tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68247016448952268342024-03-13T20:01:36.719-04:00Bookworms AnonymousA blog about living in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. About reading, writing, laughing with friends and the unique cultural and climactic challenges we face here.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09986882657264504155noreply@blogger.comBlogger144125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824701644895226834.post-34334019527689339092015-01-02T20:36:00.001-05:002015-01-02T20:36:55.535-05:00The Highest Tide by Jim Lynch<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/94673.The_Highest_Tide" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Highest Tide" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1316637883m/94673.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/94673.The_Highest_Tide">The Highest Tide</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/54451.Jim_Lynch">Jim Lynch</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1144238852">5 of 5 stars</a><br />
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This is my favorite kind of story: Intriguing character I wish I could meet (13-year-old Miles O'Malley), a healthy dose of information about something I know little about (in this case, the tidal pools near Olympia, Washington) and a well-told story about a fantastic summer full of crazy happenings and discoveries, both in the tidal pools and in Miles's personal life. <br />
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Miles's friends include a Supreme Court Judge, his sexy, bipolar daughter Angie, a former fortune teller in rapidly declining health, and an air guitar maestro Miles hires to help him harvest clams and other sea life for his business. Miles supplies some local restaurants and other businesses with various sea creatures. <br />
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If my high school biology class had been this interesting, who knows? I might have pursued a completely different course of study. Or, at least, I'd have an office overlooking the water. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09986882657264504155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824701644895226834.post-63753031650133362332014-12-27T09:57:00.002-05:002014-12-27T09:57:36.979-05:00The Dog Year by Ann Wertz Garvin<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18693764-the-dog-year" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Dog Year" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1395616964m/18693764.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18693764-the-dog-year">The Dog Year</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4405314.Ann_Wertz_Garvin">Ann Wertz Garvin</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1108103234">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Step inside The Dog Year and meet Dr. Lucy Peterman, a plastic surgeon struggling to navigate her life after losing her husband and unborn child. She copes by stealing hospital supplies and stockpiling them in her bedroom. Until she gets caught, and discovers she can't continue through life without help from friends.<br /><br />Peopled with realistic human characters, The Dog Year contains many life lessons and a generous dose of humor, tempered with just the right amount of sadness.<br /><br />Ann Garvin just might become your new favorite author. I'm lucky enough to possess a copy of The Dog Year signed by Ann herself--if you have a chance to hear her speak, do it!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09986882657264504155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824701644895226834.post-53964101953156674932014-12-23T19:40:00.002-05:002014-12-23T19:40:18.484-05:00The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21937305-the-storied-life-of-a-j-fikry" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1397652439m/21937305.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21937305-the-storied-life-of-a-j-fikry">The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/40593.Gabrielle_Zevin">Gabrielle Zevin</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1139599684">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
This is a charming little sandwich book. AJ Fikry is a widower who lives above his bookstore and is slowly drinking himself to death when he meets a pretty young bookseller from one of his favorite publishers, suffers another loss, and then discovers a toddler left in his store with a note asking him to care for her. He ends up raising Maya in the bookstore, and strikes up a close friendship with a local police chief. <br /><br />AJ is a lovable character after you get past his initial gruffness. He loves reading as much as a bookstore owner should, and each chapter begins with a brief note from him about a book he read. It's a story I'll remember for a long time.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09986882657264504155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824701644895226834.post-86274042239693914052014-12-19T20:34:00.002-05:002014-12-19T20:34:15.473-05:00One Plus One by Jojo Moyes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18693716-one-plus-one" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="One Plus One" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1403185695m/18693716.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18693716-one-plus-one">One Plus One</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/281810.Jojo_Moyes">Jojo Moyes</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1135146196">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Another great tome by Jojo Moyes! <br /><br />What do you get when you throw a math genius, her gothic brother, their desperately optimistic mother, and their slobbering behemoth dog into a plush luxury car owned and driven by an arrogant executive recently charged with insider trading? One heck of a story! The math genius, Tanzie (short for Costanza, which, up until now, I thought was a piece of office furniture), is desperate to win the Maths Olympiad in Scotland so she can afford to attend the school of her choice. Jess, her mother, has no car, no money and no prospects, but somehow remains fueled by hope. Tanzie's brother Nicky is Jess's estranged husband's son, but she raises him as her own. The owner of the luxury car, Ed, is one of Jess's clients--she cleans his house. <br /><br />It's a study of humanity: our capacity for forgiveness, our belief in ourselves and our ability to make do with what we have.<br /><br />I'll let you discover the rest of it as you go along. It's a great ride.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09986882657264504155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824701644895226834.post-66199307925962683042014-12-18T17:35:00.002-05:002014-12-18T17:35:56.913-05:00The Financial Lives of the Poets<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6426026-the-financial-lives-of-the-poets" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Financial Lives of the Poets" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1331317628m/6426026.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6426026-the-financial-lives-of-the-poets">The Financial Lives of the Poets</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/12667.Jess_Walter">Jess Walter</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1135134347">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Jump in with both feet and read this witty, darkly comic tale of financial, moral and marital ruin. Matt Prior is a former newspaper reporter with a mortgage in forbearance (six days until eviction), two boys at a private school, and a wife contemplating an affair, when he encounters a couple of potheads at the 7-11 store and gets sucked into their world. Oh, and his father is senile and has to live with them. The story is interspersed with poetry, which Matt aspired to write when he quit his reporting job and started a financial poetry business, inspired as he is by stock averages and the promise of high returns. My favorite line: <em>This meeting is as predictable as coffin shopping. <em><br /><br />Things go from bad to worse before the end of the book, but I won't wreck the ending for you here. <br /></em></em><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09986882657264504155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824701644895226834.post-71109080776097849012014-11-22T18:31:00.002-05:002014-11-22T18:31:46.955-05:00Beautiful Ruins<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11447921-beautiful-ruins" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Beautiful Ruins" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1338161553m/11447921.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11447921-beautiful-ruins">Beautiful Ruins</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/12667.Jess_Walter">Jess Walter</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1104858152">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Beautiful Ruins was a suggested reading selection for the University of Wisconsin writers' workshop: Weekend With Your Novel, in Madison, WI November 14-16. If you write fiction, and you're within 12 hours of Madison, this workshop is worth your time.<br /><br />This is the story of Dee Moray, an up-and-coming American actress, and Pasquale Tursi, owner of the struggling Hotel Adequate View in a crumbling town along Italy’s Cinque Terre coastline. It’s a story of paths not taken, of regret, of secrets, hidden agendas and delusions, and of the impact a few moments can have on an entire lifetime. The author, in an interview, describes Beautiful Ruins as “a multigenerational, multi-genre, multi-point-of-view book about 1960s Italy, present-day Hollywood, World War II, and the Donner Party”. <br /><br />My favorite line in the book is one uttered by the least likable character, Hollywood Producer Michael Deane: “All we have is the story we tell. Everything we do, every decision we make, our strength, weakness, motivation, history, and character—what we believe—none of it is real; it’s all part of the story we tell.”<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09986882657264504155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824701644895226834.post-49615134626428474552014-11-18T06:00:00.000-05:002014-11-18T06:00:01.940-05:00A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10960383-a-grown-up-kind-of-pretty" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327942653m/10960383.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10960383-a-grown-up-kind-of-pretty">A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/45915.Joshilyn_Jackson">Joshilyn Jackson</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1108070505">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
A pot-boiler! I listened to this on my recent drive to Madison, Wisconsin to attend a writers' workshop and it kept me occupied the entire way (eight hours). <br /><br />This story is told from multiple viewpoints: Big/Ginny, the 45-year-old grandmother; Little/Liza, the 30-year-old mother; and Mosey, the 15-year-old daughter and granddaughter. Liza has had a stroke, caused by extensive drug use in her extreme wild-child youth, and they all live together and take care of each other. Early in the book, a metal box is unearthed in the back yard. The box contains the bones of a newborn baby, along with a blanket and toy that Ginny recognizes. Liza can only make limited, garbled noises, so Ginny and Mosey separately try to find out what happened and if Liza was involved.<br /><br />Each character is well-developed, and the story is intriguing, disturbing and realistic. It's a feel-good mystery/mother-daughter tale/coming of age story. Enjoy!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09986882657264504155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824701644895226834.post-77105719505154891342014-11-16T18:52:00.000-05:002014-11-16T18:52:24.361-05:00Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15994634-z" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1396815892m/15994634.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15994634-z">Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6521646.Therese_Anne_Fowler">Therese Anne Fowler</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1104857932">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Zelda Fitzgerald is someone for whom I never spared a thought. Everyone knows she was selfish, jealous, shallow and more than a little crazy, right? Wrong! Therese Anne Fowler portrays Zelda as a smart, supportive wife with plenty of aspirations of her own. She was artistic and interested in women's rights (or lack thereof) and overcame some challenging personal struggles and health issues. She even wrote many of her own essays and books, some of which bore her husband's name! I felt page rage (similar to road rage) on Zelda's behalf when I read about the credit she deserved but never received.<br /><br />I recently read The Paris Wife, which explores Hemingway's first marriage from his first wife's perspective; this is a nice follow-up book, as the timeline overlaps The Paris Wife, and then goes beyond it. <br /><br />Zelda Fitzgerald was born before her time; if she were alive today, she'd be influencing our daughters.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09986882657264504155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824701644895226834.post-23828235190820848882014-10-29T18:47:00.002-04:002014-10-29T18:47:29.759-04:00The Paris Wife<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8683812-the-paris-wife" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Paris Wife" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320545874m/8683812.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8683812-the-paris-wife">The Paris Wife</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/290189.Paula_McLain">Paula McLain</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1092447062">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I'm ready to hop on a plane to Paris. I only wish I could also travel back in time to those crazy years in the 1920s. What a whirlwind tale! <br /><br />This is the story of Ernest Hemingway's first marriage, to Hadley Richardson, and their joys and challenges during that time. I have always felt embarrassingly uninformed about Hemingway's life and writings, and this story really made him come alive in a very interesting way. The socializing with Gertrude Stein and F. Scott Fitzgerald, the bulls in Pomplona, the trips all over Europe...what's not to like? Well done, Ms. McLain!<br /><br />I plan to read A Moveable Feast soon, which is Hemingway's story of those same years, written about 40 years later.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09986882657264504155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824701644895226834.post-77722356195547327582014-09-28T07:53:00.000-04:002014-09-28T07:53:06.885-04:00We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16176440-we-are-all-completely-beside-ourselves" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1364850195m/16176440.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16176440-we-are-all-completely-beside-ourselves">We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1448.Karen_Joy_Fowler">Karen Joy Fowler</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1061010449">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
How far back can you remember? Can you trust your earliest recollections, or have they been colored by time, maturity, perspective, subsequent events, or listening to others telling stories? Maybe your memories aren’t yours at all; maybe they’re conjectures you’ve invented to allow yourself to function.<br /><br />Rosemary tells her life story: father a Psychology professor at Indiana University, mother a housewife, older brother Lowell and twin sister Fern, who was somehow subtracted from her life at an early age. If you’re a reader who reads the backs of books, you’ll figure out quite quickly that Fern was a chimpanzee, and she was raised as Rosemary’s and Lowell’s sister as part of a psychological study sponsored by the University. Don’t let the chimpanzee aspect steer you away from this book—it’s well-written, and Rosemary’s narration is so compelling, you’ll find yourself reading as fast as you can while hoping the story doesn’t end too soon.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09986882657264504155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824701644895226834.post-7879013422400270322014-09-10T18:14:00.002-04:002014-09-10T18:14:22.242-04:00Still Life With Bread Crumbs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17884042-still-life-with-bread-crumbs" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Still Life with Bread Crumbs" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1403168088m/17884042.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17884042-still-life-with-bread-crumbs">Still Life with Bread Crumbs</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3500.Anna_Quindlen">Anna Quindlen</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1046066707">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Of course this is a 5-star book; does Anna Quindlen write any other kind?<br /><br />This is the story of the self-reinvention of famed photographer Rebecca Winter. Divorced, alone, broke and dispirited, Rebecca sublets her beloved Manhattan apartment to make ends meet. She moves to a small town a couple of hours from the city and rents an old cottage. While there, she meets some locals, travels back to the city to visit her failing parents, has her son over for a visit, and does what she always does: takes photos of what she sees. <br /><br />Quindlen's characters are always personable and realistic, and Rebecca teaches us that it's okay to continually become who you are, whomever that might be at a given time.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09986882657264504155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824701644895226834.post-18055367818790041202014-09-01T05:56:00.000-04:002014-09-01T05:56:00.154-04:00Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good by Kathleen Flinn<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18693752-burnt-toast-makes-you-sing-good" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good: A Memoir of Food and Love from an American Midwest Family" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1389590284m/18693752.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18693752-burnt-toast-makes-you-sing-good">Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good: A Memoir of Food and Love from an American Midwest Family</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/453438.Kathleen_Flinn">Kathleen Flinn</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1040090770">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
What's not to love here? Family, fishing, foibles and food are all part of this fabulous Michigan memoir that includes the recipes mentioned in the story. Kathleen Flinn, author of bookshelf-worthy reads The Sharper Your Knife The Less Your Cry and The Kitchen Counter Cooking School, delivers yet another engrossing true story, and this one is set in Michigan (also my home state)! <br /><br />I don't want to give too much away, but I can tell you I laughed at the chicken coop tale and the streaking story, and I cried at one point...maybe two. Kathleen included family photos as well, captioned with quotes and other wise words from her parents and ancestors. This book is a celebration of family and an inspiring invitation to cook a grand yet simple meal to share with your loved ones.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09986882657264504155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824701644895226834.post-59793396114448861752014-08-29T20:38:00.001-04:002014-08-29T20:38:30.895-04:00The Biology of Luck<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18281738-the-biology-of-luck" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Biology of Luck" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1376078657m/18281738.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18281738-the-biology-of-luck">The Biology of Luck</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6884139.Jacob_M_Appel">Jacob M. Appel</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1040084297">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Part guided tour of America's greatest city, part love story, part character study, The Biology of Luck makes me want to return to NYC just to soak in the atmosphere. This is the story of Larry Bloom, certified NYC tour guide, dreamer, writer. Larry is looking forward to his date with Starshine Hart, and he has written a novel in which Starshine is the main character. You get a novel within a novel, some fabulously realistic characters, and enough vivid details to make you feel like you're walking through Gotham on a beautiful June day.<br /><br />The author (a real NYC tour guide and psychiatrist) gave me a free copy of this book and asked for a review; I would purchase this book myself, and I'll watch for more works by this writer. I'll also pass it around my book club to garner more feedback. Well done!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09986882657264504155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824701644895226834.post-10220193343802568312014-03-15T20:09:00.000-04:002014-03-15T20:09:42.885-04:00Home Front<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12022079-home-front" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Home Front: A Novel" border="0" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1344319152m/12022079.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12022079-home-front">Home Front: A Novel</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/54493.Kristin_Hannah">Kristin Hannah</a></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/877191633">5 of 5 stars</a><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">This is the story of an incredibly strong woman learning to live with some weakness, some vulnerability, and some reliance on others. Jolene is a black hawk pilot in the National Guard, and she's deployed, along with her best friend Tami, to Iraq. The deployment occurs right after her husband tells her he no longer loves her and while her preteen daughter is treating her with typical disdain and disrespect. She also has a four-year-old daughter and her husband, who will be a single parent during the year she'll be gone, is a criminal defense attorney who works 60-plus hours at his own law firm. There's a lot to the set-up, the history and the current situations of all of the characters, but I'll let each reader discover these elements for herself. <br /><br />There are some twists and turns in the story, and there were several times I had to close the book and get a grip on my emotions before continuing. Note, I am NOT usually emotionally affected like this! <br /><br />This story is the best Kristin Hannah book I've read. I have a new, more intense respect for, and a better understanding of, our service people. Well done! </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/2729070-jan-kellis">View all my reviews</a></span></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09986882657264504155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824701644895226834.post-13330062932159547892014-03-03T20:16:00.002-05:002014-03-03T20:16:41.469-05:00The Goldfinch<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17333223-the-goldfinch" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Goldfinch" border="0" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1378710146m/17333223.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17333223-the-goldfinch">The Goldfinch</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8719.Donna_Tartt">Donna Tartt</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/848145267">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
This is the best book I've read in a long time, from the first page to the last. I listened to the Audible version, which was so well done, I didn't read a word in the paper version (although I have it, sitting right here). <br /><br />The story starts with Theodore Decker, a thirteen-year-old boy, and his mother, on their way to a meeting with the principal to discuss Theo's latest transgression. On the way there, they stop in the museum. There's an explosion, and Theo's mother dies. Theo remembers seeing a pretty girl seconds before the explosion, and he spends a dying old man's last moments with him, lying in the rubble. From there to the end, Theo's life is one grand adventure full of grief, friendship, massive amounts of drugs, good and bad decisions, and fortuitous circumstances that end up leading him full circle. <br /><br />Theo lives and learns, and imparts his lessons to the reader. It's a fabulous, all-consuming, dive-in-able story, and if I didn't have a stack of 10 books to read on my shelf right now, I'd read it again. Immediately. <br /><br />I hope Donna Tartt is busy writing another novel...<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09986882657264504155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824701644895226834.post-54349547202757103612014-03-01T10:12:00.000-05:002014-03-01T10:12:02.729-05:00The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17212239-the-unlikely-pilgrimage-of-harold-fry" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry" border="0" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1360646239m/17212239.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17212239-the-unlikely-pilgrimage-of-harold-fry">The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5309857.Rachel_Joyce">Rachel Joyce</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/858967665">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
When Harold Fry receives a card from former co-worker Queenie Hennesey telling him she's dying of cancer, he sets off on a 600-mile walk to see her. He does this without a plan, a map, or a cell phone, in yachting shoes. Harold is recently retired and exists with his wife in their home, in separate bedrooms for the past twenty years. <br /><br />As he walks, Harold ruminates on his past and examines some of his regrets and choices, inspects his memories and stares into the cracks. He encounters people, he learns how to eat roots and mushrooms, he learns how to tell which direction he's heading from the sun and the bark patterns on the trees. He evolves.<br /><br />The writing is fantastic, and Harold's journey is inspiring. He saves himself. I won't ruin it for you by telling you whether or not he makes it to Queenie and what else happens along the way, but I will say this: the ending is not sad.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/2729070-jan-kellis">View all my reviews</a><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09986882657264504155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824701644895226834.post-54057444472815660952014-02-03T19:40:00.001-05:002014-02-03T19:40:58.912-05:00Bookworms Anonymous Volume Two: Win a FREE copy!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20707928"><img alt="Bookworms Anonymous Volume Two by Jan Stafford Kellis" src="https://djgho45yw78yg.cloudfront.net/assets/nocover/111x148.png" title="Bookworms Anonymous Volume Two by Jan Stafford Kellis" width="100" /></a><br />
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by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3073212.Jan_Stafford_Kellis" style="text-decoration: none;">Jan Stafford Kellis</a><br />
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<script charset="utf-8" src="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/widget/81026" type="text/javascript"></script>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09986882657264504155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824701644895226834.post-71513875266705216002014-02-03T18:57:00.002-05:002014-02-03T19:31:28.446-05:00Bookworms Anonymous<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's here!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxj0nhE5r6yDZvWcBdqUod9O5xyR8vUbp8NauVR_yJoQcSt6DwPKl4MpQ0TolmfYkgJuNRx7fm3kau9X6vvpo_nchGQ5GIawiPuChOWTUuiSOxoYGXToU_99zi2fzNAQpRF7bG9aVi-Jqb/s1600/BAIICoverImage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxj0nhE5r6yDZvWcBdqUod9O5xyR8vUbp8NauVR_yJoQcSt6DwPKl4MpQ0TolmfYkgJuNRx7fm3kau9X6vvpo_nchGQ5GIawiPuChOWTUuiSOxoYGXToU_99zi2fzNAQpRF7bG9aVi-Jqb/s1600/BAIICoverImage.jpg" height="320" width="209" /></a></div>
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You can find your copy on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bookworms-Anonymous-Vol-II-Volume/dp/1493669036/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1391471638&sr=8-1&keywords=jan+stafford+kellis" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a>. </div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px; text-align: start;">The women are gathered again! Bookworms Anonymous is a non-traditional reading group established in 2000, comprised of seven women in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. They meet monthly to share a gourmet vegetarian meal and discuss and swap books. Part memoir, part cookbook and part celebration of words and reading, Bookworms Anonymous Volume II contains many of the same things found in Volume I: reading group meetings, anecdotes, book reviews and recipes. "A love letter to reading, beautifully rendered, and with all the warmth and fun and closeness of your favorite book club on that perfect meeting night." - Robert Kurson, author of Shadow Divers and Crashing Through "A warm celebration of two of life's most vital ingredients--books and friendships." - Ellen Airgood, author of South of Superior and Prairie Evers</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09986882657264504155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824701644895226834.post-38918046902979985322014-01-30T20:07:00.002-05:002014-01-30T20:07:37.908-05:00Bookworms Anonymous Volume II<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Coming Soon: Bookworms Anonymous Volume Two!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKCzRY2JIFh0heLEQTRsuiBvZdPsJc8fBYDVwfkvtxozprPrHxwAnbv3NxLCnPcAcaAiuZMhOJp9Ha45qncg7a3EhZKw5PfiwyMDZ_CnWFrOykrZMZif9UxRL-RaS2-B7zv_ItTYkOPfG/s1600/BAIICoverImage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKCzRY2JIFh0heLEQTRsuiBvZdPsJc8fBYDVwfkvtxozprPrHxwAnbv3NxLCnPcAcaAiuZMhOJp9Ha45qncg7a3EhZKw5PfiwyMDZ_CnWFrOykrZMZif9UxRL-RaS2-B7zv_ItTYkOPfG/s1600/BAIICoverImage.jpg" height="320" width="209" /></a></div>
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If you enjoyed the first volume, you'll love this one! </div>
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Part memoir, part cook book, part love letter to reading, Bookworms Anonymous Volume Two allows the reader to attend meetings of everyone's favorite book club. Enjoy more book reviews, more recipes and an updated list of Bookworms Anonymous Stamp of Approval books.</div>
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Watch for it on Amazon.com, available on or before February 7, 2014. </div>
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Don't just sit there, <i>read</i>!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09986882657264504155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824701644895226834.post-38457489425534857372014-01-27T19:53:00.000-05:002014-01-27T19:53:05.433-05:00Bunheads by Sophie Flack<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10757749-bunheads" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Bunheads" border="0" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1327882873m/10757749.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10757749-bunheads">Bunheads</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3409564.Sophie_Flack">Sophie Flack</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/823130417">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I read this book on the recommendation of the Curtis (Michigan) Library Reading Group, and it was fantastic! The story takes you into the inner workings of a ballet company in Manhattan. Hannah Ward, the main character, is nineteen years old and has been with the company for 5 years already. Hannah is dedicated to ballet, but she struggles with the singular focus required to continue to improve her dance. <br /><br />This is a fascinating look into a world most of us never see. Great book!<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/2729070-jan-kellis">View all my reviews</a><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09986882657264504155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824701644895226834.post-68523524434808897982014-01-18T05:59:00.000-05:002014-01-18T05:59:00.818-05:00Me Before You<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15507958-me-before-you" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Me Before You" border="0" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1357108762m/15507958.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15507958-me-before-you">Me Before You</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/281810.Jojo_Moyes">Jojo Moyes</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/816137577">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
When the diner where Louisa Clark works closes and she loses her job, she tries a few unpalatable positions (including one at a chicken factory) before finding a position as a caretaker for a quadraplegic man. Will Traynor had led a big life before he was hit by a motorcycle and all but died. He's resentful of the remnants of his life, and hates relying on others for every aspect of his care. Louisa gradually warms to him, and this is the tale of their relationship. <br /><br />It's also the story of Louisa's family and their various relationships, and of her boyfriend and how she fits in (or doesn't) with his circle of friends. It's about loners and dreamers and hope and fear.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09986882657264504155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824701644895226834.post-32580465910197936132014-01-16T17:50:00.002-05:002014-01-16T17:50:17.229-05:00Lone Wolf<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13547188-lone-wolf" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Lone Wolf" border="0" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1347278865m/13547188.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13547188-lone-wolf">Lone Wolf</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7128.Jodi_Picoult">Jodi Picoult</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/823131242">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
It's a Jodi Picoult...what can I say? It's engrossing, has multiple narrators with interesting personalities, and it finishes with a satisfying ending. <br /><br />Luke Warren enjoys a minor celebrity status for his enthusiastic wolf studies, which include living with the wolves in the wild as well as raising a wolf pack at his own park, where people can come and watch him interact with them in an enclosed fence. Known for being larger than life, Luke has just survived a car accident only to be trapped in his own body in a vegetative state. His daughter, also in the car at the time of the accident, suffered a shattered shoulder. His son, estranged for the past six years and living in Thailand, hops on the first flight home. His ex-wife, now re-married and the mother of twins with her second husband, struggles to help everyone maintain all tenuous familial relationships. The question is: Who should decide whether or not to pull the plug? Luke's son wants to pull the plug; his daughter wants to wait until Luke heals, whether that takes twenty days or twenty years. <br /><br />I learned a lot about the psychology of wolves and wolf packs, and cheered for each character as I discovered their individual motivations. There's courtroom drama, family drama, teen angst, secrets revealed...all the good stuff is in here. <br /><br />It's a thick book that reads so fast you won't believe it. Enjoy!<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/2729070-jan-kellis">View all my reviews</a><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09986882657264504155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824701644895226834.post-17026183897467713992013-12-31T17:42:00.002-05:002013-12-31T17:42:43.051-05:00What Alice Forgot<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6469165-what-alice-forgot" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="What Alice Forgot" border="0" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1377159022m/6469165.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6469165-what-alice-forgot">What Alice Forgot</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/322069.Liane_Moriarty">Liane Moriarty</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/675566522">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I spent the last three days engrossed in the story of Alice and her sudden memory loss. It begins when she falls off her bike in spin class; when she comes to, she believes it's 1998 (it's actually 2008) and she's shocked at her flattened stomach and toned physique, has no recollection of her three children, and thinks she's still in the early, easy years of her marriage. She's on the brink of divorce, and she can't remember why. <br /><br />As Alice struggles to remember, she pieces little glimpses of her past back together and reconciles with her sister. She's appalled at what she learns about her 39-year-old self, and tries to re-establish her 29-year-old self as she remembers it.<br /><br />This book really made me think about what I would have missed out on in the last ten years. A very enjoyable read, with a satisfying ending! Liane Moriarty hasn't disappointed me yet. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09986882657264504155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824701644895226834.post-58152287075213767222013-12-14T17:21:00.002-05:002013-12-14T17:21:41.348-05:00The Casual Vacancy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13497818-the-casual-vacancy" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Casual Vacancy" border="0" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1358266832m/13497818.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13497818-the-casual-vacancy">The Casual Vacancy</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1077326.J_K_Rowling">J.K. Rowling</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/781380964">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
With a vast cast of characters, The Casual Vacancy plunges the reader into the small town politics of Pagford, its slum area The Fields, and its bigger, brighter neighboring town of Yarvil. The characters are all well-developed, and even the most vile are, on some level, understandable. <br /><br />The story starts with a bang, when Barry Fairbrother drops dead on his way to dinner at the club, then it builds slowly and inexorably toward a powerful conclusion. Barry has left a casual vacancy -- a spot on the town council -- and people are immediately scrambling to fill the void and either continue what he'd started, or cancel what he'd started when he'd begun campaigning to save a rehabilitation facility. The story lines of the various characters slowly meet and braid together in this riveting, suspenseful tale. <br /><br /><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09986882657264504155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824701644895226834.post-76126116403491815452013-12-04T20:14:00.001-05:002013-12-04T20:14:17.090-05:00The Bartender's Tale by Ivan Doig<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13593541-the-bartender-s-tale" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Bartender's Tale" border="0" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1337638575m/13593541.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13593541-the-bartender-s-tale">The Bartender's Tale</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/70540.Ivan_Doig">Ivan Doig</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/778315382">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Ivan Doig tells a grand story, and this one made me yearn for Western small town life (normally unappealing to me). The Bartender's Tale is about a legendary bartender named Tom Harry and his son Rusty. Rusty's mom abandoned the two of them when Rusty was an infant, and Tom's sister raised Rusty for the first six years. Then one day, unannounced, Tom retrieved Rusty and took him north to Montana where they live a fabulous bachelor life and run the Medicine Lodge. <br /><br />The days pass between Tom's mysterious trips, Rusty's saloon eavesdropping and small town gossip. The summer Rusty is twelve things change drastically, and Rusty grows up even faster. <br /><br />This story is about family, commitment, responsibility and living with past decisions. When Tom's history comes back to haunt him, he handles things with his signature stoicism. "The first rule is," Tom says, "playing with the hand you're dealt."<br /><br />Give yourself a break: read this grand story, told in grand Ivan Doig fashion.<br />
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