TSS: READING, RESPITE, & REINVENTING OURSELVES — APRIL 28

Good morning!  It is a beautiful day here, and I’m looking forward to what the day will bring.

Sunday Salon is a great way to begin the week, and it’s like a gathering post for bloggers to share their adventures.

I’ve done quite a bit of reading, a little blogging, and yesterday I took a break to see  a movie I’ve been eagerly awaiting.

The Company You Keep, with a wonderful cast that includes Robert Redford, Julie Christie, Susan Sarandon, and many others, took me back to a time in my life….and I just sat there absorbing it all.  I haven’t been buying as many DVDs lately (I have 800+ on my shelves!), but this is one I’m going to add.

So after a nice respite, I grabbed my book again.

My Week on the Blogs:

Tuesday Intros/Teasers:  The Smart One

Waiting on Wednesday with Morning Glory

Thursday Potpourri:  Disturbing Midnight Moments

A Guilty Pleasures Treat:  Book Beginnings/Friday 56 – Tapestry of Fortunes

Sweet Saturday Sample:  Awaiting her Fate (An Excerpt from Defining Moments)

Reading-Click Titles/Covers for Reviews:

Drinking with Men, by Rosie Schaap

The Smart One, by Jennifer Close

 

The Good House (e-book), by Ann Leary

 

Lucky Me (Memoir), by Sachi Parker

 

And late yesterday, I started reading Tapestry of Fortunes, by Elizabeth Berg…and I’m savoring it!

A story of reinventing your life, which sometimes means downsizing and recreating everything.

I like this blurb from the Amazon page:  In this beautifully written novel, leaving home brings revelations, reunions, and unexpected turns that affirm the inner truths of women’s lives. “Maybe Freud didn’t know the answer to what women want, but Elizabeth Berg certainly does,” said USA Today. Elizabeth Berg has crafted a novel rich in understanding of women’s longings, loves, and abiding friendships, which weave together into a tapestry of fortunes that connects us all.

What does your day—and your week—look like?  Come on by and chat.

 

SERENDIPITOUS THURSDAYS — BOOKISH MOMENTS — APRIL 11

Welcome to Serendipitous Thursdays, and pull up a chair while we talk about bookish things in the Booking Through Thursday event.

Today’s Prompt:

What’s the last book that made you spring to your feet, eager to spread the word and tell everyone how much you enjoyed it?

***

Funny you should ask, as I just finished a book that I thought would be lovely, but which turned into something so much more.  There were secrets, a bit of a mystery, and a suspenseful journey through Europe to right a wrong.

The Summer of France (click link for my review) was that book, by Paulita Kincer (Blogger at An Accidental Blog).

I could not put it down!  I got my copy as an e-book….and Sparky traveled with me everywhere until I turned the last page.  It was true serendipity!

***

What was that book for you?

 

 

SERENDIPITY IN SEDONA — A REVIEW

When Georgia Mae Brown’s husband Ed died unexpectedly, and in somewhat sleazy circumstances, her life became one of loss, pain, and humiliation. But when she also discovered a secret stash of money, she sees a door opening to new possibilities. So on a day in April, Georgia literally walks out of her life. The boring, painful, predictable life in Columbus, Ohio.

It starts as an impulsive plan to drive to the grocery store, but she keeps going. Not sure where the journey will lead, she is excited and energized. And driving along in her deceased husband’s prize possession, a vintage Fleetwood, she feels limitless.

At a gas station, she notices an Arizona license plate, and the passenger casually suggests a trip to Sedona.

As the miles click away, Georgia is not at all sure where she’ll end up, but the journey has opened a whole new world. A few days later, sitting in a small cafe in Sedona, she has no idea where she will go next or what the day will bring. But something clicks for her in this place.

What happens next to draw Georgia further into this new life? Who will she meet that first day that will open up her world and bless her with friendship and connection? And how will her grown children back in Ohio try to turn her around and bring her back to familiarity and the past she wants to forget?

A story about taking a leap of faith and making one’s own destiny is also one about fate or serendipity and how one never knows what might be right around the next corner. I loved the characters that populated Three Moons Over Sedona, from Trish, the owner of the Soft Rock Cafe to Zoe, whose Moon Tide New Age shop helps change the way Georgia looks at her life. I felt frustrated with Georgia’s daughter Susan, who treated her mother dismissively, as if she were a crazed person. But as I learned more about her, I could understand her reaction. I also enjoyed learning about the events in the lives of Zoe and Trish, and the mysterious cafe customer named Doc.

Yes, the serendipitous moments could almost seem magical, or even unlikely. But as the events fell into place for the characters, and as new love hovered overhead, I felt that pleasant connection to them all. I have personally fallen in love with Sedona and enjoyed revisiting it through the characters in this four star read.

SERENDIPITOUS MOMENTS: CORRECTING THE PAST — A REVIEW

 

 

 

Dr. Sam Moore, retired physician, is drawn into a murder mystery by his friend, Lou, the county coroner in their small town.

As first one, then another murder happens, the link to Sam himself seems to suggest a dark and evil presence from the past.

But how many more people will have to die before Sam discovers what is happening?

How does a green marble with strange connections to Sam’s childhood and his deceased brother Billy help Sam figure out the mystery? And how, when tragic events occur, will that same marble help Sam return to the past and correct the mistakes that have cost him everything?

An intriguing, time-traveling mystery, For Keeps (Sam Moore mystery) is a story about correcting mistakes, learning from the past, and starting over. Four stars.

SERENDIPITOUS MOMENTS WITH DOGS — A REVIEW

A dog person without a dog, Alison Pace set about to change the texture of her life to include one.  She had grown up with numerous dogs, but in her first NY apartment, dogs were not allowed.

Told in an anecdotal style that leads the reader through the various tales of her life, You Tell Your Dog First is a funny, poignant, and inspirational read that hooked me immediately.

The first dog in the author’s adult life is like a touchstone, telling her a lot about potential friends, dates, and even activities.  As a writer, she had a lot more flexibility to her days until that time when she decided to work in an office three days a week.  Then we watch as she diligently searches for just the right daytime companionship for her Westie named Carlie.

I have enjoyed several of the dog stories from this author, like Pug Hill and A Pug’s Tale.  I’ll be watching for the next novel from this extremely engaging author.  Five stars.

BOOKING THROUGH THURSDAY: COVER, BLURB, OR SERENDIPITY? — OCT. 18

 

 

Welcome to Booking Through Thursday, the bookish event that spotlights our reading choices.

Today’s Prompt:

They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, but there’s no question that it can make a difference!

What book(s) have your favorite covers? Something that’s perfect for the story, the tone, the colors, the mood…

And did you pick up the book BECAUSE of the cover? Or were you going to read it anyway, and the cover was just serendipitous?

***

To answer this one, I glanced over my list of favorites from 2011, and certainly there were some great covers in the bunch.

Like Saving CeeCee Honeycutt, by Beth Hoffman. (Click to read my review)

Or The Violets of March, by Sarah Jio.

Then there was Never Knowing, by Chevy Stevens.  That cover seems to symbolize the tangled journey of the MC.

 

But I don’t really pick the book for the cover.  First I notice the cover, but then I read the inside flap.  And before that point, I’ve also read what others have written about the book.  Book recommendations have as much to do with my final choices as the cover, or even the blurb.

So it’s a combination of the cover, the recommendations, and hey, SERENDIPITY, since we’re at this blog.  What contributes to your book choices?

 

FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT: A SERENDIPITOUS QUEST — A REVIEW

At the midpoint of her life, after numerous experiences that had left her with a tough facade and an emptiness inside, Beverly Donofrio seemingly stumbled onto her quest for “Mary,” the mother who could love unconditionally, and who could teach her to be a better mother for her grown son Jason.

Love had disappointed her over and over, and because she had become a mother herself at seventeen, when she had never wanted to be a mother at all, the road to finding love, and ultimately discovering herself, had been a long, futile, and winding one.

Somewhat serendipitously, the journey began when she found an old framed postcard of the Virgin Mary at a yard sale. Her “kitschy” collection grew into something of a shrine until one day, the search expanded, leading her on a pilgrimage, beginning in the Bosnian holy city of Medjugorje and ending in Mexico.

My favorite parts of this story were the “flashbacks,” in which we learned more about the author and her life leading up to this point in time. I had read parts of that story in her first book, Riding in Cars with Boys: Confessions of a Bad Girl Who Makes Good, and could relate to this rebellious girl who persisted in following her dreams, despite the obstacles along the way. It seems completely normal to want more than a life as a teen wife and mother, and feeling trapped and frustrated would be a natural consequence. I liked how she persisted toward her dream, and the fact that she afterward realized that she might have “neglected” her son along the way makes her human and flawed, like the rest of us. Her overwhelming guilt was a by-product of how she grew up. Searching for something to appease the guilt seems logical and inevitable.

Looking for Mary: (Or, the Blessed Mother and Me) (Compass) is Donofrio’s story of that journey, complete with flashbacks of the life that led her on the quest, and how she ultimately transformed that life from darkness into light. Four stars.

SERENDIPITOUS FRIDAY: BOOK BEGINNINGS & THE FRIDAY 56 — AUGUST 3

Welcome to some serendipitous fun today as we share Book Beginnings, hosted by Rose City Reader; and as we showcase The Friday 56 with Freda’s Voice.

To join in, just grab a book and share the opening lines…along with any thoughts you wish to give us; then turn to page 56 and excerpt anything on the page.

Then give us the title of the book, so others can add it to their lists!

Today I’m featuring my current read, Those We Love Most, by Lee Woodruff (an ARC from Amazon Vine).

 

(Synopsis): A bright June day. A split-second distraction. A family forever changed.

Life is good for Maura Corrigan. Married to her college sweetheart, Pete, raising three young kids with her parents nearby in her peaceful Chicago suburb, her world is secure. Then one day, in a single turn of fate, that entire world comes crashing down and everything that she thought she knew changes.

Maura must learn to move forward with the weight of grief and the crushing guilt of an unforgivable secret. Pete senses a gap growing between him and his wife but finds it easier to escape to the bar with his friends than face the flaws in his marriage.

Meanwhile, Maura’s parents are dealing with the fault lines in their own marriage. Charismatic Roger, who at sixty-five, is still chasing the next business deal and Margaret, a pragmatic and proud homemaker, have been married for four decades, seemingly happily. But the truth is more complicated. Like Maura, Roger has secrets of his own and when his deceptions and weaknesses are exposed, Margaret’s love and loyalty face the ultimate test.

***

Beginning:  It was only the front edge of summer and the yard already looked overgrown, as if the squalls of May and early June had held a kind of magical elixir, a formula that put all the plants on steroids.  Standing on the perimeter of the flagstone patio with her coffee, Margaret studied the impatiens with their fat, red heads, nodding downward, and the fecund look of the peonies as they passed their peak, rotting from fuchsia and ballet slipper pink to a brown mush.

***

Egads!  I suspect this opener is a kind of metaphor for what lies ahead….

***

P. 56:  “We don’t need to dwell on anything bad.  Ever,” Julia had purred.  “Tonight is a celebration of us.  So we need to get busy.”  Her laugh tinkled.

***

So what are the rest of you sharing today?  I hope you’ll come on by and leave some comments and links.

 

STRENGTHENED BY ADVERSITY — A REVIEW

Family life with all its complexities is at the heart of The Good Father. Travis, as a single father, fiercely loves and protects his four-year-old daughter Bella, but what sets him apart from ordinary fathers is how the duo of Travis and Bella came to be. And how the challenges he faces fuel that protectiveness, bringing out his strengths.

Narrated in alternating voices, we learn the story of Travis and Robin, teens in love, who fought against the obstacles that prevented them from being a family with their daughter. We slowly come to know how the fissures developed between them; the lies that kept them apart; and the wondrous serendipity that brought them together again.

We watch Robin making a new life with a political family in Beaufort, helping her fiancé Dale with his aspirations; but then Dale’s teenage sister has a baby out of wedlock and these events bring the past into the forefront of Robin’s mind. Remembrances of the past begin to plague her, even as she gradually learns of some of Dale’s lies and deceptions. Reminders of the control exerted upon her and Travis years before reshape her attitudes about the false life she has been building.

We also come to know the other characters that helped to bring this story together, like Erin, whose daughter Carolyn drowned at Atlantic Beach two years before and who is struggling to deal with the loss. She is stunned by the pull she feels toward Bella when they meet accidentally one day. How their paths converge and take them on a dramatic journey tells us more about Erin’s story and how she is gradually coming to accept the things she cannot change.

The pacing of this story was spot on, with the plots and subplots woven together and gradually revealed in a way that kept me eagerly reading. I rooted for these characters and the strengths that helped them overcome their obstacles in spite of their vulnerabilities.

At the end of their journey, Travis describes what he is enjoying:

“I like living a normal life—you know, one of those lives where nothing dramatic happens. Where you’re part of a little family: dad, mom, child. You have a roof over your head and food on the table and your biggest problem is deciding whether to send your kid to kindergarten when she’s just turned five or give her another year of preschool….”

I applaud the author for giving us such wonderfully layered characters, and showing us how they achieved their hard won peace and normalcy; I enjoyed my time with them. Five stars.

IS IT ACCIDENTAL OR SOMETHING DEEPER? — A REVIEW

From the very first page of The Accidental, the reader is drawn into a very unique and curious story. Exploring families and the accidental moments that take them into situations they would never have chosen, this tale of what happens to one family while on holiday in Norfolk had me guessing, wondering, and finally accepting that sometimes there are no answers. Just as there may be alternate explanations, journeys, and selves that characterize the world described in these pages.

First we see events from the point of view of Amber, a mysterious woman conceived in an Alhambra Theater in 1968. Next we explore the inner world of a twelve-year-old girl named Astrid, enchanted by the exterior surroundings through her camera lens.

Alternately we see other family members: the stepfather Michael, Eve the mother, and Magnus the son. They all perceive the events of the summer, with the insinuating presence of the “uninvited guest” Amber, in varying ways. Because the individuals seemingly do not communicate effectively to one another, there is a great deal of confusion about how and why Amber is suddenly staying in the house.

Was it an accident, though? Or was there a darker, deeper reason for the events that unfolded? And how did everything finally implode for them all?

In the aftermath, as each individual examines the broken pieces, we continue to ponder the meaning of it all. Definitely an unusual story that the reader can explain for himself/herself–or not explain at all. The meaning behind it all may not be the most important part. Four stars for this brilliant, award-winning book that actually left me feeling a bit frustrated, but also exhilarated.