SERENDIPITOUS WEDNESDAYS: WAITING FOR “DARK WITCH” — JUNE 12

Good morning!  Welcome to another Serendipitous Wednesday when we celebrate the upcoming book releases we’re eager to read.  Check in over at Breaking the Spine to see what others are anticipating.

Today I’m excited about the first book in a new Nora Roberts trilogy:  Dark Witch: Book One of The Cousins O’Dwyer Trilogy.

I love the cover!  And how about this blurb?

With indifferent parents, Iona Sheehan grew up craving devotion and acceptance. From her maternal grandmother, she learned where to find both: a land of lush forests, dazzling lakes, and centuries-old legends.

Ireland.

County Mayo, to be exact. Where her ancestors’ blood and magic have flowed through generations—and where her destiny awaits.

Iona arrives in Ireland with nothing but her Nan’s directions, an unfailingly optimistic attitude, and an innate talent with horses. Not far from the luxurious castle where she is spending a week, she finds her cousins, Branna and Connor O’Dwyer. And since family is family, they invite her into their home and their lives.

When Iona lands a job at the local stables, she meets the owner, Boyle McGrath. Cowboy, pirate, wild tribal horsemen, he’s three of her biggest fantasy weaknesses all in one big, bold package.

Iona realizes that here she can make a home for herself—and live her life as she wants, even if that means falling head over heels for Boyle. But nothing is as it seems. An ancient evil has wound its way around Iona’s family tree and must be defeated. Family and friends will fight with each other and for each other to keep the promise of hope—and love—alive…

Don’t miss the next two books in the Cousins O’Dwyer Trilogy

Shadow Spell
and
Blood Magick

***

I love books set in Ireland…and with the family secrets and underlying evil, I am hooked.  What are you eager to grab?

SERENDIPITOUS TUESDAYS: INTROS/TEASERS — “SWEET SALT AIR” — MAY 21

 

 

Welcome to another Tuesday celebrating bookish events, from Tuesday/First Chapter/Intros, hosted by Bibliophile by the Sea; and Teaser Tuesdays hosted by Should Be Reading.

My feature today is Sweet Salt Air, by Barbara Delinsky.

 

Intro:  (Prologue)

Charlotte Evans was used to feeling grungy.  As a freelancer, she traveled on a shoestring, getting stories other writers did not, precisely because she wasn’t fussy about how she lived.  In the last twelve months, she had survived dust while writing about elephant keepers in Kenya, ice while writing about the spirit bear of British Columbia, and flies while writing about a family of nomads in India.

She could certainly survive a mizzling, as the Irish called it, though the heavy mist seeped through everything—jeans, boots, even the thick fisherman’s sweater she wore.  The sweater was on loan from the woman under whose roof she was sleeping on this least populated of the three Aran Islands, and though Charlotte did have a fireplace in her bedroom, hot water was in short supply in the small stone cottage.  She could have used a steamy shower, a thorough washing of her clothes, and a solid day of sun.

***

Teaser:  The words echoed.  Nicole looked around, thinking that someone else had said them, because if she was the one, it would be a betrayal of the worst kind.  (p. 58)

***

Blurb:  Charlotte and Nicole were once the best of friends, spending summers together in Nicole’s coastal island house off of Maine. But many years, and many secrets, have kept the women apart. A successful travel writer, single Charlotte lives on the road, while Nicole, a food blogger, keeps house in Philadelphia with her surgeon-husband, Julian. When Nicole is commissioned to write a book about island food, she invites her old friend Charlotte back to Quinnipeague, for a final summer, to help. Outgoing and passionate, Charlotte has a gift for talking to people and making friends, and Nicole could use her expertise for interviews with locals. Missing a genuine connection, Charlotte agrees.

 

But what both women don’t know is that they are each holding something back that may change their lives forever. For Nicole, what comes to light could destroy her marriage, but it could also save her husband. For Charlotte, the truth could cost her Nicole’s friendship, but could also free her to love again. And her chance may lie with a reclusive local man, with a heart to soothe and troubles of his own.

 

***

Doesn’t this sound delicious?  Now I’m off to see what the rest of you are sharing….

SERENDIPITOUS CHANGE: A BREATH OF FRESH AIR — A REVIEW

Sarah Moon is a cartoonist, a wife, and a would-be mother. She thinks she has the perfect life, but while undergoing fertility treatments to achieve that dream of motherhood, she discovers that all is not as perfect as she’d believed. She finds her husband Jack in bed with another woman.

Fleeing from her life in Chicago, she returns home to Marin County, where she grew up as the daughter of an oyster farmer. In a place where she was the sarcastic and dorky artist, a place that reminds her of her social awkwardness. But the place she had shunned suddenly promises to be just what she needs.

And an old crush from high school, Will Bonner, is turning out to be her best friend. He is the Captain of the fire department, focused intermittently on a series of arson conflagrations that simmer like an undercurrent beneath the surface of the unfolding romance between Sarah and Will. Can Will and Sarah be more than friends? Will an unexpected pregnancy that had resulted from that last fertility treatment further complicate her life, or bring her just what she needs? And what explosive events will unfurl, revealing dark secrets beneath the surface of all their lives?

Just Breathe is one of those stories that unfolds in some predictable ways, but also offers a glimpse of realistic characters, beautiful settings, some intense drama, and that feel-good kind of life we all crave. Showing us the struggles two people must overcome resonated with me; and the challenge of Aurora, Will’s adolescent stepdaughter, complicated the budding romance between Sarah and Will, even as her presence added extra layers of complexity to the tale. Four stars.

MYSTERIOUS CONNECTIONS REVEALED: WAS IT SERENDIPITY? — A REVIEW

 

 

Evelyn has been married to her husband for forty years–forty years since he slipped off her first wedding ring and put his own in its place. Delphine has seen both sides of love–the ecstatic, glorious highs of seduction, and the bitter, spiteful fury that descends when it’s over. James, a paramedic who works the night shift, knows his wife’s family thinks she could have done better; while Kate, partnered with Dan for a decade, has seen every kind of wedding–beach weddings, backyard weddings, castle weddings–and has vowed never, ever, to have one of her own.

As these lives and marriages unfold in surprising ways, we meet Frances Gerety, a young advertising copywriter in 1947. Frances is working on the De Beers campaign and she needs a signature line, so, one night before bed, she scribbles a phrase on a scrap of paper: “A Diamond Is Forever.” And that line changes everything.

As I read each of the vignettes that seemingly had nothing in common with each other, especially since we skipped ahead years to focus on the characters in each of the spotlighted times, this tale felt a little like a collection of short stories. The common element: diamonds. And specifically, engagement rings.

Some of the characters and their lives were more enjoyable than others….and at times, I was weary of trying to remember the characters from the previous stories about them. But gradually, as more details surfaced with each leap in time, and as more backstory was revealed, I started to feel connected to them.

In the end, many loose ends seemingly converged to reveal the mysterious connections between them all. The Engagements is an intriguing story that I would have enjoyed more if it hadn’t “sprawled” quite so much. Nevertheless, a book I’d recommend to Sullivan fans…and those who like to think of how much “serendipity” plays a role in our lives. 3.5 stars.

SERENDIPITOUS TUESDAYS: INTROS/TEASERS — FLY AWAY — APRIL 30

Welcome to another Tuesday celebrating bookish events, from Tuesday/First Chapter/Intros, hosted by Bibliophile by the Sea; and Teaser Tuesdays hosted by Should Be Reading.

Today’s feature is Fly Away, by Kristin Hannah.

Intro:  September 2, 2010 –  10:14 P.M.

She felt a little woozy.  It was nice, like being wrapped in a warm-from-the-dryer blanket.  But when she came to, and saw where she was, it wasn’t so nice.

She was sitting in a restroom stall, slumped over, with tears drying on her cheeks.  How long had she been here?  She got slowly to her feet and left the bathroom, pushing her way through the theater’s crowded lobby, ignoring the judgmental looks cast her way by the beautiful people drinking champagne beneath a glittering nineteenth century chandelier.  The movie must be over.

***

Teaser:  She was gone.  So were her gold flip-flops.  And her purse.  Those were the only things he knew for sure, but it was enough to tell him that she hadn’t been abducted.  p. 46

***

Amazon Blurb:

Once, a long time ago, I walked down a night-darkened road called Firefly Lane, all alone, on the worst night of my life, and I found a kindred spirit. That was our beginning. More than thirty years ago. TullyandKate. You and me against the world. Best friends forever. But stories end, don’t they? You lose the people you love and you have to find a way to go on. . . .

Tully Hart has always been larger than life, a woman fueled by big dreams and driven by memories of a painful past. She thinks she can overcome anything until her best friend, Kate Ryan, dies. Tully tries to fulfill her deathbed promise to Kate—to be there for Kate’s children—but Tully knows nothing about family or motherhood or taking care of people.

Sixteen-year-old Marah Ryan is devastated by her mother’s death. Her father, Johnny, strives to hold the family together, but even with his best efforts, Marah becomes unreachable in her grief. Nothing and no one seems to matter to her . . . until she falls in love with a young man who makes her smile again and leads her into his dangerous, shadowy world.

Dorothy Hart—the woman who once called herself Cloud—is at the center of Tully’s tragic past. She repeatedly abandoned her daughter, Tully, as a child, but now she comes back, drawn to her daughter’s side at a time when Tully is most alone. At long last, Dorothy must face her darkest fear: Only by revealing the ugly secrets of her past can she hope to become the mother her daughter needs.

A single, tragic choice and a middle-of-the-night phone call will bring these women together and set them on a poignant, powerful journey of redemption. Each has lost her way, and they will need each one another—and maybe a miracle—to transform their lives.

An emotionally complex, heart-wrenching novel about love, motherhood, loss, and new beginnings, Fly Away reminds us that where there is life, there is hope, and where there is love, there is forgiveness. Told with her trademark powerful storytelling and illuminating prose, Kristin Hannah reveals why she is one of the most beloved writers of our day.

***

What do you think?  Would you keep reading?

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.

 

MOMENTS OF SERENDIPITY & GRACE — A REVIEW

The only child of MacLaine and her husband of thirty years, Steve Parker, Sachi’s surreal childhood began when she was sent to Japan at the age of two—though her mother would sometimes claim Sachi was six—to live with her mercurial father and his mistress. She divided her time being raised by a Japanese governess and going back and forth to L.A. to be with her mother, hamming it up on movie sets, in photo shoots, and Hollywood parties, even winning—and then abruptly losing—the role of Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird. As she got older and attended boarding school in England and Switzerland, became a Qantas stewardess, and then became involved in a series of abusive relationships she tried to unravel the mysteries of her childhood and her parents’ unconventional marriage.

Including twenty never-before-seen personal photos, Lucky Me: My Life With–and Without–My Mom, Shirley MacLaine is a fascinating look at Hollywood and what it takes to succeed there, the incredible ambition of Shilrey MacLaine and the fallout it had on her only child, as well as a woman’s attempt to understand and connect with her extremely complicated parents.

As a fan of Shirley MacLaine, I have always been curious about the less publicized aspects of her life, like her daughter, Sachi Parker. I recall seeing Sachi in bit parts in some movies, and noticed the striking physical resemblance between the two.

But so much about Sachi is distinct, unique. Perhaps growing up in Tokyo and being separated from her mother for large chunks of time informed a lot more about her life than just the obvious elements.

In reading Sachi’s story, her feelings of loss and abandonment shone through for me. And perhaps knowing more of the details of what her life looked like and how it felt for her has helped me fill in some of those missing details of MacLaine’s life, as well.

I like this summing up of Sachi’s perspective near the end of the story, when she concludes that she still doesn’t understand her mother:

“It has taken me this long to realize that I don’t need to understand her. She’s on her journey, and I’m on mine. Our lives may intersect at crucial points, but there’s no reason to expect them to run side by side, on parallel tracks. Mom’s spirit bounces all over the universe like a jet-powered pinball, and every now and then it settles beside me for a moment before some visionary impulse shoots if off again. I’m just a stop on the road: she doesn’t need me, not at all, and she isn’t going to pretend for propriety’s sake that she does. She’s off fulfilling her destiny.”

It takes a lot of courage to accept the reality of one’s relationships, especially those most significant in our lives. I also like this summing up in the final paragraphs:

“Looking back over my life, I see that it’s full of providential moments, moments of serendipity and grace. Whenever things seemed desolate, whenever I was poised to capsize, something unexpected always came along to help me out.”

What I see as I read this story of a woman’s journey is that the mother and daughter are not as different as they appear at first glance. They are each vying for her own place in the world, and doing it on her own terms. And while some readers will only see the opposing points of view and conclude that someone is “lying,” I see that life is often like that. There is your truth, my truth, and the real truth somewhere in between. Four stars.

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?

 

 

TSS: HAPPY EASTER! WELCOME TO SPRING — MARCH 31

Good morning, and welcome to another Sunday Salon.  After several very spring-like days, I awoke this morning to rain and the rumblings of thunder.

And I am supposed to go to a barbecue today!

Well, perhaps it will all clear up…and what am I complaining about, when some of you are still facing snow?  lol

I had a strange week.  After many months of following my reading list almost exactly, with the only changes being a book added at the end, I had another week in which I had to put a book aside.  DNF!  I hate when that happens!

I never know if I should mention the book by name….and I’m sure that the book is one many have enjoyed.  But I just could not connect to the characters…sigh.

But I do have some blogging moments to share.

CURL UP AND MUSE WITH ME

POST-BLOGGIESTA OBSESSING: THE CHANGES CONTINUE

FINAL CHECK-IN POST:  ROW 80

SWEET SATURDAY SAMPLES:  A NEW ERA

Books Read/Reviewed-Click titles/covers for reviews:

1.  2nd Chance, by James Patterson (Sequel Challenge/Women’s Murder Club Challenge)

2.  How I Made Over $42,000 in 1 Month.…, by Cheryl Kaye Tardif

3.  The Storyteller, by Jodi Picoult

And I’m currently reading Midnight Sacrifice, by Melinda Leigh.

One by one, people are mysteriously disappearing from a small Maine town.…Now, don’t you want to know more?

What does the rest of your day look like?  Your week?  Come on by and share....

TSS: BLOGGIESTA, READING, ETC. — MARCH 24

Come by and chat!

Good morning, Sunday Saloners!   For those of you who are participating in Bloggiesta this weekend, how is the party going for you?

I’ve been having a lot of fun making over my blog Curl up and Read.  I tend to work on my blogs pretty regularly, but during this event, I go all out.  And I love visiting the other blogs, discovering new things to add to my list after seeing what they’re doing.

There are mini-challenges, and one of mine was Getting to Know You, in which I featured blogger Alexis, from Reflections of a Bookaholic.

Even with all this going on, I managed to put together a Checkpoint for my Mt. TBR Challenge, and realized that I am almost halfway to my goal for the year.

Earlier in the week on the blogs:

I celebrated St. Patrick’s Day and wrote:  A Guilty Pleasures Nod to St. Paddy’s Day

My Hump Day Potpourri post:  Taking Inventory

Saturday Potpourri:  Blogging Activities & Reading

Sweet Saturday Sample:  Juvenile Probation (An Excerpt from Defining Moments, a WIP)

My Reading Week: (Click Titles/Covers for Reviews)

I was distracted early in the week, as Noah was sick and staying with me; I was worried.  Then he got better, and everything picked up, moving along nicely.

1.  The Sixes, by Kate White

 

2.  Messenger of Truth (Maisie Dobbs), by Jacqueline Winspear (Sequel Challenge)

 

3.   3rd Degree (Women’s Murder Club), by James Patterson (Sequel Challenge, Women’s Murder Club Challenge)

 

4.  Ctrl Z (e-book), by Danika Stone (Review Book)

 

***

And today, I want to watch some movies and start reading something like:  2nd Chance, another Women’s Murder Club book by James Patterson.

What was your week like?  What are you planning for today…for next week?  Enjoy!

 

I’m headed here next!