tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49877221846866607702024-03-18T01:42:57.715-06:00My BookshelfShirleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06065113724187544247noreply@blogger.comBlogger1044125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987722184686660770.post-76209417299997620862015-11-11T14:45:00.001-07:002015-11-11T14:45:40.671-07:00Winnie the Pooh - the true tale<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Shirleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06065113724187544247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987722184686660770.post-89743404935557653232015-10-31T10:11:00.003-06:002015-10-31T10:11:14.337-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Shirleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06065113724187544247noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987722184686660770.post-77852134915743030362015-10-06T14:06:00.001-06:002015-10-06T14:06:58.377-06:00Adieu for Now.<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVXhh6qCpkcAUz7ABRqr3jgRZm_Cnz_pPee8zIVKor_Cao6P5wQmRBwdzlhUKeudr8BOI9YkA9-0Hv2sMOO2O7mXNQrIFQqHUMB7unNuihhWMfBqUczmYPK2tgiLRwZEYlU4cWbmCS08o/s1600/beach-read.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVXhh6qCpkcAUz7ABRqr3jgRZm_Cnz_pPee8zIVKor_Cao6P5wQmRBwdzlhUKeudr8BOI9YkA9-0Hv2sMOO2O7mXNQrIFQqHUMB7unNuihhWMfBqUczmYPK2tgiLRwZEYlU4cWbmCS08o/s320/beach-read.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">As many of my readers have noticed, I have been away from this blog for some time now. There have been several events in my life that have taken my attention and energy, so for now I will be taking a blogging vacation. I'm not sure when or if I'll return to this particular blog but you can still find me at Living the Gardening Life. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I wish you all well and want to express my deepest gratitude for your support and readership. Take care.</span></div>
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Shirleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06065113724187544247noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987722184686660770.post-12467151792490842662015-08-09T17:04:00.001-06:002015-08-09T17:04:06.550-06:00Happy Book Lover's Day!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Shirleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06065113724187544247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987722184686660770.post-2420234394713287852015-08-04T07:19:00.003-06:002015-08-04T07:19:37.319-06:00Freda's Voice is Celebrating Her Blogoversary and You Could Win!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYIEnZWET4vmbY-VnIBIc3MObdUqh8xkC65QmrK_LudbjLjZkZHhXNzFNUcvIB3-N8nRcvPBswiHmAH2KFV6ktxqJiZWkKUjGEHP9cYuMnVA8VnnhV25SF2CLm32SBT_pIte6w_Rvj7HI/s1600/31521_411126474784_3857018_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYIEnZWET4vmbY-VnIBIc3MObdUqh8xkC65QmrK_LudbjLjZkZHhXNzFNUcvIB3-N8nRcvPBswiHmAH2KFV6ktxqJiZWkKUjGEHP9cYuMnVA8VnnhV25SF2CLm32SBT_pIte6w_Rvj7HI/s1600/31521_411126474784_3857018_n.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Freda's Voice, a lifestyle blog with high book overtones, is celebrating her sixth anniversary in the blogosphere with a contest! Click on the link below to enter to win a book of your choice from Amazon.com.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.fredasvoice.com/2015/08/blogoversary-bash-win-book-of-your.html?spref=bl">Freda's Voice: Blogoversary Bash #Win the Book of Your Choice</a>: Happy blogoversary to me Happy blogoversary to me Happy blogoversary, Freda's Voice Happy blogoversary.....</span><br />
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Shirleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06065113724187544247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987722184686660770.post-83374910002563435482015-07-23T09:17:00.001-06:002015-07-23T09:17:10.866-06:00Reading is that Fruitful Miracle ..... <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I found this image on Facebook today and had to share it. I just love it.</span><div class="mrs fsm fwn fcg" style="color: #9197a3; margin-right: 5px;">
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Shirleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06065113724187544247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987722184686660770.post-18599140648109841242015-07-21T13:49:00.000-06:002015-07-21T13:49:12.337-06:00Now Reading: Harper Lee's "Go Set a Watchman"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1oCjuTVo-N59tXVG5UnsyaTljQNpc3muiL3lL6FmNehkCxgPXO9JOafZCvUb7J-TnRPEphDgvHZ9Uj0IJjv1_6mcxG-1LfJsOiJ10oN2k0U_8lcga2_T8smq8n9RdLsW2ppcpD92IKEw/s1600/IMG_9174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1oCjuTVo-N59tXVG5UnsyaTljQNpc3muiL3lL6FmNehkCxgPXO9JOafZCvUb7J-TnRPEphDgvHZ9Uj0IJjv1_6mcxG-1LfJsOiJ10oN2k0U_8lcga2_T8smq8n9RdLsW2ppcpD92IKEw/s400/IMG_9174.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Review to follow shortly</span></div>
Shirleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06065113724187544247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987722184686660770.post-63599431061495523932015-07-21T12:46:00.001-06:002015-07-21T13:42:06.723-06:00Second Life by S.J. Watson (TLC Book Review)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>Second Life</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Author: S.J. Watson</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Published: June 2015</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Publisher: Harper</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Genre: Fiction/Suspense</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Source: a complimentary copy was provided by TLC Book Tours and the publisher in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>From the New York Times bestselling author of <u>Before I Go to Sleep</u>, a sensational new psychological thriller about a woman with a secret identity that threatens to destroy her.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>How well can you really know another person? How far would you go to find the truth about someone you love?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>When Julia learns that her sister has been violently murdered, she must uncover why. But Julia’s quest quickly evolves into an alluring exploration of own darkest sensual desires. Becoming involved with a dangerous stranger online, she’s losing herself . . . losing control . . . perhaps losing everything. Her search for answers will jeopardize her marriage, her family, and her life.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>A tense and unrelenting novel that explores the secret lives people lead; and the dark places in which they can find themselves <b>Second Life</b> is a masterwork of suspense from the acclaimed S. J. Watson.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 17.72841453552246px;">Julia has a loving husband and son, a career as a photographer and a secret. Jayne has a lover, likes playing games, taking risks...within reason. Jayne also has a husband and a son and is Julia's secret. Jayne is Julia's alternate - the person she becomes in her determination to find her sister's killer and if that means taking on an alternate lifestyle, she's willing. She'll </span></span><span style="line-height: 17.72841453552246px;">play</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 17.72841453552246px;"> the games ... have an affair. But then she begins to have feelings for Lukas. Lukas has secrets too. There's a side of him that seems sinister but then he can explain or make her think she's misjudged him. He's playing the </span></span><span style="line-height: 17.72841453552246px;">mind games and because she doesn't follow her gut, doesn't question him until it's too late, she's trapped.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 17.72841453552246px;">Worried her husband will find out and she may lose her son, Julia is thrown deeper into a life of betrayal, of sinister mysteries, of life and death and she can't get out. Not without betraying herself. It may be too late... too late for her marriage and too late for herself. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 17.72841453552246px;"><u>Before I Go To Sleep</u> was a spell-binding, page turner that was, incredibly, S.J. Watson's first novel. Now he has returned with <b>Second Life</b>, another that is truly "unrelenting" in its narrative and plot. It's hard to put down. The antagonist is well-hidden and the reader may guess the identity of the killer and yet, you wonder. There's an odd clue here and there, hidden...almost unseen. It's not until the very end, the last three pages in fact, that real truths are revealed. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 17.72841453552246px;">Though at times I could have yelled Julia for being so daft; there are times I understand her and feel compassion for her situation. Watson has developed Julia with keen attention to the frailties of humanity. Her strengths and weaknesses are imbalanced, just as anyone in crisis can be, so her actions and reactions appear viable. Her priorities become out of whack, the deeper she delves into her deception. Her husband Hugh can see the lack, he calls her on it more than once but he has no idea, no inkling of what is really going on at all. At the end, he is just as surprised as anyone how the plot unfolds. <b> Second Life</b> is another testament to Watson's ability to develop a good supporting cast in a plot that twists and conceals and shocks at its final reveal.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 17.72841453552246px;">For suspense, mystery and psychological thriller lovers; Second Life should be the next book on your TBR list.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 17.72841453552246px;">Warning: explicit language and sexual situations</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Meet the Author:</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Bu69ylUOfwflN2PGAGMGvvc5KaGr0c8ZVn1XnUE5_JigNnKM8ZkA5tk1MnS-dS-5Qn7AsQI0dQcPZrIm3YJXsOTLQxpVrGVqV-9Od31V8DNxl7QiSWMNCd2AVvWA0S1cJCLR-aWmmWk/s1600/S-J-Watson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Bu69ylUOfwflN2PGAGMGvvc5KaGr0c8ZVn1XnUE5_JigNnKM8ZkA5tk1MnS-dS-5Qn7AsQI0dQcPZrIm3YJXsOTLQxpVrGVqV-9Od31V8DNxl7QiSWMNCd2AVvWA0S1cJCLR-aWmmWk/s1600/S-J-Watson.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">S. J. Watson was born in the Midlands and lives in London. His first novel was the award-winning <em>Before I Go to Sleep</em>, which has sold over four million copies in more than forty languages around the world. It was recently adapted into a major motion picture starring Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth, and Mark Strong.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Find out more about S.J. at his <a href="http://www.sjwatson-books.com/" style="color: #003366; text-decoration: none;">website</a>, and follow him on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/S.J.Watson.Writer" style="color: #003366; text-decoration: none;">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/SJ_Watson" style="color: #003366; text-decoration: none;">Twitter</a>.</span></div>
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Shirleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06065113724187544247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987722184686660770.post-26223406081814773492015-06-10T07:45:00.000-06:002015-06-10T07:45:23.251-06:00The American Wife by Taya Kyle (TLC Book Tours review)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmZm9MACdFmCPJah_Z80QYVDlPCZydcbsmP9GdJuXYg30WadJ6KcSF2u3dnmQDVldPUgxNRGKDD93cXK4ogmBo2wuUFhVkD0qpuE1WS9wKQ1PIeYw54bTqGZh-k5g-bhmD88niITkseI0/s1600/American-Wife.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmZm9MACdFmCPJah_Z80QYVDlPCZydcbsmP9GdJuXYg30WadJ6KcSF2u3dnmQDVldPUgxNRGKDD93cXK4ogmBo2wuUFhVkD0qpuE1WS9wKQ1PIeYw54bTqGZh-k5g-bhmD88niITkseI0/s320/American-Wife.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">The American Wife</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Author: Taya Kyle</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Published: May 2015</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Publisher: William Morrow</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Pages: 304</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Genre: memoir</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Source: a complimentary copy was provided by the publisher and TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">The widow of “<span class="il">American</span> Sniper” Chris Kyle shares her private story: an unforgettable testament to the power of love and faith in the face of war and unimaginable loss--and a moving tribute to a man whose true heroism ran even deeper than the legend.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">In early 2013, Taya Kyle and her husband Chris were the happiest they ever had been. Their decade-long marriage had survived years of war that took Chris, a U.S. Navy SEAL, away from Taya and their two children for agonizingly long stretches while he put his life on the line in nearly every major battle of the Iraq War. After struggling to readjust to life out of the military, Chris had found new purpose in redirecting his lifelong dedication to service to supporting veterans and their families. Their love had deepened, and, most special of all, their family was whole, finally.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Then, the unthinkable. On February 2, 2013, Chris was killed while attempting to help a troubled vet. The life they fought so hard to build together was shattered. In an instant, Taya became a single parent of two. A widow. A young woman facing the rest of her life without the man she loved.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Chris and Taya’s remarkable story has captivated millions through Clint Eastwood’s blockbuster, Academy Award-nominated film American Sniper, starring Bradley Cooper as Chris and Sienna Miller as Taya, and because of Chris’s bestselling memoir, in which Taya contributed passages that formed the book’s emotional core. Now, with trusted collaborator Jim DeFelice, Taya writes in never-before-told detail about the hours, days, and months after his shocking death when grief threatened to overwhelm her. Then there were wearying battles to protect her husband’s legacy and reputation.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">And yet throughout, friendship, family, and a deepening faith were lifelines that sustained her and the kids when the sorrow became too much. Two years after her husband’s death, Taya has found renewed meaning and connection to Chris by advancing their shared mission of “serving those who serve others,” particularly military and first-responder families. She and the children now are embracing a new future, one that honors the past but also looks forward with hope, gratitude, and joy.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="il">American</span> <span class="il">Wife</span> is one of the most remarkable memoirs of the year -- a universal chronicle of love and heartbreak, service and sacrifice, faith and purpose that will inspire every reader.</span></i></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23361218-american-wife?from_search=true" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><img alt="Add to Goodreads badge" class="CToWUd" height="41" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEg4rjeJF6ITgmtmbVW3dMiUUiDmlinJM7Wq5aEN7T3jcvnNrV45HTLaBnA7hMG_CesSRJKTF8SW50b6NUDLc0BYconWCpivEtfbNZAXo8p_C04144wazOhESinKXsHCCPK9SdtFooLUP0O-vzJW0wVvjAV_ru3n53D5yIcCdG-bdhtHOr5VIod2WxqaYuw=s0-d-e1-ft" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="130" /></a></div>
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<strong>Purchase Links</strong></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/American-Wife-Memoir-Faith-Renewal/dp/0062398083/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427504349&sr=8-1&keywords=American+Wife" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Amazon </a>| <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780062398086" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">IndieBound</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/american-wife-taya-kyle/1121198809?ean=9780062398086" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">First there was the bestseller <i>American Sniper</i> written by Chris Kyle. Chris Kyle served as a sniper in the U.S Navy Seals. He earned a reputation for being cool under fire and for his incredible marksmanship. Tragically, Chris was killed by a fellow returned vet at a gun range. His legacy lives on with his wife and two children. <b>The American Wife</b> is Chris' wife Taya's story.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The American Wife</b>, written with the assistance of Jim DeFelice, chronicles Taya's and Chris' life together as a married couple madly in love. Taya shares the days of their courtship, marriage and parenthood. The struggles of being the one left at home while her spouse served overseas are real and relatable. Through two pregnancies for which Chris miraculously was home to support her through childbirth, Taya writes of months being home alone. Pregnancy, raising children alone for months at a time, all unfathomable to me but Taya, like so many other military wives, did it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Chris rarely spoke about his missions to Taya while he was serving in the Seals. The horrors he faced, the lives he defended, the people he saved were things he kept to himself while he was gone. It wasn't until he left the Navy Seals that Taya learned what it was really like out there. Of course he wasn't alone as a returned "soldier of war" and this is where Chris found a new purpose at home, serving other returned vets. Sadly, one day one of those vets would be so scarred, not only from war, that he took Chris' life at a gun range.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Left alone, a widow and mother of two, Taya struggled to live on. The love of her life had ironically lost his life at home while trying to help another vet. Taya shares her sorrows, her grief, and the road to learning to live her new life without Chris. The pain is palpable, and the reader feels it keenly as we share her experiences. Her struggle back to living and finding a new purpose is encouraging and courageous and certainly an example of strength and perseverance. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Taya's story is one of love and faith and endurance. She is a modern day example of strength under adversity. <b>American Wife</b> is an encouraging read for women everywhere.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">About the author:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;">Taya Kyle founded the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation in honor of her late husband Chris Kyle, legendary U.S. Navy SEAL and author of the bestsellers </span><em style="text-align: start;"><span class="il">American</span> Sniper</em><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"> and </span><em style="text-align: start;"><span class="il">American</span> Gun</em><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;">. The foundation is devoted to strengthening the marriages of veterans and first responders. An active public speaker, Taya Kyle makes frequent appearances at fund-raisers and other events, inspiring others to find strength and persevere through struggles. She and her two children live in Texas.</span></span></div>
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Shirleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06065113724187544247noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987722184686660770.post-59862628829630430392015-05-08T12:05:00.000-06:002015-05-12T12:05:53.886-06:00Finding Jake by Bryan Reardon (TLC book review)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Finding Jake</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Author: Bryan Reardon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Published: February 2015</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Publisher: William Morrow</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Pages: 272</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Genre: psychological suspense</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Source: A copy was provided by the publisher in coordination with TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">A heart-wrenching yet ultimately uplifting story of psychological suspense in which a parent is forced to confront what he does—and does not—know about his teenage son.</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">For sixteen years, Simon Connelly's successful wife has gone to her law office each day, while he has stayed home to raise their children. Though Simon has loved taking care of <span class="il">Jake</span> and Laney, it has cost him a part of himself, and has made him an anomaly in his pretty, suburban neighborhood—the only stay-at-home dad among a tight circle of mothers.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Shepherding them through childhood, the angst-ridden father has tried to do the best for the kids, even if he often second-guesses his choices. For sunny, outgoing Laney, it's been easy. But quiet <span class="il">Jake</span>has always preferred the company of his books or his sister to playdates and organized sports. Now that they are in high school, Simon should feel more relaxed, but he doesn't. He's seen the statistics, read the headlines.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Then, on a warm November day, he receives a text: There has been a shooting at the high school.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Racing to the rendezvous point, Simon is forced to wait with scores of other anxious fathers and tearful mothers, overwhelmed by the disturbing questions running through his head. How many victims were there? Why did this happen? One by one, parents are reunited with their children. Their numbers dwindle, until Simon is alone. Laney has gone home with her mom. <span class="il">Jake</span> is the only child missing.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">As his worst nightmare unfolds, Simon begins to obsess over the past, searching for answers, for hope, for the memory of the boy he raised, for the mistakes he must have made, for the reason everything came to this. Where is <span class="il">Jake</span>? What happened in those final moments? Is it possible he doesn't really know his son? Or he knows him better than he thought? <span class="il">Jake</span> could not have done this—or could he?</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">As rumors begin to ricochet, amplified by an invasive media, Simon must <span class="il">find</span> answers. But there is only one way to understand what has happened . . . he must <span class="il">find</span> <span class="il">Jake</span>.</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">A story of faith and conviction, strength and courage, love and doubt that is harrowing and heartbreaking, surprisingly healing and redemptive, <span class="il">Finding</span> <span class="il">Jake</span> asks us to consider how well we know ourselves . . . and those we love.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">My Thoughts:</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">"Shots have been fired at the high school. Calmly report to St. Michael's across Route 5."</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">This is the text every parent received. Even more horrific, was word that Jake, Simon and Rachel's son, was not among the students accounted for. Could he have been involved or had he been killed?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The author slips back in time, recounting Simon's memories of the birth and childhood of his son. His mind searching, probing, questioning... was there any hint that Jake could have done something like this? As Simon recounts memories of the often quiet and shy child, he begins to wonder what went wrong. He began to question the innocence he hoped for. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">As a parent I could feel Simon's pain, his questions were the same I know I would ask myself. What went wrong? Was Jake capable of murder? Did his friendship with the boy who shot himself also mean he was involved? Did he try to stop him? Did he run away and was in hiding?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">As the details begin to unfold, the truth becomes clear. <b>Finding Jake</b>'s plot is a psychological suspense that begs the reader to question how well do we really know our children, our spouse, our neighbours? Can you trust your own instincts?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I will not soon forget <b>Finding Jake</b>. Reardon makes you think, feel and question. It's an amazing and emotional read which I highly recommend!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Meet the author:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAD4S4tr0JmicNjTNtTsIjHEkj4XvcI9lreI8weQK8H8n2ee9jFwkP_l6xx5XHrn332jMaBNdcNPD9eBVqgyw7hPZ69b1uURQlUlWd3Y5EFYWXw5NSHrl0AfiAblmkmqrCOpdaReq2S5w/s1600/Bryan-Reardon-300x200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAD4S4tr0JmicNjTNtTsIjHEkj4XvcI9lreI8weQK8H8n2ee9jFwkP_l6xx5XHrn332jMaBNdcNPD9eBVqgyw7hPZ69b1uURQlUlWd3Y5EFYWXw5NSHrl0AfiAblmkmqrCOpdaReq2S5w/s1600/Bryan-Reardon-300x200.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Bryan Reardon is a freelance writer specializing in medical communications. He co-wrote Ready, Set, Play with retired NFL player and ESPN analyst Mark Schlereth and Cruel Harvest. Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Bryan worked for the State of Delaware for over a decade, starting in the Office of the Governor. He holds a BA in psychology from the University of Notre Dame and lives in West Chester, Pennsylvania, with his wife, kids, and rescue dog, Simon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Connect with Bryan on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bryan-Reardon/847349101984382" style="color: #003366; text-decoration: none;">Facebook</a>.</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Purchase Links</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Jake-Novel-Bryan-Reardon/dp/0062339486/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1428090730&sr=8-1&keywords=finding+jake" style="color: #003366; text-decoration: none;">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780062339485" style="color: #003366; text-decoration: none;">IndieBound</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/finding-jake-bryan-reardon/1119645613?ean=9780062339485" style="color: #003366; text-decoration: none;">Barnes & Noble</a></span></div>
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Shirleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06065113724187544247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987722184686660770.post-38786519444939066422015-05-06T12:42:00.004-06:002015-05-06T12:43:52.259-06:00The Dead Key by D.M. Pulley (TLC Book Review)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>The Dead Key</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Author: D. M. Pulley</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Published: March 1, 2015</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Publisher: Thomas and Mercer</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Pages: 477</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Genre: mystery</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Source: a copy was provided by the publisher in coordination with TLC book tours in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">It’s 1998, and for years the old First Bank of Cleveland has sat abandoned, perfectly preserved, its secrets only speculated on by the outside world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Twenty years before, amid strange staff disappearances and allegations of fraud, panicked investors sold Cleveland’s largest bank in the middle of the night, locking out customers and employees, and thwarting a looming federal investigation. In the confusion that followed, the keys to the vault’s safe-deposit boxes were lost.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In the years since, Cleveland’s wealthy businessmen kept the truth buried in the abandoned high-rise. The ransacked offices and forgotten safe-deposit boxes remain locked in time, until young engineer Iris Latch stumbles upon them during a renovation survey. What begins as a welcome break from her cubicle becomes an obsession as Iris unravels the bank’s sordid past. With each haunting revelation, Iris follows the looming shadow of the past deeper into the vault—and soon realizes that the key to the mystery comes at an astonishing price.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">My thoughts:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Finally I've had some time to sit and read and it looks like <b>The Dead Key </b>was just waiting for me. I couldn't be more pleased to have picked up this debut novel to hunker down with. It was difficult to put it down after breaks at work were done and the chapters flew by. Finally got a day off due to bad weather; it's snowing!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 17.72841453552246px;"><b>The Dead Key</b> is a fascinating story of two women, in different time periods and how their lives intersect. 1978 the Cleveland bank shut down without explanation. Staff were locked out and customers were not allowed access. There's a huge secret hidden in those walls of solid wood, tin ceilings and marble executive bathrooms. When Iris Catch is given the assignment to draw out the floor plans for the abandoned bank, she uncovers some oddities and can't control her curiosity. Hidden rooms, a safety deposit key, missing records.... all beg her attention. Dangerously so....</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 17.72841453552246px;"><b>The Dead Key</b> is one of those hard to put down novels that captivates you and has you turning the chapters late into the night. I love a book that draws you in so close you lose track of time and the outside world. Good thing, considering the outside world is white and cold today. Having just finished, I must recommend this book! Treachery, lies, forbidden attraction....need I say more?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Meet the Author: D. M. Pulley</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 17.72841453552246px;">D. M. Pulley’s first novel, <b>The Dead Key</b>, was inspired by her work as a structural engineer in Cleveland, Ohio. During a survey of an abandoned building, she discovered a basement vault full of unclaimed safe deposit boxes. The mystery behind the vault haunted her for years, until she put down her calculator and started writing. </span><em style="color: black; line-height: 17.72841453552246px;">The Dead Key</em><span style="color: black; line-height: 17.72841453552246px;"> was the 2014 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award grand prize winner. Pulley continues to work as a private consultant and forensic engineer, investigating building failures and designing renovations. She lives in northeast Ohio with her husband and two children, and she is currently at work on her second novel.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://amazon.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a></span><span style="color: black;">: </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Dead-Key-D-Pulley/dp/1477820876/ref=tmm_pap_title_0" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/The-<wbr></wbr><span class="il">Dead</span>-<span class="il">Key</span>-D-Pulley/dp/<wbr></wbr>1477820876/ref=tmm_pap_title_0</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Goodreads: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22077587-the-dead-key?from_search=true" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://www.goodreads.com/<wbr></wbr>book/show/22077587-the-<span class="il">dead</span>-<wbr></wbr><span class="il">key</span>?from_search=true</a></span></div>
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Shirleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06065113724187544247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987722184686660770.post-53765740278186506002015-04-26T11:06:00.000-06:002015-04-26T11:06:48.404-06:00"We Can Get Kids Reading"<a href="http://www.jamespatterson.com/about_we-can-get-kids-reading.php#.VT0PILqZszI">http://www.jamespatterson.com/about_we-can-get-kids-reading.php#.VT0PILqZszI</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Is literacy important to you and your family? Are you having trouble getting your kids to read or finding books that engage them? Author James Patterson, whose books have sold over 300,000,000 copies during his career as a writer, has some advice for parents regarding getting your kids to read.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Patterson is a staunch supporter of this segment of the arts, giving away $1000000 to independent bookstores in the states. He also rallied behind school libraries, giving $1.25 million dollars to school libraries via grants in association with Scholastic Reading Club. Libraries may request funds for repairs or new projects, according to <a href="http://mediaroom.scholastic.com/press-release/james-patterson-and-scholastic-partner-help-save-school-libraries">a news release</a> March 9, 2015.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The message, the more your kids read, the better readers they will be. Reading opens doors to better schools, careers, etc. Here are a few sites that will help you entice your child to read, to find that book that hooks them into a lifetime of reading joy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://readkiddoread.com/" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; color: #005bbb; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">ReadKiddoRead.com</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">, </span><a href="http://guysread.com/" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; color: #005bbb; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">GuysRead.com</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">, </span><a href="http://www.oprah.com/packages/kid-reading-list.html" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; color: #005bbb; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Oprah.com's Kids' Reading List</a>,<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"> </span><a href="http://ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/rusa/awards/readinglist/index.cfm" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; color: #005bbb; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">The American Library Association (ALA)</a>, <span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"> </span><a href="http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/yalsa.cfm" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; color: #005bbb; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA)</a><a href="http://dropeverythingandread.com/book.html" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; color: #005bbb; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">DropEverythingandRead.com</a> (<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">"Favorite D.E.A.R. Books" tab on its home page). </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In Canada: Indigo Books and Chapters has a Love of Reading Program which supports in need school libraries through a grant. Schools across Canada may apply to be considered for a grant. Learn more </span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3C/font%3E%3C/span%3Ehttp://www.loveofreading.org/code/navigate.asp?Id=132"><u><span style="color: #660000;">here</span></u><a href="">. </a></a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here are a few sites in Canada that support building literacy: </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.firstbookcanada.org/">First Book Canada</a> , <a href="http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/brochure/meread/meread.pdf">Me Read, No Way!</a>, <a href="http://abclifeliteracy.ca/programs_initiatives">ABC Life Literacy Canada</a>, <a href="http://www.iode.ca/iode-read-for-life-literacy-program.html">IODE Read for Life Literacy Program<a href="">, <a href="https://tdreads.com/">TD Reads</a> (click on the resources tab).</a></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">"For a child, the more time spent with a parent reading aloud increases his or her level of attachment, enhances a sense of security, and imparts the knowledge that their parent feels they are worthwhile people with whom to spend time." (</span><em style="border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">How to Raise a Reader</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">, 1987). </span></span></div>
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Shirleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06065113724187544247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987722184686660770.post-61617045084604756942015-04-25T14:12:00.001-06:002015-04-27T09:55:39.141-06:00Very Good Lives by J.K. Rowling (book review)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Very Good Lives</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Author: J.K.Rowling</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Published: April 2015</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (Hachette Book Group)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Source: Purchased</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">ISBN: 9780316369152</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><i><b style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">J.K. Rowling, one of the world's most inspiring writers, shares her wisdom and advice.</b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"> </span></i></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><i style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333; text-align: center;">In 2008, J.K. Rowling delivered a deeply affecting commencement speech at Harvard University. Now published for the first time in book form, VERY GOOD LIVES presents J.K. Rowling's words of wisdom for anyone at a turning point in life. How can we embrace failure? And how can we use our imagination to better both ourselves and others?</span></i></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><i style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Drawing from stories of her own post-graduate years, the world famous author addresses some of life's most important questions with acuity and emotional force.</span></i></i></span></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sales of VERY GOOD LIVES will benefit both Lumos, a non-profit international organization founded by J.K. Rowling, which works to end the institutionalization of children around the world, and university-wide financial aid at Harvard University. </span></i></div>
</span></i></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span><i><span style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">"We do not need magic to transform our world: we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already."</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Whether graduating or facing a change in your life, <b>Very Good Lives</b> is the perfect pick-me-up piece of advice one could hope to receive. Failure is a friend, not a foe and imagination can better the world. </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">J.K. Rowling's Harvard Commencement speech is now in hardcover for all to benefit from. </span></i><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Drawing from her personal life experiences and the teachings of such as the Greek author Plutarch, Rowling engages the reader with </span></i><span style="font-size: large;"><i>encouragement and enlightenment, sharing her own personal failure and struggles. Rowling outlines what made her who she is today, from writing in diners to working with a human aide organization and the horrific things she learned about those less fortunate. Her anecdotes encourage the reader/listener to not give up nor give in. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>"As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters." ~ J.K. Rowling</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Highly recommended for those changing their lives.</i></span></div>
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<i><br /></i><span style="font-size: large;">Note from the publisher:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">- J.K. Rowling’s Harvard commencement speech can be viewed online: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UibfDUPJAEU" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UibfDUPJAEU</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">- Click <a href="http://wearelumos.org/" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a> for more information about Lumos.</span></div>
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Shirleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06065113724187544247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987722184686660770.post-53070442958899030042015-04-25T12:54:00.000-06:002015-04-25T12:54:19.503-06:00Language is Powerful: Share Reading With Your Children<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qTJgJvbc7XQ?rel=0" width="640"></iframe><br />
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<br />Shirleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06065113724187544247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987722184686660770.post-18683441621520098282015-04-24T04:00:00.000-06:002015-04-23T23:37:13.703-06:00Grit in Your Craw by Robert Luckadoo (book review)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Grit in Grit in Your Craw</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">The 8 Strengths You Need to Succeed in Business and in Life</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Author: Robert Luckadoo</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Publisher: Southern Flair Communications</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Published: 2015</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Genre: self-help/business</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Source: a copy was provided by Cadence Group Marketing in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">ISBN: 9780990785606</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Available </span><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Grit-Your-Craw-Strengths-Business/dp/0990785602/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8">http://www.amazon.com/Grit-Your-Craw-Strengths-Business/dp/0990785602/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8</a></span><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Do you have confidence, discipline and a sense of purpose? Are you diligent, resilient, tenacious, optimistic and flexible? We all do, and we all have what it takes to succeed. All that¹s required is a willingness to dig deep and a personal commitment to achieving your highest goals. And of course, a little "grit in your craw" as they say in the south. </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"> You¹ll be enlightened and entertained as author Robert Luckadoo¹s life stories tug at your heartstrings and inspire you to dig deep inside yourself to find the eight strengths you need to succeed in your personal and professional life. This book will leave you with a tear in your eye, a big southern smile in your heart, and a recharged desire to be your best and find your true purpose in life.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Lately I have been enjoyed a few business and self-help books and you'll be seeing some of the reviews here. The latest read was <b>Grit in Your Craw</b> by Robert Luckadoo. It's a quick read which reiterates a lot of what you already know but in context which makes you realize how important diligence, optimism and/or resilience (for example) really is in your personal and business life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Luckadoo teaches there are eight strengths you can't succeed without. He doesn't believe in luck, good or bad. He believes you can create your own fortune and he explains how he did it using eight essential qualities: diligence, tenacity, optimism, flexibility discipline, resilience, confidence and purpose. Luckadoo has strong Christian values that come through in his writing; but don't worry, he's not preaching to you. These values are the foundation for his success.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">His mother is his first example of a role model who taught him diligence, tenacity, and perseverance...she embodied all the traits he adapted for success in his own life. When he was still in school his father died of a sudden heart attack and his mother, who had stayed at home with the kids, went to school and got her teaching degree. She went further and got her master's for education. She continued on as a "postgraduate student in the WCU education administration program." She taught her children to persevere through the trials and triumphs of life and to focus on their blessings.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 21.299999237060547px;">A private pilot who learned how to land a Cessna without barrel rolling, even in a cross-wind; a basketball coach; former insurance sales person; geophysicist and racing cars for fun; Luckadoo has worn many hats and has overcome and accomplished a lot. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 21.299999237060547px;"><i>"Carry your vision with great pride and enthusiasm. Go into every day with an optimistic outlook, and always check your troubles at the door to your office....bring lots of energy with you." - </i>One of his best pieces of advice.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 21.299999237060547px;">This isn't rocket science, in fact some of it is common to human nature. All of it can be learned behaviour which makes this book a universal resource. Whether you are looking to succeed in business or in life, <b>Grit in Your Craw </b>is worth the read.</span></span></span></div>
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Shirleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06065113724187544247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987722184686660770.post-67591483725393207182015-04-21T21:55:00.001-06:002015-04-21T21:55:29.583-06:00Much Better Now...When a Forgotten Book Reveals Itself<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/33822223" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe><br />
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<br />Shirleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06065113724187544247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987722184686660770.post-86335130187113207892015-02-19T03:59:00.000-07:002015-02-19T03:59:00.064-07:00Saying Goodbye to the Year of the Horse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> The Chinese New Year begins February 19/15, welcoming in the Year of the Sheep. Happy New Year!!!!</span></i>Shirleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06065113724187544247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987722184686660770.post-34564796328836722662015-02-07T13:45:00.003-07:002015-02-07T13:45:32.792-07:00The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules by Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg (book review)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Author: Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Published: 2012 (original) Canadian publication March 2014</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Publisher: Harper Collins</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Genre: fiction, general fiction, humour</span></div>
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<li itemprop="isbn" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ISBN:</strong> 9781443428262 (trade paperback)</span></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Source: personal copy</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Readers around the world have fallen in love with the Senior League, five residents of the Diamond Retirement HomeMartha, The Genius, The Rake, Christina and Anna-Gretawho turn to a life of crime.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>New owners have taken over the Diamond, making cost-cutting changes that have transformed the happy home into a dull and dreary place. The residents wonder if they wouldn’t be better off in prison! Martha gets an idea: they shall commit a crime that will ensure convictionsome type of financial crime, a small coup of some sort. They will give whatever they get to the poor and elderly. If Robin Hood could do it, so can they!</i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">What starts as a robbery attempt at a nearby luxury hotel escalates to art theft from a major museum, the culprits armed only with bolt cutters and high-tech walkers. The Mafia gets wind of these robberies, and suddenly the underworld has its eye on both the stolen paintings and the handiwork of The Genius. Soon the Senior League has both the law and the lawless at their heels.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">With all the recent cuts at their retirement home, Martha and her friends couldn't help compare their circumstances to those of prisoners. In fact, they noted that prisoners have it better! They get well-fed, exercise time outdoors, and access to a gym. Considering that, these five friends decide to commit the perfect crime where no one gets hurt but that offers an opportunity to better their situation with jail time!</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">If you're thinking this is outrageous and potentially hilarious, you're right! <b>The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules</b> is a wickedly funny look at the life of crime as only they can pull it off, walkers and canes and all!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">An enormous hit in Sweden, <b>The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules</b> was published in Canada in 2014. It has been a hit! I highly recommend it for the writing, the well-rounded characters, humour and tension. Pick it up and see for yourself.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">#TheLittleOldLadyWhoBrokeAlltheRules #bookreview #2014publication</span></span></div>
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Shirleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06065113724187544247noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987722184686660770.post-67227084616215186882015-01-20T16:12:00.003-07:002015-01-20T16:12:45.836-07:00Canada Reads (2015) Finalists Announced<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/5I8pqs-ADvc?rel=0" width="640"></iframe>Shirleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06065113724187544247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987722184686660770.post-47967614918846636972015-01-15T14:59:00.000-07:002015-01-15T14:59:43.714-07:00The Language of Hoofbeats by Catherine Ryan Hyde (book review)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>The Language of Hoofbeats</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Author: Catherine Ryan Hyde</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Published: December 2014</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Publisher: Lake Union Publishing</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Pages: 342</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Genre: Fiction </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Edition: Trade paperback</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Source: A complimentary copy was provided by the publisher and TLC book tours in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. </span></div>
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<i style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 17.72841453552246px; text-align: left;">From the bestselling author of </span><span style="line-height: 17.72841453552246px; text-align: left;">Pay It Forward</span><span style="line-height: 17.72841453552246px; text-align: left;"> comes a story of the heartbreak and healing power of family. New to a small town, Jackie and Paula envision a quiet life for their kids: a young adopted son and two teenage foster children, including the troubled Star. However, they quickly butt heads with their neighbor, Clementine, who disapproves of their lifestyle and is incensed when Star befriends her spirited horse, Comet. Haunted by past tragedy and unable to properly care for Comet, Clem nevertheless resents the bond Star soon shares with the horse. When Star disappears with Comet, the neighbors are thrown together—far too close together. But as the search for the pair wears on, both families must learn to put aside their animosity and confront the choices they’ve made and the scars they carry. Plumbing the depths of regret and forgiveness, </span><span style="line-height: 17.72841453552246px; text-align: left;">The Language of Hoofbeats</span><span style="line-height: 17.72841453552246px; text-align: left;"> explores the strange alchemy that transforms a group of people into a family.</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 17.72841453552246px;"><b>The Language of Hoofbeats</b> is a tender slower read that explores family and relationships in a story where a lesbian married couple with an adopted son and two foster children move to a small town where Paula practices large animal veterinary care and Jackie is an artist who works out of their home. One of their foster children, Star, hasn't been with them long enough for either Paula nor Jackie to really get to know but she comes from a home of neglect with a mother who was institutionalized with mental illness which brought Star into the foster care system.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 17.72841453552246px;">Moving can be difficult and each member of this family has their struggles with the adjustments to rural life. Star especially has a hard time of it until she meets Comet, the horse who lives in a small corral across the road from their new house. Star and Comet take to </span><span style="line-height: 17.72841453552246px;">each other instantly but Clementine, the horse's owner objects strongly to having "that girl" interfering with her horse. There's a long history behind Clementine's bitterness and it evolves through the book in chapters told in her voice alternating with chapters told in the others' voices. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 17.72841453552246px;">When Clementine refuses to sell Comet to the family, Star takes action and during the night sneaks out to set Comet and herself free. Their disappearance is the point from which the novel evolves.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 17.72841453552246px;"><b>The Language of Hoofbeats</b> explores the love of a girl for a horse and just how far one is willing to go to find that which they seek. It's a story of love, acceptance, understanding and sorrow and is sure to touch your heart and draw a tear. Catherine Ryan Hyde, as in <i>Pay it Forward</i>, reaches into the very soul of the characters whom she writes about and for whom she writes in this new novel, <b>The Language of Hoofbeats</b>. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Catherine Ryan Hyde is the bestselling author of twenty-four novels, including the 1999 smash hit <i>Pay It Forward</i>,which has been translated into more than two dozen languages, and was made into a major motion picture starring Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt, and Haley Joel Osment. In addition to her novels, Hyde is the author of more than fifty short stories and is founder and former president (2000–2009) of the Pay It Forward Foundation. During her years as a professional public speaker, she addressed the National Conference on Education, met with AmeriCorps members at the White House, and shared a dais with President Bill Clinton.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Connect with Catherine</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <a href="http://www.catherineryanhyde.com/" style="color: #003366; text-decoration: none;">Website</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/crhyde" style="color: #003366; text-decoration: none;">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/cryanhyde" style="color: #003366; text-decoration: none;">Twitter</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Moriarty</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Author: Anthony Horowitz</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Published: December 2014</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Publisher: Harper Collins</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Pages: 304</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Genre: Mystery</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Source: A complimentary copy was provided by the publisher and TLC book tours in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The game is once again afoot in this thrilling mystery from the bestselling author of The House of Silk, sanctioned by the Conan Doyle estate, which explores what really happened when Sherlock Holmes and his arch nemesis Professor Moriarty tumbled to their doom at the Reichenbach Falls.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Internationally bestselling author Anthony Horowitz’s nail-biting new novel plunges us back into the dark and complex world of detective Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty—dubbed the </i>"<i>Napoleon of crime" by Holmes—in the aftermath of their fateful struggle at the Reichenbach Falls.</i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Days after the encounter at the Swiss waterfall, Pinkerton detective agent Frederick Chase arrives in Europe from New York. Moriarty’s death has left an immediate, poisonous vacuum in the criminal underworld, and there is no shortage of candidates to take his place—including one particularly fiendish criminal mastermind.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Chase and Scotland Yard Inspector Athelney Jones, a devoted student of Holmes’ methods of investigation and deduction originally introduced by Conan Doyle in “The Sign of Four”, must forge a path through the darkest corners of England’s capital—from the elegant squares of Mayfair to the shadowy wharfs and alleyways of the London Docks—in pursuit of this sinister figure, a man much feared but seldom seen, who is determined to stake his claim as Moriarty’s successor.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">A riveting, deeply atmospheric tale of murder and menace, Moriarty breathes life into Holmes’ dark and fascinating world.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><strong>Available Now</strong>: <a href="http://www.harpercollins.com/9780062387844/the-three-monarchs" style="color: #003366; text-decoration: none;">“The Three Monarchs”</a>, an e-original Sherlock Holmes short story from Anthony Horowitz, including a preview chapter from Moriarty (on sale: December 9th). In “The Three Monarchs”, Sherlock Holmes and James Watson come together once again to uncover the motive behind a robbery gone awry. When an elderly man shoots an intruder he finds in his home, it seems like a clear case of self-defense. What’s not so clear is why the robber was there….<a href="http://www.harpercollins.com/9780062387844/the-three-monarchs" style="color: #003366; text-decoration: none;">Get your copy now</a>!</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Who doesn't love Sherlock Holmes? So if you do, you know that <b>Moriarty</b> is his chief enemy... the criminal mastermind Holmes is determined to see behind bars. In Horowitz's tale, Holmes and <b>Moriarty</b> are both dead after a struggle at a cliff's edge. With Moriarty's death, the way is clear for other criminal elements to make a stronghold in London and America is not too far a departure point for one such criminal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">A few short days following the demise of Holmes and <b>Moriarty</b>, Pinkerton agent Frederick Chase arrives in Europe on the trail of an American criminal whom he was assigned to bring back to America to face charges. Chase soon meets Scotland Yard Inspector Athelney Jones, a "student" in the ways of Sherlock Holmes, and together they scour London in search of the wanted criminal. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; line-height: 17.72841453552246px;">Horowitz is a </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 17.72841453552246px;">phenomenal writer! I was drawn in from the start and let me just say, the climax is a jaw dropper!!! It's been a long time since a book has had that effect and I was taken off guard by the twist that took my breath away!! That's a sure sign of success.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 17.72841453552246px;">I highly recommend <b>Moriarty</b> to all detective, mystery, and Sherlock Holmes fans. You will not be disappointed. 5/5!! Let me know if your jaw drops. ;)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Meet the Author:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheCyfRgOn_C8NcA6NcRqZ5kqdlGvW3YprMm-sduOWueVN3fo0047Q23h7nT4D7UEepFzibNfLsTBA8HoowJ7cihlSE-sqyc4goERm7ZpbtYla_1WRczcttOzaSzK0fntEju-aJi6uKORI/s1600/Anthony-Horowitz-300x200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheCyfRgOn_C8NcA6NcRqZ5kqdlGvW3YprMm-sduOWueVN3fo0047Q23h7nT4D7UEepFzibNfLsTBA8HoowJ7cihlSE-sqyc4goERm7ZpbtYla_1WRczcttOzaSzK0fntEju-aJi6uKORI/s1600/Anthony-Horowitz-300x200.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Anthony Horowitz is the author of the international bestseller <em>The House of Silk</em> and the <em>New York Times</em> number one bestselling Alex Rider series for Young Adults. As a television screenwriter he created both <em>Midsomer Murders</em>and the BAFTA-winning <em>Foyle’s War</em>, both of which were featured on PBS’s <em>Masterpiece Mystery</em>. He regularly contributes to a wide variety of national newspapers and magazines, and in January 2014 was awarded an OBE for his services to literature. He lives in London.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Find out more about Anthony at his <a href="http://www.anthonyhorowitz.com/" style="color: #003366; text-decoration: none;">website</a> and connect with him on <a href="https://twitter.com/AnthonyHorowitz" style="color: #003366; text-decoration: none;">Twitter</a>.</span></div>
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Shirleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06065113724187544247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987722184686660770.post-47508408780222681952015-01-03T07:59:00.004-07:002015-01-03T08:26:05.348-07:00The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies - Success or Disappointment?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">We went to see the final instalment in <i>The Hobbit</i> trilogy last night. It was good but I am conflicted and I'll tell you why in a bit. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This instalment ties <i>The Hobbit</i> to <i>The Lord of the Rings</i> quite well. Before it, there seemed to be quite a gap between the two but <i>The Battle of the Five Armies</i> ties them together nicely and the ending was perfect in achieving this. The sketches displayed in the closing credits were incredibly lifelike and revealing of each character's attributes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The music score, well I love it! Particularly the last song to play during the credits, <a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3C/font%3Ehttp://www.watertower-music.com/releases_spotlight.php?search=WTM39601_hobbit3"><span style="font-size: large;">The Last Goodbye by Billy Boyd</span></a>. It's incredibly beautiful. As is the song that plays during the trailer below.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It's been several years since I've read <i>The Hobbit</i>, as in junior high school, so I'm vague on details, but I recall it being more focused on Smeagol and Bilbo Baggins. Jackson has done a phenomenal job bringing the book to life thus increasing Tolkien readership and fandom. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The cinematography in all three films was phenomenal, the special effects always astounding even if unrealistic. But this is fantasy, right? </span><span style="font-size: large;"> The casting agent should be applauded! Each character was genuine and believable as the actors portrayed them. My biggest conflict lies with the plot of this particular film. The movie is certainly enthralling, I'll give it that; however, the creative license that took <i>The Hobbit,</i> a children's novel, and brought this incredible work to an enormous audience, also included a battle which never occurred in <i>The Hobbit</i>, the book. I</span><span style="font-size: large;"> know it's titled <i>The Battle of the Five Armies;</i> it just seems superfluous and the entire book could easily have been a two film adaptation. Was an enormous battle scene the best way to tie <i>The Hobbit</i> to the trilogy of <i>The Lord of the Rings</i>? Perhaps it was, but it still irks me that this film strayed so far from the original inspiration for the series, the book <i>The Hobbit</i>. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Opinions?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Oh, and wasn't the original title to be "<i>There and Back Again</i>"? I rather liked that. I guess that's the romantic in me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large; text-align: justify;">Happy Birthday J.R.R. Tolkien, January 3.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">#TheBattleoftheFiveArmies #TheHobbit #PeterJackson #songscore #ThereandBackAgain #LordoftheRings </span></div>
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Shirleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06065113724187544247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987722184686660770.post-42701002639289591222014-12-31T16:41:00.001-07:002014-12-31T16:41:28.065-07:00Happy New Year!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Shirleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06065113724187544247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987722184686660770.post-41494816848145991302014-12-03T16:54:00.000-07:002014-12-03T16:54:16.909-07:00Look at the Time!<br />
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/218846863118530955/">http://www.pinterest.com/pin/218846863118530955/</a></div>
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I saw this on Facebook earlier and had to share!!</div>
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Shirleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06065113724187544247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987722184686660770.post-81062404173358359632014-11-27T15:50:00.000-07:002014-11-27T19:24:31.561-07:00Author PD James Died Today - 94 Incredible Years!<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: large;">"When I heard, Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, I thought, Did he fall or was he pushed?"</span></div>
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<img src="webkit-fake-url://6CA7336B-5C95-4C1A-AB60-26129A92C356/imagejpeg" />Shirleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06065113724187544247noreply@blogger.com0