Friday Finds (May 6, 2011)

Friday Finds is hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading.

The Scent of Rain and Lightning

by Nancy Pickard

One beautiful summer afternoon, from her bedroom window on the second floor, Jody Linder is unnerved to see her three uncles parking their pickups in front of her parents’ house—or what she calls her parents’ house, even though Jay and Laurie Jo Linder have been gone almost all of Jody’s life. “What is this fearsome thing I see?” the young high school English teacher whispers, mimicking Shakespeare. Polished boots, pressed jeans, fresh white shirts, Stetsons—her uncles’ suspiciously clean visiting clothes are a disturbing sign.


The three bring shocking news: The man convicted of murdering Jody’s father is being released from prison and returning to the small town of Rose, Kansas. It has been twenty-six years since that stormy night when, as baby Jody lay asleep in her crib, her father was shot and killed and her mother disappeared, presumed dead. Neither the protective embrace of Jody’s uncles nor the safe haven of her grandparents’ ranch could erase the pain caused by Billy Crosby on that catastrophic night.


Now Billy Crosby has been granted a new trial, thanks in large part to the efforts of his son, Collin, a lawyer who has spent most of his life trying to prove his father’s innocence. As Jody lives only a few doors down from the Crosbys, she knows that sooner or later she’ll come face-to-face with the man who she believes destroyed her family.


What she doesn’t expect are the heated exchanges with Collin. Having grown up practically side by side in this very small town, Jody and Collin have had a long history of carefully avoiding each other’s eyes. Now Jody discovers that underneath their antagonism is a shared sense of loss that no one else could possibly understand. As she revisits old wounds, startling revelations compel her to uncover the dangerous truth about her family’s tragic past.


Engrossing, lyrical, and suspenseful, The Scent of Rain and Lightning captures the essence of small-town America—its heartfelt intimacy and its darkest secrets—where through struggle and hardship people still dare to hope for a better future. For Jody Linder, maybe even love.

The House on Olive Street

by Robyn Carr

The loss of their close friend draws four women together. And a summer spent sorting through personal effects offers the perfect challenge—and the perfect escape.


Sable—her bestselling novels have made her a star, but the woman who has everything, in fact, has nothing but a past she is desperate to hide


Elly—the intellectual who has hidden herself within the walls of academia, afraid to admit she is tired of being alone


Barbara Ann—the talent behind twenty-six romance novels wakes up one day to discover she's lost control of her career, her sanity and her family


Beth—her popular mysteries have become the only way she can fight against the secret tyranny of an abusive husband


In the house on Olive Street, away from their troubles, the four women discover something marvelous: themselves. And along the way they realize a dream. For, in telling the story of a remarkable woman, their own lives begin to change.

Book Beginnings on Friday (May 6, 2011)

How to participate: Share the first line (or two) of the book you are currently reading on your blog or in the comments. Include the title and the author so we know what you're reading. Then, if you would like, let us know what your first impressions were based on that first line, and let us know if you liked or did not like the sentence. The link-up will be at A Few More Pages every Friday and will be open for the entire week.

I just started this one last night - Here is the first couple of sentences:

(1863)

Captain Samuel Whiting removed his gloves and sat on the cot in his tent.  It had been a long, grueling day of battle, and his clothes were soaked through with sweat.

(from Darkness Follows byMike Dellosso)

These first two lines are from the Prologue and so I don't think they give a good feel for the book.  I want to include the first couple of sentences from the first chapter also:

(Present day)

Sam Travis awoke in the middle of the night, cold and terrified.  The dream had come again.  His brother.  The shot.

These sentences I think represent the book more - they definitely intrigued me more!  Seems like there is going to be a mystery of some kind and notice the first name of both characters - Samuel and Sam - wondering what the relationship there is.  This book will be reviewed here on May 10 - so be sure to come back and see my final impressions!



WoW Weekly 100 Words (5-4-2011)

WoW Weekly 100 Words is a Wednesday Blog Hop hosted by Ruthi Reads. (Just click on the picture to take you there).   Weekly 100 Words shares exactly 100 words from your current read.  You should then go post your URL at the linky at Ruthi Reads!

I cannot tell you how many years I have lived trying to tame a swirling mind and quell a churning stomach as a result of fear, guilt, anger, or sometimes just too much coffee.  I'm fundamentally wired a little tight and anxious, but I'll tell you that the vast majority of my internal unrest had little to do with my DNA and much  more to do with a waning trust in God while indulging myself down paths of my own choosing.  Sometimes my anxiety had to do with wounds that lie open with no balm. But no matter the source, . . .

(p 117, The Fitting Room by Kelly Minter)

You can use The Word Count Tool to count your excerpt.  Just type in the box and when you have 100 words you can cut and paste!

Waiting on Wednesday: 11/22/63

This week's pre-publication can't wait to read selection is:

11/22/63

by Stephen King

Publication Date: November 8, 2011

On November 22, 1963, three shots rang out in Dallas, President Kennedy died, and the world changed. What if you could change it back? Stephen King’s heart-stoppingly dramatic new novel is about a man who travels back in time to prevent the JFK assassination—a thousand page tour de force.

Following his massively successful novel Under the Dome, King sweeps readers back in time to another moment—a real life moment—when everything went wrong: the JFK assassination. And he introduces readers to a character who has the power to change the course of history.

Jake Epping is a thirty-five-year-old high school English teacher in Lisbon Falls, Maine, who makes extra money teaching adults in the GED program. He receives an essay from one of the students—a gruesome, harrowing first person story about the night 50 years ago when Harry Dunning’s father came home and killed his mother, his sister, and his brother with a hammer. Harry escaped with a smashed leg, as evidenced by his crooked walk.

Not much later, Jake’s friend Al, who runs the local diner, divulges a secret: his storeroom is a portal to 1958. He enlists Jake on an insane—and insanely possible—mission to try to prevent the Kennedy assassination. So begins Jake’s new life as George Amberson and his new world of Elvis and JFK, of big American cars and sock hops, of a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald and a beautiful high school librarian named Sadie Dunhill, who becomes the love of Jake’s life—a life that transgresses all the normal rules of time.


A tribute to a simpler era and a devastating exercise in escalating suspense, 11/22/63 is Stephen King at his epic best.


Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

WWW Wednesdays (May 4, 2011)

WWW Wednesdays is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.  To play along just answer the following three questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you'll read next?

Currently reading:



Recently finished:
















Reading Next:

Teaser Tuesday (May 3, 2011)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
• Then visit MizB and add your link!

The moment he said that I felt my smile disappear. There was something I needed to tell him. I'd planned to wait until tomorrow so that tonight we could both relax and unwind.  Suddenly, though, I knew I wasn't going to be able to keep my mouth shut. (p69, The Midwife's Confession by Diane Chamberlain)

It's Monday! What are you reading?

What are you reading on Mondays is hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey - You can hook up with the Mr. Linky there with your own post - but be sure and let me know what you are reading too! 


Boy, I had a lousy reading week - just can't seem to concentrate on anything right now.  Even after signing up for the week long readathon, still couldn't read for more than a little bit at a time.  I didn't even write any reviews last week and they are really starting to pile up.

Currently Reading:  
The Midwife's Confession by Diane Chamberlain

Quit Reading:
Demons Are a Girl's Best Friend by Linda Wisdom - This was a good book, and one that I think I will like, I am just really burnt out on paranormal right now - that seems like all I have been reading lately.


Next Up:
The Silenced: A Novel by Brett Battles
The Fitting Room: Putting On the Character of Christ by Kelly Minter

E-Book:
Sudden Moves: A Young Adult Mystery by Kelli Sue Landon
Katrina, The Beginning (Royal Blood Chronicles) by Elizabeth Loraine

Next E-Books up:
The Witches Lottery (Enchanted Island Series) by Krystal McLaughlin
Life From Scratch by Melissa Ford
Deadly Errors by Allen Wyler


Bathroom Book:
Surrender the Dark by L.A. Banks - almost done with this one - should have a new bathroom book this week


Audio Book
One for the Money (Stephanie Plum, No. 1) by Janet Evanovich

Reviewed Last Week:

Children's Books Reviewed Last Week:


Waiting for Reviews:Wither (The Chemical Garden Trilogy)by Lauren DeStefanoFlavors by Emily Sue HarveyReading Lips: A Memoir of Kisses by Emily Sue HarveyChildren's Books waiting for Review:
Little Star by Anthony DeStefano
Pearl's Wisdom by Auntie LuLu
Bug Meets His Friend (Bug's Adventure Series) by K.M. Groshek
Good Night, Little Sea Otter by Janet Halfmann

GIVEAWAYS:
Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer - ends May 7
Texas Blue by Jodi Thomas - ends May 7

Upcoming giveaways:
Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda
The Girl in the Green Raincoat by Laura Lippman
Redeemer by Jeffrey S. Williams
Daddy's Little Squirrel by Kayla Shurley Davidson

READY - SET - READ!

Mailbox Monday! (May 2, 2011)

 Mailbox Monday's host for May is Mari at Mari Reads. In My Mailbox is hosted Sundays at The Story Siren. Please visit these posts and take a look at what packages everybody else got this week! 

 

 

Graveminder

by Melissa Marr

 

Maylene Barrow bears a special responsibility in the town of Claysville, a duty to the newly departed that keeps all she knows and loves safe.

 

Rebekkah Barrow, Maylene's granddaughter, left Claysville a decade ago, trying to put painful memories behind her.

 

William Montgomery was Claysville's Undertaker and Maylene's best friend for a lifetime.

 

Byron Montgomery, following in his father's footsteps as the town's new Undertaker, is tied to the Barrow women -- first Rebekkah's dead sister, Ella, and now Rebekkah -- in ways he is only beginning to understand.

 

But evil has been let loose in Claysville, and now Maylene is dead.  It falls to Rebekkah to return to the town -- and the man -- she left behind to stop a monster and keep the dead in their place.

 

 

A Dog Named Slugger

by Leigh Brill

 

"I have cerebral palsy. I walk funny and my balance is bad. I fall a lot. My hands shake, too. That means I'm not so good at carrying things. And if I drop stuff, sometimes it's hard to just bend down and get it." I waited anxiously for the interviewer's response. She smiled. "It sounds like a service dog could be great for you."


So began Leigh Brill's journey toward independence and confidence, all thanks to a trained companion dog named Slugger. The struggling college student and the Labrador with "a coat like sunshine" and a tail that never stopped wagging became an instant team. Together, they transformed a challenge into a triumph, eventually inspiring and educating all whom they met.

 

The Soldier's Wife

by Margaret Leroy

 

A lush, atmospheric story of love, war and sacrifice set during the occupation of the small Channel Island of Guernsey during World War II asks the question:

"How well do you really know someone?"

 

As the war draws closer and closer to Guernsey and her home, Vivienne de la Mare knows that there will be sacrifices to be made.  Not just for herself, but for her two young daughters and for her mother-in-law, for whom she cares while her husband is away fighting.

 

What she does not know nor expect is that she will fall in love with one of the enigmatic German soldiers who take up residence in the house next door to her home.  As their relationship intensifies, so do the pressures on Vivienne.  Food and resources grow scant, dementia takes hold of her mother-in-law, and the restrictions placed upon the residents of the island grow with each passing week.  Though Vivienne knows the perils of her love affair with Gunther, she believes that she can keep their relationship -- and her family -- safe.  But when her young daughter befriends a prisoner from a work camp, she must decide if she is willing to risk her personal happiness for the life of a stranger.

 

A novel full of grand passion and intensity, The Soldier's Wife makes readers take pause and wonder "What would you do for your family?"  "What should you do for a stranger?"  and "What would you do for love?"

 

 

Wildefire

by Karsten Knight

 

Ashline Wilde is having a rough sophomore year. She's struggling to find her place as the only Polynesian girl in school, her boyfriend just cheated on her, and now her runaway sister, Eve, has decided to barge back into her life.  When Eve's violent behavior escalates and she does the unthinkable, Ash transfers to a remote private school nestled in California's redwoods, hoping to put the tragedy behind her.

 

But her fresh start at Blackwood Academy doesn't go as planned.  Just as Ash is beginning to enjoy the perks of her new school -- being captain of the tennis team, a steamy romance with a hot local park ranger -- Ash discovers that a group of gods and goddesses have mysteriously enrolled at Blackwood. . . and she's one of them.  To make matters worse, Eve has resurfaced to haunt Ash, and she's got some strange abilities of her own.  With a war between the gods looming over campus, Ash must master the new fire smoldering within before she clashes with her sister one more time. . .

 

And when warm and cold fronts collide, there's guaranteed to be a storm.

 

 

Enclave

by Ann Aguirre

 

WELCOME TO THE APOCALYPSE

 

Deuce lives in an enclave, deep underground. Her friends are her family; her life revolves around training to become a Huntress, one of the elite cadres who protect the enclave.

 

Deuce is partnered with a mysterious Hunter named Fade, who is said to have lived in the surface world as a young boy.  When she and Fade discover that the neighboring enclave has been decimated by the tunnel monsters -- or Freaks -- which seem to be growing more and more organized, the elders refuse to listen to warnings.  And when Deuce and Fade are exiled from the enclave, the girl born in darkness must survive in daylight, in the ruins of a city whose population has dwindled to a few dangerous gangs.  As the two are guided by Fade's long-ago memories, they face dangers, and feelings, unlike any they've ever known.

 

 

A Time for Patriots

by Dale Brown

 

When murderous bands of militiamen begin roaming the western United States and attacking government agencies, it will take a dedicated group of the nation's finest and toughest civilian airmen to put an end to the homegrown insurgency.  U.S. Air Force Lieutenant-General Patrick McLanahan vows to take to the skies to join the fight, but when his son, Bradley, also signs up, they find themselves caught in a deadly game against a shadowy opponent.

 

When the stock markets crash and the U.S. economy falls into a crippling recession, everything changes for newly elected president Kenneth Phoenix.  Politically exhausted from a bruising and divisive election, Phoenix must order a series of massive tax cuts and wipe out entire cabinet-level departments to reduce government spending.  With reductions in education and transportation, an incapacitated National Guard, and the loss of public safety budgets, entire communities of armed citizens band together for survival and mutual protection.  Against this dismal backdrop, a SWAT team is ambushed and radioactive materials are stolen by a group calling themselves the Knights of the True Republic.  Is the battle against the government about to be taken to a new and deadlier level?

 

In this time of crisis, a citizen organization rises to the task of protecting their fellow countrymen:  the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), the U.S. Air Force auxiliary.  The Nevada Wing -- led by retired Air Force Lieutenant-General Patrick McLanahan, his son, Bradley, and other volunteers -- uses their military skills in the sky and on the ground to hunt down violent terrorists.  But how will Patrick respond when extremists launch a catastrophic dirty bomb attack in Reno, spreading radiological fallout for miles?  And when Bradley is caught in a deadly double-cross that jeopardizes the CAP, Patrick will have to fight to find out where his friends' loyalties lie:  Are they with him and the CAP or with the terrorists?

 

With A Time for Patriots, the New York Times bestselling master of the modern thriller Dale Brown brings the battle home to explore a terrifying possibility -- the collapse of the American republic.

 

 

Original Sin

by Beth McMullen

 

Seeing Lucy Hamilton, you would think she is just like any other suburban stay-at-home San Francisco mom.  She takes her three-year-old son Theo to the beach, playground, and the zoo.  She makes organic applesauce, folds laundry, and plays on the floor with Matchbox cars until her knees ache.  What no one knows about Lucy, not even her adoring husband Will, is that for nine years she was known as Sally Sin, a spy for the USAWMD (United States Agency for Weapons of Mass Destruction).  And that's just the way Lucy wants to keep it -- a secret.

 

Ian Blackford, a notorious illegal arms dealer and Lucy's long-forgotten nemesis, returns to the USAWMD's radar, and they are forced to call Lucy back to action to lure Blackford out into the open.  As she races to unravel the mystery that surrounds Blackford's return (and get dinner on the table), she realizes that the answers she needs lie in a past that she's tried very hard to forget.  In a race against time, Lucy must fight to save herself, her family -- and, oh yes -- the world.

 

Now, True Lies meets I Don't Know How She Does It in a rollicking debut novel that reminds us all that "some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall."

 

 

 

E-Books received:

Echoes of Savanna

by Lucinda Moebius

 

Every generation has their defining moments, events that change history and turn the course of lives. Forever will the children of that generation be identified by those moments. Savanna Taylor is a medical doctor in 2036, the same year terrorists release a series of plagues and viruses into the world. She is a nineteen year old Brain Trust whose task it is to find a cure for the diseases and develop vaccines to prevent their further spread. The world is thrown in turmoil and Savanna needs to find a way to survive with her sanity and family intact. Can Savanna cope in a world in constant flux brought on by war and disease? Can she save the world and protect her loved ones or will she make the ultimate sacrifice? How will she be defined?



What books came home to you last week?

 

Teaser Tuesday! (April 26, 2011)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
• Then visit MizB and add your link!

The girls were filthy and still in their nightgowns, but they were strong enough.  We left the small room and went quickly back along the corridor.  (p69, Katrina, The Beginning)

Spring's Serentity Starting Line and First Mini Challenge

Well - seeing as it is after 10pm and I am just now getting to the starting post for the readathon this week, I am off to a slow start!  I am already a book behind as I wanted to try to read one book a day!  Oh well, maybe tomorrow will be better. . .

As to what I am going to try to read this week - these are on the list, but they are in no particular order.  It is going to depend on how the mood strikes me.

1. Demons Are a Girl's Best Friend by Linda Wisdom
2. The Silenced: A Novel by Brett Battles
3. Cold Wind (A Joe Pickett Novel) by C.J. Box
4. Reading Lips: A Memoir of Kisses by Claudia Sternback
5. Alice in Zombieland by Lewis Carroll and Nickolas Cook
6. The Baby Planner by Josie Brown
7. Mothers and Daughters: A Novel by Rae Meadows

I also have some books on my Nook that I am hoping to get to read at least one of:

1. Katrina, The Beginning (Royal Blood Chronicles) by Elizabeth Loraine (This is the first in a series of 4 - so depending on how it grabs me I might continue on in the series.)
2. Sudden Moves: A Young Adult Mystery by Kelli Sue Landon


For the mini challenge we are to take at least 3 of the books on our list and combine the first sentence of each into a paragraph, so I am going to go hunt down my books and pull the first 4 that I find.   Ok, I'm back - here goes -

It's the middle of the night.   Petra glanced at her watch. "Oh yeah, just another Saturday night hitting the clubs, watching the dancers, feeling blood stream out of my ears." He set out breakfast on what would be his last day on earth.


Well - that was kind of interesting.  Here are where the sentences are from:

It's the middle of the night.  (Reading Lips)
Petra glanced at her watch. (The Silenced)
"Oh yeah, just another Saturday night hitting the clubs, watching the dancers, feeling blood stream out of my ears." (Demon's are a Girl's Best Friend)
He set out breakfast on what would be his last day on earth. (Cold Wind)