tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821441307795094837Mon, 27 Feb 2017 00:15:54 +0000The Sunday SalonBook reviewsTeaser Tuesdayfamilynew bookssouthern fictionBooking Through ThursdayMemeMusing Mondaysbooksmystery seriesaudio booksdebut novelcurrent readsmysteryReading ListTLC Book ToursaudiobookmurderBook Giveawaysuspensedebut authorsFavorite BooksSeriesbook memeFriday Fill Insweight lossFriday FindsKaren WhiterecipesMary Kay Andrewsfriendshipmurder mysterynon-fictionwomens fictionNew releasesSookie StackhouseWaiting On WednesdayWeight Watchers OnlineCharlaine HarrisHistorical FictionKindleMagical RealismSouthern Vampire Seriesmental illnessnew bookJohn HartNorth CarolinaShe Reads BlogVampiresabductionnew releaseparanormalBostonJess RileySunday Salonaudiobook clubcontemporary fictioncookingfamily secretshealthy lifestylehumorweekend cookingClassic literatureJaneologyJeffrey ArcherJoshilyn JacksonLinda CastilloLucy ClarkeNancy MartinShould Be ReadingSt Martins Pressbook listssecretsthrillertoaster ovenyoung adultAtlantaBest booksEnglandJulie KiblerKaren HarringtonLondonShe Reads Book ClubSummer readsTeri CoyneThankfully Reading WeekendThe Clifton ChroniclesThe Fixer UpperThe Saturday Skinnyaudio reviewscoming of agecrime fictionfitnessfoodlosssummer reading#SRblogAmishArtAvec EricBeach TripBeth HoffmanBlog AwardsBook through ThursdayCharlestonDoug RichardsonKaren WeinrebKindle BookLibrariesMudboundRandy Susan MeyersSarah Addison AllenStieg LarssonSue Monk KiddT.H. 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reviewpsychometryquadriplegic. familyreading goalsreading trendsreal estaterecently readrecessionred pepperrefugeereincarnationreligionrevengereview booksreviewerreviewingrural Arkansassabotagesailingsalessavannah bluesscandalsci-fiseafoodsequelsserial killersex traffickingsexual assaultshort storiesshrimpsingle parent familiessisterssmall town dramasnowstormsoldiersorrowsoup recipesouthern localespiritsspiritualitysports literaturespy novelstudentsuicidesummer ghost storysupport groupsteenagersthieverythreatsthrillerstrendstrue storytutortwinsunbelieverupdateused booksvacationvictimvictimswar veteranwehttp://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eshJ4JeAHb8/TaCJorg5SgI/AAAAAAAABt0/3UkSZxK-IQ0/s1600/WT%2B1.JPGight lossweight-losswhite winewinewomen's rightsworst bookwrap-upwritingyard workSouthern Girl Reads . . .Ramblings from a Southern bookwormhttp://southerngal-lisa.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Lisa (Southern Girl Reads))Blogger726125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821441307795094837.post-6997757910355710006Sat, 04 Feb 2017 19:29:00 +00002017-02-04T14:29:25.564-05:002017Book ReviewEnd of WatchThe Sunday SalonNew Year, New Adventure!After taking a brief hiatus from the blog, I am back, once again. I hadn't really planned on being absent for so long, but with the holidays and all that goes with it, time flew by. So, here we are, already in the second month of 2017! Though I haven't been posting, I did do some reading, but I'll get to that in a moment.<br /><br />Along with the changes happening out in the world this new year, there are also some changes going on in my life as well. As some of you may recall, I made a big move last Spring from Florida to my home state of Ohio. After living in the Sunshine State for over 35 years, it was a big adjustment. Since April of 2016 I've been living in a little town called Amelia, outside of Cincinnati. I have friends living here and it has been nice being around them but I feel like another change is necessary, so this Spring I will be relocating about 90 miles north to Columbus, where my family lives and close to where I grew up as a child. This will be my final move and where I plan to stay. I have my mom's side of the family there along with many friends I grew up with. &nbsp;Every couple of months. I've been visiting there, but I think it's now time for me to make the move.<br /><br />So you see, along with the holidays, I've been busy making moving/living arrangements which severely cut into my blogging time. Now that everything for the move has been finalized, (except for the packing! Yikes!) I plan to get caught up on some reviews that I've got stacked up. They will most likely be mini-reviews though. For those aware of my retinal disease, it is still actively progressing, and I have noticed more loss of sight over the last few months, but I am still able to read from my Kindle and I am still listening to and loving my audiobooks. &nbsp;I plan to continue reading and blogging for as long as I can see the screen. Last month was my 9th year of blogging! I still get enjoyment from it along with a sense of purpose that is very important to me. It helps me to get up every day without feeling like I don't have anything to contribute. Losing my sight is something I deal with every single day but having books to read or listen to and my blog to share my thoughts gives me a boost that you can't imagine. And when I can't see the printed page any longer, I will concentrate soley on audiobooks. But until that time, I am grateful for every single thing I can still see. Actually, reading is the easy part. The hardest thing is the blog. I do okay until Blogger makes changes to to the platform, then I'm lost. I also have a very hard time keeping up with the mouse. It is as big as I can make it but my eyes don't focus together any longer so a lot of times, by the time I find my mouse, I've forgotten what I was doing! Ha! It takes me a lot longer to post things. I will probably have to cut down on the amount of links included because those really eat up my clock. That being said, let's move on...<br /><br />To get things started off, here is a quick review of an sudiobook I listened to last fall. This one slipped through the cracks and I only recently realized I hadn't written a review.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u9cKJhzH8IE/WJSzqb9Pe2I/AAAAAAAADnI/qG5tu7wuZ-Qh-O57gpXyicjZ7VLGwG39gCLcB/s1600/End%2Bof%2Bwatch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u9cKJhzH8IE/WJSzqb9Pe2I/AAAAAAAADnI/qG5tu7wuZ-Qh-O57gpXyicjZ7VLGwG39gCLcB/s200/End%2Bof%2Bwatch.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Mysteries-Thrillers/End-of-Watch-Audiobook/B018RDY61A/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srImg?qid=1486139352&amp;sr=1-1" target="_blank">END OF WATCH</a>, </b>as you already know, is the third and final installment in the Detective Bill Hodges trilogy. It began with the explosive MR. MERCEDES, and continued with FINDERS KEEPERS. In this final book, the title pretty much says it all. I'll start by reiterating that I'm not exactly a die-hard King fan like some of my fellow bloggers, but I have read a few. This trilogy was a side-step from his usual horror themed books as it was more crime fiction than horror. I can say that totally for the first two books, but in END OF WATCH, there was much more of the typical King that we've all known. Mind control was a big part of the conclusion of this story. &nbsp;And for me, I didn't mind it at all. The other two books focused mainly on the crime aspect but near the end of FINDERS KEEPERS, it was evident something else was beginning to take hold. It was a seamless transition and fit the story well.<br /><br />I loved that all of the characters from the first two books were also present here. Bill Hodges was a great character and his relationships with his fellow crime-busting partners were special and genuine. The story wrapped up nicely, leaving no questions unanswered. Though this was not my favorite book of the series, I enjoyed it just the same. MR. MERCEDES was the best book in my opinion.<br /><br />As far as the audiobook, the entire trilogy has become one of my favorites of all time. That is due to the extraordinary work of the narrator, Will Patton. He used his voice expertly to bring life to each of these characters, never missing a beat and all being so distinguishingly different. Bravo to him!<br /><br />I would highly recommend, not only these books, but the audio versions as well. If you have a long trip ahead or are looking for something different to listen to, I suggest giving them a try. They will suck you in and time will fly!<br /><br />END OF WATCH<br />Author: Stephen King<br />Publisher: Simon &amp; Schuster Audio<br />Published: June 7, 2016<br />Length: 12 Hrs 54 Mins<br /><br /><br /><br /><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BooksAndCooks/~4/7NOmq_E6oX8" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://southerngal-lisa.blogspot.com/2017/02/new-year-new-adventure.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa (Southern Girl Reads))5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821441307795094837.post-1985787325694468566Thu, 08 Sep 2016 20:21:00 +00002016-09-08T16:39:23.375-04:00friendshipNantucketnew to me authorSummer readsThe Rumor by Elin Hilderbrand<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GSjyWSz_xhg/V9GRGFVs4rI/AAAAAAAADlY/o7jwFewJAVMXbyt1Bp6vhakoRxR1tIoUgCLcB/s1600/The%2BRumor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GSjyWSz_xhg/V9GRGFVs4rI/AAAAAAAADlY/o7jwFewJAVMXbyt1Bp6vhakoRxR1tIoUgCLcB/s320/The%2BRumor.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>Elin Hilderbrand's <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Rumor-Novel-Elin-Hilderbrand-ebook/dp/B00O7X61S6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1473350999&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=the+rumor+kindle#nav-subnav" target="_blank">THE RUMOR</a></b> landed with a big splash last June. There was a lot of buzz about it yet I remember reading mixed reviews, which is why I put off reading it until this summer. This 'beach read' taking place on Nantucket Island centers around best friends Grace and Madeline and their families. &nbsp;The story begins in the spring just when people are breaking out of their winter retreats and preparing for the arrival of summer residents. &nbsp;Both women appear to be living the life; Grace with her successful real estate mogul husband, Eddie and their twin teenage girls Allegra and Hope, and Madeline, a published novelist with a loving pilot husband and their son, Brick. They both seem to have it all, but looks can be deceiving.<br /><br />Madeline and Grace are both at a point in their lives where they feel stuck. One personally and one professionally. &nbsp;In their small little town, there are eyes and ears everywhere and even the most innocent action can be interpreted as something it's not. But once it's out there, it's hard to reel it back in.<br /><br /><b>My Thoughts:</b><br /><b><br /></b>I was pleasantly surprised to find out there were more levels to this story than what I had expected. &nbsp;I liked that the kids also played a big part in the story. Each chapter was told from a different characters' point of view, which gave insight into that person. There were also chapters labeled 'Nantucket', which I thought was a clever way to get the townspeople's perspective as well. <br /><br />I found the characters to be easy to relate to, personality-wise. Even though they had their flaws, they were good people. The character that changed the most, I felt, was Allegra, the beautiful twin who used her looks to charm her way through life. I loved Grace for all of her foodie and gardening flaire. I could also feel the loneliness she suffered at the hands of her family. Each of the characters had their own issues going on but the common threads were the love, loyalty and forgiveness for their loved ones.<br /><br />The bottom line is I ended up enjoying this book more than I thought I would. I zipped right through it because the pace &nbsp;never lagged and with all the different people telling the story, I was kept interested all the way through. This was the perfect book to wind up my summer reading list. I'm very glad I took the time to read it. This was my first Elin Hilderbrand novel but it probably won't be the last.<br /><br /><br /><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Rumor-Novel-Elin-Hilderbrand-ebook/dp/B00O7X61S6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1473350999&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=the+rumor+kindle#nav-subnav" target="_blank">THE RUMOR</a></b>: Kindle Edition<br />Author: Elin Hilderbrand<br />Publisher: Little, Brown and Company<br />Published: June 2015<br />Length: 367 pp<br />Source: Purchased<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BooksAndCooks/~4/IGCaVsNg-Bg" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://southerngal-lisa.blogspot.com/2016/09/the-rumor-by-elin-helderbrand.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa (Southern Girl Reads))3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821441307795094837.post-4476207986876948297Fri, 02 Sep 2016 19:24:00 +00002016-09-02T15:24:24.469-04:00Ann LearyfamilyNew EnglandSt Martins PressReview: The Children by Ann Leary<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-njEyVLkUkgI/V8mfaCazsNI/AAAAAAAADk8/W_5O7JtdF8kG9AUVUY0RoueomxW9RRBIwCLcB/s1600/The%2BChildren.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-njEyVLkUkgI/V8mfaCazsNI/AAAAAAAADk8/W_5O7JtdF8kG9AUVUY0RoueomxW9RRBIwCLcB/s320/The%2BChildren.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Since reading Leary's previous novel THE GO6OD HOUSE, which came out in early 2013, I have been anxiously awaiting her next release. &nbsp;In May of this year THE CHILDREN was published and, finally, the wait was over. In THE GOOD HOUSE, the main character had such a bold&nbsp;</span>presence<span style="font-family: inherit;">&nbsp;and I was curious to see if this book mirrored that.&nbsp;Let's just say I was not disappointed with Charlotte Maynard at all.</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Charlotte is a member of an old prominent New England family. It's not a traditional family but more of a modern family with its complicated family tree. &nbsp;She is a 29 year-old recluse who seldom leaves the family home that sits on the best part of a beautiful lake, but that's not what makes Charolotte interesting. &nbsp;The interesting thng is that Charlotte has a secret that even her family doesn't know about. She would love to be able to tell them all about it, but she has painted herself into a corner that she can't get out of without bringing herself down.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The slightly odd but functioning family dynamic is going along smoothly until Spin, the favorite and youngest member of this disjointed family brings his fiance home for the summer. As the family gets to know this beautiful and successful woman, Charlotte's curiosity turns into something more. She's suspicious but no one will listen to her because of her hermit-like existence, no matter how much she insists that something just isn't right. As the summer progresses, so do the cracks in this family reveal themselves as never before.</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>My Thoughts:</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I will get right to it and say that after reading this book I am an even bigger fan of Ann Leary. This multi-dimensional story is driven by interesting characters that made me not want to stop reading. The locale, the once beautiful and now worn down house on the lake, and the people were so vivid in my mind. Leary's writing style allowed the story to be revealed bit by bit which let me, the reader, learn things at the same time the characters did. It was an engaging read that kept my attention and curiosity piqued throughout. &nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Leary has created a complex story with this flawed family and manages to do it with (mostly) likable characters. I found it to be original and current. I love that Charlotte is a blogger because I could relate to a small part of her world and appreciate it. At only 256 pages, it was a quick read but after finishing it I didn't pick up another book for several days because I was still processing the story. And it has stayed with me since. THE CHILDREN was a book I truly enjoyed reading. I even liked it more than THE GOOD HOUSE and I can't wait to see what she comes up with for her next novel.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I highly recommend this book and hope you make the time to read it. Special thanks to St. Martin's Press for providing me with my e-copy. It is definitely on my list of top books that I've read this year.</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>THE CHILDREN&nbsp;</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Author: Ann Leary</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Publisher: St. Martins Press</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Published: &nbsp;May 2016</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Length: 256 pp</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Source: Publisher</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BooksAndCooks/~4/A7FlynspcG0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://southerngal-lisa.blogspot.com/2016/09/review-children-by-ann-leary.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa (Southern Girl Reads))2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821441307795094837.post-4887682996414218496Tue, 28 Jun 2016 23:58:00 +00002016-06-28T19:58:49.068-04:00Domestic VioletsfamilyIowaLittle AmarriageMatthew Normannew bookReview: We're All Damaged by Matthew Norman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iN_-xEB5jGQ/V3KZTt3-ocI/AAAAAAAADkA/j2oBxoBXTfUt91xuiO6jJkpT8NdDXMbUACLcB/s1600/Were%2Ball%2Bdamaged.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iN_-xEB5jGQ/V3KZTt3-ocI/AAAAAAAADkA/j2oBxoBXTfUt91xuiO6jJkpT8NdDXMbUACLcB/s320/Were%2Ball%2Bdamaged.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><i>No Spoilers Included!</i><br /><br />Ever since I read <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Domestic-Violets-Novel-Matthew-Norman/dp/0062065114/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1&amp;refRID=0F1WEW16Q635ZHGAA33F" target="_blank">DOMESTIC VIOLETS</a></b> in 2011 I have been anxiously awaiting Norman's second book. I loved that debut novel and wondered what he would produce next. It's hard to believe that so much time has passed but when WE'RE ALL DAMAGED showed up on my Kindle Firsts promo, I snatched up my copy in a heartbeat!<br /><br /><b>What It's About:</b><br /><br />This is a story about a guy who thought he had it all. A good job, a beautiful wife and a plan for their future together that would, one day, include a family of their own. Unfortunately for Andy Carter, his wife Karen had different plans. She blew his life apart when she told him she 'didn't want this anymore'. Now, it's a year later and Andy's life is so different he sometimes doesn't even recognize himself. &nbsp;He lost his job, destroyed his best friend's wedding reception, along with that friendship, and left his Iowa hometown for New York City where he knew absolutely no one. He's working as a bartender for the only friend he has in The City when he gets a call to come home immediately. His grandfather is dying and his mother is demanding he come before that happens.<br /><br />In the last year while Andy was sulking in The Big Apple, things in his old life have changed dramatically. Andy stumbles along trying to absorb the changes, not to mention the impending death of his grandpa. And then there's Daisy, the tatted up, strange woman he meets at the nursing home who says she's a friend of his grandfather...but can that really be?? Though Andy didn't think he was ready to go home yet, this is a trip he had to make. Back home, he'll see people he's known his whole life in different ways and meet new people who will change how he looks at himself.<br /><br /><b>My Thoughts:</b><br /><b><br /></b>There have been times when I've read a debut novel and loved it, only to discover the next novel by the same author fell flat. &nbsp;Well, for me, that is certainly NOT the case with WE'RE ALL DAMAGED. This book was such a refreshing reading experience for me. The opening chapters, especially, were laugh out loud funny. I absolutely loved the snarky wit and characters that came alive within the pages. The Glitter Mafia which brought a very relevant social issue into the story was genius as was the battle his father had with the squirrels. He painted such a vivid picture in my mind that I couldn't quit laughing. I'll never look at a squirrel the same way again. Nancy, Andy's far right Republican mother was another brilliant character, though my views are very different from hers. All of the characters seemed so realistic to me and I enjoyed them all.<br /><br />I've told you how funny this story is but it's not just funny. It's sweet, it's heartbreaking, sad, hopeful and lovely. It's about family, marriage, regret, forgiveness and awareness and compassion. As I'm sitting here thinking about the book, it reminds me again of how much I loved it. The sweetness of the story took me by surprise, especially when it brought me to tears.<br /><br /><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Were-All-Damaged-Matthew-Norman/dp/1503933385/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1467128371&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=We%27re+All+Damaged" target="_blank">WE'RE ALL DAMAGED</a></b> is about a regular family in Iowa with problems that are not all that different &nbsp;from other families'. &nbsp;It's not a complex story but Matthew Norman, with his unique take on people, along with his incredible sense of humor makes it something very special. At 282 pages and as readable as it is, it's the perfect weekend read. &nbsp;I imagine it would make for a great audiobook as well and would be perfect for a road trip this summer. &nbsp;If you read and loved DOMESTIC VIOLETS, you certainly don't want to put off reading WE'RE ALL DAMAGED any longer.<br /><b><br /></b><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Were-All-Damaged-Matthew-Norman/dp/1503933385/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1467128371&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=We%27re+All+Damaged" target="_blank">WE'RE ALL DAMAGED&nbsp;</a></b><br /><b>Author: Matthew Norman</b><br />Publisher: Little A<br />Published: June 1, 2016<br />Length: 282 pages<br />Source: Amazon Kindle Firsts<br /><b><br /></b><b><br /></b><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BooksAndCooks/~4/v_zfytsQuYk" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://southerngal-lisa.blogspot.com/2016/06/review-were-all-damaged-by-matthew.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa (Southern Girl Reads))4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821441307795094837.post-2990528128332743788Tue, 14 Jun 2016 15:34:00 +00002016-06-14T11:34:56.758-04:00audiobooknew to me authorRussian mobsex traffickingReview: The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian (Unabridged Audio Version)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SVTKzN1R9TM/V18XIEHwXiI/AAAAAAAADjc/oY43q_XbtBEfWXXHfiDkOheOemZiIV0DQCLcB/s1600/The%2BGuest%2BRoom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SVTKzN1R9TM/V18XIEHwXiI/AAAAAAAADjc/oY43q_XbtBEfWXXHfiDkOheOemZiIV0DQCLcB/s1600/The%2BGuest%2BRoom.jpg" /></a></div><i>As with all my reviews, No Spoilers are included!</i><br /><br />When a successful, happily married father of a young daughter offers to host his younger brother bachelor party, Richard Chapman thought it would be a harmless night of drinking and would make his brother happy that he'd opened his beautiful home to his friends. &nbsp;He'd even convinced his wife, Kristin, to consent and it was decided that she and their daughter would go to her mother's apartment in Manhattan for the night. The 'Bachelor' was the more rowdy of the two brothers so Richard wasn't too surprised when he found out that one one of his brother's friends had hired a couple strippers. But right away Richard felt the two exotic-looking girls were not your regular bachelor party strippers. The fact that they were accompanied by two very large Russian bodyguards made Richard even more nervous. As the night wore on, the men got drunker and the girls were doing more than stripping. Suddenly all hell broke loose, knives were drawn, blood was shed and by the end the two Russians were lying dead in the Chapman's living room and the girls were no where to be found. In the aftermath of the chaos, Richard's once perfect life would be threatened on several fronts: the Russian mob, blackmail, unemployment. Not to mention his wife was contemplating divorce. He could lose everything yet he couldn't stop thinking about Alexandra, the girl with the black hair, &nbsp;and if she was safe.<br /><br /><b>My Thoughts on the Story:</b><br /><br />Surprisingly, this is the first novel by Chris Bohjalian that I've ever read. I've heard so much praise for his work from fellow bloggers/readers for many years so my expectations were pretty high. &nbsp;When choosing this book, I will admit the subject matter of sex trafficking did give me pause. It's a very disturbing issue and very relevant to our times and I wasn't sure I wanted to go there, but I ultimately did. I easily found myself immersed in the story and since there weren't a lot of characters it was easy listening. Things happened pretty quickly and I was very tuned in to the story. But for me, about half-way through it slowed and I found myself waiting for something more dramatic to happen. That's not to say there weren't dramatic parts, but I guess I was just expecting more. Events near the end of the book both baffled and surprised me, in good and bad ways. Having heard such wonderful things from Bohjalian's fans, I was expecting a deeper, more involved story and I just didn't get that.<br /><br /><b>My Thoughts on the Audio Performance:</b><br /><b><br /></b>The two narrators, Mozhan Marno and Grace Experience did very good jobs of bringing these characters to life, especially the part of Alexandra, the Russian girl. She made me totally believe her character. Her accent was perfection. &nbsp;Looking back, I'm glad I chose the audio version for this book because I may have become distracted if I were reading the print version during the (much) slower parts.<br /><br />The bottom line for me is that it was a good listen but a little underwhelming considering all the hype about Bohjalian's work I'd heard for years. My question is: Is this typical of all his books? Or is this one an exception? I will have to read another Bohjalian novel to answer those questions. And I certainly will, maybe in print the next time to see if that affects my opinion at all. Clearly, his fans loved this book but unfortunately, for me, it was just OK.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Mysteries-Thrillers/The-Guest-Room-Audiobook/B018IQB2SQ/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1465847432&amp;sr=1-1" target="_blank">THE GUEST ROOM (Unabridged Audio Version)</a></b><br /><a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Mysteries-Thrillers/The-Guest-Room-Audiobook/B018IQB2SQ/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1465847432&amp;sr=1-1" target="_blank">Author: Chris Bohjalian</a><br />Publisher: Random House Audio<br />Published: January 2016<br />Length: 10 Hrs 10 Mins<br />Source: Purchased via Audible<br /><br /><br /><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BooksAndCooks/~4/E2JFUXQJ-5U" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://southerngal-lisa.blogspot.com/2016/06/review-guest-room-by-chris-bohjalian.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa (Southern Girl Reads))1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821441307795094837.post-2305179020411833934Tue, 07 Jun 2016 14:09:00 +00002016-06-08T09:04:39.036-04:00Lisa UngerNew YorkparanormalSimon and SchustersuspensethrillerTouchstoneBooksReview: Ink and Bone by Lisa Unger<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4Ceck921tUw/V1RY0jTycLI/AAAAAAAADjE/wg7_xvg4gjEim3uwdI7OLESnqIg3NNz2QCLcB/s1600/Ink%2Band%2BBone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4Ceck921tUw/V1RY0jTycLI/AAAAAAAADjE/wg7_xvg4gjEim3uwdI7OLESnqIg3NNz2QCLcB/s320/Ink%2Band%2BBone.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>Before <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ink-Bone-Novel-Lisa-Unger/dp/1501101641?ie=UTF8&amp;keywords=ink%20and%20bone&amp;qid=1465308165&amp;ref_=sr_1_1&amp;sr=8-1" target="_blank">INK AND BONE</a></b> I had never read a Lisa Unger book, so I was very excited when I was offered an advance copy from the publisher so of course, I jumped at the chance! I was not familiar with her work so I really didn't know what to expect. Before reading this new book, I read up on Lisa Unger a bit and was surprised to learn that on June 4 she released a novella called THE WHISPERING HOLLOWS containing three short stories featuring Eloise Montgomery, a major character in INK AND BONE. Another happy surprise was the presence of paranormal elements in this book. I suppose I was expecting a straight-forward suspense novel but I realized this book was going to be more than that. It made me even more excited to start reading.<br /><br />INK AND BONE is a paranormal suspense thriller featuring Eloise Montgomery, "a reluctant" psychic medium and her nineteen year-old granddaughter, Finley, who shares more than a bloodline with Eloise. Though Finley has known for a long time that she sees things most people don't, it isn't until a year ago when she moved to The Hollows in upstate New York to live with her grandmother, that she begins exploring the 'gift' she was born with. Eloise serves as a gentle guide for Finley as she tests the power and limitations of those gifts.<br /><br />It's been close to a year since eight year-old Abbey Gleason was taken while on a hike in The Hollows with her dad and older brother. All hope has been lost but Abbey's mother, Merri, can't let go or give up. She hires private detective Jones Cooper, from The Hollows, because he works with noted psychic medium Eloise Montgomery. Merri knows this is probably her last hope of finding her daughter, but it's not Eloise who is sensing things about the case. It's Finley's turn to follow the 'signs' wherever they may lead.<br /><br /><b>My Thoughts:</b><br /><b>(Contains No Spoilers!)</b><br /><b><br /></b>This was a well thought out story that I was very impressed with. It's multi-layered with rich, interesting characters. &nbsp;What I enjoy about Unger's writing style is the way she reveals impactful information along the way. &nbsp;I like to call them 'nuggets' and this book has them littered throughout, which kept my attention and focus. It also made the pages fly by. There was also a big twist that totally caught me off guard!<br /><br />She uses two main perspectives to tell the story - one from the parents of Abbey Gleason and the other is Finley's but there's also Eloise's point of view as well, though not as prevalent. It's interesting because it allows the reader to know exactly what each party is going through and where they are coming from.<br /><br />The subject matter of the story is disturbing yet Unger doesn't get explicit with the violent acts of the perpetrator though she eludes to them more later in the book. Many writers would include details that might be hard to take, but Unger uses a lighter touch without softening the story at all. That is really good for readers who like these types of books but don't particularly care for a lot of violence.<br /><br />The paranormal aspect took this book to another level and I really enjoyed it. It was definitely present without being too over the top weird. I liked that fact that Finley was just beginning to understand her abilities and that made it easier for me to accept. I felt this was a great element to the story and makes me really happy to have read INK AND BONE. I like the paranormal genre but I have a hard time finding books that I like and this one filled that void for me.<br /><br />As a first time reader of Lisa Unger's work, I am thrilled to say I am now a fan! &nbsp;I'll be looking into more of her books and hoping that Finley Montgomery will come back one day. There's a lot there to build on with these characters and the location. The Hollows was it's own character and it was fantastic. And don't forget, about the novella, THE WHISPERING HOLLOWS - it would make a great companion piece with this book. &nbsp;I'd like to thank Courtney Brach at Touchstone and Simon &amp; Schuster, Inc. for the opportunity to preview this novel. I'm sure it will be a big hit this summer.<br /><b><br /></b><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ink-Bone-Novel-Lisa-Unger/dp/1501101641?ie=UTF8&amp;keywords=ink%20and%20bone&amp;qid=1465308165&amp;ref_=sr_1_1&amp;sr=8-1" target="_blank">INK AND BONE</a>&nbsp;</b><br />Author: Lisa Unger (@lisaunger)<br />Publisher: Touchstone<br />Published: June 7, 2016<br />Printed Length: 352<br />Source: Publisher<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BooksAndCooks/~4/vgeUBQZCKH4" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://southerngal-lisa.blogspot.com/2016/06/review-ink-and-bone-by-lisa-unger.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa (Southern Girl Reads))1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821441307795094837.post-3712961200159529334Sat, 04 Jun 2016 16:21:00 +00002016-06-04T12:46:44.968-04:00abductionaudiobookfamilyKarin Slaughterpsychological thrillerstand-alonesuspenseAudiobook Review: Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k0GbPX_dr5E/V1Lgd5G-F7I/AAAAAAAADi0/1fOnIjU29BgfF_l-p_tjhN4DZU9JhqyXwCLcB/s1600/pretty%2Bgirls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k0GbPX_dr5E/V1Lgd5G-F7I/AAAAAAAADi0/1fOnIjU29BgfF_l-p_tjhN4DZU9JhqyXwCLcB/s1600/pretty%2Bgirls.jpg" /></a></div>PRETTY GIRLS is the first stand-alone book I've read, or in this case, listened to by Karin Slaughter, though I'm a huge fan of her Will Trent Series. I was curious to see how she wrote and developed other characters apart from the series I was so used to. What I found was more intense, very complex characters, and in this case, a very difficult storyline. She takes psychological thrillers to a whole new level.<br /><br />This is the story of a family deeply divided over events that started over twenty years prior. There used to be three sisters. Lydia and Claire were the oldest with Julia, a teenager, the youngest. The family was blown apart the day Julia disappeared without a trace. The not-knowing what happened to her leaves emotional scars on teh rest of the family. Claire and Lydia's relationship falls completely apart, with their mother adamately taking Claire's side leaving Lydia feeling totally alone and their father sinking into his own abyss of grief, guilt and despair. Lydia is, feeling totally ostracized from her family takes out on her own, cutting them off, with all loyalty from her family gone. It's now twenty years later and Claire's husband has been murdered right in front of her during a mugging. Claire's life is a fairy-tale compared to Lydia's, Her husband was extremely successful and she didn't want to for anything. Lydia scrimped and clawed for everything she has, which isn't much. While looking into her husband's dealings during the investigation into his murder, Claire finds shocking and frightening evidence that she didn't know her husband at all. In fact, what she discovers puts her in fear of her own life. Not knowing if she can even trust the police, she turns to the one person who has no reason at all to help her. After twenty years, Lydia knew that if Claire called her, it must be something very important, but there was no way she could have prepared herself for what was to come. <br /><br /><b>My Thoughts on the Story:</b><br /><b>(No Spoilers!)</b><br /><b><br /></b>Having read Slaughter's Will Trent Series, I already knew that she doesn't hold back when writing her stories. I will state right off that this book, nor any of her books, really, are for the faint at heart. If you are easily offended by violence this book is probably not for you. I would have to say this is one of her most violent that I've ever read. Having said that, this was nothing less than what I've come to expect from one of the best suspense/thriller writers of our generation. It was a twisted, disturbing story but I was all in. I'm not sure what that says about me, but I read for an escape, which is why most of us read, I imagine. She is a no holds barred writer and is fearless, in my opinion. I have read that some readers thought this book in particular was too violent and there is an argument for that, I suppose, but like I applaud her unapologetic approach to writing great thrillers. It's important to not let the violence in the book take away from the incredible writing and storytelling with all of it's twists and turns. One thing I love about KS's work is that it's never predictable. She continues to surprise me with every book I read and this one was no exception.<br /><br /><b>My Thoughts on the Audio Performance:</b><br /><b><br /></b>I have listened to one or two of the Will Trent books and I didn't love the narrator but I was very pleased with Kathleen Early's performance in PRETTY GIRLS. She has a unique cadence to her voice and her storytelling kept me on the edge of my seat. In referencing her previous work, I learned that she has narrated Slaughter's Grant County Series, which I have not read. That encourages me to listen to that series as well.<br /><br />At about 20 hours, this is a longer audiobook, but, for me, it flew by. At the time I was listening to this I had sold my home and was packing up to move to Ohio. It's tedious work but this audio make that task less daunthing. It kept me from being overwhilmed with what I was doing. That's why I love audiobooks. I listen when I'm cleaning or cooking and I get totally absorbed in the story and before you know it, my task is done. If you appreciate extreme psychological thrillers you should add PRETTY GIRLS to you listening list.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Mysteries-Thrillers/Pretty-Girls-Audiobook/B0149LZ2JE/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1465049021&amp;sr=1-1" target="_blank">PRETTY GIRLS </a></b>(Unabridged Audio Version)<br />Author: Karin Slaughter<br />Narrator: Kathleen Early<br />Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.<br />Published: September 2015<br />Audio Length: 19 Hrs 59 Mins<br />Source: Purchased thru Audible<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BooksAndCooks/~4/jDBB0kP5E9w" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://southerngal-lisa.blogspot.com/2016/06/audiobook-review-pretty-girls-by-karin.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa (Southern Girl Reads))0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821441307795094837.post-6718917614165151952Wed, 01 Jun 2016 11:58:00 +00002016-06-01T07:58:44.327-04:00Jeffrey ArcherSeriesThe Clifton ChroniclesReview: Cometh the Hour (Clifton Chronicles #6) by Jeffrey Archer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5D-E3w1k45M/V03TaONdvnI/AAAAAAAADiQ/jFPrc2E8MPIqjilJt9dFFYXkZtnIFeL-QCKgB/s1600/Cometh%2Bthe%2BHour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5D-E3w1k45M/V03TaONdvnI/AAAAAAAADiQ/jFPrc2E8MPIqjilJt9dFFYXkZtnIFeL-QCKgB/s200/Cometh%2Bthe%2BHour.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">I became a fan of Jeffrey Archer quite by accident. &nbsp;About seven years I'd entered a giveaway that fellow blogger, Anna, at <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://diaryofaneccentric.wordpress.com/2016/05/31/review-giveaway-shadows-over-longbourn-by-jann-rowland/" target="_blank">Diary of an Eccentric</a>**&nbsp;</i>was hosting. &nbsp;The prize was the audio CD's for ONLY TIME WILL TELL, The Clifton Chronicles Book 1. I was the lucky winner and honestly wasn't familiar with the author at all. &nbsp;Once I started listening I was immediately drawn to this family from Bristol, UK. Jeffrey Archer is an author I probably wouldn't have turned to on my own for whatever reason but I feel lucky that Anna introduced me to his work. Since then I've read every book in the series and I've realized and now appreciate what a wonderful storyteller he is. At the end of every installment, I know there is going to be a breath-taking cliff hanger!&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">In COMETH THE HOUR, we have arrived in the 1970's and the world is rapidly changing for the Clifton/Barrington clan. Most of the story takes place in the UK, some in the US, with brief visits to Russia. There is more espionage, business back-stabbing and family secrets - some revealed, some not. This is a bit more of a serious book than some of the previous ones but Archer's quick wit is still present.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">With only one book yet to be released for this series, it is bittersweet knowing it will be coming to an end, but with only seven (total) books in the series, it wouldn't be difficult to read the entire series. Jeffrey Archer, in my opinion, is right up there with Louise Penny (Three Pines Series). What these two writers have in common is that they (I believe) write for the 'more mature' reader. I've said it all along and I stand behind that statement. If you've read Penny or Archer, I think you'd understand. So, if I could encourage a new series to someone, it would be The Clifton Chronicles. For me, it has been a total joy to read. It is very satisfying and always leaves me wanting more.&nbsp;</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>COMETH THE HOUR (Clifton Chronicles #6)</b></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Author: Jeffrey Archer</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Publisher: St. Martins Press</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Published: February 2016</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Printed Lenth: 416</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Source: Publisher</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">**Incidentally, Anna has another great giveaway happening now through June 5th. Click&nbsp;</span><b style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://diaryofaneccentric.wordpress.com/2016/05/31/review-giveaway-shadows-over-longbourn-by-jann-rowland/" target="_blank">here</a></b><span style="font-size: large;">&nbsp;for details.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BooksAndCooks/~4/_16v7-dip5k" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://southerngal-lisa.blogspot.com/2016/06/review-cometh-hour-clifton-chronicles-6.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa (Southern Girl Reads))2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821441307795094837.post-6111282621422375831Sun, 29 May 2016 12:48:00 +00002016-05-29T08:48:31.934-04:00booksreviewsThe Sunday SalonWeek in reviewThe Sunday Salon: My Bookish Week<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-00_f_AxB9WY/V0rhkIJt-EI/AAAAAAAADh8/jiOwt9bA7z03Ju5tMnkZmEbmlF9ew7fnwCLcB/s1600/TSSbadge3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-00_f_AxB9WY/V0rhkIJt-EI/AAAAAAAADh8/jiOwt9bA7z03Ju5tMnkZmEbmlF9ew7fnwCLcB/s1600/TSSbadge3.png" /></a></div>I've really enjoyed getting back into the swing of things last week, both with blogging and reading. The bottom line is, I'm happier when I'm busy. Though the number of comments is down, traffic to the blog is thriving, so I'm happy knowing people are visiting! Has anyone else noticed a drop in comments? (Just wondering)<br /><br /><b>A Look Back:</b><br /><b><br /></b>Last week was a productive week for me. I posted two reviews. &nbsp;<b><a href="http://southerngal-lisa.blogspot.com/2016/05/review-weekenders-by-mary-kay-andrews.html" target="_blank">THE WEEKENDERS </a></b>, is a new release from Mary Kay Andrews. Then I reviewed an audiobook, <b><a href="http://southerngal-lisa.blogspot.com/2016/05/audiobook-review-blue-novel-by-lucy.html" target="_blank">THE BLUE</a></b> by Lucy Clarke. (It came out in paperback last Tuesday). Both of these books are great summer reads from two different genres.<br /><br />The book I was reading last week is a yet-to-be-released psychological thriller by Lisa Unger called INK AND BONE. I'm a little more than half-way, so I'll be finishing it up this week. This is a new author for me. It's a lot different than what I was expecting. It has paranormal elements that were a surprise for me. I wonder, Do all of her books include paranormal activity? Luckily for me, I like it as long as it's not over the top weird and so far I'm liking this book. INK AND BONE hits shelves June 7th.<br /><br />I started a new audiobook this week as well. It's another new-to-me writer. <b><a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Mysteries-Thrillers/The-Good-Girl-Audiobook/B00LFW89E6/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1464524580&amp;sr=1-1" target="_blank">THE GOOD GIRL</a></b> by Mary Kubica is another suspense/thriller involving an abduction. I haven't gotten very far into it yet, (only about an hour or so) but I have liked what I've heard so far.<br /><br /><b>A Look Ahead:</b><br /><br />I've got two reviews planned for this week if all goes well. COMETH THE HOUR by Jeffrey Archer, is book 6 of the Clifton Chronicles series. I've enjoyed it from the beginning and there's only one book left due out early next year. &nbsp;The audiobook I'll be reviewing is from one of my favorite authors, Karin Slaughter. PRETTY GIRLS is the first stand alone novel I've read from her. I really enjoy her thrillers though I've heard some readers say her stories are too violent. Sometimes they are, and this one was tilting more that way, but it doesn't discourage me from reading them.<br /><br />The books I plan to start this week are both new books from authors I've read before. Matthew Norman's <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Were-All-Damaged-Matthew-Norman-ebook/dp/B019XX9I3O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1464524289&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=we+are+all+damaged" target="_blank">WE'RE ALL DAMAGED</a></b> and Ann Leary's <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Children-Novel-Ann-Leary/dp/1250045371?ie=UTF8&amp;keywords=the%20children%20ann%20leary&amp;qid=1464524419&amp;ref_=sr_1_1&amp;sr=8-1" target="_blank">THE CHILDREN</a></b> are two of my most anticipated books. Both of thir previous novels were favorites of mine and I can't wait to get started. I'm not planning a new audiobook for this week. I'll just be finished up Kubica's and then I'll be waiting for END OF WATCH by Stephen King to be released in a few weeks. As you may know, it's the final book in the Bill Hodges Trilogy. It's bittersweet because it's coming to an end. The title alone makes me nervous and in true King fashion, I know it will end with a bang.<br /><br />Wednesday, I'm excited to be attending a book discussion at the local library here in Amelia. I've never been there and my friend, Kathy is taking me. She's a big reader too! The book being discussed is the amazing <a href="http://southerngal-lisa.blogspot.com/2016/05/audiobook-review-blue-novel-by-lucy.html" target="_blank">ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE</a>.by Anthony Doerr.<br /><br />I want to thank you for stopping by and wish you all a Happy Memorial Day! I've been invited to a cookout Monday with my second family, the Whitaker/Franco clan. They're a bunch of crazies that I love so much and I know we'll be having a great time! Be safe and enjoy your holiday!<br /><br /><br /><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BooksAndCooks/~4/XhRpkqJW9DU" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://southerngal-lisa.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-sunday-salon-my-bookish-week.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa (Southern Girl Reads))2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821441307795094837.post-9059475740209567777Wed, 25 May 2016 11:47:00 +00002016-05-25T07:47:16.423-04:00audiobookFavorite BooksfriendshipsLucy ClarkesailingScarlett MacksecretssuspenseAudiobook Review: The Blue: A Novel by Lucy Clarke<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NEqiAsBvka0/V0SBs022KXI/AAAAAAAADhs/w0Yv7w7rXA8M9fwGw-Uhh7JfrqJAZmM0wCLcB/s1600/The%2BBlue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NEqiAsBvka0/V0SBs022KXI/AAAAAAAADhs/w0Yv7w7rXA8M9fwGw-Uhh7JfrqJAZmM0wCLcB/s1600/The%2BBlue.jpg" /></a></div>If you love atmospheric novels that completely draw you in and make you feel as if you are actually there inside the story, THE BLUE is definitely a book you shouldn't miss. It's hardcover release was August of 2015 but it came out in paperback just yesterday, May 24, 2016. &nbsp;I became a fan of Lucy Clarke about three years ago after reading an advance copy of her debut novel SWIMMING AT NIGHT (released in the UK under the title <i>The Sea Sisters</i>). All of Clarke's novels transport the reader to breathtakingly beautiful locales. In <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Novel-Lucy-Clarke-ebook/dp/B00SP33X9Y?ie=UTF8&amp;keywords=the%20blue%20by%20lucy%20clark&amp;qid=1464134927&amp;ref_=sr_1_1&amp;s=books&amp;sr=1-1" target="_blank">THE BLUE</a></b> the story begins in The Philippines with the final destination being the coast of New Zealand.<br /><br />While vacationing in the Philippines, lifelong friends Lana and Kitty befriend the laid back crew of a boat named <i>The Blue</i>. They spend the day on the boat enjoying the sunshine, water and laughs that seem to come so easy for this group of misfits. The girls are so taken in by this very different lifestyle of sailing from coastal city to coastal city, that when the crew asks them to join them for the remainder of the trip, they both jump at the chance. The truth is neither one of the girls is all that anxious to get back to their 'regular' life in London with all it's disappointments and troubles.<br /><br />Their journey starts off smoothly and they are soon lulled into the rhythmic patterns of sea life that the constant motion of waves bring. There is a democracy aboard <i>The Blue</i> where all decisions are voted on, but Captain Aaron is ultimately the one in charge and his word is not tested. Relationships among crew members are not tolerated for obvious reasons so when the chemistry between Lana and Denny, another crew member, becomes too hard to fight, they keep their tryst a secret. But living in such close quarters, secrets are hard to keep and as time goes on, Lana feels as though she's not the only one hiding something.<br /><br />When one of the crew is discovered missing while at sea, accusation come out and Lana can't go along with Captain Aaron's plan to keep <i>The Blue</i> out of trouble with the authorities. She takes a stand, tries to find out what happened but at the same time ostracizes herself from the rest of the crew, including Denny and Kitty. She ends up making a decision that could change her life forever, along with her friendship with Kitty.<br /><br /><b>My Thoughts:</b><br /><br />Each time I read a Lucy Clarke novel I yearn for the sun, sand and water of the ocean. Her storytelling along with the vivid imagery she creates is so realistic. In <a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/The-Blue-Audiobook/B011VDKYR8/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1464175545&amp;sr=1-1" target="_blank">THE BLUE </a>I could almost hear the sea water lapping against the side of the boat. It's ironic that the atmosphere was so calming but the story was filled with tension throughout. There was a perfect balance to it. This is why I'm such a fan of Lucy Clarke's work. Each of the characters were flawed and multi-dimensional and so very believable. Even though the plot was not a complicated one, the characters, each with their own issues, made it into a very suspenseful story with danger never far away. This book, especially, out of all of her books, makes me appreciate her subtle yet purposeful writing style.<br /><br /><b>Audio Performance Review:</b><br /><b><br /></b>The characters of THE BLUE are an eclectic group of people from different parts of the world. There are two Americans, two Londoners, one German, one Frenchman and an Ausie. Scarlett Mack is the only narrator and she did an outstanding job! Her dialect for each of these characters was spot on. Mack has a very easy tone to her voice making it a very pleasant listen. This was the first time I've listened to a Lucy Clarke book and I chose mainly because of time constraints with some print books I was also reading at the same time but in the end, it was a great decision. This ranks up there with some of my favorite audios. I'll definitely keep an ear out for more listens by Scarlett Mack. If you're planning a long car ride this summer, THE BLUE would be a great choice to listen as you travel.<br /><br />If you've never read a Lucy Clarke novel, I encourage you to do so. You will be swept away by both the story and the beautiful settings she chooses. <b><a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/The-Blue-Audiobook/B011VDKYR8/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1464175545&amp;sr=1-1" target="_blank">THE BLUE</a></b> would be the perfect book to kick your summer reading off right.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/The-Blue-Audiobook/B011VDKYR8/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1464175545&amp;sr=1-1" target="_blank">THE BLUE</a>: A Novel (Unabridged Audio Version)</b><br />Author: Lucy Clarke<br />Publisher: Simon &amp; Schuster Audio<br />Published: August 2015<br />Length: 10 hrs 40 mins<br />Printed Length: 336<br />Source: Purchased thru Audible<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><u>Other Books I've Reviewed By Lucy Clarke</u></div><div style="text-align: center;"><u><br /></u></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="http://southerngal-lisa.blogspot.com/2013/05/review-swimming-at-night-by-lucy-clarke.html" target="_blank">SWIMMING AT NIGHT</a></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="http://southerngal-lisa.blogspot.com/2014/04/review-single-breath-by-lucy-clarke.html" target="_blank">A SINGLE BREATH</a></b></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BooksAndCooks/~4/3PWDd0gTzS0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://southerngal-lisa.blogspot.com/2016/05/audiobook-review-blue-novel-by-lucy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa (Southern Girl Reads))1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821441307795094837.post-1976267076983254793Mon, 23 May 2016 14:24:00 +00002016-05-23T10:24:42.508-04:00beach readsfamilyMary Kay Andrewsmysterynew bookNorth Carolinasummer readingReview: The Weekenders by Mary Kay Andrews <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_NvFR9Lb59k/Vz-smJY9ILI/AAAAAAAADhc/A9MnsgcznikJHj8KuKjvJbd-p1SE4kv5gCLcB/s1600/The%2BWeekenders.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_NvFR9Lb59k/Vz-smJY9ILI/AAAAAAAADhc/A9MnsgcznikJHj8KuKjvJbd-p1SE4kv5gCLcB/s320/The%2BWeekenders.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>As a long-time fan, I look forward to the release of a new Mary Kay Andrews novel each Spring. Admittedly, my favorites go back a few years to Little Bitty Lies, Savannah Blues and Hissy Fit but I'm still enjoying her original and sometimes quirky characters and strong storylines. THE WEEKENDERS was no exception - in fact, it turned out to be more than what I've come to expect. There was a murder involved with more of a who-dunnit quality that I really enjoyed. Here's a quick synopsis . . .<br /><br /><i>Riley Griggs and her daughter, Maggy are headed to the North Carolina coast for the summer. The small island of Belle Isle was first developed by Riley's ancestors, making her family a fixture in the tight-knit community. Unfortunately, this summer won't be like previous summers because Rile and her husband, Wendell, have some difficult news to share with twelve year-old Maggy. After many months of fighting and basically living separately, they're getting a divorce. The plan is to break the news to their daughter over the Memorial Day weekend, the beginning of their summer retreat on Belle Isle with the rest of her family. But Wendell doesn't show up at the ferry on the designated day they were to meet. At first Riley assumes he's just bailing out on telling Maggy about the divorce but soon, Wendell's body is found in the marina and suddenly things get even more serious. Even as Riley is put on the growing suspect list, she is determined to find out who killed him, even as she learns that he has lost the house on the island due to foreclosure. With the help of her best friend, Parrish, she discovers that losing the house is just the tip of the iceberg.&nbsp;</i><br /><i><br /></i><b>My Thoughts:</b><br /><b><br /></b>Over the past several months I've begun reading more books from the suspense and thriller genre and they sometimes get a little dark so I was ready for something more upbeat and less disturbing. Enter THE WEEKENDERS. An added bonus was realizing that even with the 'lighter' content, there was a change from her previous books. The big difference was the mystery aspect of who killed Riley's no-good lying husband. With several suspected characters, there was a lot ot think about while reading. Don't get me wrong, all of her stories are good, but this gave it a little more depth and I appreciated that. Of course, there was the usual romantic element along with friendship and the complications of family that are always prevalent in her books. There was also the more serious subject of juvenile Diabetes which fit nicely into this story and at the same time gave awareness to a growing problem in today's society. &nbsp;I always love the locales MKA chooses for her novels and this was no exception. Having just moved away from Florida myself, I began missing the beach a little!<br /><br />This is the perfect beach read for the summer, and for me it was a nice respite from some heaver books I've been reading. I think readers will like the murder mystery element as much as I did. In my opinion, THE WEEKENDERS puts Mary Kay Andrews back on top!<br /><br /><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Weekenders-Novel-Mary-Kay-Andrews-ebook/dp/B0177626W4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1463790251&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=the+weekenders+mary+kay+andrews" target="_blank">THE WEEKENDERS</a></b> by Mary Kay Andrews<br />Publisher: St. Martins Press<br />Published: May 17, 2016<br />Print Length: 462:<br />Source: Publisher<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BooksAndCooks/~4/aSvnIcs91y4" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://southerngal-lisa.blogspot.com/2016/05/review-weekenders-by-mary-kay-andrews.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa (Southern Girl Reads))1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821441307795094837.post-6469035844518100196Sun, 22 May 2016 11:44:00 +00002016-05-22T07:44:43.329-04:00The Sunday SalonupdateThe Sunday Salon: After the Big Move!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PK5jbOTD87Y/Vz-rdrMT39I/AAAAAAAADhQ/LTOFBydI3xc_l6Rk5tcfmippWSRvF-uBACLcB/s1600/TSSbadge3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PK5jbOTD87Y/Vz-rdrMT39I/AAAAAAAADhQ/LTOFBydI3xc_l6Rk5tcfmippWSRvF-uBACLcB/s1600/TSSbadge3.png" /></a></div>A lot has changed since my last post to this blog. Back in March I was preparing to move out of my house that I'd sold and pack up all my worldly belongings and move back to my home state of Ohio. Well, the move is done, I'm (for the most part) settled in my new apartment and life is slowly getting to a new normal. I was sidelined for well over a week with a terrible cold but I'm much better now. The weather, though I'm loving the cooler temps, is much different than what I'm used to and that has been another adjustment. I'm not typically a jacket-wearer, but here, you need to have one handy because the air is so different. But I can say without a doubt that I do not miss the sweltering humidity of Florida.<br /><br />Though the actual move with the movers went smoothly, the car ride from Florida to Ohio was anything but. We left Florida in the wee hours of April 16 and that afternoon we'd made our way to Chattanooga, TN and stopped for lunch. A few hours later while going through Louden, TN, my mother's car blew a tire while going somewhere close to 70 mph. She and my sister and their three cats were in the car and they were following behind the car I was in with my best friend and her husband and we were pulling a small U-Haul trailer. The sound of screeching tires was so frightening, especially when I realized it was my 76 year-old mom's car that was making the noise. Her car was headed into a median with a very rough terrain, but luckily she side-swiped a sign that pushed her back onto I-75 and she was able to get the car under control and stopped without involving other cars or sustaining injuries. They were extremely lucky and we were all thankful no one was hurt, besides the car. (over $9,000 in mostly body damage) The accident held us up for about four hours but we were back on the road by 7:30 pm and continued on. Again, we are all incredibly grateful we all made it safely because it could have easily had a much different outcome.<br /><br />It feels really good to be settled and to begin a new routine here in Amelia, Ohio. It's such a nice city and &nbsp;so close to Cincinnati, where there is so much to do, unlike whee I moved from. I finally started reading again this month and now that I have my home office set up I'll start posting reviews that have been stacking up since March, when I had to be out of my house. It's also nice to have all my stuff out of storage! &nbsp;Here's a peek at some of the books I'll be posting reviews for in the coming weeks::<br /><br /><ul><li><b>THE WEEKENDERS </b>by Mary Kay Andrews</li><li><b>COMETH THE HOUR </b>by Jeffrey Archer</li><li><b>THE BLUE </b>by Lucy Clarke</li><li><b>THE GUEST ROOM </b>by Chris Bohjalian (Audio Review)</li><li><b>PRETTY GIRLS </b>by Karin Slaughter (Audio Review)</li></ul>The two books I'm currently reading are very exciting too. INK AND BONE by Lisa Unger is due out in June. It's my first from this author, but so far I am really into it. It's a physiological thriller in which the main character has the ability to see people who've crossed over. I am intrigued by mediums, so I'm really enjoying this book. I'm also listening to THE GOOD GIRL by Mary Kubica, also a new author to me.<br /><br />I'm looking forward to visiting the blogs now that I am all moved in to see what everyone else is reading. &nbsp;I feel so out-of-the-loop! As for today, I plan to do some laundry and spend some time reading. &nbsp;Thanks for taking the time to stop by today and please visit again soon!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BooksAndCooks/~4/PVPCibCg0-o" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://southerngal-lisa.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-sunday-salon-after-big-move.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa (Southern Girl Reads))7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821441307795094837.post-8384401940725037493Sun, 28 Feb 2016 15:29:00 +00002016-02-28T10:29:44.780-05:00booksLife changesmoveThe Sunday Salon: The Big Move<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wJYlo6pRE4c/VtMRA5ZtEvI/AAAAAAAADgA/36UGRe0xRzM/s1600/TSSbadge3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wJYlo6pRE4c/VtMRA5ZtEvI/AAAAAAAADgA/36UGRe0xRzM/s1600/TSSbadge3.png" /></a></div>Happy Sunday everyone! As many of you may know, I've been a little absent from the blog lately while &nbsp;trying to sell my house and prepare to move back to my hone state of Ohio. &nbsp;I thought today would be a good day to post an update. Big changes are coming very quickly!<br /><br />Fortunately, my house sold in just two months, which is a real blessing! The buyer is a very nice woman who I"ve had the pleasure of meeting. She is a widow and she has grandchildren that I'm sure will be spending a lot of time here playing in the yard and filling the house with giggles and laughter. After living here for 23 years, I'm happy to hand the keys over to such a nice lady.<br /><br />I've had a range of emotions running through my brain since my realtor told me she accepted my counter-offer. My first reaction was relief, quickly followed by panic when she told me the closing date was March 11th! I was overwhelmed with the daunting task of cleaning out this 3-bedroom house. As part of the sale, I had to make some improvements such as re-shingle the roof and install a new drainfield. Luckily, through people I've met while working in the construction industry for so long, I was able to get these two things done much cheaper than most. Some really wonderful people stepped up and came through for me and made it possible to get this done in record time. I will forever be grateful for their help.<br /><br />Now, I'm &nbsp;within a week of moving out of my house and things are falling into place. I'm 90% packed, the movers are scheduled and it's all becoming very, very real. With the help of my wonderful sister-friend, Brenda, (already living in Ohio), she has helped me find and secure an apartment in my new city, Amelia, Ohio. She will fly down the week of April 12th and on the 16th, she will drive myself and my cat, Jax, to Ohio with my mom and sister following. It's a big move for my little family and we are so excited! My mom and sister will be living in Galloway, Ohio while I'll be in Amelia.<br /><br />I will not be buying a home because with my disability, it is better for me to rent an apartment. I am simply not able to manage the upkeep of a home and property any longer. I'm down-sizing and will not have the worry of costly repairs and maintenance. My 2 bedroom apartment will be perfect. It even has a pool! I'm really looking forward to spending time with family members I've seldom seen in my adult life and re-connecting with friends from long ago. This is a very exciting time and I'm looking forward to the future! That is not to say I won't miss the people I'm leaving behind in Florida. This has been my home since 1979 and I plan to keep those relationships strong.<br /><br />I've gotten so far behind in my book reviews and it's going to be a bit longer until I get settled in my new home. I hope you will please bear with me until all this craziness is over. I've got some really great books to share with you!<br /><br />Since this is Oscar Sunday and the awards show is tonight, I'd like to take this opportunity to give thanks to all of the people who've helped me during this transition. Special thanks to: Emerson Clauss III, Emerson Clauss IV, Brenda Ryder, Kevin Whitaker, Susan Goebel, Julie Tankersly, Pam Drake, John Mills, John Hudson, Brendan Cromwell, Terry Rowe, John Rutledge, and most of all, Carol Amos (my mom) for your never-ending support and love! It takes a village to move a partially blind woman and these are them! Thank you all for everything! I am forever indebted to you!<br /><br />The next time I post it will be from Ohio! I will be back with more book love very soon and in the meantime I'll catch you on Facebook and Twitter!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BooksAndCooks/~4/Ov_fUv9dvLA" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://southerngal-lisa.blogspot.com/2016/02/the-sunday-salon-big-move.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa (Southern Girl Reads))2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821441307795094837.post-3820509714686705747Sat, 16 Jan 2016 15:21:00 +00002016-01-16T10:35:10.957-05:00Best SellerGodNadia Bolz Weber Emerson Claussnon-fictionNonfiction SaturdayreligionSaintsNon-Fiction Saturday: Accidental Saints: Finding God in All the Wrong People by Nadia Bolz-Weber<div style="text-align: center;">As part of our <b>Non-Fiction Saturday</b> feature, Emerson Clauss is sharing his thoughts on another intriguing book. This New York Times best-selling author has written what some would call an unexpected and surprising book as unorthodox as she is.&nbsp;</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iRFZv4ZPpR8/VppPziKJDlI/AAAAAAAADfk/QtsbapAxLCk/s1600/Accidental%2BSaints.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iRFZv4ZPpR8/VppPziKJDlI/AAAAAAAADfk/QtsbapAxLCk/s320/Accidental%2BSaints.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Review by Emerson Clauss</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Accidental-Saints-Finding-Wrong-People/dp/1601427557/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1452952317&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=accidental+saints" target="_blank">ACCIDENTAL SAINTS</a></b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> by Nadia Bolz-Weber is a most interesting book. &nbsp;&nbsp;It is an easy read; it will pull you in and tweak every emotion you might have, some you weren’t even aware of.</span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Nadia, at first glance, the least likely (looking) pastor, shares some of her background, stories starting and maintaining a most unconventional church, her strange collection of misfit congregation and will make you laugh as you take it all in. &nbsp;And this is not a book for just the religious or the disenfranchised; although that seems to be the origin and strength of her church, aptly called: &nbsp;“House for All Sinners and Saints”. &nbsp;The stories are human stories, ones that everyone can appreciate.</span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Without preaching here, Nadia’s book is brash, funny, sometimes vulgar… but always riveting. &nbsp;I found myself wanting to help her at each turn, as part of this weird church. &nbsp;You begin to feel like a part of her congregation, setting up tables and chairs for a night of meaningful discussion, some laughs and some plain old “shootin the shit”….</span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And, as you start reading this, and after looking at her picture on the book jacket; you can only imagine when she approached the church hierarchy to be commissioned her own church, how the heads were spinning, at first. &nbsp;When she speaks of that same process and of her followers, you begin to understand where Nadia gets her strength and her faith to be doing what she does, with the congregation she collects along the way. &nbsp;&nbsp;It’s downright inspiring.</span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I will admit, before reading this book, I had heard her interviewed on a radio show. &nbsp;She was funny, irreverent and irresistible. &nbsp;That sent me right out to find and read this book; a small part of her story. &nbsp;</span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">During the course of reading, I really felt inspired by her outreach and her brutal honesty about that work; her first instincts (which are sometimes not what a pastor would say or do), and the fact she is not perfect and lets us inside her world to see how she copes and which little voices she listens to and acts upon.</span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Refreshing is what I would call Nadia, her story, her work and her followers. &nbsp;I found myself wishing I lived closer to her church and could attend; although she probably would lump me with those “straight people” she is not sure what to do with.</span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We could all learn a few things from this story and Nadia’s work; important lessons about grace, forgiveness and shedding prejudices we all have, to some degree. &nbsp;&nbsp;To start with, go ahead and read this most enlightening and entertaining book.</span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">To contact Emerson Clauss about this or other reviews email him at: ejclauss@gmail.com</div><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Accidental-Saints-Finding-Wrong-People/dp/1601427557/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1452952317&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=accidental+saints" target="_blank">ACCIDENTAL SAINTS: Finding God in all the Wrong People (Hardcover)</a></b><br />Author: Nadia Bolz-Weber<br />Publisher: Convergent Books<br />Publshed: September 2015<br />Length: 224 pp<br />Source: Purchased<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BooksAndCooks/~4/VF-ce5MNgNg" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://southerngal-lisa.blogspot.com/2016/01/as-part-of-our-non-fiction-saturday.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa (Southern Girl Reads))0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821441307795094837.post-3606209061110137231Tue, 05 Jan 2016 13:23:00 +00002016-01-05T08:23:09.764-05:00Alexandria SeriesMary Ellen Taylornewreleasesouthern historical fictionUnion Street BakeryVirginiaThe View From Prince Street by Mary Ellen Taylor (Alexandria Series #2)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4xrZrUo09sk/VorSrGEKnLI/AAAAAAAADe0/r8GG5LkJEJU/s1600/Prince%2Bstreet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4xrZrUo09sk/VorSrGEKnLI/AAAAAAAADe0/r8GG5LkJEJU/s320/Prince%2Bstreet.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">THE VIEW FROM PRINCE STREET is the second book in Mary Ellen Taylor's Alexandria Series that's full of history and family secrets, some dating back to the 1700's and others not nearly as old. &nbsp;This is the continuing story of three families; the Shires, the McDonald's and the Smyth's, and how their pasts have forever linked them to each other. The first book, <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Corner-King-Street-Alexandria-Series/dp/0425278255/ref=pd_sim_14_1?ie=UTF8&amp;dpID=51f%2BmIgkl%2BL&amp;dpSrc=sims&amp;preST=_AC_UL160_SR107%2C160_&amp;refRID=0F4C65CJ8MD836TDHSHK" target="_blank">AT THE CORNER OF KING STREET</a></b>, was more about the Shire family and it's history, especially how the women of that family tended to suffer from a curse that we now acknowledge as mental illness. In this new book, the story centers mainly around the McDonald and Smyth families, the the Shires are in the story as well.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rae McDonald has a reputation as being a cold,&nbsp;</span>unemotional<span style="font-family: inherit;">&nbsp;woman. Not unfriendly, just reserved and very private. She has a successful career but is not married and has no family left. She lives on what's left of the McDonald land that dates back over 300 years, but she struggles with her family's history and what legacy she will leave behind, if any. The discovery of a 'witch bottle' on her property in the previous book raised questions about the first known McDonald's and their journey from Scotland to the Virginia Colonies in the mid 1700's, along with Faith Shire, a woman thought to have been a witch.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lisa Smyth has returned to her hometown of Alexandria after getting word that her Aunt Amelia's health is failing and the Dementia she suffers from is invading more and more of her mind. Her plan is to sell the historic home Amelia's family has owned for many generations to pay for the cost of nursing facility Amelia now calls home. Being back in Alexandria means Lisa has to face her demons from seventeen years ago while at the same time hang on to her twelve years of sobriety. &nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">When Rae McDonald asks Margret McRae, the local historian to look into her family's past, she has no idea what secrets will be revealed but it's something she has to do even if her own secret is brought to light. Many secrets and painful memories for both Lisa and Rae are revealed and both women are forced to confront them head on.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>MY THOUGHTS:</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Since I really enjoyed the first book of the series, I've been looking forward to finding out where the story would go this time around. Alexandria is such an old, interesting city and Mary Ellen Taylor successfully incorporates that history and nostalgia into these books. &nbsp;As a history buff, I appreciated that aspect. &nbsp;Like the first book, old letters written by one of Rae's&nbsp;</span>ancestors<span style="font-family: inherit;">&nbsp;were used to tell the historical part of the story. The letters were short but very relevant to the more current storyline without being a distraction.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">There are quite a few characters and at first it was a little difficult to keep everyone's connections</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">straight, but that very quickly resolved itself and wasn't a problem. The cast is developing nicely without being overwhelming. MET has even brought characters from her Union Street Bakery Series into this story. All of the players are in some way relative to one another. I haven't read the USB series, but the way they are introduced here, it doesn't matter. They are all very genuine characters with flaws and quirks that make them very believable. One of my favorite characters is Margaret, the historian. I love her open and funny personality and the way she effortlessly makes everyone feel at ease whenever she is around.</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I feel this is a solid second installment with&nbsp;</span>so many good relationships to build on in the future. There's a lot of substance to these stories that deal with serious topics such as alcoholism, mental illness, and adoption to name a few. MET writes about these sensitive subjects with the perfect amount of finesse that they require. I look forward to finding out what direction she will go in with the next book and I will definitely keep reading. &nbsp;As a bonus, &nbsp;along with some of the characters from the Union Street Bakery series, she has included a couple of cookie recipes at the end of the book that were featured in this story. One in particular, the Lemon Polenta cookie, I plan on making myself very soon. I'll let you know how they turn out!<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/View-Prince-Street-Alexandra-Alexandria/dp/0425278263/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1451938637&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=the+view+from+prince+street" target="_blank">THE VIEW FROM PRINCE STREET</a></b> (eARC Copy)<br />Series: Alexandria Series, Book 2<br />Author: Mary Ellen Taylor (@METbooks)<br />Publisher: Penguin Random House<br />Published: January 5, 2016<br />Length: 352 pp (Paperback)<br />Source: NetGalley<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BooksAndCooks/~4/9zoOQmmzH0o" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://southerngal-lisa.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-view-from-prince-street-by-mary.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa (Southern Girl Reads))1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821441307795094837.post-6773057424696028947Wed, 23 Dec 2015 21:51:00 +00002015-12-23T16:51:30.704-05:00audiobookChristmas themed booksMary Kay Andrewsmystery seriesChristmas Bliss by Mary Kay Andrews (Unabridged Audio Version)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2qYf41x8dS4/VnsWJEh15vI/AAAAAAAADek/X3_mG6kAbPk/s1600/Christmas%2BBliss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2qYf41x8dS4/VnsWJEh15vI/AAAAAAAADek/X3_mG6kAbPk/s1600/Christmas%2BBliss.jpg" /></a></div>It's been a few years since fans of Mary Kay Andrews' partners in crime pals Weezie Foley and Bebe Loudermilk have been heard from. In fact, the last time was in 2006 with her previous Christmas tale, BLUE CHRISTMAS. Readers were first introduced to the duo way back in 2002 in her smash hit SAVANNAH BLUES.<br /><br />CHRISTMAS BLISS was released in 2013 and picks up with Weezie mere days away from her wedding to chef Daniel and Bebe very pregnant with her first child with beau, Harry, the deep-sea fishing captain. Both women seem to be charting near perfect lives but rough waters are soon on the horizon. As Weezie is making final preparations for her second, and hopefully, last wedding, her fiance is in New York City working as a guest chef in one of the city's premier establishments. As the days go by and the wedding gets closer, Daniel is almost impossible to reach. To make matters worse, newspaper clippings of photos with him and the beautiful owner of the restaurant cause Weezie's insecurities to surface. At the same time, Bebe gets a visit from a mysterious woman indicating that Bebe's divorce from her previous husband and con-man, Richard was never finalized, which means she is still married to him and could legally, according to the laws of the state of Georgia, could be considered her baby's legal father!<br /><br />While Weezie jets off to NYC to find out what's going on with her fiance and his sexy boss, Bebe is determined to locate Richard and get divorce papers re-filed before Harry finds out she's still married before the baby comes.<br /><br /><b>MY THOUGHTS ON THE STORY</b>:<br /><br />Although I always love when MKA brings these two fun characters back, I was a bit disappointed there wasn't a little more substance to the story. I hate even saying that as it is a Christmas-themed book and it was charming in that regard. In the past, Weezie and Bebe have been through some crazy fun adventures and compared to those, this was a bit tame. That being said, I was glad to see both of their relationships moving forward, especially since it's been forever since we've heard form them. The story had all the charm as in previous books with the same fun characters and it was a cute story to read for Christmas time. However, I do hope that MKA won't wait so long to bring them back and maybe with more of an adventurous storyline.<br /><br /><b>MY THOUGHTS ON THE AUDIO PERFORMANCE:</b><br /><br />When this book first came out in 2013, I received a hard copy from the publisher. Unfortunately, I only made it a third of the way through and had to set it aside because it was too difficult for me to read the print in the book. (My eyes had started getting worse at that time). I was very sad I couldn't finish the book then and felt terrible about it. &nbsp;So earlier this month I used one of my credits at Audible and purchased the audio version so I could listen to it for this Christmas season. Better late then never, I say!<br /><br />Kathleen McInerney did a good job of bringing these two lovable characters to life and her Southern accent was spot on without going overboard. Though I will say, later on in the book, it started to be a little syruppy for me. I know I'm just being picky and maybe I was a bit frustrated by the lack of adventure in the story, but I have to be honest. I think if there is to be a Weezie and Bebe Mystery Number 5, I will read it reather than listen.<br /><br />The bottom line is this is a cute, quick Christmas-themed book that I don't regret reading at all. The characters are beloved and I will never give up on them. This book would make a great Christmas present and is perfect for reading on a Christmas break either from school or work.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/Christmas-Bliss-Audiobook/B00F52CSH6/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1450904264&amp;sr=1-1" target="_blank">CHRISTMAS BLISS (Unabridged Audio Version)</a></b><br />Series: Weezie and Bebe Mystery<br />Author: Mary Kay Andrews<br />Publisher: Macmillan Audio<br />Published: &nbsp; &nbsp; October 2013<br />Length: 7 Hrs 39 Mins<br />Source: Purchased<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BooksAndCooks/~4/cteVt768q6g" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://southerngal-lisa.blogspot.com/2015/12/christmas-bliss-by-mary-kay-andrews.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa (Southern Girl Reads))0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821441307795094837.post-725391616549851778Sat, 19 Dec 2015 12:08:00 +00002015-12-19T08:47:18.813-05:00mental healthmental illnessnon-fictionPatrick KennedyNon-Fiction Saturday: A Common Struggle by Patrick Kennedy & Stephen Fried<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">It's Saturday and that means another great non-fiction book recommendation and review from Emerson Clauss for Non-Fiction Saturday. The book, <b>A COMMON STRUGGLE</b> deals with the sensitive, but very current topic of mental health. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u5nUc59UrTI/VnSv_3TsbPI/AAAAAAAADeU/ZTRQuhbt5TY/s1600/Common%2BStruggle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u5nUc59UrTI/VnSv_3TsbPI/AAAAAAAADeU/ZTRQuhbt5TY/s320/Common%2BStruggle.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Common-Struggle-Personal-Journey-Addiction-ebook/dp/B00SI02EGM/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1450487603&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=a+common+struggle" target="_blank">A COMMON STRUGGLE </a></b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">by Patrick J. Kennedy and Stephen Fried is a book highlighting the courage and sacrifice to share a personal story of one person’s shortcomings and “demons”. &nbsp;Kennedy shares his personal tribulations dealing with mental health challenges, so as to enlighten us and show us there are solutions to these problems. &nbsp;The book is not a “tell all”, like the many we have seen about the Kennedy clan. &nbsp;Only when it helps tell his story, does Patrick include the influence of his immediate family, then the more encompassing, Kennedy extended Family. &nbsp;Obviously, his immediate family, including his most famous and notable father Ted, are in his story. </span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">With the topic of mental health so much in the news today, but rarely talked about in depth or with solutions and treatment in mind, Kennedy pierces that veil. &nbsp;He speaks openly of his battles, sometimes daily, to function in the real world. &nbsp;He is brutal in his honesty and shares how his family and congressional staff, after election to public office, help him function daily and sometimes cover for his dis-function.</span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Probably most of us cannot imagine the pressure “A Kennedy” grows up under; that alone is probably overwhelming. &nbsp;Add to that, personality traits that are genetic as well as destructive habits totally ingrained in your familial culture; the fact he or any Kennedy child survives this gauntlet is amazing. &nbsp;</span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Patrick chronicles his battles, while in school, onto college and into public life. &nbsp;This is an insider’s account of what a young adult, from a prominent family does, as he moves from the protected world of private schools and colleges, into adult life; with all that he implores to try to be functioning ‘as expected’. &nbsp;</span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">His coping mechanisms include prescribed medications, others drugs used not from prescriptions, alcohol abuse, and how quickly all of this can get out of control. &nbsp;For someone who is already struggling with very complex issues before any medication/alcohol abuse; this is a big challenge.</span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In following with so many of his family’s decisions to enter public life, Kennedy chooses the same. &nbsp;He starts small, than runs for the US Congress; winning a seat in Rhode Island. &nbsp;He uses this platform to start in earnest, his fight for Mental Health parity, for inclusion in insurance offerings and covered health issues, and for de-stigmatizing the diagnosis itself. &nbsp;He expends much of his time and political capitol on this most personal issue; he has (had) some big successes we still benefit from today </span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The only thing I had to keep fighting to keep out of my head while reading this book, is that Patrick chronicles what and how a person of privilege is able to afford help, hire folks to assist, and always have his family’s wealth to count and fall back on for assistance; something most us would never be able to afford; a safety net we do not have. &nbsp;</span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If this story could get lost in this privileged reality, Patrick does well to bring it back down to earth. &nbsp;He shares how important certain people become; the ones who understand the illness and those who will support your recovery, every minute of every day. &nbsp;This book is full of personal insight and raw feelings; it is compelling.</span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">At the time Patrick was in Congress, he made Mental Health his obsession. &nbsp;He has since made its awareness, discussion and availability of treatment, his life’s work through his foundation and ongoing efforts today. &nbsp;</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-40c924a0-b7b9-3a06-6e6a-7b3e6c070488"></span></span><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For anyone who has struggled with mental illness and available treatment, this is an important book. For anyone who has tried to help someone with mental health issues, whether successful or not; this book is helpful. &nbsp;For anyone who wants to make a difference in our society in reference to mental health and how it affects us all; this book is a must read.</span></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I** If you'd like to discuss this book or other non-fiction with Emerson, he can be reached at ejclauss@gmail.com </span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>A COMMON STRUGGLE</b> (Hardcover)</span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Authors: Patrick Kennedy &amp; Stephen Fried</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Publisher: Blue Rider Press</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Published: October 5, 2015</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Length: 425pp</span></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BooksAndCooks/~4/nWiLw1qaMJ4" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://southerngal-lisa.blogspot.com/2015/12/non-fiction-saturday-common-struggle-by.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa (Southern Girl Reads))2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821441307795094837.post-423906853806990318Sat, 05 Dec 2015 18:16:00 +00002015-12-05T13:16:27.219-05:00Bill Browdercorruptionfinancenon-fictionRussiaNon Fiction Saturday: Red Notice by Bill Browder As regular readers of SGR blog know, I don't spend a lot of time reading Non Fiction. My long-time, RL friend, Emerson Clauss, has been a guest review several times and I've decided to make him a permanent contributor so he can share what he discovers in that genre with my readers. &nbsp;He keeps me tuned in to so many great non-fiction books and his enthusiasm is contagious. I'll be sharing his book on what I will be calling Non-Fiction Saturday! The book he is spot-lighting today is one I have every intention of reading.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vA1LFkifi9c/VmMT0_SAdpI/AAAAAAAADdk/dsn_bncP4hY/s1600/Red%2BNotice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vA1LFkifi9c/VmMT0_SAdpI/AAAAAAAADdk/dsn_bncP4hY/s320/Red%2BNotice.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br /><br /><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: 1.38; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Red-Notice-Finance-Justice-Hardcover/dp/B00ZY94R3S/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1449333143&amp;sr=1-2&amp;keywords=red+notice" target="_blank">RED NOTICE</a></b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;"> by Bill Browder is a fantastic tale of intrigue, high finance, spies, big investments with surprises at every turn. &nbsp;What makes this book an amazing read, is that it is not only a true story, it will pull every </span></span><span style="line-height: 22.08px; white-space: pre-wrap;">heart-string</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;"> you have, will leave you hoping for the best in our modern world and how the "world" in Russia works; today with Putin at the helm.</span></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Browder starts his story of financial wizardry with his struggle to make a name for himself in the world of high finance and big deals; the dreams of Wall Street. &nbsp;He makes early inroads into the business the old fashioned way; with a good education, good instinct and plenty of hard work and gutsy moves. &nbsp;</span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bill finds himself looking for a way to differentiate himself in a pool full of sharks, and finds a niche in Russia. &nbsp;Along the way, he gives us mere mortals a view into the world of high finance and big investing. &nbsp;He weaves a great story of relationships, educated gambles and how the investment world works.</span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Russia creates a challenge for Bill and his new company, his associates and most importantly, his well healed investors. &nbsp;It is a challenge with huge rewards, for what he has stumbled into and uncovered. &nbsp;As Russia is trying to enter the new era of open borders and inviting outsiders into their economy, Browder finds some market and valuation anomalies that make the risk worth pursuing. &nbsp;And pursuing he does.</span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">With his new company, Bill assembles a team to research and vet all sorts of obtuse information about particular Russian companies and the folks who run them. &nbsp;At each turn he is more surprised and astounded; how could these fantastic deals not have been found by anyone else... </span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Browder and his company spend years developing their business and investments in Russia, through some monumental changing times for Russia and the "Federation". &nbsp;Russia is undergoing a lot of ups and downs, economically, socially and in the business world. &nbsp;However, the realities of doing business in Russia soon comes home to roost.</span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This true story starts sounding like an exciting Bond movie, except the players are real, have real lives and families. &nbsp;It does keep you on the edge of your seat. After a while, I was unable to put the book down, and had to know what happened next. &nbsp;And, when Bill's story started intersecting with current international news and the circumstances surrounding these events, it became that much more intriguing. </span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For all of the players in this real life drama, the stakes get higher at every turn, and they find that the old ways of Russia, with government being controlled by the infamous oligarchs; is alive and well. &nbsp;Possibly, the old ways of Russia have never gone away, and have never gotten better, despite the face the Kremlin tries to put on. &nbsp;</span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bill and his comrades become more aware of this, when the attacks begin on them, their investments and people who represent and do business with them. &nbsp;And as most American are aware, the government in Russia is scary at best, sinister at its worst. &nbsp;</span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The clandestine meetings, phone calls and face to face visits will keep you riveted to every turn of this tale. &nbsp;The courage of the people working for Bill and with him to salvage the best of a worsening situation is inspiring. &nbsp;Unfortunately this courage taunts the Russian government to unleash its wrath, to the demise of one of Bills associates, Sergei Magnitsky, soon to be killed in prison after his arrest.</span></span></div><b id="docs-internal-guid-929ece0f-72ed-2ea2-2703-a2ed28da91a8" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What is so heartening about this drama, playing out in real time for Bill and his associates, is how many people stayed courageous to help each other to safety under some extreme risk and stress, to extricate a few of them from Russia, and to eventually avenge Sergei's death in a most unique way. &nbsp;Bill puts his business life on hold in the late stages of this dilemma and sets his site on safeguarding his associates and pursuing justice for Sergei.</span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He puts his intelligence, strenuous work ethic and earnest efforts (and I'm sure considerable money) to extracting some justice from the folks in Russia responsible for his friends death and for his own persecution. &nbsp;This brings him squarely into the middle of some heavy world politics, where the stakes are high; but his personal risks are still bigger. &nbsp;After all, he has angered the Russian Government, one where Vladimir Putin, former KGB officer is now President. &nbsp;Putin does not like to lose or be shown up... we have all heard the stories, rumors of his detractors disappearing. </span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Browder lays much of the workings of Putin's Russia right on the table; and survives to tell this story. &nbsp;And it is a riveting story, one that will bring a tear to your eyes more than once; after you are pulled successfully into this drama. &nbsp;And there is much to learn about this story in the archives of recent history in news accounts. &nbsp;I know I will be digging further into this; it's too intriguing not to.</span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">To say this story is "told", would put it into the past. &nbsp;Two things about that: &nbsp;some of the story is still in the news and the players are still involved; one is a pissed off President Putin. &nbsp;And yes, we have all heard &nbsp;stories of assassinations traced back to Putin or his cronies... &nbsp;</span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bill closes his book with one thing I would like to quote him talking about countermeasures to safeguard himself and his family: "...this book. &nbsp;If I'm killed, you {the reader} will know who did it. &nbsp;When my enemies read this book, they will know that you know... That simple act will keep the spirit of Sergei Magnitsky alive and go further than any army of bodyguards in keeping me safe." &nbsp;&nbsp;</span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This book is an exceptional read, hard to put down, even for Thanksgiving Dinner. &nbsp;Bill Browder has the courage to share his story, the story of his friend, Sergei Magnitsky and that of enduring courage, the strength of the human spirit at its best. &nbsp;&nbsp;If this book fails to pull you in and hold your attention and heart... you may want to check for a pulse.</span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Red-Notice-Finance-Murder-Justice/dp/1476755744/ref=pd_sim_sbs_14_1?ie=UTF8&amp;dpID=51oNCb4W3LL&amp;dpSrc=sims&amp;preST=_AC_UL160_SR101%2C160_&amp;refRID=0KK733XEZQ733J9SBMZQ" target="_blank">RED NOTICE: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's Fight For Justice</a></b></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Author: Bill Browder</span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Publisher: Simon &amp; Schuster</span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Published: Reprint Edition October 2015</span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Length: 416 pp</span></span></div><br /><br /><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> &nbsp;</span></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BooksAndCooks/~4/dhK7WM2TdVk" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://southerngal-lisa.blogspot.com/2015/12/non-fiction-saturday-red-notice-by-bill.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa (Southern Girl Reads))0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821441307795094837.post-3710334386132674948Sun, 22 Nov 2015 16:51:00 +00002015-11-22T11:51:22.027-05:00audiobookscurrently readingnew booksthrillersThe Sunday Salon: Back to the Books!Happy Sunday all! I haven't done a post in awhile where I talk about the books I'm currently reading and listening to so I thought I'd do that today. I'll also update you on the status of my decision to move to Ohio. It's a rainy day here in central Florida, which doesn't bother me at all. It will make for a relaxing book-reading day for me.<br /><br />With Thanksgiving days away, I'll be taking a break from clearing out my house in preparation of selling it. It's a lot of work when you've lived there for over 20 years, not to mention it's even harder when you are literally half blind. &nbsp;I hired a guy to come and work in my yard last week and he did a great job! Now if only the leaves would stop falling! Hopefully, I'll be ready to start showing the house the week after. My mom and I met with a realtor last Monday (she's selling her house also and moving with me.) and that made it all seem very real! I know her house will sell very quickly but mine will probably take a bit longer as there are repairs that need to be done. Bur for the right buyer, it would make a great investment. I have a few people interested in looking at it so keep your fingers crossed for me!<br /><br />Since my recovery from surgery, I've been making up for lost time with the house chores so that hasn't left a lot of time for reading. On the other hand, I am making progress with audios. I love that I can work around the house and listen to my books. It makes the time fly by! But at the end of the day when I think I'll have an hour or so to read, I'm so exhausted I can't stay awake past the first few pages. So my book reading is suffering.<br /><br />I have two review books I need to read. I've started one called <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tenacity-Thriller-J-S-Law/dp/1627794565/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1448209610&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=tenacity" target="_blank">TENACITY</a></b> by J.S. Law. It's a thriller set in the UK and centers around an investigator with the Royal Navy. She is probing a possible suicide on the British submarine, TENACITY. It's the first book in a new series that others have described as "riveting". I'm very anxious to get back to it. This book was released on November 3rd.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nHJiJP4fFvk/VlHqO_f5LVI/AAAAAAAADc4/GTOKkzSBiLg/s1600/Tenacity11.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nHJiJP4fFvk/VlHqO_f5LVI/AAAAAAAADc4/GTOKkzSBiLg/s320/Tenacity11.15.jpg" width="223" /></a></div><br /><br />The other book is <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Along-Infinite-Sea-Beatriz-Williams/dp/0399171312/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1448209154&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=along+the+infinite+sea" target="_blank">ALONG THE INFINITE SEA</a></b> by Beatriz Williams. I've been very curious about her books over the last couple of years but haven't yet read one. So when her 'people' sent me a copy I jumped at the chance to read it. This one is in the historical fiction genre and has a bit of a romance. I was wary of the romance part because I don't usually read books for romance but I was assured it's a subtle element. I haven't read a historical fiction novel in awhile so I'm looking forward to this one. This book was released on November 3rd as well.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SsAYsRrLbQU/VlHrm_eVypI/AAAAAAAADdE/U0TherYLn9o/s1600/infinite%2Bsea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SsAYsRrLbQU/VlHrm_eVypI/AAAAAAAADdE/U0TherYLn9o/s320/infinite%2Bsea.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br />I have two audio books going right now but I had to take a break from one of them. <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Little-Life-Novel-Hanya-Yanagihara/dp/0385539258/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1448209800&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=A+little+life" target="_blank">A LITTLE LIFE </a></b>by Hanya Yanagihara is a very long book at over 33 hours and it's a gut-wrenching story. I've reached the half-way point and decided to set it aside for just a bit.<br /><br />The other audio I started last week is by an author with whom I've become quite smitten. Lucy Clarke's THE BLUE is her third novel and though I'm only about 2 hours in, I'm already totally engrossed and connected to the characters. All of Clarke's books have an adventurous aspect to them as they always revolve around the sea.<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Novel-Lucy-Clarke/dp/1501116738/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1448209732&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=the+blue" target="_blank"> THE BLUE</a></b> is about a crew of a 50' yacht that is sailing from The Phillipines to New Zealand and the mysterious goings on amongst this group of people who haven't known each other long but each has a story aching to come out. I have grown to love Clarke's beautiful writing and how she is able to draw the locale into the story and make it seem like it is within reach of the reader. She is a lovely writer and is becoming a favorite of mine. I especially liked the Prologue of this book for it's wonderful prose. I even went back and listened to it twice! The narrator, Scarlett Mack, is doing a terrific job, especially with the different dialects of the characters.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kDt_hCWdtkQ/VlHsApY_b-I/AAAAAAAADdI/IuKpamHMKDc/s1600/The%2BBlue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kDt_hCWdtkQ/VlHsApY_b-I/AAAAAAAADdI/IuKpamHMKDc/s1600/The%2BBlue.jpg" /></a></div>I'm also moving forward with Karin Slaughter's Will Trent Series in between all these other books. I'm on Book 5, FALLEN, though I'm only about 25% done. There are seven books so far in the series and I am really missing it. I desperately want to get back to it. Her crime fiction/suspense writing is amazing but for some it's a bit violent. I have her latest, a stand-alone novel called PRETTY GIRLS on audio but I haven't started it yet. Probably won't get to it until January. :(<br /><br />The other day, I went through my Kindle and took note of all the books I haven't read yet and I was ashamed of myself! I think it's time for me to ban myself from buying anymore books at least for the rest of the year, if not longer. I have some wonderful books that I'd even fortotten about!<br /><br />So, that's what's going on in my book world. I'm hopeful I'll make a big dent in my reading this week and I can't wait! I'm starting today! First up I need to finish TENACITY and FALLEN. That is my first priority.<br /><br />Usually I like to cook on Sunday, but I'm taking a break there too. Yesterday I made a recipe my mom makes all the time that is a cheesy, potato casserole. So I'll just be heating that up, adding a veggie and probably put some chicken in the toaster oven to bake. Easy, peasy!<br /><br />Now I'm off to get comfortable and start reading! I'd also like to wish everyone a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BooksAndCooks/~4/Rf2oaVVZCAU" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://southerngal-lisa.blogspot.com/2015/11/the-sunday-salon-back-to-books.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa (Southern Girl Reads))4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821441307795094837.post-760396036064129911Sat, 14 Nov 2015 14:58:00 +00002015-11-14T09:58:57.720-05:00audiocrime fictionStephen KingTrilogyFinders Keepers by Stephen King (Unabridged Audio)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yr7ZHP6-wKA/VkZEBsZIfuI/AAAAAAAADcY/b0xRIPxEa9Q/s1600/Finders%2BKeepers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yr7ZHP6-wKA/VkZEBsZIfuI/AAAAAAAADcY/b0xRIPxEa9Q/s320/Finders%2BKeepers.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>In this second book of the Bill Hodges Trilogy Stephen King takes us into the mind of a reader obsessed with a series of books. John Rothstein, the writer of the series and creator of the iconic protagonist, Jimmy Gold, has not released a new installment in years and has been living an isolated existence, almost in obscurity for many years. &nbsp;Morris Bellamy is obsessed with Jimmy Gold and is infuriated about the way Rothstein has left the character. Bellamy is so consumed by this obsession that he, and two accomplices break into Rothstein's secluded home and steal the money he purportedly kept in a safe. While cleaning out the safe they also find several filled notebooks of the aged author's writings. Bellamy is convinced these notebooks are the next installments of the series not yet released. &nbsp; <br /><br />After hiding his treasure, Bellamy is then sent to prison for an unrelated crime. As the years pass he dreams of the day when he can reclaim the notebooks and prove that Rothstein had, in fact, written another Gold book. &nbsp;When finally released he discovers his treasure is gone and he sets out to find it.<br /><br /><b>My Thoughts on the Story:</b><br /><b><br /></b>Immediately, I was excited about the story featuring an obsessed reader. Morris Bellamy is a low-life but he is no dummy. He is totally obsessed with these books and will do anything to get those notebooks back. It has now been a few years since the Mercedes killings when we first met retired cop Bill Hodges. He isn't present right away, but King enters him into the story very naturally. Along with Hodges, Jerome and Holly are also included, which I really liked. They &nbsp;sre an odd group of friends that you wouldn't think would have anything in common with each other, but their bond is evident. There are also a few minor characters from book one. For me, the story was original and had me riveted from the beginning. I have only read a few of King's other books but I really enjoy the way he reveals details in these crime fiction books. He doesn't throw everything at you at once. It's like peeling layers of an onion. I enjoyed it very much. There was just as much suspense as in the first book so it made the listening time go by very quickly.<br /><br /><b>My Thoughts on the Audio Performance:</b><br /><b><br /></b>As with MR. MERCEDES, Will Patton was exceptional. I've always been a fan of his acting ever since I first saw him in the Costner/Hackman film NO WAY OUT. His talent is unending. The way he can so smoothly distinguish between characters is total perfection. He brings such life to these people and makes them totally believable. &nbsp;His ability to use so many different inflections of his voice for all these characters and keep them all straight is amazing. He is one of my all-time favorite narrators.<br /><br /><b>The Bottom Line:</b><br /><b><br /></b>I was curious where this second book would take us and if it would be a continuation of MR. MERCEDES. &nbsp;I liked how King told a new story but kept it related to Book One. And even though I wasn't as blown away with this one as I was with MR. MERCEDES, I still really liked it. I'm looking forward to the final book. Lastly, &nbsp;I have to mention the cover! It is as great as the previous one with its subtle hints! It's a great read in any form, but if you're looking for a new audio, I highly recommend giving this one a try. Will Patton is wonderful and makes the whole experience even better.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/Finders-Keepers-Audiobook/B00U7T90L4/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1447512108&amp;sr=1-1" target="_blank">FINDERS KEEPERS (Unabridged Audio)</a></b><br />Author: <b><a href="http://stephenking.com/promo/finders-keepers/" target="_blank">Stephen King</a></b><br />Narrator: <b><a href="http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_pd_Fictio_c2_1_narr?searchNarrator=Will+Patton" target="_blank">Will Patton</a></b><br />Publisher: Simon &amp; Schuster Audio<br />Published: &nbsp;June 2015<br />Length: 13 Hrs 5 Mins (448 pp)<br />Source: Purchased from Audible.com<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BooksAndCooks/~4/20-ZblbrP0Q" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://southerngal-lisa.blogspot.com/2015/11/finders-keepers-by-stephen-king.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa (Southern Girl Reads))3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821441307795094837.post-6952441810825097748Thu, 05 Nov 2015 20:21:00 +00002015-11-05T15:21:20.605-05:00ClassicHarper Leeliteraturesouthern fictionTo Kill A MockingbirdGo Set a Watchman by Harper Lee<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CoHpjIN6DHU/VjuIjO5YJyI/AAAAAAAADcE/mr-B03psQQc/s1600/Watchman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CoHpjIN6DHU/VjuIjO5YJyI/AAAAAAAADcE/mr-B03psQQc/s320/Watchman.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>As a lover of Southern Fiction and TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, I was actually nervous to read this book. I had read the reviews and the criticism beforehand which only added to my nervousness. I wanted it to be great. I wanted it to be just as wonderful as TKAM. But realistically, I knew that wasn't possible. Even before reading it I felt it was unfair to compare it to the giant literary work we have loved and coveted for over fifty years. &nbsp;I still feel that way now after reading it.<br /><br />When I began reading, it felt odd that Jean-Louise was now a grown woman, living in NYC and it took me a while to get used to that fact. I know, it's silly, but that'a how I felt. Once I shed the dream of having Scout back in the same form, the story grew on me. Yes, by that I mean I wasn't in love with the story right away. It took some time to warm up to it. So much had changed but, like real life, it's a normal progression. &nbsp;Along with Jem's absence in the book, one of the first aspects that surprised me was the change in Calpurnia's relationship with the family. A true sign of the times, I realize it is a reflection of how life was changing in the south with regard to African Americans. But much like Jean-Louise, it caught me off guard and I felt a sort of loss. The South was evolving and so were it's people. &nbsp;Because Jean-Louise had moved North for school, she didn't see the slow progression of this change and upon returning home that new reality slapped her in the face. Scout never saw Cal as black, she was just Cal and she loved her. She never saw the division and she didn't want to see it now. <br /><br />The book is a sharp contrast to TKAM in that it shows not only how much the South waschanging, but also Jean-Louise's realization that Atticus may not be the man she thought he was. &nbsp;As she struggle to accept these changes, she questions what she always thought to be true. &nbsp;All she wants is for things to go back to the way she remembered. &nbsp;Seeing a parent through grown up eyes is sometimes difficult, especially when the image you have of that person is almost god-like, as in Scout's case with Atticus. I remember well the first time, as an adult, I saw a flawed version of my own father and how hard it was for me to come to terms with him not being perfect. That is what Jean-Louise is dealing with here. <br /><br />Unlike many readers, I didn't feel like this book showed Atticus as being a racist. In fact, I didn't find him much different than in TKAM. Jean-Louise made assumptions about her father and in true Scout form, reacted before looking at the whole picture. I feel like a lot of the readers who also saw him as racist did the same thing. He was still a man fighting for his community with all its changes, but doing it in a different way. Some see it and some don't. The book became more emotional to me as it went on and by the final pages, I had a lump in my throat that almost choked me. It was in those pages that I came to my final opinion about the book. It moved me and I'm so glad I read it. I had no idea what to expect going in but what I got was an appreciation for Harper Lee's view and her talent.<br /><br />One final note, the title was a mystery to me at first but now that I've read the book and I understand where that phrase comes from and what it means, I totally get it and think it is the perfect title.<br /><br /><b>The Bottom Line:</b><br /><br />I strongly suggest reading this book but only if you've already read TKAM. Don't try to compare the two books, just go into it with an open mind. I flew through it and will more than likely read it more than once. It's not often we get the chance to have a highly regarded writer of a piece of classic literature offer something such as this and I commend Harper Lee for her courage in doing so.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://southerngal-lisa.blogspot.com/2015/10/huntress-moon-by-alexandra-sokoloff.html" target="_blank">GO SET A WATCHMAN (Kindle Version)</a></b><br />Author: Harper Lee<br />Publisher: Harper<br />Published: July 2015<br />Length: 288 pp<br />Source: Purchased<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BooksAndCooks/~4/Pa9AsxMLw1E" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://southerngal-lisa.blogspot.com/2015/11/go-set-watchman-by-harper-lee.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa (Southern Girl Reads))1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821441307795094837.post-6250705605174533871Sat, 31 Oct 2015 14:55:00 +00002015-10-31T10:55:15.375-04:00ghostshaunted mantionLaura BenedictmysterySeriesVirginiaBliss House by Laura Benedict (Kindle Edition)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wqg7Tsmohx8/VjPvbyq0E0I/AAAAAAAADb0/2m_yhAYmUKM/s1600/Bliss%2BHouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wqg7Tsmohx8/VjPvbyq0E0I/AAAAAAAADb0/2m_yhAYmUKM/s320/Bliss%2BHouse.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>If you're looking for a book perfect for Halloween, BLISS HOUSE may fit the bill for you. It's a spooky, ghost-filled story centering around a generations-old mansion that is clearly haunted and doesn't mind making it's inhabitants known.<br /><div><br /></div><div>Rainey Adams bought the old family home with the hopes that moving her daughter, Ariel, to Virginia from St. Louis would help her recover from a tragic accident that left her both physically and mentally maimed. It was their house that exploded from faulty wiring that caused Ariel's severe injuries and took the life of her beloved father, with whom she was so close. Since it was her mother's project, Ariel holds some resentment against her mother and their relationship has suffered greatly. Though Rainey has heard some stories about the house, she has a distant familial connection to it and hopes that in fixing it up it will give she and her daughter a fresh start.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>Once a grand home located in rural Virginia, it doesn't take long to realize there's something off about Bliss House. The creep meter goes way up when the morning after Rainey hosts her first party, a house-warming, one of the guests is found dead, causing a lot of unease and old fears in the community.</div><div><br /></div><div>Simultaneously, there's another story connected to the house being told, the events of which reveal themselves in flashback chapters. It involves the relationship between a young couple from the 1980's that turns into something very frightening and disturbing.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>BLISS HOUSE is a dark, haunting tale with the main character being the house itself with its history of madness, not to mention murder. Rainey doesn't want to believe that the old beautiful home she has so much invested in could be a bad place, but the longer they are there, the more sinister it becomes. Even more troubling to Rainey is the changes happening to her daughter.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>My Thoughts:</b></div><div><br /></div><div>There is a lot going on in this book. There is the the house with its hidden rooms and runnels leading to who-knows-where; there's Rainey, the loving and broken mother fighting to help her daughter get her life back and, hopefully, along the way repair their damaged relationship; and the story of the young couple that is fighting to come out even though some people will do anything to keep it hidden. And there's the contractor Rainey hired to renovate the house who's wife becomes the latest victim of Bliss House.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>The story is not hard to follow, although I was skeptical about how the two different stories were going to come together. I'm not a huge fan of going back and forth in time, but those chapters were not long and drawn out so it didn't bother me as much as I thought it would. Rainey's story was a sad one and I immediately began rooting for her with what she hoped to accomplish in buying Bliss House. .&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>The story was original but there were so many characters that it made it harder to connect with. Some aspects of these characters, I felt, were there just for shock value which made it feel forced. BLISS HOUSE was released in 2014 and is the first in a series. The second book, CHARLOTTE'S STORY, which came out October 15, 2015 actually takes place in the 1950's and divulges more of the mansion's deception. Since there were so many loose ends at the end of BLISS HOUSE, I thought the second book might pick up with some of the many characters but I don't believe that is the case. There is also a third book yet to be released.<br /><br /><b>The Bottom Line:</b><br /><b><br /></b>I have to admit I was a bit disappointed in this book. &nbsp;Too many characters, and I didn't love the flashback story. It felt disjointed. Initially I liked the premise but it just went in too many directions for my taste. As far as the second book, I may give it a try but I'm not running to pick it up. All that being said, BLISS HOUSE is a good one to read this time of year with Halloween being upon us. If you've read it and have a different opinion, I'd love to hear your thoughts.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bliss-House-Novel-Laura-Benedict-ebook/dp/B00IDEQNL0/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;qid=1446238427&amp;sr=8-1" target="_blank">BLISS HOUSE (Kindle Edition)</a></b><br />Series: Bliss House, Book 1<br />Author: Laura Benedict<br />Publisher: Pegasus<br />Published: June 2014<br />Length: &nbsp;449pp<br />Source: Purchased</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BooksAndCooks/~4/6haeLx4tHc4" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://southerngal-lisa.blogspot.com/2015/10/bliss-house-by-laura-benedict-kindle.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa (Southern Girl Reads))0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821441307795094837.post-5105420114297403086Wed, 28 Oct 2015 12:22:00 +00002015-10-28T08:22:16.552-04:00Alexandra Sokoloffaward-winnerebookFBIparanormalserial killerSeriesHuntress Moon by Alexandra Sokoloff<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ql86gWrgaDs/Vi-fsNJo_mI/AAAAAAAADbg/4xM8c_mSFmM/s1600/Huntress%2BMoon7.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ql86gWrgaDs/Vi-fsNJo_mI/AAAAAAAADbg/4xM8c_mSFmM/s320/Huntress%2BMoon7.15.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>This award-winning thriller that came out in November of 2014 was subsequently named Best eBook Original Novel. This is the first book in the Huntress/FBI Series.<br /><br />In this premier installment Sokoloff has us following FBI Agent Matthew Roarke as he tracks a most unique suspect: a female serial killer. In fact, one of the victims, a fellow agent working undercover was on his way to meet Roarke and was killed almost right in front of him. As a former profiler, &nbsp;Agent Roarke digs into the lives of the previous victims and develops a theory that he is reluctant to offer full disclosure to. <br /><br /><b>My Thoughts:</b><br /><b><br /></b>I found the premise of the story interesting and was curious to see where it would go. In my experience, I haven't read many thrillers with a female serial killer so I thought that was a bold move on behalf of Alexandra Sokoloff. That being said, there were a few times I felt she was reaching a bit but I was interested enough to keep going. Sokoloff was able to keep my attention throughout the book and I was anxious to return to it when I did have to stop reading from time to time. The book hints at the paranormal as well which gives it a mysterious element that I hope will become more prevalent in the future. The back story of the killer was a good twist and she even manages a link between the killer and the agent, albeit a distant one. That is one reason I feel like this series has a lot of potential. The growth of the characters and future encounters leaves the door open for another intriguing installment. BLOOD MOON is the second book and I already have it on my Kindle and will hopefully get to it before the end of year. .<br /><br />If you're like me and enjoy audiobooks, you may be interested to know that the narrator of HUNTRESS MOON is non other than R.C. Bray, the voice of the astronaut in THE MARTIAN and, more recently, the narrator of DECENT by Tim Johnston, both of which I really enjoyed. So if you prefer audios, that is a good reason to pick this one up.<br /><br /><b>The Bottom Line:</b><br /><b><br /></b>For me, this book is a win. I give it 3.5 stars, because I had a few believability issues with the story, however, it has a paranormal aire about it so I took that into consideration. I think the stories will improve and I will be reading more from this series. It's the perfect type of book to be reading this time of year with Halloween approaching. It's a quick read, too, and that is a plus as well.<br /><br />There are currently three books in the series with a fourth coming in 2016. For more information on Alexandra Sokoloff and her books, visit her <b><a href="http://www.alexandrasokoloff.com/" target="_blank">website</a></b>.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Huntress-Moon-FBI-Thrillers/dp/1477822046/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1445886318&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=huntress+moon" target="_blank">HUNTRESS MOON (Kindle Version)</a></b><br />Series: Huntress/FBI Book 1<br />Author: Alexandra Sokoloff<br />Publisher: Thomas &amp; Mercer<br />Published: November 2014<br />Length: 373 pp<br /><br /><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BooksAndCooks/~4/nxYmc08MSI4" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://southerngal-lisa.blogspot.com/2015/10/huntress-moon-by-alexandra-sokoloff.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa (Southern Girl Reads))1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821441307795094837.post-4281161334850720010Tue, 27 Oct 2015 11:58:00 +00002015-10-27T07:58:48.691-04:00hikingnaturenon-fictionPacific Coast Trailrapeself discoveryGuest Post: Girl in the Woods by Aspen Matis Reviewed by Emerson ClaussOnce again, I've invited my friend Emerson Clauss to be a guest reviewer and he has chosen a wonderful memoir called GIRL IN THE WOODS by Aspen Matis. &nbsp;He has a personal connection to the subject matter of the book and came away with some interesting insights.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pArJvnBkqhk/Vi505EwWbmI/AAAAAAAADbE/qHByWPrQiew/s1600/Girl%2Bin%2Bthe%2BWoods.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pArJvnBkqhk/Vi505EwWbmI/AAAAAAAADbE/qHByWPrQiew/s320/Girl%2Bin%2Bthe%2BWoods.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>GIRL IN THE WOODS: A Memoir by Aspen Matis</b></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This is a seemingly familiar story of running away from something into nature to find yourself, except it has some new twists and sheds light on an epidemic in this country. &nbsp;In GIRL IN THE WOODS, Aspen Matis shares her story of a campus rape, hers. &nbsp;Crimes like this we see too often in the news and the incidence is rising in frequency, by most statistics. &nbsp;Unfortunately she is the victim, yet becomes a gifted storyteller in her account of this act and her journey to overcome it.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Aspen tackles the Pacific Coast Trail (PCT), which is notably one of the epic hiking experiences in the US. &nbsp;She embarks on this journey armed only with some childhood wilderness experiences and little planning or preparation. &nbsp;She takes on this epic hike as a "Thru Hiker", meaning her goal was to accomplish the entire route in one try, all &nbsp;2,650 &nbsp;miles of it. &nbsp;Aspen also makes the decision to do it in "light" mode; carrying only bare essentials, which add several times to her challenges along the way.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As an avid and experienced &nbsp;outdoors person, I was almost appalled at her lack of prep and seemingly rash decisions at the onset of this adventure. &nbsp;Then I recalled being 19; life then is full of those kinds of decisions. &nbsp;Through her experience of this campus rape, she is left feeling empty, lost and in need of something drastic in her life. &nbsp;She finds those things in herself on the PCT. &nbsp;&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I'll admit, I was attracted to this story for several reasons; first as an outdoorsman and secondly, I wanted some insight to how to deal with the subject of rape, especially with the victim. &nbsp;I wanted to see a woman's perspective on how people treat her afterwards, how they are stymied with what to say and how to react. &nbsp;And it was insightful how, probably because of our lack of knowledge and openness about these emotions surrounding this crime; those around her do not handle her or her feelings well.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It is such a quagmire of &nbsp;emotions for everyone involved, most of us are ill equipped to deal with it well and be supportive of the victim at a vulnerable time of need; for their daughter, friend or sibling. &nbsp;Along the trail, strangers begin to act oddly around her, in this little wilderness click on the PCT. &nbsp;She is forced to make some statements and actions to dispel that miss-information and set some people straight. &nbsp;She does well to explain to the reader, how this wilderness community rises up each spring then dies away each fall.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The story has some real interesting moments, both in nature and in human relations. &nbsp; She (obviously) makes it through okay, but sometimes only by luck and possibly a series of small miracles, and with the aid of "Trail Angels". &nbsp; Her feat of surviving the PCT is something tremendous, no matter her motivation. &nbsp;And her goal, to find herself again, is noble and heartfelt. &nbsp;Aspen's story is unique, but also too familiar. &nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I believe this is a good read for couch potatoes and outdoors people alike. &nbsp;It is certainly one more MEN should read; for too many reasons to list here. &nbsp;This book may offer us all some insight to how to help, talk to and support a woman in this trap of a most personal of crime against her. &nbsp; &nbsp;GIRL IN THE WOODS even hints of a continuing mystery in its Epilogue... one I had to research myself and found immensely intriguing as a student of human nature. &nbsp;&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">GIRL IN THE WOODS is definitely a good read.</span><br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Girl-Woods-Memoir-Aspen-Matis/dp/0062291068/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1445884318&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=girl+in+the+woods+aspen+matis" target="_blank">GIRL IN THE WOODS (Hardcover)</a></b><br />Author: Aspen Matis<br />Publisher: William Morrow<br />Published: September 8, 2015<br />Length: 384pp<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BooksAndCooks/~4/eqIp3bAMaAk" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://southerngal-lisa.blogspot.com/2015/10/guest-post-girl-in-woods-by-aspen-matis.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa (Southern Girl Reads))1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821441307795094837.post-7633280939520635978Sun, 25 Oct 2015 16:38:00 +00002015-10-25T12:38:39.970-04:00audio bookspersonal newsreview booksThe Sunday SalonThe Sunday Salon: A New Chapter for Me<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EEUyB9LsfJg/Vi0Fa8jmFVI/AAAAAAAADa4/D5QMYiTWkSg/s1600/TSSbadge3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EEUyB9LsfJg/Vi0Fa8jmFVI/AAAAAAAADa4/D5QMYiTWkSg/s1600/TSSbadge3.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I've had this post in mind for many weeks but had to put it off when my neck issues arose but now that I'm fully recovered I'm excited to finally share my news. &nbsp;There are a lot of changes in store for me hopefully in the next 6 months.<br /><br />After living in my house here in Ocala, Florida for 22 years, I've decided to sell it. My ex-husband and I bought the house in early 1993 a few years after we married. It was a perfect starter home for us and even after he bailed in 2000, I took over the mortgage alone and have continued living here. It was the perfect solution for me but as time has gone on and I've lost so much of my sight and become less independent, it's time for me to make a change. The house and property are too much for a partially blind single woman to handle. I need to get away from the stress of it and I would like to be able to start afresh without old memories lingering everywhere I look. <br /><br />I'll begin showing the house to prospective buyers next month and hopefully the right opportunity will present itself. I'm so anxious for the next chapter in my life and to see what is in store for me. Admittedly, I had been in sort of a slump but now I am filled with hope and excitement for the future! Thanks for letting me share this special news here at the salon!<br /><br />Even with all the preparations of selling my house, I have managed to slip in some books too. I'm actually a bit covered up with them! Here's what I'm reading now:<br /><br /><ul><li><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tenacity-Thriller-J-S-Law/dp/1627794565/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1445790254&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=tenacity" target="_blank">TENACITY</a> </b>by J.S. Law. This thriller is a review book centering around a naval investigator in the UK's Royal Navy. It's the first in a new series and from the comments I've read about it, it's a real page-turner. I've only just begun so I can't really say too much about it yet. Its release date is November 3rd.</li><li>&nbsp;<b>ALONG THE INFINITE SEA &nbsp;</b>by&nbsp;Beatriz Williams &nbsp;This is my first Williams book and this book is the third book about a trio of sisters, though I'm assured that it doesn't matter that I haven't read the first two books. I've just received this one so I haven't even started it but hope to this week. It's also due out November 3rd.</li><li><b>FALLEN </b>by Karin Slaughter &nbsp;This is the 5th book in the Will Trent Crime Fiction/Suspense series that I've become obsessed with.&nbsp;</li></ul><br /><br />I'm also listening to a new audiobook:<br /><br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_13?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&amp;field-keywords=a+little+life&amp;sprefix=a+little+life%2Caps%2C178&amp;rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3Aa+little+life" target="_blank"><b>A LITTLE LIFE </b>by Hanya Yanagihara</a> &nbsp;This book has created so much buzz I couldn't pass it up. It's a very long book which is why I chose the audio version. (Over 32 hours long!) I'm about 5 hours in so I have a ways to go! So far, I have two word for you: Character Development</li></ul><div>Surprisingly enough, I've not taken on any new TV shows this fall. &nbsp;I am, however, waiting for Chicago Med to start in November because I do watch the Dick Wolf Chicago Fire and PD series. They are two of my favorites and they do a lot of crossing over which is always fun to watch. With my books, audios and a few Netflix shows I just don't want to add anything else.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>So that's what's going on in my world. As for today, I'm taking a break from sorting out three bedrooms worth of 'stuff' and I'll be reading and watching some football. Yes, I'm a multi-tasker! As for dinner, I'll be creating my version of Chicken a la King, which has been a retro favorite of mine since way back when microwaves first came on the scene! I'll be making it up as I go along, so wish me luck! How hard can it be, right?!&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>HAVE A WONDERFUL SUNDAY!&nbsp;</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BooksAndCooks/~4/XPNgLhXWKWg" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://southerngal-lisa.blogspot.com/2015/10/the-sunday-salon-new-chapter-for-me.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa (Southern Girl Reads))11
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