Chick Lit

Rating: 4/5 Publish Date: February 17, 2013 Origins: From Author for Review Format: E-book Order From: Amazon Synopsis: The Caspirin Stone is a story about a country plagued by demons, a prophet missing his hero, a knight who's broken his vows and a powerful talisman fallen into the wrong hands. Treygan, a demon killer on the run from his former life, is thrust right into the middle. Review: When the people of the land decided they needed a God like the other countries did, one was created using all of the goodness, leaving evil to manifest as demons. The Voice of God is a prophet who is balanced by the Black Knight, the blackest of all demon-killers. This iteration of the Voice and the Black Knight are Caspian and Caspirin. The Black Knight’s original name is forgotten and their new one reflects their status as the dark half to the Voice’s light. Caspirin has left Caspian and Caspian’s advisors are begging him to find another Black Knight. Yet the Voice and Black Knight are soul-mates and no one else can take the other’s place. A demon-killer, Treygan, stops in a small village to get water for himself and his horse when he hears the local priest telling the village children stories about the Voices and Black Knights. A journey for both the priest and the demon-killer ensues in a race to put right what once went wrong.‘Caspian: The Caspirin Stone’ is a hero’s journey, fantasy, and mystery rolled into one. It is a very short story, but the author was able to infuse so much life and feeling into the characters it seemed full-length. My favorite character was the priest who helped in guiding Treygan's journey of self-discovery. I was very touched by this story and I definitely highly recommend it!

Title: Eleanor and Park (Goodreads) Publisher: St Martin's Press Source: Publisher Publication Date: 26 Feb 2013 Series or Standalone: Standalone ISBN: 1250012570 Format: paperback (ARC) Pages: 325 The Author on the Web: Rainbow Rowell - Official Site Rainbow Rowell - Blog Rainbow Rowell - Twitter Place(s) Traveled to: Lincoln, Nebraska (1986) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars First Line: He'd stopped trying to bring her back. I first heard about Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowel months before it was due to be released in the US from a friend who was dying for a copy and couldn't wait for it. I was headed over to England where it was out and so I offered to bring her back a copy. Then later on I received a copy for review and yet I found that I couldn't start it. All I had heard about Eleanor & Park was how good it was and usually every time I hear that about a book I am horribly disappointed and feel like I was mislead somehow. Yet, I was still curious about this story and I finally allowed myself to be persuaded to read it on my way to Frankfurt recently for business. Once I started Eleanor & Park I couldn't put it down. I was so grateful that I had several hours of uninterrupted reading time on my flight so I didn't have to. I was also glad that the people around me slept on the flight over so that they didn't see my smirks of laughter or the tears in my eyes as I flipped through the pages of this story. I really find it hard to put into words just how much I loved this story. I loved the setting and all the characters....oh how my heart broke during some scenes. But it didn't just break, Eleanor & Park contained some of the best heart achy moments that I've felt in a good long while. I loved how this one was told from the POVs of both Eleanor and Park. I loved seeing inside both of their heads and their lives and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to see where events would go next. When I did reach the end of the book I was filled with this deep sadness as I wasn't ready to leave this world. There is still so much more that I want to know about these characters. I want to know every minute detail of what happens next and yet at the same time it was a very well done and beautiful ending. Eleanor & Park, simply put, is an epic book of awesome and I public apologies to all those who I doubted when they told me to drop everything and read it. I am ashamed of my doubts because this story lives up to all of their praise and more. This is by far one of the best books that I've read all year and its just the beginning of my love affair with Rainbow Rowell's writing. This author could publish a book on grocery lists and I think I would read and love it. If you haven't read this book yet then you are seriously missing out. Trust this doubting soul and learn from me, Eleanor & Park is a must read will appeal to teens and adults alike. If this book doesn't break your heart and give you the warm fuzzies then you don't have a soul.* *I jest...not really...yes yes...I do ;-)

In the last couple of weeks I received:Billy and Me by Giovanna Fletcher – From the publisher. Releases May 23, 2013Sophie May has a secret.One that she’s successfully kept for years. It’s meant that she’s had to give up her dreams of going to university and travelling the world to stay in her little village, living with her mum and working in the local teashop.But then she meets the gorgeous Billy – an actor with ambitions to make it to the top. And when they fall in love, Sophie is whisked away from the comfort of her life into Billy’s glamorous – but ruthless – world.Their relationship throws Sophie right into the spotlight after years of shying away from attention. Can she handle the constant scrutiny that comes with being with Billy? And most of all, is she ready for her secret heartbreak to be discovered and shared with the nation?The Forgotten Affairs of Youth by Alexander McCall Smith. From Paperbackswap.com.In this eighth installment in Alexander McCall Smith’s captivating Isabel Dalhousie series, our irrepressible heroine tries to untangle complex questions about both the past and the present.Isabel’s new friend Jane Cooper, a visiting Australian philosopher who was adopted as a small child, has come to Edinburgh searching for information about her biological father. Naturally, Isabel is more than happy to offer her services. At the same time, she must find time for her own concerns: her young son Charlie, who’s leaving babyhood further behind each day; her housekeeper Grace, who has recently begun getting financial advice from her spiritualist; her niece Cat, who’s in a new relationship, and the most pressing question of all: when and how Isabel and Jamie will finally get married. As she investigates the forgotten affairs of youth Isabel begins to wonder what those affairs lead to in the present, and in the process she discovers a whole new understanding of the meaning of family.My Fathers’ Ghost is Climbing in the Rain by Patricio Pron – From the publisher. Releases May 21, 2013.A young writer, living abroad, makes the journey home to South America to say good-bye to his dying father. In his parents’ house, he finds a cache of documents—articles, maps, photographs—and unwittingly begins to unearth his father’s obsession with the disappearance of a local man. Suddenly he comes face-to-face with the ghosts of Argentina’s dark political past and with the long-hidden memories of his family’s underground resistance against an oppressive military regime. As the fragments of the narrator’s investigation fall into place—revealing not only a part of his father’s life he had tried to forget but also the legacy of an entire generation—this audacious novel tells a completely original story of corruption and responsibility, history and remembrance.The River of No Return by Bee Ridgway – From the publisher.  I had started reading a library copy of this book on Saturday morning, and a free copy of it showed up on my doorstep from the publisher that afternoon. Evidently the publisher knows what I like (and it is a very good book so far). Released April 23, 2013.“You are now a member of the Guild. There is no return.” Two hundred years after he was about to die on a Napoleonic battlefield, Nick Falcott, soldier and aristocrat, wakes up in a hospital bed in modern London. The Guild, an entity that controls time travel, showers him with life’s advantages. But Nick yearns for home and for one brown-eyed girl, lost now down the centuries. Then the Guild asks him to break its own rule. It needs Nick to go back to 1815 to fight the Guild’s enemies and to find something called the Talisman. In 1815, Julia Percy mourns the death of her beloved grandfather, an earl who could play with time. On his deathbed he whispers in her ear: “Pretend!” Pretend what? When Nick returns home as if from the dead, older than he should be and battle scarred, Julia begins to suspect that

Reviewed by Jax Kepple Marnie and Nelly have just buried their two deadbeat, drug addicted parents in the backyard of the Scottish housing projects. Now what? The Death of Bees begins with this interesting kick off, and takes us through the crazy life of these two sisters trying to fend off questions about their missing parents from friends, drug dealers and the authorities, and their elderly neighbor who has noticed that they’re all alone and craves some companionship. Lisa O’Donnell keeps the pace moving with short chapters told from three points of view: Marnie, the brilliant 15-year-old who tries to keep it together while experiencing her first true love and taking care of her younger sister; Nelly, the violin prodigy who doesn’t communicate well with others and who bonds easily with father figures; and Lennie, the old neighbor who is lonely after his partner dies and loves to cook and entertain. The girls and Lennie form a family of sorts, with Lennie both making dinner and disciplining the girls, until out of nowhere, the girls’ maternal grandfather shows up and tries to make amends for years of neglect. The crux of the book is: who do we count as family? The people who gave you life or the people who gave you a reason to live? You see how the pattern repeats itself with the girls’ selfish grandfather, who tries to force piety and obedience onto two girls who have been left alone to fend for themselves their entire lives and have their own way of coping. I would have liked to see the story about the girls adjusting from the chaotic life with their parents to the stable life they built for themselves more fleshed out; at times the story seemed to skip over the details of how they fared with no money. Sex and relationships are also touched upon, with Nelly and Marnie both experiencing wanted and unwanted attention from the opposite sex, but no resolutions were made in that aspect, which was frustrating. Closure of those story lines would have helped me adjust to the ending, which also left a bit to be desired – you see the girls getting better and getting more acclimated to life and then pulled away. However, it is an excellent story about resilience and perseverance, and I enjoyed the unique setting. A quick, satisfying read. Rating: ★★★★☆ Jax is in an accountant at a hedge fund. She resides in NYC with her husband. Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Harper. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received. Pin It

Sound of Music Sing-longOrdway TheaterI had the amazing fortune to be able to see this last night at the Ordway Theater in downtown St. Paul as part of another Blogger Night. I don't think I've had that much fun in a long, long time.For those of you not familiar, this event is a showing of the movie Sound of Music in beautiful technicolor. You get a goodie bag of props to use at specific points during the film, subtitles to help you sing your little heart out and witness a pretty fun costume contest. The emcee was a blast as well!I had not seen this movie in its entirety in years. My friend and +1 however, is an addict. We are talking Twilight level of fandom here, people (and she wasn't the only one). The shouting, the whooping when they kissed. The booing of the Baroness. Oh, how the audience got feisty for their faves.It was a lot of fun. Unfortunately it was only for one day with two performances but it's something I definitely think all fans should participate. Really, to sing all those songs that most people know and love, it just brought on a whole other level of endearment. There are a host of wonderful events coming to the Ordway this summer. Next in line, starting May 28-June 2 is the Flint Hill International Children's Festival. Check out the Ordway website to learn more.I leave you with one of my favorites from the film, Edelweiss.Happy Listening and as always, thanks for stopping by!red headed book child

Reviewed by Melanie Kline Drop 7 foods. Lose 7 pounds. In just 7 days. Sounds amazing, doesn’t it? I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book. Food intolerance is the real cause of weight gain? Yeah, sure! Sounds great – where do I start? Sign me up! Not quite so fast. The Virgin Diet is jammed full of testimonials. I wound up skipping about half of the book because frankly, if I don’t personally know you and believe that I can take you at your word, then your testimonial is just a waste of my time. I want to see it for myself and since I already have the book in my hands, I’m not going to bother reading what other people have to say. Overall, The Virgin Diet provides some good points to ponder and that make a whole lot of sense. For example, food intolerance creates inflammation. Not so good if you are trying to get that lean, flat stomach you had when you were young. You have to eat fat to burn fat. Even this makes sense once you read the explanation and examples. Basically, The Virgin Diet gives you a list of 7 problem foods to remove from your diet. Not as easy as it sounds though. Sure you can quit eating corn on the cob, canned corn, frozen corn, etc., but corn is also found in corn fed chickens and the eggs they lay, and so on. After you eliminate these foods, you slowly start adding them back into your diet so that you can tell which ones you are intolerant to and viola, you lose weight after getting rid of all the problematic food. This is a great concept, but I did not lose one ounce and people really looked at me funny when I ordered “grass-fed beef tenderloin” and “pasture-fed pork tenderloin” at the grocery store meat counter. Can’t say I had much luck with ordering “wild fish” when I went out to eat either. This concept might work extremely well for some, but since I have neither the time nor money to research out and purchase all of the “pure” foods necessary to truly follow this diet in the way it is designed, I guess I’m stuck with my muffin top. Rating: ★★☆☆☆ Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Harlequin. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received. Pin It

Title: Criminal Hardcover, 288 pages Author: Terra Elan McVoy Publisher: Simon Pulse Publication Date: May 7, 2013 Source: Publisher Goodreads | Amazon | IndieBound Book Summary: Nikki’s life is far from perfect, but at least she has Dee. Her friends tell her that Dee is no good, but Nikki can’t imagine herself without him. He’s hot, he’s dangerous, he has her initials tattooed over his heart, and she loves him more than anything. There’s nothing Nikki wouldn’t do for Dee. Absolutely nothing. So when Dee pulls Nikki into a crime—a crime that ends in murder—Nikki tells herself that it’s all for true love. Nothing can break them apart. Not the police. Not the arrest that lands Nikki in jail. Not even the investigators who want her to testify against him. But what if Dee had motives that Nikki knew nothing about? Nikki’s love for Dee is supposed to be unconditional…but even true love has a limit. And Nikki just might have reached hers. Review: Against her friend’s advice, Nikki has been going out with Dee for a long time. When Dee involves Nikki in a crime, she ends up taking the rap and lands herself in jail. CRIMINAL is a very different book than any of Terra Elan McVoy’s others. They all, of course, are different books with different characters and plots, but CRIMINAL is truly DIFFERENT, at least to me. The first big difference, which is the main reason I enjoyed the book and knew it was well written, is that the main character, the narrator, is not that likeable for most of the book. She makes some really stupid decisions, but you could tell they are truly emotionally based, and her character is written flawlessly from the standpoint of being true to what she feels she should do. This realism was remarkable, especially because it was downright hard to read this one for many chapters. I think almost every reader will want to shake Nikki and tell her how her life really could be or should be without the undying devotion she has for a boy who could care less about her. Nikki is forced to grow in the jail situation, but it’s not something that happens instantly, so readers get to follow along with her progress. CRIMINAL is an extremely interesting character study, and is done very well. Goodreads | Amazon | IndieBound Related Posts: Guest Post: Terra Elan McVoy Waiting on Wednesday: Being Friends With Boys by Terra Elan McVoy #justcontemporary Fun Five: Terra Elan McVoy Review: Pure by Terra Elan McVoy Review: The Summer of Firsts and Lasts by Terra Elan McVoy Write a quick commentThe post Review: Criminal by Terra Elan McVoy appeared first on Chick Loves Lit.

Title: Game (Goodreads) Publisher: Hachette Audio Source: Publisher Publication Date: 16 Apr 2013 Series or Standalone: Series ISBN: B00C38S4WI Format: Audio Audio Length: ~13.5 hrs Narrator: Charlie Thurston The Author on the Web: Barry Lyga - Official Site Barry Lyga - Blog Barry Lyga - Twitter Place(s) Traveled to: Lobo's Nod, Any State, USA // New York, New York // Brooklyn, New York Rating: 4 out of 5 stars First Line: She had screamed, but she had not cried. Jasper Dent Series Order Book 1: I Hunt Killers Book 2: Game Book 3: Untitled (TBD) When I Hunt Killers came out last year I was hooked. I fell head over heels for the audio and loved every bit of it. The narrator, Charlie Thurston, game me chills and once I heard that there would be a sequel to the story I knew that I would have to listen to that one as well. Sequels can be such hit or miss things and while I was really looking forward to Game I was dreading it as well. Would it fall into the cliched role of a transition novel with not much happening or would it surpass the book that came before? While Game didn't blow me away like I Hunt Killers did it wasn't your standard transition novel either. In Game, Billy Dent is on the loose and there is also a new serial killer running around New York City. They police there decide to bring in Jasper Dent to consult as he does have a unique perspective on things. And even though he's a minor and this is just a book I still find it a bit odd that he does all of this for free. But that is just a minor thought that I had while listening to this story. I mostly enjoyed this story and really liked its complexities. I enjoyed the twists and turns and was surprised a time or two during the course of this story. What I didn't like was how this one ended. I didn't like the cliff hanger aspect of it and how, as a reader, I am now forced to pick up the next book in order to find out what happens next. For me, cliff hangers are cheap plot devices that only take away my interest in a story. As with, I Hunt Killers, I enjoyed Thurston's narration although unlike that book I didn't get the same chills. Perhaps because this wasn't a continuation of a story and so the voices weren't fresh or new. It could also be because even though the story went to New York and Brooklyn - places that have some distinctive accents - none of the characters from there had an accent. Thurston gave them these lifeless voices that could have been from anywhere and I just think that it was a lost opportunity to further add some depth and realism to this story. I enjoyed Game but I didn't love it as much as the first book. While I'm curious to see where a third book goes I'm also miffed at being forced to read it. I think that there are better ways to drive a readers interest in continuing on with a series and it doesn't always have to be with a cliff hanger. Have I mentioned how much I do not like cliff hangers? I will most likely check out the third book but I'm not bursting for more, not like I was after finishing I Hunt Killers. If you enjoyed the first one you'll probably enjoy this one as well. Its a good installment in the series its just missing a little something that the first book had. At least, it was for me. I know many out there loved Game just as much if not more than the first book. Perhaps I just hyped this one too much up in my head to enjoy it fully. As an audio, it could have been better (see note on lack of accents above), but I will say that I will listen to the third book over reading it if Thurston is brought back as the narrator. He may not do a New York accent but he's killer with the voice he does for Billy Dent.

JANIS IAN and MT WINTERIt was rainy in Nashville on Friday, but my friend Donna and I enjoyed attending a dialogue between Janis Ian and Miriam Therese Winter at Scarritt-Bennett Center. The event was heralded as "When Worlds Collide: Two Jersey Broads on Life, Love, and the Holy Spirit." Janis Ian has won two Grammy Awards, the first in 1975 for her song At Seventeen, and the second in 2013 for Best Spoken Word Album for Society's Child. Miriam Therese Winter (called "MT" by colleagues, students, and friends) is Professor of Liturgy, Worship, Spirituality and Feminist Studies at Hartford Seminary. She has a penchant for exploring new and more authentic ways of living faith fully in a constantly evolving universe. That sounds like all scholarship and research, but she is at heart a singer of songs whose recording Joy is Like the Rain went Gold in the 1960s. Here's a professional version of the song, and here's a one-minute piano version.Society's Child: My Autobiography ~ by Janis Ian, 2008, memoirIt was the best of songs, it was the worst of songs.But it was my song.I was twelve years old, sitting in the back seat of our station wagon with my brother beside me and my father's guitar in my lap. I'd picked my time carefully; we were headed from our home in New Jersey to my grandparents' apartment in the Bronx, so I had at least forty-five uninterrupted minutes to get my parents' full attention and play them the first song I'd ever written, "Hair of Spun Gold."Paradoxology: Spirituality in a Quantum Universe ~ by Miriam Therese Winter, 2009, religionParadoxology. About twenty years ago, this strange, wise, wonderful word appeared in a flash of insight and took up residence in me. I did not know what to do with it, so I let it settle there in the soft underbelly of my spirit. Like a sacred talisman infused with shamanic energy, this shard of the Holy Spirit, cautiously yet consistently, contributed to what I now would call a radical change in perception. It helped me see what I needed to see and encouraged me to embrace it.It all came together for me one day in a classroom filled with students. While speaking about something I do not recall, I heard myself pose these questions:Why are the liturgies I celebrate called paraliturgy?Why are the biblical stories I tell called paraphrase?The first face-to-face meeting of these collaborators, according to Janis, was "three hours of bonding over laundry and quantum physics." It was fascinating to hear these two on Friday evening. I especially like how MT, as she's called, plays with words. In the first chapter, from which the above was quoted, she speaks of paradigm and paradox, paraphrase and a parallel universe. She titled the chapter "The Amazing Para Maze." John Seigenthaler moderated their dialogue.ANYWAYA version of this list of sayings is attributed to Mother Teresa, though it appears to have originated with a college student named Kent M. Keith in a 1968 pamphlet titled “The Silent Revolution: Dynamic Leadership in the Student Council.” Emily, who did her research, brought copies last week to everybody in our Bible study class.People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.Forgive them anyway.If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives.Be kind anyway.If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.Succeed anyway.If you are honest, people may deceive you.Be honest anyway.If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.Be happy anyway.The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow.Do good anyway.Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.Give your best anyway. In the final analysis, it is between you and God.It was never between you and them anyway.The Sunday Salon's Facebook page has links to other blogs.

TOPPED CHEF A Key West Food Critic Mystery BY LUCY BURDETTE ABOUT THE BOOK:Hayley Snow loves her job as the food critic for Key Zest magazine, tasting the offerings from Key West’s most innovative restaurants. She’d rate her life four stars, until she’s forced into the spotlight...and another murder investigation.Hoping for some good publicity, Hayley’s boss signs her up to help judge the Key West Topped Chef contest. Stakes are high as the winner could be the next cooking-show superstar. Hayley shows up for the filming nervous but excited, until she sees who’s on the judging panel with her: Sam Rizzoli, big shot businessman—and owner of the restaurant she just panned in her first negative review. When Rizzoli turns up dead, the police assume his killer is one of his business rivals. But Hayley wonders whether someone is taking the contest a little too seriously. With the police following the wrong recipe, it’s up to Hayley to find the killer before she’s eliminated from the show...permanently.AN EXCERPT FROM TOPPED CHEF: Chapter One “When you wake up in the morning, Pooh,” said Piglet at last, “what’s the first thing you say to yourself?” “What’s for breakfast?” said Pooh. “What do you say, Piglet?” “I say, ‘I wonder what’s going to happen exciting today?’ ” said Piglet.Pooh nodded thoughtfully. “It’s the same thing,” he said.— A. A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh Evinrude woke me from a sound sleep, first with his rumbling purr and then with a gentle but persistent tapping of paw to cheek. I blinked my eyes open—the bedside clock read six fifteen. I hissed softly at his gray-striped face. “I love you dearly, but you’re a monster,” I told him as I rolled out of bed. “Spoiled rotten cat flesh.” Tail hoisted high, he trotted out of the room ahead of me, meowing loudly. Miss Gloria’s lithe black cat, Sparky, intercepted him before he reached the food bowls lined up in the corner of the tiny galley of our houseboat. He sprang onto Evinrude’s back and wrestled him to the floor. While they boxed and nipped at each other, I poured a ration of kibbles into each bowl, refreshed their water, and then staggered onto the deck to check out the morning. To finish reading this excerpt, visit the author's website HERE. ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Pseudonym for Roberta Isleib.Lucy Burdette is the author of the Key West Food Critic Mystery series, launching in January 2012 with AN APPETITE FOR MURDER. Lucy’s alter-ego, clinical psychologist Roberta Isleib, has published eight mysteries including the Golf Lover’s Mystery series and the Advice Column Mystery series for Berkley Prime Crime. Her books and stories have been short-listed for Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity awards. She’s a member of Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime, and a past-president of Sisters in Crime. OTHER BOOKS BY LUCY BURDETTE: GIVEAWAYTHANKS TO KAYLEIGH AND THE GOOD FOLKSAT OBSIDIAN AND PENGUIN BOOKS,I HAVE ONE COPY OF TOPPED CHEF,TO GIVE AWAY TO A LUCKY READER --U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY --NO P. O. BOXES---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESSIN CASE YOU WIN!--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE! HOW TO ENTER: +1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU READ ABOVE ABOUT TOPPED CHEF THAT MADE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK, AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING AT LUCY BURDETTE'S WEBSITE HERE +1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE WAY YOU FOLLOW MY BLOG. IF YOU FOLLOW MORE THAN ONE WAY, YOU CAN COMMENT SEPARATELY AND EACH WILL COUNT AS AN ENTRY +1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON A CURRENT GIVEAWAY THAT YOU HAVE ENTERED ON MY BLOG. IF YOU ENTERED MORE THAN ONE, YOU MAY COMMENT SEPARATELY FOR EACH TO RECEIVE MORE ENTRIES GIVEAWAY ENDS AT 6 PM, EST, JU