Quick Audio Review: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Secret Garden: Tie-In Edition by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Would have given this a five, but it was an abridged version of the book. I didn’t realize it when I purchased in on Audible. It was good at keeping my daughter’s interest. She loved the story. Helena Bonham Carter is the perfect narrator for this classic. It is one of my absolute favorite books. 
Will look forward to reading the unabridged version to her another time. 

Happy Reading!

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

November 18th we celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary. It’s hard to believe it has been seventeen years! Doesn’t seem that long. We celebrated with a stay in Big Sur. One of our favorite places to relax and recharge.

I especially enjoyed sitting outside amongst the redwoods by the fire pit reading The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. It’s hard not to appreciate how lucky we are to be able to do this.

Anyway, The Goldfinch. I grabbed this book at my brother in law’s this summer when I finished the book I had brought with me to Maine. I started it then and had been reading it off and on for four months. I have had to put it down multiple times to read book group reads, but I kept coming back to it. It’s one of those books that you can put down and pick up weeks later and it’s like you never left.

This book really had everything I love in a story. Well developed characters, a little history (in this case art history), rich language and and story that keeps me interested. I really enjoyed this one.

Happy Reading!

I'm Back!

It's been almost a year since the last time I posted anything here. It's been a busy year. So busy, that I forgot to post that last one.
 Our house has been under construction, the girl finished kindergarten and is now a big First grader. I am semi-working at the co-op preschool the girl and I attended. We are patiently waiting to get back into our house.
There has been lots of driving, shuttling the girl to and from school and to after school activities. We are sharing a house with four other adults and a 2 year old. It makes for little time and little motivation to find a quiet place to sit down and write.
Anyway, I am still reading. Maybe not as prolifically as I once did, but still a respectable amount. I have missed sharing my thoughts about the books I read, though. So I am going to try and get back to it. May be a little slow winding my groove again, but am going to try. I will also mix in my other current activities and hobbies as I have in the past.
We'll see how it goes.

Happy Reading!

Happy New Year!

I can't believe I haven't posted anything in so long. December was a busy month, though. It has been pretty crazy. We moved out of our house in anticipation of a big reno. We are now 10 miles from school, so there is much more commuting being done than usual. We were also busy with the holidays and travel.  Anyway, I am still here. Reading. Knitting. Surviving. :) I will get back to it here at some point...maybe.
(oops. Looks like I forgot to post this back in January)
Happy Reading!

When All the Girls Have Gone by Jayne Ann Krentz

When All the Girls Have Gone by Jayne Ann Krentz
Hardcover, 304 pages Published November 2016, Berkeley
About the Book
When Charlotte's step-sister goes missing and the women in her investment club start dying, Charlotte joins forces with a private investigator to find answers. Max and Charlotte discover that the investment club is just a front for the women and their activities to right wrongs done against them and other women. 
It looks like someone has discovered them and are now being hunted and killed but who can it be?
A good mystery and a bit of romance, When All the Girls Have Gone was an entertaining read. I enjoyed the suspense, the twist and turns. The romance was believable... A bit quick, but believable. I look forward to reading another book by Krentz. This was the first book of hers I have read but won't be my last. 
I also really love the look of this cover. Don't you?
About the Author

The author of over 50 consecutive New York Times bestsellers, JAYNE ANN KRENTZ writes romantic-suspense in three different worlds: Contemporary (as Jayne Ann Krentz), historical (as Amanda Quick) and futuristic (as Jayne Castle). There are over 30 million copies of her books in print. 

She earned a B.A. in History from the University of California at Santa Cruz and went on to obtain a Masters degree in Library Science from San Jose State University in California. Before she began writing full time she worked as a librarian in both academic and corporate libraries.

Ms. Krentz is married and lives with her husband, Frank, in Seattle, Washington. 


Happy Reading!

Book Club Reads in 2016

This year's Book Group reads have run the gamut from Sci Fi to classics to popular fiction. We have read it all. Here's a list of all our books this year.
Dead Mountain by Donnie Eichar (Interesting read) Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell (slow, but great imagery of the horrors in war) The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay (my favorite) The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi (scary look at our future) The Best of Connie Willis by Connie Willis (did not read) Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson (enjoyed this non-fiction) The Dinner by Herman Koch (disturbing, unlikeable characters, good) Surface Detail by Iain M. Banks (dnf) A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore (currently reading)


Happy Reading!

Current Read: When All the Girls Have Gone by Jane Ann Krentz

Jayne Ann Krentz, the New York Times bestselling author of Secret Sisters, delivers a thrilling novel of the deceptions we hide behind, the passions we surrender to, and the lengths we’ll go to for the truth...

Look for my review on December 1st.
Happy Reading!

Current Read: Doctor Sleep

I have been reading some Stephen King this month. Perfect for Halloween. It has been a busy month with school volunteering, and the house remodel, though, so my reading time has been a bit limited. So this book will be going into November. Really enjoying it.

Happy Reading!

Happy Halloween!!!

Halloween has been influencing my lettering practice this month. Hope everyone has a safe and fun Halloween!

Current Read: Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith

Enjoying this third book in the series. Another quick read and fun, interesting mystery.
Happy Reading!