tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36927613229958271252024-02-01T23:56:25.273-05:00BevsBookBeatBevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307023632234305929noreply@blogger.comBlogger76125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692761322995827125.post-53377350829316161102012-06-13T14:41:00.000-04:002012-06-13T14:43:32.132-04:00Books and Music<em><span style="color: blue;">Cause’ it’s summer again </span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">I was thinking that it just might never begin </span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">After winter and spring It’s good to have the sun on my face again….</span></em><br />
<span style="color: blue;"> (Thanks to the Wallflowers)</span><br />
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<em><span style="color: blue;">I was listening to the Bruce Springsteen song, The Ghost of Tom Joad, which is based on the character, Tom Joad, from John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath. Thinking about it, I became curious about how much books have influenced books. I was amazed at what I found. </span></em><br />
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<em><span style="color: blue;">Jefferson Airplane hit it big with White Rabbit, which came from Alice’s trip down the rabbit hole in Lewis Carroll Alice in Wonderland.</span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">Counting Crows Rain King is based on the story by Saul Bellows Henderson the Rain King</span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">Bob Dylan’s All Along the Watchtower came from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (Surprised me!)</span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road came from The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum</span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Toilken appears to have inspired many singers: Led Zeppelin were big fans of the books and referenced them in many of their songs, Battle of Evermore; Ramble On; Misty Mountain Hop; Over the Hills and Far Away; T.Rex rocked out to the plot of the Hobbit in Ride a White Swan</span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">Tori Amos was inspired by Daphne du Maurier’s Jamaica Inn and sang …..Jamaica Inn. </span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">Iron Maiden seemed to be avid readers: they sang about D-Day in The Longest Day, based on the Cornelius Ryan’s book of the same name; Frank Herbert Dune inspired them with To Tame a Land; When Two Worlds Collide takes Philip Gordon Wylie and Edwin Balmer story, When Worlds Collide, and make it a song. </span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">David Bowie’s Oh! You Pretty Thing has lyrics from Ayn Rand’s Anthem.</span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">Emmylou Harris and Dave Matthews sang a duet My Antonia about Willa Cather’s.... My Antonia</span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">Regina Spektor refers to Oedipus Rex by Sophocles in her song, Oedipus: In Poor Little Rich Boy she refers to a short story of F. Scott Fitzgerald; she also takes from the Bible with Samson, about Samson and Delilah.</span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">Mark Knopfler made a tune out of Thomas Pynchon’s Mason & Dixon and sang Sailing to Philadelphia.</span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">Genesis based their song A Trick of the Tail on William Golding’s The Inheritors</span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">The chorus of Procol Harem’s Whiter Shade of Pale was from Chaucer’s The Miller’s Tale.</span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">The Police sang Don’t Stand So Close to Me, with Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita in mind. </span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">Fleetwood Mac touched on mythology with Rhriannon, a character in Triad</span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">The Doors L.A. Woman was inspired by the City of Night by John Rechy</span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">Metallica’s song, One, was based on the book by Dalton Trumbo, Johnny Got his Gun; and their For Whom the Bells Toll was based on Hemingway’s book of the same name. </span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">Green Day rocked out with Who Wrote Holden Caulfield? about Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger</span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">William Faulkner’s short story A Rose for Emily was turned into a song with the same title by the Zombies. </span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">Pink Floyd based an entire album, Animals, on Orwell’s Animal Farm.</span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">Jimmy Buffett sings about a character from Carl Hiaasen’s Tourist Season in the Ballad of Skip Wiley; then he retells part of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn with Barefoot Children in the Rain.</span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">Nirvana’s Beans gives us their interpretation of Jack Kerouac’s Dharma Bums.</span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">Suzanne Vega sang Calypso based on a scene from the Odyssey by Homer.</span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">ABBA’s Cassandra is based on a character in the Iliad by Homer</span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">Pink sang Catch-22 about Joseph Heller’s…. Catch-22.</span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">Jimmy Eat World’s Goodbye Sky Harbor is about John Irving’s A Prayer for Owen Meany.</span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">Steely Dan tells us about Ulysses encounter with the Sirens in Home at Last.</span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">The Cure based their song, Bananafishbones, on J.D. Salinger book , A Perfect Day for Bananafish.</span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">How Randy Newman could take the historical book, Guns, Germs and Steal and make a song was beyond me, but he did with The Great Nations of Europe. </span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah is based on the story of David and Bathsheba with elements of Samson and Delilah tossed in. </span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">The Beatles song I Am the Walrus takes lines from William Shakespeare’s King Lear. They were also inspired by Henry Fielding’s Tom Jones, and came out with The Fool on the Hill. </span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">The Doobie Brothers took the Ambrose Bierce story, An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, and came out with the song I Cheat the Hangman.</span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">Coldplay’s Clocks was inspired by Friedrich Schiller’s William Tell. </span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">The Rolling Stones enjoyed Mikhail Bulgakov’s satire, The Master and the Margarita, they gave us Sympathy for the Devil. </span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">Who can forget Turn, Turn, Turn by the Byrds? Originally done by Pete Seeger, it was taken from chapter three of the Book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible…</span></em><br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: blue;">Poetry inspired songs</span></em></strong><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">The Cranberries Yeats Grave from the poetry of William Butler Yeats</span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">Sheryl Crow sang about summer in All I Wanna Do is Have Some Fun, which came from a poem by Wyn Cooper.</span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">Stevie Nicks rewrites Edgar Allan Poe’s poem Annabel Lee and rocks out with it. </span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">Van Morrison took Yeats poem Crazy Jane on God and made a recording with it. </span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">Rush sang Xanadu about Coleridge’s poem Kubla Khan.</span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">Memory from Cats was taken from a poem by T.S. Eliot.</span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">Peter Gabriel Mercy Street was inspired by Anne Sexton’s 45 Mercy Street.</span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">Simon and Garfunkel was inspired by Edwin Arlington Robinson’s poem Richard Cory and made it into the song of the same title.</span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">Crash Test Dummies thought the poem The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Elliot would be a great song and made it into Afternoons and Coffeespoons.</span></em><br />
<em><br /><span style="color: blue;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;">Even though Eric Clapton wrote Layla for Patti Boyd, it was based on the Persian poem Layla and Majnun….</span></em><br />
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<em><span style="color: blue;">These is a just a few of the many songs that have been influenced by literature. I had such a good time researching for this post...it was hard time choosing which to include. For those books listed that you’ve read, listen to the song and see if you agree…..</span></em><br />
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<em><span style="color: blue;">Books and music are two of my favorite things and it was great finding out how they complement each other. </span></em><br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: blue;">Happy Summer and Happy Reading!</span></em></strong><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span>Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307023632234305929noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692761322995827125.post-36063044929395112162012-02-27T16:05:00.000-05:002012-02-27T16:05:40.335-05:00Roam if You Want To~~~<strong><em>Roam if you want to; roam around the world</em></strong><br />
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<strong><em>Roam if you want to, without wings without wheels</em></strong><br />
<strong><em>Roam if you want to, roam around the world </em></strong><br />
<strong><em>Roam if you want to, just grab a book and roam around the world… </em></strong><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(Thanks to the B-52’s)</span><br />
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This is the time of year when the winter doldrums can start to set in. I may be one of the few who was doing snow dances…alas they were for naught. I do know I’m tired of the damp, rainy weather and ready for some nicer days. Until then, let your mind take you on a vacation with some books. <br />
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<strong>Mysteries/Thrillers/Suspense</strong><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6xeK2CvPEl8s1hvJl4Oyj0IxrXmO4fPoeooV2qquyh3rG4oDt5uv2LWnINPWqPlRrixnBXTyKjwgBysvpg5tfAXjZw5PJnOwW-YDYOqDPNd-Lel1z6rXgERGG_2GkgJWCTMXbV_WGRxU/s1600/disco.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6xeK2CvPEl8s1hvJl4Oyj0IxrXmO4fPoeooV2qquyh3rG4oDt5uv2LWnINPWqPlRrixnBXTyKjwgBysvpg5tfAXjZw5PJnOwW-YDYOqDPNd-Lel1z6rXgERGG_2GkgJWCTMXbV_WGRxU/s200/disco.jpg" uda="true" width="132" /></a><em>Colin Cotterill</em> introduces us to Dr. Siri Paiboun, the national coroner of Laos. How can you pass by a title like<strong><em> “Disco for the Departed”?</em></strong> Paiboun is also a shaman, which is a big factor in how he does his job. First book in the series is The Coroner’s Lunch.</div>
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<em>John Burdett</em> has a great character, Detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep, in his series set in Bangkok, Thailand. No, I didn’t misspell the name~~Jitpleecheep kicks it off in <strong><em>Bangkok 8</em></strong> with quite the cast of characters.</div>
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Let’s go to Communist Russia with <em>Martin Cruz Smith</em>~~starting with <strong><em>Gorky Park</em></strong> where we first meet Moscow’s Chief Homicide Inspector Arkady Renko. Watched closely by the KGB, the Kremlin…Renko is an abnormality in Russia… honest, smart, and doesn’t accept the party line……</div>
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<em>James Church</em> takes us, of all places, to Pyongyand, North Korea were we are introduced to Inspector O in <strong><em>A Corpse in the Koryo.</em></strong> Little info about James Church, he is a former intelligence who spent most of his time in Asia.<br />
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<em>Alexander McCall Smith</em> and his <strong><em>No 1 Ladies Detective Series</em></strong> take us around Africa~~Botswana, Ghana, Nigeria, Mozambique and many others in the southern parts of Africa are mentioned. <br />
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Let’s go to Dublin with <strong><em>In the Woods</em></strong> by <em>Tana French</em>…and see who comes out. Three kids go in, one is found later on. Twenty years later history seems to repeat itself. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdoT5zvL3zv4yOWahQZRPDmySB590IbavvT8Ma-DMsBSi77KWYPtDFf6e5IlNDhoR5CughAr6aKJ4Js0mQZrHFYA4y3UucLj4L-nLpNI40o_-XJ8hbdVU40k3YLcPCs64BRXMIJdgZ-8g/s1600/redbreasyt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdoT5zvL3zv4yOWahQZRPDmySB590IbavvT8Ma-DMsBSi77KWYPtDFf6e5IlNDhoR5CughAr6aKJ4Js0mQZrHFYA4y3UucLj4L-nLpNI40o_-XJ8hbdVU40k3YLcPCs64BRXMIJdgZ-8g/s1600/redbreasyt.jpg" uda="true" /></a>I enjoy police Detective Harry Hole in <em>Jo Nesbo’s</em> procedurals’ set in Oslo, Norway. We first meet Harry in <strong><em>Redbreast.</em></strong> Hole can be his own worst enemy at times, but he is fascinating to follow. I am going to say here and now~~~I like Jo Nesbo's series much better then Steig Larson's series...I feel so much better now. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ1omNTORLKt0GmKOQwoJDuHz_j3T8myckg9zqDkKRIJ18kOQVP2NJx9DZPkS64Ex4S8xz04CqEwiK91y7h92JR6AsaCnS_yZNe9Ii0MfWbOqsf8a5OS_-V4yygYZLzCL-lGKaRIzZ9-o/s1600/cj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ1omNTORLKt0GmKOQwoJDuHz_j3T8myckg9zqDkKRIJ18kOQVP2NJx9DZPkS64Ex4S8xz04CqEwiK91y7h92JR6AsaCnS_yZNe9Ii0MfWbOqsf8a5OS_-V4yygYZLzCL-lGKaRIzZ9-o/s1600/cj.jpg" uda="true" /></a><em> C.J. Sansom</em> has a great series set in 1545 Tudor England with Matthew Shardlake. The series kicks off with <strong><em>Dissolution.</em></strong> Mystery and historical fiction doesn’t come much better than Sansom.</div>
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<em>Andrea Camilleri</em> takes us to Sicily, beginning with <strong><em>Shape of Water</em></strong>, where we tag along as Inspector Salvo Montalbano solves murders and eats great food!</div>
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<em>Dona Leon</em>~~We meet Commissario Guido Brunetti for the first time in <strong><em>Death at</em></strong> <strong><em>La Fenice,</em></strong> where he takes us around Venice as he solves murders, and here again, he describes wonderful food!</div>
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<em>Henning Mankell’s</em> Inspector Kurt Wallander solves murders in Sweden….and surprise! Nothing is as it seems. Take a trip to Sweden and meet Wallander in the first of the series,<strong><em> Faceless Killers. </em></strong></div>
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<em>John le Carre</em>~~it’s le Carre, espionage doesn’t get any better than this. I was hooked with his first one, <strong><em>The Spy Who Came in from the Cold,</em></strong> and I have been a fan every since. </div>
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<em>Daniel Silva</em>…really now, did you think I would forget my favorite series author? Silva takes us all over the world with intrigue, murder, espionage with his hero Gabriel Allon. Allon was introduced in <strong><em>The Kill Artist</em></strong> and has taken no prisoner’s since. Silva has a new one coming out soon, and yeah, I’m first on the list……<br />
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<strong>Non-Fiction</strong><br />
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<em>Jon Krakauer</em> takes to Nepal, the Himalayas, and an ill-fated climb up Mt. Everest in <strong><em>Into Thin Air</em></strong>. What makes someone want to climb this mountain….with the possibility that they might not make it down. <br />
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With <strong><em>Lemon Tree</em></strong> by <em>Sandy Tolan</em> we end up in Palestine and listen to the viewpoints of an Arab, a Jew and how the county of Israel came to be. Fascinating history from WWII that I never realized. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgbPqJ4mWCY11LrvpCxHn8VCdhpa6vr8w88uP5SGseOZRkfkHmSnVkGM2RON-ZS_e6WrRryWhbXAyQYpbYXnlGf7oLscYmsEUmD3lHgPR1w7rscwfQ9YMOnqT8sK5i69J2LVR34GN97RM/s1600/tdr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgbPqJ4mWCY11LrvpCxHn8VCdhpa6vr8w88uP5SGseOZRkfkHmSnVkGM2RON-ZS_e6WrRryWhbXAyQYpbYXnlGf7oLscYmsEUmD3lHgPR1w7rscwfQ9YMOnqT8sK5i69J2LVR34GN97RM/s1600/tdr.jpg" uda="true" /></a>In <em>Candice Millard’s</em> <em><strong>Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey the River of Doubt</strong></em> we go with the former president down the Amazon River, and what an adventure we have!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjElUfv7iRo3HU4ZEBFpBvIJ8DOCq6FNhJWBoWZygR_gMy9dvMRdA4jrI-vt6dCG1uwMDKm4QPw1eUWDV0dCnSLCGZO8RQzluBIugvaUgCt5qY-4IxhASy0BMNbIEqWpAMyzoh5JmJp41Q/s1600/ayear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjElUfv7iRo3HU4ZEBFpBvIJ8DOCq6FNhJWBoWZygR_gMy9dvMRdA4jrI-vt6dCG1uwMDKm4QPw1eUWDV0dCnSLCGZO8RQzluBIugvaUgCt5qY-4IxhASy0BMNbIEqWpAMyzoh5JmJp41Q/s1600/ayear.jpg" uda="true" /></a><strong><em>A Year in Provence</em></strong> by <em>Peter Mayle,</em> where he shares with us his first year there. Some laugh out loud moments as he and his wife experience life in Luberon, restoring an old stone farm house, getting to know his neighbors…and the description of the food and the wine. This one is on my personal book shelf. </div>
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I could go on and on about books that take you a place that you have always wanted to go, there are many and I have given you just a few to consider. </div>
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Dave Barry said once that <strong><em>reading is a vacation for the mind</em></strong>…treat yourself to one.</div>
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Happy Reading!</div>
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</div>Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307023632234305929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692761322995827125.post-23108109218278512222011-08-25T17:25:00.002-04:002011-10-11T09:46:50.264-04:00End of Summer~~<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The sun and the moon, take turns in the sky</span></em></strong></div><strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The days drift by too soon </span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The meadows are kissed by a cool autumn mist</span></em></strong><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPEKkrv5keH16G24Vf35wkK4G6EZb7cOdGsFozpfRq3cyYRWCc6-ASg9AH71dlRkkPIHTVPNjPfu7xJ0s9BGp9i1UKvZCZL7cMqhDYLEzvtoapLuOsm7IDTs5UPypVnHj7yKDoE9-gVWw/s1600/hun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPEKkrv5keH16G24Vf35wkK4G6EZb7cOdGsFozpfRq3cyYRWCc6-ASg9AH71dlRkkPIHTVPNjPfu7xJ0s9BGp9i1UKvZCZL7cMqhDYLEzvtoapLuOsm7IDTs5UPypVnHj7yKDoE9-gVWw/s200/hun.jpg" width="130" /></span></a><strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And it looks like summer is over...</span></em></strong></div><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Dusty Springfield</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hard to believe that the summer flew by yet again, of course some of those hot humid days couldn’t pass quick enough for me. </span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of my favorite things to do during the summer is-surprise! - read. Some of the wonderful books I read this summer were: </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It’s always great to read and oldie but goodie, which we did for the mystery book discussion in July with <strong><em>Double Indemnity</em></strong> by <em>James M. Cain</em>. Many of us hadn’t read it, and I’m happy to say that a few of the group were going to read more of his mysteries. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxCtiyzd95WiT_ZYnXDR7rYQHcrjxg6kKfFxz8cgR40dS4MyBZ439_2vCwV8IUP7XeBjFDiUfGnvy_O2ssnMa8rDWelHfyrRawWMxsbW06RvrmmD1LOMUFsN0deyY823ZLg4Vmb9oKtGI/s1600/mock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxCtiyzd95WiT_ZYnXDR7rYQHcrjxg6kKfFxz8cgR40dS4MyBZ439_2vCwV8IUP7XeBjFDiUfGnvy_O2ssnMa8rDWelHfyrRawWMxsbW06RvrmmD1LOMUFsN0deyY823ZLg4Vmb9oKtGI/s1600/mock.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand</em></strong> was a delight! <em>Helen Simonson’s</em> debut will make you smile and remind you that love happens no matter what. These books will leave it with a smile, a real gem. </span></span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Love You More</em></strong> by <em>Lisa Gardner</em>~~one of my favorite authors~~once again has us tagging along with Detective D. D. Warren as she tries to get the answers to did Tessa Leoni kill her abusive husband or did someone else? Where is Leoni’s six year old daughter who also disappeared?</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-gyJaliK_jn5IIP7YTqD0wt5mFiKqvSJxW5-KP_Y7U3Jf6QC3om_G1Q_JfZ7FVJKRiHMjBQTbFGsVcHENQxhfFHnIycP5xH182tnPOb3E1a8SNdlQP-UEeyhG0qVtIrtObMGIfPVZEY/s1600/witch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-gyJaliK_jn5IIP7YTqD0wt5mFiKqvSJxW5-KP_Y7U3Jf6QC3om_G1Q_JfZ7FVJKRiHMjBQTbFGsVcHENQxhfFHnIycP5xH182tnPOb3E1a8SNdlQP-UEeyhG0qVtIrtObMGIfPVZEY/s1600/witch.jpg" /></span></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Meet Joanna, Ingrid and Freya Beauchamp in <em>Melissa de la Cruz’s</em> magical, sexy tale of witches, <strong><em>Witches of East End, </em></strong>who aren’t just any witches, that haven't been allowed to use their powers since, well, almost forever! Paranormal at its best. Loved it, and can’t wait for the next one in the Beauchamp women series. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzfL-WjmXKSZTd3qyN80O9qEwB9WB2E-NyTPr9i0USdQB9cZdJGNPQa5i3rKygXV29Ndn1KkYus4z74JSJrGSldhBE-Dd0xuGeOkuXqN0n4qya6BjN97cA8c78Zr7a5vZOL3yISqbi9Kk/s1600/ghoststo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzfL-WjmXKSZTd3qyN80O9qEwB9WB2E-NyTPr9i0USdQB9cZdJGNPQa5i3rKygXV29Ndn1KkYus4z74JSJrGSldhBE-Dd0xuGeOkuXqN0n4qya6BjN97cA8c78Zr7a5vZOL3yISqbi9Kk/s1600/ghoststo.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Speaking of paranormal, nothing like a visit to <em>Jim Butcher’s</em> detective wizard Harry Dresden in his latest, <strong><em>Ghost Story</em></strong> (#13). Harry’s been murdered and he’s in limbo where he still tries to save his friends and the Windy City from the bad guys...of all types. This is one series that just gets better and better. </span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRyZCrCJsspdAUw9kX-e7bR1VQWyebcSmawxvCo2TLXCieeA3AxZd8V1DR4HbcWkf3TaQXM29c1ubV8GRyICdT84JR3YsHs3y1aUvfXO5BwtbPv8o2mz6XH9egJKX_QEKw9fFw_URaXkk/s1600/eat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRyZCrCJsspdAUw9kX-e7bR1VQWyebcSmawxvCo2TLXCieeA3AxZd8V1DR4HbcWkf3TaQXM29c1ubV8GRyICdT84JR3YsHs3y1aUvfXO5BwtbPv8o2mz6XH9egJKX_QEKw9fFw_URaXkk/s1600/eat.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Since I also like to eat, cookbooks are big for me during the summer. My favorite was <em>Amy Finley’s</em> <strong><em>How to Eat a Small Country: A Family's Pursuit of Happiness, One Meal at a Time</em></strong>. Findey was the third season of the <em>Next Food Network Star</em>… when her French husband was spending so much time cooking on TV and not at home, he wasn’t happy.. Amy walked away from it all, they move to France and well, read it and enjoy this book about love, food and family. (Some great recipes) </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmuBVr3Mo0qaRRGy-rtKqQg8L3sczbr-9VIrHWLaoiWSrTgiuJeCQE0dPgtqq2vJni49wz2UIhb43hNNezXyP0XLMTIl28TkVV66TkNKCa5YQjczSVkCHql0ewqoUGsLwsrNAHSMaAXLU/s1600/greens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmuBVr3Mo0qaRRGy-rtKqQg8L3sczbr-9VIrHWLaoiWSrTgiuJeCQE0dPgtqq2vJni49wz2UIhb43hNNezXyP0XLMTIl28TkVV66TkNKCa5YQjczSVkCHql0ewqoUGsLwsrNAHSMaAXLU/s1600/greens.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’m always looking for new and interesting ways to cook vegetables, especially the local one. <em>Barbara Scott-Goodman and Liz Trovato</em> give some great ideas with their cookbook <em><strong>Eat Greens: Seasonal Recipes to Enjoy in Abundance</strong></em>. These are just a few of my summer reads that I enjoyed. What were some of yours?</span></div><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Enjoy the last few weeks of summer~~</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRnmcoie113EVbilVaOlgZJrm_jFvJUq95qypz3m4dM-T7vSZqZXS3TtxP3ce136nux-2BKhbKP-uz95nFbzoOBK8MgBz1GoLwieOxvPkDRxpGnyedx4HF7_UzdOcmxaQqOoOnZsG6De8/s1600/468601%257EWoman-Reads-in-Solitude-on-a-Quiet-Beach-Next-to-Turquoise-Water-Posters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="150" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRnmcoie113EVbilVaOlgZJrm_jFvJUq95qypz3m4dM-T7vSZqZXS3TtxP3ce136nux-2BKhbKP-uz95nFbzoOBK8MgBz1GoLwieOxvPkDRxpGnyedx4HF7_UzdOcmxaQqOoOnZsG6De8/s200/468601%257EWoman-Reads-in-Solitude-on-a-Quiet-Beach-Next-to-Turquoise-Water-Posters.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div>Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307023632234305929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692761322995827125.post-48196284099128988592011-07-14T17:06:00.003-04:002011-07-14T17:08:44.099-04:00Reading~~A Vacation for the Mind!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimBb1XchGIZECBGJJyvPYClbCO6qA3CeGUVdY-NTeILMo5Ma1aPvKOiuyhvC-NexZLj4ROf57bzGK7tTkkeNo59nw8F1LEiHPDHGbllm9InWGcJ2bxoMEbPU9vCtBZoBk-_57EywXaB94/s1600/beach+reads.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimBb1XchGIZECBGJJyvPYClbCO6qA3CeGUVdY-NTeILMo5Ma1aPvKOiuyhvC-NexZLj4ROf57bzGK7tTkkeNo59nw8F1LEiHPDHGbllm9InWGcJ2bxoMEbPU9vCtBZoBk-_57EywXaB94/s200/beach+reads.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are.” </span></em></strong><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Mason Cooley </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It’s the middle of summer! Time to get away, which is not always that easy, so remember this: a book can take you anywhere you want to go. Where would you like to go? </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Think about it~~want to visit jolly old England? Pick up a book by <em>Edward Rutherfurd, Phillippa Gregory</em>, <em>Sharon Kay Penman, Alison Weir, Bernard Cornwell</em>, just to name just a few. What did it take to build a cathedral in England? Pick up the classic<strong><em> Pillars of the Earth</em></strong> by <em>Ken Follett.</em> Fantasy and British history together…<strong><em>Mists of Avalon</em></strong> by <em>Marion Zimmer Bradley;</em> <em>Jennifer Roberson </em>will take you on a very merry romp with Robin Hood and Maid Marion in her wonderful novel <strong><em>Lady of the Forest.</em></strong> </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Take a trip through America? How else would I know how<strong><em> Centennial, Colorado</em></strong> started from a speck of sand millions of years before it became a town? I learned more about geology from <em>James Michener</em> in <strong><em>Centennial</em></strong> then I did in school. <em>Larry McMurty</em> took me on a cattle drive from Texas to Montana in <strong><em>Lonesome Dove</em></strong> that I wouldn’t have gone on otherwise. How about going along with Lewis and Clark in <em>Stephen E. Ambrose’s</em> <strong><em>Undaunted Courage</em></strong> as they head west to the Pacific? Civil War? MacKinlay <em>Cantor’s</em> <strong><em>Andersonville</em></strong> will haunt you with what one human being can do to others. <em>Michael Shaara</em> wrote, for me anyway, one of THE best fiction books on Gettysburg, <strong><em>Killer Angels</em></strong>. Don’t forget <em>Margaret Mitchell</em> to check out that most southern of southern belles, Scarlet, in <strong><em>Gone With the Wind. </em></strong>Even if you have already read it, celebrate <em><strong>Gone With the Wind’s</strong></em> 75th anniversary and read it again! </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn9TnP1pPSDwr7kwY-ltK4G2qj6FL3OxMRN0SageA8MXi_eG8xx-z6OlulAXmUG4iC3X2S2TSPWbMkgoZL4XEQzSXzqnVhTCteoJBY2lMFagWZv5qTYSA5RiRwOP69KVMPu6dwBQRq0Ac/s1600/stack+book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn9TnP1pPSDwr7kwY-ltK4G2qj6FL3OxMRN0SageA8MXi_eG8xx-z6OlulAXmUG4iC3X2S2TSPWbMkgoZL4XEQzSXzqnVhTCteoJBY2lMFagWZv5qTYSA5RiRwOP69KVMPu6dwBQRq0Ac/s1600/stack+book.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What to tag along and help solve a mystery? Help find out who the real killer is? Find out what happens when things aren’t quite what they should be? Any of these authors will love to have you tag along… <em>Lisa Gardener; Chelsea Cain; Ridley Pearson; Charles Todd; Cara Black; Dashell Hammett; Raymond Chandler; James Ellroy; Nancy Pickard; Donald Westlake; Julia Spencer-Fleming; Karin Slaughter.</em> This is a few of the variety of mystery authors that will envelope you in some twists and turns to the end. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How about helping to stop terrorism around the world? These are a few of my favorites, <em>Daniel Silva; John le Carre: Stella Rimington (Rimington was the first woman to head MI5) Helen MacInnes; Alex Berenson: Clyde Eagleton; Charles McCarry; Tom Clancy; Len Deighton~~</em>check any of these out and go on a page turning ride that will make your adrenalin pump. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWsibxCqsx90g_n3z4EEaw3puH24iHvjfPhq4cm8SveL9jfA3PFonYo1ryjW5RPhDSra6CYweDfbEiHopccJBa1eBy9FlNi1Sa0GGSY6-aONReY8avIWqnaKprlJr2wYcEGiygvPS0aMI/s1600/heart-in-sand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="150" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWsibxCqsx90g_n3z4EEaw3puH24iHvjfPhq4cm8SveL9jfA3PFonYo1ryjW5RPhDSra6CYweDfbEiHopccJBa1eBy9FlNi1Sa0GGSY6-aONReY8avIWqnaKprlJr2wYcEGiygvPS0aMI/s200/heart-in-sand.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Do you love a good legal thriller with great courtroom scenes? I know I do. Pick up <em>Steve Martini; John Grisham; Scott Turow; David Ellis; Phillip Margolin; John Mortimer; William Diehl…</em>just some that make you feel that you are inside the courtroom, watching the characters and give great descriptions of their reactions. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ah, romance. What would summer be without romance? Some great historical romance writers are~~<em>Lisa Kleypas; Rosemary Rodger; Katherine Woodiwiss; Jude Deveraux; Mary Balogh; Beatrice Small,</em> without whom I would never have know what a Kadin was... nor, ahem… what they did. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Little paranormal romance? You can’t beat <em>Diana Gabaldon; Karen Marie Moning; Kresley Cole; Lynsay Sands; Sherrilyn Kenyon; J. W. Ward; Gena Showalter; Charlaine Harris; Christine Feehan….</em>vampires, werewolves, witches, shape-shifters, time-travel, men in kilts…oh my! What more could you ask for! </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Enjoy more modern day romance? Here you go…<em>Nora Roberts; Jennifer Cruise; Susan Elizabeth Phillips; Jennifer Weiner; Nicholas Sparks; Elizabeth Lowell; Emily Griffin~~</em>to name just a few. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>Hopefully one of these authors will take you away.</em></span> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv99HngmupEhDAsXIN1yXjEoSsk7peuAbQsMcd76_HtdhuIMV4_JDYaaQE5LxsXTGjaSp0s1oPutRUoR6_iIu9zPuHL4gGE9L_OXTD5zKFZHjvdblJtiWVY2EjrFx1_fqQnLGVbJy5Uq8/s1600/370314196_ed262407d5_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="210" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv99HngmupEhDAsXIN1yXjEoSsk7peuAbQsMcd76_HtdhuIMV4_JDYaaQE5LxsXTGjaSp0s1oPutRUoR6_iIu9zPuHL4gGE9L_OXTD5zKFZHjvdblJtiWVY2EjrFx1_fqQnLGVbJy5Uq8/s320/370314196_ed262407d5_o.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">There you go~~pick where you want to go and lose yourself for a wee bit. As Dr. Seuss said, <strong><em>"Oh! The place you'll go!"</em></strong></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Happy Reading! </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"></span>Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307023632234305929noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692761322995827125.post-87429678678656843072011-05-26T16:39:00.000-04:002011-05-26T16:39:11.317-04:00My Summer Book Shelf<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH2b88ZEWZ4_G3EeiMT9pJDyH1Opea4VHIl9Yi2VfY5oecXYHJVFMhoL49bpmysCxSJ3D-Zl8n5k5Id_AmaaWSZIPVXmYUbvQgKprtzqA2BCs4-o-NczC-z6JU8VcK-PsK54E5jZecqPI/s1600/summer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH2b88ZEWZ4_G3EeiMT9pJDyH1Opea4VHIl9Yi2VfY5oecXYHJVFMhoL49bpmysCxSJ3D-Zl8n5k5Id_AmaaWSZIPVXmYUbvQgKprtzqA2BCs4-o-NczC-z6JU8VcK-PsK54E5jZecqPI/s200/summer.jpg" t8="true" width="200" /></a></div><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><em>Come on let's read again...like we did last summer</em></strong></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><em>Yea, let's read again like we did last year~~</em></strong></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><em>Do you remember when things were really hummin'</em></strong></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><em>Yea, let's read again~~reading time is here!</em></strong></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">(Shout out to Chubby Checker)</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As far as I'm concerned, it's always reading time. With summer just around the corner, I have my stack of books ready to go....how about you?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Fallen </em></strong>by Karin Slaughter</span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana;"><strong><em>A Covert Affair: Julia Child and Paul Child in the OSS</em></strong> by Jennet Conant</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Portrait of a Spy</em></strong> by Daniel Silva (Gabriel Allon series) </span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><em>Eve </em></strong>and </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Quinn</em></strong>~~both by Iris Johansen</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Once Upon a Time, There Was You</em></strong> by Elizabeth Berg</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Snowman</em></strong> by Jo Nesbo</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>In the Garden of Beasts</em></strong> by Erik Larson</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Here Be Dragons</em></strong> by Sharon Kay Penman</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>The Historian</em></strong> by Elizabeth Kostova</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Dead Reckoning</em></strong> by Charlaine Harris</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhskse-rgNRZX_R57n14Ie29u9J4Ot-WpsX_tlqYCm49yvQNoVviFhTLogXYGWZU89YlRBPTEvNhE15MHHOAdf92ZPXL1ZveeZ4GPA9r3nhq2riTMAfycD8TgZNU1CEwnkKqa-uItL8Ax0/s1600/reading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhskse-rgNRZX_R57n14Ie29u9J4Ot-WpsX_tlqYCm49yvQNoVviFhTLogXYGWZU89YlRBPTEvNhE15MHHOAdf92ZPXL1ZveeZ4GPA9r3nhq2riTMAfycD8TgZNU1CEwnkKqa-uItL8Ax0/s1600/reading.jpg" t8="true" /></a></div><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana;"><strong><em>Hunger Games</em></strong> by Suzanne Collins</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I also make sure to have several romance paperbacks around too, to grab and throw in my bag. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For the summer mystery book discussions~~</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>China Lake</em></strong> by Meg Gardiner~~June 21st at 4pm</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Double Indemnity</em></strong> by James M. Cain~~July 19th at 4pm</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>The Alienist</em></strong> by Caleb Carr~~August 23rd at 4pm</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfieh0nEb1KdguQzF62jCVVQuofRH6bHNpGf40mBmST9tiD-eW4DYqqSw0H2zZnCZSl_KQZPDG51XNjwZdw0SuE7-PQOQwa-5fPjqUh4EUu9twpb9W2SXEsjDyImc7uwIacIs2dHrhIa8/s1600/summer+reading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfieh0nEb1KdguQzF62jCVVQuofRH6bHNpGf40mBmST9tiD-eW4DYqqSw0H2zZnCZSl_KQZPDG51XNjwZdw0SuE7-PQOQwa-5fPjqUh4EUu9twpb9W2SXEsjDyImc7uwIacIs2dHrhIa8/s200/summer+reading.jpg" t8="true" width="200" /></a></div><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I know for me, the mood I'm in dictates the book I feel like reading, so I make sure to have several different genres around to choose from. Mixing it up is always a good thing. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana;">What are you planning to read this summer? Let me know. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let the summer begin!<strong><em> Reading time is here~~~</em></strong></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQqC6S99EQMiGO8BYAIDkEqih5fYVtIMrsKep4T00x7LW4jTxTw8aebN9OQn2gVFuGZMF9zpvKJnJEKS0cI9lqZxJd5FcDli-Y-IwqG0nZWS39GoPPO6SbNI6zMP52o191v0PYsxolvt0/s1600/thbb032.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQqC6S99EQMiGO8BYAIDkEqih5fYVtIMrsKep4T00x7LW4jTxTw8aebN9OQn2gVFuGZMF9zpvKJnJEKS0cI9lqZxJd5FcDli-Y-IwqG0nZWS39GoPPO6SbNI6zMP52o191v0PYsxolvt0/s1600/thbb032.gif" t8="true" /></a></div><strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Happy Reading!</span></em></strong>Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307023632234305929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692761322995827125.post-29807243670179161252011-05-11T12:17:00.000-04:002011-05-13T16:30:14.298-04:00We Cozied Up!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3aXJvds5XDyqpIIO4mScMZUOnE0B5WqGe_PbYtMARUOnvSYeT9RKKT6R1VveNXgkSWCItL_mn_idbLu9wusSqhvb3nf313QpijoHzeY-5Y6oOmdhO8KAsB5vs7IFyr2Qdh3_gjoRwXbM/s1600/2011wonterwaddle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3aXJvds5XDyqpIIO4mScMZUOnE0B5WqGe_PbYtMARUOnvSYeT9RKKT6R1VveNXgkSWCItL_mn_idbLu9wusSqhvb3nf313QpijoHzeY-5Y6oOmdhO8KAsB5vs7IFyr2Qdh3_gjoRwXbM/s200/2011wonterwaddle.jpg" width="161" /></a></div><strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Reading is to the mind what exerise is to the body." </span></em></strong><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Richard Steele</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I can't think of a better way to exercise my mind then reading a book....it's great to see how many are in agreement.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We finished up the <strong><em>Cozy Up With a Good Book</em></strong> winter book club at the end of April. It was terrific! We had 68 people sign up; 55 Reader's Cards were turned in; and everyone loved the reading as a great way to pass winter. The best part is when folks tell me they read </span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">someone different, or tried a new genre~~</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and discovered that they liked it! </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The top books the club read this year were:</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2lw4cYCpR9hkEDzloKx8-bODxc6wNvkXaD_Syl4yO1kiMfRhQnZJGTYrgc0q3Jw3vF8LRrKKZj5F3_ycN4idclAVIV-4k_MF166nyRzYGjeXFH70Zw0j0qmXQ3vqPNp7wHs4JSM1VXx4/s1600/maj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2lw4cYCpR9hkEDzloKx8-bODxc6wNvkXaD_Syl4yO1kiMfRhQnZJGTYrgc0q3Jw3vF8LRrKKZj5F3_ycN4idclAVIV-4k_MF166nyRzYGjeXFH70Zw0j0qmXQ3vqPNp7wHs4JSM1VXx4/s200/maj.jpg" width="130" /></a></div><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1) <strong><em>Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks</em></strong> by <em>Rebecca Skloot</em> *</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">2) <strong><em>Major Pettigrew's Last Stand</em></strong> by <em>Helen Simonson</em></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3) <strong><em>Night Fall</em></strong> by <em>Nelson DeMille</em> *</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">4) <strong><em>Pilot's Wife</em></strong> by <em>Anita Shreve</em></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">5) <strong><em>How Green Ws My Valley</em></strong> by <em>Richard Llewellyn</em> *</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">6) <strong><em>Sing You Home</em></strong> by <em>Jodi Picoult</em></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">7) <strong><em>Little Bee</em></strong> by <em>Chris Cleave </em></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">8) <strong><em>Tin Roof Blowdown</em></strong> by <em>James Lee Burke </em></span></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFY0VVD38m-qjXeQbW_1UNkIFaUkjLzeo3wsh25NIs2clcWI_3hfF_1heCcWeJDoQc4aNtLnr01wMuNWNV2cn-R1ik3mYjsMmHO-1EzHh18QW_Vb7Ea7FU_-kw9nrY6ER6cUtC2tWLM04/s1600/moo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFY0VVD38m-qjXeQbW_1UNkIFaUkjLzeo3wsh25NIs2clcWI_3hfF_1heCcWeJDoQc4aNtLnr01wMuNWNV2cn-R1ik3mYjsMmHO-1EzHh18QW_Vb7Ea7FU_-kw9nrY6ER6cUtC2tWLM04/s200/moo.jpg" width="132" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">9) <strong><em>Growing Up Laughing</em></strong> by <em>Marlo Thomas</em></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">10) <strong><em>The Help</em></strong> by <em>Kathryn Stockett</em></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">11) <strong><em>Forgotten Garden</em></strong> by <em>Kate Morton</em></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">12) <strong><em>Water for Elephants</em></strong> by <em>Sara Gruen </em></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">13) <strong><em>Half-Broke Horses</em></strong> by <em>Jeanette Walls</em></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">14) <strong><em>Lincoln Lawyer</em></strong> by <em>Michael Connelly</em></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">15) <strong><em>Moonlight Mile</em></strong> by <em>Dennis Lehane</em></span></span><br />
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<em><strong><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*Denotes books from the winter book discussions</span></strong></em><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The authors read the most during the book club were:</span><br />
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<em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1) Robert B. Parker</span></em><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyQjscb9FPc5-_g7rJs4tkvvw47F_GiVig7gJYkWAwMcnMjn8wA90OBFSFhozCXAyiX90dlj94x4aesS8AfxXdzLAxbZhSeWfOBDw49H-AG9q6z2UWcfC7g4vlVK20i_-8GXnIu4ZLriE/s1600/stack+book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyQjscb9FPc5-_g7rJs4tkvvw47F_GiVig7gJYkWAwMcnMjn8wA90OBFSFhozCXAyiX90dlj94x4aesS8AfxXdzLAxbZhSeWfOBDw49H-AG9q6z2UWcfC7g4vlVK20i_-8GXnIu4ZLriE/s200/stack+book.jpg" width="116" /></a><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2) James Patterson</span></em></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3) Stieg Larsson</span></em></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4) Michael Connelly</span></em></div><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">5) C. J. Sansom</span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">6) Mary Higgins Clark</span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">7) Lisa Gardner</span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">8) John Dunning</span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">9) Nora Roberts</span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">10) Paul Theroux</span></em><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We celebrated May 3rd with a party where we discussed~~what else~~books we had read over the winter, gave out raffle prizes, congratulated our top readers, enjoyed refreshments, and looked forward to the summer book club. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thank you for joining the book club~~and enjoying reading. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhInkCiG4uQroauAgEbXgMY-bskbPXsqlXazI9ak11zLUTQlR3MH8eLwniwYGwqdWbPINpDHdxJ2cNi3z0rxgOskFwTuprYo7x-H41QB_3QJKlnj2u_RrmN9ltzh7fLzVzNxibjOZVNWbM/s1600/dancing_penguins-3382.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhInkCiG4uQroauAgEbXgMY-bskbPXsqlXazI9ak11zLUTQlR3MH8eLwniwYGwqdWbPINpDHdxJ2cNi3z0rxgOskFwTuprYo7x-H41QB_3QJKlnj2u_RrmN9ltzh7fLzVzNxibjOZVNWbM/s1600/dancing_penguins-3382.gif" /></a></div><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><em>Happy Reading!</em></strong></span>Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307023632234305929noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692761322995827125.post-16404023259206988262011-04-12T17:07:00.068-04:002011-04-14T17:26:24.360-04:00Top Ten Books for 2010<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Reading gives us someplace to go </span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">when we have to stay where we are."</span></em></strong><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Mason Cooley</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am always curious what the top books of the year are so I checked out several lists to see what were listed. Based on what books were on the lists, and what I have read over the year, here is my favorite top ten of 2010.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><em>Top Ten Books of 2010~~~</em></strong></span></div><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fiction~~</span></em></strong><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgprPZZ9cdIJqjs5Z2_SxUILFnV5Rbz49zEBw-9bHDro1XrX1qZg4Jc965o7A_yHsElv0e7ibFEKOcKk7NOpdvtixLvdOrOMSjEUQSoDrdJ9jQCjMXGjwnqMwH2pis8ja40NZlqE0w0LxE/s1600/room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgprPZZ9cdIJqjs5Z2_SxUILFnV5Rbz49zEBw-9bHDro1XrX1qZg4Jc965o7A_yHsElv0e7ibFEKOcKk7NOpdvtixLvdOrOMSjEUQSoDrdJ9jQCjMXGjwnqMwH2pis8ja40NZlqE0w0LxE/s200/room.jpg" width="129" /></a></div><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">1) <strong><em>Freedom </em></strong>by <em>Jonathan Franzen</em></span></span></div><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2) <strong><em>Room </em></strong>by <em>Emma Donoghue</em> **</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3) <strong><em>A Visit from the Goon Squad</em></strong> by <em>Jennifer Egan</em>***</span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4) <strong><em>The Help</em></strong> by <em>Cathryn Stockett</em>*</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">5) <strong><em>Faithful Place</em></strong> by <em>Tana French</em>***</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">6) <strong><em>Our Kind of Traitor</em></strong> by <em>John Le Carre</em>***</span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgai91N2LA0Dg_lRmYrHvKOz8y6eJyf2MtsyX8UeAQe6m3nRh4TJ2n0RKLpcHV7JKSY6x3FQ2nBd5s7rE9lch3aYuU1BmP-nladOGo6V6BT6i4knOANE61xs4NDevZFZ1jNEtRNk8NrEDs/s1600/maj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgai91N2LA0Dg_lRmYrHvKOz8y6eJyf2MtsyX8UeAQe6m3nRh4TJ2n0RKLpcHV7JKSY6x3FQ2nBd5s7rE9lch3aYuU1BmP-nladOGo6V6BT6i4knOANE61xs4NDevZFZ1jNEtRNk8NrEDs/s200/maj.jpg" width="130" /></a><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">7) <strong><em>The Imperfectionists</em></strong> by <em>Tom Rachmann</em>*</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">8) <strong><em>The Lonely Polygamist</em></strong> by <em>Brady Udall</em>*</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">9) <strong><em>Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War</em></strong> by <em>Karl Marlantes</em>***</span></div><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">10) <strong><em>Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand</em></strong> by <em>Helen Simonson</em>***</span></div><br />
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<em><strong><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Non-Fiction~~</span></strong></em><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">1) <strong><em>Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration</em></strong> by <em>Isabel Wilkerson</em></span></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3zxKEbftXBnl6KL0wPuOe4fjJhSOVIkNV7nG76wCp0mbeaD5F7zq1nBcPJ_w0UD7SD0fjbG4By_K9rstfz7WnDkU5m4FKBjkhOyeo4rrclPo89x8YcoHsu5Q6ZqNzJqTwwGplSD0jbrA/s1600/raw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3zxKEbftXBnl6KL0wPuOe4fjJhSOVIkNV7nG76wCp0mbeaD5F7zq1nBcPJ_w0UD7SD0fjbG4By_K9rstfz7WnDkU5m4FKBjkhOyeo4rrclPo89x8YcoHsu5Q6ZqNzJqTwwGplSD0jbrA/s200/raw.jpg" width="132" /></a></div><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2) <strong><em>Unbroken</em></strong> by <em>Laura Hillenbrand</em>**</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3) <strong><em>Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook</em></strong> by <em>Anthony</em> <em>Bourdain</em>***</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4) <strong><em>Cleopatra: A Life</em></strong> by <em>Stacy Schiff</em>*</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">5) <strong><em>The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks</em></strong> by <em>Rebecca Skloot</em>***</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTncNhnHyZg-8MkBUzvS0krcJSDZK7s7JR1VRfoC9yasOcipgkGU9_y5OiAIhIRvbwrQM57bMupEwm-fhz4JJ_FEHGlH43J7qkDdu_ArRDPYtRkYZSGZ0uakh4wfJdZgKQ8I6xUBSjhGE/s1600/boy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTncNhnHyZg-8MkBUzvS0krcJSDZK7s7JR1VRfoC9yasOcipgkGU9_y5OiAIhIRvbwrQM57bMupEwm-fhz4JJ_FEHGlH43J7qkDdu_ArRDPYtRkYZSGZ0uakh4wfJdZgKQ8I6xUBSjhGE/s200/boy.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">6) <strong><em>The Last Boy: Mantle Mantle and the End of America’s Childhood</em></strong> by <em>Jane Leavy**</em></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">7) <strong><em>Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer</em></strong> by <em>Siddhartha Mukherjee</em></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">8) <strong><em>Autobiography of Mark Twain, Vol I</em></strong> by <em>Mark Twain*</em></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">9) <strong><em>Just Kids</em></strong> by <em>Patti Smith</em></span></span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdDopTtmqAYYRkmFgvtvt0FCJpeC2C0vZI_fZhi0Oy80w0Ag-ZQF67kZ2QKoZ52eAH59ziakj8YnQW6TqVMNR0VLQ7VFxEAfshBxEdUq7Ly_dKg51vQ3DBLw0CGnkhUNjLDVwtOOEj8Gc/s1600/min.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdDopTtmqAYYRkmFgvtvt0FCJpeC2C0vZI_fZhi0Oy80w0Ag-ZQF67kZ2QKoZ52eAH59ziakj8YnQW6TqVMNR0VLQ7VFxEAfshBxEdUq7Ly_dKg51vQ3DBLw0CGnkhUNjLDVwtOOEj8Gc/s200/min.jpg" width="131" /></a><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">10) <strong><em>Operation Mincemeat: How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured an Allied</em></strong> <strong><em>Victory</em></strong> by <em>Ben Macintyre</em>***</span></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><em>Mystery/Crime~~</em></strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv4w-kJG-HonjUBpil1eBBzgQ5zf-tsa2T0718QrKsEtsL-jINBrRlu-z5HuAiyeH4PsxvMUwuyxksmKXysnzqUTwOB47uD-f1LeK5aFZFeIn-dXw8TYhxORybPyqifGFFUB7-uvoIB8M/s1600/moo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv4w-kJG-HonjUBpil1eBBzgQ5zf-tsa2T0718QrKsEtsL-jINBrRlu-z5HuAiyeH4PsxvMUwuyxksmKXysnzqUTwOB47uD-f1LeK5aFZFeIn-dXw8TYhxORybPyqifGFFUB7-uvoIB8M/s200/moo.jpg" width="132" /></a></div><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1) <strong><em>Moonlight Mile</em></strong> by <em>Dennis Lehane</em>***</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2) <strong><em>Bury Your Dead</em></strong> by <em>Louise Penny</em>***</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3) <strong><em>Man from Beijing</em></strong> by <em>Henning Mankill</em>*</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4) <strong><em>The Glass Rainbow</em></strong> by <em>James Lee Burke</em>***</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">5) <strong><em>The Devil’s Star</em></strong> by <em>Jo Nesbo</em>***</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">6) <strong><em>Midnight House</em></strong> by <em>Alex Berenson</em>***</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">7) <strong><em>The Red Door</em></strong> by <em>Charles Todd*</em></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">8) <em>Stieg Larsson Trilogy</em>: </span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>A)</strong></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> <strong><em>The Girl With Tattoo** </em></strong></span></span><strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">B) The Girl Who Played With Fire**</span></em></strong><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">9) <strong><em>Still Missing</em></strong> by <em>Chevy Stevens</em>*</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">10) <strong><em>The Scent of Rain and Lightening</em></strong> by <em>Nancy Pickard</em>***</span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Romance/Paranormal Romance~~</span></em></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">1) <strong><em>Married by Morning</em></strong> by <em>Lisa Kleypas</em></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">2) <strong><em>Safe Haven</em></strong> by <em>Nicholas Sparks</em></span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsHpJA7wsrpg2Ac3CmznzPRhbeb93UMEqaRNc1Tx86ft6Xc88pDvmaXoY9885I7F_AO-EUSF55ihfTQWJ_SSBg_s76sjyCmNiVIhbtCTzKRhmgealMWQNV-zd-9A_MUdZQ0wLIMVCuqZc/s1600/hide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsHpJA7wsrpg2Ac3CmznzPRhbeb93UMEqaRNc1Tx86ft6Xc88pDvmaXoY9885I7F_AO-EUSF55ihfTQWJ_SSBg_s76sjyCmNiVIhbtCTzKRhmgealMWQNV-zd-9A_MUdZQ0wLIMVCuqZc/s200/hide.jpg" width="126" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">3) <strong><em>Summer Hideaway</em></strong> by <em>Susan Wiggs**</em></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">4) <strong><em>Maybe This Time</em></strong> by <em>Jennifer Crusie**</em></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">5) <strong><em>Happily Ever After</em></strong> by <em>Nora Roberts</em></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">6) <strong><em>Pleasure of a Dark Prince</em></strong> by <em>Kresley Cole***</em></span></span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPIIrw46cMYW2BKi-kjSzaef2pUQ176lh-U4Hl8k1yd9pjRkjTR3gKcpfxgEg9ogliSLgYomOJ4DoLtNd521mYImyevMChhS2mVZwAhXyFaBytah3BjWb4y-34-vnU6ic5HFChhQAss0/s1600/darkp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: right; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPIIrw46cMYW2BKi-kjSzaef2pUQ176lh-U4Hl8k1yd9pjRkjTR3gKcpfxgEg9ogliSLgYomOJ4DoLtNd521mYImyevMChhS2mVZwAhXyFaBytah3BjWb4y-34-vnU6ic5HFChhQAss0/s200/darkp.jpg" width="123" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">7) <strong><em>Lover Mine: A Novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood</em></strong> by <em>J. R. Ward</em></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">8)<strong><em> Shadowfever</em></strong> (Fever Series #5) by <em>Karen Marie Moning***</em></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">9) <strong><em>Dead in the Family</em></strong> (Sookie Stackhouse series #10) by <em>Charlaine Harris***</em></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">10) <strong><em>The Darkest Passion</em></strong> by <em>Gena Showalter***</em></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana;">The ones I read have an ***; I put a * by the ones that I want to read; and the ones I am not sure about, I put nothing.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana;">I must say, I surprised myself with my taste for romance...I never realized how much I seem to enjoy the paranormal. Hey, a walk on the wild side every so often is never a bad thing...</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Any of these on your top ten list for 2010? Which ones have you read? Do you agree with the books on the top ten? Which ones would you read? </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana;"><strong><em>Happy Reading!</em></strong></span>Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307023632234305929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692761322995827125.post-31468840938721316542011-03-23T15:11:00.013-04:002011-04-07T16:51:56.498-04:00Happiness is a Warm Book~~~~<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The worth of a book is to be measured </span></em></strong><strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">by what you can carry away from it~~</span></em></strong><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">James Bryce</span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmo47rvbyY0_4I_F4xT19K6Sr3ikpK0ZvuYKft9PCJkQg7n64RphMPLxN66DYUdIoW33j9L-YHiv04yU1lThPHwTV6J5Aj8sCzvpJhqtM6kSk0KgJNOVf0-p0BzNRlyhgtVivg2hUmxFE/s1600/book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmo47rvbyY0_4I_F4xT19K6Sr3ikpK0ZvuYKft9PCJkQg7n64RphMPLxN66DYUdIoW33j9L-YHiv04yU1lThPHwTV6J5Aj8sCzvpJhqtM6kSk0KgJNOVf0-p0BzNRlyhgtVivg2hUmxFE/s200/book.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Being a Reader's Advisor, one of the questions I get asked quite a bit is: <strong><em>“What is the best book you’ve ever</em></strong> <strong><em>read?”</em></strong> That’s a tough question since there isn't just one best book. As you can guess, I do a lot of reading. Some folks like me to narrow it down to fiction or nonfiction, which means I have to remember which books were one or the other? With so many non-fiction books written to read as fiction, I have to check my notes. Giving this some thought, there are some of the books that would be at the top of my <strong><em>“best</em></strong> <strong><em>books”</em></strong> list <strong><em>for now</em></strong>~~I'm sure with some of them I will repeat myself, so my apologies. </span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Favorite fiction books: </span></em></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Every Man Dies Alone</em></strong> by Hans Fallada Written in 1947, discovered and published in 2009, it is one of the first novels to be anti-Nazi written after WW ll and shows that there were some Germans who did resist the Nazis. While this book is fiction, it is based on a real event. We share the heartbreak of a couple whose only son had been forced to fight for the Nazis and was killed. They attempt, in their own sad way, to show others the truth about Hitler and the Nazis. There is only one way this book will end, and even though you do, you hope you’re wrong. When I finished this book, I sat and thought about it for some time. </span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEise_IgUoLYTmRAlI78puBWdgrSk11NDmjh3cNBOpPr2aMoR0VqPCLFK4lnwJjtydNTIk90uG4LFGJvtdj4SXf7tH1ZQHg8URQTQgl_ShavsJJLQ6TGBWIlt7nOk8MbFyPisxoS4GA6vlU/s1600/alienist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEise_IgUoLYTmRAlI78puBWdgrSk11NDmjh3cNBOpPr2aMoR0VqPCLFK4lnwJjtydNTIk90uG4LFGJvtdj4SXf7tH1ZQHg8URQTQgl_ShavsJJLQ6TGBWIlt7nOk8MbFyPisxoS4GA6vlU/s200/alienist.jpg" width="130" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Alienist</em></strong> by Caleb Carr Teddy Roosevelt is the police commissioner of New York City in 1896, Dr. Laszlo Kreizler is his “alienist,” and they are trying to solve some rather gruesome murders on the lower East Side. Told through the voice of New York Times crime reporter John Moore, who followed them as they investigated the murders, new procedures, fingerprinting and psychology, are just being used for the first time~~this is a page-turner that proved my point, you have to read the first 100 pages before you give up on the book. I had to convince several patrons to keep going and they would be happy they did. (Nice when they came back and agreed with me.) </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Gunman’s Rhapsody</em></strong> by Robert B. Parker While Parker was known for his Spenser and mystery books, he was never afraid to step out of his genre. For me, this is one of the best westerns I have read about Wyatt Earp, maybe one of the best westerns I've read. Parker keeps his sparse dialog, but he also shows us a Wyatt Earp that fits 1879 Tombstone, AZ. The friendship between Earp and Doc Holiday, the bond between the Earp brothers, Earp’s relationship with Josie Marcus and what led to the gunfight at the O.K. Corral~~in this small, slim book, nobody has done it better. </span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqre5jqO9j4EHPyMVQ7CxRxoUDR-j6ZYSYNgBu8BE34XE8ehnE1iIGzWX2ejM0eE2o0xeo8L8nMKLMhA6d7Mj6jE3ShXz53HhmLbZ0DRVR5nuVg0-D4O3i3FyL_vlGjcrrBlwz6XFDRjk/s1600/sunne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqre5jqO9j4EHPyMVQ7CxRxoUDR-j6ZYSYNgBu8BE34XE8ehnE1iIGzWX2ejM0eE2o0xeo8L8nMKLMhA6d7Mj6jE3ShXz53HhmLbZ0DRVR5nuVg0-D4O3i3FyL_vlGjcrrBlwz6XFDRjk/s200/sunne.jpg" width="125" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Sunne in Splendour</em></strong> by Sharon Kay Penman English historical fiction at it’s best. Was Richard III a monster or has he just been misjudged all these years? Did Shakespeare do him an injustice in his play? What really happened to the two little princes? I loved this kind of book, what’s not to love! Political intrigue, power struggles, complicated love relationships, mystery, death, backstabbing! This is one of the best historical novels I have read, more then once. If you enjoy this genre, here is one of the best. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Kite Runner</em></strong> by Khaled Hosseini I blogged about it a few years ago, we also had one of our best book discussions about it. This is a book that will haunt you, especially because of what’s going on in Afghanistan today. Here is the history of that country before the invasion by the Russians and explains how the Taliban took over, and gives us an idea of why we are where we are today. Sometimes, events that occur in the past can come back to haunt you. </span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgESCnRPUuVNTwJkdmX9mOIHRycKeDENkSf0Wu0l76DLGf1jhwWYnxLJQRmy117l9RapH_izDQbYddhP5UkvMbHym9XCMIhmuCfkfbALM_lK4Je-CU6_9SzyCTge6jlg9rGV2oIEIlEH2A/s1600/hello.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgESCnRPUuVNTwJkdmX9mOIHRycKeDENkSf0Wu0l76DLGf1jhwWYnxLJQRmy117l9RapH_izDQbYddhP5UkvMbHym9XCMIhmuCfkfbALM_lK4Je-CU6_9SzyCTge6jlg9rGV2oIEIlEH2A/s200/hello.jpg" width="130" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Hello, Darkness</em></strong> by Sandra Brown I love when an author steps out of their comfort genre. Brown is known for her romance novels, but with this one she has one heck of a thriller. Paris Gibson is a late night radio host who gives advice about love. When she advises one caller to break up with her boyfriend, this doesn't’t set too well with the boyfriend and Paris starts getting threatening phone calls. This is a page turner that will keep you reading until the end. Let’s just say that if this book made the hairs on the back of Stephen King’s neck stand up~~~ </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Water for Elephants</em></strong> by Sara Gruen I didn’t want this book to end, so this is one I have read again. I wanted to stay with Jacob Jankowski, the circus and his lovely Marlena. Gruen does a marvelous job of taking the reader back and forth in time; from the present day back to the beginning of the Great Depression. This book had it all, friendship, humor, violence, murder and a great love story. You’ll be glad you read it, but sorry when you get to the last page. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Best fiction I read this year was <strong><em>Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War</em></strong> by Karl Marlantes </span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While fiction. Marlantes writes what he lived in Vietnam. Some feel Vietnam should be kept in the past, Marlantes reminds us why it never will nor can be. More realtisic then most I've read, and still leaves you with the question of "why?"</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thanks to my friend, le0pard13, I am reading The 13st Valley by John M. Del Vecchio...another one than lingers long after you've put it down.</span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Favorite Non-Fiction </span></em></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Lemon Tree: An Arab, A Jew and the Heart of the Middle East</em></strong> by Sandy Tolan </span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The lemon tree is in the back yard of the home of Dalia, a Jew. The tree had been planted by the father of Bashir, a Palestine, whose family had owned the house before they were forced to move when Israel was granted its independence. These two meet when Bashir comes back to his home, after the Six-Day War, curious to see what it looks like. The two share how their lives have been since 1948, and the comparison causes struggles within both of them. This book is fascinating in the history of Palestine and Israel; how the USA, England and Soviet Union decided the fate of other countries. There was so much I didn’t know, things I never realized and this book has made me rethink some of my feelings about the Middle East. This is #1 on my list of all the non-fiction books I have read. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton and Me</em></strong> by Patti Boyd </span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Okay, I confess, the title grabbed me....and I wanted the "Me" to be me. When I heard Patti Boyd was coming out with her memoir, I early ordered it. This was the woman who had married my two favorite rockers and I wanted to know all about it. I simply loved it. Boyd had a fascinating life before she became Harrison's girlfriend and wife; but her life with both Harrison and Clapton was a roller coaster ride. Let's face it, two of the greatest love songs ever written, Something and Wonderful Tonight, were written about her. Don't expect to find any finger pointing or blame placing here, Boyd tells her story with wit, humor and love. While Boyd lived the life I dreamed of as a (very) young girl, I'm glad I didn't~~ </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsy-rXniApSZ4dyQpKDTaARrteygpJm2y3XkJImcPnHanZ0HyKjY8pT-na7ODc6mxookjd2m7yS0rjybKa2lqF7vuApJsOhGsmDGz_TxNzUS_DtI22GMus1exhadQXimOkiKfU48ViNXc/s1600/hot+zone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsy-rXniApSZ4dyQpKDTaARrteygpJm2y3XkJImcPnHanZ0HyKjY8pT-na7ODc6mxookjd2m7yS0rjybKa2lqF7vuApJsOhGsmDGz_TxNzUS_DtI22GMus1exhadQXimOkiKfU48ViNXc/s200/hot+zone.jpg" width="120" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Hot Zone: A Terrifying True Story</em></strong> by Richard Preston This was a terrifying read. Not just because a lethal African virus, Ebola, made it into America via imported monkeys, but how far the government went to keep it secret from the American public. Preston tags along with a SWAT team as they enter the "hot zone" to try and contain this deadly virus before more people die. Mind you, the "hot zone" was right next to a pre-school and in order not to throw panic into people, life when on as normal for those that didn't know the Ebola virus was right outside their window. Be warned, there are gruesome descriptions of the virus effect on people and the horror of how they die. This was a chilling page turner...I read it in one sitting. Coincidentally, around this time my kid asked me if we could get a pet monkey~~~</span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had to keep reminding yourself that this really happened...and our government had knowledge of it and the role they played in the happenings. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of U.S. Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan</em></strong> by Doug Stanton</span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Great account of a band of Special Forces soldiers who secretly entered Afghanistan to fight the Taliban after 9/11. Stanton gives us a terrific insight into of how 350 American soldiers, 100 CIA officers and 15,000 Northern Alliance fighters took on 50,000 plus Taliban. Humorous and horrible at the same time, and will leave you with the question~~would things in Afghanistan been different if our government had paid more attention? </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">These three books make me smile when I remember reading them:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>A Year in Provence</em></strong> by Peter Mayle </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-5EuIa9iWRLJj3Fw4E4HcHkN7FnYMG4omeOCUxLEjg4pc2hzGWEbnRfBkvRaXmW4YpKST4q3sqsNq4nVMTId6GRBc-b8000m3Vo7rdfv_uZBPMYkQrorLxWdBfrOFpnwWQ-_nNL31ZGo/s1600/a+year.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-5EuIa9iWRLJj3Fw4E4HcHkN7FnYMG4omeOCUxLEjg4pc2hzGWEbnRfBkvRaXmW4YpKST4q3sqsNq4nVMTId6GRBc-b8000m3Vo7rdfv_uZBPMYkQrorLxWdBfrOFpnwWQ-_nNL31ZGo/s200/a+year.jpg" width="133" /></span></a></div><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What happens when you move into a 200 year farmhouse in a foreign country~~of which you don’t speak the language? Spend a year with Brit Mayle, his wife, two dogs as they attempt to live a Provencal life, get to know their neighbors and learn to cook the French way. Witty, full of humor, recipes….this will make you wish you could do it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Travels with Charley: In Search of America</em></strong> by John Steinbeck</span></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXJf27VOua8MjB4dFB4CA89D9gkHSLMdI-C2JBm71KvtGJMn7gavlAlYTSL3y_unTwLDQTLjC_CccCKq4elslDhQG-eJnPqoGL1UP-UUZAjIyBcW8wiIazPuHQgedHzB0fIeUnZZXUgMM/s1600/charley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXJf27VOua8MjB4dFB4CA89D9gkHSLMdI-C2JBm71KvtGJMn7gavlAlYTSL3y_unTwLDQTLjC_CccCKq4elslDhQG-eJnPqoGL1UP-UUZAjIyBcW8wiIazPuHQgedHzB0fIeUnZZXUgMM/s200/charley.jpg" width="130" /></span></a><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Delightful tale of Steinbeck and his French poodle, Charley, as they travel from Maine to California. Steinbeck shares his insight with the people he meets, even some of the bumps along the way, and his joy of seeing America. This is another one that will make you laugh out loud. While written over forty years ago, and you will get great joy out of Steinbeck’s travels and wish you were along. </span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail</em></strong> by Bill Bryson </span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is still one of the funniest book I have ever read. I had tears rolling down my cheeks from laughing so hard. Bryson trek down the AP with his friend, Stephan Katz, is a wonderful reminder of how beautiful our country is. Bryson and Katz meet some amazing characters and have some hilarious adventures. A great book to read when you want a good laugh, I have read this several times when I need a boost. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The best non-fiction I read this year was <strong><em>The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks</em></strong> by Rebecca Skloot. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is a list of some of my all time favorite books. Many I have read more then once, and I own all of these, when I see them on my book shelf, they make me smile and I look forward to reading them again.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">****My list is always subject to change </span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Happy Reading! </span></em></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglXDbSntnJNto4qUR7a_yjNL54AdVA5X_VPbD271p8lLE7Ia2fBt5LCXjobrn1oz0LluBXLjsgMfHi9YR7hGOsmaCHkRuzxqZyhbMmcvjSTwBT6DeQsL2IQWRrgt_eYlqbamKR9RwP30A/s1600/happy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglXDbSntnJNto4qUR7a_yjNL54AdVA5X_VPbD271p8lLE7Ia2fBt5LCXjobrn1oz0LluBXLjsgMfHi9YR7hGOsmaCHkRuzxqZyhbMmcvjSTwBT6DeQsL2IQWRrgt_eYlqbamKR9RwP30A/s1600/happy.png" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"></span></span>Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307023632234305929noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692761322995827125.post-4516423710221207662011-03-07T16:27:00.023-05:002011-03-16T11:45:22.503-04:00Females ARE Deadlier than the Male~~~~<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSj5uEmlpRXIiAOpap76SleASTrehftmm-RVTAgHL01o5MjwhQYt3C-I6fKZDixISYhxMbIZBVRR6IbwuVZt46HUWTOMpBV5HBF6eI6TOfoQ0i6lojVi723JtxXlCGxLRCk8yhhdAm-2U/s1600/lad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSj5uEmlpRXIiAOpap76SleASTrehftmm-RVTAgHL01o5MjwhQYt3C-I6fKZDixISYhxMbIZBVRR6IbwuVZt46HUWTOMpBV5HBF6eI6TOfoQ0i6lojVi723JtxXlCGxLRCk8yhhdAm-2U/s200/lad.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Book lovers never go </span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> to bed alone...."</span></em></strong><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Anonymous</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Read one of these ladies and you might not want to go to bed at all. The reaction I get when I recommend a woman thriller writer is almost comical. I have had men look at me as if I've lost my mind when I suggest one, and women will even do a little hem and haw~~~mainly because they don't believe that a woman can write a tough, noir potboiler as well (in some cases better) than a man.....or that a female can be deadlier than the male. Not only did I pick women thriller authors, but I wanted the main character to be a woman too. Meet some women whose ruthless streak can surprise even themselves when it appears. Here are a few of my favorite ladies that I suggest to folks and I love when they come back, tell me how much they enjoyed her and grab another book by the same author. </span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidbgmWdhnD7uqdvQvZdUHJDhz9DWCC72uA-MXsJejArLXn2YUIbw8lwDEVGDhkZ9EM68OJiJO2xW6qD-8-rtwxX6GE0MTMSAQtXiBaddXjNBFHz6gt99IMFgNK5MHwbkuqWCbB1lNJEmM/s1600/cc-chair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidbgmWdhnD7uqdvQvZdUHJDhz9DWCC72uA-MXsJejArLXn2YUIbw8lwDEVGDhkZ9EM68OJiJO2xW6qD-8-rtwxX6GE0MTMSAQtXiBaddXjNBFHz6gt99IMFgNK5MHwbkuqWCbB1lNJEmM/s200/cc-chair.jpg" width="123" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong>Chelsea Cain</strong>~~Besides being one of the top thriller writers of the genre, Cain introduces one of most brutal serial killers you'll meet, Gretchen Lowell. Set in Portland, Oregon, the weather~~rainy, grey and damp~~gives the series that grey, norish feeling. Great characters, besides Lowell. Portland detective, Archie Sheridan, and reporter, Susan Ward. The connection between Sheridan and Lowell will give you pause, especially when you realize what brings them together. The series will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Pick up the entire series so you can keep going: </span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><em><strong>Heartsick</strong></em></span></span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><em><strong><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sweetheart</span></strong></em></div><em><strong><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Evil at Heart</span></strong></em><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><em><strong>The Night Season (</strong></em> her newest one)</span></span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfKcrySNsruwlFWnXR1fcWqQXbDB6N3E7eUuAgCVSR2quspftMUvOC89TgNgTz2dmm4pSjlxrBpRF5PsRsQrOXvrL2nJRszpYYK9sEQDxqAGT4TrZnmiDomq44IyFvOGz7S2g3dDf2LPU/s1600/vicki-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfKcrySNsruwlFWnXR1fcWqQXbDB6N3E7eUuAgCVSR2quspftMUvOC89TgNgTz2dmm4pSjlxrBpRF5PsRsQrOXvrL2nJRszpYYK9sEQDxqAGT4TrZnmiDomq44IyFvOGz7S2g3dDf2LPU/s200/vicki-sm.jpg" width="141" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong>Vicki Hendricks</strong>~~This is one author that grabs you by page one and you hold on until the last page. Hang on for a ride that will leave you breathless. Set in Florida, in Hendricks first book, <strong><em>Cruel Poetry,</em></strong> we first meet happy hooker Renata (Rennie) and her pet python....and some men who feel the need to save her. This is trailer-trash noir at it's best..the hot sun, beach, kooky characters, <em>sex</em>, humor and of course~murder. Even keeping the air conditioner on while reading you will still break out in a sweat. As Ken Bruen fittingly said <em>"...(Hendricks) you write like a</em> <em>demented banshee!"</em> ***<strong><em>Warning</em></strong>~~Hendricks books can be considered on the, um, risque side.</span></span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4XQZ1SfMW7ZbB75JgklXtwfqz1b-16-xOk7A9PjsSEE1Ww_W7JSymsmcqI8_mWAWu7pIkfiN3TKvx1CD2Y-Y-DlJxQ3s7xVeMXCd-Z65WTH9amBnOnHUknY4GjcWl2M1LecGlFcDLrns/s1600/zoeonmotorbike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4XQZ1SfMW7ZbB75JgklXtwfqz1b-16-xOk7A9PjsSEE1Ww_W7JSymsmcqI8_mWAWu7pIkfiN3TKvx1CD2Y-Y-DlJxQ3s7xVeMXCd-Z65WTH9amBnOnHUknY4GjcWl2M1LecGlFcDLrns/s200/zoeonmotorbike.jpg" width="140" /></span></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong>Zoe Sharp</strong>~~Sharp hit the big time in 2001 with <strong><em>Killer</em></strong> <strong><em>Instinct.</em></strong> You may have heard of her co-author, Lee Child?Meet Charlotte (Charlie) Fox, Sharpe's all action, macho, tough talking "heroine," who was in the Special Forces until they kicked her out. During the early books, Charlie Fox drifts through doing odd jobs, then everything kicks into gear when she meets up with her old military instructor, Sean Meyer~~who she holds a grudge against. Charlie finds out how much her military training comes in handy when she goes to work for Meyer as a bodyguard for hire. Fox is amazed at herself when she finds out how violent and cold blooded she can be, but most frightening of all is how far she will go to do her job. I like Fox; she's strong, compassionate and adheres to her principles. Good series that opens up the characters with each new book.</span></span></div></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><em><u><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Charlie Fox series:</span></u></em><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Killer Instinct</span></em></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Riot Act</span></em></strong></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hard Knocks </span></em></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">First Drop</span></em></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Road Kill</span></em></strong></div><strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Second Shot</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Third Strike</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fourth Day</span></em></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Fifth Victim</em></strong> (her newest one)</span></span><br />
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<em><u><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ridley Jones books:</span></u></em><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Beautiful Lies</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sliver of Truth</span></em></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">**I highly recommend <strong><em>Fragile~~loved it!</em></strong></span></span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDP6Gi56B8vWwLAacuVavTUXLa02os0f7zB8JvNfUgz_xv0xQCNbuSsjdzWi9_vc4XYr_Coh3Jz6VoWxOac3IctqRjKUsP5nNRrQAfdWSJw7T76UrwQPZJlKGQa9QxlgZUkfVh6OLXI3I/s1600/cf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDP6Gi56B8vWwLAacuVavTUXLa02os0f7zB8JvNfUgz_xv0xQCNbuSsjdzWi9_vc4XYr_Coh3Jz6VoWxOac3IctqRjKUsP5nNRrQAfdWSJw7T76UrwQPZJlKGQa9QxlgZUkfVh6OLXI3I/s200/cf.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong>Christa Faust</strong>~Love pulp fiction? Here is one of the best. Faust gives us tough talking, </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">a**kicking Angel Dare, who will "gobsmack" you as soon as look at you. Angel is a former porn star, who we first meet in <strong><em>Money Shot,</em></strong> where she<strong><em> </em></strong>takes on the sex slave trade and ends up in the Witness Protection Program...of course a lot goes on in between. Angel's next book is <strong><em>Choke Hold,</em></strong> coming out in October....and I can't wait! Faust is the first women author in the history of <strong><em><u>Hard Case Crime</u></em>!</strong> That alone should make you run out and pick a copy of her books. Be careful not to pick up her other genres~~not that they aren't worth reading, but they aren't thrillers (**Remember my warning about Vicki Hendricks? She's mild compared to Faust. I doubt I could put her book covers up on this blog)</span></span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Lcf6IMZ6grnrwsBaRR0bQS11abrwZazcXsQrR5i8TSyuevtt4lCg0xl5MTVyPMlVaE0mtbc0ca54xoNjLDqJCmr_3MHXkWnRtPtgu0qSW3fGBpQVQZFSpA87Wxv2X377E9-z8V99gAA/s1600/thumbnailCAW9PUH2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="150" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Lcf6IMZ6grnrwsBaRR0bQS11abrwZazcXsQrR5i8TSyuevtt4lCg0xl5MTVyPMlVaE0mtbc0ca54xoNjLDqJCmr_3MHXkWnRtPtgu0qSW3fGBpQVQZFSpA87Wxv2X377E9-z8V99gAA/s200/thumbnailCAW9PUH2.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong>Lisa Gardner</strong>~~Gardner has two series with strong women as lead characters. FBI profiler Kimberly Quincy and Police Detective D.D. Warren. Both series are terrific...and disturbing, but I love them. </span></span><br />
<em><u><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The D.D. Warren series: </span></u></em><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Alone</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hide</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Neighbor</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Live to Tell</span></em></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Love you More</em></strong> (her latest in the series)</span></span><br />
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<em><u><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">FBI Profiler series with Kimberly Quincy:</span></u></em><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Gone</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Killing Hour</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Say Goodbye</span></em></strong><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Look at those faces? Do they look like the face of someone who can write about grisly, bloody murders? A pedophile that loves spiders so much he has eight eyes tattooed all around his head? Entire families murdered on the anniversary of a family killing from years ago? Police detectives who forge a strange bond with a serial killer? Ah yes~~and when the past comes back to bite, is anything what it once seemed? Good stuff. </span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8zBxk_FvuWS5qJPkMB5wKHg2I5S_Kn-TtC94JunDbAUQMlRI8x7pR5SlK9HWr1heM7q4PjkJIpx7M7QcxCYyG82YRdFIM_gOWZ95yR43hgCsJSTG8AekH-ecmNP-mRY0nZTPGqR6M-6A/s1600/chac.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8zBxk_FvuWS5qJPkMB5wKHg2I5S_Kn-TtC94JunDbAUQMlRI8x7pR5SlK9HWr1heM7q4PjkJIpx7M7QcxCYyG82YRdFIM_gOWZ95yR43hgCsJSTG8AekH-ecmNP-mRY0nZTPGqR6M-6A/s1600/chac.jpg" /></a><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There you have it, a few of my favorite women thrillers writers with great women characters. You can't go wrong with any of them. When I get to the part of the book where our leading lady is about to go head to head with the bad guy, or woman, I get an earworm of Pat Benatar singing <em>"Hit me with your best shot...fire away!" </em>I just start to chuckle because they have no idea what they are up against. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8zBxk_FvuWS5qJPkMB5wKHg2I5S_Kn-TtC94JunDbAUQMlRI8x7pR5SlK9HWr1heM7q4PjkJIpx7M7QcxCYyG82YRdFIM_gOWZ95yR43hgCsJSTG8AekH-ecmNP-mRY0nZTPGqR6M-6A/s1600/chac.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></a></div><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'd love to know what you think of my choice of ladies....and what yours are. </span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Happy Reading!</span></em></strong><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307023632234305929noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692761322995827125.post-63346085409914276692011-02-12T12:19:00.001-05:002011-02-12T12:20:28.777-05:00Love is in the Air!<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXkUmPUFAa2CS-ILy6l28KsWw6jSKXTnJwAMz_I8vgJW7HWo9L_Mtr3NfJqZtEqxOJYzGpSUcJ8SkMC6r63XI-aK-OvnOkAmlcu4OxOzWo__Zfwnar-8mCu6Ml2_4wZmc-VgSJBcOx3dg/s1600/doub.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXkUmPUFAa2CS-ILy6l28KsWw6jSKXTnJwAMz_I8vgJW7HWo9L_Mtr3NfJqZtEqxOJYzGpSUcJ8SkMC6r63XI-aK-OvnOkAmlcu4OxOzWo__Zfwnar-8mCu6Ml2_4wZmc-VgSJBcOx3dg/s200/doub.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><strong><em><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Love is in the air</span></em></strong></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><em><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the whisper of the trees</span></em></strong></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><em><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Love is in the air</span></em></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><em><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the thunder of the seas....</span></em></strong></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">John Paul Young</span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ah, love. Love seems to be all around. Valentine's Day seems to bring out the romantic side in everyone, especially with a romance novel. </span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I asked several folks <em>"What's your favorite romance</em> <em>novel?"</em> I won't even begin to go into what the men said, let's just say romance seems not to be their reading forte. </span></div></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here are just a few of my favorite romances to cozy up with~~~</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkFPdxobTjrt4_fyryG29C6Cj6INl5fYI1ohBBY7hPRAbU4FyL0h9xaUvKIszy8ngN3CsoNT6TGY5HRmhSzL6EXaHyTHOwg2ZIZi5zrgqDyUWct4LvZDqdwJYSLFpkX_F9xnNQYklSpm0/s1600/julie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkFPdxobTjrt4_fyryG29C6Cj6INl5fYI1ohBBY7hPRAbU4FyL0h9xaUvKIszy8ngN3CsoNT6TGY5HRmhSzL6EXaHyTHOwg2ZIZi5zrgqDyUWct4LvZDqdwJYSLFpkX_F9xnNQYklSpm0/s200/julie.jpg" width="137" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><strong><em>Julie and Romeo</em></strong> by <em>Jeanne Ray</em></span></span></span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Laugh out loud funny. Long time family feud comes to a head when rival florists fall in love. Seems even in your sixties families try and tell you how to live your life and what you should and shouldn't do~~with hilarious results. Great reminder that love (and sex) have no age limits. </span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNQmpKQ6sNg_D-QeGKHG9ijC7Ilox_00euJTuf1uA-XP7ir4PvIGbqAcia1wDs5QdTqRkbf-BgoqwEqBREiXrtEnVK8YiduBGiwQ2Zt9KsJ1T6GN7jSIHj9IoJOT75LDPqvMvUAMtyPh4/s1600/wolf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNQmpKQ6sNg_D-QeGKHG9ijC7Ilox_00euJTuf1uA-XP7ir4PvIGbqAcia1wDs5QdTqRkbf-BgoqwEqBREiXrtEnVK8YiduBGiwQ2Zt9KsJ1T6GN7jSIHj9IoJOT75LDPqvMvUAMtyPh4/s200/wolf.jpg" width="121" /></span></a></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><strong><em>The Wolf and the Dove</em></strong> by <em>Kathleen Woodiwiss</em></span></span></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Terrific tale of war, love and conquest of England during the Dark Ages between a Saxon princess and a Normans. warrior. This is a good one to lose yourself in, it has it all: a little history, fantasy and romance.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">**Another good one by Woodiwiss, <strong><em>The Flame and the Flower</em></strong>~~Historical romance set in the early American colonies.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5VugMzLrFW1VFmAy9KpadP6KIpKhwIFAF2QIkabYtgU4sUfqIt84IXYGINyYDOfd1qDjbMvcGcYqZulgKcH6vGmcQNfy_lZEOFHuhcwaYSJNwnI6yKeS3X1FDL0G6ukMVZ-bKodPw8bo/s1600/walk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5VugMzLrFW1VFmAy9KpadP6KIpKhwIFAF2QIkabYtgU4sUfqIt84IXYGINyYDOfd1qDjbMvcGcYqZulgKcH6vGmcQNfy_lZEOFHuhcwaYSJNwnI6yKeS3X1FDL0G6ukMVZ-bKodPw8bo/s200/walk.jpg" width="123" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><strong><em>Nicholas Sparks</em></strong> seems to have become the most prolific romance writer of the last decade. It was hard to narrow it down but here are some that are recommended; </span></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">**When you read Sparks, keep tissues handy.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><strong><em>A Walk to Remember</em></strong> </span></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's 1958 in Beaufort, North Carolina. When Landon, one of the most popular boys in school gets involved with Jamie, the nicest girl in school. Everybody wonders why, including Landon. Falling in love doesn't need reasons, nor does it need an age. It happens.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><em><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Nights in Rodanthe </span></em></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguBs76v7pKM0Mx3_uYKwOtsBZeMZ0kXNOvBKYJc6gfKLzEfdZOC1TFBlYkczTCsfaNt4po0UPRV8rB7pjNQuuHFFPcPDssGCNrZxCc1J_1RY5FXnDT5Sv3dYmlQiCLMn6fMlus_j4brWw/s1600/nights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguBs76v7pKM0Mx3_uYKwOtsBZeMZ0kXNOvBKYJc6gfKLzEfdZOC1TFBlYkczTCsfaNt4po0UPRV8rB7pjNQuuHFFPcPDssGCNrZxCc1J_1RY5FXnDT5Sv3dYmlQiCLMn6fMlus_j4brWw/s200/nights.jpg" width="125" /></span></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When you get a second chance at love, do you take it? Or do you run away from it, afraid you might get hurt? Paul and Adrienne come together in Rodanthe, North Carolina, during a hurricane, and share a lifetime in one weekend that sets in motion feelings....I always like a book that proves love can happen anytime in life. (Besides, the movie has Richard Gere in it~~)</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><em><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Notebook</span></em></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This book begins in 1932, it's set in New Bern, North Carolina. Allie and Noah spend a wonderful summer together even though they come from different "caste" systems of the South. Fourteen years later, when Noah returns from WWII, they meet again. Does time heal all wounds? Being older, are they wiser?</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><strong><em>The Princess Bride</em></strong> by <em>William Goldman</em></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgljEW2wjZ_3qVYmBLULzx1U_sOUeBcVGKEW-v1WcPlQezlbgHgercaTqMufH4d-JHK7fr-h4nxz92uvQZqIJTpXI30eadUOjglbkxZcfpBcxvLkMINuur8VnN2TJfA13nV5G_E7Acar2c/s1600/bride.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgljEW2wjZ_3qVYmBLULzx1U_sOUeBcVGKEW-v1WcPlQezlbgHgercaTqMufH4d-JHK7fr-h4nxz92uvQZqIJTpXI30eadUOjglbkxZcfpBcxvLkMINuur8VnN2TJfA13nV5G_E7Acar2c/s200/bride.jpg" width="132" /></span></a></div><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I will admit to this being one of my personal favorites. Classic tale of love, rousing adventure, fantasy and full of laugh out loud humor. This was made into one of my all time favorite movies. Treat yourself to this delightful book and the movie, laugh out loud and enjoy a true romance. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><strong><em>Lady of the Forest</em></strong> by <em>Jennifer Roberson</em></span></span></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMTjwJRlcRP1mDwbBlkdA8z6fPOOydpWuyeqEGlefA40-WQPR6BmoiBpA_PdPcxFJKgS6fdpID2tnl-JNy1eKW-WOzbT9Py2mK1IxUcVEZI1LfO3a37bMjdupgSVv9tcdB-2kXQSuDX3Y/s1600/forest.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMTjwJRlcRP1mDwbBlkdA8z6fPOOydpWuyeqEGlefA40-WQPR6BmoiBpA_PdPcxFJKgS6fdpID2tnl-JNy1eKW-WOzbT9Py2mK1IxUcVEZI1LfO3a37bMjdupgSVv9tcdB-2kXQSuDX3Y/s200/forest.gif" width="119" /></span></a><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's 12th-century England, Lady Marion and Robin Hood meet, and as they say, the rest is history. The gang's all here, Friar Tuck, Alan a'Dale, Will Scarlet and Little John, along with wicked Prince John and his band of slimy men. Falling in love and sword fights just don't get any better. Roberson writes some of the best romantic historical fiction.</span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><strong><em>The Last Valentine</em></strong> by <em>James Michael Pratt</em></span></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFnSV9qPFPiXPbE9Z-nnaKh2KDBTwm_t5sIzgk1B3SxjSCFzl178EVrYtvMfdReiENNDAEkQLzv0fgcOKSv7o_nbXL5JgGIbvrSgU3-IMDTxKkBu_uy4OGTbgrQAvSqkBr5B3u0r_1qqA/s1600/last.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: right; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFnSV9qPFPiXPbE9Z-nnaKh2KDBTwm_t5sIzgk1B3SxjSCFzl178EVrYtvMfdReiENNDAEkQLzv0fgcOKSv7o_nbXL5JgGIbvrSgU3-IMDTxKkBu_uy4OGTbgrQAvSqkBr5B3u0r_1qqA/s200/last.jpg" width="127" /></span></a><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Caroline Thomas husband left February 14, 1944 from Union Station, Los Angeles to head for the Pacific. He never returned, he was listed as MIA....yet Caroline returns to Union Station every year on their anniversary, until she finally gets closure..... and her last Valentine. (This was recently a TV movie starring Betty White...who was wonderful in it!)</span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<u><strong><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here are some other romance authors to check out..... </span></strong></u><br />
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-GQCo6aO0E0tA6UrMDt_9nJ4lA0-63ssUi-ud8yfMJ_tnZg3tEITS6cgzJwUHJNZye-B8qsO0wh246oyiK2Pbav9fggZBZ9B6FeObCpUYrS47w6yJhs50VFl7Hp0jsQtdqZTuyC7PEvs/s1600/highlander.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-GQCo6aO0E0tA6UrMDt_9nJ4lA0-63ssUi-ud8yfMJ_tnZg3tEITS6cgzJwUHJNZye-B8qsO0wh246oyiK2Pbav9fggZBZ9B6FeObCpUYrS47w6yJhs50VFl7Hp0jsQtdqZTuyC7PEvs/s200/highlander.jpg" width="122" /></span></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><em><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Paranormal romance?</span></em></strong></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Karen Marie Moning~~ <strong><em>Highlander</em></strong> series</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lyndsey Sands~~ <strong><em>Argeneau</em></strong> series</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Christine Feehan~~<strong><em>Dark Prince</em></strong> series</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Diana Gabaldon~~<strong><em>Outlander</em></strong> series</span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Charlaine Harris~~<strong><em>Sooki Stackhouse</em></strong> series</span></div></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUk28M3y-uQ_mX6G2MmBidIaGWiPkxhff6bZ9yrl5aUn4mT2ch6cjIx_o4LVDMUE4SJjv9SyPU3Jf6jFJoeUsaSHKQ3MrC7YOGQY584aThQD05duv_6fCgoERO_A-4RNG4sEJwN1_Y1I/s1600/walk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUk28M3y-uQ_mX6G2MmBidIaGWiPkxhff6bZ9yrl5aUn4mT2ch6cjIx_o4LVDMUE4SJjv9SyPU3Jf6jFJoeUsaSHKQ3MrC7YOGQY584aThQD05duv_6fCgoERO_A-4RNG4sEJwN1_Y1I/s200/walk.jpg" width="129" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><strong><em>Modern Day?</em></strong> </span></span></span></div><br />
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jennifer Cruise</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Richard Paul Evans</span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jennifer Weiner</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Carly Phillips</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Nora Roberts</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sandra Brown</span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Marion Keys</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anne River Siddons</span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Janet Evanovich</span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kathleen Eagle</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Diane Mott Davidson</span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl1MYdFa7I_q2JE-YSL-Y4ZIxPVlfuuqWv5uhwWhqNmOV3siwHexBfBL8FC2dtrkDWLdgUpDXFOQksJYwX67Sc_T7vRcfcRLQdjPhxLb0F1oqHKXQ-p1TPkFU2fHrQPTNMtYqUiFABe3U/s1600/suune.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl1MYdFa7I_q2JE-YSL-Y4ZIxPVlfuuqWv5uhwWhqNmOV3siwHexBfBL8FC2dtrkDWLdgUpDXFOQksJYwX67Sc_T7vRcfcRLQdjPhxLb0F1oqHKXQ-p1TPkFU2fHrQPTNMtYqUiFABe3U/s200/suune.jpg" width="133" /></span></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><em><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Historical Romance?</span></em></strong></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Johanna Lindsey</span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Eugenia Price </span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Rosalind Laker</span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Philippa Gregory</span></div></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh56VecviHgXS1gtsfft1i2-G4LMGJAsfcF99vZZKs8FaT9fviyZCDUcyx9L0g3G_wX0zkY5dlpY9mQU_gVwmKbU7HY51-8FWSYHMJZU1tnJJPWWJcx1Is0JjRERLr8LPpWJFlum34Xu6c/s1600/kadin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></a><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Beatrice Small</span></div></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sharon Kay Penman</span></div></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I say, lose yourself in a little romance with any one of these books or authors~~I know a man in a kilt sends me. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wishing you a Happy Valentine's Day !</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTfiywILt_FzEeRg_3sd9OQLhSFMiLKCcb3IKPGkQQy_2G0V2FunGv56NltNEylWQWRwYBZ5CMyKnuNrfZH8bdqjlGdWIWxwb2761EY4u2aLdh7tMbaYgzv-96QZ-OxLbN59xbde7H1ls/s1600/hearts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black;"><img border="0" h5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTfiywILt_FzEeRg_3sd9OQLhSFMiLKCcb3IKPGkQQy_2G0V2FunGv56NltNEylWQWRwYBZ5CMyKnuNrfZH8bdqjlGdWIWxwb2761EY4u2aLdh7tMbaYgzv-96QZ-OxLbN59xbde7H1ls/s1600/hearts.jpg" /></span></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: black;">Happy Reading!</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><em></em></strong></div>Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307023632234305929noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692761322995827125.post-18241358070581326222011-01-05T11:30:00.011-05:002011-01-05T11:51:49.958-05:00Something Tells Me I'm Into Something Good~~<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"<strong><em>Something tells me I'm into something good~~</em></strong> </span><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Something good...." </span></em></strong><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Herman's Hermits</span></em></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That something good I'm into would be a book...and here are some that I was glad to dive into~~</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>The Thin Man</em></strong> by <em>Dashell Hammett.</em> (1934)</span></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM3HHdm2XREGhtuPMLJelhhqYXevamFGOnX4F2JnkTzXQ6ycwDYx5dvsGRd_gu23hK2Yr2oOthAA021E6txRBWhbCxSDQM_WsyjHnANOxlSoNiSfjjmeI6qnTgyyNPrIqiFkstcvneefg/s1600/thin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM3HHdm2XREGhtuPMLJelhhqYXevamFGOnX4F2JnkTzXQ6ycwDYx5dvsGRd_gu23hK2Yr2oOthAA021E6txRBWhbCxSDQM_WsyjHnANOxlSoNiSfjjmeI6qnTgyyNPrIqiFkstcvneefg/s200/thin.jpg" width="128" /></span></a><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had read this years ago, and thought it would be fun to do for book discussion. We had a great time. Of course, I warned everyone don't try and keep up with the characters and their cocktails. One of the things we talked about was how <em>Hammett</em> put together a great mystery with great characters and snappy banter in just two hundred pages. We also talked about <em>Hammett's</em> writing style, attention to detail, and how he carried his plot compared to some of today's top mystery writers; (no names) and surprisingly, not many compared that well. This book, written in 1934, was a big hit with everyone. If you haven't read this, come on ~~meet Nick and Nora Charles and their little dog Asta....who is spoiled rotten.</span></div><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">**This was the only Thin Man book Hammett wrote, there was never a sequel.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6gg3rB09y0VnaYxgEZAqlRMud3FSEiLv0t9O6trQ_sSxRrsyLfD43ATa3blHERE2AehyphenhyphenSLyaNDyR0o2mzaSYULpK1xcpAYNhO46RrPJ0npzZUcXim7bP2eCD-pIB0ReuvU9x4gU2a1OY/s1600/grit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6gg3rB09y0VnaYxgEZAqlRMud3FSEiLv0t9O6trQ_sSxRrsyLfD43ATa3blHERE2AehyphenhyphenSLyaNDyR0o2mzaSYULpK1xcpAYNhO46RrPJ0npzZUcXim7bP2eCD-pIB0ReuvU9x4gU2a1OY/s200/grit.jpg" width="132" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>True Grit</em></strong> by <em>Charles Portis</em> (1968)</span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When I heard that they were remaking this movie, it struck me~~I had not read this book! It was wonderful. Yes yes it's a western, there is blood and gore, but it is also full of humor and friendship. In eighteen seventy -something, fourteen year old Mattie Ross tells us how she sets out after the men who killed her Daddy. </span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">**Loved the movie and this is a terrific book! </span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Moonlight Mile</em></strong> by <em>Dennis Lehane</em> (2010)</span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiResuVT0WkvcD5rGC6mL4fEej0cCPU9GF2usnQHcaZ3ilRmF1oeiaSheTWrR-dVIZk_eU196KLDGXjAejddCZn5er2Lf2n2LSainwyPIr-4mUWzXlS3OkFxpvHD4lE2VJvNy3WozZHKM0/s1600/moonl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiResuVT0WkvcD5rGC6mL4fEej0cCPU9GF2usnQHcaZ3ilRmF1oeiaSheTWrR-dVIZk_eU196KLDGXjAejddCZn5er2Lf2n2LSainwyPIr-4mUWzXlS3OkFxpvHD4lE2VJvNy3WozZHKM0/s200/moonl.jpg" width="132" /></span></a><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I always love to catch up with old friends, and I was delighted to visit with Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro~~even if it may be the last time. Since the last time we hooked up, Kenzie and Gennaro are married with a four year old daughter, but still in the private detective business. We revisit some of the characters from <strong><em>Gone, Baby, Gone</em></strong>...hard to find someone who does the back side of Boston like Lehane. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>It's a Book</em></strong> by <em>Lane Smith</em> (2010)</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiebXcJWzjBBtvzpBe7qK1GyUsWraBS0yhHBYcLF1QOCPzLgS_TtxIBMeVFyY1i80sRRvclrwHuGDwdFJVIQO6P3iCvdRnk6kFIa_P-IgbjqYZSIk4iTz-NoR5SDCpUIPsadXR7T3J6z6I/s1600/it%2527sa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: right; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiebXcJWzjBBtvzpBe7qK1GyUsWraBS0yhHBYcLF1QOCPzLgS_TtxIBMeVFyY1i80sRRvclrwHuGDwdFJVIQO6P3iCvdRnk6kFIa_P-IgbjqYZSIk4iTz-NoR5SDCpUIPsadXR7T3J6z6I/s200/it%2527sa.jpg" width="154" /></span></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not a book for young kids~~even though it looks like one. I gave this to several folks for Christmas and they loved it. Whether you are a techie or yearn for the simpler days, this is a great little book.</span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQDosriL-stOQb8NjFSdJLyX5LVk92tKlKKKaQJXD3SqN4PCHXqeOncX3lSSYF0YSH2F-ShtlQUN8ZdWx2SMB0MRV-FWNHGiwk5Ke9xC7ThKO0sI0gxHRasZRKiVdriSsYdWSiwI0TlA/s1600/south.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQDosriL-stOQb8NjFSdJLyX5LVk92tKlKKKaQJXD3SqN4PCHXqeOncX3lSSYF0YSH2F-ShtlQUN8ZdWx2SMB0MRV-FWNHGiwk5Ke9xC7ThKO0sI0gxHRasZRKiVdriSsYdWSiwI0TlA/s200/south.jpg" width="125" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>South of Broad</em></strong> by <em>Pat Conroy</em> (2009)</span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of my favorite authors..... <em>Pat</em> <em>Conroy</em> came out with a book after a long absence of fourteen years. He takes us once again to his beloved Charleston and we lose ourselves in his group of characters. We follow them for twenty years, from the 1960's through the beginning of the 1980's. Through the good times, breakdowns~~revisit the racism and the effects on folks who are viewed as a different "class" in society. I love a good book about the South, and I enjoy how <em>Pat Conroy</em> writes. I hope he doesn't wait to long for the next one. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5KSce3vOgozMb-GaWFuS2uTUmnvnHEuiZqeWzZ9kSfN92f6IVp5H8NBruAba8l_Nm6Pazt9GQg2NFDTZf8T1QoNiB6cmoq5b0ttl4PCini-byXEkuoEbrhvrx-9dwLMyEt2lhwG-NW00/s1600/matterhorn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5KSce3vOgozMb-GaWFuS2uTUmnvnHEuiZqeWzZ9kSfN92f6IVp5H8NBruAba8l_Nm6Pazt9GQg2NFDTZf8T1QoNiB6cmoq5b0ttl4PCini-byXEkuoEbrhvrx-9dwLMyEt2lhwG-NW00/s200/matterhorn.jpg" width="130" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Matterhorn: A Novel of Vietnam</em></strong> by <em>Karl Marlantes</em> (2010) </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">There have been several novels of Vietnam, some of the best, in my opinion, are: <strong><em>Tears of Autumn</em></strong> by <em>Charles McCarry</em>; <strong><em>The Best and the Brightest</em></strong> by <em>David Halberstam</em>; <strong><em>The Things They Carried</em></strong> by <em>Tim O'Brien</em>; <strong><em>We Were Soldiers Once...and Young</em></strong> by <em>Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore</em> and <em>Joseph L.</em> <em>Galloway</em>; <strong><em>A Bright Shining Lie:John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam</em></strong> by <em>Neil Sheehan....</em>I add <strong><em>Matterhorn</em></strong> to that list. Vietnam was my era, my Dad did two tours there and some of the boys I went to school with are no longer here, so I always feel a connection~~whether that makes sense or not. While some may ask <strong><em>'What more is there to say about </em></strong><strong><em>Vietnam?'</em></strong> this books shows that there will always be more to be said. The reminders of the horrors of war and what it does to people and countries should never be forgotten~~and <em>Marlantes</em>, in his first novel, gives us his first hand account of his experience during his tour there. </span></span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhIqsQpMeLr0Q6nffc7mlLMLlwCTIhWuMfBHcXFWbf2BEO56OXCnkvS4XL3aeC3ei3DiANZsbMVXROCgTGh_nG7XbskzKeldWNJ0FGMCU8MwJqhtnsuiiS3UK8w65NvHw2cIYAGXsM0cU/s1600/say.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhIqsQpMeLr0Q6nffc7mlLMLlwCTIhWuMfBHcXFWbf2BEO56OXCnkvS4XL3aeC3ei3DiANZsbMVXROCgTGh_nG7XbskzKeldWNJ0FGMCU8MwJqhtnsuiiS3UK8w65NvHw2cIYAGXsM0cU/s200/say.jpg" width="131" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><em>Lisa Gardener </em>and<em> </em>her Detective D.D. Warren series. Can't believe I had never read her before! I picked up <strong><em>Say Goodbye</em></strong> at a yard sale and was hooked. Creepy, disturbing and page- turners, while you may sit back and go "huh?" sometimes, <em>Gardener</em> ties up all the loose ends by the end and you end up with a satisfying read </span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhby1pi_UNBkvrxuShmwnqNQh2HTOXpdSJrRf_hCiNWWIClLqn7Zpb60_mpbBt0ueRCn_uqCNIWgQwoo_Q2MeUwdbJD_qBT2J9wsf52eGy3ebdQw8taeqz-ev3Re32HzdOd4aITrKh3m50/s1600/shsape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhby1pi_UNBkvrxuShmwnqNQh2HTOXpdSJrRf_hCiNWWIClLqn7Zpb60_mpbBt0ueRCn_uqCNIWgQwoo_Q2MeUwdbJD_qBT2J9wsf52eGy3ebdQw8taeqz-ev3Re32HzdOd4aITrKh3m50/s200/shsape.jpg" width="129" /></span></a><em></em></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><em>Andrea Camilleri.</em> Meet Inspector Montalbano. He has the good luck to live in Sicily, enjoy good food, have a sense of humor that serves him well while he is investigating murder. He has a style that will make you smile as you read, sorry when you're done and so glad you have another one to pick up. A fun, enjoyable series! </span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT3znkMiR2bNTGr_p1icTNmgQpuGADrkEAiAM2XQgy_xyNZvA1o9hcYweh7y5PxGIiCYJE8IxLVAaT7yKSH5qVxUKhuReBgHgbiMPu-Bso7ICoLSoKTplD9N_moG9z2ODwsc4YEIEodi8/s1600/deat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT3znkMiR2bNTGr_p1icTNmgQpuGADrkEAiAM2XQgy_xyNZvA1o9hcYweh7y5PxGIiCYJE8IxLVAaT7yKSH5qVxUKhuReBgHgbiMPu-Bso7ICoLSoKTplD9N_moG9z2ODwsc4YEIEodi8/s200/deat.jpg" width="125" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><em>Donna Leon.</em> Yes, murder abounds, but it takes place in Venice...where we get to tour beautiful Venice and its surroundings while the murder is being solved. How bad that can be? Once again we are treated to a delightful European detective,Commissario Guido Brunetti, who enjoys good food, good music, loves his wife and has a conscience when it comes to what's the right thing to do, and what isn't. Delightful series. </span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Ncyd05rDCM8vApA0bwWzS6KsGw8ATvbr3VVJ01uPB3KL_SvhyVQb2pMQxa5KK8eVP1DjI6WJVkD0kmkJ0qxoa7bYN4aN6vzMl43MrFuGf8OSodO8uDhX2iMt5WW30R5TVWdtI19nmU8/s1600/nemesis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Ncyd05rDCM8vApA0bwWzS6KsGw8ATvbr3VVJ01uPB3KL_SvhyVQb2pMQxa5KK8eVP1DjI6WJVkD0kmkJ0qxoa7bYN4aN6vzMl43MrFuGf8OSodO8uDhX2iMt5WW30R5TVWdtI19nmU8/s200/nemesis.jpg" width="131" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Nemesis </em></strong>by <em>Jo Nesbo</em> (2009)</span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While Steig Larrson trilogy of books were the big hit this year. I liked <em>Nesbo</em> better. Set in Norway, Detective Harry Hole is relentless and plodding in solving the robbery and murder that occurred in a bank. Complex, multi- layered and several different plots that somehow end up all tied together. By the way, just who is setting Hole up as the prime suspect in some of the goings on? Great series. </span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Hi3EHjCXHEQOTq_xn-6VjALyJkAgjcYENjowUcpPVwl0-P7Q_iLvPRV7Vut81VdZWeMBC6bs_quehyytN0A2Rl72MFkEQfzriohJuTPwQn_ki9SMI-j4pRaENWjxQV21vVHmfWrA6BY/s1600/ellis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Hi3EHjCXHEQOTq_xn-6VjALyJkAgjcYENjowUcpPVwl0-P7Q_iLvPRV7Vut81VdZWeMBC6bs_quehyytN0A2Rl72MFkEQfzriohJuTPwQn_ki9SMI-j4pRaENWjxQV21vVHmfWrA6BY/s200/ellis.jpg" width="122" /></span></a><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Revisiting with a real oldie but goodie~~<em>Ellis Peters</em> and her Brother Cadfiel series. I had forgotten how well written these were and that there's nothing like a visit to good old England in the mid 1100's. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">**Reminder to self, read more historical novels this year. </span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjey7Fi7uTcnU0fttZgus0GK-ji2GH8dzdfC6s-BAs631Ia_HO7Rr1KJaksmdVqef7NhtJ_ffpc92v-JJ9fgYFkQu7Ti3SSJyRH4dIqYv2Es5lF3CTRkqTdxxk8RLiSzeASy11Fbs-GqLs/s1600/bad+day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjey7Fi7uTcnU0fttZgus0GK-ji2GH8dzdfC6s-BAs631Ia_HO7Rr1KJaksmdVqef7NhtJ_ffpc92v-JJ9fgYFkQu7Ti3SSJyRH4dIqYv2Es5lF3CTRkqTdxxk8RLiSzeASy11Fbs-GqLs/s200/bad+day.jpg" width="132" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>A Bad Day for Sorry</em></strong> by <em>Sophie Littlefield</em> (2009)</span></span></div><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have been wanting to read this and I finally got around to it!</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In her debut, Littlefield introduces us to one of the most interesting characters I've come across in awhile. Meet Stella Hardesty; a widow in her fifties, feisty, sassy, hard nosed, tough as nails, full of humor...and can she kick butt! Stella does not stand for cheating husbands, abusive boyfriends or husbands~~which will explain why she is a widow. She will help any woman who is stuck in that situation, or needs help and heaven help who she is after. I had some laugh out loud fun with this one and am starting on the next. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Happy 2011 and Happy Reading!</em></strong></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307023632234305929noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692761322995827125.post-66141397776571201002010-12-15T15:06:00.308-05:002010-12-16T14:12:07.326-05:00Give a Book!<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><em><span style="background-color: black; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">"Do give books for Christmas. </span></span></em></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><em><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They're never fattening,</span></em></strong></div><strong><em><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">seldom sinful,</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and permanently personal."</span></em></strong><br />
<em><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lenore Hershey</span></em><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4LTuSPU54iJGUyuV5f7n-lp1uA__cjkMMW-_vkajkwLsLrfY31MZrpa6EsR4DZyXIDZqsg8gmSN3gHa2YqUYJ2X1xMrRMH0cXH5J55kQUtNYuYege_fPZMwVbGojoSbz3vkuXvD-9IUU/s1600/elf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4LTuSPU54iJGUyuV5f7n-lp1uA__cjkMMW-_vkajkwLsLrfY31MZrpa6EsR4DZyXIDZqsg8gmSN3gHa2YqUYJ2X1xMrRMH0cXH5J55kQUtNYuYege_fPZMwVbGojoSbz3vkuXvD-9IUU/s200/elf.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Is there any better gift to give then a book? I know when I receive one I am elated. That someone took the time to think of me, to choose a book that they thought I would enjoy curling up with~~I can't think of a more generous gift.</span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">Here are some favorites I enjoyed this year, and hopefully one will make you go <em>"aha! I know just who love this!"</em></span></span></span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><em><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></em></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ivGjBme_CjOGb-lMsk8YmcIXKeYr7XcMfatJUSsiOPBsUUxHjroaSFigC6wNWvL9HETCbauTctZhiFeu1vRlj502TOKSYYv_W_pJdKhgrhZzyzpQQs7Jmn3iLhY5ukQ-j9kOxcaKCNs/s1600/cleo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ivGjBme_CjOGb-lMsk8YmcIXKeYr7XcMfatJUSsiOPBsUUxHjroaSFigC6wNWvL9HETCbauTctZhiFeu1vRlj502TOKSYYv_W_pJdKhgrhZzyzpQQs7Jmn3iLhY5ukQ-j9kOxcaKCNs/s200/cleo.jpg" width="129" /></span></a><strong><em><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cleopatra: A Life</span></em></strong></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><em><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Stacy Schiff</span></em></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Schiff introduces us to a Cleopatra who history has not been kind to. This Cleopatra is full of warmth and humanity; smart, witty, ambitious and very proud and fond of her children. This is not the Cleopatra we are used to~~great descriptions of Egypt during 30 BC, which I found fasinating. This was fun, interesting and an enlightening book to read.</span></div></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik0AE1eoO_neiJ6U3T7ba756xSc7kJCDa1TBuQ7yS5Yt1emiTEsuSwnux7QfHeI-ysizhmoC0aVBkJsZzVvQsVTy3DTWM6oaEsZEEIYzY6TWpoJNw5Iz3m4MveajDGMIxKFPldWEv9bgg/s1600/keith.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik0AE1eoO_neiJ6U3T7ba756xSc7kJCDa1TBuQ7yS5Yt1emiTEsuSwnux7QfHeI-ysizhmoC0aVBkJsZzVvQsVTy3DTWM6oaEsZEEIYzY6TWpoJNw5Iz3m4MveajDGMIxKFPldWEv9bgg/s200/keith.jpg" width="129" /></span></a><strong><em><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Life</span></em></strong></div></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><em><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Keith Richard with James Fox</span></em></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The simply amazing thing about this biography is that Richards remembers anything at all~~much less that he is still alive to tell it. What a wild ride this man and his friends had! For those of us who grew up with the Rolling Stones this is a great insight about them from Richards viewpoint; the ups, downs, good, bad and the ugly. Richards leaves nothing out, and he gives us a book that is very profane, full of dark humor~~and strangely, charming. He proves he's not the walking dead after all~~</span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzbkKW1Mnlz6JD_5LJx_9HFcWL9OMqzjzFSH3QtmEjAkyi29zNxSzHgFOOCeNsjtzw24RmIxFe9g9FY0ybNicRnyhyphenhyphenHHHfg1AVUNe90la2Wphpwtc0Aj1qFpTYZPYKnlTvlVKuJIEuk4w/s1600/room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzbkKW1Mnlz6JD_5LJx_9HFcWL9OMqzjzFSH3QtmEjAkyi29zNxSzHgFOOCeNsjtzw24RmIxFe9g9FY0ybNicRnyhyphenhyphenHHHfg1AVUNe90la2Wphpwtc0Aj1qFpTYZPYKnlTvlVKuJIEuk4w/s200/room.jpg" width="129" /></span></a><strong><em><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Room</span></em></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><em><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Emma Donogue</span></em></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You won't want to put this book down. A Mom and her five-year old son, Jack, live in a Room. The Room is a soundproof, converted shed behind a house owned by Old Nick, who had kidnapped and kept Jack's mother captive for years~~where Jack was born and is the only world Jack has ever known. Talk about the resilience of the human spirit, here Donogue shows amazing it can be. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYHTS4xLvHFQVMkml9i_bCUfIAkThsj2Hm3E-jWDOLhucOkku8TKh54mUyCLt5ZRoxXLU3XDcP9C-m2DiqI3cfc5OWFk3p4cwLbbT0WVtYHeLlTmMLVWlLoFc9MNSNzaIz6yHMYUuoxRg/s1600/raw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYHTS4xLvHFQVMkml9i_bCUfIAkThsj2Hm3E-jWDOLhucOkku8TKh54mUyCLt5ZRoxXLU3XDcP9C-m2DiqI3cfc5OWFk3p4cwLbbT0WVtYHeLlTmMLVWlLoFc9MNSNzaIz6yHMYUuoxRg/s200/raw.jpg" width="132" /></span></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<strong><em><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Medium Raw</span></em></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><em><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anthony Bourdain</span></em></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Nobody does food-porn better then Bourdain. Here he once again will have you laugh, blush and yet, still want to go out to a restaurant to eat. Brash, profane, spicy~~who knew that there were secret gatherings of top chefs that can be compared to mafia summits? Bourdain gives us a view inside the food industry, restaurants and chefs like nobody else...and doesn't cut slack for anybody, no matter how famous a chef they are. </span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRoKz6ingq7O8jBl-w5ju3VppvJb0AgEQUrbd34qJBaDGMn1fvf-kxGcUAAX5GX-nzH2Bj9xYGhyphenhypheno7q4ljacnEaWA61ZgvvloOne5K4cnDonL4LxTXVhDhE0p4tv1lcHm6Z3DJxLX9WAw/s1600/unbroken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRoKz6ingq7O8jBl-w5ju3VppvJb0AgEQUrbd34qJBaDGMn1fvf-kxGcUAAX5GX-nzH2Bj9xYGhyphenhypheno7q4ljacnEaWA61ZgvvloOne5K4cnDonL4LxTXVhDhE0p4tv1lcHm6Z3DJxLX9WAw/s200/unbroken.jpg" width="131" /></span></a><strong><em><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption</span></em></strong></div></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><em><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Laura Hillenbrand</span></em></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Meet Louis Zamperini, juvinile delinquent, trouble maker, teenage punk; Zamperini took his anger and rage and devoted it to running, where he discovered he had a talent for it. He competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics as a runner and did very well in the four-minute mile. He joined the Air Force when the war came, survived his plane crashing into the Pacific Ocean, only to picked up by the Japanese where he became a prisoner in one of the most horrific POW camps the Japanese ran during the war. Hillenbrand gives a true testament to what the human spirit can endure, and to Zamperini, who survived to share his story. Powerful story of survival, keeping your dignity, and living beyond what you've lived through. </span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx2vxHIRaAyh4avbI6eS8ZhpP28EbHfIQKWPLZJ7dVTpTYmwMYlhJVQvJtEEU6y4IME1cI6_eqJsJ-lTMOEiq9m_lAUvClhX99jTLA3Kx3z-zhratJ5gW01noOYllDS4OHp4_WJ3sh154/s1600/i+still.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx2vxHIRaAyh4avbI6eS8ZhpP28EbHfIQKWPLZJ7dVTpTYmwMYlhJVQvJtEEU6y4IME1cI6_eqJsJ-lTMOEiq9m_lAUvClhX99jTLA3Kx3z-zhratJ5gW01noOYllDS4OHp4_WJ3sh154/s200/i+still.jpg" width="134" /></span></a></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<strong><em><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I Still Dream About You</span></em></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><em><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fannie Flagg</span></em></div><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What can I say? Fannie Flagg has had a place in my heart since <strong><em>Fried Green</em></strong> <strong><em>Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe.</em></strong> This is a gem, full of Southern charm, wisdom, love and look at that! A murder thrown into it that threatens secrets that members of the town would rather let lie. Delightful little heart-tugger that will make you smile while you read it.</span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Moonlight Mile</span></em></strong><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc2y8Swx7yGWR_Ll4EA-Klr6O55oYPF6RIqMncQtQ6POJWeQ5X23viBGDMRvIH77lfVUTodhUyzt1csAVene5w0q1pxkzjhFH3NY29F4CtlPeWDcciL6d26qwmDBPJZAwBf2xqbm_P7EQ/s1600/moonl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc2y8Swx7yGWR_Ll4EA-Klr6O55oYPF6RIqMncQtQ6POJWeQ5X23viBGDMRvIH77lfVUTodhUyzt1csAVene5w0q1pxkzjhFH3NY29F4CtlPeWDcciL6d26qwmDBPJZAwBf2xqbm_P7EQ/s200/moonl.jpg" width="132" /></span></a><em><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dennis Lehane</span></em></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Since I first met Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro in <strong><em>A</em></strong> <strong><em>Drink Before the War,</em></strong> they became my favorite PI couple. I was sad to hear that this is the last time we would get to hang around with them~~but at least it's a good send off. There are six books in this series, I will say that you have to read <strong><em>Gone, Baby, Gone</em></strong> before you read <strong><em>Moonlight Mile</em></strong>. It gives you the background of why everyone is where they are in <strong><em>Moonlight Mile.</em></strong> Gritty, hard-boiled noir with interesting secondary characters~~great series, terrific book. </span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB1ovwVIY41w7DWzPtbsLDzJfLjR1DA8fyXWMqs1WDFuOfxbGq4j6eLaB7k2mnhzkQFaDddfQ5aqHha4eoXQZm3AFE-AhuB8Px4b4ABDJDVCWazUjN_xYOHEnnpxz9RCH_TRMFjH1lYO0/s1600/i%2527d+know.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB1ovwVIY41w7DWzPtbsLDzJfLjR1DA8fyXWMqs1WDFuOfxbGq4j6eLaB7k2mnhzkQFaDddfQ5aqHha4eoXQZm3AFE-AhuB8Px4b4ABDJDVCWazUjN_xYOHEnnpxz9RCH_TRMFjH1lYO0/s200/i%2527d+know.jpg" width="129" /></span></a><strong><em><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'd Know You Anywhere</span></em></strong></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><em><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Laura Lippman</span></em></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Eliza Benedict was fifteen years old when Walter Bowman kidnapped her and held her captive for six weeks. He also kidnapped another girl, who he killed. Eliza is now 38, married with two children. Bowman, in jail for killing and raping his latest victim contacts her. Memories come flooding back as well as questions: What does he want? What does he want from her? Why is he so insistent she contact him? </span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is one of Lippman best psychological thrillers so far and will keep you on the edge of your seat </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSFgzt9dAI-NNSOZVkXrxrrB8Y3nj6lwv_sb12Hr1au4ogJfmRL-AqDjcmteK7org-aGHlWKoJIDIx9QvRPk5Yp4racAnTX-0Wfc4z10ZrQmAJ6qRM2TJGfWMvGNr2sCoAqNFW6JwP7rw/s1600/tony.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSFgzt9dAI-NNSOZVkXrxrrB8Y3nj6lwv_sb12Hr1au4ogJfmRL-AqDjcmteK7org-aGHlWKoJIDIx9QvRPk5Yp4racAnTX-0Wfc4z10ZrQmAJ6qRM2TJGfWMvGNr2sCoAqNFW6JwP7rw/s200/tony.jpg" width="134" /></span></a><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><em><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> A Journey: My Political Life</span></em></strong></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Tony Blair</span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I liked this biography by Blair. He tells us about his rise to power as head of the New Labour party in a landslide victory. What interested me the most was his view, and opinion, on the Iraqi War, and I wasn't disappointed. Blair proves himself to be savvy, charming and has quite the sense of humor. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw7P0ooPjAo58BTcAZW3n1rexYgOPWnqwpI9HbOAm-L8A8xe-hrV66AchHoxgperb8PCL3wGc4q3qdchdbVwvmCUoyXSVPUL_rCEVjI8LMHJlEplUTQ6pAdYod7Nin3C6_VvdsrrAV-68/s1600/hen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></a><strong><em><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks</span></em></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw7P0ooPjAo58BTcAZW3n1rexYgOPWnqwpI9HbOAm-L8A8xe-hrV66AchHoxgperb8PCL3wGc4q3qdchdbVwvmCUoyXSVPUL_rCEVjI8LMHJlEplUTQ6pAdYod7Nin3C6_VvdsrrAV-68/s1600/hen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw7P0ooPjAo58BTcAZW3n1rexYgOPWnqwpI9HbOAm-L8A8xe-hrV66AchHoxgperb8PCL3wGc4q3qdchdbVwvmCUoyXSVPUL_rCEVjI8LMHJlEplUTQ6pAdYod7Nin3C6_VvdsrrAV-68/s200/hen.jpg" width="131" /></a><em><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Rebecca Sklott</span></em></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><em><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">***Please read previous blog about this book. It was the best book I read this year.</span></em></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue;"></span></span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"> <strong><em>It's a Book</em></strong></span></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzvOoe8dyA_Ky9lrZkGL_nBIw2jdtAdPivIp8LkJ4TBV_rK8ekiEjSlEqwtFIzeO7pHAYv9hjLDb5uP1PL4mvaVioyObaFvcq7wR_Xu9FSuU1IyA7w6drh9P-QkOGZp1-5PsDzsvIAB5k/s1600/it%2527sa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzvOoe8dyA_Ky9lrZkGL_nBIw2jdtAdPivIp8LkJ4TBV_rK8ekiEjSlEqwtFIzeO7pHAYv9hjLDb5uP1PL4mvaVioyObaFvcq7wR_Xu9FSuU1IyA7w6drh9P-QkOGZp1-5PsDzsvIAB5k/s200/it%2527sa.jpg" width="154" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"> <strong><em> </em></strong></span></span></span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><em><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lane Smith</span></em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzvOoe8dyA_Ky9lrZkGL_nBIw2jdtAdPivIp8LkJ4TBV_rK8ekiEjSlEqwtFIzeO7pHAYv9hjLDb5uP1PL4mvaVioyObaFvcq7wR_Xu9FSuU1IyA7w6drh9P-QkOGZp1-5PsDzsvIAB5k/s1600/it%2527sa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><em></em></a></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Love this book and this is <em>the</em> book I am giving to those who will appreciate what it means. While this may look like a book for kids, it's definilty not for young kids, but a good gift for most ages. It's a delight to read: a digital techie donkey vs the literary gorilla. For me, a reminder that there is nothing like a book. </span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There you go! My very strong, and varied, suggestions of great books to give to the readers in your life. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">May your days be merry and bright, your Christmas and New Year's be full of joy and peace.</span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><em><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Happy Reading!</span></em></strong></div>Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307023632234305929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692761322995827125.post-9221058861866269132010-12-07T12:55:00.003-05:002010-12-07T12:57:43.949-05:00Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Whenever science makes a discovery,</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana;">the devil grabs it while the angels are debating the best way to use it. </span></em></strong><br />
<em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Alan Valentine</span></em><br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks</span></em></strong><br />
<em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">by Rebecca Skloot</span></em><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV2zn7fWc8X87aOYkKmW_H0_wPdAsmP_v_mWk3FEDzo537pS4p4eTSPQS96NoI9z7VlZV9xm9PoL62pOTY-BKtmjOZHlFIQP6nAn56GmTGNhIJcm_zKyt7cZ64nbg3H3XjY-2fXUBk5dE/s1600/lacks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV2zn7fWc8X87aOYkKmW_H0_wPdAsmP_v_mWk3FEDzo537pS4p4eTSPQS96NoI9z7VlZV9xm9PoL62pOTY-BKtmjOZHlFIQP6nAn56GmTGNhIJcm_zKyt7cZ64nbg3H3XjY-2fXUBk5dE/s1600/lacks.jpg" /></a><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is a fascinating account of how one woman became one of the most important people in the world and would never know it. Insight into science, medicine, racism, poverty, cancer and how things were in 1951 all come together is this eyeopener of a book.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Henrietta Lacks, unknowingly, was the mother of the HeLa cells. These were the only human cells to live and reproduce outside of the body. If you could pile all Henrietta's cells and weigh them, they would weigh over 50 million metric tons. Thanks to the HeLa cells, we came to have the polio vaccine, uncovered secrets about cancer, help for a cure for HIV and AIDS. They advanced sciece with invitro- fertilization, cloning, gene mapping and effects of the fall-out from the atomic bomb. HeLa cells went into space on one of the first space flights to see how human cells reacted in space. All these amazing miracles from one woman who died in 1951 of cervical cancer in John Hopkins Hospital. </span></div><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of the things that science and doctors were trying to do during this era was reproduce human cells to do research on, and until Henrietta, this had never happened. Healthy cells and cancerous cells were removed from Henrietta before her surgery, without her knowledge, and sent out to see if they would live outside the body. Henrietta was not the first to have cells removed and sent out to see if they lived and reproduced outside the body, it was something done on other patients, but hers were different. Doctors were astounded to find that Henrietta cells not only lived, but reproduced at an amazing rate. You can imagine the excitement with this discovery.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Skloot does a wonderful job of putting a face on the woman behind the cells. The background on Henrietta Lacks isn't always happy; a poor, young black woman who worked on the family tobacco farm, raised in a house full of relatives after her mother died; she had five children of her own before she was 32. This didn't stop Henrietta from going out and dancing with her cousin Sophie at the local jazz place. Henrietta knew something was wrong with her, Henrietta went to John Hopkins Hospital several times before they discovered her cervical cancer. The treatment for women with cervical cancer will make your mouth hang open, but again, it was 1951 and this was how it was treated. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So begins the story of the wondrous and amazing things that the world has this woman to thank for. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While the HeLa cells became a multi-million dollar business, Henrietta's family was unaware of this. While the name of the originator of the HeLa cells was well known among the medical and scientific community~~doctors even went back to the family to take more blood tests to see if they had cells that reproduced also, telling the family they were testing to make sure they didn't have cancer like the one that killed their mother. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana;">The HeLa cells became a multi-million dollar business for some, a medical marvel for doctors and a scientific bonanza for research, the Lacks family had no knowledge of any of this. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It took Skloot time and patience to earn the trust of the Lacks family. Other reporters had come around and it hadn't gone well. The family was wary of what Skloot would get out of writing a book about Henrietta, they had no idea what was accomplished from Henrietta cells. While some of the family wanted monetary reimbursement for the selling of her cells, they also wanted recognition for Henrietta from the medical and scientific fields. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had to keep reminding myself that this happened in Baltimore, not the deep South. The Lacks family was alarmed to find that Henrietta's cells were still alive and reproducing. They envisioned that there were clones of Henrietta walking around England; that her cells were used to make half-human half-animal creatures; did it hurt when they injected viruses into her cells to infect them to see how they would react. Most of all, if Henrietta was so important to medicine and science, how come her children couldn't afford health insurance?</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is a non-fiction that reads like fiction~~I read it in three days because I couldn't put it down. I stayed up until 2 in the morning reading it. It was the most fascinating book I have read in a long time and the best book I read this year. This book is so rich in information about science, medicine, and how one person can unknowingly change the world. Skoolt takes no sides on who was right and who was wrong with what transpired. Was it ethically right what was done to Henrietta Lacks? Was it morally right what the family went though?</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For me, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Put it on your to read list, you will be so glad you did. </span><br />
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<em><strong><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Happy Reading!</span></strong></em><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span>Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307023632234305929noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692761322995827125.post-17474445585278241622010-10-26T11:31:00.001-04:002010-11-01T11:41:04.522-04:00It's A Book - By Lane Smith<object height="295" style="background-image: url(http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/x4BK_2VULCU/hqdefault.jpg);" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/x4BK_2VULCU?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/x4BK_2VULCU?fs=1&hl=en_US" width="480" height="295" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object>Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307023632234305929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692761322995827125.post-17801837544024045652010-10-21T15:40:00.012-04:002010-11-01T11:46:33.149-04:00Don't Fear the Reaper<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>All our times have come </em></span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>Here but now they're gone</em></span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>Seasons don't fear the reaper</em></span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain...</em></span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>we can be like they are</em></span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Halloween~~the time of year where some people like to scare the wits out of themselves to ensure they are ready to celebrate with the true spirit of the night....and yes, I am one of those people. There's nothing like locking the doors, windows, I don't close the blinds because if something is going to come get me~~I want to see it or them. </span></div><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In no particular order, here is a list of some my favorites scary/creepy books made into a movie or TV mini-series. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><em>Come on baby...don't fear the reaper</em></strong></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><em>We'll be able to fly...</em></strong></span></div><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvs1BuiTJ47lBKR_Gn7mLDMGIXqhoPE7mlbl-k02yd5WkwpPxrQnd1pnbcUIHQ7wERmvGK0egjOkjJR1yRYqZvQ4CZ-TTg_1meQIfS_FhtJA1CShZ2Ns1SyVNHnw_bGy1UgwJDFzyFsLY/s1600/body.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvs1BuiTJ47lBKR_Gn7mLDMGIXqhoPE7mlbl-k02yd5WkwpPxrQnd1pnbcUIHQ7wERmvGK0egjOkjJR1yRYqZvQ4CZ-TTg_1meQIfS_FhtJA1CShZ2Ns1SyVNHnw_bGy1UgwJDFzyFsLY/s200/body.jpg" width="136" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Invasion of the Body Snatchers (</em></strong> 1956) Based on the book by <em>Jack Finney's, The Body Snatchers</em>.</span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">When some of Dr. Miles Bennell patients start telling him that their family members just aren't the same, he and his psychiatrist buddy blame it on epidemic paranoia. By the time Bennell realizes there is more going on then he thought~~like finding a decomposing body turning into dust with a giant pod next to it becoming the copy of the body~~there are only a handful of normal people left. The tension builds slowly, and the enemy isn't a alien you can see, they look just like your friends and loved one. The big problem is trying to stay awake because the Pod People take over the body while you are sleeping, even if you just doze off. When some of his friends are caught and made to sleep, they become Pod People, Bennell ends up running down a major highway trying to spread the word yelling<strong><em>...."They're here already! You're</em></strong> <strong><em>next! You're next!" </em></strong>while<strong><em> </em></strong>starring into the camera.... Does anybody listen? Will the Pod People take over? What are those trucks rolling down the highway filled with?</span></div><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">This is on the list of the best science fiction movies ever. Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter starred in it~~It is a classic, and they did a great job with Finney's book. (The original!)</span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We can be like they are</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Come on baby....don't fear the reaper</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Baby take my hand...don't fear the reaper</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We'll be able to fly....</span></em></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Burnt Offerings</em></strong> (1976) based on the book <em>Burnt Offerings by Robert Marasco</em></span></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrRTdKSai4pgccNuyfNdLLgnVYFQ8qeQcxLRb5af_9bS7QoLCyi-P8mIHE4RyuBgNBBG2VrqifSXquX3ECelyd7TniM6GLotw5jhqTU03dDNzHFfl24ExFh0hRB7G40MtoBgd2f_jEbOY/s1600/burnt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrRTdKSai4pgccNuyfNdLLgnVYFQ8qeQcxLRb5af_9bS7QoLCyi-P8mIHE4RyuBgNBBG2VrqifSXquX3ECelyd7TniM6GLotw5jhqTU03dDNzHFfl24ExFh0hRB7G40MtoBgd2f_jEbOY/s200/burnt.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Does it get any better then leaving Queens NY and heading out to mansion-sit for the summer on Long Island? In the book the Rolf family, Marian, Ben, son David and aging Aunt Elizabeth do, but in the movie they go from a city in California to a mansion in the California countryside. Besides taking care of the mansion, they are instructed to take care of the reclusive mother that lives upstairs. Just leave the food outside the door, don't try and interact with her. Strange things begin to happen, death, depression, accidents~~and every time there is an accident or someone dies or gets hurt, the house rejuvenates, flowers bloom, woodwork shines and the pool gets cleaner. When the family begins to realize somethings not right and try to get away, trees fall into the road, the car doesn't start or some other inconvenience occurs. Goose bumps as we come to the end of the book and the movie. Is that really the wind rattling the windows? Karen Black, Oliver Reed and Bette Davis starred in it.</span></div><br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Love of two is one</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Here but now they're gone</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Came the last night of sadness</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">And it clear she couldn't go on</span></em></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>The Haunting</em></strong> (1963) based on the novel <em>The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson</em></span></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcp7CbueN_-teeRqOBFv6GJCyNV48hK2wZt3_p1C9V2o-ENXC_Lih84RtlLhW7rSwhwNqOg9fcI-cIQrna9VxUeNo_QFIKF8DKEmeAfUpV6s6GXHnAxhX-7tBF61Y2wONZIZU9eUHf5D0/s1600/haunting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcp7CbueN_-teeRqOBFv6GJCyNV48hK2wZt3_p1C9V2o-ENXC_Lih84RtlLhW7rSwhwNqOg9fcI-cIQrna9VxUeNo_QFIKF8DKEmeAfUpV6s6GXHnAxhX-7tBF61Y2wONZIZU9eUHf5D0/s200/haunting.jpg" width="136" /></span></a><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">(again, watch the original, not the 1999 version)</span></div><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Dr. Markway wants to find scientific evidence of the paranormal, so he invites three people, Eleanor, Theodora and Luke, who have experienced the paranormal, to come to Hill House for a few weeks. Seems the caretakers won't stay near the house after dark, they lock the gate and go home and won't return until the morning. Plus, nobody else has a key to the gate.....any one's radar start to go off about now? The four strangers get to know each other, and Dr. Markway fills the other three in on the house history~~suicide, death, the usual strange goings on in a old house; doors that have heartbeats, walls that moan...and a portrait of the dead owner whose spirit comes to life. Nobody chooses to leave, because seeing/hearing is believing right? To this day, one of the best ghost stories ever written, and the movie shows that you don't need blood and gore to make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson and Russ Tamblyn starred in this one.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Then the door was open and the wind appeared</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The candles blew then disappeared</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The curtains flew then he appeared...saying don't be afraid</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Come on baby...and she no fear</span></em></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Jaws</em></strong> (1975) based on <em>Jaws by Peter Benchley</em>.</span></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixL3ZymhcpG-9rL8lwDsI3VV32If2joyM6lfSf_CdRSWJqkbMIUw1zMF3Dprk2JQFlNFLO9wp7zraCwbX-2oajnEU2C0WWxP48tMj04SOH3qby15C90nwDRs5e89v18vc19jS8Ry-qAX8/s1600/jaws.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixL3ZymhcpG-9rL8lwDsI3VV32If2joyM6lfSf_CdRSWJqkbMIUw1zMF3Dprk2JQFlNFLO9wp7zraCwbX-2oajnEU2C0WWxP48tMj04SOH3qby15C90nwDRs5e89v18vc19jS8Ry-qAX8/s200/jaws.jpg" width="138" /></span></a><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">If there was a book that will make you think twice about swimming, this is the book. When the remains of a dead girl washes up on the beach, Sheriff Brody is told she died from a shark attack. Sheriff Brody wants to close the beaches because of the shark attack, but hey! It's summer and it is the time of year that Long Islanders make their money so Mayor Vaughn nixes that silly idea. The book grabbed me right away and they did a wonderful job with the movie. The timing of the release of the movie was great, the beginning of the summer, and close to where I live. The music in the movie built of the tension...dun dun dun dun...SHARK! We all searched the horizon for fins before we jumped in the ocean that summer...mostly we sat on the beach. Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, and Robert Shaw starred in this. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">And she ran to him....then they started to fly</span></em></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">They looked backward and said goodby...</span></em></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-95LIPM4-gIHGSNmKAA0zzF8dm90iriGHgzBGrPng02vwrbRWx0iJAeLDJE4qN7j2BoJJ6otW9OZRXi_7bX3Q498-WDlFu9DlxyfMvQciulexwcBco1ZJD7m7ctiGroH9hNBRgZgr4rg/s1600/salems.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-95LIPM4-gIHGSNmKAA0zzF8dm90iriGHgzBGrPng02vwrbRWx0iJAeLDJE4qN7j2BoJJ6otW9OZRXi_7bX3Q498-WDlFu9DlxyfMvQciulexwcBco1ZJD7m7ctiGroH9hNBRgZgr4rg/s200/salems.jpg" width="141" /></span></a><strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">she had become like they are</span></em></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Salem's Lot</em></strong> (1979) based on <em>Salem's Lot by Stephen King</em></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Okay, while reading this book, years ago~~I didn't sleep much for the next few weeks. When Tobe Hooper was doing the mini-series for TV, yes I had to watch it. Hooper and King~~talk about great minds... I did have the doors locked, windows bared, wore my three cross necklaces (all at once) just happened to have a nice piece of wood handy....and any kids flying around after dark were not allowed in, even if I knew them. For me, this is one of the scariest, creepiest books I have read, and the series did the book justice. Once again we have a creepy house with a bad history. Ben Mears is a writer who returns to his home town, Salem's Lot, after 25 years to write a book about the creepy Marsten House. Mears also was hoping to rent it~~someone beat him to it. Shortly after this, a young boy is killed and strange things begin to happen. Seems the boy isn't dead, he has been turned into a vampire and beginning with his brother, starts to turn others into the undead. This is one of Stephen King's early books and still one of his most popular. Just thinking about it, I will make sure I am home before dark~~and lock, bar the doors and windows. David Soul, Bonnie Bedelia star in this with the wonderfully sinister James Mason as the ancient vampire's familiar. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">She had taken his hand....she had become like they are</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Come on baby....don't fear the reaper.</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">(Thanks to Blue Oyster Cult)</span></em></strong><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I know there are many more to choose from, I had to narrow the list down, but these are a couple that I have fond (?) memories of, and I wanted to choose those that I thought were great scary books that had been done justice by the movie or mini-series. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Lock the doors~~turn the lights on~~check one of these out, movie or the book.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Happy Reading! ~~and watching...</span><br />
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</div>Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307023632234305929noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692761322995827125.post-33883714718480255752010-10-05T16:00:00.001-04:002010-10-05T16:02:16.446-04:00Bel Canto by Anne Patchett<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">"Music conveys moods and images. </span></em></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhov6rqF1p-jj7uCPsP7zfPWdQOTC5V2SUIBhya1vqZNQELCMyxYPxHbS0Y6tQcvRzjBLranSSbpRvJDuCsCj411oE9x7exQjK7JV5yOlbebpS_9qic8x0LGvmWmuXgS5WfZlu718PQl00/s1600/belcanto_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhov6rqF1p-jj7uCPsP7zfPWdQOTC5V2SUIBhya1vqZNQELCMyxYPxHbS0Y6tQcvRzjBLranSSbpRvJDuCsCj411oE9x7exQjK7JV5yOlbebpS_9qic8x0LGvmWmuXgS5WfZlu718PQl00/s1600/belcanto_large.jpg" /></a></div><strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Even in opera, where plots deal with the </span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">structure of destiny, it's music, not words, </span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">that provides power."</span></em></strong><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Marcel Marceau</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Sometimes when you choose a book for a book discussion, you never know how it will go over. I have chosen books and thought I would have a nice size group, and hardly anyone showed up; I have chosen books that I think won't fly~~and it's a hit! </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">When I chose <strong><em>Bel Canto</em></strong>, I was curious: how was a book about hostages, terrorists, South America and opera go over. The night of the book discussion was a nasty, rainy, chilly night...if I hadn't had to go out I would have stayed home curled up with a good book. Imagine my surprise when fifteen hardy readers showed up!</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Great questions; would terrorists really hold hostages for over four months? If you don't speak the same language, can you fall in love with each other? How come the government didn't do something sooner? Would hostages and terrorists form bonds with each other like is described in the book? Would someone really refuse to leave when offered the chance? Does music really sooth the savage beast (terrorists)? </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In <strong><em>Bel Canto</em></strong>, we have people from all over the world attending a birthday party for a high powered Japanese CEO. The only way they were able to get him to attend was they had his favorite opera singer, Roxanne Coss, performing. When the terrorists appear and make it known that they are there to kidnap the president of the country...they are shocked to find out that he decided to stay home and watch his favorite soap opera instead of coming to the party....which gave us all a chuckle. The terrorists, having over two hundred hostages, decided to let the women, children and sick hostages go, but not before one of the hostages had died. That left forty-nine male hostages, and one female, Roxanne Coss.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We felt that because of the death of the one hostage, the others formed a silent bond among themselves not to attempt to escape. They didn't want any of the others death on their conscience. The bonds formed between some of the hostages and the terrorists seemed to come about because of the age of the terrorists. Except for the three generals, the dozen or so terrorists were all young. They could have been someones son, daughter, grandchild..not these gun slinging "babies." </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">When Roxanne Coss found one of her fellow hostages played the piano, she began to practice everyday. We talked about the description of when she sang, time seemed to stand still, even the birds stopped singing to listen to her. Even the terrorists sat and listened captured in the rapture of her singing. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We talked about who was the core character? Roxanne, as the only woman? Was it Gen, the translator who could speak almost all the languages of the hostages? Was it Mr. Hosokawa, whose birthday party it was when all this happened? One group member thought it was Roxanne Coss, which led to quite a lively discussion. Not everyone agreed, one of my group said quite pointedly, <em>"Well, Ma'am, I disagree with you!"</em> He felt it was Gen because he could communicate with everyone...some of the group nodded in agreement. Then some of the group pointed out that when Roxanne sang, everything stopped. Everyone walked into the room when she sang, hostages and terrorists alike, outside, the police stopped yelling through the bullhorns and, as Patchett describes, the birds stopped singing, even the wind seemed to stop. While Gen could communicate <em>with </em>everyone, Roxanne communicated <em>to </em>everyone through opera. (That's why I picked the quote at the top...it fits perfectly with this book.)</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We all agreed that the book stayed on a level tone until the last three pages. The ending was not what some of us expected. Some felt we would have liked more of an ending, more closure. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I love when a book surprises me, and when it brings so much out in people. A good book, a great group and a good discussion~~one of our best as a matter of fact. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><em>***Bel Canto is loosely based on a event that happened in the late sixties in Lima, Peru where terrorists took over a house and kept hostages for over four months. (There was no opera singer.)</em></span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Happy Reading!</span></em></strong>Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307023632234305929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692761322995827125.post-22955989610348437242010-09-15T16:46:00.014-04:002010-09-15T17:23:21.002-04:00Mystery/Thriller Summer Book Discussions<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">At least half mystery novels violate the law</span></em></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>that the solution, once revealed, must seem to be inevitable</em></strong>.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-small;">Raymond Chandler</span></span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The thriller is the most popular literary genre</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">of the 20th century.</span></em></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-small;">Ken Follett</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">This summer we did some book discussions. I have been asked over the years to do summer book discussions, and this year I finally said okay, let's give it a go. We met every other Tuesday at 4pm, a group ranging from two to fifteen folks got together to discuss two of my favorite genres....mysteries and/or thrillers. I thought it would be fun to read an author's first book, or the first book in a series of books. (And of course, some books that I had already read.)</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLwwxpOMNuH9S85gn3F5_SmUgwnqFGoOoBczG_3Q5XPoGP10pbuYNb6-1Pl17AWHZNO2uLnvMiXqJUicUKsWW5s1cS_4YahpO9-2QsozhNLa43hUwHa_94ezcPvbRuiNgcmvi-a44JpBY/s1600/la.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLwwxpOMNuH9S85gn3F5_SmUgwnqFGoOoBczG_3Q5XPoGP10pbuYNb6-1Pl17AWHZNO2uLnvMiXqJUicUKsWW5s1cS_4YahpO9-2QsozhNLa43hUwHa_94ezcPvbRuiNgcmvi-a44JpBY/s200/la.jpg" width="132" /></span></a><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We kicked it off the end of June with<strong><em> Death at La Fenice</em></strong> by <em>Donna Leon</em>. This is the first book of a fabulous series set in Venice. Inspector Guido Brunetti, the vice-commissario of police, has to solve the case of who killed the Maestro? Seems there are several suspects. In the end, it will come down to what is the right thing to do? We loved the setting of Venice, the interaction between Brunetti with his family and his fellow police people. Leon gives you feeling you are there with the characters, and there in Venice. Leon's description of Venice made us all want to go. (We also loved the food described in the book.) We could sense that Brunetti was going to be an even more interesting character as the series progresses. The best part of this discussion for me? That the folks there said they enjoyed this series so much they were going to continue on with it. </span></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDIy4c4x-M1kdTAJeVtPu4b-7YfsPMCl0UWsc-nceePTKQe0fJaNPM4LqiOGCVoUgiWuepyzUsNY4D5lp_w2VXc5qMSXUhMX9gubNSjxTVtIVLCLwDfhujeD8l6P5s3GKH5X51B7i0kag/s1600/spy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDIy4c4x-M1kdTAJeVtPu4b-7YfsPMCl0UWsc-nceePTKQe0fJaNPM4LqiOGCVoUgiWuepyzUsNY4D5lp_w2VXc5qMSXUhMX9gubNSjxTVtIVLCLwDfhujeD8l6P5s3GKH5X51B7i0kag/s200/spy.jpg" width="112" /></span></a></div><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Next up was <strong><em>The Unlikely Spy</em></strong> by <em>Daniel Silva</em>. (I know, your surprised I have a Silva book included) This was Mr. Silva's first book and the one that got me hooked on his books. Set in England during WWII, the book is fiction, but it is based on real events. How does British Intelligence (MI5) confuse Nazi Germany about their D-Day plans when it seems they know about them? They also thought they had captured all the German Abwehr agents in England, but there seems to be some sleeper agents ready to be activated in England. One of those agents is determined to get the information to Germany no matter the body count. </span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We talked about Churchill and how he used people to achieve the safety of England: his friendship with history professor Alfred Vicary to convince him to work for MI5, match his wits with the Nazis and hopefully keep MI5 one step ahead of them: U.S. Navel Officer Peter Jordan, because of his poor judge of character, ends up being blackmailed and used to spy. We enjoyed the twists and turns in the book. It was a page turner...many said they finished it in two days because they had to know how it ended. Big question for the group? Just <strong>WHO</strong> was the Unlikely Spy? We all had different answers and every time a different character was mentioned by someone, we would all think about it and realize.....</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">One of our members, who rarely reads this genre, liked it and had her other book club read this book too~~she told me they raved about it. </span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">For those who were new to Mr. Silva, he now has several new fans. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlLGcI4yehbGfPasJjqBoqjgCnh6t4_IEZQlV7axpmK2EDlF7COpFm7mDQzHZQUMkYJ6eigsivMbCHBA4sZfWg2MYwfEm81EXQI-jUafycw1gRw8aGE1-6dup-QN4IDOKBXCiX_3mVVKs/s1600/drink.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlLGcI4yehbGfPasJjqBoqjgCnh6t4_IEZQlV7axpmK2EDlF7COpFm7mDQzHZQUMkYJ6eigsivMbCHBA4sZfWg2MYwfEm81EXQI-jUafycw1gRw8aGE1-6dup-QN4IDOKBXCiX_3mVVKs/s200/drink.jpg" width="124" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><em>Dennis LeHane</em> has one of my favorite duos in a mystery series, Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro. Set in Dorchester, Mass, we get to meet these two private detectives in <strong><em>A Drink Before the War</em></strong>~~the kickoff to this terrific series. Great discussion on how an investigation into a missing cleaning woman led to involvement with prostitution, blackmail, gang-warfare, corruption and murder. We chatted about Kenzie and Gennaro, their cast of friends, how some of the things the two uncovered affected some of us and LeHane's writing style. For me, Le Hane reminds me of the noir style of writing: hard-boiled, cynical, snarky characters surrounded by smokey shades of grey. (Think Raymond Chandler) One great comment by one of our group was "This doesn't happen in real life!" This led to another great discussion on what is real life and what isn't. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">If you watched the move, <strong><em>Gone, Baby, Gone,</em></strong> you have met Kenzie and Gennaro. This movie was based on book four of the series.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghudee5YVzS7FyUukEzOzuBqVhdjCHPor2foHv_-tJPdu_DE83oRcmBhcDxUkastEZ0vioixDYmDZ7BGsR_vVqo5gdt0hyN60Nnwyu9lgw0kXzEXhoA73Rqev9imP6WamO6KOZ9T_5yJg/s1600/tattoo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghudee5YVzS7FyUukEzOzuBqVhdjCHPor2foHv_-tJPdu_DE83oRcmBhcDxUkastEZ0vioixDYmDZ7BGsR_vVqo5gdt0hyN60Nnwyu9lgw0kXzEXhoA73Rqev9imP6WamO6KOZ9T_5yJg/s200/tattoo.jpg" width="129" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Girl With the Dragon Tattoo</em></strong> by <em>Stieg Larsson</em>. As you can guess, this one was the hit of the summer book discussions. Over fifteen people showed up. The discussion was about how popular the trilogy has become. Set in Sweden, we meet Mikael Blomkvist. He has just finished being the defendent in a high profile trail...where he was found guilty. When he is offered the job of finding Harriert Vanger, who disappeared forty years ago, well, he has nothing else to do...We agreed that while the names took some getting used to, the style of Larsson writing was intelligent and some said it was the best book they had read in the last five years. The character who was the groups favorite was without a doubt was Lisbeth Salander, who Blomkvist hires to help him on the case. Salander is brilliant, a computer genius, antisocial and has a lot of emotional baggage. We loved her. Mikael Blomkvist was a good secondary--not that that was Larsson's intent. Blomkvist, never realizing what Salander felt for him, made some of us want to shake him and say "wake up!" The book has many twists and underlining plots, family secrets and discovering what did happen to Harriet Vanger~~all made for a great discussion. I had warned some readers that they needed to get past the first 100 pages before the book took off. I assured them that the payoff would make it all worth while. I promised we would do book two in the late fall and book three in the late winter...if I can get the copies. </span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvNoTfn3mq6hE7hW_BNjreYJ8lRRiEk9rUuE02k9Vlf9NtmRVf9zHEYzkowRTd2aFhsnYodTlqUSHa89PUpwOQ90XEuHgMHMo-B0_puoTvljDNLNdnXX_WD2A8JyzesP3GwPSxXVY9hi4/s1600/innocnet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvNoTfn3mq6hE7hW_BNjreYJ8lRRiEk9rUuE02k9Vlf9NtmRVf9zHEYzkowRTd2aFhsnYodTlqUSHa89PUpwOQ90XEuHgMHMo-B0_puoTvljDNLNdnXX_WD2A8JyzesP3GwPSxXVY9hi4/s200/innocnet.jpg" width="130" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><em>Scott Turow</em> is probably one of my favorite legal thriller writers. Years ago, I read <strong><em>Presumed Innocent</em></strong> and enjoyed it...full of political corruption, betrayal, courtroom drama and of course, murder, what was there not to like? I thought since Turow had come out with a sequel to it, <strong><em>Innocent, (</em></strong>twenty years later) if would be fun to reread it and then catch up with the characters in the sequel. The group were surprised with how they got hooked right away. We talked about the insight he gave into the justice system and how using the present tenth made us feel we were right there watching what was going on. One group member said they felt like yelling "look out!" during one section of the book. The best part? We all agreed that we were shocked and surprised by the ending. (Well, not me because I had read it before.) Seemed nobody expected the ending to be what it was at all while reading the book, and when they found out who the murderer was, they were shocked. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">I will say that the movie based on the book, starring Harrison Ford, is terrific too.</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYfdfXF2u6_u2e5olyNweQpC0UxbaZZM9yBQ2jpjsDXA-SKyE4ONLb0cOweTKHFdT7MfujoZjbhZEfp6z2BjmTkFkJNIcOYsHexXZrh-YNOxjKYSh8GCPamZ_TqOz0UmlPWPMV2rX9zzg/s1600/nemesis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYfdfXF2u6_u2e5olyNweQpC0UxbaZZM9yBQ2jpjsDXA-SKyE4ONLb0cOweTKHFdT7MfujoZjbhZEfp6z2BjmTkFkJNIcOYsHexXZrh-YNOxjKYSh8GCPamZ_TqOz0UmlPWPMV2rX9zzg/s200/nemesis.jpg" width="131" /></span></a></div><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We finished up the summer book discussion with <strong><em>Nemesis</em></strong> by <em>Jo Nesbo.</em> This was another great series many in the group became hooked on. Who robbed a bank, shot the cashierand just disappeared into thin air? Outside of trying to remember the characters and keeping the names straight, it was a great read. Norwegian Detective Harry Hole takes us on a whirlwind of a ride from Norway to Brazil, as he tries to find the killer....and prove himself innocent in the mysterious death of someone he knew. There were multi-layered plots that did end up connecting toward the end. The big part of the discussion was the comparison between this book and the Larsson book. Several felt this book was better then Larssons and look forward to continuing to solve murders with Harry Hole. </span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Unfortunately this was book three in the series. The first two books were being translated into English and there weren't sufficient copies for me to get for the group. Nobody thought they had missed anything from not having read the first two.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS;">**When Nesbo isn't busy writing books, he plays in the Norweigian rock band, Di Derre.</span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">One question about the two European authors, <em>Larsson</em> and <em>Nesbo</em>, was the concern that anything was lost in translating the books from Swedish and Norwegian to English? From everything I read about both of them, the answer seems to be no. The translators seem to have done a superb job of translating both books. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></span></div><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We had some great discussions with these books. In fact, we had such a great time, many in the group requested we continue the mystery/thriller book discussions...and we will. </span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">If you are looking for a new series, check some of these out. Want to read a popular author's first book, here you go with some good ones. Any one of them I would highly recommend. </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Up next will be <strong><em>The Poet</em></strong> by <em>Michael Connelly</em> on October 19th at 4pm<em>.</em>This was Connelly's first book and it was one that you couldn't put down....</span></div><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span>Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307023632234305929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692761322995827125.post-58989721234517539012010-08-30T13:00:00.002-04:002010-08-30T23:36:29.208-04:00Rembrandt Affair by Daniel Silva<strong><em>Nobody does it quite the way you do,</em></strong><br />
<strong><em>Why'd you have to be so good?</em></strong><br />
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">Carly Simon</span></em><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">When I want a good spy thriller, I can always count on Daniel Silva to deliver. For those of you who read my blog, come to the book discussions, stop by my desk to chat about books~~looking for a thriller? Do I have an author for you, the best...Daniel Silva.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh27MuTxoeIwKKxWD3ADDso-MQ35Pt7OtaEBCn56GIuWbYpSgO3dR2Jk7qXIH1UP0HJrL7ZzMbc1-eWtZblPmmFvZpJyjNhNtftMgRaYOKiqsbm61nDrpDlUuCPnhfrdpfiuMMkbh9c08A/s1600/rembrandt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh27MuTxoeIwKKxWD3ADDso-MQ35Pt7OtaEBCn56GIuWbYpSgO3dR2Jk7qXIH1UP0HJrL7ZzMbc1-eWtZblPmmFvZpJyjNhNtftMgRaYOKiqsbm61nDrpDlUuCPnhfrdpfiuMMkbh9c08A/s320/rembrandt.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Gabriel Allon and his lovely wife, Chiara, are retired from being Israeli spies, and living on the coast in Cornwall, England. Peace and retirement go out the window when old friend and art dealer Julian Isherwood shows up and needs Allon's help. Someone has stolen his Rembrandt, worth $45 million dollars, and killed the art restorer Isherwood had hired. While initially Allon resists Isherwoods pleas to help him find it, he figures how bad could it be....find a painting. Allon wouldn't being working for the Mossard, shouldn't take long to find the painting and return it. When Allon's lovely wife, Chiara, tells him he needs to do this, after all, Allon is an art lover and he has to be curious to see the Rembrandt. How long can it take? How hard would it be? </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">What should have been relatively easy ends up taking Allon to Amsterdam, Buenos Aires and Lake Geneva. It becomes a mad dash to stay ahead of the person(s) who also want the Rembrandt, and will do anything to make sure Allon never sees it. When Allon realizes he needs help, that there might be more to this Rembrandt then meets the eye~~he calls in his friends from Mossard. He also gets help from his friends in the CIA and MI5. Looking for a lost Rembrandt has uncovered secrets that were long hidden, and now opened up unhealed wounds. As Allon discovers, this Rembrandt has a long and bloody history, and those who are in possession of it usually have bad luck.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I always like the way Silva immerses humanity into his thrillers. While Allon can kill someone without blinking an eye, we are reminded that he is not a just a cold bloodied killer. He feels deeply for those that work for him, and with him. He carries with him ghosts of some of those he has killed, and when something happens to someone he cares about, he never forgets. Allon will also set out to right wrongs he comes across, no matter how old they may be. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I love the story Silva takes us on. We go behind the scenes of the art world that we wouldn't know about; we're reminded about world politics, which here is to keep a close eye on Iran and those that profess to disagree with what Iran is doing; the Holocaust, while several years ago, still carries scars; and remember, not everyone is really what they appear to be. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I have followed Gabriel Allon since Silva introduced him in <strong><em>The Kill Artist</em></strong>. The growth Allon has gone through, both personally and professionally, are not something I see many authors do. Kudos to Mr. Silva.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I know that when I read one of Silva's books I am in for a treat. I am never disappointed. Better yet, those patrons I have recommended him to (and continue to recommend him too) are never disappointed. Thank you Mr. Silva for writing books I am happy to give to people and have them come back and tell me, "What a great book! Thanks!"</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Have I mentioned I am big Daniel Silva fan?</span>Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307023632234305929noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692761322995827125.post-23144390286296378542010-08-19T00:09:00.000-04:002010-08-19T00:09:09.331-04:00The Lion by Nelson DeMille<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw3VIsCs6hf5Lpq6TpAiXHcBtqh__TZGuIJPWx3Me-T_GVVWLuw4BK0-QKSfOG68OIaWYpE52KCR2qwDAiGRyipekuBRdc4xE-D1F4_JDEONSCZAFKnDj2DWq_itzN444lyUUoz1DCZRE/s1600/lionnd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw3VIsCs6hf5Lpq6TpAiXHcBtqh__TZGuIJPWx3Me-T_GVVWLuw4BK0-QKSfOG68OIaWYpE52KCR2qwDAiGRyipekuBRdc4xE-D1F4_JDEONSCZAFKnDj2DWq_itzN444lyUUoz1DCZRE/s200/lionnd.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"We're all pilgrims on the same journey-</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">but some pilgrims have better road maps."</span></em></strong><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Nelson DeMille</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We first met John Corey in <strong><em>Plum Island</em></strong>, where he was a New York City policeman recovering from multiple gun shot wounds out on the East End of Long Island. (My stomping grounds.) Seems Corey is a character that readers want to visit more often. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>The Lion</em></strong> is the fifth in the DeMille's Corey series. Corey is part of the FBI's Anti-Terrorism Task Force (ATTF), and his wife, Kate Mayfield, is an FBI agent. While you really don't have to read this series in order, I strongly suggest you read <strong><em>The Lion's Game</em></strong> before you read this one. It will set everything up and help with understanding what happens in <strong><em>The Lion.</em></strong> </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As promised at the end of <strong><em>The Lion's Game,</em></strong> Libyan terrorist Asad Khalil, aka the Lion, comes back to deal with unfinished business. While killing Corey and Mayfield. is tops on his list, he has other business that he needs to take care of first, like finish killing those on his jihad agenda that Corey and Mayfield prevented him from completing before. Khalil is well known for his inventive ways of killing people and always seems to be one step ahead of them. Then he makes a big mistake. Unfortunately for Khalil, he goes after Mayfield first, thinking that killing her in front of Corey will make it easier for Khalil to go after Corey. It's just not nice to mess with Corey's wife~~~</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>The Lion</em></strong> starts with a bang, levels off, then picks back up again as the action becomes fast and furious as we come to the end of the book. Some of what happens here might give you a chill down your spine if you live in NYC, it will make you wonder if this is fiction based on fact. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana;">Can Corey bring Khalil into the net set for him? Who's financing Khalil? What is it Khalil has been hired to do and will he succeed? Yes, DeMille has another thriller that will keep you turning the pages. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I like DeMille's characters in this series. Sadly, some that have gotten killed off, as per the required story line, I find I miss them when their names pop up. While I usally enjoy Corey's sarcasm, it can make me smile and it does help ease some of the tension building in the book, sometimes it's also over the top in places, which I find annoying. Snarky has it's place, but in my opinion, don't overdo it.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I always enjoy a visit with John Corey, so I enjoyed this one too. I do feel better knowing that there are people like Corey protecting our country.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think my favorite book in the Corey series is <strong><em>Night Fall</em></strong>. This one is about that horrible night on July 17, 1996 when flight TWA 800 crashed(?) off Long Island. I can still remember seeing that fireball over the ocean. In <strong><em>Night Fall</em></strong>, DeMille shares the opinion of many, was it or wasn't it a terrorist attack? I thought this book wrapped up to soon. </span><br />
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</span><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some of my other favorite books by DeMille:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Word of Honor</em></strong>--Ben Tyson was a lieutenant in Vietnam. What happens when a secret comes back to haunt him and possibly destroy the life he has made for himself since the war?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Charm School</em></strong>-What really happened to all those U.S. pilots that disappeared during the Korean and Vietnam War. Had me on the edge of my seat...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Cathedral</em></strong>-An IRA mastermind takes over St. Patrick's Cathedral, which makes the NYPD not to happy.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Talbot Odyssey</em></strong>-Russian mole has been inside the CIA for forty years (yes--40 years) Now it's time for him/her to complete her assignment!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">These are some of his oldies, but they still are a great read and I highly recommend any of them.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I must confess, I did not care for the <strong><em>Gold Coast</em></strong> nor the sequel, <strong><em>Gate House.</em></strong> They were just not my cup of tea. Not a likable main character for me. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana;">Hopefully you find one of these to like!</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana;"><strong><em>Happy Reading!</em></strong></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span>Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307023632234305929noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692761322995827125.post-65169374261936113822010-07-08T17:44:00.000-04:002010-07-11T15:35:20.844-04:00IT'S SUMMER!!<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">‘Cause it’s summer</span></em></strong><br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Summer time is here</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes, it’s summer</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My time of year </span></em></strong><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><em>Summer by War</em></span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Ah, summertime. The pace of life slows down, lazing around feels good, hanging outside at the end of the day feels delightful…and reading is the best way to end the day. Ah, summer! Okay maybe all this doesn’t really happen, but I do hope you find time to end your day reading a book!!</span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Some highly recommended books for your summer reading follow:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV2C6eEk1505CqKwowDcgUX8vbYcb2N33vJQcIsnxoGKBEjvoXS5KycQbAxePTLPXElm9J5k4kqF_lrXoYMH8fCCmw9gkdvjRiYfU8YVPCNnBxG15OuzxuvKOpw2wCRfluTMWjKgAdt_Q/s1600/horsesoldiers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV2C6eEk1505CqKwowDcgUX8vbYcb2N33vJQcIsnxoGKBEjvoXS5KycQbAxePTLPXElm9J5k4kqF_lrXoYMH8fCCmw9gkdvjRiYfU8YVPCNnBxG15OuzxuvKOpw2wCRfluTMWjKgAdt_Q/s200/horsesoldiers.jpg" width="129" /></span></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">One of the best non-fiction books I read this winter was <strong><em>Horse Soldiers</em></strong> by <em>Doug Stanton</em>. This is a terrific account of a U.S. Special Forces Unit fighting alongside Afghans in the mountains against the Taliban. The contingent of US soldiers sent over had their first surprise when they discovered they had to ride horses, and almost none of them had been on ever been on a horse. It seemed these horses were descendents of the horses Genghis Khan Army had ridden out of Uzbekistan. A great written account of the triumphs, misery, courage and horror of war with, surprisingly, some humor. (You will forget you're reading non-fiction.)</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz3It5owfaNZO4K4Dgyk32v4UH325G6sEoXmme7MEWAhsG3plKSCloIZ7Fgw8kdTjnfsmw_PQ12A_PwtwSdDqi76FN-YHIkj_P69W-N1FbWHXVA1Noso7AUc7wRbDodiUxg680ce2W-1M/s1600/innocent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz3It5owfaNZO4K4Dgyk32v4UH325G6sEoXmme7MEWAhsG3plKSCloIZ7Fgw8kdTjnfsmw_PQ12A_PwtwSdDqi76FN-YHIkj_P69W-N1FbWHXVA1Noso7AUc7wRbDodiUxg680ce2W-1M/s200/innocent.jpg" width="135" /></span></a></div><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">One of my favorite legal thriller writers is <em>Scott Turow.</em> His latest book is <strong><em>Innocent </em></strong>which is a (20 year) sequel to <strong><em>Presumed Innocent,</em></strong> one of my all time favorite legal books. (Which was made into a pretty good movie.) Rusty Sabich and Tommy Molto are once again pitted against each other to determine did Sabich kill his wife…or didn’t he? Turow makes you pay attention and think while you read his books; his characters drive the storyline very nicely and I haven’t found anyone who does a courtroom scene better….and yes, that includes John Grisham. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></div><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We said a sad goodbye to <em>Robert B. Parker</em> this year and his wonderful characters: Spenser, Jesse Stone and Sunny Randall. As much as I liked his mysteries, I loved his westerns; <strong><em>Brimstone; Resolution; Appaloosa...</em></strong> and a personal favorite, <strong><em>Gunman’s Rhapsody.</em></strong> As luck would have it, one of<em> Parker’s</em> last novels is a western, <strong><em>Blue-Eyed Devil: the Virgil Cole/Everett Hitch. </em></strong>This is one I am looking forward to. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">*If you haven’t read <strong><em>All Our Yesterdays</em></strong> or <strong><em>Double Play</em></strong> by <em>Parker</em>…give yourself a treat. </span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Ah, <em>Daniel Silva</em>! If you haven't read <em>Daniel Silver</em> you are missing out on one of the best spy/espionage series being written! Silva kicked this series off with <strong><em>The Kill Artist</em></strong> and introduced one of the best espionage spies to date, Gabriel Allon. <strong><em>The Rembrandt Affair</em></strong>, number 10 in this great series, comes out in July. This one is on the top of my summer reading list. I can’t wait to read it and find out what Gabriel Allon is doing…. since he was supposed to have retired….</span></div><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLyGOrLpK4CZfbnKlSyRkDowETIF55yl2Jy-1AAOjtcdqDbYlkOcMtPuCmoYGTSZRTCOPOa5CxEmR_R6sexSTJn_OtpNswumLQewfle4f0b1h8lXWl5NxFjFuaCCW4Ckex54TxDlWIT3w/s1600/lionnd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLyGOrLpK4CZfbnKlSyRkDowETIF55yl2Jy-1AAOjtcdqDbYlkOcMtPuCmoYGTSZRTCOPOa5CxEmR_R6sexSTJn_OtpNswumLQewfle4f0b1h8lXWl5NxFjFuaCCW4Ckex54TxDlWIT3w/s200/lionnd.jpg" width="131" /></span></a><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>Nelson DeMille</em> new one is <strong><em>The Lion,</em></strong> and he brings John Corey back to tangle with old nemesis Asad Khalil, aka the Lion. Hard to believe we first met Corey in <strong><em>Plum Island</em></strong> in 2002. It’s been a wild ride with every one of his adventures since. While DeMille’s Corey series is always a thrilling ride, if you haven't read some of his early stuff, <strong><em>Charm School; Word of Honor; Cathedral</em></strong> to name a few, give them a try. Sometimes you can be surprised to see how writing styles of an author have changed.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I know <em>Dennis Lehane</em> is better known for his books (made into movies) <strong><em>Shutter Island</em></strong> and <strong><em>Mystic River;</em></strong> I would be remiss if I did not point out he has a great series featuring private dectectives Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro that is set in Boston. (The movie <strong><em>Gone, Baby, Gone</em></strong> is from this series.) Sadly, Lehane will bring this series to a close in November with the last installment, <strong><em>Moonlight Mile</em></strong>, which is a sequel to <strong><em>Gone,</em></strong> <strong><em>Baby, Gone.</em></strong> This series kicked off with <strong><em>A Drink Before the War,</em></strong> a debut that hooked me, especially because of the way Lehane writes. If you want to get hooked on a great series, you can get started on this one and be caught up by the time <strong><em>Moonlight Mile</em></strong> comes out. I am so glad to have Kenzie and Gennaro back, even if it is the last time. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Little romance for the summer? </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><em>Karen Marie Moning</em></strong> has a great Highlander series that has it all, love, romance, time-travel, Scotland and sex (yes, I said sex)</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Starting with <strong><em>Beyond the Highland Mist</em></strong> you are off with Adrienne, a 20th century gal, who gets swept off her feet and back to 16th century Scotland by the laird known as Hawk. Nothing better than traveling back and forth through time while being in Scotland. There are seven books in this series so if you like the first, your summer reading should all set. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I love a good historical romance and when I read (many many years ago) <strong><em>The</em></strong> <strong><em>Wolf and the Dove </em></strong>by <em>Kathleen E. Woodiwiss</em>, I was thrilled. <em>Woodiwiss</em> is considered the founding mother of historical romance and after reading this I know why. Pick up this golden oldie.....Normans, Saxons, …enemies, passion, and betrayal….it is England after all. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>Sarah Addison Allen</em> enchanted me with <strong><em>Garden Spells</em></strong>, her first book. Touch of whimsy, magic, family ties and love…she did another wonderful job with the <strong><em>Sugar Queen. </em></strong>Her latest, <strong><em>The Girl Who Chased the</em></strong> <strong><em>Moon</em></strong> is just as charming as her other two. Any or all of these will leave you with a little smile on your face, happy you met these quirky characters of small Southern towns, and so glad you could pay a visit. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">Hopefully, one of these strikes your reading fancy and you enjoy your summer!</span> </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Happy Summer! Happy Reading!</span>Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307023632234305929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692761322995827125.post-37547335299924126162010-05-19T14:59:00.000-04:002010-05-19T15:18:39.822-04:00It's Raining Books!<div><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><em>It's raining books </em></strong></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><em>Hallelujah</em></strong></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><em>It's raining books</em></strong></span><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS;">and.......</span></em></strong><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><em>Every special book there is....</em></strong></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><em>Fiction and Non-Fiction</em></strong></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><em>Romance and Suspense</em></strong></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMSeKIFJ9UO9rf6NdHB1rwaJaQJLNVrY41TJM8S0fueCG9_henH7bhfXtWWD4d5xFbCV9T8r9a5Gxajg0319J07I0uDIDlAInyE3WI4xhzGunXEd-BmEjdrwx46Pu11LIWX5Z7cJHyA4k/s1600/raining.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMSeKIFJ9UO9rf6NdHB1rwaJaQJLNVrY41TJM8S0fueCG9_henH7bhfXtWWD4d5xFbCV9T8r9a5Gxajg0319J07I0uDIDlAInyE3WI4xhzGunXEd-BmEjdrwx46Pu11LIWX5Z7cJHyA4k/s320/raining.jpg" wt="true" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><em>Horror, Science Fiction, Fantasy and Biographies!</em></strong></span></div></div><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(regards to the Weather Girls)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Check us out!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZEwoA6RSRSzfCyHA4li6HmeZLNeXuRqLBwRYXnVlyEP6kIJ8TY3xfFNzwpZlR8BAI3bc-vZFT_-BLqh5Nh4qvr46fKWqOTEWOFIOgpoUXhJIkqhCIH-boxncLdczL_LMDV9m14ZpZ5yw/s1600/burning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZEwoA6RSRSzfCyHA4li6HmeZLNeXuRqLBwRYXnVlyEP6kIJ8TY3xfFNzwpZlR8BAI3bc-vZFT_-BLqh5Nh4qvr46fKWqOTEWOFIOgpoUXhJIkqhCIH-boxncLdczL_LMDV9m14ZpZ5yw/s200/burning.jpg" width="131" wt="true" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHdWvoj6y2_5p5HE1AkIQ6_S8GE2qOft9BOZ1qohKcdcYIbrlvsZFeGqODPCIw7_c9zOaMAYgv1Po9heBH_OHDBxKJQvRRDTTTbDFEUyfNT0iWsCzoxaQgNcUk0W7iIwgb7mMBbf95HoI/s1600/bourne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHdWvoj6y2_5p5HE1AkIQ6_S8GE2qOft9BOZ1qohKcdcYIbrlvsZFeGqODPCIw7_c9zOaMAYgv1Po9heBH_OHDBxKJQvRRDTTTbDFEUyfNT0iWsCzoxaQgNcUk0W7iIwgb7mMBbf95HoI/s200/bourne.jpg" width="133" wt="true" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjPQTdnBqbQHG1vtC_N8UFqZ6X938WQohDie3wHoR3kydZJBR0gvOAMIwkIFpezto9CODR4-JVNb1l6q0B7HiNzZgELgjJW7XQBWzE45uJTiEvES3-_kwTrF0y-wdmTidtXhYBITQqeEI/s1600/9th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjPQTdnBqbQHG1vtC_N8UFqZ6X938WQohDie3wHoR3kydZJBR0gvOAMIwkIFpezto9CODR4-JVNb1l6q0B7HiNzZgELgjJW7XQBWzE45uJTiEvES3-_kwTrF0y-wdmTidtXhYBITQqeEI/s320/9th.jpg" wt="true" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFuGQHkVFYwxKxs0cprKFzRyCYFRCH1rl_8CMJZ1myOcDg03FnOpdU_fuLnxgtDmH9I4Q4IOX3feDQCYcGsgXSSd_jveg_Na0rRWwVwdCHd6T6wLP_QeEB9IMpzyyLQp6iGfgAQCSe78o/s1600/16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFuGQHkVFYwxKxs0cprKFzRyCYFRCH1rl_8CMJZ1myOcDg03FnOpdU_fuLnxgtDmH9I4Q4IOX3feDQCYcGsgXSSd_jveg_Na0rRWwVwdCHd6T6wLP_QeEB9IMpzyyLQp6iGfgAQCSe78o/s320/16.jpg" wt="true" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDVqcgDou1ShcbSoW0BY-BGyfTehTSKDhykX1-O21b7GUEGadXiDQ_W6-cuhzZdkQeFcif1NwmQEzES41LXqkwfsCwx14Y9KuutKRiBv0iD19qgRQHv9Sr0XJv_J4OFF7BcM37CCHKg88/s1600/61hours.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDVqcgDou1ShcbSoW0BY-BGyfTehTSKDhykX1-O21b7GUEGadXiDQ_W6-cuhzZdkQeFcif1NwmQEzES41LXqkwfsCwx14Y9KuutKRiBv0iD19qgRQHv9Sr0XJv_J4OFF7BcM37CCHKg88/s320/61hours.jpg" wt="true" /></span></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><em>I'm gonna go out </em></strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><em>I'm gonna let </em></strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><em>myself get</em></strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><em>absolutley soaking wet!</em></strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307023632234305929noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692761322995827125.post-83008538860288753312010-05-11T12:31:00.000-04:002010-05-11T12:38:07.932-04:00Get Cookin' With a Good Book Soiree!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKhoZlVLp3_fqX0r6xzKrnTIXoVVj5I-DlPUl0ILxqliSvJepwtaMOMx5sbiMTDLHYZ2qo2CGTg2DAkTVWw0-8Tu-9w1jqptfL01FL0WgBD1V2TsctSFxLWovrTEIakR4rCQBCfeI8VFY/s1600/cupcakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKhoZlVLp3_fqX0r6xzKrnTIXoVVj5I-DlPUl0ILxqliSvJepwtaMOMx5sbiMTDLHYZ2qo2CGTg2DAkTVWw0-8Tu-9w1jqptfL01FL0WgBD1V2TsctSFxLWovrTEIakR4rCQBCfeI8VFY/s320/cupcakes.jpg" tt="true" /></a></div><strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I have always imagined that paradise</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">will be a kind of library.</span></em></strong><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Jorge Luis</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We said goodbye to the winter reading club with a get together to chat about....books! (and, of course, eat)</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Amazingly, over sixty folks handed in their completed <strong><em>Reader's Card! </em></strong>I love when so many participate and enjoy it. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Proud to say, these are the cupcakes I made for the soiree! (Yes, you are seeing penguins)</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The prize for reading eight or more books was a cookbook full of the library</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> staff's favorite recipes.....which has been a big hit! I have even been offered money for a copy of the cookbook, which seems to have become<em> the</em> book to have. Nice. </span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We had a tie for top reader, <em>Celie Lutz</em> and <em>Roberta Kalous</em> both read 32 books; both were given a plaque and penguin salt and pepper shakers!</span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Top Books Read for Get Cookin’ With a Good Book…..</span></em></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>The Help</em></strong> by <strong><em>Kathryn Stockett</em></strong></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Unbearable Lightness of Scones</em></strong> by <em>Alexander McCall Smith</em></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Split Image</em></strong> (Jesse Stone Series #9) by <em>Robert B. Parker</em></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Every Day in Tuscany: Seasons of an Italian Life</em></strong> by <em>Frances Mays</em></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café</em></strong> by <em>Fannie Flagg</em></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything</em></strong> by <em>S. Levitt and S. Dubner</em></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>The Tourist</em></strong> by <em>Olen Sternhauer</em></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Wait Till Next Year: Summer Afternoons with My Father and Baseball</em></strong> by <em>Doris Kearns Goodwin</em></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>Going Rogue: An American Life</em></strong> by <em>Sarah Palin</em></span></span> <br />
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<div><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">While there was a little chuckle about some of the books on the top ten list, general consensus was it was an interesting top ten. To be fair, <strong><em>Freakonomics</em></strong> was our book discussion book, but it seemed to have been a hit with others too. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Raffle prizes were won, plenty of food to enjoy, good company and great book talk,can't ask for a better evening then that. </span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">Time to start working on the summer book club...<em>Where On Long Island Is~~</em></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><em><strong>Waddle I. Read?</strong></em></span></span><br />
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<div><strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></em></strong></div><strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Happy Reading!</span></em></strong>Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307023632234305929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692761322995827125.post-3994971845552131012010-04-26T15:04:00.000-04:002010-04-26T15:04:06.306-04:00Apples Falling.....<div><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><em>"Real luxury is time and an opportunity to </em></strong></span></div><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><em>read for pleasure."</em></strong></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Jane Brody</span><br />
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<div><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></div><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Does the apple fall far from the tree? If a parent is a well-known popular author, does that gene carry down to the offspring? Sometimes it does, which the following three young authors show. I asked several patrons to try these authors-without telling them why. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong>James Lee Burke</strong> is one of my all time favorite authors. I love his style of writing, the characters and the setting…New Iberia, Louisiana which just happens to be outside New Orleans. Daughter <strong>Alafair Burke</strong> has two series; we are introduced us to her main character, Samantha (Sam) Kincaid, an ambitious, tough Deputy District Attorney in Portland, Oregon, in her debut, <strong><em>Judgment Calls</em></strong>. Hoping to make a name for herself, Sam takes on a case that is not as open and shut as it first appeared. The questions that start to nag at her include-Who do you trust? </span></span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
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<div><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Burke’s other series features Ellie Hatch, a rookie police detective in New York City. Hatch has been called in to help in a murder investigation that is similar to a murder committed a year ago….and Hatch just happens to fit the profile of the victims. There are three books in this series, <strong><em>Dead Connection, Angel’s Tip</em></strong> and her recently published, <strong><em>212</em></strong> . </span></div><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<div><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Consensus seems to be that Ms. Burke can more then hold her own. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI1hXIqXOWvPPidqh2NiPZRBYVIosRds4zuAPT1l_WOFZiQ_eOLYKAtNVLzR67bB6gDWYWbMIUKfnRbIeh_XzXTuXWOK94VYfXmxdgSpnyygTCUQeeElEiKRiCeAf6PN7zaBP34G2myHg/s1600/trouble.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI1hXIqXOWvPPidqh2NiPZRBYVIosRds4zuAPT1l_WOFZiQ_eOLYKAtNVLzR67bB6gDWYWbMIUKfnRbIeh_XzXTuXWOK94VYfXmxdgSpnyygTCUQeeElEiKRiCeAf6PN7zaBP34G2myHg/s320/trouble.jpg" tt="true" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong>Jesse Kellerman</strong> has the double whammy of writers <strong>Jonathan Kellerman</strong> and <strong>Faye Kellerman</strong> as his mom and dad. That can be a hard act to follow. In his debut, <strong><em>Sunstroke</em></strong>, <strong>Kellerman </strong>does okay, but did not impress many patrons. Then he followed with <strong><em>Trouble</em></strong>. Feedback has been more positive on this one. Psychological thrillers can be tricky if not done right, but <strong>Kellerman </strong>seems to have nailed it with this one. What can drive someone to the verge of madness? You will be on the edge of your chair from the beginning and find you won’t put it down until you have finished it. Like one that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up? Here you go.<strong> Kellerman</strong> followed with <strong><em>The Genius,</em></strong> another edge of your seat thriller; and his latest, <strong><em>The Executor,</em></strong> proves he is a writer worth checking into.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong>Joe Hill</strong> has written one witty, dark, engaging, morbid horror story. <strong><em>Heart Shaped Box</em></strong> is about a middle-aged heavy metal rock star, Judas Coyne, who is a collector of the macabre, most of them gifts from his fans-cookbook for cannibals, used hangman’s noose. When he hears that there is a ghost in a suit for sale on the internet-why not? The haunted suit comes in a black heart shaped box with a little extra that Judas isn’t aware of until…… (Word has that the movie rights to this book have been sold.)</span></span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzKHE8q15_zrgkNJ94IEOwYVhaT0BEvfOlzCfX4H__WJsF-HsHHOcOqyuIYIPUGSFzhNKVwbc6uePKLwaMXedPuXRg05fTJom-mbsAnS_eGlkBHKg87WLtZEFzxTVYPhaI74ldwM4n5D0/s1600/horns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzKHE8q15_zrgkNJ94IEOwYVhaT0BEvfOlzCfX4H__WJsF-HsHHOcOqyuIYIPUGSFzhNKVwbc6uePKLwaMXedPuXRg05fTJom-mbsAnS_eGlkBHKg87WLtZEFzxTVYPhaI74ldwM4n5D0/s200/horns.jpg" tt="true" width="132" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong>Hill</strong> latest is <strong><em>Horns.</em></strong> After a night of drinking- and other things he can’t remember, or chooses not to. Remember, Ignatius (Ig) Perrish wakes up with a raging hangover headache…and horns growing out of his temples. </span></span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzKHE8q15_zrgkNJ94IEOwYVhaT0BEvfOlzCfX4H__WJsF-HsHHOcOqyuIYIPUGSFzhNKVwbc6uePKLwaMXedPuXRg05fTJom-mbsAnS_eGlkBHKg87WLtZEFzxTVYPhaI74ldwM4n5D0/s1600/horns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></a><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Dad is <strong>Stephan King</strong> who must have told this kid some bedtime stories. Rumor has it that Hill might have outdone Dad with his horror novels. <strong>Hills'</strong> books have been hot ones with many patrons. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Give one of these authors a try. I think you'll be pleasently surprised.</span><br />
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</span></span><span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span>Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307023632234305929noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692761322995827125.post-42052067111305977392010-04-22T11:47:00.000-04:002010-04-22T11:47:29.183-04:00Peanuts!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxxQ-oQ5YdSVfYKrjJ2nhI7OlvUzM4_GpPmrkQmJsgNikkp8FWpL1-YHqceSBFtYl1_tAK-2CEHCvjSerLFfjuOBHgdedyYtlIFSORsoGX2Z2gsQpw5khzHxWMBWhuk7LRgqOwAS4Aa4k/s1600/snoopylibrary.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxxQ-oQ5YdSVfYKrjJ2nhI7OlvUzM4_GpPmrkQmJsgNikkp8FWpL1-YHqceSBFtYl1_tAK-2CEHCvjSerLFfjuOBHgdedyYtlIFSORsoGX2Z2gsQpw5khzHxWMBWhuk7LRgqOwAS4Aa4k/s320/snoopylibrary.gif" wt="true" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtNgxv-Jv1FqnChInYfsI20L2Gt5T9PHBGyLKztPH9h4twmRb5SoB9jALEMwJyw35j4qzfPTGVd61bmq2XZsJyYrEuujyIG35MZoMfaDcsVX9vdHrXrfX0Byd15LLiyDYax0EnYf_WGcs/s1600/wonderful+libarry.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtNgxv-Jv1FqnChInYfsI20L2Gt5T9PHBGyLKztPH9h4twmRb5SoB9jALEMwJyw35j4qzfPTGVd61bmq2XZsJyYrEuujyIG35MZoMfaDcsVX9vdHrXrfX0Byd15LLiyDYax0EnYf_WGcs/s320/wonderful+libarry.gif" wt="true" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhouHEGMnhF5Mkg7yMVibTXkqtxQyNE8pQznXFDnHfpSqdxvfB0gM0NoNJBdQ_kFPIh76cp6Pxvz-8-oeOIvANI5BjQ4f2fqwfXOlYACtBgwAo3Luz64jHmxLg9Ht-QEyKCgNKgukQsv0k/s1600/happiness.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhouHEGMnhF5Mkg7yMVibTXkqtxQyNE8pQznXFDnHfpSqdxvfB0gM0NoNJBdQ_kFPIh76cp6Pxvz-8-oeOIvANI5BjQ4f2fqwfXOlYACtBgwAo3Luz64jHmxLg9Ht-QEyKCgNKgukQsv0k/s320/happiness.gif" wt="true" /></a></div><strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Couldn't have said this better myself......</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Happy Reading:)</span></em></strong>Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307023632234305929noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692761322995827125.post-18604827668044448072010-04-08T14:20:00.000-04:002010-04-08T14:21:49.617-04:00Freakonomics<div><strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Beware lest you lose the substance by grasping at the shadow.</span></em></strong></div><strong><em><span style="background-color: yellow; color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Aesop</span></em></strong><br />
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<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0X67qLRITTqkmDJlGRS4hDkhB-MNsbg5spoavKsyphZlGiodTEeOibMmTR6Ltsidb1K5AIJZR7TJpUzXxluy9ktvH5uH1xtX0teuEKvSZ4riGUuoCcijl-x6FvGZ-CEF-AYGU0cDWKqk/s1600/freak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0X67qLRITTqkmDJlGRS4hDkhB-MNsbg5spoavKsyphZlGiodTEeOibMmTR6Ltsidb1K5AIJZR7TJpUzXxluy9ktvH5uH1xtX0teuEKvSZ4riGUuoCcijl-x6FvGZ-CEF-AYGU0cDWKqk/s320/freak.jpg" width="206" wt="true" /></span></a></div><strong><em><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything</span></em></strong><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Steven D. Levitt</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Stephen J. Dubner</span></div><div><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Sometimes, when you pick a book for a book discussion, you hold your breath, cross your fingers and hope it's one where you don't get asked the question: <em>"What the heck</em> <em>did you pick</em> <em><strong>this</strong></em> <em>book for?"</em> I have usually been lucky. The book discussion group I moderate have liked, and sometimes loved, the books picked for discussion; it has been rare that I have had irate group members.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Freakonomics is one I held my breath, crossed my fingers and hoped. Just because I liked it, how would my book group feel about it? Economics can make my eyes glaze over, how would it be for some of the book group? On a miserable, cold rainy night fifteen brave souls came out to discuss this book, and what a discussion we had!</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Dubner and Levitt have taken a subject, economics.... interesting, but never something I could follow, but it helped me, and it seems some of the group, to look and think about things in different ways. They put a spin on it that made it almost....fun and interesting. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Where else would you finally find out why drug dealers still live with their moms? That a crack gang works pretty much like the standard capitalist enterprise..it even has it's equivalent of a CEO. It's amazing to find out that what school teachers and sumo wrestlers have in common is cheating! Is the Ku Klux Klan really like a group of real estate agents?Abortion and crime? Who knew that the decision about Roe vs. Wade just might be the reason crime decreased instead of becoming the out of control coast to coast crime wave that was predicted? It seems all those criminals that would have been born....weren't.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><em><strong>Interesting tidbit:</strong> When Ceausescu came to power in Romania, he outlawed abortions. He wanted a stronger Romania, and if women didn't get pregnant, they were charged a fine. When Ceausecu's regime was overthrown, he was lynched by young men....who might not have been born if it wasn't for Ceausecu</em>.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We had a good time with this book for many reasons. While economics is about monetary, fiscal matters that shows how the world works<strong><em>; Freakonomics</em></strong> suggests that morality represents the way we would <em>like</em> the world to work, and that conventional wisdom is often shoddily formed. Yes, there was some skepticism about some of the data they analyzed in the book. We didn't agree with the finding on some of the topics, especially the part about parenting. Does it really make a difference to a child if Mom and Dad are home or not? Does nurturing children and reading to them every night make a difference in how they turn out? Or are they born to be what they will be? What does the name given to a child say about the parents?</span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong>Interesting tidbit:</strong> Two boys: One is African-American, abandoned by his mother, raised in an impoverished and unstable household, his family ran a cocaine-crack business from his aunt's house, his father was a drunk who abused him. During his high school years young man led a double life--excelled in sports at high school while selling marijuana and carrying a gun. </span></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The young white boy grew up in a privileged home, the cherished son of parents who gave him everything he wanted or needed, including a house full of books and his having books read to him. Brilliant in school, especially in mathematics. </span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Both young men graduated from Harvard University with honors and because college professors. </span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The young African-American is a Harvard economic advisor who has been honored by President Obama, Roland G. Fryer.</span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The young white man is Ted Kaczynski, aka....the Unabomer. </span></em><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I'm glad I read this book, and so was the majority of the group. It was pointed out that the cover should have been a give-a-way for the subject inside: a Granny Smith apple, cut open to reveal an orange inside. </span></div><br />
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<div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Point taken away from the book? Look closely at what you see....it may not be what you think it is. </span><span style="color: blue;"></span></span></div><div><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
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<div><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Happy Reading!</span></div>Bevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09307023632234305929noreply@blogger.com2