Giveaway! OBSTACLES by Christopher Reardon

I was recently contacted by Chris Reardon to see if I wanted to post about his book, OBSTACLES. Here’s how he describes it to me (Amazon blurb):

A child will die. You’re afraid to live. Would you go to all lengths to save him? Darkness knows no bounds, as Alcott, an African American doctor sees all too well. The man is petrified by death. His fragile existence rests at the mercy of the universe. This fact is far too much for him to handle. From unyielding nightmares to elevator terrors, he’s lost in paranoia.

Assigned to look after an ill child, Alcott’s horrors only heighten. Gari is a nine-year-old boy with a fatal disease. He will surely pass on within the year. Alcott bonds with him more and more each day. Part of him knows this grim fate just isn’t right.

Alcott befriends a hospital patient. This lunatic forces him to lug home an ancient text on bringing back the dead. Despite the man’s obvious dementia, Alcott attempts the scheme. Charging up a cliff, he recites the chant over ocean gusts.

A god woman glides in from the horizon. She instructs Alcott on the trials to save Gari’s life. These fearsome Obstacles require true strength. From battling sharks to wielding a flail, he must prove fortitude against genuine danger. Alcott decides his fate at this moment.

Death’s claws shall not grasp Gari’s soul.

Chris is willing to ship a copy of his book anywhere in the world (yeah, for my Brit, Canadian, and Australian regulars!). I haven’t read his book myself – I’m not a big paranormal/fantasy reader – but I’m happy to hear what YOU think about it if you read it.

Just leave me a comment, let me know how you got here, and I will choose one winner using random.org. This contest is open until SUNDAY, JANUARY 19. Good Luck!

YA Review: Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill

Just out this week, I got this fun YA read from Net Galley.

BEING SLOANE JACOBS is the story of two girls – both named Sloane Jacobs – who switch places one summer at the respective summer camps. Sloane Emily is a wealthy senator’s daughter, bored with her life under the microscope and her power focused parents. She is an expert ice skater who has had some recent issues with confidence, and is headed to Canada for skating camp. Sloane Devon is a tough hockey player from Philly who is sent to camp as a community service due to her bad attitude. Both girls start off hating each other (sort of like Parent Trap!) when they meet at a hotel, but realize that they are similar enough in looks that they could pass for each other; then decide to take a break from their respective lives and “try on” the other’s existence.

I really enjoyed this story – it was light and funny and had a little romance built in. I would have loved this book when I was in middle school. At the end of the day the two themes ring true: “don’t judge a person until you walk a mile in the shoes” , and “East or West, home is best.” I look forward to more from Ms. Morrill!

Thanks for my ARC ecopy!

I’ve Been MIA…

I’ve been MIA except for a few scheduled posts. Sorry about that folks. I took a little break for the Christmas holidays and we traveled to see family. Then I had a family medical crisis which I’ve been dealing with this past week. Thankfully, things seem to be moving in the right direction, so I hope to do some writing catch-up this weekend! In the meantime, catch my latest review via the Bloggers’ Recommend newsletter – and read one of the great books that are publishing this month!

Saturday Snapshot: Metropolitan Museum of Art Favorites

The weekend after Christmas we headed down to NJ to visit relatives. We love to stop in NYC on the way. This time, for the first time, we brought the children to one of my favorite places: the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Here are some of our favorite things we saw:

IMG_1860Anne loves Ancient Egypt!

IMG_1862Jack loves arms and armor!

IMG_1874This came out a bit blurry, but I loved the big tree they had with all the angels and the kreche set.

IMG_1866And while we were enjoying the period rooms, we decided that it is a very good thing that my husband did NOT live in the 1600’s!

Saturday Snapshot is hosted my Melinda at http://www.westmetromommy.blogpost.com

Please see her site for posting/participating information.

 

 

 

 

Quick Review: THE MINOR ADJUSTMENT BEAUTY SALON by Alexander McCall Smith

I love the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency books, and number 14 came out this fall. I bought it for my husband for his birthday and just read it this weekend myself. It’s another “cozy” home run for this popular series.

This time, Grace and Phuti are expecting their first child. Will motherhood change Mma Makutsi, and will she want to stay at the agency now that she has a baby? Meanwhile, Precious is investigating two cases: an inheritance case where she needs to determine if the claimant is legitimate, and a beauty salon that is the victim of an anonymous slur campaign.

I really enjoy this series and look forward to more installments from Mr. Smith!


Review: CHRISTMAS IN APPLE RIDGE by Cindy Woodsmall

Through Blogging for Books and Water Brook Press, a Christian publisher, I received the three-in-one volume of CHRISTMAS IN APPLE RIDGE by Cindy Woodsmall to review. Apparently, the first two books were previously published in recent years, and the third is a new novella. I had never read anything by Cindy Woodsmall before, and these books all take place in the Amish community of Apple Ridge, PA. Before I began blogging, I actually did not realize “Amish” was a genre, seemingly under the larger heading of “Christian Romance”. This was new to me, but I have to say that I find these stories rather compelling. It’s comforting to think that in today’s hectic, crazed world there is a community that lives honestly and simply, in tune with nature and committed to their faith.

Each of these stories is inter-related, with characters overlapping, and in each the two central characters need to overcome past demons and emotional hurdles in order to find their soul mate. “The Sound of Sleigh Bells”, “The Christmas Singing”, and “The Dawn of Christmas” are the three novellas. They all center around Christmastime and a happy ending is guaranteed.

Recommended to those who enjoy this genre.

Thanks, Water Brook Publishers and Blogging for Books, for my copy!

Saturday Snapshot: Getting Ready for Xmas!

I haven’t posted in a while because I had a really busy fall, what with school, work, and being in a local production of Les Miserables.
Here are some shots from our house, where we are preparing for Christmas:

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Our tree is a balsam this year. As you see, our angel does not want to stay put!

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The children have their own tree for their ornaments. It’s artificial and goes in the family room, where they play.

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The stockings are already hung by the chimney with care!IMG_1740And the Xmas train is in the front yard!

Happy Holidays to those celebrating!! 🙂

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Melinda at http://www.westmetromommy.blogspot.com. Please see her website for posting/participating info.

My Favorite Reads of 2013

It’s that time of year! Everywhere you look, “best of” lists are coming out. Best Books, Best Movies, Best Songs, Best Moments in Sports, etc. etc. Personally, I won’t assume that I have the power to individually say what’s best (plus I’m a big believer of “to each his own”). Instead, I would like to share what my personal favorite reads were this year. There were lots of books that I read and enjoyed this year, but these books stayed with me either because I loved the characters, or I couldn’t put the book down, or I thought it was incredibly well-written, or a combination of these things.

So here I give you – my favorite reading experiences for 2013 (reviews of all can be found on this blog):

Cozies:

The Maggie Hope series by Susan Elia MacNeal

The Royal Spyness series by Rhys Bowen

The Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley

YA:

Twerp by Mark Goldblatt

Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein

Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer by Katie Alender

Historical Fiction:

The Light in the Ruins by Chris Bohjalian

The Aviator’s Wife by Melanie Benjamin

Call Me Zelda by Erika Robuck

The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress by Ariel Lawhon

I Shall be Near to You by Lindsay McCabe

Fiction:

Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight

Looking for Me by Beth Hoffman

The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg

Non-Fiction:

The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel

Review: THE DEAD IN THEIR VAULTED ARCHES by Alan Bradley

If you read me, you know I LOVE the Flavia de Luce mysteries – focusing on the humorous exploits and detective work of a precocious eleven-year-old chemist in the 1950’s British countryside.  Book 5 is coming out in January and I was thrilled beyond belief to get it from Net Galley (adding to my thrill was a tweet from Flavia herself saying she hoped I liked it!).

THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS!

THE DEAD IN THEIR VAULTED ARCHES takes up where the last book left off: Flavia and her family are notified that her long-lost mother, Harriet, has been found and is heading home. However, when Flavia’s family arrives at the train station, it is Harriet’s body that is returning home, not Harriet herself. How exactly did Harriet die on her mountain hiking expedition? And who was with her? What was she hiding? Who is the mysterious young man who whispers to Flavia and then has an “accident” and falls under the oncoming train? And why is the great man, Churchill, himself speaking to Flavia in what appears to be code??Flavia sets about getting to the bottom of mystery of her mother’s death; but first she seeks to use her beloved chemistry in an attempt to bring her mother back to life.

Once again, I enjoyed Flavia’s exploits and especially her uniquely intellectual voice and dry witticisms that had me laughing out loud while reading! Flavia’s attempt to bring her mother back was so poignant – there is hardly anything so heart-wrenching as a young child who yearns for their deceased mother. This time the de Luce family is shown in more of their moral and emotional complexity, and you come to know them as a family torn asunder from the loss of Harriet. Along with this is a rollicking mystery of the family’s involvement with WWII, and a finale that makes the reader think that while we will hear more from Flavia, it won’t be same as when she is toodling around the family estate.

While the first book in this series remains my most favorite, I recommend this to readers of the series. I find the stories follow best if you read them in order.

Thank you, Net Galley and Delacorte Press, for my copy!!