FAVORITE "17" READS OF 2017

This was difficult because I LOVED all of my books even if they aren't listed.

My top four are in the picture.  :) 

All books have been reviewed on my blog except A Dangerous Crossing.  It will be reviewed on my blog on January 12.

Happy Reading in 2018!!

1. The Almost Sisters
2. The Baker's Secret
3. Dangerous Crossing
4. Before The Rain Falls
5. The Night the Lights Went Out
6. The Orphan's Tale
7. Love and Other Consolation Prizes
8. The Paris Secret
9. The It Girls
10. The Widow of Wall Street
11. Love Alice
12. The Widow's House
13. A Bridge Across the Ocean
14. The Bookshop at Water's End
15. The Wildling Sisters
16. The Trust
17. Where The Wild Cherries Grow

Happy New Year!!

Image Credit - Words With Friends

Wishing you health, happiness, and a year of wonderful books to read. 📚

Christmas Around The World

What country do you celebrate Christmas in?

I live in the USA.   🇺🇸

Goodreads Year in Review

Have you seen this on Goodreads?  Apparently they have it every year.   :)

I never noticed it until this year.  :)

Have fun looking for your YEAR IN REVIEW.  :)

Giveaway and Spotlight of House on the Forgotten Coast by Ruth Coe Chambers

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All information in this post is courtesy of Serena Agusto-Cox.

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House on the Forgotten Coast by Ruth Coe Chambers published by She Writes Press in September 2017.

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This book looks so good...I wish I had time to read it.  Perhaps later.

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Giveaway link at the bottom of the post.  Good Luck!!

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About the Book:

Like a monarch surveying her domain, the house has stood for over a hundred years in the fishing village of Apalachicola on Florida’s northwest coast. She has known life. She has known passionate love. She has known brutal death. But she has guarded her secrets well . . .

Then eighteen-year-old Elise Foster and her parents arrive from Atlanta in their silver Jaguar, bringing with them their own secrets and desires.

Seeking friendship in their new community, they find instead that the townspeople resent their intrusion. But this intrusion on the house’s privacy also provides a pathway for the past and the present to merge—and for the truth behind an unsolved murder to finally be brought to light. As you strive to solve the mystery, you and the Fosters are forced to address two critical questions: What is real? What is delusion?

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About the Author:

Ruth Coe Chambers takes pride in her Florida panhandle roots and her hometown of Port St. Joe has inspired much of her writing.

She is indebted to the creative writing classes at the University of South Florida where she found her “voice” and began writing literary fiction. Listed in the Who’s Who of American Women. She has recently republished one novel, and published it’s sequel, and has written two award-winning plays. She is currently working on the third novel in her Bay Harbor Trilogy. She has two daughters and lives with her husband and one very spoiled Cairn terrier in Neptune Beach, Florida.

Her two earlier novels include The Chinaberry Album and Heat Lightening

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Blog Tour Schedule:

Nov. 16: Bookfan Mary (Spotlight/Giveaway) Nov. 20: I’d Rather Be at the Beach (Review) Dec. 1: Book Nerd Native (Review)
Dec. 8: All Roads Lead to the Kitchen (Review)
Dec. 13: Silver’s Reviews (Spotlight/Giveaway)
Dec. 15: Readaholic Zone (Review)
Dec. 20: 100 pgs. A Day .. Stephanie’s Book Reviews (Review)
Dec. 28: Broken Teepee (Review)
Dec. 29: Book Nerd Native (Guest Post/Giveaway)
Jan. 3: Wall-to-Wall Books (Review)
Jan. 8: Svetlana Reads and Views (Review)
Jan. 13: Jorie Loves A Story (Review)
Jan. 18: Erica Robyn Reads (Review)

Follow the blog tour with the hashtag #RuthCoeChambers

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Giveaway:

I am partnering with the author and Serena Agusto-Cox for this giveaway.

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CONTEST HAS ENDED...OUR WINNER IS:

PAM FROM OHIO

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USA ONLY

December 13-20

Enter here

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Snow???

Any snow for you yet?

We have a dusting so far, but it is very cold.

STAY WARM!!

Sunday Silence by Nicci French

What a FANTASTIC read!!

This is my first Nicci French book - WOW!!  

Loving it.

I am almost done.

Have you read Nicci French?   

Why didn't you tell me about these books?  

😀😀😀😀😀😀

Which Do YOU Choose?

My choice is the LIBRARY!!

What's in YOUR Stockings?

The stockings I stuff are quite different from what they were 20+ years ago.

Now the stockings are gift certificates instead of fun "kid" stuff.

What about yours?

Wondress Words Wednesday - 12/6/2017

I usually do not post unfamiliar words I find in books, but this word just stood out.  

The spelling caught my eye so I decided to share.

The word:  UXORIOUS

The meaning is:  having or showing an excessive or submissive fondness for one's wife.

A bit of an odd word don't you think?

I found this unusual word in a book that I am LOVING.  DANGEROUS CROSSING by Rachel Rhys.

The word was found on Page 259 in this sentence:  "There's nothing more attractive to a certain type of woman than an uxorious man." 

I don't agree with that sentence, do you?

Dangerous Crossing - Have you read it?

Has anyone read this book, or are you planning to read it?

I am loving it.

I have never heard of this author under either names, but Rachel Rhys also writes psychological thrillers as Tammy Cohen.

My review will be in January.

Christmas Cookies

Photo Credit

Are you planning to bake anything today?

I may make some Russian Tea Cakes.

I can never make those gorgeous iced cookies - can you?

I actually still didn't make the cookies, but I made chicken soup instead.  :)

 

 

Challenge - December 1 - WISH LIST

JOIN IN THE FUN THIS ENTIRE MONTH for CHALLENGES FOR BOOK LOVERS!!

Simply submit a photo that matches with the daily prompt.  

I am going to try to gear mine toward books, but not sure that will happen every day.

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Tamara @ Traveling with T is the originator of this fun as well as Helen of My Novel Opinion.

Their handles where you will find all the fun on Instagram are:  @rockstar1023 and @mynovelopinion.

For YEAR-ROUND fun, you can join

Tamara at https://travelingwitht.com/ 

AND

Helen at https://mynovelopinion.com 

PLEASE REMEMBER:  This is NOT my creativity.  

It is Instagram's @rockstar1023 and Instagram's @mynovelopinion who put it together and these other Instagram folks.

#Instawithbooks #cozyupwithbooks

@momssmallvictories

@thenovelconnection

@thenovellife

@createwithjoy

They gave me permission to share this with everyone.  

Joining in on Instagram will be ideal, but you can post it on your blog too. 

Please give credit to Tamara and Helen for their creativity wherever you post please.

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WISH LIST is the prompt for the day.  

Two books on MY Wish List are below:

What's on your wish list?

Do YOU....

I do!!   :)

Spotlight of A Hundred Small Lessons by Ashley Hay

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All information in this spotlight is courtesy Mirtha Pena of Simon and Schuster.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

This November 28^th, 2017, ATRIA BOOKS is proud to publish Ashley Hay’s A HUNDRED SMALL LESSONS, a profoundly relatable tale  of two mothers from two different generations attempting parenthood and life and general. Their two stories interweave through the house that bears witness to their lives, a building which becomes a sort of character itself, sharing its secrets and memories. In this luminous and deeply affecting novel,  Hay puts into words exactly the small things, feelings we experience daily and the beauty and impact of small accumulating moments across years. Prepare to learn a few lessons….and maybe even cry a little.

When Elsie Gormley leaves the Brisbane house in which she has lived for more than sixty years, Lucy Kiss and her family move in, eager to establish their new life. As they settle in, Lucy and her husband Ben struggle to navigate their transformation from adventurous lovers to new parents, taking comfort in memories of their vibrant past as they begin to unearth who their future selves might be. But the house has secrets of its own, and the rooms seem to share recollections of Elsie’s life with Lucy.

In her nearby nursing home, Elsie traces the span of her life—the moments she can’t bear to let go and the places to which she dreams of returning. Her beloved former house is at the heart of her memories of marriage, motherhood, love, and death, and the boundary between present and past becomes increasingly porous for both her and Lucy.

Over the course of one hot Brisbane summer, two families’ stories intersect in sudden and unexpected ways. Through the richly intertwined narratives of two ordinary, extraordinary women, Ashley Hay uses her “poetic dialogue, and stunning imagery” (RT magazine) to weave an intricate, bighearted story of what it is to be human.

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PRAISE FOR A HUNDRED SMALL LESSONS:

“A book that overflows with gratitude for the hard, beautiful things of this world, and for the saving worlds of our imagination.”

— Helen Garner, award-winning author of Everywhere I Look
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“A Hundred Small Lessons explores notions of home, family, identity, creativity, aging and our relationship with cities and the natural world.…Hay explores the ways in which we inhabit spaces: building homes and filling them with our possessions, dreams, regrets, fears and secrets. This graceful novel, with its unflinching approach to reality and its gentle undercurrents of sadness, nostalgia and hope, is a highly recommended read for fans of literary fiction.”

— Books + Publishing (Australia), five stars
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“Hay renders the small details of an undramatic, decent life with tenderness that is touching and compelling…a measured piece of writing that works carefully to create pensive and evocative images of time and place and people.”— The Australian

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“Hay’s intelligent scrutiny of the human psyche gives depth to this neatly constructed story.”

— Sydney Morning Herald (Australia)

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ashley Hay is the internationally acclaimed author of the novels The Body in the Clouds and The Railwayman’s Wife, which was honored with the Colin Roderick Award by the Foundation for Australian Literary Studies and longlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award, the most prestigious literary prize in Australia, among numerous other accolades. She has also written four nonfiction books. She lives in Brisbane, Australia.

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PRAISE FOR THE RAILWAYMAN’S WIFE - MS. HAY'S FIRST NOVEL:

“Author Ashley Hay has succeeded on several levels. Her prose style is simple yet vivid, and her insights on bereavement and moving forward are wise. Perhaps most impressive is her portrayal of the human predicament, the notion that one's heartfelt hopes are sometimes crushed against the rocks of reality.” – Star Tribune

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“Ashley Hay weaves a moving tale of love, loss and hope.” – US Weekly

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"After wow-ing European audiences, this book is coming stateside to dazzle you.  Beautifully written, and featuring some excellent passages about writing and reading itself, this book will have you feeling every emotion at once." –Bustle

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“No matter how much heartbreak her words described, there was no way I would stop reading. This is a literary and literate gem of a book that leaves you with a set of emotions that I suspect last for a long long time” – Psychology Today

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“Hay is both cerebral and emotional in portraying life’s catastrophes and the way people cope. Multilayered, graceful, couched in poetry, supremely honest, gentle yet jarring, Hay’s thought-provoking novel pulls you along slowly, like a deep river that is deceptively calm but full of hidden rapids.” – Kirkus Reviews

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“Hay has lovingly crafted a poignant, character-driven novel filled with heartache and hope.” – RT Book Review

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“Poetic story of love, loss and moving on.” – Star- Telegram

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“This poignant, elegant novel delves into the depth of tragedy, the shaky ground of recovery, and the bittersweet memories of lost love.” - Booklist

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Happy Thanksgiving!!

The book is perfect for this time of year with today being Thanksgiving.

It is a book about being thankful for who we are and who helped us get where we are.  Whether we realize it or not, we "are" our mother, father, grandmother, or grandfather and can't change that.

This book is a warm, cozy read about reliving family moments, making new family moments, starting anew with your life, and definitely is all the things your parents told you would be coming true some day….all the good things that is.

Link to full review is here.

Giveaway and Spotlight of The Faerie Handbook by Carolyn Turgeon

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All Information and photos in this post are from the book:

"THE FAERIE HANDBOOK by Carolyn Turgeon. Copyright © 2017 by Carolyn Turgeon.

Reprinted courtesy of Harper Design, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers.”

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My thoughts:  

A beautiful book with wonderful photos, ideas, and recipes. 

A perfect Christmas gift.

I enjoyed browsing through it.

Giveaway at the bottom of the post.  

Good Luck.  

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

On sale November 14, 2017.  

Editor-in-chief Carolyn Turgeon and the editors of Faerie Magazine welcome you into a sumptuous realm rich with myth, mystery, romance, and natural beauty.

Faerie Magazine is one of Barnes & Noble’s top-selling lifestyle magazines with a readership of 28,000 and over 1,600,000 followers on Facebook. 

Featuring a highly curated array of vintage and contemporary fine art and photography, literature, essays, do-it-yourself projects, and recipes, it is a lush compendium that traces the history of fairies from literature to pop culture; offering a multitude of ideas on modern-day living and entertaining with a distinctive fairy touch.  

The book is organized into four sections—Flora & Fauna; Fashion & Beauty; Art & Culture; and Home, Food, & Entertaining. With an inset image on the front cover, ornate silver foil patterning on the front, spine, and back, silver stained edges, and a satin bookmark, it is a beautiful volume for all ages.

The book includes dozens of DIY craft projects and holiday recipes. I do hope you will consider coverage this month or come December. It is a perfect book for the holidays.

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A GLIMPSE INSIDE THE FAERIE HANDBOOK

 Section I: Flora & Fauna

This section is perfect for garden lovers complete with a “Select List of Fairy World Inhabitants” and a “Fairy Herb and Flower Almanac.”

DIY projects include fairy houses, fairy furniture, pressed flowers, and fairy terrariums.

 

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Section II: Fashion & Beauty  

This section is perfect for fashion lovers and connoisseurs of couture.  “Fairy Queens: Style Icons of the Fairy Realm”  includes an array of fairy shoes, dresses and accessories crafted from flowers. Understand the art of fairy wing and learn how to make a fairy crown to master the art of gossamer style.

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 Section III: Arts & Culture 

For lovers of literature and fans of lore, this section includes an essay on the quintessential fairy drama A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Victorian fairy paintings, excerpts from poetry, and stunning contemporary photography and illustration including Arthur Rackham, Charles Vess and Kirsty Mitchell. 

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Section IV: Home, Food & Entertaining

This section has everything you need to know to entertain like a fairy. Host a full-blown fairy garden party and a tea party, or hold a fairytale literary salon. Or, choose a selection of sumptuous recipes (perfect for the holiday season) such as candied violets, lollipops infused with edible flowers, a lavender-infused honey ricotta tart, and frosted cranberries. These dishes are sure to add sparkle to your kitchen routine.

 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Carolyn Turgeon has been editor in chief of Faerie Magazine since 2013. She is the author of five novels: Rain Village (Unbridled, 2006), Godmother (Crown, 2009), Mermaid (Crown, 2011), The Next Full Moon (Downtown Bookworks, 2012), and The Fairest of Them All (Simon & Schuster, 2013). Her books have been optioned for film by Sony Pictures, Random House Films/Focus Features, and Gaumont Film Company, and published in the United Kingdom, Brazil, China, Korea, Spain, and Portugal. She’s published short fiction in Fairy Tale Review and the anthology Haunted Legends (Tor, 2010) as well as essays in Allure, the Hairpin, and The New Inquiry, among other publications. She lives in Baltimore, Maryland. www.faeriemag.com

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BUY LINKS:

Link to purchase (click on orange pre-order box on the right hand side of the screen to purchase)  

https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062668110/the-faerie-handbook

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GIVEAWAY:
CONTEST HAS ENDED.

THE WINNER IS JESSICA FROM MISSOURI.

THANKS TO ALL WHO ENTERED.

I am partnering with Harper Collins for this giveaway.

USA ONLY

November 22 - 29

Enter here

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