Book Journey

Desiree and Stella are identical African American twins born in the south in the 1950’s. Stella is light in color as opposed to her sisters darker coloring. At the age of 16, they run away together to St Louis, however soon separate with different thoughts on their own identity. Stella decided to live her life as white and non are the wiser. She marries a white man and has a white daughter. Desiree finds a man darker than she and has a dark skinned daughter. Living apart and with separate lives – will their worlds ever connect again?

You ever read a book you really really want to like – and just find it doesn’t click for you?

I read this for our Book Club and was looking forward to the book that was receiving positive attention and hitting best sellers lists everywhere. I listened to this one on audio, fair warned by a friend that it had a slow start – yet it never did connect for me.

At first I thought it was my attention (or lack there of) to it – its been busy around here and perhaps I was not in the right frame of mind to listen to a book. However many of the girls in my book club were saying the same thing I was- some from audio and some from book format, finding it hard to follow, dragging in parts, and disjointed.

Not all would agree. A couple of girls in the discussion found the book thought provoking, and still thinking of it long after the final page was turned. We did have a good discussion on the books title and how it was an appropriate fit.

My personal thoughts are that I found it interesting, but not a “WOW”. It held my attention, yet at the same time it felt that it jumped here and there and I would struggle to catch up trying to figure out how this was relevant. In the end – I finished, but I can not say I enjoyed the book. Good reads and Amazon have strong positive ratings on this book, clearly I am in the minority on this one.

If you have read the Vanishing Half, what were your thoughts on the book? I would love to hear them!

Happy weekend! Another wonderful weekend of yoga pant mornings and sipping coffee while planning out my day.
This past Tuesday we had our book club meeting here at my house to discuss The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. While the book made for some interesting insightful discussion, it had some mixed ratings with our group of 16. That review will be posted later this morning.

One of the girls in our group (hi Angie!) has some solid connections to receiving books for our group. As we had not met in person for several months, she had a lot to choose from and through random drawings, we were able to chose books we would like to read. I wound up with:

Qualify by Vera Nasarian – I am pretty excited about this one. I could use a good Sci Fi/Fantasy read in my life 😀

Grounds For Murder by Tara Lush – A cozy mystery setting with coffee? Mmmmmmm

Unfetted Journey by Gary Bengier – ooh another futuristic read… I miss these!

Truth Of The Matter by Jamie Beck – Great synopsis!

And….

Woman 99 by Greer Macallister – I ordered in this one as it is our book clubs April read. Greer is also one of our Wine and Words authors for 2021!
So that’s it…

Happy Sunday! Hopefully you are all having a good weekend. Mine has been bonkers crazy and I am honestly a bit tired. I have officially been back form vacation in Alabama for one week today. I worked all week – went with friends to Detroit Lakes for a fun overnight of games, laughter, and good food, beat butt home early Saturday morning to work a full day doing weddings tastings and now today trying to catch up a bit on non profit happenings and not suck up my whole day with “to do’s”
Trying….The two books in the picture are books that came to my home this past week – both ordered while I was on vacation. My Favourite Daughter by Kaira Rouda is of course because I am so impressed with Kaira’s writing I want to read more. The Life She Was Given by Ellen Marie Wiseman showed up on a list of “must reads” I picked up on and besides being fascinated with the cover… the book sounds really interesting as well.

On Tuesday, my book club will be discussing The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. I am still listening to this one on audio and will be curious to see what the Bookies think of it. The discussion will be taking place at my home which will be fun as we have been ZOOM meeting for some time now with an occasional face to face meet up and I am excited to have most of us in the same room together with real food and beverages! Our Books Burgers and Brews discussion of The Whisper Network will be next Monday, March 15th by ZOOM and all are welcome to join in on that discussion as it is an open book group. You can see the info on The Whisper Network on our website as well as our next two reads –
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead discussion on April 19th
Beneath A Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan on May 17th.
Our Summer Additions will be posted soon.

That’s it for book updates and me. What are you reading?

How is it March already? I mean… its like a blink of the eye and we are into the third month of the year. I am starting to feel a little antsy thinking of all the things coming up that I need to get moving on as they will be here before I know it.

That said, we will be ZOOM discussing the book Whisper Network on March 15th through Books Burgers and Brews – an open book club to anyone who wishes to join in. We used to meet at a local restaurant (pre-covid) with up to 80 people showing up to discuss our book of choice – and now we are on ZOOM maintaining still about 25 to 30 people per month. The nice thing about ZOOM is, I can invite all of you form the comfort or your home and wherever you are to join in as well. Its actually a lot of fun and it would be great to see you!
Currently I am about half way through the book (thank you plane time) and its really hard to describe it. I heard somewhere it was referred to 9 to 5 meets … well I can not remember, however if you remember the movie 9 to 5 with Dolly Pardon…. well, then you know this book must be interesting…
so far so good.

I’m off… its a crazy work week…. I’m booking events and I love it.
You are so right, Ferris.
Have you read Whisper Network?

Recently I was in a conversation with some friends regarding self care. Collagen was a part of that discussion. One friend mentioned this Collagen product that you mix in your beverages and wallah – easy self care for your skin, hair and nails. I was in it to win it.

Or so one would think…

In Collagen’s defense, it’s not horrible… it simply has a slight “taste” to it like you know there is something is in your coffee… you are just not sure what. (Is it a sock??? Baby powder???) Sure I could take this in capsule form, I just felt that this was more streamline. You are supposed to take two scoops in the morning and again in the evening and I have not been consistent enough yet to say I notice a difference one way or another.

So there’s my collagen story. Admitting I have reached that age where I think about things that may better my appearance/health/over-all-being.
And gah….
I hate to admit it.

~Sheila

Sisters are not always close.

Dana, Harper, and Tawny may have been closer when they were younger. In the summer days they spent at their Grandmother Annie’s resort in Texas there were fond memories of laughter and swimming and sunshine. Yet that was years ago, and ten years have passed since the sisters have returned to the resort – and in that time each have had life happenings they would rather not share – even with family. Especially with family.

When, the news comes about Annie’s passing, the girls are summoned to the resort that they soon learn they have inherited with a few stipulations. Annie’s long time friend, Zed is there to help with the transition, but there is more to this new inheritance than the girls anticipated and Annie and Zed had a few surprises in store.

Why is it that I am always just putting on my makeup when I get to a part in an audio book that makes me cry?

The Sometimes Sisters on audio was the perfect listen as I prepared to go on vacation. A fun story that at moments tugs at the heart strings as three stubborn sisters find their way begrudgingly back into one another’s lives. While the story is a bit predictable and this story line has been done in many ways (someone passes away, someone inherits a home/place/ store… and has to return to their hometown to put things in order only to find that perhaps this is what has been missing all along…) it is still a valuable read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

I do not believe I have read this author before, however I will search out her books in the future. Her writing reminds me a bit of Mary Kay Andrews, Mary McNear, and Dorthea Benton Frank (to name a few) – all authors I have enjoyed sharing with my Aunt.

Have you read Carolyn Brown? If so what books would you recommend?

As of 1:00 am this morning I am back home in Minnesota. The week long vacation in Alabama was wonderful- beach, sun, books (oh my!!!), adventures, and hanging out with some pretty awesome people in a VRBO with private decks. Not too shabby for Sheila ;P

The weather in Central Minnesota, while chilly – is doable. Currently 22 degrees, not the high 60’s and 70’s of Alabama – however the temp is supposed to continue to climb throughout the week putting us at 40’sand 50’s starting Tuesday.

Buh-bye snow.

I managed to finish two REAL BOOKS in Alabama. The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah and The Next Wife by Kaira Rouda. . Both fantastic reads in completely opposite genres.

It’s times like this, when I am able to get away from the day to day “to do’s” that I remember how much I enjoy just sinking into a great read. I am now working my way through a third book, The Whisper Network by Chandler Baker. I am about half way thanks to the plane ride home. I am hopeful that once I get unpacked today and laundry started and a little grocery shopping in that I will have an hour or two this afternoon to dig in again.

Have a great Sunday. What are you all reading?

Sheila

Tish Nelson is young, gorgeous and has the world by the tail. Any man would be thrilled to be seen with her and she knows it. Second wife to the successful John Nelson, owner of a flourishing event ticket company, 4 gorgeous homes, and more money than she could have ever dreamed of. Everything was perfect.

Or almost perfect.

Kate Nelson is the first wife. Also beautiful, and really like an older version of Tish. Kate is also an owner of the flourishing company that she and John had built together from a dream in their first home working out of a garage to what it is today. And of course there is Ashlyn, Kate and John’s College aged daughter who is over dependent, in Tish’s opinion.

What happens next will blow everything up and has Tish, Kate, and Ashlyn all scrambling to pick up the pieces of their world and question everything they ever knew about love and the lengths one will take when wronged.

Holy smokes.
I picked this book up while on vacation and was hooked from the very first page. Each chapter built like riding a roller coaster and going up, up and up until with your heart in your throat – you slip over that much anticipated, much dreaded edge.
I didn’t see it coming.
Two days later after having my nose in this book every chance I had, I closed that final page with one thought. Could Author Kaira Rouda write faster? I am going to need another fix of her deliciously engaging reads.
One of the best books I have read in a while, I highly recommend you pre order The Next Wife, available on May 1st, 2021.
Then… we will chat. Zoom even with a great cup of coffee… or maybe a margarita.

Other books I have read by Kaira Rouda: (more to come… I am digging around Good Reads now…)

Best Day Ever

It is our final full day in Alabama. It’s early yet… I am almost always one of the first ones up if not the first one up, usually by 6 am. I am that way on all vacations… I like to have the quiet time of catching up on emails, drinking my coffee and thinking about my day before the house starts to stir.

This morning is foggy – and to me its perfect. I’ve had plenty of sun the last few days, and plenty of touring and site-seeing. Today I hope to get a little reading in and I have to say – The Next Wife by Kaira Rouda is already blowing me away. I started this book yesterday and it hooked me right away – told in alternating voices I had a hard time putting it down and even now I can not wait to get back to it. I am so hopeful that it is this exciting all the way through.
What are you reading?
~Sheila

In 1921, Texas, Elsa Wolcott is deemed many things… too old for marriage at 25, too tall, too plain, too – everything (according to her mother). The night she meets Rafe Martinelli changes everything in more ways than she could have ever imagined.

By 1934, dust storms are a constant threat. With failing crops, two children to feed, never ending work, never ending dust, and a barely there husband – Elsa once again is put in a position to make hard decisions that there seems to be no right answer to. Yet she is not alone. All over the country people are making these hard decisions to stay or to go – in hope that California will bring work and stability and a sense of peace for her family. And every day these options seem to be less of a choice, then a must is there is any hope for survival.

I had no idea when I picked this book up a couple of weeks ago that I would have trouble putting it down. I thought it was the perfect book in stature and content for the plane and the relaxing-in-a-chair time while in Alabama. I was right.

The Four Winds is not a light tale. You may see comments in reviews regarding it’s sadness, maybe even calling it depressing – and they wouldn’t be wrong. I would still recommend the book. For myself, The Four Winds, brought me to a time that I can only imagine the despair yet Kristin Hannah brought me close to getting a taste of the dust in my mouth, and feeling the weight of nowhere to turn.

And I couldn’t put it down.

Elsa’s journey is one I recommend. It’s a story of a hard life, yet a life all the same. There is hope and there is a fire within the book that you have to read to understand. I finished this book last night and I am still thinking about it. I am left with a feeling I have gained something special having read it.
I wish the same for you.

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah