REVIEW - A RAINBOW IN THE NIGHT - DOMINIQUE LAPIERRE

Product Details
Amazon.com
* Hardcover: 320 pages
* Publisher: Da Capo Press (November 3, 2009)
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 0306818477
* ISBN-13: 978-0306818479

"A Rainbow In The Night" by Dominique Lapierre
(from inside flap)
In 1652 a small group of Dutch farmers landed on the southernmost tip of Africa. Sent by the powerful Dutch East India Company, their mission was simply to grow vegetables and supply ships rounding the cape. The colonists, however, were convinced by their strict Calvinist faith that they were among God's "Elect", chosen to rule over the continent. Eventually these settlers and those who followed them established control over the land, savagely fighting and conquering black indigenous tribes, fortune-hunters in search of diamonds and gold, and the scarlet-clad regiments of Queen Victoria. Their saga--bloody, ferocious, and fervent--would culminate three centuries later in one of the greatest tragedies in history: the establishment of a racist regime in which a white minority would subjugate and victimize millions of blacks. Called Apartheid, it was a poisonous system that would only end with liberation from prison of the moral giants of our time, Nelson Mandela.

MY THOUGHTS: Over the years I've often wondered how South Africa came to be ruled and governed by white people when black people where the original occupants of this country. This book explains how this all originated. This book starts at the beginning when the first colonists landed there. It takes you up to the when Apartheid ended and Nelson Mandela took over the reins of government. If you have wanted to know anything about this piece of history, this is the book to read. If is full of information and has a great Index at the back of the book.

MY RATING: 5

[This is a free review copy]

JAMES PATTERSON READING CHALLENGE

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I was hoping around making comments on blogs and found this reading challenge. Since I am a great fan of James Patterson I thought I would work on this one. Where is this at, it's over at Yvonne's place Socrates' Book Reviews. Here are the details:

1. The challenge is to read at least 10 James Patterson books in a year. You do not need to make a list of what you will read now or, if you want, you can. However, nothing is written in stone and the books you list can be changed at any time. Overlapping books with other challenges is allowed.

2. As long as it's written by James Patterson, you can use the book in this challenge. Even if you are part of my Women's Murder Club challenge, you can overlap books and count them as part of this challenge.

3. All books need to be read between August 15, 2009 and August 15, 2010. Books read prior to August 15th don't count for this challenge.

4. If you want to participate, just post about it on your blog with a link back to here.

3. Audio and Ebooks are acceptable.

I don't have a list yet, but I will be putting the list with my "growing" 2010 reading challenges. They are on my sidebar towards the bottom. That will be moving up as soon as 2010 arrives.

A-Z WEDNESDAY

Over at Reading At The Beach it's time for A-Z Wednesday. What is this you might ask? Well, here are the details:

1~ a photo of the book

2~ title and synopsis

3~ link(amazon, barnes and noble etc.)

4~ Come back here and leave your link in the comments.

If you've already reviewed this book you can add it also.

THIS WEEKS LETTER IS: "U "



"Until You" by Bertrice Small

# Mass Market Paperback: 480 pages
# Publisher: Signet (April 5, 2005)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 0451214765
# ISBN-13: 978-0451214768

Synopsis from Amazon.com

The beautiful Rosamund Bolton is determined to finally live her own life. Now that she has claimed her inheritance, the Friarsgate estate, and rejected her latest suitor, she has decided to travel to the court of her dear friend, Queen Margaret. It is against this lavish and unpredictable backdrop that she will meet the man who will forever change her destiny.

Do you have a "U" book to share? Hope over to Reading At The Beach and share with everyone.

IT'S TUESDAY, WHERE ARE YOU? AND TEASER TUESDAYS

Raidergirl and Miz B are the hosts for these Tuesday memes. You should go and check them out.

IT'S TUESDAY, WHERE ARE YOU?



I'm still in South Africa. I have been sentenced to life in prison, along with my other compatriots. My crime is trying to free all of Africa. It is August 13, 1964 and I have been taken to to Robben Island penal colony. A Rainbow In The Night - Dominique Lapierre


TEASER TUESDAY

* 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 & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

ROBBEN ISLAND! A gulag patrolled overhad by cormorants and migratory birds, pounded by shark-infested waters, situated on the southermost tip of Africa, facing the majestic slopes of Table Mountain and the magnificent bay of the Cape. P. 124
A Rainbow In The Night - Dominique Lapierre

WINTER WORDS READING CHALLENGE

I found another reading challenge that I am going to do. It's over at Tarissa's place In The Bookcase. Here's how it works:

December 21 is the first day of Winter, and March 19 is the last day of the season...and this is the duration time of the reading challenge I'm hosting.

Here's how this challenge works:
Select your number of books you want to read below, and choose one of the corresponding words (I have set the minimum amount of books at 3).
3. ice, ski
4. snow, sled
5. frost, slick
6. winter, icicle, flurry
7. mittens, snowman
8. slippery, ice skate
9. snowflake
Here is an example of books for the word ice.
I ::: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie - by Laura Numeroff
C ::: The Secret of the Old Clock - by Carolyn Keene
E ::: Eight Cousins - by Louisa May Alcott

I don't know my list of books yet. But I will be adding to my "growing" list of reading challenges on my sidebar. I will be using the word snow, that will be 4 books to read.

REVIEW - HOUSE OF RECKONING - JOHN SAUL

This book is for 1 of my challenges.
52 Books in 52 Weeks(wrap-up)

"House of Reckoning" by John Saul
(from inside flap)
After the untimely death of her mother, fourteen-year-old Sarah Crane is forced to grow up quickly in order to help tend her family's Vermont farm and look after her grieving father, who's drowning his sorrow in alcohol. But their quiet life together is shattered when her father is jailed for killing another man in a barroom brawl and injuring Sarah in a drunken car crash. Left in the cold care of a loveless foster family and alienated at school, Sarah finds a kindred spirit in classmate Nick Dunnigan, a former mental patient still plagued by voices and visions. And in eccentric art instructor Bettina Phillips, Sarah finds a mentor eager to nurture her talent for painting.
But within the walls of Bettina's ancestral home, the mansion called Shutters, Sarah finds something altogether different and disturbing. Monstrous images from the house's dark history seem to flow unbidden from Sarah's paintbrush--images echoed by Nick's chilling hallucinations. Trapped for ages in the shadowy rooms of Shutters, the violence and fury of long-dead generations have finally found a gate way from the grave into the world of the living. And Sarah and Nick have found a power they never had: to take control, and take revenge.

MY THOUGHTS: This is a great book. It will grab you from the first chapter, you won't be able to put it down. I got the book on Saturday and finished it this morning. Following Sarah through her accident, therapy, and placement into foster care was like seeing first hand the system through which children go through. The foster family Sarah is put into is just in it for the money and soon Sarah is the cook and house cleaner. As Sarah starts school she is soon shunned because of her injury because she walks with a limp from her broken hip. Then Sarah meets Nick and her Art Teacher. Things start happening that can't be explained logically. The Art Teacher is reputed to be a witch by all the town folk. Nick is deemed crazy. Then Sarah is called evil. When all three of them come together at the house, Shutters, things begin to fall into place and soon the drawings and visions make sense.

MY RATING: 5


52 Books in 52 Weeks is over for the year. This is my 52nd book. This is my wrap up of that challenge.

This is the last week of the year and should have you starting book 52. Next Thursday, the last day of the year, we'll be wrapping up our 2009 Read 52 Books in 52. Questions to think about for our wrap up. Did you manage to read 52 books this year? Even if you didn't, how many did you manage to read? Did you discover a new author or a new genre. Did you rediscover an old classic or reread a book from years gone by? What book are you finishing up the challenge with? Have you started your wish list for 2010? Congratulations on making it through the year and thank you to all who followed our progress through out the year. Lots of good books, interesting discussions and new discoveries coming up next year.

I did read 52 books for this challenge. My 52nd book was House of Reckoning by John Saul. Here is my list of books. I did read some books that I don't usually read and I also read some books by new authors to me. Which one was my favorite? I can't really narrow it down to one. There are several that I really enjoyed reading. You can see the reviews on all my books here.

Week 1 - The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
Week 2 - The Martin Chronicles - Ray Bardbury
Week 3 - In Defense of Food - Michael Pollan
Week 4 - The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
Week 5 - High Noon - Nora Roberts
Week 6 - The Pagan Stone - Nora Roberts
Week 7 - The Good Earth - Pearl S. Buck
Week 8 - The River's Edge - Terri Blackstock
Week 9 - The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller
Week 10 - Airborn - Kenneth Oppel
Week 11 - A Treasury of Peter Rabbit and other stories - Beatrix Potter
Week 12 - Skybreaker - Kenneth Oppel
Week 13 - StarClimber - Kenneth Oppel
Week 14 - Betrayals - Carla Neggers
Week 15 - World Without End - Ken Follett
Week 16 - The Woman Who Rides Like A Man - Tamora Pierce
Week 17 - Lioness Rampant - Tamora Pierce
Week 18 - Shadow Music - Julie Garwood
Week 19 - What Jamie Saw - Carolyn Coman
Week 20 - Elephant Run - Roland Smith
Week 21 - The Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan
Week 22 - Alias Grace - Margaret Atwood
Week 23 - Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret - Judy Blume
Week 24 - The Bride's Necklace - Kat Martin
Week 25 - Retribution - Jilliane Hoffman
Week 26 - Specials - Scott Westerfeld
Week 27 - City of Bones - Michael Connelly
Week 28 - Falling into the Sun - Charrie Hazard
Week 29 - Bare Bones - Kathy Reichs
Week 30 - A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini
Week 31 - E is for Evidence - Sue Grafton
Week 32 – The Narrows – Michael Connelly
Week 33 – Ice Land – Betsy Tobin
Week 34 – Dead Wrong – J. A. Jance
Week 35 – Dancing With Ana – Nicole Barker
Week 36 – A Mercy – Toni Morrison
Week 37 – The Stone Diaries – Carol Shields
Week 38 – The Poisonwood Bible – Barbara Kingsolver
Week 39 – The Dangerous Days of Daniel X – James Patterson
Week 40 – The Story of Edgar Sawtelle – David Wroblewski
Week 41 – The Seamstress of Hollywood Boulevard – Erin McGraw
WEEK 42 – The Help – Kathryn Stockett
WEEK 43 - The Bone Garden – Tess Gerritsen
Week 44 – The Last Oracle – James Rollins
Week 45 – The Manufactured Identity – Heath Sommer
Week 46 – The Blue Notebook – James A. Levine
Week 47 – March – Geraldine Brooks
Week 48 – Betrayal in Death – J. D. Robb
Week 49 – A Season of Gifts – Richard Peck
Week 50 – The Cost of Dreams – Gary Stelzer
Week 51 – Deadly Codes – JP O’Donnell
Week 52 – House of Reckoning – John Saul

Now it's on to next year. Robin is hosting 52 Books in 52 Weeks again next year. With a few changes along the way. So hop over and check it out. It's a really easy reading challenge to do!

IN MY MAILBOX

The Story Siren is the host for In My Mailbox. Get any book related items to share, this is the place to do it. Hop over and see what everyone got in their mailboxes.

I got this box in the mail last week and didn't actually know what to expect as I didn't order anything. So I opened it and WOW there they were 6 books. Then I remembered getting an email from someone about me winning some books. But for the life of me I can't remember who it was. I'm not sure, but I think it was from the Bloggista thing. Anyway here they are. You can find them all at Amazon.com Just click on the title and it will take you to the page.



Beyond Night - Marlo Schalesky
# Paperback: 304 pages
# Publisher: Multnomah Books (June 17, 2008)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 1601420161
# ISBN-13: 978-1601420169



Blue Hole Back Home - Joy Jordan Lake
# Paperback: 320 pages
# Publisher: David C. Cook; New edition (March 1, 2008)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 143479993X
# ISBN-13: 978-1434799937



I Have Seen Him In The Watchfires - Cathy Gohlke
# Paperback: 336 pages
# Publisher: Moody Publishers (September 1, 2008)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 0802487742
# ASIN: B002U0KRII




Vanish - Tom Pawlik
# Paperback: 384 pages
# Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (June 4, 2008)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 1414318936
# ISBN-13: 978-1414318936



The Rook - Steven James
# Paperback: 464 pages
# Publisher: Onyx; Reprint edition (December 1, 2009)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 0451412818
# ISBN-13: 978-0451412812




Dogwood - Chris Fabry
# Paperback: 352 pages
# Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (July 9, 2008)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 141431955X
# ISBN-13: 978-1414319551

I also got a review book in the mail last week. It's due for release in February. You can preorder it now at Amazon.com



The Last Surgeon - Michael Palmer
# Hardcover: 384 pages
# Publisher: St. Martin's Press (February 16, 2010)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 031258749X
# ISBN-13: 978-0312587499

Also got a new book from my library. They called yesterday to let me know John Saul's new book was waiting for me. Well, I hurried and got dressed and went and picked it up. So far it's really good. If you like John Saul your going to love this new book.



House of Reckoning - John Saul
# Hardcover: 304 pages
# Publisher: Ballantine Books (October 13, 2009)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 0345514246
# ISBN-13: 978-0345514240

So did you get any new books for Christmas? Hop over to The Story Siren's place and let everyone know what you got.

REVIEW - NOTES LEFT BEHIND - BROOKE AND KEITH DESSERICH

This for 1 of my reading challenges.
52 Books in 52 Weeks

"Notes Left Behind" by Brooke and Keith Desserich
(from inside flap)
Every once in a while, we come across a book that cuts through all the static and reminds us of what really matters. The Last Lecture was one. Notes Left Behind is another.

A Young girl who eats her veggies immediately (but saves her precious candy for weeks), Elena was just 5 when she was diagnosed with cancer and given just months to live. Devastated, her parents, Brooke and Keith Desserich, began a journal, not realizing that her diary would soon inspire the world. In those final months, Elena lived as few people ever do, painting a work of art that would hang in a museum, fulfilling her childhood dreams and teaching her family invaluable lessons about love. Her story moved us. It's one you definitely won't want to miss.

MY THOUGHTS: This is a very moving book. It is written in diary form with the dates as the header for each section. You follow the progress of Elena from her diagnosis to the end and after. Reading about the hope and love that Brooke and Keith have for their daughter to survive this cancer. All the travel to and from hospitals for treatments. If you get the chance to read this book, please do. It's a memorable book to have on your shelves.

MY RATING: 5

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!

REVIEW - BUBBLE GUM AND HULA HOOPS - HARRY OLIVER

"Bubble Gum and Hula Hoops" by Harry Oliver
(from back cover)
In this intriguing volume, Harry Oliver reveals the most diverting and amusing stories that lie behind the objects and inventions we tak for granted, from household items to the technolyt that fills our world. The ordinary will soon apperar extraordinary.

*Did Thomas Crapper really invent the flushing toilet?
*What accident led to the invention of the microwave oven?
*How did a king's libido result in the first elevator?

Amazon.com
# Paperback: 240 pages
# Publisher: Perigee Trade; Original edition (January 5, 2010)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 0399535624
# ISBN-13: 978-0399535628
# Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 4.4 x 0.7 inches

[This is a free review book and is due for release January 5, 2010]

MY THOUGHTS: This is a most amazing book. All the info you every wanted to know about how something was invented. Plus the stories of who and why it was invented. For instance, Hula Hoops, did you know they were banned in Japan in the 1950's? Why, because of all that indecent hip-wiggling and the Russia wasn't very happy with the Hula Hoop either. The Slinky, everyone had one when I was a kid. Did you know that a man by the name of Richard James invented the Slinky? He was a Nautical Engineer. There is a lot of information about things we use everyday in this book. If you have a chance to read this book, do so. You'll love reading about your favorite things and how it got invented!!

MY RATING: 5

REVIEW - DEADLY CODES - JP O'DONNELL

"Deadly Codes" by JP O'Donnell
(from back cover)
Daniel Cormac Gallagher, Jr., a Boston private eye, is hired to investigate the death of Jennifer Clark, tragically killed in a car bombing in her own driveway.
Gallagher has been commissioned by Jeanne Campbell, Jennifer's twin sister, to find a mysterious woman--Jennifer's secret lesbian lover who vanished immediately after the bombing. While the authorities continue to pursue their suspicions that the terrorist act may have been intended for Jennifer's husband, Bill, who holds a top-secret position in the counter-intelligence division of the National Security Agency, Jeanne reveals intricate details to Gallagher that intrigue him enough to take on the case. While Gallagher begins searching for the missing woman, he has no idea that a bounty has been placed on his own head--two hired gunmen are plotting to kill him. Gallagher's search takes him to Washington D.C., where he discovers that the car bombing is only a backdrop to a complex, treasonous scheme to sell code-breaking formulas to a hostile enemy nation.
As the violent mystery unravels, Gallagher finds himself under deadly attack from two shocking but powerful forces--one he knows and another he never expects.

Amazon.com
# Paperback: 216 pages
# Publisher: iUniverse.com (February 17, 2009)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 0595514111
# ISBN-13: 978-0595514113

MY THOUGHTS: [This is a free review book.] I didn't know this author's work before this book, he has another book before this one. It is called "Fatal Gamble". This won't be the last book I read from JP O'Donnell. I really liked his way of writing, it was fast paced and caught you from the beginning of page one. I really liked Gallagher's character very much. He's a great private eye. He uses clues and reason for finding who he's looking for. As he is looking for the missing woman, unknown to Gallagher, there has been a hit put out on him from someone in Las Vegas. Only this time they are not only after him but his new wife. Can he find this missing woman and solve the case? Do the hit guys get their target? You'll have to read the book to find out.

MY RATING: 5

FALL INTO READING 2009 WRAP-UP

Katrina over at Callapidder Days was the host for Fall Into Reading 2009. This is my wrap up post for that reading challenge.

I didn't have a specie number of books to read. I was just adding to my list as I went along. Then I added a goal for myself. I was going to read 50 books for this challenge. Well, I almost made it. I read 46 books. This is my list of books. They are all linked in my sidebar at the very bottom if you want to read any of the reviews I done on them.

1. The Stone Diaries - Carol Shields
2. A Circle of Souls – Preetham Grandhi
3. The Poisonwood Bible – Barbara Kingsolver
4. Faefever – Karen Marie Moning
5. The Man Who Loved Books Too Much – Allison Hoover Bartlett
6. Z-Z-Zoink – Bernard Most
7. Only the Cat Knows – Marian Babson
8. The Dangerous Days of Daniel X – James Patterson
9. You Have the Right to Remain Puzzled – Parnell Hall
10. The Quilter’s Legacy – Jennifer Chiaverini
11. Rashi’s Daughters – Rachel – Maggie Anton
12. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle – David Wroblewski
13. Made in the U.S.A. – Billie Letts
14. One for the Money – Janet Evanovich
15. The Seamstress of Hollywood Boulevard – Erin McGraw
16. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café – Fannie Flagg
17. The Key – Debra White Smith
18. The Sea of Monsters – Rick Riordan
19. The Christmas Letters – Lee Smith
20. Moon River and Me – Andy Willia
21. The Help – Kathryn Stackett
22. The Bone Garden – Tess Gerritsen
23. Nibble & Kuhn – David Schmahmann
24. Aesop’s Fables – Arthur Rackham
25. The Recipe Club – Andrea Israel & Nancy Garfinkel
26. Good Dog. Stay. – Anna Quindlen
27. The Adventures of Songha – Linda R. Caterine
28. The Last Oracle – James Rollins
29. Feasting on Asphalt – Alton Brown
30. Alex Cross’s Trial – James Patterson
31. Thrill Killers – Raymond Pingitore
32. March – Geraldine Brooks
33. The Girl Who Stopped Swimming – Josilyn Jackson
34. Two for the Dough – Janet Evanovich
35. The Blue Notebook – James A. Livine
36. Mercury Falls – Robert Krose
37. Betrayal in Death – J. D. Robb
38. The Manufactured Identity – Heath Sommer
39. Only In New York darling – Virginie Sommet
40. Miracle in Sumatra – Jeanne McNaney
41. Thirsty – Kristin Bair
42. College Girl – Patricia Weitz
43. A Season of Gifts – Richard Peck
44. Life after 187 – Wade J. Halverson
45. The Star Cloak – Emily Rodda
46. The Cost of Dreams – Gary Stelzer

Did you read any of the books I did? Let me know, I'll come visit you.

REVIEW - WHEN TEACHERS TALK - ROSALYN S. SCHNALL

"When Teachers Talk" by Rosalyn S. Shnall
(from Amazon.com)

Principal abuse of power and principal abuse of teachers, which has been clearly documented by teachers in this book, may very well be the most significant underlying cause contributing to the decline of public education in America today. Abusive and incompetent public school administrators who treat teachers with anything less than the dignity and respect they deserve do so at the direct expense of teachers, their student populations, and the communities in which they reside. Throughout the interviews in this book, teachers give detailed accounts of how principals do not provide them with the administrative support needed to effectively teach and maintain discipline in their classrooms. They explain how they have been prevented from functioning optimally and how their best efforts to help their students have been frustrated. The inevitable results are dysfunctional, permissive, non-disciplinary school environments which produce a steady stream of students who leave school and enter mainstream society totally unequipped to take on the responsibilities of functioning adults.
For decades, the widespread condition of principal abuse of power has been hidden from public view. Throughout the book, teachers describe in detail, numerous examples of principal abuses they have personally witnessed and experienced, and how and why the situation remains unrecognized by the general public. Many teachers legitimately fear suffering repercussions for publicly speaking out about the problem. Consequently, parents have been almost completely unaware of its existence and the degree to which it affects their children's education. It is important to again emphasize, that the studies in this book are by no means a condemnation of all principals, and the positive contributions of good administrators have been fully recognized. The teachers who were interviewed for the educational studies in this text freely expressed their feelings regarding both “good” and “bad” principals for whom they had worked. However, the overall negative results of the studies unequivocally indicate that a crisis of major proportions may be present in many public school districts across America.

# Paperback: 512 pages
# Publisher: Goldenring Publishing, LLC (November 1, 2009)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 0578005638
# ISBN-13: 978-0578005638

MY THOUGHTS: This is a book that I was given to review. I was a little skeptical at first about reading this book. I didn't think I would really like it. But once I started reading it, it all made sense. I have worked in our public school system for 15 years. Our of those 15 years I've worked with 4 different principals. They were all as different as day and night. So I can understand some of what this book is talking about. The one thing I don't understand is that if teachers have a union why they don't do something about this. Is it because the unions can't or won't do anything? It would seem to me someone could do something about this kind of behavior of our public servants. If not the unions then the parents of children in that school system. Parents have far more power than they think. If you have children in public school you should read this book. It has lots of great information about what is going on that you may not know about.

MY RATING: 5

WONDROUS WORDS WEDENSDAY & A-Z WEDNESDAY

Over at Bermuda Onion Wondrous Words is going on. Got any new words to share? Hop over and check out everyone that is sharing their wondrous words today.

WONDROUS WORDS



Al of my words come from the book "A Rainbow In The Night" by Dominique Lapierre.



Agglomerations - In the study of human settlements, an agglomeration is an extended city or town area comprising the built-up area of a central place.

Like all agglomerations born of an industrial boom, Johannesburg was above all else an inhuman city.

********************************************************
Proletariats - The proletariat (from Latin proles, "offspring") is a term used to identify a lower social class; a member of such a class is proletarian.

Two parallel competing proletariats formed, engaged in the same fight for survival.

********************************************************
Miscegenation - reproduction by parents of different races (especially by white and non-white persons)

Worse, it encouraged outright miscegenation, a terrible prospect that only the introduction of total and immediate segregation could prevent.
*******************************************************

A - Z WEDNESDAY



I found my book at my library book sale. It was 50 cents. Haven't read it yet, but it does sound like a good book. It is a winner of the Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Award.



"The Twin in the Tavern - Barbara Brooks Wallace
(from back cover)
Taddy is all alone in the world, Taddy watches as Neezer and Lucky, two sinister thieves, steal his family's possessions, and then make him a virtual prisoner. With only table scraps and dry crusts of bread to eat, Taddy and another boy named Beetle are forced to work long, cruel hours carrying freezing, heavy blocks of ice for delivery in Lucky's ice wagon.
Then a neighbor, Mrs. Mainyard, tells Lucky she'd like to hire Taddy during the day as a servant boy. His wages go to Lucky, but he's better fed. And once inside the sumptuous Mainyard mansion, Taddy sees the impossible--a boy who looks just like him. Can this be the mysterious twin he'd been told about?

Amazon.com
# Reading level: Ages 9-12
# Paperback: 192 pages
# Publisher: Backinprint.com (September 26, 2006)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 0595410677
# ISBN-13: 978-0595410675

REVIEW - THE SILENT GIFT - MICHAEL LANDON, JR. & CINDY KELLEY

"The Silent Gift" by Michal Landon, Jr. & Cindy Kelley
(from back cover)
The decade of the thirties was a time of enormous uncertainty--for the world, for America, and in particular for one lonely, struggling mother and her disabled son. Their story is one of unyielding love and incredible sacrifices in the face of circumstances beyond belief.
But then The Gift appears...where has it come from, and why? How can a young boy who cannot communicate provide comfort and direction to seekers who learn of his special ability? Whatever the source, its presence brings a single shaft of light and hope to Mary and her beloved son, Jack....Will it be enough?

Product Details
Amazon.com
* Paperback: 368 pages
* Publisher: Bethany House (October 1, 2009)
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 0764203630
* ISBN-13: 978-0764203633

MY THOUGHTS: This is a review book. It is a very good book. I really enjoyed reading a bout Mary and her struggles with her marriage and her son. Mary finds her husband is about to abandon her and Jack and she runs away with Jack. Their escape is in the back of a furniture truck. Where they will end up they don't know. They soon find out they are in Chicago. While there they loose their money and their only means of support. Mary can't get a job because she has to take Jack with her and no one will hire her. Jack is a deaf/mute child. Mary has no money and no where to go. She ends up in a Salvation Army Mission. They she learns of Jacks gift. He touches someone, then taps out numbers that corresponds to the bible book, chapter and verse. There are soon people coming to get a verse to find out about their lives. In the meantime Mary's husband finds her and has her arrested and she goes to prison. Jack is taken by his father. Jack runs away and is put in a Children's Poor House. He escapes with a man and they are on the run. Through all this Mary is desperate to find her son. She never gives up trying to find him. If you have a chance to read this book, do so. This book is full of love, devotion and hope of one women for her son. It's awesome!!

MY RATING: 5

IT'S TUESDAY, WHERE ARE YOU? AND TEASER TUESDAYS

Raidergirl over at An Adventure in Reading is the host for It's Tuesday, Where Are You? and MizB over at Should be Reading is the host for Teaser Tuesdays. Go check them out, you might find your next book.

It's Tuesday, Where Are You?



I am in the 19th century Africa. The Boer War has just been fought. Diamonds and gold are being fought over. The indigenous people are being separated into colonies. A Rainbow In The Night - Dominique Lapierre

Teaser Tuesdays



At The Stroke of midnight on May 31, 1902, in a tent erected in the small town of Vereeniging near Pretoria, the treaty was signed that ended the carnage that had bloodied southern Africa for three years. Historians and Hollywood producers call it the Boer. The cost had been Exorbitant: 7,000 dead and 55,000 wounded on the British side and 33,000 dead on the Afrikaner side. P. 45 A Rainbow In The Night - Dominique Lapierre



Hop over to Raidergirls and MizB's places to check these two memes out.

REVIEW - THE COST OF DREAMS - GARY STELZER

This book is for 2 of my reading challenges.
Fall Into Reading 2009 Challenge
52 Books in 52 Weeks

"The Cost of Dreams" by Gary Stelzer
(from back cover)
Flora Enriquez trusts that she has found safe haven for her young family in the remote U.S. Southwest, after fleeing the murderous environs of her homeland where her parnets were slain in a civil war. Only to find that all of her life's greatest challenges, by far, still lie before her.

Product Details
Amazon.com
* Paperback: 296 pages
* Publisher: Decent Hearts Press (October 1, 2009)
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 1936073005
* ISBN-13: 978-1936073009

MY THOUGHTS: Flora, her sister and 2 brothers walk from Central America to the Southwest, U.S. to find freedom. Flora's whole village and family are killed in a civil war there. So Flora and what's left of her family walk to freedom. As Flora works and goes to school, she eventually gets her degree for teaching and her green papers. She meets and falls in love with Monte. They marry and have 2 children. Then one day Monte's brother comes to the tiny town where they live. He is looking for drugs that he thinks Monte and Flora have stolen from them. Flora is almost killed and Monte has killed his brother. Flora is "stolen" by Margarette and taken along on their migratory drive looking for work. Margarette is delusional, thinking Flora is her dead daughter come back to life. As Flora is hauled all over the south west and then to the north, she comes across a woman who she remembers from her childhood, Kate. Kate and her nephew are in Flora's village on a mission trying to help them. Kate leaves and her nephew stays. Her nephew comes up missing. Flora and Kate's chance meeting takes them to Mexico looking for a healer to fix Flora's paralyzed legs. This is a review book and it's really good!! This is Gary Stelzer's first book and I really enjoyed reading this book. He takes you along the path with Flora as you travel with her. If you get a chance to read this book, do, it's really good!

MY RATING: 5

IN MY MAILBOX

The Story Siren is the host for In My Mailbox. Did you get any book related items in your mailbox this week? Hop over and see what everyone else got. Here's how it works:

How In My Mailbox works:

1. Every week we'll post about what books we have received that week (via your mailbox/library/store bought)! Preferably posts will be made every Sunday, but feel free to choose a day that works best for you.

I got several books this week in the mail for review. One is an uncorrected proof for limited distribution.So I don't know if I should list it. The other two I got is:

"The World in Half" by Cristina Henriquez
(product description - Amazon.com)
Miraflores has never known her father, and until now, she’s never thought that he wanted to know her. She’s long been aware that her mother had an affair with him while she was stationed with her then husband in Panama, and she’s always assumed that her pregnant mother came back to the United States alone with his consent. But when Miraflores returns to the Chicago suburb where she grew up, to care for her mother at a time of illness, she discovers that her mother and father had a greater love than she ever thought possible, and that her father had wanted her more than she could have ever imagined.
In secret, Miraflores plots a trip to Panama, in search of the man whose love she hopes can heal her mother—and whose presence she believes can help her find the pieces of her own identity that she thought were irretrievably lost. What she finds is unexpected, exhilarating, and holds the power to change the course of her life completely.
In gorgeous, shimmering prose, Cristina Henríquez delivers a triumphant and heartbreaking first novel: the story of a young woman reconciling an existence between two cultures and confronting a life of hardship with an endless capacity to learn, love, and forgive.

"Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart - Beth Patteillo
(Product Description - Amazon.com)
Claire Prescott is a sensible woman who believes in facts and figures, not fairy tales. But when she agrees to present a paper to a summer symposium at Oxford on her ailing sister's behalf, Claire finds herself thrown into an adventure with a gaggle of Jane Austen-loving women all on the lookout for their Mr. Darcy. Claire isn't looking for Mr. Anyone. She's been dating Neil -- a nice if a bit negligent -- sports fanatic. But when a tall, dark and dashing stranger crosses her path, will the staid Claire suddenly discover her inner romantic heroine? Her chance meeting with a mysterious woman who claims to have an early version of Austen's Pride and Prejudice -- in which Lizzie ends up with someone other than Fitzwilliam Darcy -- leads to an astounding discovery about the venerated author's own struggle to find the right hero for Lizzie Bennett. Neil's unexpected arrival in Oxford complicates Claire's journey to finding her own romantic lead. Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart is the story of a woman who finds that love isn't logical and that a true hero can appear in the most unexpected of places.

BOOK BLOGGER HOLIDAY SWAP

Ok, big boo-boo on my part. Remember a couple weeks ago I posted that I had received my Book Blogger Holiday Swap? Well, that was wrong!!!! What I posted about was some things that I had won. Since I was expecting my package and one came I just assumed that was the one. Welllllll, I was wrong big time.

Monday I got a pink receipt, you know the ones the mailman leaves when they have a package for you! You have to then go to the post office and pick it up. So I went to get the package. It's from Israel! I wasn't expecting anything from there, hadn't ordered anything, I was so confused. I opened the package and there is a little note from the person who sent it to me. She is my Secret Blogger Santa! And I don't know who she is. She didn't sign her name. And what was in my package. Oh, lots of goodies.

The note says she lives about 30 minutes outside of Jerusalem. She says it's not uncommon to see camels by the side of the road. Also a top or Dreidel, in honor of Hanukkah.



She also sent 2 books. The books are:

Strange Bedpersons - Jennifer Cruisie
Charms for the Easy Life - Kaye Gibbons



They both sound like great books and I haven't read either one. Also a book mark and a postcard.





So now I need some help. If anyone knows who this person is, could you please let me know, I would really like to thank her very much for my most special package from Jerusalem, Israel.

A-Z WEDNESDAY & WONDROUS WORDS WEDNESDAY

It's Wednesday and time for 2 of my favorite memes. A-Z Wednesday which is for at Reading At The Beach and Wondrous Words Wednesday which is over at Bermuda Onion's place. Go check them out, you might find your next book to read!

A-Z Wednesday

To join, here's all you have to do: Go to your stack of books and find one whose title starts with the letter of the week.

Post:
1~ a photo of the book
2~ title and synopsis
3~ link(amazon, barnes and noble etc.)
4~ Come back here and leave your link in the comments.
If you've already reviewed this book you can add it also.
Be sure to visit other participants to see what book they have posted and leave them a comment.

My book is a review book. I just started it yesterday so haven't gotten too far into it. But what I've read so far it pretty good. The book is:



"The Silent Gift" by Michael Landon,Jr. & Cindy Kelley
(from Amazon.com)
The 1930s were a decade of enormous uncertainty--for the world, for America, and in particular for one lonely, struggling mother and her disabled son. Their story is one of love and enormous sacrifices in the face of circumstances horrendous beyond belief. When her husband leaves her for someone whose time isn't wrapped up in a silent, handicapped kid, Mary and little Jack are out on their own in a world that has no room for the poor and disabled. Especially not at a time when most Americans are simply trying to survive their economic woes and job losses. But then arrives The Gift...where has it come from, and why? How can a young boy who can neither hear nor speak provide comfort, direction, and sometimes challenges to seekers who learn of the special ability? Whatever the source, its presence brings a single shaft of light and hope to Mary and her beloved Jack. Will it be enough?

# Paperback: 368 pages
# Publisher: Bethany House (October 1, 2009)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 0764203630
# ISBN-13: 978-0764203633

WONDROUS WORDS WEDNESDAY

Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our reading. If you want to play along, grab the button, and join the fun! (Don’t forget to leave a link in your comment if you’re participating.

I only have one word and it comes from a review book I am reading.

The Cost of Dreams - Gary Stelzer


He had finally spun out of the oligarchy's control and ordered the shooting of Indians thought be under the influence of foreigners, over the age of twelve, and caught in traditional native wear, liabilities that the village from which the siblings had traveled only learned about too late.

oligarchy - älʹĭ-gär'kē
1. A government run by only a few, often the wealthy.
2. Those who make up an oligarchic government.
3. A state ruled by such a government.