The House At Riverton...

  

 

“Photographs force us to see people before their future weighed them down, before they knew their endings.” 

The House At Riverton

The House at Riverton is a gorgeous debut novel set in England between the wars. It is the story of an aristocratic family, a house, a mysterious death and a way of life that vanished forever, told in flashback by a woman who witnessed it all and kept a secret for decades.
Grace Bradley went to work at Riverton House as a servant when she was just a girl, before the First World War. For years her life was inextricably tied up with the Hartford family, most particularly the two daughters, Hannah and Emmeline. In the summer of 1924, at a glittering society party held at the house, a young poet shot himself. The only witnesses were Hannah and Emmeline and only they -- and Grace -- know the truth. In 1999, when Grace is ninety-eight years old and living out her last days in a nursing home, she is visited by a young director who is making a film about the events of that summer. She takes Grace back to Riverton House and reawakens her memories. Told in flashback, this is the story of Grace's youth during the last days of Edwardian aristocratic privilege shattered by war, of the vibrant twenties and the changes she witnessed as an entire way of life vanished forever. The novel is full of secrets -- some revealed, others hidden forever, reminiscent of the romantic suspense of Daphne du Maurier. It is also a meditation on memory, the devastation of war and a beautifully rendered window into a fascinating time in history.~~Amazon

Author:Kate Morton

Published:2008

Purchase:Amazon.com

 

Review

 

My daughter texted me one day to say that she was reading a really good book. She didn't want to put it down, so I ordered it on the Kindle. I started reading immediately and immediately loved it. It has over 400 pages, but you will hardly notice. The story is told in flashbacks reminiscent of "Water With Elephants". I love to find a new author to read and will definitely be reading more of Kate Morton. I give this book 5 stars. I didn't want it to end.

 

Happy Reading and Merry Christmas!!! 

O.K., I Give...

I haven't read "The Hunger Games."

I'm not going to read "The Hunger Games."

 It isn't my kind of book.

 I don't care for Science Fiction.

 This has been my mantra since first hearing the words "Hunger Games", but it is everywhere. It keeps invading my space. It is talked about on nearly every blog I read, recommended on every reading list, stares at me from every check-out counter at every Wal-mart I enter and is the topic of conversation no matter where I go. My three daughter's and granddaughter have all read it, seen the movie, and love it.

O.K., I give.

 My middle daughter says she will loan it to me on the Kindle and a friend told me tonight if I like it I won't be able to wait on the next one.

O.K., I give.

I'll let you know.

Have a blessed week!!! 

Linking with Communal Global.

Top Ten Tuesday...

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish . This week the topic  is the top ten books I would hand to someone who says they don't like to read. Well, since I love to read and am always trying to get non-readers to read my favorite books I jumped right on this one. *= My all-time favorites.

1. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee*
2. Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen
3. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
4. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
5. The Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers*
6. Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
7. Haunted Mesa by Louis Lamour
8. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald*
9. Amoveable Feast by Ernest Hemmingway*
10. The Wind In The Willows by Kenneth Grahame

Happy Reading!!!

Book Find...

I found this old shorthand book at a library book sale. It's about 3'' x 4.5". The first copyright is 1949 and again in 1963.

 I never took shorthand, but looking at this little white book I wish I had. It would be like learning another language, a secret language.

 Some of you may have actually used one of these books. It's called the Gregg Shorthand Dictionary and contains 34,055 word entries, alphabetically arranged.  According to the Internet the Gregg version of shorthand was first introduced in 1888. Here's a sample:

 

'Translation'

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. Amazing.

Counting Blessings:

                                                              #7 Church family

                                                              #8 Music

                                                              #9 Quail in the front yard

Have a great tomorrow!!!

Linking with Communal Global.

Entangled...

"...we pick and choose the memories we need to remember, not necessarily the most important ones, but those useful to our continued well being."

ENTANGLED

A Minneapolis attorney inherits a small California winery, reawakening memories that have lain dormant for twenty years. One summer of her childhood is a mystery she intends to solve. But digging up her past also lays bare the skeletons of others, including her mother’s.

Author: Barbara Ellen Brink

Published: 2011 

Purchase: Amazon

Review:

I enjoyed this book very much. I read it on the Kindle for $2.99. I didn't expect it to be that good considering the price and the fact that the author self-published. I was in for a surprise. The characters were well developed and Mrs. Brink did a good job of throwing me off the trail. I didn't figure it out until close to the end. Her twists and turns were plausible and I never felt cheated. There was one spot that caused me to scratch my head and wonder why she left that scene in and what it had to do with the flow of the story, but even that was o.k.
Entangled was an excellent, fast, believable, who-done-it that I highly recommend. You want find better for the money. I have down-loaded her next book in the series called "Crushed" and can't wait to get started. I give this book 4 stars. 
Happy Reading!!!

Deeper Than The Dead...

"His victim would have screamed if she could have."

Deeper Than The Dead

California, 1984. Four children, running in the woods behind their school, stumble upon a partially buried female body, eyes and mouth glued shut. Close behind the children is their teacher, shocked by this discovery and heartbroken as she witnesses the end of their innocence. What she doesn’t yet realize is that this will mark the end of innocence for an entire community, as the ties that bind families and friends are tested by secrets uncovered in the wake of a serial killer’s escalating activity.~~Goodreads

Author: Tami Hoag

Published: 2010

Purchase: Amazon.com

Review:

I loved some of Tami Hoag's earlier books, but I can only say I liked this one. She left loose ends, didn't keep me guessing long enough and the romance wasn't typical Hoag. I didn't feel like I knew the characters or ever became truly invested in the story, but it moved quickly and kept my interest. Gruesome at times and not much of a "happy ending", but I give it 2 stars for being easy and moving fast. It was worth reading and I plan on reading the next two in this series of three.

Happy Reading and Happy New Year!!!

  

The Invention of Hugo Cabret...

           "If you lose your purpose ... it's like your broken."

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

"Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery." ~~Book Cover

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Author: Brian Selznik

Published: 2007 

Age Level: 9 and up

Purchase: Amazon.com

Review:

I started helping my 6 year-old grandson read this book Friday night and he loves it. You read a few pages and then are carried along by the magnificent drawings of author Brian Selznick. This book is 533 pages long, but with 1/3 of it being illustrations it doesn't take long to reach the end. Imagine the accomplishment a 6-9 year-old feels when he completes it. My grandson and I enjoyed it immensely and can't wait for the movie to open on November 23rd. I give it 4 stars. We couldn't put it down.

Show Less

Happy Reading!!!

The Jesus Storybook Bible Review...

"Every story whispers His name..."

The Jesus Storybook Bible is a children's book that tells 43 Bible stories from the book of Genesis through Revelation.

Published: 2007
Author: Sally Lloyd-Jones
Age: 4-8 years
Purchase: Amazon

Review:
Let me start by saying this is a good version of a children's bible storybook. At the center of every story is Jesus, but the author takes some liberties in her attempts to make it understandable for children that I really can't approve of. An example is Jesus playing games with children. Some of these things may or may not have happened, but the bible doesn't tell us this, so why not stay true to the bible . I think it is a good storybook as long as we correct it as we go and don't consider it a children's bible.
Have a nice day!  
    

My Summer Reading...

If I were to give my summer a title I would call it "The Summer of the Classics." For months, with the exception of two books, I have read either classics, or those that are, shall we say, getting along in years. I enjoyed those two, yet the feeling of satisfaction never quite rose to the level that it did as I read of the escapades of the March sisters, or the romance between Lucy Honeychurch and George Emerson, or the adventures at Mole End. I couldn't shake the feeling that something unexplainable was missing. I started "The Kite Runner" and a Mary Higgins Clark, but sat both aside in favor of another oldie.

This is my latest endeavor. It is approximately 4 inches thick and by the time I finish it I expect summer to be over, cooler weather to have set in and my choices in literature to be back to normal. 

  Have a great week!!!

Mother Goose...

I found this treasure at a yard sale for $2.00. When I looked it up on Amazon turns out it really is a treasure. Copyright 1913. This edition published in 1985 by Chancellor Press in London. (The used ones started at $38.00).

There are 12 beautiful color illustrations

and many, many drawings like these. This is a favorite of mine. How many of us have wiggled our baby's toes while reciting "this little piggy"?

As kids we used a variation of this one while stirring the doodle bug hole with a tiny stick.

"Lady bug, lady bug, fly away home:

Your house is on fire and your children will burn."

Sure enough that little doodle bug would come wiggling out.

Some of the illustrations are a little scary, but most are adorable like this one,

but then on the end page of the book comes the sad part of my story...

How could anyone part with this. It's a family heirloom.

I know there was a divorce, so that explains it, but every time I read this inscription I want to anonymously mail it back to the grandmother. I can just feel the love that was sent with this gift.

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane...

"...You can have this whole entire life, with all your opinions, your loves, your fears. Eventually those parts of you disappear. And then the people who could remember those parts of you disappear, and before long, all that's left is your name in some ledger.''

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane

tells the story of  Connie, a Harvard Graduate student who is preparing to put her deceased grandmother’s house on the market. In the process she finds a key and a note inside an old Bible. The note has a women's name on it, thus begins the mystery. The book shifts between 1991 Marblehead, Massachusetts and late 17th century Salem.
 

Author: Katherine Howe
Published: 2009
Purchase at: Amazon.com 

My Review:

I enjoyed the plot of this book, but the writing was weak. To tell you some of the things I didn't like about it would spoil it, so I will just say that it was predictable and contrived at times, but also very entertaining. I give it four stars for being a nice, easy, entertaining read. In spite of it's many flaws I couldn't put it down.

Happy Reading!!!   

A Room With A View...

"It isn't possible to love and part. You will wish that it was. You can transmute love, ignore it, muddle it, but you can never pull it out of you. I know by experience that the poets are right: love is eternal."

A Room With A View

This Edwardian social comedy explores love and prim propriety among an eccentric cast of characters assembled in an Italian pensione and in a corner of Surrey, England.--Goodreads

Published: 1908

 Author: E. M. Forster

Purchase at: Amazon

REVIEW

I read this book because the title kept drawing me to it. "A Room With A View" sounded intriguing, almost mysterious. What was someone going to see from that view? The book wasn't at all what I thought it would be and not really my kind of book, but I enjoyed it and think some day I might like to read "Howard's End" another E. M. Forster book.  I give it three stars for it's humor and vivid characters. I can't wait to watch the movie.

Happy Reading!!!  

My First Award...

I would like to thank Anne at McGuffy's Reader for choosing me to receive my this award! I appreciate her for thinking of me. She has a great blog. Be sure to stop by and see her.

In accepting this award I have to admit seven random things about myself and then choose five other bloggers to pass this award on to. Here goes:

1. Purple is my favorite color.
2. I have had as many as 21 cats at one time.
3. I'm a hippie at heart.
4. I love fiddle music.
5. Chocolate makes my clothes shrink.
6. I watch Nancy Grace.
7. I'm a recovering packrat.

Here are my five choices. Stop by and check out their blogs.

1. Must Love Books and Coffee
2. Book Garden Reviews
3. Brenda's Books and Blog
4. The Life and Times of Mama Hancock
5. It's Amanda With An A

Have a nice day!!!

Summer Reads...

With summer upon us there will be all sorts of relaxing temptations and I plan on squeezing in as many as possible. In the process of enjoying my summer there are a few things I never leave home without. Books. So I have put together a list of some of my favorites. If you can't decide what you want to take along this summer-consider one of these. The second list I plan to read this summer-starting tonight.


SOME OF MY FAVORITES:
                                   
1. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
2. A Time to Kill by John Grisham
3. Dances With Wolves by Michael Blake                  .
4. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
5. The Mark of the Lion Series by Francine Rivers
6. Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling
7. The Sun Also Rises by Hemmingway
8. A Moveable Feast by Hemmingway
9. The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
10. Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriett Beecher Stowe
11. The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevelier
12. The Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevelier
13. Any of Carla Neggers-Romantic Supense
14. Any Beverly Lewis-Christian
15. The Pelican Brief-John Grisham
16. Water For Elephants-Sarah Gruen
17. Salem's Lot-Stephen King
18. Pet Cemetary-Stephen King
19. Little Women-Louisa Mae Alcott
20. The Wind in the Willows-Kenneth Grahame

Ten that I plan on reading before summer ends:

1. Finish reading A Room With A View-E. M. Forster
2. The Trouble With Mattie-Mary A. Berger
3. The Whisper-Carla Neggers
4. For Whom The Bell Tolls-Hemmingway
5. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon-Stephen King
6. Falling Angels-Tracy Chevelier
7. Anne of Green Gables-L. M. Montgomery
8. Just Take My Heart-Mary Higgins Clark
9. Freckles-Gene Stratton-Porter
10. Emma-Charlotte Bronte

You can purchase any of these books through Amazon.com.

HAPPY SUMMER AND HAPPY READING!!!

 

A Severe Mercy...

"To hold her in my arms against the twilight and be her comrade for ever - this was all I wanted so long as my life should last..."

A Severe Mercy

is the autobiography of Sheldon Vanauken and his wife Davy, their all consuming love, their friendship with C. S. Lewis, their search for faith and eventual loss.

Published: 1977

Author: Sheldon Vanauken

Purchase at: Amazon

MY REVIEW

This book started off slow and slowly drew me in. It wasn't until the fourth chapter when C. S. Lewis was introduced that I started to feel connected. The writing seemed over-dramatic and picture perfect. It almost had an unrealistic feel to it. I wanted to say, "No body's love is this perfect", but as the book progressed and as I became used to Vanauken's writing this was no longer an issue. I think he had to be that over-the-top in his description of their love in order for the reader to see and feel the depth of the transformation, so that we could know that to love Christ more than each other was an extreme devotion. When I read the final page and closed the book I said, "That was a good book."

If you are a C. S. Lewis fan you will most certainly appreciate it. It contains 18 letters written to Vanauken by Lewis. This book would be great for a discussion group. I didn't start out thinking I would like it, but I did. I think I will have to read it again to fully understand it. I give it three stars. It was definitely a good book and I have a feeling I will give it more stars after the reread.

Try it and let me know what you think.

HAPPY READING!!!

The Bag Lady...

Most people have one thing or another they find hard to resist and for me it's bags. I love bags. Large or small it doesn't matter. The more pockets the merrier. Whenever I see what I interpret as a "cool" bag it calls my name. So you can imagine my delight when I stumbled upon this Unicorn bag.

I was at Scarborough Faire and had just finished reading "The Lady and The Unicorn" by Tracy Chevalier. It was made by Gypsy Wings Tapestry Bags. Isn't it just the "coolest". 

If you haven't read one of Tracy Chevalier's books you might give this one a try. My daughter introduced me to them a couple of years ago. I have since read "Girl With The Pearl Earrings" and "The Virgin Blue". I thoroughly enjoyed all three. She takes an event from history and creates a fictional story around it. They are simply hard to put down.    

Hope you have a great week and "happy reading". 

  

A Room With A View...

I have been trying to decide for a couple of weeks what book to read next on Kindle. I first thought I might like to read Hemmingway and then decided on A Room With A View. The name has an intriguing ring to it. I started it today.

Books I have read this year:

1. The Virgin Blue: A Novel
2. The Backyard Bird Feeder's Bible
3. Memories of the Old Plantation Home
4. Sunday at Tiffany's
5. Little Women
6. Wind in the Willows
7. My Utmost for His Highest (again & again)
8. Choosing to SEE: A Journey of Struggle and Hope

Top five picks for summer reads:

1. Mark of the Lion Series--Francine Rivers(must read)
2. The Lady and The Unicorn--Tracey Chevalier
3. Water for Elephants--Sarah Gruen
4. Annie's People Series--Beverly Lewis
5. To Kill A Mockingbird--Harper Lee

I never go anywhere without a book. Hope you find some of these worth the read.

HAPPY READING!!!

Spring Beauty...

The beauty of spring is all around us. It seems a shame that sometimes we fail to notice. God gives us such a beautiful world merely for our enjoyment. 
This morning as I let the dogs out and as purple is my favorite color, I couldn't help but notice a display of gorgeous purple and yellow flowers growing beside my daughter's back deck.

I have no idea what they are so I will have to refer to my truly amazing "Howard Garrett's Plants for Texas" book and look them up. I have spent many hours with this book in my hands. It gives information on over 500 Texas plants-trees, shrubs, flowers, vines, grasses, weeds, fruits, vegetables and ground cover. The best part is he lists the problems each plant has.  He notes which insects they attract, whether they are drought resistant, if they are invasive, and how to plant and maintain them. I have gone through the entire book and put checks by anything I thought I might be interested in planting. I left off anything that attracted an undesirable insect, was too invasive, or just not to my liking. Before I go to the nursery I refer to the checked plants and see at a glance what I might like to purchase and usually take my book along for quick reference. I highly recommend this book as your "one-volume encyclopedia" on Texas Gardening and now the "Plant Detective" is on her way to figure this one out. Any ideas?  

Lost Cord...

Guess I pulled a "Kathy". I lost or misplaced my computer cord. My dear sweet hubby has ordered another one to arrive, hopefully this weekend. I will be back to blogging Monday. It isn't easy on a phone.
I finished "Little Women". It was one of those books that I hated to see end. Louisa May Alcott did such a great job of bringing her characters to life. Meg, Jo, Amy, Beth and Laurie are absolutely unforgettable. I was sad, when they were sad, happy and disappointed right along with them. Bringing out emotions in a reader is the mark of a good book. I will say it was dated at times and maybe a little much at the end, but on a scale of one to ten I give it an 8.5. If you like to read classics and haven't read this one give it a try.
I am now reading "Wind in the Willows". Rat just found Mole scared to death in The Wild Wood. Oh well, he tried to tell him. I'll put a link here if you are interested and now I must get back to Ratty and Moley.
                                                                                          

Happy Birthday to me...

I am back after a few days of being on the go. I have been celebrating my April 2nd birthday since April 1st and here it is April 5th. One of my best presents came from Hubby. Knowing how well I like to read he gave me a Kindle. It will never replace the feel, the smell, the essence of the "real thing", but I am loving it. It is going to be great as a traveling companion. Just think, thousands of books at the mere click of a button. I can handle that.

   

Then there's the cover. It gives it the actual feel of a book. I have even reached to turn the page. Mine is purple, of course.

At present I am reading a free download of "Little Women". Meg and Mr. Brooks are just beginning to realize that each other exists.

Another of my favorite presents came from my daughter's family. It is a darling tote bag with the name and representation of each grandchild.

Isn't this the cutest thang "evah"?

Hubby told me it was my weekend. I could pick anywhere and anything to do. I chose three things. First, on Friday I chose a trip to the baseball field to see my nine-year-old grandson, Brown Hawk play.  He did a fantastic job.

                                                                            Safe!!

Second, on Saturday, I chose a trip to Canton.  Canton is in East Texas and is billed as the "World's Largest Flea Market" and there is definitely more food and shopping than can be had in one day.

 

Next on the agenda was back to the baseball fields to see both grandsons play ball. This was a real treat as we had not seen the five-year-old play before. Both boys did well and I am not the least bit predudice.

Proud Mama & Papa

I completed my birthday weekend with a movie at the Movie Tavern.  We saw Lincoln Lawyer with Matthew McConaughey.  It was entertaining and enjoyable.

                   I had one of the best birthdays ever. The best part was spending time with family.