Chick Lit

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

Reviewed by Krystal Larson Readers will be happy to be reacquainted with Rory, the main character from the first book in the series, The Name of the Star. Rory was nearly a victim of the Jack the Ripper copycat and helped to bring about his downfall. She is still suffering from the ill effects of being in the horrible murderer’s presence. She sees a therapist and frequently highlights her fear and doubts to the reader. Rory discovered a lot about herself after the first book’s ending and she matured as well. The reader will love this new, open Rory. The plot of The Madness Underneath is much like the first book’s. Around halfway through the book, Rory stumbles upon a murder that occurs near her school. Clearly, Rory must help track down and eliminate the culprit. She discovers that the murder has a supernatural hint to it and ends up learning about yet another ability that she possesses. The story continues with Rory acting as a sleuth. Overall, The Madness Underneath was a good book, however, the reader has to appreciate the slow pace of the novel. This book felt like one of those winding brooks, where the plot slowly develops and unravels and the characters delve into the mystery bit by bit. This book reminded me of a Poirot or Agatha Christie novel; the suspense is built up ever so slowly and the author takes the time to acquaint the reader with every aspect of the novel. There might not have been constant action (though there is plenty towards the end!), but this book is sure to leave readers satisfied. Rating: ★★★½☆ Krystal is a young college student who loves meeting new authors and finding great books! Her favorite place to read is the Botanic Gardens. Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Putnam Juvenile. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received. Pin It

Title: The Hypothetical Gentleman (Goodreads) Publisher: IDW Publishing Source: Publisher / Netgalley Publication Date: 19 March 2013 Series or Standalone: Series ISBN: 1613775792 Format: ebook Pages:104 The Author on the Web: Andy Diggle Brandon Seifert The Illustrators on the Web Mark Buckingham Philip Bond Place(s) Traveled to: London, England (1814 & 1851) Rating: 3 out of 5 stars First Line: NA Anyone who knows me knows that I'm crazy addicted to Doctor Who and have been since I was a child. I watch the show every week and when its on hiatus I will watch old episodes on Netflix. But despite my deep love of the show I've never branched into any of the books or comics that exist in the world about it. That is until recently when this one appeared on Netgalley. I was really curious about it and so decided to request it. This was a quick read, as you can imagine since it is a graphic novel/comic. There are two stories contained in this comic and both of them felt flat to me. The stories were just so-so and never once could I imagine The Doctor, Amy, or Rory saying any of the lines that they said. The whole thing felt so still and flat. And yes I know its a comic so its all drawings but I've read comics in which you get a sense of suspense and movement and that never happened here. The drawings were just blah and most felt like they were a bit unfinished. Overall, this one just wasn't for me and I don't think I'll be checking out other Doctor Who comics in the future. I may check out some of the books that are out there but I am doubtful if they'll live up to the show. For me, I think that Doctor Who will always be something that needs to be visual and if a comic can't bring me that same magic that I love about the show then I'm not sure anything will.

WELCOME TO BOOKIN' WITH BINGO'S" ARE YOU LISTENING? DAY" I AM EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE TODAY'S AUDIO BOOK CHOICE.... 12th OF NEVERA New Women's Murder Club Novel BY JAMES PATTERSON& MAXINE PAETROMY THOUGHTS/REVIEW:ALEX CROSS needs to watch out! As my number one favorite James Patterson character, new Cross books are always eagerly awaited and enjoyed once read. However, Cross is getting stiff competition from Lindsay Boxer and her crew in THE WOMEN’S MURDER CLUB series. In the Murder Club’s latest installment, 12th OF NEVER, Patterson and Maxine Paetro have given readers another engaging and riveting novel. In fact, I wager to say that 12th OF NEVER is the best of the series to date! You do not have had to read the rest of the series to enjoy the book either. It, like all in the series, stands very well on its own. Listening to the audio book was a real treat as well as I didn’t have to stop reading just because I was doing something else. It is such a page turner that you can’t stop reading the exciting short chapters that encourage you to always read “just one more”!With Lindsay Boxer now a new mom, the story adds that extra tenderness and romance to it in just the right dosage to make it tug at your heart as well as worry about her even more. The major case that she is working on involves a serial killer with a touch of eccentricity to it. An English professor, Dr. Perry Judd, has revealed to the police that he dreams of murders and then they happen. His dreams are spot on for the most part as he can describe the who, what, where, and how of each murder. His dreams are patiently listened to at first but when the murders actually take place, the San Francisco Police Department springs into action. How can this be? Each time, they investigate Judd, he always has a solid alibi. Boxer and partner, Rich Conklin, are stumped. All this is happening at the same time that Lindsay and Joe are dealing with a fussy baby who finally gets a diagnosis no parent wants to hear. Of course, all of the club members are involved in 12th OF NEVER as D. A. Yuki Castellano is trying a huge profile murder case that should be a slam dunk until a surprise witness appears! Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Claire Washburn is about to autopsy a murder victim, who just happens to be the girlfriend of a football celebrity, when the body comes up missing. Claire is devastated and the puzzling missing body is one that gives readers a real tough time trying to figure out what happened. The mystery with Cindy Thomas, our newspaper reporter, is that as Rich Conklin’s fiancée she should be happily in love but something is going on that changes all that by the end of the story. What that is will all play out as readers will see eventually.Add in just one more tiny detail (yes, it doesn’t stay tiny very long), a jailed serial killer wants to chime in on the current murders but will only “work” with Lindsay. Lindsay has her hands full with the current serial killer/psychic professor case and a sick baby so this is the last thing she needs. 12th OF NEVER is a heart stopping, exciting read and without spoiling it, let me just say it is the best ending Patterson has written for one of these books ever! Love it or hate it, you will be caught up in 12th OF NEVER and its mysterious climax is one you will talk about long after you finish that last page GIVEAWAY THANK YOU TO MITCH AND MY GOODFRIENDS AT HACHETTE BOOKS FOR AN AUDIO BOOK COPY OF 12th OF NEVER THAT I AM ABLE TO OFFER AS A GIVEAWAY TO ONE LUCKY READER OF MY BLOG --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:BONUS ENTRIES--BE SURE AND CHECK OUT THE ORIGINAL POST ON THIS BOOK BY GOING HERE+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT MY REVIEW ABOVE ABOUT THE AUDIO BOOK 12th OF NEVER THAT DID, OR DIDN'T, MAKE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK, AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS +1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS

Reviewed by Amanda Farmer A Stranger in Wynnedower opens up with Rachel Sevier going to Wynnedower Mansion in Virginia to find out why her brother has stopped taking her phone calls. What she finds at the mansion is a lot of mystery and Jack, the owner of the home. Jack is bad tempered, has a short fuse, and has multiple personalities that Rachel soon meets. Rachel takes it upon herself to stay at the mansion until she hears from her brother; she does inventory on the house’s belongings, many of which are antiques. Along the way, Rachel and Jack develop a type of friendship. Rachel also meets the family cook, May, who has secrets of her own, as well as Helene, the reclusive sister of Jack. Throw in the legend of Wynnedower treasure and Rachel has a nice little mystery on her hands to solve and find a way to save the home from being sold. After reading A Stranger in Wynnedower I was left feeling let down and disappointed. I was hoping for so much more from the story but it was way too drawn out and way too predictable. The characters had no depth to them and I felt no attachment to them as I was reading the story. I was hoping for a modern day retelling of Beauty and the Beast and this story was definitely not it. I found myself wanting to stop reading this story multiple times and eventually ended up skimming some of the paragraphs in order to finish, which I hate to do. The only redeeming thing about the story was the descriptions about Wynnedower Mansion and I felt like I was there at the house. I would not recommend this story to others to read. Rating: ★★☆☆☆ Amanda loves spending time at home with her husband and their dog, Oreo. She loves reading, playing puzzle games, beading and watching movies. When she’s not reading, she’s working on her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing. Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Grace Greene. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received. Pin It

To participate in Saturday Snapshot: post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky below. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don’t post random photos that you find online.More Wyoming photos: .misterlinky_admin { background: gray; border: 3px solid #fff; -moz-border-radius: 12px; border-radius: 12px; text-align: center; color: white; padding: 4px !important; } .misterlinky_admin a { color: white !important; text-decoration: underline; } .misterlinky_admin p { margin: 0 !important; padding: 4px !important; color: white !important; } © 2013, At Home With Books. All rights reserved.

As promised, on the 10th of every month, I give away an item of their choice to the most creative/prolific contributor to Luxury Reading! This month, the winner is… Colleen Turner! Please post a comment here with your item selection. Remember, you can now pick any item from Amazon. The contest started over on May 10th. I will be announcing the new winner on June 10th. There is no limit to how many times you can win and remember, you can comment on any post, not just new ones. Remember, frequency of commenting counts, but so does the quality – a creative and relevant comment will get you more points than something like “sounds great”. Every month, I will pick a winner and post their name, as well as send them an e-mail. Get commenting! Pin It

Reviewed by Meg Massey No one seems to understand strange governess Eliza Sumner, who makes a fool of herself at a party where a majority of New York society is in attendance. But what no one realizes is that Eliza is really Lady Eliza Sumner, a woman that has lost her family, her fiance, and her faith. She is in America to find Lord Southmoor, the man who took advantage of her family and stole her fortune. Unfortunately, Eliza’s ideas don’t go as planned, and her mishaps lead her straight into the arms of Hamilton Beckett, a young man that every woman in New York is hoping to marry. But widower Hamilton has no plans to marry again, as he is busy taking care of his two children. When the two of them discover that they share a common enemy, they join forces. With the help of Eliza’s friend Agatha and Hamilton’s brother Zayne, they may stand a chance at catching those who have wronged them. But are their enemies too powerful and dangerous? Could their quest for revenge cost them their lives? Jen Turano’s debut novel, A Change of Fortune, is an often hilarious and sometimes very poignant look into the the lives of two people who have given up on happiness and love. Lady Eliza has set her sights on revenge, and in the process, may overlook the most important relationship of her life. Despite her faults, you’ll love Lady Eliza, and root for her to overcome her past and embrace a new love and a new future. You’ll also find yourself falling for heroic and loving Hamilton, and hopeful that the two of them will survive their quest to find the happy ending they deserve. Rating: ★★★★☆ Meg lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, Ryan. Library professional by day, freelance writer by night, Meg writes about life, entertainment and everything in between on her blog. Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Bethany House. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received. Pin It

My thanks to Jess over at Gone With the Words for bringing On the Island to my attention. I realize I'm likely the last person to the table here, but I literally had not heard anything about it before I ran across it on her list of books she liked way more than she thought she would. What a happy list, right? Then I sifted through the almost overwhelmingly positive reactions from my Goodreads peeps and decided this book I would normally have been firmly on the fence about might actually be a book very much for me. I don't generally go in for survival stories. And May-December relationships work for me even less often than survival stories do. A novel that combines both seemed doomed to DNF status. But. I had a feeling. One of those good ones. Originally self-published by Tracey Garvis Graves, On the Island was later picked up by Penguin. As far as the cover goes, I will simply say that I wish it reflected the harrowing nature of Anna's story a bit more.It wasn't what she wanted to do this summer. But it has to be better than sitting around at home making no forward progress at all. Which is exactly what she'd be doing if she stayed. Anna and her longtime boyfriend John have been rather pointedly not circling the issue of taking their relationship to the next level for years now, and Anna can't take it anymore. So she accepts the offer to tutor T.J. Callahan at his family's summer rental home in the Maldives. Seventeen-year-old T.J. is recovering from Hodgkin's lymphoma and is way behind in school. His parents set up this summer vacation to celebrate the remission of his cancer and to help him ease back into his former life again. And so the somewhat mutually reluctant Anna and T.J. board a plane to the Maldives to meet up with his parents and sisters who are already there. But when their pilot has a heart attack in mid-air, their plane goes down somewhere in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Injured and completely alone, the two of them manage to make it to a nearby island where they attempt to survive and somehow signal the searchers that must be out there looking for them. But as the days and weeks stretch on, it seems clear that any rescuers who might have been looking have given up by now.It shouldn't work. I mean, we all know what the inevitable is in such a situation, do we not? And it really shouldn't work. But somehow it just . . . does. Graves' writing is very straightforward and unadorned. Yet somehow that lack of pretension perfectly suits the starkness of Anna and T.J.'s situation. In fact, I thought the whole stranded on a desert island scenario was handled remarkably well. I had no trouble at all sinking into the monotony (and occasional terror) of their days. Both rather pragmatic, they develop into a strong team as they learn to do what they have to to survive, including everything from climbing trees to knock down unidentifiable fruit to dealing with injuries and building shelter. I confess, I drank it in. Nothing about their story feels rushed. And, as the years pass, it almost takes you by surprise how protective and fond of these characters you become. I appreciated the consistency with which Ms. Graves drew Anna and T.J. Perhaps most relieving of all is that they remain their ages. There is no romantic blurring of the lines between a thirty-year-old woman and a teenage boy on the cusp of manhood. The issue is always there throughout the entire book. And while the extremity and desperation of the circumstances do force their hands to a degree, that consistency and unrushed approach pays off in a big way when the inevitable eventually does happen. And that payoff sees you (and them) through the remainder of their story, which includes the unimaginable return to their lives that were and all the resistance and post-traumatic strain that entails. I didn't expect to harbor the feelings I do for this book. It has its flaws, to be sure. But I read it through in one sitting. The sweetness and openness that form its