I haven't been reading as much as I was during the winter months.  Even though hubby bought me a Kindle for Christmas and I have been downloading a bucket load of free books on it, I haven't been reading them.  I don't know what I think I am saving them for but I know that I will eventually get around to reading again.

Don't think I am not reading at all, though, I have been.  I have been reading books on diabetes, cooking books, self help books, and many others that I didn't feel that would interest anyone.  But, duh, they interest me so I should blog about them, right?  Not that anyone is out there reading my blog but it's a fun way to keep track of what I have been reading.

Well, the latest book I got from the library is on how to make concrete ornaments for the garden.  We are currently working on making a leaf bowls from rhubarb leaves.

We have our first one done and curing but we are not 100% happy with it, so we want to make another this weekend, if we have time.

If you have more rhubarb leaves than you know what to do with, try this fun project.  Warning: all the ingredients you have to buy 'add up' so if you decide to do it, make sure you get enough 'stuff' to make several for gifts!

Have fun and happy reading!!

Char

Friendship Bread: A Novel by Darien Gee

Oh what a wonderful book!!!  A downright 'Feel Good' book about how one small gesture can bring about a big change in the lives of so many people.

Julia Evarts and her 5 year old daughter, Gracie come home to find a small gift of a loaf of bread and a bag of starter on their doorstep.  There is just the note, "Hope you enjoy it".

Julia has suffered a loss and subsequently has been estranged from her parents and sister ever since.  This is a wonderful story of how this one loaf of bread starts a domino effect spreading through the small town of Avalon.

Julia, with the encouragement of her daughter decides to go ahead and bake the bread and then she decides to share it with two people she just met,  the owner of a newly opened Tea Salon, Madeline Davis and Hannah Wang de Brisay, a concert cellist, who has found herself unsettled in her marriage and career.

The rest of the story revolves around these three women as they meet at Madeline's Tea Salon and become better acquainted and then get involved in a huge benefit to help another town who have been hit by a storm and eventually figure out what they need to do with their lives. 

The author also has a website where you can go and print off the recipe for the starter and over 190 recipes for Friendship Bread.  There is even a member forum where you can ask questions and get help with different issues concerning your Friendship Bread.

Pick up this book, I don't think you will be disappointed!!!  I got mine via my local library and had it sent to my Kindle.

She also writes under Mia King.

Enjoy!!!

Char

Until Tuesday: A Wounded Warrior and the Golden Retriever who saved him

Long title but good book!

Basically the story is about a soldier that returns from the war in Iraq, disabled, both mentally and physically.  He eventually enters a program where returning disabled soldiers are paired up with a service dog and the rest of the book is about that and how they are perceived out in public....how they aren't always welcomed because the man doesn't 'look' disabled....or blind.

The book delves into his experiences during the war, his dissatisfaction on how the war was handled by both Presidents Bush and Obama, so be forewarned if you can't take criticism of your political views.   I found his honesty of how things were handled hard to take at times because we always want to 'think' that our soldiers are being well taken care of....but he lets the readers know, up front and personal that this is not always the case.

It made me uncomfortable, at times, knowing the things he had to endure that weren't necessary....all because of politics and I found myself skipping over some parts because they did make me uncomfortable.  I don't normally read stories about war but found I had to in order to get the whole gist of the story he was trying to tell.

I just fell in love with Tuesday and I think you will too.  It will also enlighten you as to what a 'service' dog really does.  They are not only for the blind but also others that suffer from physical and mental disabilities.

Just be forewarned, it's not a 'feel good' book...although it has 'feel good' parts.....but, it will make you stop and think!

Char

The Devil in Pew Number Seven

This is a true story told by Rebecca Nichols Alonzo and how she grew up in a Christian home and from the age of 18 months old, their being terrorized for years by a member of a church her Father pastored.

The man that tormented their family for years went to their church, although not a member, but had tons of money and influence over this church until this Pastor took over.

It started at church with little gestures and disruptions during service and escalated to phone calls in the middle of the night and eventually setting off dynamite near their home numerous times, trying to run the Pastor over with a car and escalated to the eventual killing of the Pastor's wife.  But, I am getting way ahead of the story.

What the book is really about is forgiveness and Rebecca tells her story of how she and her brother chose to forgive this man for the years of tormenting he put their family through.  

I cannot for the life of me understand how this was allowed to go on for as long as it did, by the other community members, the police and whoever else was involved...but it did.

It also proved to me, once again, how a person/people can get so wrapped up in what he/she/they believe is right and are going to win no matter what the cost to others.   

It was a very interesting read and I found my emotions running the gamut!

Char

Murder in Plain Sight by Marta Perry

The first book in the Amish suspense series is "Murder in Plain Sight".  

There is a murder in an Amish community and an Amish boy is accused of it.  Almost the entire town believes he is guilty.

In comes Jessica Langdon, a big city lawyer, who needs to save her career by taking on such a case.  Only one person in the town believes he is innocent and she has hired Jessica to defend him.

The woman's grown son, Trey, thinks he is guilty but Jessica must rely on him because he has ties to the Amish and she is not at all familiar with the Amish community and their way of living.

The book keeps you guessing.

Kindle Reading

Well, on Christmas Eve, I joined the many others who are reading books via an e-reader.  My hubby bought me a Kindle Touch for Christmas.  I wasted no time going to Amazon and downloading a lot of free books.

I like reading via my Kindle but I also like reading the 'old' way...a book!  :-)  It will be nice to have my Kindle for when I am in between library books.  I seem to go back and forth...Kindle/library book/Kindle/library book and yes I do know you can rent books from the library onto your Kindle but not all titles are available at my library. :-)

I have started, once again, keeping track of the books I have read and I am trying to see if I can read 50 books this year.  That's about one book a week.  So far, so good :-)

The first book I read this year was "Coming Home, Whitetail, Minn. Series" by Julie Sellers.

Here is a description from Amazon.com.

When Lillian's husband learns he's the cause of their infertility, he's gone before morning. Lillie does what any self-respecting woman would do, she turns to Ben and Jerry's and refuses to leave the house. Eventually, she has to venture out to replenish her supply of Phish Food, and runs into her mother-in-law, struggling with the care of her special needs niece.

Ashamed by her self-indulgent behavior, Lillie finds strength she didn't know she had to create the family she'd always wanted. Later when Jonathan returns, Lillie hopes to find the closure she lacked from his speedy departure. But instead, he needs a favor and Lillie's the only one who can help. She knows the best thing to do is to forget the past and put her crumbled marriage behind her...or is it?

Sometimes coming home, isn't to a place on the map...but a place in your heart.


This is a full length novel of approximately 72,000 words or 288 pages.

Hope you enjoy it!

Char

Back to reading...

Hmmm, now that's not correct because I HAVE been reading, just not blogging.  I don't know where the time goes.

I have fallen so far behind in keeping up with my blog and keeping up my reading spreadsheet,  So, I have decided to just 'let it go' and start from square one.  I will start a brand new spreadsheet on January 1 and will challenge myself to read at least 50 books.  The last time I challenged myself to read 100 books and I read 159 in a year's time.

I think one book a week is a good challenge and hopefully, I will exceed that :-)

I recently finished two books by Richard Paul Evans, "The Walk" and "Miles to Go".

The Walk is the story of a man, from the Seattle area, who loses EVERYTHING including the love of his life and after deciding not to end his life, he packs the bare necessities and makes a decision to walk to Key West, FL, the farthest point on his map.  Along the way, his experiences and the people he encounters and the lessons they share with him,saves his life and will encourage you.

 Miles to Go is the sequel to The Walk.  Alan makes it as far as Spokane, WA before he encounters some hoodlums that jump him and stab him multiple times.  He wakes up in a hospital not able to do the very thing he set out to do, WALK.  A mysterious woman, that he happened to help earlier, on his route, gets called by the hospital and he ends up going to her home to recover and get his strength back.

As it turns out, he ends up being used to save her life before he returns to his journey months later.

The next in the series is "The Road to Grace" which is due out in 2012.  Can't wait!!!

Enjoy your day!!!

Char