Category Archives: Recommended

October 27, 2014 · 1:45 am

Candace Havens Books

As part of my interview with Candace Havens, this page showcases her books.
For the Interview, Go Here.
First on the list, Candy’s favorite book.

Take it Like a Vamp (Entangled Covet) by Candace Havens.

Vampire Nick Christos might’ve been born in the Middle Ages, but the good old days seem tame compared to the last eight years he’s spent ruling the Supernatural Council. His only respite is with his cute neighbor Casey Meyers, a woman he wants more than any undead man should.

Sure, he’s forced to take a cold shower after every encounter, but there’s no way he’ll test his own strength by getting too close to a human, and he’s not willing to risk her life–not with bloodthirsty family on the prowl out to ruin Nick’s life.

When said Nick’s kin shows up, the innocent Casey is caught in the middle of a centuries old fight, and Nick’s biggest fear is realized. Now, instead of keeping his hands off his neighbor, he’ll risk everything to save the human he’s come to love.

Model Marineby Candace Havens. (Again, yes most of the Candace Havens books are by Candace Havens).
Subject: Captain Will Hughes, U.S. Marine Corps
Status: On assignment in NYC—suddenly recruited to shed the uniform!
Mission: Serve as model, muse & man-toy without running afoul of the general.
Obstacle: Hannah Harrington, fashion world It girl.

Hannah narrowly escapes Fashion Week disaster by hijacking gorgeous Will for her runway show—after all, rock-hard abs are the ultimate accessory. His good deed nearly lands him in the brig, but he’ll risk anything to get back into her bed….

Hannah can’t figure out how this model marine got under her skin—they’re complete opposites! But sexy Will not only ignites her senses, he fuels her creativity: an irresistible combination, even if it can’t last. Can two steamy weeks together satisfy their lust…or will they have to extend this mission?

A Riveting Affair (Entangled Ever After) Anthology (yep) by Candace Havens. And Lily Lang and Patricia Eimer.

Demon Express Professor Maisy Clark, professional demon hunter, is on the trail of an evil scientist responsible for the deaths of hundreds. Julian is worse than the monsters he creates, but he’s also obsessed with Maisy and willing to kill anyone who gets too close to her.
Just when she thinks she has Julian cornered, the sexy marshall Jake Calloway insists the investigation is his, and everything goes to hell.

Maisy came to Texas to corner the scientist whose macabre experiments have taken so many lives, and Calloway is just another distraction she doesn’t need. Julian is her responsibility, one she’s not about to share. Even if Calloway can help, Julian will know Maisy is falling for the marshall, and she’s not willing to risk his life.

I met Candy before this book was released. She had just done a book signing for her biography of Joss Whedon (below). I like the way she made the book seem like a diary and how many spells she had done that day. This technique was original compared to other paranormal romances being published at the time. And I can say Ms. Havens is a BALL OF FIRE, just like the fireballs thrown Bronwyn in her Charmed books.

Charmed & DeadlyBY Candace Havens.

Bronwyn is a witch who uses her powers for good. She casts spell, reads minds and is an undercover agent for the British Prime Minister. And she is from Texas.

See more books and reviews from Candace Havens and Shannon Leigh go HERE AND HERE. A review of Shannon’s work can be found HERE.

My review (and the only Amazon review posted) of Dreams & Desires: A Collection of Romance Tales, Vol. 2 focused on Shannon’s first published work of fiction.

Under The Tupelo by Shannon Canard is compelling. Rowan Summerall, a treasure hunter seeking to save her family legacy, unearths something unexpected. What will Rowan do with what she finds buried Under The Tupelo? Canard has a strong voice and a surprise gift for readers. I want more.

The NON-fiction.

Joss Whedon: The Genius Behind Buffy

From Booklist: Writers, actors, and fans often call Joss Whedon a genius. It’s easy to see why. Whedon, who got his start writing for Roseanne, dreamed of writing movie screenplays. He got his shot when he sold his script for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but the movie fell far short of his hopes for it.

After a few years of working as a script doctor, Whedon got the chance to doBuffy again, this time as a TV show.
Few expected it to succeed, but Whedon’s humor and intelligence shone through in the scripts, and viewers quickly became attached to the engaging, witty characters.

Buffy kept getting better: each season of the show featured a complex story arc possessed of a real sense of danger and further developed the characters. The last few years have brought the Buffy spin-off Angel, the lamentably canceled Firefly (a space western), and the comic book Fray. Engaging and filled with fun quotes, this is a must-read for Whedon’s many fans.

Recommended New Releases 10/27/14

I know I am a bit late so pre-orders may just be orders, but I’ve been reading and busy moving (again book to you ).

So are here are this weeks recommendations. And hooray for Halloween this week.

Beautiful Eyes: A Father Transformedby Paul Austin. Hardcover available October 27, 2014. Kindle edition available now.

Through parenting a child with a disability, a father discovers patience, acceptance, and unconditional love. In 1987, Paul Austin and his wife Sally were newlyweds, excited about their future together and happily anticipating the birth of their first child. He was a medical student and she was a nurse. Everything changed the moment the doctor rushed their infant daughter from the room just after her birth, knowing instantly that something was wrong. Sarah had almond-shaped eyes, a single crease across her palm instead of three, and low-set ears—all of which suggested that the baby had Down syndrome.

Beginning on the day Sarah is born and ending when she is a young adult living in a group home, Beautiful Eyes is the story of a father’s journey toward acceptance of a child who is different. In a voice that is unflinchingly honest and unerringly compassionate, Austin chronicles his life with his daughter: watching her learn to walk and talk and form her own opinions, making decisions about her future, and navigating cultural assumptions and prejudices—all the while confronting, with poignancy and moving candor, his own limitations as her father. It is Sarah herself, who, in her own coming of age and her own reconciling with her difference, teaches her father to understand her.

Time and again, she surprises him: performing Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” at a talent show; explaining how the word “retarded” is hurtful; reacting to the events of her life with a mixture of love, pain, and humor; and insisting on her own humanity in a world that questions it. As Sarah begins to blossom into herself, her father learns to look past his daughter’s disability and see her as the spirited, warmhearted, and uniquely wise person she is.

Timmy Failure: We Meet Againby Stephen Pastis. Available October 28, 2014. Ages 8 – 12.

His name is Failure. Timmy Failure. And his detective agency is on the verge of global domination. Global riches. Global fame. And yet the gods keep throwing him curveballs: for starters, academic probation. The coveted Miracle Report is the key to everything, including a good grade.

It’s dirty business. It’s best you know nothing. But one thing is for sure: Timmy Failure will be triumphant again! here are several moments where Timmy is unironically sweet. Anyone familiar with the previous books in the series may be surprised at the genuine sentiment in a few scenes. There are actual hugs, and there’s a deeply touching conversation with a very unlikely person. … Timmy Failure is a classic antihero: Some readers will be drawn to the book because of him; others will be drawn to it in spite of him. —Kirkus Reviews. Don’t forget other Timmy Failure books. They are for kids and kids at heart!

Color Me Happy: 100 Coloring Templates That Will Make You Smile (A Zen Coloring Book) Color Me Calm: 100 Coloring Templates for Meditation and Relaxation (A Zen Coloring Book) Both books by Lucy Mucklow and Angela Porter. Available October 28, 2014.

Already back ordered in some online outlets. Why? Because coloring is fun and therapeutic. I have some beautiful coloring books from Dover and I like to use (and suggest) watercolor pencils. Trust me.

I haven’t finished this but I think it is worth a look-see. Hiding in Plain Sight: A Novelby Nuruddin Farah. Available October 30, 2014.

From an acclaimed African writer, a novel about family, freedom, and loyalty. When Bella learns of the murder of her beloved half brother by political extremists in Mogadiscio, she’s in Rome. The two had different fathers but shared a Somali mother, from whom Bella’s inherited her freewheeling ways. An internationally known fashion photographer, dazzling but aloof, she comes and goes as she pleases, juggling three lovers.

But with her teenage niece and nephew effectively orphaned – their mother abandoned them years ago—she feels an unfamiliar surge of protective feeling. Putting her life on hold, she journeys to Nairobi, where the two are in boarding school, uncertain whether she can—or must—come to their rescue. When their mother resurfaces, reasserting her maternal rights and bringing with her a gale of chaos and confusion that mirror the deepening political instability in the region, Bella has to decide how far she will go to obey the call of sisterly responsibility.

A new departure in theme and setting for “the most important African novelist to emerge in the past twenty-five years” (The New York Review of Books) Hiding in Plain Sight, is a profound exploration of the tensions between freedom and obligation, the ways gender and sexual preference define us, and the unexpected paths by which the political disrupts the personal.

Not New but recommended. Published in 1967 but re-released in paperback with a new forward, an important and meaningful book. Man’s Search for Meaningby Viktor E. Frankl, forward by Howard Kushner.

Have a wonderful Halloween!

Author Interview: Candace Havens

Readers, Writers and Friends, I have a special treat! An almost Halloween treat, yummy like a rice krispy treat.

An interview with Candace Havens: Author, Editor, Journalist.

She has written for Harlequin, Berkley and Entangled Publishing. Candy has written biographies, paranormal romance, omance and anthologies. She is an Editor with Entangled Publishing. In addition, she is an Entertainment Journalist, reviews on radio and conducts workshops for aspiring writers.

Candy, how many books have you written and had published?

First, thanks for letting me hang out. And about 20 books so far.

Do you have a favorite?

That question is like asking someone if they have a favorite child. I’m working on the second book in the Take it Like a Vamp series, and I really love that world, so maybe. If you’re more into straight contemporary romances, Model Marine is my favorite Harlequin Blaze I’ve written.

I’m especially fond of the character Maisy in my steam punk series. I really want to write more of those.

With multiple jobs, including entertainment journalist and mom, how do you juggle all the responsibilities?

Honestly, some days I’m better at it than others. My children are grown, so that helps. But I work a lot of hours. There’s no other way to get it all done.

Have you had a favorite interview in your role as entertainment journalist?

I’ve been writing about television and film for a long, long time. Tom Hanks is a favorite. He never changes. He’s funny, charming and kind. You don’t always find that in Hollywood. And his wife Rita Wilson is an amazing human being. But I’ve talked to a lot of great folks through the years.

I know you write very quickly. How does that happen? Do you have a fully fleshed idea? Have you outlined the story? Or do you just sit down and write until your fingers fall off?

I just sit down and write until my fingers fall off. Once I get in the zone, sometimes I can’t type fast enough. I took two full years off from writing fiction to focus on editing. It’s been hard to get back in it, but last weekend I “accidentally” wrote 40 pages. I sometimes have a synopsis, a necessity to sell on proposal, but I’m definitely a pantser. I like to just sit down and write.

You give workshops and seminars, are often a guest speaker and share your knowledge with other writers and readers. What is the best piece of advice you can give to an aspiring author? What writing techniques and skills do recommend and teach?

Sit your butt in the chair and write. And then take as many classes as you can. Hone your craft. I’ve been writing fiction for 10 years now, and I still take classes. I learn new things all the time. I would hope that I get better with every book. Write and learn. It’s pretty simple.

Please tell me more about your workshops.

The online workshops are free and paid. (Some workshops you have to pay a fee, some are free.) The free one is The Write Workshop. I have more than 2000 students. And I bring in all kinds of instructors, authors, editors, agents to teach.

Then I also do paid classes. I teach Fast Draft/Revision Hell a great deal. That’s where I teach you to write a book in two weeks and polish it in two weeks.

See what I mean about a fast writer? Phew.

But I also teach a comprehensive class, that I’m going to do again next February. It’s six weeks of intense, crafting a story. From concept to revision.

Do you have a favorite author? A favorite book?

I have about 30 favorite authors Nora Roberts, Jodi Thomas, Jasper Fforde, Stephen King, Kim Harrison, J.K. Rowling and the list goes on and on and on. This will be posted and I’ll be like, “Dang, why didn’t I mention so and so?”

I love to read everything. Fiction and non-fiction, adult, YA, steam punk you name it. That’s also why I write in so many genres.

You have written some short stories with Shannon Leigh. How does writing with another person differ from being the sole author? What does Shannon bring to the story?

She’s an amazing writer and I like the way she sees the world. She’s technician, but she’s also great with emotion. And for me, it’s just fun seeing how someone else views the story. I can’t work with just anyone. We’ve known each other a long time, so that helps. I write some, she writes some and then we edit each other. It’s kind of magic.

What is your next book and when can we expect the release?

I’m working on Linc’s book from the Take It Like a Vamp series. We don’t have a title yet. If someone thinks of one, let me know. I also have a new Lovestruck series from Entangled and a Brazen I’m working on. Hopefully those will be out in 2015.

Tell me about Entangled Publishing and your role.

I’m an Editorial Director there. I bounce around a bit, and help where I’m needed. Right now I’m running our Covet (category paranormal romance) and Embrace (new adult) lines and helping out with Select Otherworld (single title paranormal romance).

So I have this extreme need to help people. It’s one of the reasons I started my free online writing workshop. With Entangled, I get to help make authors’ dreams come true every friggin’ day. It’s exhausting work, but it’s the most fun I’ve had in a really long time. I like the editing side of things. I can’t believe I’m saying that, because I hate doing revisions on my books.

But I can see the potential in books and I’ll do whatever it takes to help the author get it where it needs to be. Like with Shannon’s books, here’s an amazing author who had all but given up on the business. It took a bit of coercion and twisting of arms, for me to get her back into this. And the world would have missed out on some truly amazing stories. That would have been a terrible waste.

The worst part of the job for me, is having to reject stories. I know how hard it is to craft a story, so telling someone it isn’t quite right is tough for me. But I hope they take that information and make it even better, or find a home with an editor who loves them just the way they are. (Smile)

Is there anything else you would like to share?

To authors everywhere, be kind to one another. Our business is changing faster than any of us could have imagined. Lift each other up, help each other out. It may sound PollyAnna-ish, but my life has been filled great mentors and friends, people who have been there every step of the way and helped my career along. So do that for others, please. Be there for your friends. Encourage their success. Be kind.

A big thank you to Candy for taking time to share with us.

See more books and reviews from Candace Havens and Shannon Leigh go HERE and HERE AND HERE. A review of Shannon’s work can be found HERE.

My review (and the only Amazon review posted) of Dreams & Desires: A Collection of Romance Tales, Vol. 2 focused on Shannon’s first published work of fiction. Though Candace Havens and many others contributed.

Under The Tupelo by Shannon Canard is compelling. Rowan Summerall, a treasure hunter seeking to save her family legacy, unearths something unexpected. What will Rowan do with what she finds buried Under The Tupelo? Canard has a strong voice and a surprise gift for readers. I want more.

3 Comments

Filed under Author Interview, Books, Recommended

Tagged as author interview, Candace Havens, Entangled Publishing

October 17, 2014 · 9:37 pm

Recommended Books Available 10/20/14

YIPPEE! YIPPEE! A new Charley Davidson book by Darynda Jones. If you have not read her series, start now.

What a great week ahead with spectacular releases. In addition to Darynda Jones, a new Jennifer L. Armentrout release, a marvelous biography and something inspirational. Enjoy!

Seventh Grave and No Body (Charley Davidson Series) by Darynda Jones. Available October 21, 2014.
Twelve. Twelve of the deadliest beasts ever forged in the fires of hell have escaped onto our plane, and they want nothing more than to rip out the jugular of Charley Davidson and serve her lifeless, mangled body to Satan for dinner.

So there’s that. But Charley has more on her plate than a mob of testy hellhounds. For one thing, her father has disappeared, and the more she retraces his last steps, the more she learns he was conducting an investigation of his own, one that has Charley questioning everything she’s ever known about him. Add to that an ex-BFF who is haunting her night and day, a rash of suicides that has authorities baffled, and a drop-dead sexy fiancé who has attracted the attentions of a local celebrity, and Charley is not having the best week of her life. But all of that combined barely scratches the surface of her problems.

Recent developments—and a few distressing prophesies—have forced her to become a responsible adult. Exactly the kind of adult she’s never aspired to be. To conquer such a monumental task, she’s decided to start small. Really small. She gets a pet. But how can she save the world against the forces of evil when she can’t even keep a goldfish alive?

A tad north of hell, a hop, skip, and a jump past the realm of eternity, is a little place called Earth, and Charley Davidson, grim reaper extraordinaire, is determined to do everything in her power to protect it. We’re doomed.

Read them all! Charley Davidson First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson Book 1). Sexy funny and original. Charley Davidson is the grim reaper. Her dream man is the son of the devil. The fun begins. And we only have to wait until May 19, 2015 for Eighth Grave After Dark (Charley Davidson Series).

It should come as No Surprise that I am an Animal Advocate, a vegetarian as part of my cruelty free lifestyle and I Love Dogs! I love books about dogs and photos of dogs, and dogs!
DogFace by Barbara O’Brien. Available October 21, 2014. Adorable four-color candid doggie mug shots.

Photographer and animal trainer Barbara O’Brien has spent years photographing aspiring canine actors, from prancing puppies to stately hounds and tenacious terriers. At first, she discarded the photos if her subject was barking, sniffing, or otherwise looking less than perfect—until she realized that those outtakes best revealed the true personality of the pup.

O’Brien is a skilled and seasoned photographer, and this winsome collection shows the care she took to reveal each dog’s essential character. The goofiness of the boisterous Border Collie, the decorum of the genteel Great Dane, and the curiosity of the regal Corgi—all of them are captured here in gorgeous four-color photography.

Stone Cold Touch (The Dark Elements Book 2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout. Available October 21, 2014.
Every touch has its price. Layla Shaw is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life—no easy task for a seventeen-year-old who’s pretty sure things can’t get worse. Her impossibly gorgeous best friend, Zayne, is forever off-limits thanks to the mysterious powers of her soul-stealing kiss.

The Warden clan that has always protected her is suddenly keeping dangerous secrets. And she can barely think about Roth, the wickedly hot demon prince who understood her in ways no one else could.

But sometimes rock bottom is only the beginning. Because suddenly Layla’s powers begin to evolve, and she’s offered a tantalizing taste of what has always been forbidden.

Then, when she least expects it, Roth returns, bringing news that could change her world forever. She’s finally getting what she always wanted, but with hell literally breaking loose and the body count adding up, the price may be higher than Layla is willing to pay.

I like non-fiction. Here is a book that brings a new perspective to Queen Victoria. This is a hefty book, 624 pages, but then Victoria ruled for 64 years. Pick up this excellent read, learn, enjoy and build muscles.

Victoria: A Life by A.N.Wilson. Available October 23, 2014.
When Queen Victoria died in 1901, she had ruled for nearly sixty-four years. She was a mother of nine and grandmother of forty-two and the matriarch of royal Europe through her children’s marriages. To many, Queen Victoria is a ruler shrouded in myth and mystique, an aging, stiff widow paraded as the figurehead to an all-male imperial enterprise.

But in truth, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch was one of the most passionate, expressive, humorous and unconventional women who ever lived, and the story of her life continues to fascinate.

A. N. Wilson’s exhaustively researched and definitive biography includes a wealth of new material from previously unseen sources to show us Queen Victoria as she’s never been seen before. Wilson explores the curious set of circumstances that led to Victoria’s coronation, her strange and isolated childhood, her passionate marriage to Prince Albert and his pivotal influence even after death and her widowhood and subsequent intimate friendship with her Highland servant John Brown, all set against the backdrop of this momentous epoch in Britain’s history—and the world’s.

Born at the very moment of the expansion of British political and commercial power across the globe, Victoria went on to chart a unique course for her country even as she became the matriarch of nearly every great dynasty of Europe. Her destiny was thus interwoven with those of millions of people—not just in Europe but in the ever-expanding empire that Britain was becoming throughout the nineteenth century. The famed queen had a face that adorned postage stamps, banners, statues and busts all over the known world.

Wilson’s Victoria is a towering achievement, a masterpiece of biography by a writer at the height of his powers.

The Top Ten Things Dead People Want to Tell YOU by Mike Dooley. Available October 21, 2014.
From the afterlife—a new perspective on your life. “I know this may come as a shock, and you know I’m not fond of using stale one-liners, but—‘reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.’ I’m as alive now as I was on the day we met, except, maybe, more so.”

If the dead could speak, don’t you wonder what they would say to those of us they’ve left behind? What would they tell us to soothe our sorrow for their loss, calm our fears of what happens when we die, and fire us up to live the best possible lives we can right now?

In pages filled with wisdom, humor, and, yes, joy, New York Times best-selling author Mike Dooley explores our most pressing and profound questions about the afterlife—and this life—from the fresh perspective of those who have made the transition to the next phase.

Among the revelations and insights they share:

We were ready; you are not.
We’re sorry for any pain we may have caused.
Your pets are just as crazy, brilliant, and loving here as they were there.
Nothing we say can prepare you for the beauty of the moment you arrive.

You’ll learn that our loved ones are not lost to us; that our time on earth is both a school and an adventure; that, all appearances to the contrary, life truly is fair; and that we have it in us to reshape our own fortunes, starting today.

And now for a little Halloween.

by Natasha Wing (Author), Cynthia Fisher (Illustrator).

“‘Twas the night before Halloween, and all through the house, All the creatures were stirring, except for the mouse. The monsters had gathered to plan and prepare, For the trick-or-treaters who soon would be there?”

Little monsters and goofy goblins take center stage in this silly, spooky spin on Clement C. Moore’s beloved poem. But what will happen on Halloween when the monsters come face to face with human trick-or-treaters in this fun-filled book by the author of The Night Before Easter?

Join Amazon Prime – Watch Over 40,000 Movies & TV Shows Anytime – Start Free Trial Now

Shop Amazon – All-New Fire HD – Powerful Tablet, Endless Entertainment

1 Comment

Filed under Books, Coming Soon, Fiction, Non Fiction, Pre Order, Recommended, Reviews, YA

Tagged as A.N. Wilson, Darynda Jones, Queen Victoria Biography

October 4, 2014 · 6:26 pm

New & Recommended Books Week of 10/6/14

October already! Time for Halloween preparation, sweaters and snuggling. In the spirit of having a scary good time along with great reading, I will list a few Halloween books throughout this month. This week is a book about Halloween recipes. I must be hunger because many of our recommended books have recipes. Enjoy.

Halloween 100 Recipes. Published December 24, 2013. Kindle book. Make Cheesy fingers, Mummy Toes, Bleeding Heart Brie and more monstrously fun recipes.

Picked to Die (An Orchard Mystery) by Sheila Connolly. Available October 7, 2014.

Connolly is the author of Relatively Dead Mysteries and County Cork Mysteries. She writes enjoyable cozy mysteries. Give her a try. With titles like Golden Malicious (An Orchard Mystery) don’t you want to read the Orchard Mysteryseries? Recipes included.

It’s harvest time in Granford, Massachusetts, and orchard owner Meg Corey and her fiancé, Seth, are both racing to beat the New England winter.

Meg is bringing in her apple crop with a team of workers, while Seth is working to restore an old building in the center of town.

But when his project is set back due to the unexpected discovery of a skeleton under the building—and even worse, a young man related to one of Meg’s former apple pickers is found dead behind the local feed store—the couple’s carefully laid plans are quickly spoiled.

Meg can’t help but wonder: are they just unlucky, or is there something rotten in Granford? If so, she knows she’s got to seek out the bad apple before it ruins the whole bunch.
Trick or Deadly Treat: A Fresh-Baked Mystery by Livia J. Washburn. Available October 7, 2014.
More recipes and who-done-it fun. Washburn is also the author of Delilah Dickenson series with wonderful titles such as Frankly My Dear, I’m Dead and For Whom The Funeral Bell Tolls help yourself to some treats.

It’s Halloween in Weatherford, Texas—which means Phyllis Newsom is baking up a storm of yummy seasonal treats…but she’s about to get even busier unmasking a killer. While Phyllis and her friend Carolyn are preparing for a baking contest, her housemate Sam adopts Buck, an adorable Dalmatian who was hit by a car. To thank local veterinarian Hank Baxter for helping the dog, Phyllis and Carolyn bake a batch of doggie treats for his other four-legged patients.

But when they arrive at the clinic, the vet is in the process of being arrested—for the murder of his wife! Convinced that the police are barking up the wrong tree and that someone’s been burying evidence, Sam begs Phyllis to help find the real killer. Joined by Buck, the friends engage in a dogged pursuit of the murderer, who will stop at nothing to muzzle them…permanently.

Undead and Unwary by Mary Janice Davidson. Available October 7, 2014.

Queen Betsy is back for a 13th novel. If you haven’t read the series start at the very beginning, a very good place to start (according to Maria from The Sound of Music.) And the very beginning of the fun was Undead and Unwed. I loved the first book.

Betsy is a hoot and the yummy Sinclair meant I had a new series to read. Overall Davidson has been steady in the Queen Betsy series. I cannot say that of everything she has written (and one of the Betsy books, even as a fan I struggled see review).So fans of Queen Betsy rejoice!

Lila: A Novel by Marilynne Robinson. Available October 7, 2014.

Marilynne Robinson returns to the town of Gilead in an unforgettable story of a girlhood lived on the fringes of society in fear, awe, and wonder.

Lila, homeless and alone after years of roaming the countryside, steps inside a small-town Iowa church—the only available shelter from the rain—and ignites a romance and a debate that will reshape her life.

She becomes the wife of a minister, John Ames, and begins a new existence while trying to make sense of the life that preceded her new found security. Neglected as a toddler, Lila was rescued by Doll, a canny young drifter, and brought up by her in a hardscrabble childhood. Together they crafted a life on the run, living hand to mouth with nothing but their sisterly bond and a ragged blade to protect them.

Despite bouts of petty violence and moments of desperation, their shared life was laced with moments of joy and love. When Lila arrives in Gilead, she struggles to reconcile the life of her makeshift family and their days of hardship with the gentle Christian worldview of her husband which paradoxically judges those she loves.

Revisiting the beloved characters and setting of Robinson’s Pulitzer Prize–winning Gilead and Home, a National Book Award finalist, Lila is a moving expression of the mysteries of existence that is destined to become an American classic.

And now for a totally random and not necessarily recommended but it is quirky so here is my final, ahem, recommendation: The Pointless Book: Started by Alfie Deyes, Finished by You by (who else? his name is in the title after all!) Alfie Deyes. Available in paperback October 7, 2014.

I am a BIG fan of Amazon Prime.

If you aren’t a member, try Prime.

If you are a member, Give the Gift of Amazon Prime.

Happy Reading.

4 Comments

Filed under Books, Coming Soon, Fiction, Non Fiction, Recommended, Reviews

Tagged as County Cork series, Fresh Baked Mysteries, Gilead Series, Livia J. Washburn, Marilynne Robinson, Mary Janice Davidson, Orchard Mysteries, Queen Betsy, Sheila Connolly

September 28, 2014 · 10:56 pm

New Releases 9/29/14 Recommendations

Welcome to the end of September and the new and recommended edition of my blog. Thank you for stopping by for a visit. Enjoy! Please read to the very end (or at least scroll) for a wonderful and haunting piece of fiction.
This week my choices may surprise you. In my opinion we should enjoy, learn and share reading. My recommendations include a children’s series that is fun and should be shared with your young ones. I will share one of my absolute favorite series of books for children.
I have 2 non-fiction recommendations. The first will educate, expose and bring awareness.
Dork Diaries 8: Tales from a Not-So-Happily Ever After By Rachel Renee Russell. Available September 29, 2014. (of course you dorks!)
Nikki Maxwell’s favorite fairy tales get dork-tastic twists in the eighth book of the #1 New York Times bestselling Dork Diaries series. After a bump on the head in gym class on April Fool’s Day, Nikki has a wild dream in which she, her BFFs Chloe and Zoey,her crush Brandon, and mean girl Mackenzie all end up playing the roles of some familiar classic fairy tale characters. Of course, the stories don’t go quite as expected—because they each have a very special Dork Diaries spin.
How can you not fall in love with a series that has a book 3 ½? Dork Diaries 3 1/2: How to Dork Your Diary And be on the lookout for more dorkiness available three days later. This one is a “Make your Own Book.” I think every reader young and old should participate in our own dorky diary then share an excerpt. It will be a hoot! Dork Diaries OMG!: All About Me Diary!

Not new but one of my favorites and I think this is a delightful series for children.

Bedtime for Frances The talented Russell Hoban’s Frances Books along with Lillian Hoban and Garth Williams created Frances.

I love the charming sweetness of the prose and the enchanting illustrations. In this first Frances book, the little badger adroitly delays her bedtime with requests for kisses and milk, and concerns over tigers and giants and things going bump in the night. Long a favorite for the gentle humor of its familiar going to bed ritual, Bedtime for Frances is at last available with the warmth of full color enriching Garth Williams’s original nuanced and touching art. ‘Here is the coziest, most beguiling bedtime story in many a day.’—Kirkus Reviews

Political Order and Political Decay: From the Industrial Revolution to the Globalization of Democracy by Francis Fukuyama. Available September 30, 2014.

The second volume of the bestselling landmark work on the history of the modern state. Volume two is finally here, completing the most important work of political thought in at least a generation. Taking up the essential question of how societies develop strong, impersonal, and accountable political institutions, Fukuyama follows the story from the French Revolution to the so-called Arab Spring and the deep dysfunctions of contemporary American politics.

He examines the effects of corruption on governance, and why some societies have been successful at rooting it out. He explores the different legacies of colonialism in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, and offers a clear-eyed account of why some regions have thrived and developed more quickly than others.

And he boldly reckons with the future of democracy in the face of a rising global middle class and entrenched political paralysis in the West.

A sweeping, masterful account of the struggle to create a well-functioning modern state, Political Order and Political Decay is destined to be a classic.

The Origins of Political Order: From Prehuman Times to the French Revolution: Virtually all human societies were once organized tribally, over-time most developed new political institutions which included a central state that could keep the peace and uniform laws that applied to all citizens. Some went on to create governments that were accountable to their constituents.
We take these institutions for granted, but they are absent or are unable to perform in many of today’s developing countries—with often disastrous consequences for the rest of the world.

Francis Fukuyama, author of the bestselling The End of History and the Last Man and one of our most important political thinkers, provides a sweeping account of how today’s basic political institutions developed.
Beginning with politics among our primate ancestors The Origins of Political Order: draws on a vast body of knowledge—history, evolutionary biology, archaeology, and economics—Fukuyama has produced a brilliant, provocative work that offers fresh insights on the origins of democratic societies and raises essential questions about the nature of politics and its discontents.

The Sense of Style: The Thinking Persons Guide to Writing in the 21st Century by Steve Pinker. Available September 30, 2014.

Why is so much writing so bad, and how can we make it better? Is the English language being corrupted by texting and social media? Do the kids today even care about good writing? Why should any of us care?

In The Sense of Style, the bestselling linguist and cognitive scientist Steven Pinker answers these questions and more. Rethinking the usage guide for the twenty-first century, Pinker doesn’t carp about the decline of language or recycle pet peeves from the rule books of a century ago.

Instead, he applies insights from the sciences of language and mind to the challenge of crafting clear, coherent, and stylish prose. In this short, cheerful, and eminently practical book, Pinker shows how writing depends on imagination, empathy, coherence, grammatical know how, and an ability to savor and reverse engineer the good prose of others.
He replaces dogma about usage with reason and evidence, allowing writers and editors to apply the guidelines judiciously, rather than robotically, being mindful of what they are designed to accomplish.

Filled with examples of great and gruesome prose, Pinker shows us how the art of writing can be a form of pleasurable mastery and a fascinating intellectual topic in its own right.

A Sudden Light: A Novel by Garth Stein. Available September 30, 2014.

The bestselling author of The Art of Racing in the Rain presents a long-awaited new novel in which a boy trying to save his parents’ marriage uncovers a vast legacy of family secrets.

In the summer of 1990, fourteen-year-old Trevor Riddell gets his first glimpse of Riddell House. Built from the spoils of a massive timber fortune, the legendary family mansion is constructed of giant whole trees and is set on a huge estate overlooking Seattle’s Puget Sound.

Trevor’s bankrupt parents have begun a trial separation, and his father, Jones Riddell, has brought Trevor to Riddell House with a goal: to join forces with his sister, Serena, dispatch the ailing and elderly Grandpa Samuel to a nursing home, sell off the house and property for development, divide up the profits, and live happily ever after.

But as Trevor explores the house’s secret stairways and hidden rooms, he discovers a spirit lingering in Riddell House whose agenda is at odds with the family plan. Only Trevor’s willingness to face the dark past of his forefathers will reveal the key to his family’s future.

Spellbinding and atmospheric, A Sudden Light is rich with unconventional characters, scenes of transcendent natural beauty, and unforgettable moments of emotional truth that reflect Garth Stein’s outsized capacity for empathy and keen understanding of human motivation—a triumphant work of a master storyteller at the height of his power.

If you haven’t read The Art of Racing in the Rain I can only recommend you read this heart-wrenching and funny book told through the eyes of Enzo.

Deconstructing Lila, Available 9/23/14 Buy It!

I love a great romance novel. I enjoy getting caught up in the journey to a happily ever after.

In Deconstructing Lila, Shannon Leigh had delivered the enjoyment and escape into a well written novel.

Deconstructing Lila (Entangled Select) Available September 23, 2014.

Preservationist Lila Gentry returns to her small Texas hometown to restore the famous Chisholm Trail whorehouse where her great-great-grandmother was a madam in the 1880s. On her agenda is winning back Jake, the one that got away. But how do you rope a man who doesn’t want to be wrangled?

Jake lives by one creed: Keep it simple. His ex showing up in town complicates his life and makes him think about things he’d rather forget.

When Lila’s restoration project is threatened before it even begins, she turns to Jake for help. Working together stirs up old feelings, but while Lila and Jake always sizzle between the sheets—or wherever the moment takes them—it will involve some sweet-talking and finesse to bring these two together.

Shannon Leigh’s Deconstructing Lila is a breath of fresh air. She writes with an easy style and draws you into the world so easily you don’t even realize your obsession until it is 3 a.m. and you are saying ‘just one more chapter’.

Leigh delightfully blends a traditional modern romance with historically accurate Texas and a second love story. Lila has returned to the home town, a past she has left behind and an ex husband.

Lila’s great-great grandmother, ran a brothel called Miss Pru’s house. Someone sent Pru’s journal to Lila. She is motivated and intrigued. And the handsome Jake is a target along with rebuilding Pru’s house into a day spa. She is determined, to rebuild Pru’s house and win over Jake.

“It appeared her job in Hannington had taken on a new twist.
Win back estranged husband. Make the town like her again. And find out what
happened to one Prudence MacIntosh and one Luke Pierce.”

As Lila forges ahead to build a happily ever after, Pru speaks to her great-granddaughter through her old diary, revealing her own life and wisdom/lessons on how to attract a man and make oneself desirable.

Lesson #14 Silent words conveyed with the eyes are as powerful as those spoken.

Lesson #6 Stand up for yourself. Do not let folk railroad you or make you feel bad. Have pride in who you are and what you do, and the people trying to bring you down to their level will admire you. So will your man.

This is a romance so we know a happily ever awaits, but the journey is a delight. For other books by Ms. Leigh see my review of Forbidden Kiss.