I haven’t posted in a great long while but had hoped I could send reviews directly to my blog from Goodreads.  So far I haven’t figure out how to do this.

 

The Sunshine Sisters 
by Jane Green (Goodreads Author)

 

well,  copy paste seemed to work.

check out goodreads

It has been a busy month of reading.

I wish you would join GoodReads so we could keep up with each other and our reading experiences.

I LOVE Henery Press. Through Net Galley they give me access to not yet released novels – mostly cozy mysteries and some not so cozy.

I just finished reading Gretchen Archer’s 5th Davis Way Caper, Double Knot, due out April 11th. This is the best one yet!

A humor filled escapade with Davis Way Cole, computer hacking, secret spy for a &700 Million revenue generating casino, who is also the body double for the casino owner’s wife, Bianca Sanders, even when Davis is 6 months pregnant with twins!

Assigned to a luxury cruise ship with 50 high roller gamblers for a week impersonating Bianca Sanders should be a vacation, but it’s not when you’re Davis and your Mother who really doesn’t like you is sharing the suite and this is the first time husband Brad is away too.

Dealing with dirty dishes while locked in their suite, Davis and Fantasy learn of a plot to steal millions from the gamblers on the cruise as bodies begin to pile up and all communication is blocked.

A good blend of humor, personal conflicts and crime investigation.

Also from Henery Press A Muddied Murder by Wendy Tyson to be released March 29/16.

Wendy Tyson has created a place I’d like to visit, Washington Acres Farm Café & Larder in Winsome.

Megan Sawyer has given up her big city lawyer job to help her Grandmother Bonnie Birch, aka Bibi, restore the family farm and create a business in town that uses their organic produce and products.

Having a handsome veterinarian, Dr. “Denver” Finn taking an interest in Megan eases the loneliness of widowhood too.

Solving the murder of zoning Commissioner Simon Duvall, that took place in her barn, adds to the growing complications of juggling demands in her life and worry over the safety of Bibi.

A variety of animals and their antics provide humour and give the vet a reason to visit often.

Next issues I’ll tell you about Alibi – a division of Random House.

I have been honoured to have Alibi accept requests to read and review their books including Murder in an Irish Village (one I’d not be rushing to live in!) by Carlene O’Connor.

Also A Lady in The Smoke by Karen Odden. A Vcitorian Mystery where I learned a lot about railways in England in the 1800s.

Til next time – Happy Reading!

Sometimes it is a nice change of pace to read a novel set in a by-gone era.

I have been reading Rhys Bowen’s Molly Murphy Mystery series since they were released in the early 2000s.  The latest, released in Nov 2015 , Away in a Manger, is Book 15.

Molly is a woman ahead of her time.   She’s an Irish immigrant in New York City with no family ties but determined to support herself by solving problems.   Now married to a police detective she finds herself struggling to be the respectful dutiful wife and mother to a baby boy.

This is a cozy mystery with a social conscience.
Molly finds herself compelled to rescue two young children from the cold streets of NYC as Christmas approaches.
Megan & Tig are British, well-spoken, living in a boarding house waiting for their mother to return. They find Sid & Gus taking them in and helping Molly find their mother and possibly other family in America.
Daniel is shot trying to stop a young policeman attempting to arrest the Italian crime boss.
Daniel’s mother holds the household together & prepares for Christmas while Molly heads out of Manhattan to the estates in Long Island in search of family for the abandoned children.
Typical Molly getting in over her head but solving two homicides & preventing another.

My newest series is a Net Galley find from Bethany House Publishers.  A company that publishes Christian reading material.

I am impressed with the way living a Christian life is handled by this writer.

Playing The Part, book 3 in the series “A Class of their Own” by Jen Turano. The release date for this book is March 1, 2106.

A delightful reading experience.
Luceetta Plum’s past in the Old South, a decade after the end of the civil war, has her determined to look after herself, even if it means she is a stage actress, and a very in-demand actress at that.
When her stepfather arrives to inform her that he has lost her in a card game to Silas Ruff, a man Lucetta detests, she flees the city with her elderly friend and landlady, Abigail Hart.
Abigail’s grandson, Bram Haverstein, lives in a castle in upstate New York, complete with a rag tag collection of animals and misfit staff.
The humor in this novel is heartwarming. The descriptions are so funny. When Lucetta faints on the lawn, after two dips in the moat, being set upon by dogs, having a canon fired at her, and then coming face to face with his mother, Bram struggles to carry Miss Plum to the castle and up three flights of stairs.
There are no preachy messages here, just life examples on being the best person you can be by allowing God to temper your responses and reactions to those he sends across your path. Instead of firing disagreeable staff, Bram prays for them. A good reminder, and encouraging life lesson.
Secondary characters are lovable and provide more humor in their quirkiness.
Lucetta’s former rescued roommates, Millie and Harriet, from the first two books in this series, make an appearance near the end of this book.

I have purchased book 1 – After a Fashion and saving for Book 2 – In Good Company

 

Rhys Bowen authors another series set in the 1930s – Her Royal Spyness featuring Lady Georginia of Rannock.   This is a lighthearted look at being a Royal so far down the lineage line that it is more a hindrance than a help.   If you are looking for a quick fun read, this is the series to find.

Please be encouraged to read, and write about what you read.

Until next time: Happy Reading!

Being associated with Net Galley I get the opportunity to read books before they are published.  All the publisher requests in return  is that I write an honest review of the book on a few websites and hopefully on a blog that someone actually reads.

I do post to Good Reads after sending the review to the publisher through Net Galley.  I have to wait until the book is published to be able to post to Amazon.ca   Kobo lets me post a few weeks before the book is released and I make an effort to do that in the hopes my review will provide another perspective from that of the publisher for those who are looking for a book to consider purchasing.

I get free and discount books through BookBub.  A service that offers a variety of books from genres you specify.  Most of these books have been released a few years ago and are often book 1 of a series that is now in book 2 – 5 stage.   So far I’ve only had a few duds from Bub.   BookBub sends an email list I can click on ordering from whatever e-book site I use.   Since I mainly use my old Sony Readers, now Kobo owned, I download or purchase through Kobo.   I do have an old Kindle that Amazon downloads to and occasionally a book is just too interesting not to drag out the Kindle and get a freebee on it.   A few times I’ve gone back and ordered the rest of the series on the Kindle because book 1 was so good.

I think that’s the reason they offer me deals.  LOL

Keeping track of what I’ve read, what can be posted to various sites and when, takes some organizing and commitment on my part.   Not being as computer savvy as I should be, I tend to print and file my reviews, though copy pasting from Good Reads is sometimes the best solution once I figure out when I need to post a review to other sites.  I think I’ve developed a better system this past month in how I file and track.   I am getting more familiar with this ‘new to me’ laptop and more modern software but there is only so many hours in a day for personal learning and blogging.

Always use your local public library’s e-book collection if you can.  It encourages them to commit dollars to this resource over print copies.  In Ontario, the provincial government sponsors Overdrive.  The source of e-books through our libraries.   Your local library purchases their own copies especially for use by their patrons, but the province also has copies for smaller communities and the cities have access to these books too.

With all the new electronic devices in our hands you can read an e-book on just about anything:  Smart Phone, Tablet, E-Reader, Computer.    Be sure if you buy an e-reader that you can read E-Pub and Adobe pdf files on it. Otherwise you may find yourself stuck with purchasing books that can only be read on that specific device, like my old Kindle and Amazon’s format.   I believe Nook is similarly limited.  Of course new modern ones may no longer have that problem and accessing library books on them is standard.  At one time only Sony had library access built in to their readers software.

Well, hope this was educational.

Happy Reading!

Brenda

 

 

 

 

It seems like I’ve been out of touch for awhile. Checking my site my last post was Oct 13, 2015 – almost 4 months ago! Thank you for checking back in. 2015 went by in a blur. So many personal things happened last year. My health struggles last year. having Mom move into a nursing home then finding she had colon cancer, her passing on Nov 22 and interment of ashes on Dec 19 ended a very stress filled year. My husband’s business was impacted by government mandated changes in his industry causing us to seek new markets and develop new products. He did more trade shows last year.  Not fun for either of us having him gone. Reading was such a big part of keeping me alive.

January of 2016 began with a huge business opportunity that has seen me working every day from home as my health has taken a sudden upswing in energy levels. I must be careful not to over do things. I am finding less time to read but more interesting books keep coming my way.

I must share a book I couldn’t put down. I will also share another I read a few years back written about the same time in history but from a very different place.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah was published in Feb 2015 and has been on the top 10 lists ever since. I can understand why. In fact, I read an e copy from Hamilton Public Library then promptly went online and purchased a hard cover copy to share with my family. I give it a 6 out of 5. I couldn’t put it down.

Two sisters find themselves abandoned by their broken father when their mother dies shortly after his return from the Great War.
Vianne and Isabelle are worlds apart in age and temperament. With the outbreak of Germany invading France in WW 2, Isabelle is sent fleeing Paris to join her sister in their family home in Carriveau. With Vianne’s husband off to war, their home becomes a billet for a Nazi captain. Isabelle’s outrage threatens their lives.
Isabelle’s freedom fighting actions have her returning to Paris and working in the underground movement.
What the women of France did to protect their families, stay alive and aid in the fight for freedom in the midst of escalating horror, starvation, danger and atrocities makes this an amazing story that takes us from France to Spain and to Germany.
The Nightingale is Isabelle’s plan to smuggle allied airmen out of France into Spain walking over the Pyrenees Mountains as Juliette Gervais.
This is based on a true story.

The other book is The All Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion by Fanny Flagg.
Published in Nov 2013, it tells the story of a town of women in the mid-western US who find themselves doing the work of the men who have left town to go to war. The book is full of humorous stories and shows the capability and strength of women who had previously been denied access to jobs they enjoyed and were good at. I learned about women pilots who had been crop-dusters and were now testing planes and delivering them to military bases across the US. Women who became auto mechanics and gas station jockeys.  Some carried the load making munitions and being butchers. A very light hearted story but equally enlightening in respect to women’s roles and actions during the 1940 on this side of the continent.

I do hope you can get copies of both books, and read them. I’d love to hear your reaction to either or both of these books.

Next post I will share some other books I’ve read recently.

Until then: Happy reading.

Thanksgiving weekend has come to a close. Such lovely weather, being outside has been the best place to sit and read!

The following reviews are from books I have borrowed from the Hamilton Public Library. Of course mine are e-format but these all are available in hard copy. These 3 Best Sellers were all published in 2015.

BADLANDS by C J Box
This is not a Joe Pickett novel.
Box has created a new character to inhabit the cold and wilds of North Dakota – Cassie Dewell.  Cassie’s previous contact with a serial killer opens the novel when the FBI call her into interview a suspect. Meanwhile Cassie’s job in Helena under a woman-hating boss is ending when a job offer from Jon Kirkbride of Grimstad, Bakken County, North Dakota arrives. With the oil boom expanding Grimstad faster than the town can keep up, having a female deputy sheriff isn’t to everyone’s liking. Add a biker gang vs. a violent drug cartel taking over the heroin supply to the camps, and a young newspaper delivery boy an unwitting witness to corruption and death, Cassie finds this job may be more dangerous than she expected. Rather violent at times but a very moving plot.
I am looking forward to the next installment in Cassie Dewell series.

SUMMER SECRETS by Jane Green
Cat has to be aware of H A L T – when she’s hungry, angry, lonely, or tired – reaching for alcohol is her normal reaction. Drinking since her teens, Cat’s life has been a constant battle with alcohol. After hitting rock bottom she tackles AA for herself and begins to regain her family. Step 9 is making amends and the last people are her list are her half sisters in Nantucket USA. Leaving England with her teen daughter Annie, her BFF gay Sam, the family drama that ensues forces Cat to face the truth about herself and to choose to stay sober. Very strong emotions and struggles are beautifully handled in this novel.  Happy ending leaves you feeling triumphant for Cat.

IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT by Judy Blume
Historic events are featured throughout this novel.  Set in 1951-52, three plane crashes in Elizabeth NJ change the lives of teenagers who witness the disasters for the rest of their lives. The story flows from character to character as Miri Ammerman ancors the telling of life in Plane Crash City and the early days of Las Vegas. Beautifully written, strong emotions surface as each person deals with the ‘unlikely events’ in life. Some light moments include a Mob Museum in LV (it really exists!) and Jewish Gangsters in NJ & L.V. Initially the book is flooded with characters. I had to make a chart to sort them all out but the story was worth the effort.

Hope one of these novels is of interest to you.

Well, October has arrived. In fact it’s been here for 8 days now and time is racing by.

I have read a few novels but I’m still processing them.

On top of my Net Galley downloads, best seller hold requests from Hamilton Public Library are flooding my reader. Why do they always seem to come in at once? Ah, if I only had as many hours in the day to read as I have books to read them in.

Stay tuned. I promised to get back to this blog and recommend a few new reads soon.

Happy Thanksgiving on Monday (12th). Hopefully I will have another post ready.

Thanksgiving – a day to be thankful that you’re not a turkey. 🙂

Fall has officially arrived.   With TV offering new seasons of shows we love and new programs they hope we’ll check out, it’s hard to find time to read all the books that are waiting for us.

Three books published this summer are notable if you like a good light reading experience that makes you smile and dream:

LAWYER FOR THE DOG by Lee Robinson (St. Martin’s Press) is Heartwarmingly Hilarious!  “Every case is a story” and this lawyer’s got quite the story!  With the help of Sherman, a miniature schnauzer who has been assigned to Sally’s temporary custody during a custody battle between her divorcing owners by Sally’s ex-husband and judge Joe, Sally’s life begins to open up to new people and places as she heals emotionally from old lost loves, including that of her childhood dog, Brownie.

I loved this book and gave it a 5/5.

CANCANS, CROISSANTS AND CASKETS by Mary McHughes is book 3 in the Happy Hoofers Mystery series (Kensington Books).  Fashion tips, French recipes, and a tour of Paris blend well with 5 ladies n a dance troupe known as the Happy Hoofers.  Feel the energy of chorus dancers, the thrill of a beautiful historic city and the bond between the Hoofers as Janice, Tina, Gini, Mary Louise and Pat arrived in Paris on Bastille Day to perform for a week on a dinner cruise boat on the Seine. The wages may be modest but the sights and scenes or Paris make up for it.   This book focuses on Janice.

I gave this book a 5/5.  Characters are human with flaws and hopes.

CANDY CORN MURDER By Leslie Meier is book 22 in the Lucy Stone Mystery series.  Tinker’s Cove Maine is hosting its first Giant Pumpkin Fest and Lucy Stone’s family has joined in all the fun, until her husband, Bill, is charged with the murder of his pumpkin catapult building buddy Ev.  Lucy’s family has expanded to include her 4 yr old grandson, Patrick, and modern child rearing isn’t what it was back when her kids were preschoolers!    A good cozy mystery with middle aged characters in a town you’d like to visit and stay awhile in.

I gave this a 5/5 for the coziness of the story.

I am thankful for the opportunity through Net Galley to hook up with Publishers and receive advance copies of many books for free in exchange for a review on Net Galley.  I’ve even had a couple of reviews used by the publisher when they release the books for purchase!   Sharing books on this blog is hopefully encouraging you to get hold of a copy (libraries are great sources for free books both print and e formats) and read for fun.

This may be a Rose Kaplan Mystery but in my opinion her best friend Ida Berkowitz, who tells us the story, is the star of the show.

The characters at the Julius & Rebecca Home for Jewish Seniors may be 70+ but they are a community who seem to have murders as a source of excitement now that Mrs. K is considered the go to person for help in solving crime.

When Vera Gold dies on Yom Kippur no-one is overly concerned, she was sick, nor overly saddened, she was a pain in the tuchis!

Ida finds herself dressed in borrowed leathers climbing onto the back of Moishe’s Harley Davidson.  A situation only she can find herself in by listening to the advice of her BFF Rose Kaplan!  See it takes more than solving a murder to make life interesting!

Now, if I could talk to Ida I’d answer her question about Paul – he never married so it wasn’t an issue.

If you enjoy a story told with Jewish sentence structure and learning new words, this is the book for you.  Welcome to the world created by Mark Reutlinger.  It is a blast.

While you are waiting for the Nov 17, 2015 release of this book,  read book one in the series: Mrs. Kaplan and the Matzoh Ball of Death.

  my badge from Net Galley.   One of them at least.

Well, it’s Sept 7 and I’m still struggling to figure out how to set up this blog and make it user friendly.

I’ve done a lot of reading this past 5 weeks and I would like to have been able to share it with you – if I could have figured out how to get my wanna-be followers to be able to follow me too.

Thanks for hanging in and keep checking out this blog.   Maybe we can connect soon and have some interesting discussions and I can tell you about some interesting books and book publishers.

Brenda