Accidental Bestseller

Truly the title says it all. Wendy Max wrote a book about 4 authors who write a book together about 4 authors. supposedly loosely based on their own lives, and then the book hits the bestseller list. It wasn't expected. So the story mostly centers around Kendall, who is majorly dumped upon all at once, with not winning a coveted author award, finding out her publisher doesn't want her anymore and then to come home and figure out her husband is cheating on her. She finally leaves the house, after wallowing in self pity for days and takes off to a cabin in the North Carolina mountains. There she discovers a yen for DIY and seeks the local Home Depot and meets a handy hunky guy to help her get started. Anyway, with a deadline for her book looming, which she already has gotten an advance for and spent, she interestingly get the assistance of her writing friends to help write her book. The book quickly comes together and is sent off to the asst editor of the bitchy editor to review. She loves it and has to jump hoops to get it noticed. The book ends with their lives unfolding in ways they never imagined and pretty much a happy ending all around. This is a book everyone should read. Library book

Knit the Season

Oh, I am now in the mood for seasonal books with the cold weather finally coming. And I read a really good one over the weekend. I received a ARC of Knit the Season by Kate Jacobs, fourth in the series of the Friday Night Knitting Club. I have read all the books so far and they are all keepers. I especially liked this one, centering on Dakota, and the countless memories of her mother and her learning things about her she didn't know. When her Mom's passing left her co-owner of a yarn store, Dakota is at odds over the running of the store and her desire to because a pastry chef. But she is able to find the best of both worlds and learns a lot along the way. Between all the events happening to the Friday Night knitters, from weddings, job offers, and secrets ultimately shared, we find a very thoughtful, warm story about family and friends. A great way to get into the Christmas season. This book invoked the all important needs for family, following your dream and keeping the traditions going. All Kate Jacobs Friday Night Knitters books are must reads! Knit the Season comes out on Nov 3 along with the pbk of Knit Two also being available. http://www.katejacobs.com/ Amazon has it at 34%, off for 16.47, preorder price right now at http://www.amazon.com/Knit-Season-Friday-Knitting-Novels/dp/0399156380/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254759796&sr=8-1. I am a sucker for a good deal on books. Gave ARC to girlfriend to read.

Benny and Shrimp

Bennie and Shrimp, real name Desiree, is a captivating Swedish import by Katarina Mazetti. This is a story about two emotionally deficient people who meet in a cemetery, visiting their loved ones final resting place. Each one is from a vastly different walk of life and all it takes is a friendly smile to open the lines of communication. So what happens when you take a dairy farmer (mommas boy type), missing 3 fingers from a saw accident at an early age and combine it with a rather drab looking librarian, (recently widowed), who have really nothing in common except they both feel empty? You get a very hilariously funny story of the trials and expectations of two people who desperately want someone in their lives but not necessarily each other. You should read this book amd decide is it love or lust? Donated this book sent by publisher to review to university library

Lost Hours

I would have to say I would give Lost Hours by Karen White a 2 hankie rating. I cried twice, towards the end. This book was a haunting, moving story rooted in the deep south during racial prejudice times of the 30's. What starts out as a sisterhood with 3 girls, one black, and the terrible secret that they carried with them until they died. The sad part is they all were deeply affected for different reasons because the whole story hadn't been really sorted out and each felt a guilt that they really didn't have to carry. So fast forward to present day, as the last of the three finally wants closure, she unknowingly admits the granddaughter of one of the other women into her life, and with her help, is able to find closure and understanding and forgiveness. The grand daughter is searching for a kind of closure of her own, as she is a equestrian mangled by a fall from a horse and feels afraid to get back on the horse, so to speak. So this hunt for answers gives her purpose and in the end a whole new perspective on life. It is a must read. http://www.karen-white.com/ Library book

Jane Austen fans

Any Jane Austen fan would appreciate this book. In 'Jane Austen Ruined my Life' by Beth Pattilo, we find a English professor specializing in Jane Austen, Emma Grant, yes named after Emma, feeling that Jane Austen was wrong with the happily ever after thought. So after ditching her cheating husband and losing her job because of her lying personal assistant, who is the one the husband was cheating with, she sets out on an adventure locating lost Jane Austen letters. She goes to England, where she is set upon tasks by a group called the Formidables, people who have been hiding the letters from prying eyes. These tasks take her to Jane Austen places and shows her a side of Jane Austen she never knew. The point being to find if she is worthy of viewing the letters. The story is quite good, kept you involved and I learned a lot about Jane Austen. It inspires you to read or reread her books. This author has also written the Sweetgum Knit Lit Society books which I also highly recommend. www.bethpattillo.com

A Diary

I know in a previous post I mentioned I was done with diaries but this one caught my attention. To explain that, I should say I am mostly a visual book picker. I am attracted by cover pictures, then titles and then synopsis of the story. I am usually not persuaded by reviews. I usually don't read a best seller or if I do it was because I found out about it before it was out for sale and before it made the best seller list. I anticipate books. Look forward to them from reading about them ahead of time, not by what a reviewer said about them. So why I do I go through all the trouble of reviewing them myself? Do I really think someone will read a book because I said it was good? Doubt it. We all have different tastes and read books for different reasons. But at least books make me feel things that I have recently discovered I enjoy expressing through this blog. Why I am doing this. A wonderful novelty. Now I will let you in on another new thing for me. A rating system I finally figured out. In order of how good I think a book is: #1 - Absolutely have to read, #2 - must read, #3 - should read, #4 nice read. #5 - don't really bother.
So I read 'A Diary' by Eileen Goudge and was very impressed. I would rate it a should read. This is the first of her books I read. I was intrigued by the idea of discovering this diary while cleaning out their parents house by two daughters while their mother lies dying. This book actually brought a tear to my eye at one point. Hard to do. This book drew me into the story of their mother back in the 50's when she was finding herself and who she should marry. For love or for security. It is a dilemma that I have been to myself. Marrying someone that you know will be a good provider and a safe bet that you love but are not in love with, against someone who brings out the passion in you but may not be a good prospect for a future. Which do you choose. In the 50's, what your mother told you to do? You have to read the book to find out which she chooses. www.eileengoudge.com/