Grip by Nina Hamberg

GRIP....the perfect title for this beautifully and very well-written memoir.   The intense situations also add meaning and clarification to the title.

Nina Hamburg allows you into her life letting you feel her desires, her trepidation, her decisions, and her retrospect.  You will follow her through all the good and bad of her life feeling her pain and wondering what you would do in similar circumstances. 

The intensity of the novel will keep your interest, and you will respect Nina for her resiliency and strength.  It is a powerful story of a life spent looking for love.  She had to look hard for love and usually found it, but the love she found was usually a struggle.  The day of her wedding to Lee seemed to be the time she did find love...her wedding and her vows were very touching and beautiful, but that didn't last long.

I admire Nina for her strength and her determination at finding love and releasing the lifetime demons she struggled with.  I also admire her for her commitment to David and the happiness they share.

I enjoyed the book......the writing was absolutely phenomenal even though the subject matter was quite intense.  4/5

First in the Mind & Heart by Wayland Matthew Fox

 

The story of Wayland Matthew Fox should be an eye opener to all.  Anyone could be subject to an accusation that sticks simply because of a statement by another person, and it can even happen without evidence.  This book takes us on a journey through the horror of being wrongly accused, the ruining of someone's life, and the reality that this is something that could happen to literally anyone.

Mr. Fox's descriptions of his life inside a prison will bring you to tears.  He also brings to light how attorneys and the justice system both operate.  The book is very well written and one worth reading for many reasons.

Mr. Fox should be commended for his honest portrayal of what happened to him and how his belief in God helped him get through it all.

And I personally want to thank Mr. Fox for a wonderful, enlightening, and soul-searching novel.  My best to you, Mr. Fox.

Releasing Gillian's Wolves by Tara Woolpy

A congressman, his wife, and his affairs.

Gillian had been married to Jake for over 30 years, and always knew about his affairs.  The latest affair really got to her since it was a 20-year old....younger than his daughter and also part of his campaign team.  Gillian never went on the tours, but when Jake had dinners at their home, she was always in the kitchen cooking while everyone else was enjoying themselves.  She just wasn't the social type and dreaded each campaign year.  She usually was alone during the campaign and especially during these dinner engagements.

But......she did have her friend Edward from childhood to lean on and exchange thoughts with.  Edward was her buffer and confidante.  With Edward's help Gillian decided that she didn't want to jeopardize Jack's campaign so she gave Jack some ultimatums about his behavior.  He said he didn't like them, but the alternative was worse. 

She continued to endure many campaign luncheons and to pretend to be Jack's lovely, faithful wife.  Could she go on like this?  She wasn't sure.  "On this election morning, my mind ran faster than my feet.  I had a life to plan."  Page 107 

Gillian did have a plan, and it didn't include Jack.  She wanted to do some traveling alone and to see how things would work out...she visited her somewhat estranged daughter and also Edward and Sam in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam was wonderful for Gillian....she and her friends even made a trip to Greece for Thanksgiving.  Then all the fun came to an abrupt stop and, of course, because of Jack. 

The book keeps your interest and draws you into the emotional makeup of each character...each had his/her own personal, interesting stories.  You could feel Gillian's pain and wonder how she carried on.  This was a book about friendship, love, and endurance.

The cover was just as enticing as the story...the lake, the cabin, and the ambiance of it all reels you in simply by looking at the cover of the book.  I truly enjoyed RELEASING GILLIAN’S WOLVES.  5/5

Born Under A Lucky Moon by Dana Precious

If you want to laugh and perhaps compare your family to the Thompson family, I would highly recommend this book.  It is a really fun read and also about love.

"My family made him nervous.  Being a highly disciplined sort, he did not view my family as a vibrant force but as a disorganized mess that needed cleaning up."  Page 99  "The entire town is buzzing about us.  If this family ever moves out of town, no one will have anything to talk about."  Page 148

The Thompson family made everyone nervous...they had four daughters, one son, many dramatic events, hilarious things happening to them all the time, and they were the talk of the town.....ALWAYS.  One sister was the organizer and one was the never-finish anything you started, but they all had a fun childhood and shared one bathroom and one mirror....this mirror was the scene for much of the fun that went on.

The sisters were in predicaments over the years, but their mother and father took everything in stride.  The current predicament was that Evan and Anna were getting married on Saturday...it was a planned one...and Lucy and Chuck were getting married on Sunday.....this was a wedding put together in a week.  Lucy and Chuck didn't know about the wedding, and you can just imagine how that went.  No wedding dress, no veil, no tuxedos, no caterer, and no flowers until the last minute.

Last minute organizing seemed to be order of the day for the Thompsons, and most of the situations they got themselves in were funny.  Things just seemed to happen to them.  I laughed out loud at some parts of the book.

The book is a perfect summer read....it gets you thinking about your relationship with your siblings and your entire family.  The characters were a very loving, caring, but crazy family.  They were always there supporting each other.  "The more love you give, the more you create."  Page 393

Funny things happened most of the time, but as in all families some bad situations occur as well.  If this is the author's actual life's story, she is a lucky gal.  It is a wonderful, fun read.  I truly enjoyed it.

You will also find out how to "shake things out" when you have a worry.  5/5 ENJOY!!!  I hope you love it too.

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Victoria knew she could identify flowers and what effect they would have on a person.  She could choose flowers and know what emotion they would evoke and what the person receiving the flowers needed.

Victoria had a talent, but she was a foster child moving from one home to the next and had to deal with this ordeal first......then she turned 18 and was turned out of the foster care system and on her own.  Where would she go and what would she do now?  After sleeping in the woods for some time, hunger and cold made her walk boldly into a flower shop and ask to help the florist.  This was the beginning of a great relationship between Victoria and her talent with flowers....it had instinctively been developed in her and was a natural gift.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh....the book was absolutely wonderful and beautifully written.  I totally and completely LOVED it.

You could definitely connect with Victoria even though she was a mean, angry foster child until she met her loving foster mother, Elizabeth.  It was amazing how Victoria changed into someone who was in tune with feelings and something as delicate as flowers because of  Elizabeth.  Elizabeth also had a secret, and the mystery thrown in kept you wondering what had happened in the past.

The book became better with each turn of the page.  It was exceptional in terms of writing and storyline.  I enjoyed how smoothly the book went from Victoria's childhood to the present.

To me this book stood for unconditional love, for hardship, for talent, for disappointment, and for working for what you really want.   

I can definitely see why it is being considered the publishing event of 2011......it is indescribably incredible.

Next to Love by Ellen Feldman

LOVED IT….

Men leaving, women hoping, both wanting to return to normal, but.......WW II was on the verge of beginning.  

Millie, Grace, and Babe were the best of friends and endured the time while their husbands were gone.  They passed the time writing letters to them and waiting for letters in return.  Two weeks passed without any word from their husbands and that could only mean one thing.  When the Telegram from the War Department arrived, it confirmed their worst nightmare.

The book was nostalgic, poignant, and filled with emotions you definitely became a part of.   You will be able to follow the women through their daily lives.....one with her man who came back and two who had to carry on alone.  The author allows you to see what life was like family wise and economic wise during the post-war era.  

I always enjoy historical fiction, and Next to Love won't disappoint you in terms of feeling as if you are with the characters as they suffer, remember, love, and continue their lives after the war. 

My rating is a HUGE 5/5.  Feldman is an extraordinary, detailed writer….I hope you will enjoy the book as much as I did...it was wonderful.

Silver Girl by Elin Hilderbrand

"Sail on Silver Girl. Sail on by.  Your time has come to shine.  All your dreams are on their way.”  Page 341

Meredith Delinn certainly didn’t feel like any dreams were coming true after her husband was arrested for stealing millions from investors.

Being the wife of an investment thief definitely was not pleasant.  Freddy had cheated investors out of millions, was finally caught, and made his family's life miserable.  He wouldn't talk to authorities about anything and wouldn't tell them that his wife and sons had nothing to do with his swindling of investors out of their money.  Meredith and her two sons were also under investigation.

So…..as Freddy was hauled off to jail for 150 years, Meredith left town with her best friend Connie.  They were staying at Connie's beach house in Nantucket....beautiful Nantucket where Meredith had to remain incognito since many investors lived there.

Despite her disguise, someone recognized Meredith and small assaults on Connie’s property started occurring.   They were blaming Meredith for Freddy’s thievery.

SILVER GIRL went from past to present describing the story behind each character and how they became the person they were today.   Many themes presented themselves…..love, health issues, social issues, family and friendship connections, and most evident.....GREED, BETRAYAL, and DECEIT.   All three were ruining  many lives including Meredith’s.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and became involved with the characters.   The characters were made of a great circle of friends tangled in situations since high school.  As you read the book, you will start to ask yourself:  Do I really know the people I have in my life relationships?  Well….hopefully we do, but the book definitely will make you question yourself.

 The book title plays a major role in solving the mystery that was also woven into the book.

I am giving Silver Girl an outstanding 5/5....Ms. Hilderbrand kept my interest from the first to the very last page.