July Reading Report

An equation for July:  

Heat + Unbearable Humidity =

Lots of Reading Time in Front of Window AC

The Time Between by Karen White
Fiction
Source:  Library
Format:  Hardcover
Rating:  4.5/5
Edisto Island, SC, brings together sisters from two different families where the magic and wonder of the Lowcountry setting reveals secrets and strengths none knew they had.

All the Summer Girls by Meg Donohue
Fiction
Source:  Library
Format:  Hardcover
Rating:  3/5
Three young women reunite for a long weekend to deal with current life crises and long-time secrets.  Good story…glad I read it…but it made me feel old….

The Agatha Raisin Companion by M.C. Beaton
Mystery
Source:  Library
Format:  eBook
Rating:  3/5
Always looking to see when the heartfelt good in Agatha Raisin will emerge, this series by M. C. Beaton is one of my favorites.  The Companion provides good insight into the background of how the series came about, the recurring characters, and the Cotswolds setting of the books.

Royal Blood by Rhys Bowen
Mystery
Series:  Royal Spyness #4
Source:  Library
Format:  Kindle
Rating:  4/5
Seemed to me that these characters finally hit their stride in this fourth in the series.  Georgie is more confident; Darcy less mysterious; Belinda…well she's the same only more so. Queenie, Georgie's "maid," is introduced and won't soon be forgotten.  And Transylvanian vampires and werewolves--oh, and a murder--aside, this story was well crafted and offered many smile-worthy moments.

The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat by Edward Kelsey Moore
Fiction
Source:  Library
Format:  Kindle
Rating:  4.5/5
Moving between past and present and centered in Earl's All-You-Can-Eat diner, this book tells the story of three remarkable women: Odette, Clarice, and Barbara Jean (dubbed the Supremes).  They face the hard times of life but always in a way that makes you giggle as you read their story.  You will wish you could spend a day with these ladies.  And...then there's the appearance of Eleanor Roosevelt....

Swept Away by Mariah Stewart
Romance
Source:  TBR Stack
Format:  Kindle
Rating:  3/5
Nice short story originally published in 1999 as Under the Boardwalk.  Lots of character opportunities for expanding this into a series.

Island Girls by Nancy Thayer
Fiction
Source:  Library
Format:  Hardcover
Rating:  3/5
It's summer on Nantucket, and mothers, daughters, fathers, friends, and lovers all play a part in what happens to and in the Randall family summer home on historic Lily Street. Things turn out pretty much as you might guess, and that was my quibble with the book. The reunion of the sisters (two half sisters and one step sister) needed to be a little edgier.

Letters from Skye by Jessica Brockmole
Fiction
Source:  Library
Format:  Hardcover
Rating:  5/5
Told in epistolary form, this book convinces you that "…words on the page can drench the soul."

Sweet Salt Air by Barbara Delinsky
Fiction
Source:  Library
Format:  Hardcover
Rating:  4/5
Friendship, family, love, herbs, a cookbook, and more explored against the background of  Quinnipeague Island off the coast of Maine.  An almost perfect combination for summer reading.

Wings of Fire by Charles Todd
Mystery
Series:  Ian Rutledge #2
Source:  Library
Format:  Kindle
Rating:  4/5
Reading the Ian Rutledge series requires some patience as Charles Todd carefully and precisely unveils the depths of this character. This second in the series is filled with a complicated family bound by love as well as by deception.

~~~

Bookmarks (real and virtual) are already making their way through several books on this fifth day of August. It's in the 70s, there's a beautiful breeze, and no humidity--perfect reading weather!  I'm hoping there's another LETTERS FROM SKYE somewhere in my August reading.

August Bookticipation

There are two mysteries publishing in August that have piqued my interest and landed on my library reserve list.

A Question of Honor by Charles Todd (8/27)
This is the fifth book in the Bess Crawford (a British army nurse in WWI) series. Descriptions of the book lead me to believe we will get more background about Bess Crawford's childhood in India.

How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny (8/27)
Hard to believe that we are at the ninth book in this marvelous series featuring Chief Inspector Armand Gamache.  I am eagerly looking forward to visiting the village of Three Pines once again.

There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in.  ~Leonard Cohen

Listening to...

Tom Rush--a favorite since "those days" in Harvard Square--Celebrates 50 Years of Music.  If you have a moment, take the time to visit his website and read about this DVD/CD. There are many YouTube videos to watch which you can access by first watching this video about his newsletter and The Dead Bird Song.

Listening to this newest CD takes me through the amazing progression from seeing him live to LPs to casette tapes to CDs to uploading CDs to iPod, a progression made more real when I recently was looking for something in the treasure trove of memories called the attic and came across this:

Stitching It Up...

Having a grandchild has brought out the long-abandoned knitter and sewer in me.  In addition to the baby hats I wrote about here, I've been working on baby blankets and other goodies.  So, I beg your indulgence as I post progress on various projects.

Elephant, blankets, blue, gray & cream...

Listening To...

When I turned 50, my daughter took me to a Rod Stewart concert to celebrate.  In the card accompanying the tickets, she wrote, "Better than any moisturizer you could buy to keep you forever young."

Two more milestone birthdays have passed, and now Rod Stewart has returned with a fountain of youth that while sometimes nostalgic still brings that Downtown Train beat to all new songs.  

More information and videos can be found on Rod Stewart's website.

Just Because

Summer haircut, new bandanna, riding shotgun...

Life Is Good!

Just Because

Clemmies on the kitchen table...

Independence Day 2013

America's game on America's day...

Source:  Red Sox Instagram

June Book Report

It's been some time since I posted a monthly book report, but this is a good one to start with.  My approach is to post a monthly summary report and save individual posts for books that speak to me in that special way that some books do.  The titles all link to Goodreads.  Enjoy!

Aunt Dimity and the Lost Prince by Nancy Atherton
Series:  Aunt Dimity #18
Rating:  4/5 (Mystery)
Delightful fairy tale of a mystery and proof positive that a mystery need not always involve murder.

Big Sky Summer by Linda Lael Miller
Series:  Parable, MT #4
Rating:  3/5 (Romance)
Not as good as first three in the series.  The hook of the story was very one note and repetitive.

Tapestry of Fortunes by Elizabeth Berg
Rating:  5/5 (Fiction)
She's back!!!  This is the Elizabeth Berg I love.  I wanted to live in this book.

This Heart of Mine by Suzanne Hayes
Rating:  3.5/5 (Fiction)
A prequel and very nice set-up for I'll Be Seeing You.

Ladies' Night by Mary Kay Andrews
Rating:  4/5 (Fiction)
It was long, but it was oh so good.  I found Chapter 31 hilarious!

Robert B. Parker's Wonderland by Ace Atkins
Rating: 2/5 (Mystery)
It's time to let this series go.  Spenser was always tough, but never crass. Boston was always a presence, but never a travelogue. The franchise may be playing out under the pen of Atkins, but the heart and soul will always belong to Robert B. Parker.

The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister
Rating: 5/5 (Fiction)
Just as good, if not better, the second time around (first read in April 2009)

Book Love edited by James Charlton
Rating:  4/5 (Nonfiction)
This charming little book of quotes sits on my desk. I've been dipping in and out of it from time to time but finally read it all the way through this month.

The Last Original Wife by Dorothea Benton Frank
Rating:  4/5 (Fiction)
Les has reached the straw and camel's back point of her 30-plus years of marriage to Wes who, after all these years, still hasn't got a clue.  Can this marriage be saved?  More importantly, should this marriage be saved?

Time Flies by Claire Cook
Rating:  3.5/5 (Fiction)
Claire Cook has a knack for giving us a yearly beach read with lots of humor backed up with some thoughtful undertones.  As I approach my 50th class reunion, the pre-reunion anxieties rang true as did the friendship, family, and Who Am I themes.

Don't Cry for Me (Rebel Ridge #2) by Sharon Sala
Series:  Rebel Ridge #2
Rating:  3/5 (Romance)
June selection for my f2f romance readers group.  Good, fast moving story--a little on the violent side for this wimpy reader, but ultimately I felt safe knowing that it was, after all, a romance and nothing too bad would ever happen to our hero, heroine, their families, and dog.  This was #2 in the Rebel Ridge series, but the author did a very good job of supplying the necessary details of the first book (Next of Kin), so I never felt that I had missed anything.

Stitches from the Heart

The announcement that I was to be a grandmother for the first time prompted me to dust off my knitting needles that had been tucked away in the attic for the past thirty or so years.  Five baby blankets, four sweaters, and three shawls (for other gifts, not the baby) later, I was casting about for other projects to keep the knitting needles clicking away.  So off to Google to see about organizations that accepted knitted items for babies and children.

I found Stitches from the Heart and liked their mission statement:  Our mission at Stitches from the Heart is to provide comfort, love and support to each newborn and their families coast-to-coast regardless of economic or religious background. 

The local yarn shops' one-skein baskets have yielded a very nice selection of yarns for newborn baby hats and small crib blankets.  I hope to have a package ready to send off later this year to Stitches from the Heart.

If interested, you can follow my progress in my Project listing on Ravelry by clicking here.

Stitches from the Heart -- Making a difference one stitch at a time.