful Cotswold village of Briarwood. When it comes to relationships, she has a history of choosing all the wrong men. Leaving the city behind, Dex moves to Briarwood - a much better place to work on his parenting skills - and he and Molly become neighbours. There's an undeniable connection between them. But if Dexter's going to adapt, he first has a lot to learn about Molly, about other people's secrets...and about himself.]]> 352 Jill Mansell 0755355873 Cynthia 4 3.95 2013 Don't Want to Miss a Thing
author: Jill Mansell
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2017/04/11
date added: 2017/10/23
shelves:
review:

]]> You And Me, Always 25501939
Learning more about the first and only real love of her mum's life is a revelation. On the same day, Lily also meets Eddie Tessler, a man fleeing fame who just might have the ability to change her world in unimaginable ways. But her childhood friend Dan has his own reasons for not wanting Lily to get too carried away by Eddie's attentions.

Before long, secrets begin to emerge and Lily's friends and family become involved. In the beautiful Cotswold village of Stanton Langley, nothing will ever be the same again...]]> 368 Jill Mansell 1472208900 Cynthia 3 3.91 2001 You And Me, Always
author: Jill Mansell
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2001
rating: 3
read at: 2017/09/30
date added: 2017/10/23
shelves:
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]]> <![CDATA[The Unpredictable Consequences of Love]]> 18240500 352 Jill Mansell 0755355911 Cynthia 4 3.90 2014 The Unpredictable Consequences of Love
author: Jill Mansell
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2017/09/11
date added: 2017/10/23
shelves:
review:

]]> Maud 31706659
Life changes for Maud when she goes out West to live with her father and his new wife and daughter. Her new home offers her another chance at love, as well as attending school, but tensions increase as Maud discovers her stepmother’s plans for her, which threaten Maud’s future—and her happiness—forever.]]> 376 Melanie J. Fishbane 014319125X Cynthia 4 3.85 2017 Maud
author: Melanie J. Fishbane
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2017/09/28
date added: 2017/10/23
shelves:
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]]> To Kill a Mockingbird 2657 "Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."

A lawyer's advice to his children as he defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee's classic novel - a black man charged with the rape of a white girl. Through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with exuberant humour the irrationality of adult attitudes to race and class in the Deep South of the 1930s. The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice, violence and hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina of one man's struggle for justice. But the weight of history will only tolerate so much.

"To Kill A Mockingbird" became both an instant bestseller and a critical success when it was first published in 1960. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and was later made into an Academy Award-winning film.]]> 323 Harper Lee 0060935464 Cynthia 4 4.25 1960 To Kill a Mockingbird
author: Harper Lee
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.25
book published: 1960
rating: 4
read at: 2017/06/16
date added: 2017/10/23
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]]> Water for Elephants 43641
Beautifully written, Water for Elephants is illuminated by a wonderful sense of time and place. It tells a story of a love between two people that overcomes incredible odds in a world in which even love is a luxury that few can afford.]]> 368 Sara Gruen 1565125606 Cynthia 3 4.11 2006 Water for Elephants
author: Sara Gruen
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2006
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2017/10/23
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Fifty Years in Polygamy: Big Secrets and Little White Lies]]> 20687657 467 Kristyn Decker Cynthia 2
This is an example of a book that is extremely difficult to review. It feels like criticizing someone’s life, rather than their words. I felt the same way after reading Jaycee Dugard’s book. In that situation, I just didn’t review it, just posted on Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ that I’d read it. But that was before I was reviewing “professionally.â€�

Kristyn Decker started out life as Sophia Allred, daughter of...

Read my entire review here: ]]> 3.79 2012 Fifty Years in Polygamy: Big Secrets and Little White Lies
author: Kristyn Decker
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2012
rating: 2
read at: 2014/06/21
date added: 2016/12/25
shelves:
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I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is an example of a book that is extremely difficult to review. It feels like criticizing someone’s life, rather than their words. I felt the same way after reading Jaycee Dugard’s book. In that situation, I just didn’t review it, just posted on Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ that I’d read it. But that was before I was reviewing “professionally.â€�

Kristyn Decker started out life as Sophia Allred, daughter of...

Read my entire review here:
]]> <![CDATA[The Austere Academy (A Series of Unfortunate Events, #5)]]> 131123
If you are looking for a story about cheerful youngsters spending a jolly time at boarding school, look elsewhere. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are intelligent and resourceful children, and you might expect that they would do very well at school. Don't. For the Baudelaires, school turns out to be another miserable episode in their unlucky lives.

Truth be told, within the chapters that make up this dreadful story, the children will face snapping crabs, strict punishments, dripping fungus, comprehensive exams, violin recitals, S.O.R.E., and the metric system.

It is my solemn duty to stay up all night researching and writing the history of these three hapless youngsters, but you may be more comfortable getting a good night's sleep. In that case, you should probably choose some other book.

With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket]]> 221 Lemony Snicket 0064408639 Cynthia 0 books-read-with-andrew 4.01 2000 The Austere Academy (A Series of Unfortunate Events, #5)
author: Lemony Snicket
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2000
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2016/09/14
shelves: books-read-with-andrew
review:

]]> Roughing It in the Bush 162862
A thorough “Backgrounds� section includes images, a map, contemporary reviews of Roughing It , and letters written by Moodie to her husband during the winter of 1839, at which time he was serving a military appointment in the Victoria District and she and her children were facing life-threatening illnesses.

“Criticism� contains ten essays by leading Canadian scholars and authors, among them Margaret Atwood, Carl Ballstadt, D. M. R. Bentley, Susan Glickman, and Michael Peterman.

A Chronology of Susanna Moodie’s life and a Selected Bibliography are also included.]]> 640 Susanna Moodie 0393926672 Cynthia 0 to-read 3.38 1852 Roughing It in the Bush
author: Susanna Moodie
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.38
book published: 1852
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2016/09/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Secret Garden 2998
Mary Lennox, a spoiled, ill-tempered, and unhealthy child, comes to live with her reclusive uncle in Misselthwaite Manor on England’s Yorkshire moors after the death of her parents. There she meets a hearty housekeeper and her spirited brother, a dour gardener, a cheerful robin, and her wilful, hysterical, and sickly cousin, Master Colin, whose wails she hears echoing through the house at night.

With the help of the robin, Mary finds the door to a secret garden, neglected and hidden for years. When she decides to restore the garden in secret, the story becomes a charming journey into the places of the heart, where faith restores health, flowers refresh the spirit, and the magic of the garden, coming to life anew, brings health to Colin and happiness to Mary.]]> 331 Frances Hodgson Burnett 0517189607 Cynthia 4 4.16 1911 The Secret Garden
author: Frances Hodgson Burnett
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.16
book published: 1911
rating: 4
read at: 2016/09/14
date added: 2016/09/14
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography]]> 20170296 really happened?

Sick of deeply personal accounts written in the first person? Seeking an exciting, interactive read that puts the “u� back in “aUtobiography�? Then look no further than Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography! In this revolutionary, Joycean experiment in light celebrity narrative, actor/personality/carbon-based life-form Neil Patrick Harris lets you, the reader, live his life. You will be born in New Mexico. You will get your big break at an acting camp. You will get into a bizarre confrontation outside a nightclub with actor Scott Caan. Even better, at each critical juncture of your life, you will choose how to proceed. You will decide whether to try out for Doogie Howser, M.D. You will decide whether to spend years struggling with your sexuality. You will decide what kind of caviar you want to eat on board Elton John’s yacht.

Choose correctly and you’ll find fame, fortune, and true love. Choose incorrectly and you’ll find misery, heartbreak, and a hideous death by piranhas. All this, plus magic tricks, cocktail recipes, embarrassing pictures from your time as a child actor, and even a closing song. Yes, if you buy one book this year, congratulations on being above the American average, but make that book Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography!]]> 291 Neil Patrick Harris 0385346999 Cynthia 4 3.81 2014 Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography
author: Neil Patrick Harris
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2016/03/30
date added: 2016/04/02
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Miserable Mill (A Series of Unfortunate Events, #4)]]> 65119
I hope, for your sake, that you have not chosen to read this book because you are in the mood for a pleasant experience. If this is the case, I advise you to put this book down instantaneously, because of all the books describing the unhappy lives of the Baudelaire orphans, The Miserable Mill might be the unhappiest yet. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are sent to Paltryville to work in a lumber mill, and they find disaster and misfortune lurking behind every log.

The pages of this book, I'm sorry to inform you, contain such unpleasantries as a giant pincher machine, a bad casserole, a man with a cloud of smoke where his head should be, a hypnotist, a terrible accident resulting in injury, and coupons.

I have promised to write down the entire history of these three poor children, but you haven't, so if you prefer stories that are more heartwarming, please feel free to make another selection.

With all due respect,

Lemony Snicket]]> 194 Lemony Snicket 0439272637 Cynthia 3 books-read-with-andrew 3.87 2000 The Miserable Mill (A Series of Unfortunate Events, #4)
author: Lemony Snicket
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2000
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2016/03/29
shelves: books-read-with-andrew
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Wide Window (A Series of Unfortunate Events, #3)]]> 438492
If you have not read anything about the Baudelaire orphans, then before you read even one more sentence, you should know this: Violet, Klaus, and Sunny are kindhearted and quick-witted; but their lives, I am sorry to say, are filled with bad luck and misery. All of the stories about these three children are unhappy and wretched, and this one may be the worst of them all. If you haven't got the stomach for a story that includes a hurricane, a signalling device, hungry leeches, cold cucumber soup, a horrible villain, and a doll named Pretty Penny, then this book will probably fill you with despair. I will continue to record these tragic tales, for that is what I do. You, however, should decide for yourself whether you can possibly endure this miserable story.

With all due respect,

Lemony Snicket]]> 214 Lemony Snicket 0064407683 Cynthia 3 books-read-with-andrew 3.96 2000 The Wide Window (A Series of Unfortunate Events, #3)
author: Lemony Snicket
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2000
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2016/03/29
shelves: books-read-with-andrew
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Reptile Room (A Series of Unfortunate Events, #2)]]> 78418
If you have picked up this book with the hope of finding a simple and cheery tale, I'm afraid you have picked up the wrong book altogether. The story may seem cheery at first, when the Baudelaire children spend time in the company of some interesting reptiles and a giddy uncle, but don't be fooled. If you know anything at all about the unlucky Baudelaire children, you already know that even pleasant events lead down the same road to misery.

In fact, within the pages you now hold in your hands, the three siblings endure a car accident, a terrible odor, a deadly serpent, a long knife, a large brass reading lamp, and the appearance of a person they'd hoped never to see again.

I am bound to record these tragic events, but you are free to put this book back on the shelf and seek something lighter.

With all due respect,

Lemony Snicket]]> 192 Lemony Snicket Cynthia 3 books-read-with-andrew 4.02 1999 The Reptile Room (A Series of Unfortunate Events, #2)
author: Lemony Snicket
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.02
book published: 1999
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2016/03/29
shelves: books-read-with-andrew
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events, #1)]]> 78411
I'm sorry to say that the book you are holding in your hands is extremely unpleasant. It tells an unhappy tale about three very unlucky children. Even though they are charming and clever, the Baudelaire siblings lead lives filled with misery and woe. From the very first page of this book when the children are at the beach and receive terrible news, continuing on through the entire story, disaster lurks at their heels. One might say they are magnets for misfortune.

In this short book alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, and cold porridge for breakfast.

It is my sad duty to write down these unpleasant tales, but there is nothing stopping you from putting this book down at once and reading something happy, if you prefer that sort of thing.

With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket]]> 162 Lemony Snicket 0439206472 Cynthia 4 books-read-with-andrew 4.02 1999 The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events, #1)
author: Lemony Snicket
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.02
book published: 1999
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2016/03/29
shelves: books-read-with-andrew
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Anne of Ingleside (Anne of Green Gables, #6)]]> 77391 This is an alternate cover edition for ISBN 9780553213157

Anne is the mother of five, with never a dull moment in her lively home. And now, with a new baby on the way and insufferable Aunt Mary Maria visiting—and wearing out her welcome—Anne's life is full to bursting.

Still, Mrs. Doctor can't think of any place she'd rather be than her own beloved Ingleside. Until the day she begins to worry that her adored Gilbert doesn't love her anymore. How could that be? She may be a little older, but she's still the same irrepressible, irreplaceable redhead—the wonderful Anne of Green Gables, all grown up. She's ready to make her cherished husband fall in love with her all over again!]]> 274 L.M. Montgomery Cynthia 4 books-read-with-charlotte 4.04 1939 Anne of Ingleside (Anne of Green Gables, #6)
author: L.M. Montgomery
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.04
book published: 1939
rating: 4
read at: 2016/02/21
date added: 2016/03/29
shelves: books-read-with-charlotte
review:

]]> A Touch of Stardust 22318399 Gone with the Wind.ĚýĚýĚýĚý

Although tensions run high on the set, Julie finds she can step onto the back lot, take in the smell of smoky gunpowder and the soft rustle of hoop skirts, and feel the magical world of Gone with the WindĚýcome to life. Julie's access to real-life magic comes when Carole Lombard hires her as an assistant and invites her into the glamorous world Carole shares with Clark Gable—who is about to move into movie history as the dashing Rhett Butler.Ěý

Carole Lombard, happily profane and uninhibited, makes no secret of her relationship with Gable, which poses something of a problem for the studio as Gable is technically still married—and the last thing the film needs is more negative publicity. Julie is there to fend off the overly curious reporters, hoping to prevent details about the affair from slipping out. But she can barely keep up with her blonde employer, let alone control what comes out of Carole's mouth, and--as their friendship grows - soon finds she doesn't want to. Carole, both wise and funny, becomes Julie's model for breaking free of the past.
ĚýĚýĚýĚý

In the ever-widening scope of this story, Julie is given a front-row seat to not one but two of the greatest love affairs of all time: the undeniable on-screen chemistry between Scarlett and Rhett, and off screen, the deepening love between Carole and Clark. Yet beneath the shiny façade, things in Hollywood are never quite what they seem, and Julie must learn to balance career aspirations and her own budding romance with outsized personalities and the overheated drama on set.]]> 296 Kate Alcott 0385539045 Cynthia 4 3.62 2015 A Touch of Stardust
author: Kate Alcott
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2015/10/03
date added: 2016/03/29
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Anne's House of Dreams (Anne of Green Gables, #5)]]> 77394 This is an alternate cover edition for ISBN 9780553213188

Anne's own true love, Gilbert Blythe, is finally a doctor, and in the sunshine of the old orchard, among their dearest friends, they are about to speak their vows. Soon the happy couple will be bound for a new life together and their own dream house, on the misty purple shores of Four Winds Harbor.

A new life means fresh problems to solve, fresh surprises. Anne and Gilbert will make new friends and meet their neighbors: Captain Jim, the lighthouse attendant, with his sad stories of the sea; Miss Cornelia Bryant, the lady who speaks from the heart—and speaks her mind; and the tragically beautiful Leslie Moore, into whose dark life Anne shines a brilliant light.]]> 227 L.M. Montgomery Cynthia 4 books-read-with-charlotte 4.17 1917 Anne's House of Dreams (Anne of Green Gables, #5)
author: L.M. Montgomery
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.17
book published: 1917
rating: 4
read at: 2015/12/29
date added: 2016/01/14
shelves: books-read-with-charlotte
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Anne of Windy Poplars (Anne of Green Gables, #4)]]> 65840 they had wanted as principal of Summerside High School. But as she settles into the cozy tower room at Windy Poplars, Anne finds she has great allies in the widows Aunt Kate and Aunt Chatty--and in their irrepressible housekeeper, Rebecca Dew. As Anne learns Summerside's strangest secrets, winning the support of the prickly Pringles becomes only the first of her delicious triumphs.]]> 288 L.M. Montgomery 0808516965 Cynthia 4 books-read-with-charlotte 4.04 1936 Anne of Windy Poplars (Anne of Green Gables, #4)
author: L.M. Montgomery
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.04
book published: 1936
rating: 4
read at: 2015/11/30
date added: 2016/01/14
shelves: books-read-with-charlotte
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Anne of the Island (Anne of Green Gables, #3)]]> 65788 243 L.M. Montgomery 0770421083 Cynthia 4 books-read-with-charlotte 4.37 1915 Anne of the Island (Anne of Green Gables, #3)
author: L.M. Montgomery
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.37
book published: 1915
rating: 4
read at: 2015/10/17
date added: 2015/10/24
shelves: books-read-with-charlotte
review:

]]> The Book of Speculation 23014670
One June day, an old book arrives on Simon's doorstep, sent by an antiquarian bookseller who purchased it on speculation. Fragile and water damaged, the book is a log from the owner of a traveling carnival in the 1700s, who reports strange and magical things, including the drowning death of a circus mermaid. Since then, generations of "mermaids" in Simon's family have drowned--always on July 24, which is only weeks away.

As his friend Alice looks on with alarm, Simon becomes increasingly worried about his sister. Could there be a curse on Simon's family? What does it have to do with the book, and can he get to the heart of the mystery in time to save Enola?

In the tradition of Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants, Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus, and Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian, The Book of Speculation--with two-color illustrations by the author--is Erika Swyler's moving debut novel about the power of books, family, and magic.]]> 339 Erika Swyler 125005480X Cynthia 3
Read the rest of my review here: ]]> 3.59 2015 The Book of Speculation
author: Erika Swyler
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2015/08/24
date added: 2015/10/03
shelves:
review:
This is a book that really wants to BE something: it wants to be magical, it wants to be historical, it wants to be mysterious, it wants to be literary, but most of all, it wants to be important. And if it’s important, it won’t matter that...

Read the rest of my review here:
]]> Before I Fall 6482837 New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver emerged as one of today's foremost authors of young adult fiction. Like Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why and Gayle Forman's If I Stay, Before I Fall raises thought-provoking questions about love, death, and how one person's life can affect so many others.

For popular high school senior Samantha Kingston, February 12�"Cupid Day"—should be one big party, a day of valentines and roses and the privileges that come with being at the top of the social pyramid. And it is…until she dies in a terrible accident that night.

However, she still wakes up the next morning. In fact, Sam lives the last day of her life seven times, until she realizes that by making even the slightest changes, she may hold more power than she ever imagined.

Named to numerous state reading lists, this novel was also recognized as a Best Book of the Year by Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, The Daily Beast, NPR, and Publishers Weekly. It has been optioned for film by Fox 2000 Pictures.

Supports the Common Core State Standards.]]> 470 Lauren Oliver 0061726818 Cynthia 3 3.89 2010 Before I Fall
author: Lauren Oliver
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2010
rating: 3
read at: 2015/09/10
date added: 2015/10/03
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Anne of Avonlea (Tor Classics)]]> 25416084 Tor Classics are affordably-priced editions designed to attract the young reader. Original dynamic cover art enthusiastically represents the excitement of each story. All editions are complete and unabridged, and feature Introductions and Afterwords.

This edition of Anne of Avonlea includes a Foreword and Afterword by T.A. Barron

Avonlea is the prettiest little town on Prince Edward Island, which is the prettiest little island in all of Canada. Anne had come here as an orphan--a skinny redhead showing up on the steps of Green Gables with a shabby suitcase and a heart full of dreams.

Anne's dream of finding a home had come true. But now she is a young woman, with new dreams, She has a teaching job in the city, with a chance to become a published magazine writer.

And an even greater adventure awaits: Anne is about to begin her first romance--with a handsome Boston millionaire whose dreams are very different from hers....

Anne of Avonlea continues the story that began in Anne of Green gables. These beloved classics are among the most popular novels ever written; they have made their author, L.M. Montgomery, a legend in Canada and around the world.

At the publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied.

]]> 177 L.M. Montgomery Cynthia 4 books-read-with-charlotte 4.42 1909 Anne of Avonlea (Tor Classics)
author: L.M. Montgomery
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.42
book published: 1909
rating: 4
read at: 2015/08/31
date added: 2015/09/02
shelves: books-read-with-charlotte
review:

]]> The Future of Us 10959277
By refreshing their pages, they learn that making different decisions now will affect the outcome of their lives later. And as they grapple with the ups and downs of what their futures hold, they're forced to confront what they're doing right—and wrong—in the present.]]> 356 Jay Asher 1595144919 Cynthia 4 3.58 2011 The Future of Us
author: Jay Asher
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2015/08/27
date added: 2015/08/31
shelves:
review:

]]> Maggie's Turn 24833802 237 Deanna Lynn Sletten 1503944352 Cynthia 3
Some of the issues I had with the book were more about my own feelings of motherhood than anything. It was similar to when I first read Henrik Ibsen’s classic play A Doll’s House: I had a really hard time...

Read the rest of my review here: ]]> 3.55 2013 Maggie's Turn
author: Deanna Lynn Sletten
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.55
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2015/06/08
date added: 2015/08/31
shelves:
review:
Maggie’s Turn was a quick read that got me out of a pretty ridiculous reading slump. But I’m not exactly certain if I read quickly because it was a good read, or if I was just so unable to put aside my disbelief of certain aspects that I wanted to see if the author would be able to write her way out of them.

Some of the issues I had with the book were more about my own feelings of motherhood than anything. It was similar to when I first read Henrik Ibsen’s classic play A Doll’s House: I had a really hard time...

Read the rest of my review here:
]]> Angel Landing 333112 336 Alice Hoffman 0425166848 Cynthia 2 3.25 1980 Angel Landing
author: Alice Hoffman
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.25
book published: 1980
rating: 2
read at: 2015/05/02
date added: 2015/08/31
shelves:
review:

]]> Together Apart 20885322
Going through a break-up is hard enough but having to live together afterwards is even worse, especially when it's a break-up neither person wants. For Adam, there are only three ways to deal with it: sex, drugs and alcohol. For Sarah, its keeping her distance and closely guarding the lengths she's gone to in order to keep her secret safe for the past fifteen years. And she succeeds until Adam finds a box of her teenage diaries.

Against a backdrop of lies, secrecy, passion and teenage rebellion, the delicate threads holding Sarah's secret begin to unravel and when her first love is brutally murdered, her past and present collide in a way that makes it impossible to keep them apart.

Adam thought he knew everything about Sarah. He was wrong.

Romantic, intense and heart-breaking, Together Apart is a contemporary love story exploring what it really means to love and be loved.

"I was hooked from page one ..." HarperCollins Authonomy Editor

#1 read and Editor's Desk Winner on HarperCollins' Authonomy]]> 242 Natalie K. Martin Cynthia 3
And yet, even a few weeks later (I’m really behind on my reviewing lately) I’m still not certain why. Maybe because it was an easy read � there was no complex history, no new worlds, and no poetic language to plow through, or maybe because the story somehow managed to hook me, even if I wanted to strangle the characters at times.

As I was reading, I wanted to scream at...

Read the rest of my review here: ]]> 3.38 2014 Together Apart
author: Natalie K. Martin
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.38
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2015/08/01
date added: 2015/08/31
shelves:
review:
I raced through Together Apart in less than 24 hours. And considering that lately it’s taken me a month or more to finish most books, that has to be some kind of miracle. I ignored meals, dishes, Pet Rescue Saga� even my kids (just kidding� mostly�)

And yet, even a few weeks later (I’m really behind on my reviewing lately) I’m still not certain why. Maybe because it was an easy read � there was no complex history, no new worlds, and no poetic language to plow through, or maybe because the story somehow managed to hook me, even if I wanted to strangle the characters at times.

As I was reading, I wanted to scream at...

Read the rest of my review here:
]]> <![CDATA[A Virtuous Ruby (Migrations of the Heart, #1)]]> 25311325 An unexpected love in a small, Southern town.

Migrations of the Heart, Book 1

After fifteen months of hiding from the shame of bearing an illegitimate child, two words drive Ruby Bledsoe to face the good citizens of Winslow, Georgia. Never again. She vows to speak out against injustice. For her sisters. For her parents. For her infant son, Solomon.

When she comes to help an injured mill worker, she bristles when a tall, handsome man claiming to be a doctor brushes her aside. Despite his arrogance, Ruby senses he’s someone like her, whose light skin doesn’t quite hide who he is.

Up north, Dr. Adam Morson easily kept his mixed race a secret. Now that he’s in Georgia, summoned by his white father, he can feel restrictions closing in around him.

Something powerful draws him to the beauty whose activist spirit is as fiery as her name. And soon, Adam wants nothing more than to take Ruby and her child far from Georgia’s toxic prejudice. But Ruby must choose between seeking her own happiness and staying to fight for the soul of her hometown.

Contains a doctor learning there’s more to healing his patients than stitching a wound, and more to a woman than knowing her place—and it’s not in the shadows with her head down. Sorry, Buckeye fans, this hero’s a Wolverine—but we won’t hold that against him.]]> 256 Piper Huguley 161922741X Cynthia 4
Ruby belongs to the modern age, but unfortunately for her...

Read my full review here: ]]> 4.14 2015 A Virtuous Ruby (Migrations of the Heart, #1)
author: Piper Huguley
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2015/07/26
date added: 2015/08/01
shelves:
review:
A Virtuous Ruby reminded me a lot of Zora Neale Hurston’s novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God. Not in the storyline, as they really couldn’t be much more different, despite being during the approximately the same time period, and both being set in the south. It’s more the writing � that slow, languorous way of storytelling that’s almost deceptive because it lulls you into thinking that the characters and plotline are slow, and it doesn’t really hit you until later how much is really happening underneath the surface.

Ruby belongs to the modern age, but unfortunately for her...

Read my full review here:
]]> <![CDATA[Anne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables, #1)]]> 8127 Anne of Green Gables is also a wonderful portrait of a time, a place, a family� and, most of all, love.

WITH AN AFTERWORD BY JENNIFER LEE CARELL]]> 320 L.M. Montgomery 0451528824 Cynthia 5 books-read-with-charlotte 4.30 1908 Anne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables, #1)
author: L.M. Montgomery
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.30
book published: 1908
rating: 5
read at: 2015/07/20
date added: 2015/07/31
shelves: books-read-with-charlotte
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Lucy Maud Montgomery: The Gift of Wings]]> 2718744
From Montgomery’s apparently idyllic childhood in Prince Edward Island to her passion-filled adolescence and young adulthood, to her legal fights as world-famous author, to her shattering experiences with motherhood and as wife to a deeply troubled man, this fascinating, intimate narrative of her life will engage and delight.]]> 684 Mary Henley Rubio 0385659830 Cynthia 4 4.19 2008 Lucy Maud Montgomery: The Gift of Wings
author: Mary Henley Rubio
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at: 2015/07/20
date added: 2015/07/31
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Redrum The Innocent: The Murder of Christine Jessop and the Controversial Conviction of her Next-Door Neighbor Guy Paul Morin]]> 1107314 795 Kirk Makin 0670838918 Cynthia 0 to-read 4.00 1992 Redrum The Innocent: The Murder of Christine Jessop and the Controversial Conviction of her Next-Door Neighbor Guy Paul Morin
author: Kirk Makin
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1992
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/07/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Outlander (Outlander, #1) 10964
Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into the intrigues of lairds and spies that may threaten her life, and shatter her heart. For here James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, shows her a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire—and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.]]> 850 Diana Gabaldon 0440242940 Cynthia 0 didn-t-finish 4.25 1991 Outlander (Outlander, #1)
author: Diana Gabaldon
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.25
book published: 1991
rating: 0
read at: 2015/07/02
date added: 2015/07/02
shelves: didn-t-finish
review:

]]> After The Fall 24241177
Time away to heal? Check. Six months.

Distance from her celebrity ex Michael Day? Almost.

After ending the relationship that defined her, Tina is desperate to get her life back. But, a sexy bartender who happens to be ten years her junior might not be the best way to do that.

Shaking off the pain of the past, Tina decides the old rules no longer apply. For the first time in a very long time, Tina is free to do what she wants with whomever she wants. And Tina wants Josh.

Tina's first fling after her divorce has the potential to be something more, if only Josh wasn't a struggling musician.

She watched Michael's career soar beyond his wildest dreams, only to get swallowed up by the fame and fortune that came with it. In the end, Tina was left with a broken marriage, a broken heart, and a custody agreement.

Tina wants to focus on herself, to finally find a place in the world that doesn't come from marrying a celebrity. But if she ends this thing with Josh and focuses on a career, she might lose her one shot at happiness.

AFTER THE FALL is Abby Cavenaugh's second novel and a follow-up to her bestselling GOING HOME AGAIN.]]> Abby Cavenaugh Cynthia 0 to-read 3.78 2015 After The Fall
author: Abby Cavenaugh
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/05/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Down to the Bonny Glen (Little House: The Martha Years, #3)]]> 8218
Down To The Bonny Glen is the third book in The Martha Years, an ongoing series about another spirited girl from America's most beloved pioneer family.]]> 336 Melissa Wiley 0064407144 Cynthia 3 books-read-with-charlotte 4.17 2001 Down to the Bonny Glen (Little House: The Martha Years, #3)
author: Melissa Wiley
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2001
rating: 3
read at: 2015/05/22
date added: 2015/05/22
shelves: books-read-with-charlotte
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Far Side of the Loch (Little House: The Martha Years, #2)]]> 129552 256 Melissa Wiley 0064407136 Cynthia 3 books-read-with-charlotte 4.11 2006 The Far Side of the Loch (Little House: The Martha Years, #2)
author: Melissa Wiley
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2006
rating: 3
read at: 2015/04/17
date added: 2015/04/28
shelves: books-read-with-charlotte
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography]]> 22212838 Pioneer Girl follows the Ingalls family's journey through Kansas, Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, back to Minnesota, and on to Dakota Territory sixteen years of travels, unforgettable experiences, and the everyday people who became immortal through Wilder's fiction. Using additional manuscripts, letters, photographs, newspapers, and other sources, award-winning Wilder biographer Pamela Smith Hill adds valuable context and leads readers through Wilder's growth as a writer. Do you think you know Laura? Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography will re-introduce you to the woman who defined the pioneer experience for millions.]]> 400 Laura Ingalls Wilder 0984504176 Cynthia 5
I mean, I first read an actual biography of LIW back in my early teens � Donald Zochert’s book, Laura: The Life of Laura Ingalls Wilder (a fantastic book with a horrible cover). I’ve read articles, and books, and� I should probably stop now before I embarrass myself any further.

Suffice it to say, most of the information in Pioneer Girl wasn’t new to me. To a certain extent, it felt as if I were reading something I’d read many times before, because it’s been referenced so often in the biographies that I’ve read. Much of the information included in the annotations was also read previously.

Still, that doesn’t mean that this isn’t a worthwhile book to read. For more casual LIW fans, it will be interesting to read the differences between the fictional Ingalls and Wilder families, and the real life ones. For more avid fans, it’s fantastic to actually have a “real� copy of Pioneer Girl (copies have floated around on the internet for a while, or you could pay for photocopies from the Herbert Hoover Library in Iowa, where the originals are housed) and to have all of the photographs.

Because of the way the book is set up, I did find it hard slogging at first. The original Pioneer Girl manuscript was written longhand, with no chapter or section breaks. Pamela Smith Hill, this version’s editor, has divided the book into sections of time and/or place. But with the annotations alongside the text, rather than as endnotes to each section, I found myself feeling like I should read each annotation as they came up. And there are a LOT of annotations. I mean, a LOT. Like, more than the actual text (some of them were REALLY superfluous, but that’s just my opinion.) I was getting really frustrated, because it was impossible to get into any kind of flow. I was also starting to get really dejected, wondering if maybe my beloved Laura really wasn’t as good as I’ve always firmly believed.

Read the rest of my review here: ]]> 4.06 2014 Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography
author: Laura Ingalls Wilder
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2015/04/26
date added: 2015/04/26
shelves:
review:
You might call me a Laura Ingalls Wilder fangirl. You might even go so far as to call me a “Bonnethead� (look it up � this is actually a thing.) If I could have, I would have been at the first two “Laurapalooza� events held in Minnesota in 2012 and 2013. If I could, I’d go to the one being held this year.

I mean, I first read an actual biography of LIW back in my early teens � Donald Zochert’s book, Laura: The Life of Laura Ingalls Wilder (a fantastic book with a horrible cover). I’ve read articles, and books, and� I should probably stop now before I embarrass myself any further.

Suffice it to say, most of the information in Pioneer Girl wasn’t new to me. To a certain extent, it felt as if I were reading something I’d read many times before, because it’s been referenced so often in the biographies that I’ve read. Much of the information included in the annotations was also read previously.

Still, that doesn’t mean that this isn’t a worthwhile book to read. For more casual LIW fans, it will be interesting to read the differences between the fictional Ingalls and Wilder families, and the real life ones. For more avid fans, it’s fantastic to actually have a “real� copy of Pioneer Girl (copies have floated around on the internet for a while, or you could pay for photocopies from the Herbert Hoover Library in Iowa, where the originals are housed) and to have all of the photographs.

Because of the way the book is set up, I did find it hard slogging at first. The original Pioneer Girl manuscript was written longhand, with no chapter or section breaks. Pamela Smith Hill, this version’s editor, has divided the book into sections of time and/or place. But with the annotations alongside the text, rather than as endnotes to each section, I found myself feeling like I should read each annotation as they came up. And there are a LOT of annotations. I mean, a LOT. Like, more than the actual text (some of them were REALLY superfluous, but that’s just my opinion.) I was getting really frustrated, because it was impossible to get into any kind of flow. I was also starting to get really dejected, wondering if maybe my beloved Laura really wasn’t as good as I’ve always firmly believed.

Read the rest of my review here:
]]> <![CDATA[Little House in the Highlands (Little House: The Martha Years, #1)]]> 129553 271 Melissa Wiley 0064407128 Cynthia 3 books-read-with-charlotte 4.03 1999 Little House in the Highlands (Little House: The Martha Years, #1)
author: Melissa Wiley
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.03
book published: 1999
rating: 3
read at: 2015/03/31
date added: 2015/04/10
shelves: books-read-with-charlotte
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Dark Aemilia: A Novel of Shakespeare's Dark Lady]]> 18465503 448 Sally O'Reilly 1250048133 Cynthia 3 3.24 2014 Dark Aemilia: A Novel of Shakespeare's Dark Lady
author: Sally O'Reilly
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.24
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2015/03/18
date added: 2015/03/21
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Road from Roxbury (Little House: The Charlotte Years, #3)]]> 158656 256 Melissa Wiley 006440739X Cynthia 3 books-read-with-charlotte 4.10 2002 The Road from Roxbury (Little House: The Charlotte Years, #3)
author: Melissa Wiley
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2002
rating: 3
read at: 2015/02/28
date added: 2015/03/21
shelves: books-read-with-charlotte
review:

]]> <![CDATA[On Tide Mill Lane (Little House: The Charlotte Years, #2)]]> 132992 272 Melissa Wiley 0064407381 Cynthia 3 books-read-with-charlotte 4.11 2001 On Tide Mill Lane (Little House: The Charlotte Years, #2)
author: Melissa Wiley
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2001
rating: 3
read at: 2015/01/10
date added: 2015/02/03
shelves: books-read-with-charlotte
review:

]]> Maybe in Another Life 23492661
From the acclaimed author of Forever, Interrupted and After I Do comes a breathtaking new novel about a young woman whose fate hinges on the choice she makes after bumping into an old flame; in alternating chapters, we see two possible scenarios unfold—with stunningly different results.

At the age of twenty-nine, Hannah Martin still has no idea what she wants to do with her life. She has lived in six different cities and held countless meaningless jobs since graduating college. On the heels of leaving yet another city, Hannah moves back to her hometown of Los Angeles and takes up residence in her best friend Gabby’s guestroom. Shortly after getting back to town, Hannah goes out to a bar one night with Gabby and meets up with her high school boyfriend, Ethan.

Just after midnight, Gabby asks Hannah if she’s ready to go. A moment later, Ethan offers to give her a ride later if she wants to stay. Hannah hesitates. What happens if she leaves with Gabby? What happens if she leaves with Ethan?

In concurrent storylines, Hannah lives out the effects of each decision. Quickly, these parallel universes develop into radically different stories with large-scale consequences for Hannah, as well as the people around her. As the two alternate realities run their course, Maybe in Another Life raises questions about fate and true love: Is anything meant to be? How much in our life is determined by chance? And perhaps, most compellingly: Is there such a thing as a soul mate?

Hannah believes there is. And, in both worlds, she believes she’s found him.]]> 342 Taylor Jenkins Reid Cynthia 0 to-read 3.77 2015 Maybe in Another Life
author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/01/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Little House by Boston Bay (Little House: The Charlotte Years, #1)]]> 153135 160 Melissa Wiley 0061148288 Cynthia 3 books-read-with-charlotte 3.99 1999 Little House by Boston Bay (Little House: The Charlotte Years, #1)
author: Melissa Wiley
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.99
book published: 1999
rating: 3
read at: 2014/12/23
date added: 2015/01/08
shelves: books-read-with-charlotte
review:

]]> What Lies Behind 15813915 Cynthia Hill Cynthia 0 4.00 2012 What Lies Behind
author: Cynthia Hill
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/01/03
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Tudor Conspiracy (The Spymaster Chronicles, #2)]]> 16044966 Accompanied by his young squire Peregrine, he reluctantly leaves his sweetheart Kate behind - but in the city he discovers that no one is quite what they seem. What fate does Queen Mary intend for her sister? Is Robert Dudley somehow manipulating the princess, even though he is locked in the Tower? And should Brendan trust the alluring Sybilla, Mary's lady-in-waiting, who professes to be on his side?

As he tries to unravel the mysteries of the Tudor court Brendan's life will be put in danger many times, and along the way he learns more about his own past.]]> 352 C.W. Gortner 0312658494 Cynthia 0 to-read 3.81 2013 The Tudor Conspiracy (The Spymaster Chronicles, #2)
author: C.W. Gortner
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at: 2014/11/24
date added: 2014/11/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Tudor Vendetta (The Spymaster Chronicles, #3)]]> 20575433
London, 1558. Queen Mary is dead, and 25-year old Elizabeth ascends the throne. Summoned to court from exile abroad, Elizabeth’s intimate spy, Brendan Prescott, is reunited with the young queen, as well as his beloved Kate, scheming William Cecil, and arch-rival, Robert Dudley. A poison attempt on Elizabeth soon overshadows her coronation, but before Brendan can investigate, Elizabeth summons him in private to dispatch him on a far more confidential mission: to find her favored lady in waiting, Lady Parry, who has disappeared during a visit to her family manor in Yorkshire.

Upon his arrival at the desolate sea-side manor where Lady Parry was last seen, he encounters a strange, impoverished family beset by grief, as well as mounting evidence that they hide a secret from him. The mystery surrounding Lady Parry deepens as Brendan begins to realize there is far more going on at the manor than meets the eye, but the closer he gets to the heart of the mystery in Vaughn Hall, the more he learns that in his zeal to uncover the truth, he could be precipitating Elizabeth’s destruction.

From the intrigue-laden passages of Whitehall to a foreboding Catholic manor and the deadly underworld of London, Brendan must race against time to unravel a vendetta that will strike at the very core of his world—a vendetta that could expose a buried past and betray everything he has fought for, including his loyalty to his queen.]]> 293 C.W. Gortner 0312658583 Cynthia 0 3.85 2014 The Tudor Vendetta (The Spymaster Chronicles, #3)
author: C.W. Gortner
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at: 2014/11/24
date added: 2014/11/26
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Little House of Their Own (Little House: The Caroline Years, #7)]]> 543358 336 Celia Wilkins 0064407365 Cynthia 3 books-read-with-charlotte 4.17 2005 A Little House of Their Own (Little House: The Caroline Years, #7)
author: Celia Wilkins
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2005
rating: 3
read at: 2014/11/26
date added: 2014/11/26
shelves: books-read-with-charlotte
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Little City by the Lake (Little House: The Caroline Years, #6)]]> 376927
Little City by the Lake is the sixth book in The Caroline Years, an ongoing series about another girl from America's favorite pioneer family.]]> 320 Celia Wilkins 0064407357 Cynthia 3 books-read-with-charlotte 4.11 2003 Little City by the Lake (Little House: The Caroline Years, #6)
author: Celia Wilkins
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2003
rating: 3
read at: 2014/10/07
date added: 2014/11/26
shelves: books-read-with-charlotte
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Daughters of the Dragon: A Comfort Woman's Story]]> 20925858
In 1943, the Japanese tear young Jae-hee and her sister from their peaceful family farm to be comfort women for the Imperial Army. Before they leave home, their mother gives them a magnificent antique comb with an ivory inlay of a two-headed dragon, saying it will protect them. The sisters suffer terribly at the hands of the Japanese, and by the end of the war, Jae-hee must flee while her sister lies dying. Jae-hee keeps her time as a comfort woman a secret while she struggles to rebuild her life. She meets a man in North Korea who shows her what true love is. But the communists take him away in the middle of the night, and she escapes to the South. There, she finally finds success as the country rebuilds after the Korean War. However when her terrible secret is revealed, she’s thrown into poverty. In the depths of despair, she’s tempted to sell the comb with the two-headed dragon that she believes has no magic for her. Then one day she discovers its true meaning and her surprising heredity. And now she must find the only person who can carry on the legacy of the two-headed dragon� someone she abandoned years ago.

Set within the tumultuous backdrop of 20th century Korea, Daughters of the Dragon by Mayhaven Award-winning author William Andrews will make you cry and cheer for Jae-hee. And in the end, you’ll have a better understanding of the Land of the Morning Calm.

Daughters of the Dragon is inspired by The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, Memiors of a Geisha by Arthur Golden, the books of Amy Tan and Lisa See.]]> 348 William Andrews 0991395840 Cynthia 4
Ja-hee’s story is compelling, but there were a lot of factors that diminished my ability to stay engaged in the book:

* The secondary story of Ja-hee’s granddaughter, who had been adopted by an American couple, and is listening to Ja-hee’s story, didn’t...

Read the rest of my review here:
]]> 4.28 2008 Daughters of the Dragon: A Comfort Woman's Story
author: William Andrews
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at: 2014/10/07
date added: 2014/10/24
shelves:
review:
I was immediately intrigued when I read the synopsis of this book. I had never heard of “comfort women�, nor the horrible torture inflicted upon them by the Japanese army during WWII. In fact, I knew nothing of the Japanese occupation of Korea at all.

Ja-hee’s story is compelling, but there were a lot of factors that diminished my ability to stay engaged in the book:

* The secondary story of Ja-hee’s granddaughter, who had been adopted by an American couple, and is listening to Ja-hee’s story, didn’t...

Read the rest of my review here:

]]> The Never Never Sisters 18693818 An absorbing, highly entertaining novel about family secrets, The Never Never Sisters introduces you to the strong-willed and big-hearted Reinhardt women, as they reunite one summer in New York. Gifted storyteller L. Alison Heller has written another witty and moving page-turner that will captivate readers and keep them guessing right up until the satisfying end.

Sometimes you just need to get away�.
Ěý
Marriage counselor Paige Reinhardt is counting down the days to summer, eager to reconnect with her workaholic husband at their cozy rental cottage in the Hamptons. But soon a mysterious crisis at Dave’s work ruins their getaway plans. Paige is still figuring out how to handle the unexplained chill in her marriage when her troubled sister suddenly returns after a two-decade silence. Now, instead of enjoying the lazy summer days along the ocean, Paige is navigating the rocky waters of a forgotten bond with her sister in the sweltering city heat.
Ěý
As she attempts to dig deeper into Dave’s work troubles and some long-held family secrets, Paige is shocked to discover how little she knows about the people closest to her. This summer, the self-proclaimed relationship expert will grapple with her biggest challenge yet: Is it worth risking your most precious relationships in order to find yourself?]]> 323 L. Alison Heller 0451416244 Cynthia 3
In the end, I guess I just felt...

Read the whole review at ]]> 3.29 2014 The Never Never Sisters
author: L. Alison Heller
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.29
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2014/08/31
date added: 2014/09/15
shelves:
review:
I feel like I should have liked this book more than I did. I feel like I should have liked the characters more than I did. The concept was interesting, and did keep me wondering. Why did Paige’s sister Sloane return after so long? What secret was Paige’s husband, Dave, keeping?

In the end, I guess I just felt...

Read the whole review at
]]> <![CDATA[Across the Rolling River (Little House: The Caroline Years, #5)]]> 183738 254 Celia Wilkins 0064407349 Cynthia 3 books-read-with-charlotte 4.10 2001 Across the Rolling River (Little House: The Caroline Years, #5)
author: Celia Wilkins
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2001
rating: 3
read at: 2014/08/14
date added: 2014/08/21
shelves: books-read-with-charlotte
review:

]]> Invisible Darkness 790924 532 Stephen Williams 055356854X Cynthia 0 3.91 1996 Invisible Darkness
author: Stephen Williams
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.91
book published: 1996
rating: 0
read at: 2014/08/20
date added: 2014/08/21
shelves:
review:

]]> The Quick 18050175 An astonishing debut, a novel of epic scope and suspense that conjures up all the magic and menace of Victorian London
Ěý
London, 1892: James Norbury, a shy would-be poet newly down from Oxford, finds lodging with a charming young aristocrat. Through this new friendship, he is introduced to the drawing-rooms of high society, and finds love in an unexpected quarter. Then, suddenly, he vanishes without a trace. Unnerved, his sister, Charlotte, sets out from their crumbling country estate determined to find him. In the sinister, labyrinthine city that greets her, she uncovers a secret world at the margins populated by unforgettable characters: a female rope walker turned vigilante, a street urchin with a deadly secret, and the chilling “Doctor Knife.� But the answer to her brother’s disappearance ultimately lies within the doors of one of the country’s preeminent and mysterious institutions: The Aegolius Club, whose members include the most ambitious, and most dangerous, men in England.
Ěý
In her first novel, Lauren Owen has created a fantastical world that is both beguiling and terrifying. The Quick will establish her as one of fiction’s most dazzling talents.]]> 523 Lauren Owen 0812993276 Cynthia 2
When my book, Idol Hands first came out, the description was purposefully somewhat vague. While I enjoyed the shock of people’s reactions to the book, I finally decided that it wasn’t fair to leave people thinking they were about to read a fluffy little boy band love story when in reality, that wasn’t what it was at all, and so I changed the descriptor. The point of all of this is to say that while I understand the idea of trying to have a big “twist� to the story, a descriptor that makes you think it’s strictly historical fiction, and then becomes something else isn’t exactly fair to readers.

But, that being said, I’d like to try and review the book on its own merits.

I was drawn in right away by the story of James and Charlotte as children. I’m a sucker for a “Victorian-era child virtually abandoned by their parent/guardian to be raised by servants in a mysterious old house� story. And so...

Read the rest of my review here:
]]> 3.24 2014 The Quick
author: Lauren Owen
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.24
book published: 2014
rating: 2
read at: 2014/08/07
date added: 2014/08/07
shelves:
review:
I have to admit: had I known what this book was really about, I would never have picked it up. Because of that, I’m torn on the whole thing, for a variety of reasons.

When my book, Idol Hands first came out, the description was purposefully somewhat vague. While I enjoyed the shock of people’s reactions to the book, I finally decided that it wasn’t fair to leave people thinking they were about to read a fluffy little boy band love story when in reality, that wasn’t what it was at all, and so I changed the descriptor. The point of all of this is to say that while I understand the idea of trying to have a big “twist� to the story, a descriptor that makes you think it’s strictly historical fiction, and then becomes something else isn’t exactly fair to readers.

But, that being said, I’d like to try and review the book on its own merits.

I was drawn in right away by the story of James and Charlotte as children. I’m a sucker for a “Victorian-era child virtually abandoned by their parent/guardian to be raised by servants in a mysterious old house� story. And so...

Read the rest of my review here:

]]> <![CDATA[Little Town at the Crossroads (Little House: The Caroline Years, #2)]]> 321771 368 Maria D. Wilkes 0064406512 Cynthia 3 books-read-with-charlotte 4.08 1997 Little Town at the Crossroads (Little House: The Caroline Years, #2)
author: Maria D. Wilkes
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.08
book published: 1997
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2014/08/03
shelves: books-read-with-charlotte
review:

]]> <![CDATA[On Top of Concord Hill (Little House: The Caroline Years, #4)]]> 592243
The first three books in the series describe the Quiners' first years without Father and the family's move to a new home deep in the big woods of Concord, Wisconsin. Caroline is nine years old, and she feels settled in her new little house. She's beginning to explore Concord, and is looking forward to going to school, when disaster strikes. It's a cholera epidemic, and it's sweeping the state. It's up to Caroline to help keep her family together and pull them through this terrible time.

On Top Of Concord Hill is the fourth book in The Caroline Years, an ongoing series about the adventures of another girl from America's favorite pioneer family.

Author Biography: Maria D. Wilkes first read the Little House books as a young girl and has been fascinated by pioneer history ever since. She did extensive research on the Quiner, Ingalls, and Wilder families, studied original sources and family letters and diaries, and worked in close consultation with several historians and the Laura Ingalls Wilder estate as she wrote the Caroline Years books. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, Peter, and her daughters, Grace and Natalie.]]> 288 Maria D. Wilkes 006440689X Cynthia 3 books-read-with-charlotte 4.05 2000 On Top of Concord Hill (Little House: The Caroline Years, #4)
author: Maria D. Wilkes
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2000
rating: 3
read at: 2014/07/14
date added: 2014/08/03
shelves: books-read-with-charlotte
review:

]]> The Here and Now 18242896 An unforgettable epic romantic thriller about a girl from the future who might be able to save the world . . . if she lets go of the one thing she’s found to hold on to.

Follow the rules. Remember what happened. Never fall in love.

This is the story of seventeen-year-old Prenna James, who immigrated to New York when she was twelve. Except Prenna didn’t come from a different country. She came from a different time—a future where a mosquito-borne illness has mutated into a pandemic, killing millions and leaving the world in ruins.

Prenna and the others who escaped to the present day must follow a strict set of rules: never reveal where they’re from, never interfere with history, and never, ever be intimate with anyone outside their community. Prenna does as she’s told, believing she can help prevent the plague that will one day ravage the earth.

But everything changes when Prenna falls for Ethan Jarves.

From Ann Brashares, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, The Here and Now is thrilling, exhilarating, haunting, and heartbreaking—and a must-read novel of the year.]]> 256 Ann Brashares 0385736800 Cynthia 4
The relationship between Prenna and her mother, Prenna and her “community� of time travellers, and Prenna and Ethan, are...

Read the rest of my review here: ]]> 3.28 2014 The Here and Now
author: Ann Brashares
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.28
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2014/07/03
date added: 2014/07/15
shelves:
review:
I’ve never read anything by Ann Brashares before, although I saw the first Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants movie. My understanding is that this is quite a departure for her, but I think ultimately it was a successful one. I’m not generally fond of science fiction, but this book is light on the science and more about the relationships. As a reader, I didn’t care how Prenna and her family came back from the future (something about a worm hole?), I just accepted that they had, and so I was glad Brashares didn’t dwell on this, giving long scientific explanations that I would have skimmed over anyway.

The relationship between Prenna and her mother, Prenna and her “community� of time travellers, and Prenna and Ethan, are...

Read the rest of my review here:
]]> <![CDATA[Little Clearing in the Woods (Little House: The Caroline Years, #3)]]> 828990 321 Maria D. Wilkes 0064406520 Cynthia 3 books-read-with-charlotte 4.13 1998 Little Clearing in the Woods (Little House: The Caroline Years, #3)
author: Maria D. Wilkes
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.13
book published: 1998
rating: 3
read at: 2014/06/01
date added: 2014/07/10
shelves: books-read-with-charlotte
review:

]]> The Confabulist 18339598 From the beloved, award-winning, bestselling author of The Cellist of Sarajevo, a beautiful, suspense-filled novel that uses the life and sudden death of Harry Houdini to weave a magical tale of intrigue, love and illusion.

The Confabulist weaves together the life, loves and murder of the world's greatest magician, Harry Houdini, with the story of the man who killed him (twice): Martin Strauss, an everyday man whose fate was tied to the magician's in unforeseen ways. A cast of memorable characters spins around Houdini's celebrity-driven life, as they did in his time: from the Romanov family soon to be assassinated, to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the powerful heads of Scotland Yard, and the Spiritualists who would use whoever they could to establish their religion. A brilliant novel about fame and ambition, reality and illusion, and the ways that love, grief and imagination can alter what we perceive and believe.]]> 304 Steven Galloway 0307400859 Cynthia 0 to-read 3.35 2014 The Confabulist
author: Steven Galloway
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.35
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2014/06/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Jennifer's Way: My Journey with Celiac Disease--What Doctors Don't Tell You and How You Can Learn to Live Again]]> 18210766
Now Jennifer shares her riveting personal journey—from her earliest memories of her childhood in Brooklyn to her years as a young actress, all the while suffering from unexplained, devastating ailments. Jennifer's struggle to finally receive an accurate diagnosis is one that anyone who has a chronic disease will share. But this is more than a story of suffering. It is the story of one woman's valiant journey to take charge of her health and rebuild her life.Ěý

Not only will you learn from Jennifer's personal story, the book also guides you through early diagnosis, sharing the steps that helped Jennifer heal. Plus, you'll find recipes she uses at home, along with recipes for some of the delicious treats she offers at her own gluten-free bakery, Jennifer's Way, in New York.

For anyone struggling with a chronic illness, Jennifer's Way is proof that you can find an answer to what is wrong with you, that you shouldn't stop until you find it, and that you can learn how to truly live again.
]]> 288 Jennifer Esposito 0738217107 Cynthia 4
It made reading this book even more painful to realize that she had been going through this for YEARS, getting sicker and sicker, and yet being told it was all in her head, and plied with even more drugs for depression and anxiety. (By the way, did you know that depression and anxiety can be symptoms of Celiac? I sure didn’t.)

And to know that finally receiving a diagnosis wasn’t the magic bullet I thought it would be? That she thought it would be?

To read my full review, go to:

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.]]> 4.14 2014 Jennifer's Way: My Journey with Celiac Disease--What Doctors Don't Tell You and How You Can Learn to Live Again
author: Jennifer Esposito
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2014/06/07
date added: 2014/06/08
shelves:
review:
I don’t have Celiac disease, but I know the look that Jennifer Esposito describes: that look you get from friends, from family, or from medical professionals when you describe symptoms that can’t be seen to the naked eye, or when you describe symptoms that seem to make no sense together. When you see that look on another person’s face, you can practically hear the word, “hypochrondriac� going through their mind.

It made reading this book even more painful to realize that she had been going through this for YEARS, getting sicker and sicker, and yet being told it was all in her head, and plied with even more drugs for depression and anxiety. (By the way, did you know that depression and anxiety can be symptoms of Celiac? I sure didn’t.)

And to know that finally receiving a diagnosis wasn’t the magic bullet I thought it would be? That she thought it would be?

To read my full review, go to:

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
]]> <![CDATA[House of Outrageous Fortune: Fifteen Central Park West, the World's Most Powerful Address]]> 18144084 “Michael Gross’s new book…packs [in] almost as many stories as there are apartments in the building. The Jackie Collins of real estate likes to map expressions of power, money and ego� Even more crammed with billionaires and their exploits than 740 Park� (Penelope Green, The New York Times).

With two concierge-staffed lobbies, a walnut-lined library, a lavish screening room, a private sixty-seat restaurant offering residents room service, a health club complete with a seventy-foot swimming pool, penthouses that cost almost $100 million, and a tenant roster that’s a roll call of business page heroes and villains, Fifteen Central Park West is the most outrageously successful, insanely expensive, titanically tycoon-stuffed real estate development of the twenty-first century.

In this “stunning� (CNN) and “deliciously detailed� (Booklist, starred review) New York Times bestseller, journalist Michael Gross turns his gimlet eye on the new-money wonderland that’s sprung up on the southwest rim of Central Park. Mixing an absorbing business epic with hilarious social comedy, Gross “takes another gossip-laden bite out of the upper crust� (Sam Roberts, The New York Times), which includes Denzel Washington, Sting, Norman Lear, top executives, and Russian and Chinese oligarchs, to name a few. And he recounts the legendary building’s inspired genesis, costly construction, and the flashy international lifestyle it has brought to a once benighted and socially déclassé Manhattan neighborhood.

More than just an apartment building, 15CPW represents a massive paradigm shift in the lifestyle of New York’s rich and famous—and is a bellwether of the city’s changing social and financial landscape.]]> 416 Michael Gross 1451666195 Cynthia 0 didn-t-finish
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.]]> 3.15 2014 House of Outrageous Fortune: Fifteen Central Park West, the World's Most Powerful Address
author: Michael Gross
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.15
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at: 2014/05/31
date added: 2014/05/31
shelves: didn-t-finish
review:
I love architecture, I love gossip, I love New York, and I love non-fiction. That should have made this a slam dunk for me, but I just couldn't get it into it. It joins the elite ranks of books that I just couldn't bring myself to finish. Maybe I'll try again someday.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
]]> Simple Man 18714023
When a tattooed musician becomes the guardian of a surprise baby, his life and heart are forever changed. Shane Martin has traded in late nights and fast women for midnight feedings and lullabies. All is well until Kate McAlester, a prissy, stuck-up social worker, is assigned to him.

Kate only sees a clueless, single dad unfit to be a parent, but Shane is determined to prove her wrong. The more he tries to impress the nosey social worker, the more volatile the situation gets and sparks fly.

Shane can’t decide whether to take Kate to bed or put her over his knee. But when life takes an unexpected hit, and his world gets turned upside down, Kate proves to be more of an ally than he realized.

This is not the life he wanted, but now it’s too late to go back. Shane must prove himself worthy to everyone who doubted him. He must prove he’s much more than a simple man.]]> 244 Lydia Michaels Cynthia 0 4.05 2013 Simple Man
author: Lydia Michaels
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at: 2014/05/31
date added: 2014/05/31
shelves:
review:

]]> Community Service 18809790
Her new lab partner, Sawyer Reed, is still the overconfident and sexy jock that made fun of her in high school. The only thing that has changed is that he now uses a wheelchair, the result of a skiing accident.

Jude Marino is a hot actor, who all the girls want and would do anything to get. He works at a local theater where Maggie has been assigned to complete community services hours after rear-ending a police car.

Both Sawyer and Jude want Maggie but only one of them will be able to capture her heart.

This new adult romance contains mature language and content indented for adult readers (18+).]]> 232 Dakota Madison Cynthia 0 3.69 2013 Community Service
author: Dakota Madison
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at: 2014/05/24
date added: 2014/05/29
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Change of Plans (Safe Harbors #1)]]> 18681391
However, fear is an emotion, too. Unaware of the sensitive waters he navigates, Braedon moves to take their relationship beyond friendship--on the very anniversary Lyn came on the cruise to forget. But Lyn's painful memories are too powerful, and she runs off in a panic.

Things are bad enough when the pair finds themselves on one of the cruise’s snorkeling excursions in American Samoa. However, paradise turns to piracy when their party is kidnapped. Lyn’s fear of a fairytale turns grim. Now she must fight alongside the man she rejected, first for their freedom and then against storms, sharks, and shipwreck.]]> 328 Donna K. Weaver 0989992802 Cynthia 0 4.38 2013 A Change of Plans (Safe Harbors #1)
author: Donna K. Weaver
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at: 2014/05/19
date added: 2014/05/29
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Confessions of Marie Antoinette (Marie Antoinette, #3)]]> 17262132
Versailles, 1789. As the burgeoning rebellion reaches the palace gates, Marie Antoinette finds her privileged and peaceful life swiftly upended by violence. Once her loyal subjects, the people of France now seek to overthrow the crown, placing the heirs of the Bourbon dynasty in mortal peril.

Displaced to the Tuileries Palace in Paris, the royal family is propelled into the heart of the Revolution. There, despite a few staunch allies, they are surrounded by cunning spies and vicious enemies. Yet despite the political and personal threats against her, Marie Antoinette remains above all a devoted wife and mother, standing steadfastly by her husband, Louis XVI, and protecting their young son and daughter. And though the queen and her family try to flee, and she secretly attempts to arrange their rescue from the clutches of the Revolution, they cannot outrun the dangers encircling them, or escape their shocking fate.]]> 445 Juliet Grey 0345523903 Cynthia 5
Of course, this is a very difficult read. Unless you have no clue of the history of the French Revolution, you know the ending before you even start the book; yet I kept hoping that somehow, something would happen to change the outcome. I think...

Read my whole review here: ]]> 3.99 2013 Confessions of Marie Antoinette (Marie Antoinette, #3)
author: Juliet Grey
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at: 2013/09/30
date added: 2014/05/20
shelves:
review:
This is the last part of a trilogy about the life of Marie Antoinette: Queen of France, daughter of the Emperor of Austria, wife, mother, sister, lover, and, in the end, a reviled symbol of a hated monarchy. I read the first two books of the series and loved them, so I’ve been impatiently waiting for this final chapter.

Of course, this is a very difficult read. Unless you have no clue of the history of the French Revolution, you know the ending before you even start the book; yet I kept hoping that somehow, something would happen to change the outcome. I think...

Read my whole review here:
]]> I Am What I Am 6646949 I Am What I Am is filled with juicy titbits from behind the scenes of Doctor Who and Torchwood, alongside heartwarming family anecdotes and personal revelations, including John’s perspective on fame and how it has affected him. Intimately exploring aspects of John’s current life, this memoir gives fans the opportunity to get up close and personal with exclusive anecdotes from recent and ongoing projects, all told with John’s trademark charm and humor—an unmissable treat for any fan.]]> 256 John Barrowman 1843173794 Cynthia 0 to-read 4.21 2009 I Am What I Am
author: John Barrowman
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2014/05/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Life's That Way 6309782 In August 2003, Jim and his wife, Cecily, received what they thought was the worst news possible - their daughter, Maddie, was autistic. Then, six weeks later, the roof fell in - Cecily was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer.
Jim immediately began writing a nightly e-mail as a way to keep 125 family and friends up-to-date about Cecily's condition. Soon four thousand people around the world were reading it. Initially a cathartic exercise for Jim, the prose turned into an unforgettable journey for his readers. Life's That Way is a compilation of those e-mails; yet what started out as nightly missives makes for a unique and compelling, wholly original reading experience.
Life's That Way is not an author looking back on his experience with the advantage of hindsight - there is an immediacy to this book that is singular. While highly personal, Beaver's experience is at the same time universal for anybody who has lost a loved one.
But Life's That Way is not solely about loss. It is a day-by-day account of what it's like to discover the joy of a child, to be on the receiving end of unthinkable kindness, and to navigate life anew. As Beaver says, these are hard-won blessings. Then again, life's that way.]]> 303 Jim Beaver 0399155643 Cynthia 0 to-read 4.51 2009 Life's That Way
author: Jim Beaver
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.51
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2014/05/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Fangasm: Supernatural Fangirls]]> 17802119 Supernatural and turned their oh-so-practical lives upside down. Plunging headlong into the hidden realms of fandom, they scoured the Internet for pictures of stars Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki and secretly penned racy fan fiction. And then they hit the road—crisscrossing the country, racking up frequent flyer miles with alarming ease, standing in convention lines at 4 A.M.


They had white-knuckled encounters with overly zealous security guards one year and smiling invitations to the Supernatural set the next. Actors stripping in their trailers, fangirls sneaking onto film sets; drunken confessions, squeals of joy, tears of despair; wallets emptied and responsibilities left behind; intrigue and ecstasy and crushing disappointment—it’s all here.


And yet even as they reveled in their fandom, the authors were asking themselves whether it’s okay to be a fan, especially for grown women with careers and kids. “Crazystalkerchicks”—that’s what they heard from Supernatural crew members, security guards, airport immigration officials, even sometimes their fellow fans. But what Kathy and Lynn found was that most fans were very much like themselves: smart, capable women looking for something of their own that engages their brains and their libidos.



Fangasm pulls back the curtain on the secret worlds of fans and famous alike, revealing Supernatural behind the scenes and discovering just how much the cast and crew know about what the fans are up to. Anyone who’s been tempted to throw off the constraints of respectability and indulge a secret passion—or hit the road with a best friend—will want to come along.]]> 246 Katherine Larsen 160938198X Cynthia 4
I had a fairly intense reaction to the basic premise of the book: that women who engage in a fandom � whether it’s a TV show, or oh, I don’t know� a boy band � are made to feel...

To read my entire review, click here: ]]> 4.06 2013 Fangasm: Supernatural Fangirls
author: Katherine Larsen
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2014/05/05
date added: 2014/05/05
shelves:
review:
About two years or so ago, my friend, author Jessica Jewett, started watching Supernatural. She got just a wee bit obsessed, and wanted all of her friends to watch it and obsess over it, too. Funny thing was, my husband has watched it for years, but I never got into it. Finally, I started binge watching it last fall, and watched all nine seasons (up to the end of the fall part of the current season) in about a three month period. So I was immediately intrigued by this book.

I had a fairly intense reaction to the basic premise of the book: that women who engage in a fandom � whether it’s a TV show, or oh, I don’t know� a boy band � are made to feel...

To read my entire review, click here:
]]> <![CDATA[Little House in Brookfield (Little House: The Caroline Years, #1)]]> 828992


Little House in Brookfield marks the launch of an on-going series about the adventures of Caroline Quiner, who would grow up to be Ma Ingalls in the Little House books. Written in the classic tradition of the Little House and the Rocky Ridge books, and based on diaries, letters, and other historical papers, these books offer a glimpse into America's adventurous past, as seen through the eyes of another girl from America's beloved frontier family.]]> 298 Maria D. Wilkes 0064406105 Cynthia 3 books-read-with-charlotte 3.92 1996 Little House in Brookfield (Little House: The Caroline Years, #1)
author: Maria D. Wilkes
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.92
book published: 1996
rating: 3
read at: 2014/04/24
date added: 2014/04/24
shelves: books-read-with-charlotte
review:

]]> Pioneer Girl 18114054
A dazzling literary mystery about the true origins of a time-tested classic, Pioneer Girl is also the deeply moving tale of a second-generation Vietnamese daughter, the parents she struggles to honor, the missing brother she is expected to bring home—even as her discoveries yield dramatic insights that will free her to live her own life to its full potential.]]> 296 Bich Minh Nguyen 0670025097 Cynthia 4
Lee’s relationship with her family is complicated. There is no other way to say it. Her mother criticizes her every move, and favours her spoiled, angry older brother, while her grandfather just wants to keep the peace between everyone.

Of course, every book has its issues: there were times when...

Read my full review here: ]]> 3.38 2014 Pioneer Girl
author: Bich Minh Nguyen
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.38
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2014/03/30
date added: 2014/04/02
shelves:
review:
I read this book in less than twelve hours; I honestly can’t remember the last time that happened! Partly it was because I was stuck in a hospital waiting room with no WiFi or cell service, but it was also that Pioneer Girl grabbed me in a way that I didn’t expect. From the descriptions of life as an American-born daughter of Vietnamese refugees, to the literary � and as far as I am aware, completely fictional � mystery that Lee discovers, I was drawn into the world of this book.

Lee’s relationship with her family is complicated. There is no other way to say it. Her mother criticizes her every move, and favours her spoiled, angry older brother, while her grandfather just wants to keep the peace between everyone.

Of course, every book has its issues: there were times when...

Read my full review here:
]]> Pigs Can't Swim: A Memoir 17836514

An outrageous, hilarious, and touching memoir by the youngest of nine children in a hardscrabble, beyond-eccentric Maine family.

With everything happening on Helen Peppe’s backwoods Maine farm, life was wild--and not just for the animals. Sibling rivalry, rock-bottom poverty, feral male chauvinism, sex in the hayloft: everything seemed--and was--out of control. In telling her wayward family tale, Peppe manages deadpan humor, an unerring eye for the absurd, and poignant compassion for her utterly overwhelmed parents. While her feisty resilience and candor will inevitably remind readers of Jeannette Walls or Mary Karr, Peppe's wry insight and moments of tenderness with family and animals are entirely her own. As Richard Hoffman, the author of Half the House: A Memoir puts it: "Pigs Can't SwimĚýis an unruly, joyous troublemaker of a book."Ěý]]> 272 Helen Peppe 0306822725 Cynthia 3
Through most of the book, I wanted to sweep girl-Helen out of the pages and wrap her in a warm blanket. I’m not really sure...

Read the rest of my review here: ]]> 3.81 2014 Pigs Can't Swim: A Memoir
author: Helen Peppe
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2014/03/29
date added: 2014/03/29
shelves:
review:
Pigs Can’t Swim is almost overwhelmingly bleak, and I didn’t see much of the humour claimed in the synopsis. I do have to commend the author on her honesty, as it must have been painful to write some of these stories � one section sticks out in my mind as being incredibly difficult to read, so I can’t even imagine how it would feel to write it � but it wasn’t until near the end of the book that I found any hope in it at all.

Through most of the book, I wanted to sweep girl-Helen out of the pages and wrap her in a warm blanket. I’m not really sure...

Read the rest of my review here:
]]> <![CDATA[How I made over 42 000 in one month selling my Kindle ebooks]]> 17377101
This is her story�

My name is Cheryl Kaye Tardif and I am an international bestselling suspense author who earned over $42,000 dollars in March 2012 selling ebooks via Amazon's KDP Select program, captured the interest of a major literary agency, and went on to sign with a foreign rights agent. And I'm about to tell you HOW I did all that.

I don't normally tell people how much money I make, but I believe writers need to know it IS possible to earn a real income from your books. Seriously, if I can do it, anyone can—if you have the right combination of criteria and techniques.

In this book, I'll share with you what I believe are four key elements you must have in place to see high sales. And I'll reveal the strategic techniques I used during my KDP Select promotions that resulted in earning over $42,000—with $32,000 of that from ONE title alone.

Not only did I earn over $42,000 in ebook sales, I was contacted by one of the leading literary agencies in New York. The chairman noticed my success when my one title made #4 in the Top 100 Bestselling Kindle ebooks, right under The Hunger Games trilogy. Since then, I've signed with another agent for foreign rights.

So, if you're ready to earn some real money with Select, let's begin…]]> Cheryl Kaye Tardif Cynthia 3 4.14 2012 How I made over 42 000 in one month selling my Kindle ebooks
author: Cheryl Kaye Tardif
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at: 2013/05/13
date added: 2014/03/24
shelves:
review:

]]> Red Collar 18753327
Tired of secretaries taking advantage of their proximity to win his heart, wealthy bachelor Clayton devises the ultimate solution- hire the secretary who can also perform dual duties as mistress. And Clayton thinks he's found the perfect woman in escort Kate Ripley. Until he discovers the one flaw in his perfect plan- he can never let her go. Can he afford to fight against his principles and risk all he’s worked for to keep her?]]> 201 Clarissa Cartharn Cynthia 1
And I can’t.

Perhaps it’s my own fault for...

Read the rest of my review here: ]]> 3.62 2013 Red Collar
author: Clarissa Cartharn
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2013
rating: 1
read at: 2014/03/15
date added: 2014/03/15
shelves:
review:
I have spent the last week or so trying to decide whether to review this book, or even whether I would finish it. My reading time is extremely limited now, and I don’t like feeling like I’m wasting my time. At the same time, I don’t like to publish reviews of books if I can’t find a positive spin for them.

And I can’t.

Perhaps it’s my own fault for...

Read the rest of my review here:
]]> What Nora Knew 17571718
Fearless in everything except love, Molly is now dating a forty-four-yearold chiropractor. He’s comfortable, but safe. When Molly is assigned to write a piece about New York City romance “in the style of Nora Ephron,� she flunks out big-time. She can’t recognize romance. And she can’t recognize the one man who can go one-on-one with her, the one man who gets her. But with wit, charm, whip-smart humor, and Nora Ephron’s romantic comedies, Molly learns to open her heart and suppress her cynicism in this bright, achingly funny novel.]]> 320 Linda Yellin 1476730067 Cynthia 4
In a case of rather obvious, hopefully intentional, irony, Cameron’s books, we’re told, are full of “homages� (or rip offs, depending on your point of view) to various movies and books, which is, of course, exactly what this book is. But watching Molly jump out of airplanes, and sneak vibrators into courthouses...

See the rest of my review here: ]]> 3.58 2014 What Nora Knew
author: Linda Yellin
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2014/03/08
date added: 2014/03/08
shelves:
review:
It’s funny: when Molly meets author Cameron Duncan, you know right away that he’s going to be her Tom Hanks, but as Molly says about Sleepless in Seattle etc, “It’s the journey that keeps you watching� or in this case, reading.

In a case of rather obvious, hopefully intentional, irony, Cameron’s books, we’re told, are full of “homages� (or rip offs, depending on your point of view) to various movies and books, which is, of course, exactly what this book is. But watching Molly jump out of airplanes, and sneak vibrators into courthouses...

See the rest of my review here:
]]> <![CDATA[Stargazing from Nowhere (Stargazing from Nowhere Series)]]> 18285736 448 Isabel Thomas 0988044803 Cynthia 4
I think that for a reader from the ages of 12-14 or 15...

Read the rest of my review here: ]]> 3.00 2013 Stargazing from Nowhere (Stargazing from Nowhere Series)
author: Isabel Thomas
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.00
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2014/02/23
date added: 2014/02/23
shelves:
review:
I am � ahem � not exactly a “young adult� anymore, so I had to remind myself as I was reading that I was not the target audience for this book. I think that Kristen was overall a well-developed character, and while I didn’t feel that her rock star love was quite as vivid, that was natural, given that the book was told from her perspective.

I think that for a reader from the ages of 12-14 or 15...

Read the rest of my review here:
]]> <![CDATA[Bachelor Girl (Little House: The Rose Years, #8)]]> 129790 The eighth and final installment in the Rose Years series, which tells the story of the spirited daughter of the author of the beloved Little House series.

Rose Wilder has become an independent young woman. She leaves Rocky Ridge Farm, first for Kansas City to learn how to be a telegrapher, then for San Francisco. Her dream is to work for a year or two, save a little money, and then marry Paul Cooley, her childhood sweetheart. But the big city has all sorts of surprises in store for Rose, and she finds that she's destined to travel a road she never even imagined.]]> 243 Roger Lea MacBride 0064406911 Cynthia 3 books-read-with-charlotte 3.88 1999 Bachelor Girl (Little House: The Rose Years, #8)
author: Roger Lea MacBride
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.88
book published: 1999
rating: 3
read at: 2014/02/23
date added: 2014/02/23
shelves: books-read-with-charlotte
review:

]]> The Pieces We Keep 17166248 In this richly emotional novel inspired by extraordinary true accounts, New York Times bestselling author Kristina McMorris evokes the depth of a mother’s bond with her child, and the power of personal histories to echo through generations.

Two years have done little to ease veterinarian Audra Hughes’s grief over her husband’s untimely death. Eager for a fresh start, Audra plans to leave Portland for a new job in Philadelphia. Her seven-year-old son, Jack, seems apprehensive about flying—but it’s just the beginning of an anxiety that grows to consume him.

As Jack’s fears continue to surface in recurring and violent nightmares, Audra hardly recognizes the introverted boy he has become. Desperate, she traces snippets of information unearthed in Jack’s dreams, leading her to Sean Malloy, a struggling US Army veteran wounded in Afghanistan. Together they unravel a mystery dating back to World War II, and uncover old family secrets that still have the strength to wound—and perhaps, at last, to heal.

]]> 464 Kristina McMorris 0758281161 Cynthia 4 3.80 2013 The Pieces We Keep
author: Kristina McMorris
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2014/02/18
date added: 2014/02/19
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[On the Banks of the Bayou (Little House: The Rose Years, #7)]]> 129792 The seventh book in the Rose Years series, the story of the spirited daughter of the author of the beloved Little House series.

A whole new world opens up for Rose Wilder when she leaves Rocky Ridge Farm and moves to Louisiana to live with her aunt Eliza Jane. Rose is sixteen now, and she thrives in a city brimming with excitement and adventure. Rose even finds herself becoming an independent young woman with her own ideas, ambitions, and dreams.]]> 232 Roger Lea MacBride 0064405826 Cynthia 3 books-read-with-charlotte 3.94 1998 On the Banks of the Bayou (Little House: The Rose Years, #7)
author: Roger Lea MacBride
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.94
book published: 1998
rating: 3
read at: 2014/01/30
date added: 2014/01/30
shelves: books-read-with-charlotte
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Doctor Sleep (The Shining, #2)]]> 16130549 WHSmith Collector's Edition

Stephen King returns to the characters and territory of one of his most popular novels ever, The Shining, in this instantly riveting novel about the now middle-aged Dan Torrance (the boy protagonist of The Shining) and the very special 12-year-old girl he must save from a tribe of murderous paranormals.

On highways across America, a tribe of people called The True Knot travel in search of sustenance. They look harmless - mostly old, lots of polyester, and married to their RVs. But as Dan Torrance knows, and spunky 12-year-old Abra Stone learns, The True Knot are quasi-immortal, living off the "steam" that children with the "shining" produce when they are slowly tortured to death.

Haunted by the inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel where he spent one horrific childhood year, Dan has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father's legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence. Finally, he settles in a New Hampshire town, an AA community that sustains him, and a job at a nursing home where his remnant "shining" power provides the crucial final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, he becomes "Doctor Sleep."

Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone, and it is her spectacular gift, the brightest shining ever seen, that reignites Dan's own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra's soul and survival. This is an epic war between good and evil, a gory, glorious story that will thrill the millions of hyper-devoted fans of The Shining and wildly satisfy anyone new to the territory of this icon in the King canon.]]> 531 Stephen King 1476727651 Cynthia 4
Read my entire review here: ]]> 4.11 2013 Doctor Sleep (The Shining, #2)
author: Stephen King
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2014/01/29
date added: 2014/01/30
shelves:
review:
It took some serious balls for Stephen King to try and write a sequel to one of his most well-loved books, from the “classic� era. The chances of it being ripped to shreds were pretty good. But I’m very...

Read my entire review here:
]]> The Drake Equation 18439242
Despite both of their attempts to derail it, there is no denying that they are falling in love. But their relationship is threatened by political differences, Robert’s excessive work hours, and Emily’s fear of losing her identity as she falls deeper in love.

Can their love survive? The Drake Equation is a tale of modern love and all its complexities.]]> 257 Heather Walsh Cynthia 3 3.80 2013 The Drake Equation
author: Heather Walsh
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2014/01/16
date added: 2014/01/23
shelves:
review:
I’m not really sure what to say about this book. I didn’t dislike it at all. The characters were mostly engaging, the dialogue, especially between the two main characters, was interesting most of the time. But something was just� missing. I think maybe part of it was that a relatively short book covered a fairly long period of time, and so it seemed like a lot of the relationship was missing. That being said, if you like your romance novels a bit different, you’ll probably enjoy The Drake Equation.
]]> According to Luke 16230748
... and realizes too late a Catholic archbishop is out to get her.

Jana Hayes's art restoration job in Venice seems too good to be true. When an attractive Australian priest brings an ancient icon to her lab, a string of disasters is triggered off. The crumbling wood panel poses questions about the identity of St Luke, the New Testament evangelist.
It's an astounding secret, a dangerous one, which pits a vengeful archbishop against Jana, completely disrupting her life. The dilemma changes everything, including how Jana regards her own safety. The priest adds emotional uncertainty, so how she thinks about love, what she feels about beliefs and religion, and her attitudes and choices come into question. It all strains the unstable relationship with her calculating mother, who is all about money and success. Enter Professor Bryn Awbrey, who might show her a solution.

Armchair travel and adventure at its best, According to Luke is a thriller full of secrecy, symbols, faith, and forbidden love. It shows how damaging small changes can be; and how big their effect is on ordinary life.

Will the evidence about St Luke's identity convince you?

'Church politics and forbidden romance merge together in this page-turner. A superb mystery from Rosanne Dingli.'
Janet Woods, author of Salting the Wound]]> 368 Rosanne Dingli 147934110X Cynthia 4
Read the rest of the review at: ]]> 3.93 2011 According to Luke
author: Rosanne Dingli
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2014/01/13
date added: 2014/01/14
shelves:
review:
This is a fast-paced story very reminiscent of The DaVinci Code and others like it. Discovery of a secret hidden inside of an ancient religious relic leads to a chase around Europe (and, in this case, the Middle East, as well) to not only discover the truth, but to protect themselves from those who would be willing to kill to keep it hidden forever. Only in this case, instead of Jesus having a wife, it is St. Luke who�

Read the rest of the review at:
]]> <![CDATA[New Dawn on Rocky Ridge (Little House: The Rocky Ridge Years, #6)]]> 129793 The sixth book in the Rose Years series, the story of the spirited daughter of the author of the beloved Little House series.

It’s a time of new beginnings, and a big year for thirteen-year-old Rose Wilder and her family as they witness the turn of the century and, after years of hard work, experience their first apple harvest out on Rocky Ridge Farm. And as her feelings for Paul grow stronger, there are even signs of romance in the air for Rose.]]> 378 Roger Lea MacBride 0064405818 Cynthia 3 books-read-with-charlotte 4.08 1997 New Dawn on Rocky Ridge (Little House: The Rocky Ridge Years, #6)
author: Roger Lea MacBride
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.08
book published: 1997
rating: 3
read at: 2014/01/08
date added: 2014/01/11
shelves: books-read-with-charlotte
review:

]]> Fosse 17415010 723 Sam Wasson 0547553293 Cynthia 4
My background � in addition to writing � is in theatre, and my love for Broadway knows no limits, and so I’ve been a fan of Bob Fosse’s work, and his style, for years. Yet it amazed me how much I didn’t know: the projects he worked on that I hadn’t heard of; the projects he worked on and then abandoned; and especially, the heart of a performer who wanted to be a star, and had to settle for being a star choreographer (something that would have been an oxymoron before Fosse came along) and director.

Bob Fosse was a complex man, and yet at the heart of him, he was...

Check out the rest of my review here: ]]> 4.13 2013 Fosse
author: Sam Wasson
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2013/12/14
date added: 2013/12/14
shelves:
review:
One of the biggest problems with a book about a dancer/choreographer is that no matter how colourful the descriptions (and Wasson REALLY likes description�) you can’t see the performances. I found myself going over and over again to YouTube to look for clips so that I could actually see what was being described. I almost wished that this had been done as a documentary, rather than a written biography.

My background � in addition to writing � is in theatre, and my love for Broadway knows no limits, and so I’ve been a fan of Bob Fosse’s work, and his style, for years. Yet it amazed me how much I didn’t know: the projects he worked on that I hadn’t heard of; the projects he worked on and then abandoned; and especially, the heart of a performer who wanted to be a star, and had to settle for being a star choreographer (something that would have been an oxymoron before Fosse came along) and director.

Bob Fosse was a complex man, and yet at the heart of him, he was...

Check out the rest of my review here:
]]> <![CDATA[Little Town in the Ozarks (Little House: The Rose Years, #5)]]> 684559 The fifth book in the Rose Years series, the story of the spirited daughter of the author of the beloved Little House series.

Little Town In The Ozarks continues the story of Rose, Laura Ingalls Wilder’s daughter, as hard times on the farm force Rose and her family to move to the town of Mansfield. Life in town is so different from living on Rocky Ridge Farm that Rose wonders if she will ever learn to like the hustle and bustle of town life.]]> 336 Roger Lea MacBride 006440580X Cynthia 3 books-read-with-charlotte 4.10 1996 Little Town in the Ozarks (Little House: The Rose Years, #5)
author: Roger Lea MacBride
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.10
book published: 1996
rating: 3
read at: 2013/12/06
date added: 2013/12/14
shelves: books-read-with-charlotte
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Guts: The Endless Follies and Tiny Triumphs of a Giant Disaster]]> 13250800
“It felt like I was speeding on the Autobahn toward hell, trapped inside a DeLorean with no brakes. And even if I could somehow stop, I’d still be screwed, because there’s no way I’d ever be able to figure out how to open those insane, cocaine-designed doors.�

The two-time Emmy Award-winning actress has written her first book, a surprisingly raw and triumphant memoir that is outrageous, moving, sweet, tragic, and heartbreakingly honest. GUTS is a true triumph—a memoir that manages to be as frank and revealing as Augusten Burroughs, yet as hilarious and witty as David Sedaris.

With GUTS , Johnston takes us on a journey so truthful and relatable, so remarkably fresh, it promises to stay with the reader for a long, long time.]]> 288 Kristen Johnston 1451635052 Cynthia 4
I say she didn’t have to because almost no one knew. She wasn’t in tabloids crawling out of a club to a waiting limo; she didn’t make a big announcement about how she was going to rehab to deal with “exhaustion.� The closest anyone came to figuring out what happened was when she made headlines for a sudden weight loss. As it turns out, that weight loss was due to her stomach literally exploding (hence the title � nice play on words, huh?) from the abuse she had heaped on her body. She confesses that during her time in London, right before this happened, she was downing dozens of aspirin a day because...

To read the rest of my review, click here: ]]> 3.85 2012 Guts: The Endless Follies and Tiny Triumphs of a Giant Disaster
author: Kristen Johnston
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2013/11/13
date added: 2013/11/16
shelves:
review:
This book is not likely what you’d expect from a celebrity memoir: there are only a few names that you will recognize, other than the author’s; her time as one of the stars of 3rd Rock from the Sun is mentioned practically only in passing; and, truthfully, Johnston makes very little effort to prove what an awesome person she is, and why you should immediately run out to see everything she’s ever done. Instead, she reveals a part of her life that she really didn’t have to: her struggle with addiction that ultimately led to a struggle for her life.

I say she didn’t have to because almost no one knew. She wasn’t in tabloids crawling out of a club to a waiting limo; she didn’t make a big announcement about how she was going to rehab to deal with “exhaustion.� The closest anyone came to figuring out what happened was when she made headlines for a sudden weight loss. As it turns out, that weight loss was due to her stomach literally exploding (hence the title � nice play on words, huh?) from the abuse she had heaped on her body. She confesses that during her time in London, right before this happened, she was downing dozens of aspirin a day because...

To read the rest of my review, click here:
]]> My Notorious Life 16130211 My Notorious Life is an ambitious, thrilling novel introducing Axie Muldoon, a fiery heroine for the ages. Axie's story begins on the streets of 1860s New York. The impoverished child of Irish immigrants, she grows up to become one of the wealthiest and most controversial women of her day.

In vivid prose, Axie recounts how she is forcibly separated from her mother and siblings, apprenticed to a doctor, and how she and her husband parlay the sale of a few bottles of 'Lunar Tablets for Female Complaint' into a thriving midwifery business. Flouting convention and defying the law in the name of women's reproductive rights, Axie rises from grim tenement rooms to the splendor of a mansion on Fifth Avenue, amassing wealth while learning over and over never to trust a man who says "trust me."

When her services attract outraged headlines, Axie finds herself on a collision course with a crusading official, Anthony Comstock, founder of the Society for the Suppression of Vice. It will take all of Axie's cunning and power to outwit him in the fight to preserve her freedom and everything she holds dear.

Inspired by the true history of an infamous female physician who was once called "the Wickedest Woman in New York," My Notorious Life is a mystery, a family saga, a love story, and an exquisitely detailed portrait of nineteenth-century America. Axie Muldoon's inimitable voice brings the past alive, and her story haunts and enlightens the present.]]> 448 Kate Manning 1451698089 Cynthia 5
The story reminded me somewhat of a cross between...

Read my entire review here: ]]> 4.03 2013 My Notorious Life
author: Kate Manning
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at: 2013/11/08
date added: 2013/11/08
shelves:
review:
This is one of the best books I’ve read in a LONG time. I was immediately drawn into the story, and invested in the character of “Axie� � a poverty-stricken young girl in 19th century New York City, begging for scraps just to keep her mother and 2 siblings alive. It’s truly an epic story, how she rises from this to wealthy beyond her wildest dreams, but also infamous and controversial.

The story reminded me somewhat of a cross between...

Read my entire review here:
]]> <![CDATA[On the Other Side of the Hill (Little House: The Rocky Ridge Years, #4)]]> 129786 349 Roger Lea MacBride 0064405753 Cynthia 3 books-read-with-charlotte 4.06 1995 On the Other Side of the Hill (Little House: The Rocky Ridge Years, #4)
author: Roger Lea MacBride
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.06
book published: 1995
rating: 3
read at: 2013/11/07
date added: 2013/11/08
shelves: books-read-with-charlotte
review:

]]> Astor Place Vintage 16130517 A New York Novel taking place in two time periods. When a vintage clothing store owner in New York City discovers a journal from 1907, she finds her destiny at stake as the past and present collide.

The past has a seductive allure to Amanda Rosenbloom, especially when it comes to vintage clothing. She’s devoted to running her shop, Astor Place Vintage, but with Manhattan’s rising rents and a troubled economy, it’s tough to keep the business alive. Meanwhile, she can’t bring herself to end an affair with a man who really should be history. When Amanda finds a journal sewn into a fur muff she’s recently acquired for the shop, she’s happy to escape into the world of Olive Westcott, a young lady who lived in New York City one hundred years ago.

As Amanda becomes immersed in the journal, she learns the future appeals to Olive. Olive looks forward to a time when repressive Victorian ideas have been replaced by more modern ways of thinking. But the financial panic of 1907 thrusts her from a stable, comfortable life into an uncertain and insecure existence. She’s resourceful and soon finds employment, but as she’s drawn into the social circle of shopgirls living on the edge of poverty, Olive is tempted to take risks that could bring her to ruin. Reading Olive’s woes, Amanda discovers a secret that could save her future and keep her from dwelling in the past.

It’s Olive, however, who ends up helping Amanda, through revelations that come in the final entries of the journal. As the lives of these two women merge, Amanda is inspired to stop living in the past and take control of her future.]]> 416 Stephanie Lehmann 1451682050 Cynthia 4
The main modern character, Amanda, owns a vintage clothing shop on Astor Place in Manhattan (hence the title.) She is called to get some clothing from a dying, 98-year-old woman, and ends up finding a diary sewn into a fur muff. The diary, written by a woman named Olive, shows Amanda what life was like for women 100 years earlier � especially for women who didn’t quite fit the mold. Amanda � while reading the diary � has to come to terms with...

Read my entire review here: ]]> 3.66 2013 Astor Place Vintage
author: Stephanie Lehmann
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2013/10/28
date added: 2013/10/29
shelves:
review:
There are some definite similarities between this book and my novel, What Lies Behind. Both take place in a contemporary setting and in the early 20th century, and both show how two women are connected despite the different time periods. For me, it was a bit jarring to read because of that, however that is most definitely NOT the fault of the author.

The main modern character, Amanda, owns a vintage clothing shop on Astor Place in Manhattan (hence the title.) She is called to get some clothing from a dying, 98-year-old woman, and ends up finding a diary sewn into a fur muff. The diary, written by a woman named Olive, shows Amanda what life was like for women 100 years earlier � especially for women who didn’t quite fit the mold. Amanda � while reading the diary � has to come to terms with...

Read my entire review here:
]]> <![CDATA[What Doesn't Kill You (Catherine Ling, #2)]]> 12022084 It’s the deadliest poison known to man.
He’s the only one who knows its true power.
She’s the only one who can stop the evil.

The chase is on. . . .

Catherine Ling was abandoned on the streets of Hong Kong at age four. Schooled in the art of survival, she traded in the only commodity she had: information. As a teenager, she came under the tutelage of a mysterious man known only as Hu Chang—a skilled assassin and master poisoner. As a young woman, she was recruited by the CIA and now she is known as one of their most effective operatives. Having lived life in the shadows, Catherine is aware of the wobbly moral compass of her existence and even more aware of just how expendable she is to those she deals with. When her old friend Hu Chang creates a formula that’s not only deadly but completely untraceable, the race begins to be the first to get it. With rogue operative John Gallo also on the hunt, Catherine finds herself up against a group so villainous and a man so evil that she may not survive in her quest to protect those she cares about: Hu Chang and Luke—the son who was stolen from Catherine and only recently brought home safe. Using all of her formidable skills, Catherine Ling proves the age-old belief that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

Iris Johansen is at her page-turning best in this novel that takes you from the corridors of Langley to the alleyways of Hong Kong and the darkest places of the human soul.]]> 0 Iris Johansen 1441886273 Cynthia 3 ]]> 3.93 2012 What Doesn't Kill You (Catherine Ling, #2)
author: Iris Johansen
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at: 2013/10/22
date added: 2013/10/22
shelves:
review:
I have read all of Johansen's "Eve Duncan" books (up to the Eve, Quinn, Bonnie trilogy) and so I was familiar with the Catherine Ling character. It was interesting to get some background on her, and yet somehow the book just rang hollow. I would have thought, given her background, that she would have more understanding of her own son forced to grow up too quickly, and yet she just seemed totally baffled. And it took me a long time to get into the main thriller part of the story. It was a good book, but definitely not my favourite of hers.

]]> What She Had To Do 18370900
Almost fifty years later Imogene’s daughter Penelope, married and living in California, learns of her mother’s illness and imminent death. Despite a toxic childhood, Penelope is driven by an abiding love for her beautiful, imperious and destructive mother and returns to England to care for her.

The story, told from Penelope’s point of view, is set in San Francisco and an English cathedral city, and covers the last three months of Imogene’s life.

While coping with the day-to-day challenges of her mother’s decline, Penelope must also confront self-doubts regarding her own marriage and career, her relationship with her college-aged daughter Caitlin, and the sudden and unsettling reappearance of an old love.

At the same time, through shifting childhood memories, newly-found war-time letters and chance disclosures by Imogene’s old friends and lovers, Penelope attempts to discover before it’s too late what went so wrong in her mother’s life, why she chose to remain deadlocked in an abusive marriage, and why, most importantly, she seemed to blame Penelope for all of it.

Before she can find answers, however, Penelope must ask the right questions.

*

In this quiet, intense novel, a woman returns to England to comfort the dying mother she rejected long ago. Penelope Sayle Foley fled her parents� home on the elegant Regent Crescent in England after a mysterious family dispute. In 1997, she now has a sexy Irish-American husband, a college-age daughter and a San Francisco advertising job, but she must leave them all behind to deal with Imogene, her difficult, demanding mother. Imogene is on morphine to dull the pain of what she calls “tummy trouble� (really “the Big C�) and drifts between the past and present, haunted nightly by “her”—a ghostly figure only she can see and who, Imogene insists, is trying to take her to hell. The novel’s title refers, in part, to Penelope’s decision to move the ailing Imogene to a nursing home, but as the story progresses, readers discover what Imogene herself had to do years before.

Although Penelope eventually accepts the fact that she’ll never know the whole story, she learns bits and pieces from Lord Storey, an elderly man who loved and lost Imogene to Penelope’s father, Frank Sayle, during World War II; she finally comes to terms with Imogene after her death. The author’s clever prose—a cross between British and American style that perfectly reflects Penelope’s inner conflict—provides sharp dialogue and a group of charming, eccentric characters straight out of a BBC television series, including Bethany, who does tarot readings and loves her dog; the gardening McBrydes; Simon, a gay architect who always knows just how to handle things in an emergency; and Miss Bannerman, who once pined for Frank Sayle. All serve as perfect foils to the confused, miserable Penelope, who finds herself caught between two different countries, loving and hating a woman she never understood. An enthralling, well-written family novel.

—KIRKUS REVIEWS


About the British born Mary-Rose Hayes is the author of eight previous novels, including the TIME/LIFE bestseller "AMETHYST" and two political thrillers co-authored with Senator Barbara Boxer. Her books have been translated into sixteen languages. She has taught creative writing at the University of California, Berkeley; Arizona State University; numerous writing seminars in the Western United States, and at an annual writers' retreat in Tuscany, Italy. She has worked in jobs ranging from medical researcher to fashion model to international deliverer of sailboats, and has lived on four continents. She currently lives with her husband in Northern California.]]> 270 Mary-Rose Hayes 1475602952 Cynthia 0 to-read 3.90 2013 What She Had To Do
author: Mary-Rose Hayes
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2013/10/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Rainwater 6668592 New York Times bestselling author of Seeing Red about an independent woman who runs a boarding house in Dust Bowl Texas.

Ella Baron runs her Texas boarding house with the efficiency of a ship’s captain and the grace of a gentlewoman. She cooks, cleans, launders, and cares for her ten-year-old son, Solly, a sweet but challenging child whose busy behavior and failure to speak elicits undesired advice from others in town. Ella’s plate is full from sunup to sundown. When a room in her boarding house opens up, the respected town doctor brings Ella a new boarder―the handsome and gallant Mr. David Rainwater—but Ella is immediately resistant to opening up her home to this mysterious stranger.

Even with assurances that Mr. Rainwater is a man of impeccable character, a former cotton broker and a victim of the Great Depression, Ella stiffens at the thought of taking him in. Dr. Kincaid tells Ella in confidence that Mr. Rainwater won’t require the room for long: he is dying. Begrudgingly, Ella accepts Mr. Rainwater’s application to board, but she knows that something is happening; she is being swept along by an unusual series of events. Soon, this strong-minded, independent woman will realize that the living that she has eked out for herself in the small bubble of her town is about to change, whether she likes it or not...

Racial tensions, the financial strain of livelihoods in cotton drying up into dust, and the threat of political instability swirl together into a tornado on the horizon. One thing is certain: the winds of change are blowing all over Texas—and through the cracks in the life that Ella Barron has painstakingly built. This is the story of a woman who takes her life’s circumstances in both hands, but who will be forced to reckon with the chaos of her historical circumstances..]]> 256 Sandra Brown 1439172773 Cynthia 4
But yes, this is Sandra Brown of the crime novels. And as much as I’ve enjoyed her books in the past, I have to say that I truly hope she’ll write more like Rainwater. It’s lyrical and romantic, but also shows a part of history that, until recently, I knew almost nothing about. Ironically, in A Wilder Rose, Susan Wittig Albert talks about Rose Wilder Lane’s experience travelling through the “Dust Bowl� in the 1930s, and it was the first I had ever heard of FDR’s Agricultural Adjustment Act, and the horrors that happened in the attempts to save farms. I can’t even imagine how painful it must have been for livestock farmers to have to watch their starving cattle be shot.

Read the full review here: ]]> 3.99 2009 Rainwater
author: Sandra Brown
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at: 2013/10/12
date added: 2013/10/16
shelves:
review:
My mom has been bugging me to read this book for a while. She got it from a friend, and then passed it to me. She told me that it was nothing like Sandra Brown’s usual books, and from what she described, I wondered if she was talking about another author entirely.

But yes, this is Sandra Brown of the crime novels. And as much as I’ve enjoyed her books in the past, I have to say that I truly hope she’ll write more like Rainwater. It’s lyrical and romantic, but also shows a part of history that, until recently, I knew almost nothing about. Ironically, in A Wilder Rose, Susan Wittig Albert talks about Rose Wilder Lane’s experience travelling through the “Dust Bowl� in the 1930s, and it was the first I had ever heard of FDR’s Agricultural Adjustment Act, and the horrors that happened in the attempts to save farms. I can’t even imagine how painful it must have been for livestock farmers to have to watch their starving cattle be shot.

Read the full review here:
]]> Boy Meets Boy 23228
When Paul meets Noah, he thinks he’s found the one his heart is made for. Until he blows it. The school bookie says the odds are 12-to-1 against him getting Noah back, but Paul’s not giving up without playing his love really loud. His best friend Joni might be drifting away, his other best friend Tony might be dealing with ultra-religious parents, and his ex-boyfriend Kyle might not be going away anytime soon, but sometimes everything needs to fall apart before it can really fit together right.

This is a happy-meaningful romantic comedy about finding love, losing love, and doing what it takes to get love back in a crazy-wonderful world.]]> 185 David Levithan 0375832998 Cynthia 0 to-read 3.82 2003 Boy Meets Boy
author: David Levithan
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2003
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2013/10/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Let the Hurricane Roar 8335 118 Rose Wilder Lane 0064401588 Cynthia 3
Now? She’s mainly relegated to being “the daughter of Laura Ingalls Wilder.� She’s a footnote in the sad chapter of “The First Four Years.�

My daughter and I have been reading a series of books...

Read my full review here: ]]> 3.63 1932 Let the Hurricane Roar
author: Rose Wilder Lane
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.63
book published: 1932
rating: 3
read at: 2013/10/07
date added: 2013/10/13
shelves:
review:
You have to feel sorry for Rose Wilder Lane: at one point, SHE was the famous author in the family. In her lifetime, she wrote over 20 books, and countless magazine and newspaper articles. She wrote biographies of Henry Ford, Herbert Hoover, and Charlie Chaplin. She is considered one of the founders of the Libertarian movement.

Now? She’s mainly relegated to being “the daughter of Laura Ingalls Wilder.� She’s a footnote in the sad chapter of “The First Four Years.�

My daughter and I have been reading a series of books...

Read my full review here:
]]> <![CDATA[In the Land of the Big Red Apple (Little House: The Rocky Ridge Years, #3)]]> 581802 338 Roger Lea MacBride 0064405745 Cynthia 3 books-read-with-charlotte 3.95 1995 In the Land of the Big Red Apple (Little House: The Rocky Ridge Years, #3)
author: Roger Lea MacBride
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.95
book published: 1995
rating: 3
read at: 2013/09/27
date added: 2013/10/02
shelves: books-read-with-charlotte
review:

]]> ASYLUM 12040687
With only his family in mind, Russell takes an adventure-filled, impromptu vacation of indefinite duration, leaving all else behind and stopping at nothing to show how much he cares for his loved ones in an effort to win them back. But, will he succeed� Or, will it prove to be all too late in the end?]]> 244 Claude Bouchard 0986666505 Cynthia 1 3.42 ASYLUM
author: Claude Bouchard
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.42
book published:
rating: 1
read at: 2012/05/23
date added: 2013/09/12
shelves:
review:
This could potentially be the worst book I've ever read: completely implausible, a twist seen coming a mile away, stilted dialogue, and a long, overblown travelogue. Could potentially have been a decent short story.
]]> Night Film 10281556
For McGrath, another death connected to this seemingly cursed family dynasty seems more than just a coincidence. Though much has been written about Cordova's dark and unsettling films, very little is known about the man himself.

Driven by revenge, curiosity, and a need for the truth, McGrath, with the aid of two strangers, is drawn deeper and deeper into Cordova's eerie, hypnotic world. The last time he got close to exposing the director, McGrath lost his marriage and his career. This time he might lose even more.]]> 624 Marisha Pessl Cynthia 0 to-read 3.79 2013 Night Film
author: Marisha Pessl
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2013/09/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> A Wilder Rose 17906160
Then came the Crash. Rose’s money vanished, the magazine market dried up, and the Depression darkened the nation. That’s when Laura wrote her autobiography, “Pioneer Girl,� the story of growing up in the Big Woods of Wisconsin, on the Kansas prairie, and by the shores of Silver Lake. The rest—the eight remarkable books that followed—is literary history.

But it isn’t the history we thought we knew. For the surprising truth is that Laura’s stories were publishable only with Rose’s expert rewriting. Based on Rose’s unpublished diaries and Laura’s letters, A Wilder Rose tells the true story of the decade-long, intensive, and often troubled collaboration that produced the Little House books—the collaboration that Rose and Laura deliberately hid from their agent, editors, reviewers, and readers.

Why did the two women conceal their writing partnership? What made them commit what amounts to one of the longest-running deceptions in American literature? And what happened in those years to change Rose from a left-leaning liberal to a passionate Libertarian?

In this impeccably researched novel and with a deep insight into the book-writing business gained from her own experience as an author and coauthor, Susan Wittig Albert follows the clues that take us straight to the heart of this fascinating literary mystery.]]> 288 Susan Wittig Albert 0989203506 Cynthia 3 Book Review: “A Wilder Rose� by Susan Wittig Albert
SEP 11 � BLOG, BOOK REVIEWS � 4 VIEWS � NO COMMENTS


Synopsis from Amazon:

In 1928, Rose Wilder Lane—world traveler, journalist, highly-paid magazine writer—returned from an Albanian sojourn to her parents� Ozark farm. Almanzo Wilder was 71 and Laura 61, and Rose felt obligated to stay and help. Then came the Crash. Rose’s investments vanished and the magazine market dried up. That’s when Laura wrote “Pioneer Girl,� her story of growing up in the Big Woods of Wisconsin, on the Kansas prairie, and by the shores of Silver Lake. The rest is literary history. But it isn’t the history we thought we knew. Based on the unpublished diaries of Rose Wilder Lane and other documentary evidence, A Wilder Rose tells the surprising true story of the often strained collaboration that produced the Little House books—a collaboration that Rose and her mother, Laura Ingalls Wilder, concealed from their agent, editors, reviewers, and readers. Acclaimed author Susan Wittig Albert follows the clues that take us straight to the heart of this fascinating literary mystery.

My Thoughts:

I have extremely complicated thoughts about this book. I am a huge fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books, which then led me to a lifetime of research into Laura the person. I knew the basics about Rose � more than the average LIW fan, but still not a lot � and so I was very curious to read this book. However, knowing that she not only agreed with William Holz’s biography of Rose, The Ghost in the Little House: A Life of Rose Wilder Lane, but used it in her research, made me more than a little wary.

For those who don’t know, Holz’s book puts forward the theory that Rose was really the author of the Little House books, or at the very least a co-author. The book caused a huge uproar among LIW fans, for obvious reasons. I still don’t know what I think, and someday I hope to have a chance to examine Laura’s original manuscripts, or at least copies of them, to get a feel for what really went on.

But back to A Wilder Rose: first off, as I started reading, I didn’t want to stop. As much as it upset me to read a lot of it, it was also fascinating to learn more about Rose. But reading about her relationship with Laura � which was undoubtedly complicated, at best � was incredibly painful for me. Rose was the only child of Laura and Almanzo Wilder to live past infancy, and her parents � moreso her mother � had a very hard time letting go of her. Yet in some ways, Rose and Laura were almost too much alike, only Rose got the freedom and unconventional life that Laura had imagined for herself.

Read my full review here: ]]> 3.51 2013 A Wilder Rose
author: Susan Wittig Albert
name: Cynthia
average rating: 3.51
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2013/09/11
date added: 2013/09/11
shelves:
review:

Book Review: “A Wilder Rose� by Susan Wittig Albert
SEP 11 � BLOG, BOOK REVIEWS � 4 VIEWS � NO COMMENTS


Synopsis from Amazon:

In 1928, Rose Wilder Lane—world traveler, journalist, highly-paid magazine writer—returned from an Albanian sojourn to her parents� Ozark farm. Almanzo Wilder was 71 and Laura 61, and Rose felt obligated to stay and help. Then came the Crash. Rose’s investments vanished and the magazine market dried up. That’s when Laura wrote “Pioneer Girl,� her story of growing up in the Big Woods of Wisconsin, on the Kansas prairie, and by the shores of Silver Lake. The rest is literary history. But it isn’t the history we thought we knew. Based on the unpublished diaries of Rose Wilder Lane and other documentary evidence, A Wilder Rose tells the surprising true story of the often strained collaboration that produced the Little House books—a collaboration that Rose and her mother, Laura Ingalls Wilder, concealed from their agent, editors, reviewers, and readers. Acclaimed author Susan Wittig Albert follows the clues that take us straight to the heart of this fascinating literary mystery.

My Thoughts:

I have extremely complicated thoughts about this book. I am a huge fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books, which then led me to a lifetime of research into Laura the person. I knew the basics about Rose � more than the average LIW fan, but still not a lot � and so I was very curious to read this book. However, knowing that she not only agreed with William Holz’s biography of Rose, The Ghost in the Little House: A Life of Rose Wilder Lane, but used it in her research, made me more than a little wary.

For those who don’t know, Holz’s book puts forward the theory that Rose was really the author of the Little House books, or at the very least a co-author. The book caused a huge uproar among LIW fans, for obvious reasons. I still don’t know what I think, and someday I hope to have a chance to examine Laura’s original manuscripts, or at least copies of them, to get a feel for what really went on.

But back to A Wilder Rose: first off, as I started reading, I didn’t want to stop. As much as it upset me to read a lot of it, it was also fascinating to learn more about Rose. But reading about her relationship with Laura � which was undoubtedly complicated, at best � was incredibly painful for me. Rose was the only child of Laura and Almanzo Wilder to live past infancy, and her parents � moreso her mother � had a very hard time letting go of her. Yet in some ways, Rose and Laura were almost too much alike, only Rose got the freedom and unconventional life that Laura had imagined for herself.

Read my full review here:
]]> <![CDATA[The Naked Truth About Self-Publishing]]> 18104002 Jana Deleon Cynthia 0 to-read 4.56 2013 The Naked Truth About Self-Publishing
author: Jana Deleon
name: Cynthia
average rating: 4.56
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2013/09/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>