End of Grace by K. Thomas Murphy with Interview+ Giveaway

Published on August 6, 2009August 7, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)27 Comments

Honestly when this book arrived for review I did not think I was going to enjoy it. This is a little out of my reading genre. When I did get start reading it, from the very first page I was pleasantly surprised how the writing brought me right in! ~ Sheila

An incident in computer specialist Rick Macey’s past has put him on the path of revenge. If his plan is successful, the object of his wrath, the Church of the Latter-Day Saints, could lose millions of dollars and thousands of members. What Rick cannot foresee are the sinister ways this church will react when threatened.

Mormons begin receiving letters that question the validity of their gospel and inform them that loved-ones have been baptized into an alternative faith. It’s an assault on the authority of the church,and more importantly, it’s beginning to impact church revenues. The Mormon leadership dispatches Kay Summers, a young but capable administrative assistant, to Oregon, where she finds and follows a thread leading to Rick.

Unbeknown to her, they’ve also dispatched agents from the church’s secret army, the Danite Knights, to follow her to the source of the problem and fix it – permanently.

Initially, Rick and Kay play cat and mouse, each trying to find out what the other knows, while in the shadows the Danites use limitless resources preparing to stop not only the letters, but anybody involved with them. Soon, mysterious deaths and close calls start happening. Rick and Kay, the two erstwhile adversaries become a team; ultimately running for their lives, desperately trying to put the puzzle together as they stay one step ahead of the tempest Rick has awakened.

Much like the way Dan Brown captivated so many with his fiction book The Davinchi Code, I too became totally entwined in the fast paced adventure of this book. Normally, this is not my style of reading and I admit I was hesitant when it arrived…. computer hackers, church politics…. but from page one I let the preconceived notion of what I thought I would find in this book melt away…. it started with this:

Day One: Monday

Salt Lake City, Utah

She jogged. Not necessarily because she wanted to – more because she had to. If Kay stopped jogging for even a few days she would notice the slight weight gain on her body, the slightly pinched way her clothes felt. Her college days had been over for less than seven years, she thought. Back then it seemed she never exercised and had no trouble maintaining a slim figure. Before that it had all been high school volleyball that kept her fit. She was tall and had even played on the all-state team. Now, however, fitness was a semi constant battle – one she was more than willing to wage. She liked looking good.

Unfortunately, she wasn’t trying to look good for anyone in particular.

I liked Kay from those very first words. She was real. She battled like the rest of us (well, errr… me anyway). And the book flows on from there. I found the reading engaging, the storyline – two men trying to take the church for millions for different reasons. One for a broken heart filled with revenge, and the other for the almighty pay off.

The book moves quickly but did not feel rushed as I moved along with Kay, who works for the Mormon Church, to try to get to the bottom of who was sending the letters out to families of deceased Mormons telling them their faith is a lie. While this book touches on the Mormon faith, K Thomas Murphy handles the book well and has great characters all the way around.

Author K Thomas Murphy granted me an interview to discuss this book and what was next.

S: I am curious what made you come up with this book topic?

K Thomas Murphy: Inspiration. While traveling to Salt Lake City one time a friend and I were talking about the Mormons. He mentioned reading about the outrage of the Jewish people when it was revealed that Mormons were performing posthumous baptisms on the holocaust victims. I am not Jewish, nor Mormon, but I understand outrage and indignation.

My vivid imagination turned everything over for about ten years. Finally, about a year and a half ago, I decided to see if I could write a book. In early February I sat down and working only a couple hours in the evenings and some weekend mornings, I turned out End of Grace in a little over two months. Aside from atrocious punctuation that challenged excellent editors, the way you read End of Grace is pretty much how it came out of my head and flowed onto the paper.

S: This books deals a lot with computers and hacking into data bases. Is this something that that comes natural to you or did you do a lot of research about this in order to write this book?

K. Thomas Murphy: Writing is very enjoyable and very rewarding for me. I am not a religious person, but have been in the tech world for over 20 years. All things technical have always come very naturally to me. I consider End of Grace to be a tech thriller in a religious setting. I also love to learn and research, so spent countless hours learning about Mormon doctrine, past and present.

S: I was reviewing your website I found hints of two more books, End of Secrets and End of Fire. What can we expect from these books and when do you think they may be available to the public?

K Thomas Murphy: I have since outlined several more books using a couple of the same characters. I am currently about a third the way finished with End of Secrets, a pure technical thriller that touches heavily on the history of computers and I feel it’s as intriguing as my first story. Not meant to spoil the end of EOG for you, but Kay and Rick are both heavily featured in the sequel. End of Fire would be a natural follow-on where the two battle a new kind of technical threat, and a secret society of computer elite are reveled. Sort of a Big-Brother/ Guardian-Angel organization.

Assuming that it might be the religious aspect of End of Grace that excites people, I also have a full outline of a book that brings the Mormons back onto central stage.

Some of my future depends on me finding a person to carry my torch. Self-publishing is incredibly demanding and time consuming. Time I’d rather spend writing (not to mention I still have a day job). At the same time it’s been so rewarding that I’ll probably continue either way. Eventually I’ll be discovered, make some publisher a pile of money, and make myself enough to take the whole thing more seriously.

S: Thank you K Thomas for taking time to answer my questions and allowing me the opportunity to read and review your book.

We are offering a giveaway for a copy of this book. here is how to enter:

1. Leave a comment here

2. Receive a bonus entry by being a follower of this blog and or following me on Twitter (be sure to let me know)

US entries only please and no po box numbers. Be sure I have a way to connect with you if you are the winner. 🙂

Giveaway will end Aug 20

End of Secrets reveals one of the most obscure but powerful mysteries of the computer era. An urban legend that if true, has the potential to make the most secure, private and even top secret information freely available.

End of Fire introduces a new kind of compute threat. One that could render every computer on the planet useless. The only chance of stopping it is with the help of a secret society of the computer elite.

Merry Weather also has reviewed this book. You can see her review here

This book came from Bostick Communications – the giveaway copy is coming from the author

This is a PG13 book due to some language

Back To The Manger by Margaret Ann Philbrick

Published on August 3, 2009August 4, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)10 Comments

This book was more – way more, than I had originally thought…. I handled each page with loving care as the words lifted from the pages and into my heart. ~ Sheila

Christine (left) w/ Singing River Publications

A couple weekends ago I had mentioned that my friends and I went to Ely, Minnesota and experienced the Blueberry Festival. While exploring the great food and booths, I met Christine Moroni from Singing River Publications. She had a booth at the festival displaying many of the books they published and while browsing, she and I struck up a conversation about books and blogging.

Christine handed me this book, Back To The Manger before we parted ways and I thanked her and told her I would read and review it. That brings us to this moment.

Throughout Inga’s childhood, visiting an historic Neapolitan nativity scene each Christmas was a time-honored family tradition. One year when Inga takes her own children to see it, she discovers that the creche is missing. Inga takes up the quest to find this Christmas treasure and restore a bit of holiday magic to the heart of the Christmas season.

As I read this lovely book it actually brought tears to my eyes. Beautifully illustrated, I felt it read like it was a true story. I actually got goosebumps when I turned to the last page, the Note to Reader page, and discovered it was indeed a true story…

The Neapolitan creche described in this story was created in Naples, Italy during the 1700’s. The nativity set was developed by a number of master craftsmen, each of whom specialized in a particular artistic piece of the display.

In 1920, Kate Raferty, founder of The Little Traveler, purchased one of these nativity scenes. It was shipped overseas and for many decades, the creche was dispalyed on a bed of fine gold satin and fresh green moss at The Little Traveler.

Eventually the nativity set fell in a state of despair and was stored in the basement of a shop on River Lane, next to Fox River. For many years it was considered to be lost, until the late 1960’s when Mr. Merritt King, a historian, found the bed and figures. The building that was storing them was up for demolition and Mr. King was sent to the basement to be sure the electricity was off. “It was a miracle that they were still intact and not chewed by mice and rats,” he said.

Geneva History Center

Mr. King brought them home, dried them and then contacted The Little Traveler. In 1971 the set was returned to The Little Traveler and remained there until 1989 where they were donated to The Geneva History Center with the goal of complete restoration. The partially restored creche is now displayed from Thanksgiving to New Years Day in their museum at 113 South Third Street, Geneva, Illinois. The restoration is ongoing.

This is a wonderful childrens book that unlike many of the stories that are read to our children, this one carries the gift of historical facts. I would love to see this Nativity Scene at the museum and what a great gift to read to your children and then be able to show them the story… come to life.

The Geneva History Center: 639-232-4961 or http://www.genevahistorycenter.org

Authors Website

Publishers website

This book was given to me by the publisher

A “G” rating

Suzanne’s Diary For Nicholas by James Patterson

Published on August 2, 2009August 2, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)15 Comments

When I started this book I had a full schedule and had no intentions of reading more than a few pages while taking a quick break…. 3 hours later with tears in my eyes I closed the last page with a satisfied sigh. ~ Sheila

Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas begins with an introduction to Katie Wilkerson. She works for a publishing house and lives in New York City. The love of her life is poet/house painter Matt Harrison. The couple is about to celebrate the publication of Matt’s book and the beginning of their lives together.

At least, that’s what Katie thought. She’s stunned when Matt abruptly terminates the relationship and heads home for Cape Cod, taking several painful secrets with him. His explanation is contained in a personal diary that he gives Katie to read.

Matt’s wife, Suzanne, is the author of the journal, which was originally written for the couple’s son. Katie knows she has to read the diary to find an explanation for Matt’s actions, but she must come to grips with what she’s afraid she’ll discover.

The first letter:

Dear Nicholas, my little prince

As I write this very first entry, you are two weeks old. But I want to start by telling you about some things that happened before you were born. I want to start before the beginning, so to speak.

This is for your eyes only, Nick.

This is what happened to Nicholas, Suzanne and Matt.

Now let the record show I am not a sappy love story reader. This book was purchased at a book sale and the cover of the book with a sandy beach just said to me, “Summer Read”. So I sat down to see what James had to say.

I was so impressed with the book and how James Patterson writes from the perspective of Kate and then from Suzanne as she writes to Nicholas. The book is touching, gripping, and at the end … lets just say I think I left a little piece of my heart with this book.

I loved the lightness of the read. It was refreshing to read a book that really gave the male character, Matt, a softer side than most of the men I read of. This book is like no other Patterson I have read, it just flowed differently and the words ran smoother than some of the sharpness most of Patterson’s other work has. On Friday afternoon between doing projects around the yard, I started – and finished this book.

Fantastic for a beach read or sitting on your deck with a large ice tea in your super cool sunglasses. 😉

My rating? Two Kleenex’s Up

This book is from my personal library

I would rate this book PG

Blue Like Play Dough by Tricia Goyer (Review & Giveaway)

Published on July 31, 2009July 31, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)35 Comments

A delightful read about faith and about family, and about God’s Hands molding it all together into something beautiful.

~Sheila

The everyday push and pull of motherhood often leaves Tricia Goyer feeling, well, smooshed. Can you relate? In Blue Like Play Dough, Tricia shares her unlikely journey from rebellious, pregnant teen to busy wife and mom with big dreams of her own.

Sure her life is messy and beset with doubts. But God keep showing up in the most unlikely places – in a bowl of carrot soup, the umpteenth reading of Goodnight Moon, a woe-is-me teen drama, or play dough in the hands of a child…

Blue Like Play Dough flowed from the moment I opened the first page. With moments that caused me to laugh in acknowledgment,

“One day while praying about the hard stuff in life an image came to mind of a lump of play dough. As I focused on it I realized the lump was not something my kids held in their hands, but that God held in His. I was that lump. God was molding me and he had something in mind.

The image was there and then it was gone. Donald Miller had Blue Jazz. I had play dough. I tried not to be disappointed.”

Tricia writes with experience of what it is like to be a young mom trying to raise children to the best of her ability yet still having dreams of her own. Tricia is honest about her short comings and openly shares the triumphs and the trials of struggling to do it all.

When Tricia writes in this book about letting go and relaxing a bit allowing time for herself and time for the kids to learn to just play and be together I think I felt my own soul relax a little. Having two grown boys I still go through moments of the what if’s (what if I hadn’t worked so hard when they were younger, what if I had been at home more, what if…)

Tricia speaks openly about her short comings and her fear of being judged my others. She like many of us, carries with her that need – that desire for acceptance and I love how throughout the book God continues to show up. As Tricia says,

“The problem isn’t whether God will show up. It’s all about me not being aware that He is already here… that He has been in my life all along. And that he doesn’t care about my mess.”

Author Bio:

Tricia Goyer is the author of numerous works of fiction and nonfiction, including Generation NeXt Parenting and the Gold Medallion finalist Life Interrupted. Goyer writes for publications such as Today’s Christian Woman and Focus on the Family, speaks to women’s groups nationwide and has been a presenter at the Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) national convention. She and her husband, John, live with their family in Montana.

Random House has generously sent me a copy of this book to be given away to one of my readers. To enter:

1. Leave a comment here with a book title of Tricia’s that you would enjoy reading (besides this one) Tricia has 18 books out, on her website you can see the books under the books tab.

2. Blog or tweet about this giveaway on a separate comment and receive another entry

**3. Go to Tricias website *Give one Get one Promo... tweet or blog about this and leave a comment link here and earn 3 extra entries**

Tricia Goyer’s Website

*Tricia Goyers Give One Get One Promo

Purchase Blue Like Play Dough Here

Follow The Blog Tour Here

I received this review book and an extra book to give away compliments of Elizabeth at Random House

This book is a G Rating

Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross

Published on July 29, 2009January 14, 2010 by Sheila (Book Journey)13 Comments

Every once in a while, we as readers are lucky enough to find that hidden treasure – the book we cant wait to read in its entirety… yet we are saddened when it is done, as though we just said good-bye to a good friend. I have just experienced such a read. ~Sheila

For a thousand years men have denied her existence — Pope Joan, the woman who disguised herself as a man and rose to rule Christianity for two years. Now this compelling novel animates the legend with a portrait of an unforgettable woman who struggles against restrictions her soul cannot accept.

When her older brother dies in a Viking attack, the brilliant young Joan assumes his identity and enters a Benedictine monastery where, as Brother John Anglicus, she distinguishes herself as a scholar and healer. Eventually drawn to Rome, she soon becomes enmeshed in a dangerous mix of powerful passion and explosive politics that threatens her life even as it elevates her to the highest throne in the Western world.

My thoughts: Endings are inevitable. In life…as they are in books. With each page of a great read you are excited to move on to the longed for conclusion…. yet at the end, you may sit there as I am now, almost feeling a loss. This book was such a find for me and I absolutely loved the historical value in this read. Joan was strong and determined from the moment she was born – until the moment she died. I found myself trying to find moments in my day when I could pick up this book and read even if it was only for a minute or two. Donna Woolfolk Cross writes with a brilliant stroke where at times I even laughed out loud at the witness of her words.

Donna Woolfolk Cross graduated cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of Pennsylvania in 1969 with a B.A. in English. She moved to London, England, after graduation, and worked as an editorial assistant for a small publishing house on Fleet Street, W.H. Allen and Company. Upon her return to the United States, Cross worked at Young and Rubicam, a Madison Avenue advertising firm, before going on to graduate school at UCLA where she earned a master’s degree in Literature and Writing in 1972.

She is the coauthor of Speaking of Words and Daddy’s Little Girl. The product of seven years of research and writing, Pope Joan is her first novel. She is now at work on a new novel set in 17th century France.

More on Donna Woolfolk Cross here in my author interview

Was there a Pope Joan?

I for one hope that Joan really did live on this earth. A woman ahead of her time – I applaud her strength and conviction. Joan, fictitious or not, lived a life that few could live up to even today.

Thank you Donna for a read that I can honestly chalk up there with one of the best books I have read this year. I will treasure this book and our conversations, forever.

“Partout ou vous voyez une legende, vous pouvez etre sur, en allant au fond des choses, que vous trouverez une histoire.”

“Whenever you see a legend, you can be sure, if you go to the very bottom of things, that you will find history.”

~Vallet de Viriville

Go here to my earlier post where you have a chance to win a sign and inscribed copy of Pope Joan from Donna Woolfolk Cross.

Information to the movie Pope Joan due out this Fall of 2009!

More about the novel

Enchanted by Josephine’s post and author interview for Pope Joan

My Amazon Review

*This book was purchased locally at our very own BookWorld in Brainerd Minnesota

I rate Pope Joan PG13 for some mild nudity and violence

A Will To Love by Kim Smith – Book Tour

Published on July 28, 2009July 31, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)9 Comments

Is it possible in such a short amount of time… say the time it takes to read a book, that you can fall in love with the scenery… the musical flow of the words? Yes. It is possible. ~ Sheila

My first ever Book Tour!!!

A Will To Love is the story of Benton Jessup, a widower who is still mourning the loss of his wife Carla, to cancer the previous year. Together Carla and Benton had ran a Bed and Breakfast, and now Benton is left only with his memories and the work of trying to make the Bed and Breakfast a success.

When Kitty Beebe comes to stay, with plans to write a book based around the beautiful area around the Bed and Breakfast, Benton thinks this may be just the ticket to draw people to the Inn. A fast friendship develops between Benton and Kitty and causes Benton to rethink who he is.

This book is a quick read that tugs at your heart. It is about hope and dreams, past hauntings, and new beginnings. I enjoyed the characters and the great setting of this book.

Author Kim Smith a lifelong Memphian who has been married for nearly 16 years and have two wonderful adult children. You can visit Kim’s website at: http://www.mkimsmith.com/

Red Rose Publishing offers a Southern Drink after a Southern Book:

Aunt Tillie’s Sweet Tea

Ingredients

3 Family size tea bags

2 Cups of cold water

1 Cup of sugar

Directions

We in the south make the best iced tea you’ll find.

Maybe it’s how it’s done, or maybe it is the water

in the south, or maybe it’s just that

a southern belle has put a lot of TLC

into making the tea. Who knows!

We recommend Luzianne Tea Bags if available.

Place the two cups water in a pot and add the tea bags.

Bring to a boil, do not continue boiling.

Remove from heat and let steep.

Pour warm tea into empty pitcher.

Add the sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved.

Fill remaining pitcher with cold water.

Optional – some women say they use less water and add ice to the tea.

*This book came to me as a E book to me from Dorothy Thompson of Pump up Your Book Promotion

I rate this book PG13 for some mild nudity

Blast from the Past: Three Sisters Trilogy: Dance Upon The Air, Heaven and Earth, Face The Fire by Nora Roberts

Published on July 22, 2009July 29, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)17 Comments

I am in the mood to review this morning and as I sit in the reading room I have a direct line to my book shelf that holds my all time favorites. Before I blogged, I used to journal everything I read. I have years worth of notes in three ring binders. Eventually I hope to transfer them here…. ~ Sheila

Dance Upon The Air by Nora Roberts:

Leaving you spellbound every step of the way, bestselling author Nora Roberts takes you to Three Sisters Island, where a fabled lighthouse beckons three young women to seek their true destinies.

Meet Mia, Nell and Ripley, all witches, and the enchanting descendants of the island’s founding trio. Nell has just found a new love with Zack Todd; but she’s haunted by her abusive husband, Evan, the man she fled from eight months ago. With the help of her “charmed” confidantes, Mia and Ripley, will Nell be able to stop Evan from destroying the happiness she’s finally found?

My thoughts: This book will always hold a special place in my heart. It is the book that started The Bookies Book Club in August 2001. At the time I had not branched out into a lot of new authors (thus the book club) and so Nora seemed safe for a start. I have to tell you, this is not your typical Nora Roberts book. The story line is fantastic! I love our three characters – Nell, Ripley, and Mia. This book is about Nell and the abusive husband she finds a way to leave… at least she believes she has. Nell escapes to the Three Sisters Island where whe meets the strong willed Ripley who works at the ploice station and the magnificent Mia who owns the local book store and coffee shop.

These three together have a bond that Nell knows nothing about, Ripley denies with a vengence,and Mia feels to her core that they are the three sisters of the island.

Heaven and Earth by Nora Roberts (book 2)

Ripley Todd just wants to live a quiet, peaceful kind of life. Her job as a sheriff’s deputy keeps her busy and happy, and she has no trouble finding men when she wants them-which, lately, isn’t all that often. She’s perfectly content, except for one thing: she has special powers that both frighten and confuse her-and though she tries hard to hide them, she can’t get them under control….

Distraction soon arrives in the handsome form of MacAllister Booke-a researcher who’s come to investigate the rumors of witchcraft that haunt Three Sisters Island. Right from the start, he knows there’s something extraordinary about Ripley Todd. It’s not just her blazing green eyes and her sultry smile. There’s something else. Something he can detect, but she’ll never admit. Fascinated by her struggle with her amazing abilities, he becomes determined to help her accept who she is-and find the courage to open her heart.

But before Ripley and Mac can dream of what lies in the future, they must confront the pain of the past. For Three Sisters shelters centuries of secrets-and a legacy of danger that plagues them still….

My Thoughts: This book is centered around Riley. I love how Nora Roberts trilogys take one character for each book and focuses on them. Riley is strong and independent and hates the heritage of the abilities she caries within her. She fights it and ignores it all all times. I like that too as Nell comes to the island not knowing she is anything special, and Mia embraces the powers. While Ripley is my least favorite of the three , I have to admire her strength and love her in dependency.

Face The Fire by Nora Roberts (book 3)

After being abandoned by her lover 12 years before, white witch Mia Devlin has developed a charming bookstore and cafe, a spectacular garden and a close circle of friends, all of whom share her involvement in the Craft. Only an age-old curse mars Mia’s idyllic existence and threatens the future of the island itself. Then her former flame, Sam Logan himself a witch returns to the island, determined to win Mia back.

My thoughts: This description of the third book does not do it justice. In this book, centered around Mia, the three women must battle together to not only save the Island, but their very lives. As Nora Roberts takes this final installment and skillfully wraps it all into a masterpiece I found myself not wanting it to end.

I wondered if it was possible to want these women as friends or if I had just had my nose buried in a book too long? I would love to own a coffee shop like Mia on a great little island that brings in tourists in the summer but is quiet inthe winter. I have actually considered through the years dropping an email to Nora asking her to bring them back. They were young… there is more that could be told…

If you have not had the opportunity – I highly recommend these books. If you are not a Nora Roberts fan, let it be known, I really am not either. These books however are not her usual writing style and I think you may be surprised on what you find.

If you have read these, please share your thoughts. If you have not and decide too, come back and let me know what you thought. I stand by this one – these are great summer reads.

These books are from my personal library, I have had them for years

My rating for these books is PG

The Light The Dark & Embers Between by J.W. Nicklaus

Published on July 20, 2009July 29, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)10 Comments

A book that really makes you feel things directly from the heart…. ~ Sheila

The Book Says:

This book is a collection of uplifting images that delve into the reflections of the human condition. These stories will cause you to think, laugh, and even cry at the beauty of emotional memories. You will smile at the thought of love lost and found again in “Paper Doll.” You will think about your life’s choices in “10:18.” You will cry tears of joy while reading about the hidden gift in “Winter Rose.” This is a must-have collection of thought-provoking reflections perfect for your bedside or the beach.

I say: J. W. Nicklaus has taken 15 short stories and combined them in this read. While the back cover says this is a perfect beach read, I for one find it more of a bedside or camp fire read. To me, it is a book to read alone so you can really absorb the words and get the full meaning behind each story… and each story is chock full of meaning.

Each warm mist of breath hung in the air like temporary lace, for seconds – not moments – seconds.~ from Winter Rose page 163

I was planning to pick out one story that touched me more than the others but as I sat to write this review I found that many of the stories touched me in different ways, for different reasons. Requiem for Linny was a bit close to home for me and I felt Bucks immense sorrow so much that I could feel myself sinking with him. In Winter Rose I imagined the small child afraid during time of great war and it takes my breath away to think of what some people have seen and experienced in their lifetimes.

This book will go with me to our cabin this next weekend. I am putting it in one of the guest rooms for friends to enjoy. What a great conversation piece and every time I go in to dust or put clean sheets on the bed and my hands graze across this cover, I can smile and remember my first time through a book called The Light, The Dark, and Embers Between.

See my friend Melissa’s incredible review of this book here at Reminder list

J W Nicklaus’ Blog

See The Trailer Here

*I received this book as a ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) from Bostic Communications

I give this book a G rating

Off Season by Anne Rivers Siddons

Published on July 20, 2009July 20, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)3 Comments

It’s a story really… about life… and about death… and the question…. “Where does love go when it dies?” ~Sheila

The Book Says:

For as long as she can remember, they were Cam and Lilly–happily married, totally in love with each other, parents of a beautiful family, and partners in life. Then, after decades of marriage, it ended as every great love story does…in loss. After Cam’s death, Lilly takes a lone road trip to her and Cam’s favorite spot on the remote coast of Maine, the place where they fell in love over and over again, where their ghosts still dance. There, she looks hard to her past–to a first love that ended in tragedy; to falling in love with Cam; to a marriage filled with exuberance, sheer life, and safety– to try to figure out her future.

It is a journey begun with tender memories and culminating in a revelation that will make Lilly re-evaluate everything she thought was true about her husband and her marriage.

I said: A breezy summer read. I picked this up over the weekend and found myself in Maine with Lilly, first as an adult and then soon flashing back to her 11th year on summer vacation with her parents and a male dog named Wilma. I loved the younger Lilly, her strong will, her heart and her sorrows… and as the book went on – and moved into later years I slowly learned to like the older Lilly as well.

The book flashes forward and back a bit and at times I found that hard to follow. Yet when Anne Rivers Siddons was on her mark…. the book flowed like the waters that so attracted Lilly. Some of the writing is beautiful and on occasion I had to stop just to read the words again….

Children forget quickly and without regret, but somehow they rarely lose the forgotten thing. It sinks quietly deep inside them and drifts into the maw of childhood as neatly as a tender new bone into a forming skeleton, and there it stays, part of the fabric of Child. Page 36

He kissed my hair. I felt my muscles unclench, and I sagged into his arms. His body warmed me from the top of my head to the bottom of my toes. There was not an inch of me that he did not shelter, did not celebrate. (page 259)

This book is about love…. about first love and well, last love. The scenes are beautifully set and I can almost sell the sea and feel the wind when they are sailing. For the most part the book went along smoothly once I picked up on the rhythm. As it came to the end there were questions that I felt were never answered. The end seemed sudden and abrupt to the point where I had to go back and read the last few pages to see what I had missed. Once I understood, while confusing how it all ran together, the final words left me with a sad peace and a knowledge that it really could not have ended any other way.

Authors Website

Beach Girls by Luanne Rice

Published on July 19, 2009 by Sheila (Book Journey)10 Comments

It is that time of year isn’t it? I look for reads that are light and summery… with words like beach and summer and garden in them…. Sheila

The Book Says:

Childhood friends Emma, Maddie and Stevie enjoyed their summers together at Hubbard’s Point, Connecticut. Years later, Maddie’s brother Jack married Emma, and they had a daughter, Nell. After Emma is killed in a car wreck with Maddie driving, Jack is unable to forgive his sister for what happened that fateful day. He decides to bring Nell to Hubbard’s Point the next summer, and the lonely little girl insists on finding Stevie, who’s rumored to be living at the beach as a broken-hearted recluse. Nell adores Stevie, while even Jack finds himself attracted to the gentle violet-eyed beauty. Can these broken-hearted people ever become a family, or will Jack, afraid of taking another chance at love, lose everything?

I said:

This was my first read by Luanne Rice and I really enjoyed it. This book was about one of my favorite topics to read: friendships. This book covers friendships from childhood, to growing up, and how our actions change us… even break us. This book is about mending hearts.

A wonderful read, I had a hard time setting this book down. I will truly miss the character of Stevie, her strong and independent strength never wavers. I loved her home on the beach and deep down inside, my spirit longs for the same. Because of all that I have just mentioned, I have to tell you I am so excited to read Last Kiss… see the following note from Luanne Rice:

Dear Friends,

Last Kiss is full of beach music, written by a singer songwriter who grew up to the sounds of sea breezes, of gulls calling, of leaves rustling. Sheridan Rosslare writes songs that touch all her listeners’ hearts, but she can’t seem to get through to her own. This is Hubbard’s Point, where many of you know the concept of Beach Friend was invented. Stevie, Jack, and Nell from Beach Girls return, as well as other familiar characters. And Sheridan will need them all.

There’s so much to talk about with this novel: the depths of friendship, the ways old love can come back to either save or destroy you, the ways you find your own deepest strength, just when you think you’ve lost it all.

I wish you all a wonderful summer—on the beach, or at the lake, or in your own backyard.