Nora has been missing for months… and when she does return home she is missing a chunk of her memory. She is not sure what happened to her during the time she was away and is even missing memories of her life prior to the disappearance…
No recollection of Rickson….. no recollection of Patch…
All she does know is that the man who is dating her mom gives her some serious creep vibes… and that guy named Scott that seems like more than a friend and something… something on the edge of her memory, and in her dreams…
there is a guy…
Silence was a stronger book than Hush Hush and Crescendo… now three books in, this is more than a Paranormal love story… now there is a war being fought between fallen angels and Nephilim. There is a battle to be won and most impressive – Nora has grown into a much strongerprotagonist than she previously was!
The romance between Patch and Nora is pretty awesome too – and I am by no means a lover of romance novels so that is HUGE for me to say.
I went into Silence thinking this was the last book in the Hush Hush trilogy and I wanted to know where it was all going. Turns out… Becca Fitzpatrick had other plans and I discovered after I started listening to this one that there will be one more book, Finale coming in Fall 2012! I am super excited to see where this story line goes from here!
What if there was a book that not only recommended GREAT book club reads with synopsis, but also recipes to go with the books from well-known authors and book clubs? For a book club gal, and a book lover – this is a GREAT FIND! Books such as Cutting For Stone, The Book Thief,The Help, ROOM, Reading Lolita, Bel Canto, Water For Elephants, Snow Flower And The Secret Fan, Jane Eyre, Freedom, Devil In The White City, etc…
Many years ago I discovered the first edition of this book. I loved the concept and used it religiously when planning out books to read for our group as well as food to go with the book. In fact, as I write this now, I think the first edition of this book was the beginning of our book club, The Bookies, introduction to food made to go with our reviews.
To this day, this very book sits in my front sitting room, in an honor spot on a stand next to the rocking chair.
The first edition: released in 2004
Now knowing all this, you can imagine my delight when last summer author Judy Gelman emailed me saying she had noticed my book club book and food combination reviews and wanted to know if our book club would consider reviewing a couple of books on her list and cook food themed to them. I admit to saying “YES!” before even asking my book club. 😛
Of course The bookies were honored and wanted to participate so we chose three books off the list Judy provided, Olive Kitteridge, Cutting For Stone, and Little Bee. We already had our monthly book club books chosen so these reviews became bonus reads and we would gather at my home with food and discuss the book.
We had a lot of fun and when I reviewed the books and food, I emailed Judith our reviews as well.
When the advanced release version of this book made its way into my hands recently I was sooooo excited! Not only for the fact that The Bookies are mentioned in the book, but also that I had in my hot little hands a second version of a book that I have loved through the years… a new Book Club cook book… new books… new authors… new recipes and ideas! (It’s probably no big surprise that I did not wait long to dive it!)
Now you might think this review is a little bias, but remember – I read and loved the first one years before I was reviewing books…. this one would have been on my list to own anyway!
Book Club members, book lovers, and food lovers will all appreciate this book! Not only does it list a wonderful group of books that make for wonderful discussion, but the food and the ideas to go along with the books will put that little extra into your discussion and have people waiting to get into your book group!
And of course I loved it! Each book gives a full page synopsis as well as publishing information, followed by food that would go well with the book, sometimes by the author, and always ideas from a book club as well. If anything, this book is dangerous as I drank in all the books I have yet to read and delicious food to go with them. The ideas were already forming in my mind….
I want to do a Bel Canto party… dress up the whole works…. maybe I can talk the Bookies into doing this one for our October classic read….. and I would love to do a Chocolat by Joanne Harris review as well with melt in your mouth chocolates…. maybe we could follow-up with the movie….. AND….
See what did I tell you? The book is dangerous!
This is a book I will keep close and refer to time and again, not only do I get a good taste of wonderful book club reads… but ideas to go along with the reviews!
This review is part of Beth Fish Reads Weekend Cooking. Pop over and see what wonderful food related books are being read and what is cooking this weekend!
Lee Lipsenthal helped thousands of patients through his job as the medical director of Preventative Medicine Research Institute. His job was to help those with serious diseases to overcome their fears of pain and of death. Lee was extremely successful in making others feel comfortable in their time of greatest need.
Then in July of 2009, after a doctors visit it was discovered that Lee had esophageal cancer. Shocked, a now numb Lee stumbled through the every day motions of making his wife feel safe and his two children secure. Lee made a decision then and there that he was not going to stop living, just because he was dying. Instead Lee continued to live life even fuller than before realizing that every bite of life counted…. every flower, every moment, ever conversation….. Lee learned to enjoy Every Sandwich.
For me it is this one self that is not identified with cancer, pain, or fear. Cancer is just a physical event of the moment – it just is what it is.
Lee Lipsenthal
Late last year I read The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch and this book reminded me a little of that one. Lee, like Randy, had been given a terminal diagnosis…. and Lee, like Randy, decided that they were not just going to lay down and die… but choose to live each day as best they could.
Lee chose to live by rules that each of us should apply in our lives anyway:
Make unconditional love a practice.
Fun stuff happens every day, embrace it.
Find joy in your work.
Be committed to make a difference.
I have to admit I struggled with Lee’s thoughts on God (or what he called the “God Neuroimagination”) and some of the different ways he experienced or pursued spirituality. It did seem as though he did experience Jesus at one point and that I was thrilled about.
I liked some of the things that Lee did or suggested. Writing three things down each day that we are grateful for that happened that day before we go to bed? I love that! Who am I kidding? I need that!
Lee’s story is bitter sweet. In his final year he reminds us that life is short for all of us. It’s too short for fighting or separating yourself from family and friends, its time we all take a closer look at the things, the people we take for granted.
I lost my entire immediate family by the time I was 29 years old. I am a firm believer in experiencing the things you have always wanted to try, and to forgive because life is too short to carry the pain of grudge, anger, and resentment. Lee reminds me that each flower is one of a kind and the smell of a spring day is one well worth taking the time to breathe into my memory.
Lee Lipsenthal: August 13th, 1957 to September 20th, 2011. This book was released to the public for sale on November 8th, 2011.
I have one copy of this book available for giveaway – to enter for a chance to win it, leave a comment here letting me know something you live by or wish you did (ie… always saying hello to people you pass on the street, holding door open for people, helping someone in need, never going to bed angry…)
LaVaughn is an urban 14 year old and she has dreams for college. “College,” as described by LaVaughn is a big word for her home where she lives with her mother, “and you have to walk around the word like it is furniture.”
To make her dreams of college come true, LaVaughn takes an after school baby sitting job for two small children. Their mother Jolly, is an abused seventeen year old who is trying to hold a job with little skills and manage a home and two children with little success and a perpetual feeling of overwhelm.
Although LaVaughn’s mom tells her daughter to proceed with caution and not get too involved, LaVaughn’s support of Jolly has potential to lead to greater things for all involved.
The 2nd book in the trilogy....The 3rd book in the trilogy....
I really enjoyed my time in LaVaughn’s world. Lavaughn at 14, is more mature than the mother of two Jolly at 17. What author Virginia Wolfe writes here is a story of circumstances. LaVaughn’s home life is centered around a single mom who works hard, shows value to what she owns and teaches her daughter these same skills. One works hard to have what they have.
Jolly on the other hand was never given the opportunity to learn these skills. She never had loving parents around her having grown up in foster care with a lady names Gram who passed away. She did not finish high school, and her housekeeping and parenting skills are…. ummmm…. lacking.
At times the book was emotional, when Jolly experiences sexual harassment at work she does not know that she has rights, after all hasn’t she been used one way or another all her life? Yet that is the beauty of the story as these two people under different circumstances come together and learn from each other.
LaVaughn’s story continues in the second book called True Believer, and finishes in This Full House.
I listened to this book on audio from my local library
When Dempsey Jo Killebrew gets caught up in a political scandal brought on by her kiniving boss, she is left suddenly unemployed, and under investigation as a possible accomplice. Feeling the heat and having a strong desire “to get out of dodge”, she accepts an offer from her father to help restore the old family home he had recently inherited in Guthrie Georgia. The home, known as Birdsong, is a family treasure, a Victorian Mansion that just needs a little love is what Dempsey is told… and considering the options… it sounds like a pretty sweet deal.
When Dempsey arrives in Georgia at the address her father had given her, she can not believe her eyes. Birdsong may have been quite the home back in its day…. but “Bird poop” is more what it looks like now. Painted a color that can only be described as “Pepto Bismo pink, windows that have been duct taped and a yard that is overgrown with wild shrubs and grass up to her waist… oh and lets not forget the inside where not only is everything worn out, musty and dated – but that would also describe the crotchety elderly woman squatter who is somehow a relation and says she is not moving out. EVER.
Tips and Finds from Mary Kay Andrews
Top Five Renovating Tips
An old house needs old doors, hardware and fixtures. Nothing says “new and cheap” faster than a flimsy hollow-core door and bright gold repro brass hardware. Look for solid wood doors and wood frame windows at salvage yards and antique markets. And don’t forget to check the “building materials” category on Craigslist. I got all the doors for my beach house off Craigslist–for $5 apiece. Vintage hardware can frequently be found at flea markets, or check online sources like eBay.
Vintage light fixtures give a great look–but be sure you factor in the cost of re-wiring them, and finding good-looking shades. Nothing gives a lamp that “granny” look faster than a dingy yellow shade.
Before you invest in antique cast-iron claw-foot tubs or sinks, make sure they have proper fittings. Measure drains and faucet spreads and make sure you can find new ones that will fit and function properly. Antique toilets are generally a bad idea–most local codes require low-flow toilets for water conservation.
Before re-wiring a house, put together a furniture floor plan. You don’t want a heat register under the living room sofa, but you will want outlets on either side of the bed for reading lamps, and for any area that might be used as an office you’ll want plenty of grounded plugs. And how about that flat-screen television your husband wants? Plan now for cable locations.
Be flexible. A great fireplace surround could become a headboard, as could an old paneled door–turned sideways. And that leaded glass window that had to be removed in the remodel? Why not fit it with mirrors and a hinge and make it into a bathroom medicine cabinet?
Top Five Best Junking Finds
Pair of barrel-back armchairs–$30 at an estate sale. They were covered in gold embossed vinyl when I found ‘em. But with the legs stained ebony, and a gorgeous blue Ralph Lauren fabric reupholstery, they’re perfect by my fireplace.
Set of eight antique Wedgewood black and cream transferware plates–$30 at an estate sale. The seller’s mother used some of them for cat dishes, others as an ashtray!
Vintage landscape oil painting, Tuscany maybe? Or Provence? Who cares! Bought at a “divorce sale”–the ex-husband sold this beautiful painting for $50 because it had belonged to his ex-wife. I spent a small fortune framing it, but it’s the basis for a collection of treasured landscape paintings.
Wicker settee, Salvation Army find for $25. I’d walked to the store, and had to hoof it back home in a hurry for money and my car.
Faux alligator train case–found at a yard sale. When I asked the seller if she’d do better on the price, she replied that she’d give it to me for free–if I could figure out how to open it. Since it had a combination lock like the one on my high school graduation luggage, I twirled the dial to 0-0-0–because I never figured out how to change mine–and sure enough, the lock popped open. Score!
The Fixer Upper by Mary Kay Andrews is an over all sweet read. Dempsey is not a ditzy woman but instead a street smart gal that is used to designer jeans and expensive footwear. Not only is she surprised by the down home feel of Guthrie where Carharts are the comfort clothes of choice by men and women alike – but Guthrie is surprised by this petite chick who thinks she is going to single handedly fix up the mess that was is Birdsong.
I enjoyed listening to this on audio, it reminded me a bit of Hope Floats and I could picture Sandra Bullock in the part of Dempsey. I look forward to trying other reads from Mary Kay Andrews.
After starting a relationship with her guardian angel, the mysterious Patch (Hush Hush), Nora has started to think things could not get better. After all – Patch is great looking, dark, mysterious, gorgeous… and he was hers. Yet, after a great day at the beach, Nora had said she loved him and then things went down hill quickly.
First of all… not only did Patch not return the sentiment, he also takes off. AND not only does he take off but he goes to Marcie Millar’s home. MARCIE. Nora’s nemesis. When confronted about this, Patch seems aloof and avoids her questions. What happened to their magical relationship?
*hmmmph!*
Angels….
It was January 2010 when I read Hush Hush, the first book in this trilogy (see note on bottom) and GUSHED about the story. I loved the mystery behind Patch and what he stood for… and while Nora annoyed me a bit (think Bella from the Twilight series…) it was still a worthy read/listen.
Fast forward to this second book, Crescendo. When I seen the audio at my library I was excited to see where this one would go. Patch was back still brooding and mysterious, and Nora…. well Nora was more annoying then the first book… I think maybe this is because I really like reading about strong female characters and ditzy ones tend to annoy me. Maybe I need to remember that Nora is a teen and in love and if I think about it… I guess I was a bit like Nora when I was that age…. so maybe, I am just irritated with myself…. 😛
The audio is good, this one really centers around someone known as “The Black Hand” and Nora’s fathers death, which I do not recall being a big point (if a point at all) in Hush Hush.
In the end I enjoyed it, but not as much as I enjoyed Hush Hush. I have however heard that Silence (the third in the series) is fantastic and so I am continuing on. Silence was released in October of 2011, so for those starting the series, all books are ready to read straight through.
*AND – recently I hear there will be a fourth book…. called Finale. We will be watching for that in Fall 2012.
I think this series may appeal to the 12 – 18 year old readers more than me…. Patch is truly SSSQQQQUUUUEEEE worthy and I think that age group would appreciate Nora more.
Austin Parker knows he will never see his eighteen birthday. The leukemia he had for years now has slowly eaten away his once strong athletic build and he is tired of fighting.
Really tired.
Yet, before he goes… Austin has made a list of people he wants to talk with and places he wants to see. With the help of his best friend Kaylee and her car that she constantly changes the name of, they take a weekend to right wrongs, to speak truth, to try new things, and to come clean about true feelings… no matter what the cost.
One of the songs from Austins play list:
When I went to BEA in 2010 I had the opportunity to hand with the Class of 2011 Debut YA Authors. Let’s just say…. it was a blast and I had so much fun chatting it up with these authors who’s books were going to be released in 2011. What a high energy group!!! I loaded up on their books, read many of them… and still have more to get to!
So when the buzz was starting about the Class of 2K12 I became excited all over again! Here was a whole new group of authors coming into the scene, and one of those authors happened to be Megan Bostic with her book here, Never Eighteen.
I had such a good time reading this book. How do I describe it’s impact on me? Yes, it is sad. BUT it is also powerful, smart, important, insightful, kind, sweet, brilliant, thought provoking and a page turner.
For a YA read I was impressed how this book makes you think of the what if’s in our lives… and the relationships we have that are either broken, damaged, or there are words that need to be said… but the time never seems right. What does it take to motivate us into action? How could lives change if we were the ones to make the steps toward repairing, if we were the ones to point out truths that no one has been brave enough to say out loud?
At the age of thirteen Gwen McKotch is at the beach with her younger cousin Charlotte. As Gwen’s father passes by and glances at the girls he is shocked to see how small Gwen looks in her child sized bikini next to the younger Charlotte. At this moment the McKotch’s get the first inkling that there is something wrong with their daughter and they soon learn she has Turner’s Syndrome; a genetic condition that stops the body from maturing trapping her forever in the body of a child.
Twenty years later, Gwen’s parents are now divorced. Her older brother Billy is a cardiologist dutiful and dedicated to a fault battling his own thoughts on what a relationship should be. Her other brother Scott has struggled with drugs, a lousy soul sucking job, and a lousy soul sucking marriage. And then there is Gwen, silent and emotionally aloof, bright and accomplished. She has made peace with the hand she has been dealt and now in her early thirties she is falling in love for the first time.
Suddenly… the McKotch’s world is once again tipped on it’s axis.
Turner syndrome or Ullrich-Turner syndrome (also known as “Gonadal dysgenesis”[1]:550) encompasses several conditions in human females, of which monosomy X (absence of an entire sex chromosome, the Barr body) is most common. It is a chromosomal abnormality in which all or part of one of the sex chromosomes is absent (unaffected humans have 46 chromosomes, of which two are sex chromosomes). Normal females have two X chromosomes, but in Turner syndrome, one of those sex chromosomes is missing or has other abnormalities. In some cases, the chromosome is missing in some cells but not others, a condition referred to as mosaicism[2] or ‘Turner mosaicism’.
Occurring in 1 in 2000[3] – 1 in 5000 phenotypic females,[4] the syndrome manifests itself in a number of ways. There are characteristic physical abnormalities, such as short stature, swelling, broad chest, low hairline, low-set ears, and webbed necks.[5] Girls with Turner syndrome typically experience gonadal dysfunction (non-working ovaries), which results in amenorrhea (absence of menstrual cycle) and sterility. Concurrent health concerns are also frequently present, including congenital heart disease, hypothyroidism (reduced hormone secretion by the thyroid), diabetes, vision problems, hearing concerns, and many autoimmune diseases.[6] Finally, a specific pattern of cognitive deficits is often observed, with particular difficulties in visuospatial, mathematical, and memory areas.[7]
I knew I wanted to read a Jennifer Haigh book. I have known this for over a year now. When the opportunity presented itself to a part of a tour and I had choice of reviewing one of several titles, I asked for the book to be chosen for me. The Condition is what was offered, and I accepted.
The Condition, after all, is right up my alley. Books about families with real issues, real feeling tragedy’s and triumphs is something I enjoy reading about. After all, in today’s world the family without struggles of some kind is extremely rare. Some of us are born with deficiencies we have no control over, others grow into habits and addictions brought on by may causes… and it is amazing how one family member can stumble, and the repercussions can tumble down for years and years to come.
So…. did Jennifer Haigh deliver?
When I sat down and opened this book one thing really impressed on me immediately…. I felt like I landed right in the story. This is not one of those reads where someone says, “hang on… after page 105 it really gets good!”, no, this book grabbed me from the start. In fact when I sat down that first day to start it, I only planned on checking out how it started, read a page or two to get the feel of it and then continue the next day.
That is not what happened. Instead, I was sucked in and each page made me want to read another. Right from the start the story pulls at you, causing you to want to know more… to want to read more. You can’t stop, because you are always in the “happening moment” and who wants to stop while stuff is happening? 😀
I am not going to describe a lot here as this is a book that is best left to the reader to discover. I will say that I liked how Jennifer Haigh skillfully broke the narration into five parts and each of the McKotch family has a voice, all giving their take on the same event. This was handled smoothly and allowed me to feel as though I knew and understood each family member.
At first glance, you would think The Condition is about Gwen’s diagnosis, but as you read you will discover that the condition, is part of each of them.
An intelligent read that I will continue to think about for a long time.
In 1992 Christopher McCandless, a top student of the University of Atlanta, known to be strong-willed, idealistic, and an exceptional athlete, walked away from his family never to be seen by them again. It was soon to be discovered that Christopher had given away his entire savings of $24,000 to a hunger charity. Later yet, his beloved car was found abandoned with a note on it basically saying “finders… keepers. It’s yours.”
Four months later he was found dead inside an old bus in the Alaska wilderness.
What would cause a young man with such a bright future, a good home, family and friends who loved him, to shut everyone out without a reason why?
His diary which was found at a remote camp site tell a tale that is so unbelievable – it has to be true. Chris (who changed his name to Alex at this time) writes of odd jobs he found along the way to earn enough to get by, the people he met, and continued to connect with, the loss of his car, no food for days, and eventually moving into the Alaskan wilderness believing he would live off the land – catch and kill what he needed to eat to survive.
The bus where Chris spent his last days. The bus still remains in the deep wilderness of Denalie National Park in Alaska and local guides can take you there.
Into the Wild has been a book that has interested me since I first heard about it. Christopher McCandless was someone I wanted to know more about. I could imagine the pain of a family not knowing where there son was, and I was curious about a boy just graduated who could walk away from his family and not look back. Not so much as a note to say “I am ok”.
I found Chris’ story – as told from what he left in a dairy of his journeys to be one that was both sad and fascinating at the same time. I was sad for his family and could not imagine what it felt like to not know where there son was… and I was fascinated at the decisions Chris made along the way… for a while it seemed like quite the adventure.
Even after listening to this book on audio, I am still left with questions. Did Chris have a death wish? He had not packed properly for his journey, not even having a compass. And no one knew where he was. No one. Or was Chris just a boy with an over inflated idea of himself and his knowledge to survive away from people and the comforts of home. He had several books on identifying edible plants after all….
The world will never know… but I like to believe the latter.
An audio that astounded me. I was held to listening to it long after I should have been running my errands, or moving on to another project. It is a rare audio that stops me to just sit and listen… and that is what I did.
Cinder is 17 and works in the market of New Beijing as a gifted mechanic. In this new world Cinder repairs many things among them, androids. When the handsome and kind Prince Kai’s stops by her booth in the market with a request for a repair, and sparks fly…. (in a good way)
What Prince Kai does not know that Cinder is not just a pretty girl who is handy with a wrench… she is actually a cyborg from the result of an accident she had as a child, lives with her step mother who treats her like hired help and has two-step sisters one she adores and one…. well… not so much…
What Cinder does not know is that her destiny and Prince Kai’s are about to collide.
Did I mention there is going to be a Ball?
Another cover that is pretty AWESOME! (oh and sssqqquuueeee about that shoe right?)
Gushing flood gates…… “OPEN!”
The buzz around Cinder intrigued me…
and I wasn’t sure if it would be for me. 😯
I am not sure if I have ever read a book with androids in it before… a little border line sci-fi for me…. yes the raves were out there and I could not ignore them. Lenore at Presenting Lenore, Jill at Rhapsody In Books, and Reagan at Miss Remmers Reviews (just to name a few) all wrote reviews that made me want to read it MORE and read it NOW.
When I picked Cinder up a couple of nights ago, my plan was to just get a feel for the book before I went to bed. But Cinder grabs you from the start and before I knew it I was 176 pages in and having to put the book down. I finished it the next evening.
Cinder is the first have read like this and I loved how incredibly well done the book is. Marissa Meyer weaves between this Apocolyptic time and the storyline of the original Cinderella I am amazed at how she does it. All the key elements are there, the crabby step mother, the prince, the ball, the dress, and even something orange to arrive in but I wont tell you what…. 😉
AND…. while all this is going on it does not feel forced but flows nicely and made me want to cheer “Go Marissa Meyer Go!!!”
Cinder is going to be a part of a series and it does leave you at an exciting point of …. “WHA??? WAIT!!!”” so I warned you…. I even went on-line to see if I could get an idea for the time line for the other books and here is what I found:
Cinder is based on Cinderella. Scarlet, the second book in the series, will be based on Little Red Ridinghood. Crest will be based on Rapunzel. And, Winter will be based on Snow White. Cinder will be the main character in each of these books and you can count me in on this wild Apocolyptic tale ride 😀
![](http://bookjourney.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/112.jpg?w=150" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a> "11")
Book Journey 