2013 Vacation Day 1

Vacation 2013.  Day 1 of 36.  Depart Waco.  Can’t find GPS so turn around & go home to look for it.  Found it where it had fallen behind the driver’s seat.  Depart for second time.  In OKC saw road signs saying I-44 was closed west of Springfield, Mo (this was August 7th, 2013). It's 106 degrees out. Ugh hot. Arrive DH’s parent’s house in Sedan, KS about  8 pm-ish.  Chatted.  Had 3 layer sour cream chocolate cake with Cool Whip Frosting for DH’s “birthday cake”.  Yum.  Called Mom May to ask about I-44 closure and it was closed at exit 172 (Jerome, MO).  Stayed up till about midnight talking.  Laura finished knitting a Plymouth Yarn Chunky scarf during the long drive.

Lone Star Trail by Darlene Franklin

 

Texas Trails * Lone Star Trail ~ ~ ~ A Morgan Family Series
by Darlene Franklin

Oh my goodness - - >  Good!  Ms. Franklin can bring her characters, the land, the historical time to life for her readers.  Excellent writing.  The story is about a 26 year old rancher Jud Morgan in 1845 in Victoria, Texas whom was prejudice against all the immigrants flooding to Texas since he had lost his father during the fight for Texas independence.  At this time, the Germans specifically were migrating to New Braunfels, Texas via Victoria.   Like the Fleischer family.  The Fleischers lost a child after the sea voyage, lost their wagon to the Texas clay mud, lost another child to the cholera epidemic, lost their ranch and barns they had worked so hard to obtain to arson, their oldest daughter lost her fiancé to another woman he met on the sea voyage and yet, through all these hardships, their faith in God prevailed and provided for them.  They worked hard and grew to be an integral part of the Texas-born  and German population in Victoria.  The story is one of perseverance that deserves your time to read.

"Dead Ever After" BOOK REVIEW

"Dead Ever After" Sookie Stackhouse Book 13 (and last) by Charlaine Harris BOOK REVIEW

From the book cover:  THE FINAL SOOKIE STACKHOUSE NOVEL

There are secrets in the town of Bon Temps, ones that threaten those closest to Sookie—and could destroy her heart....

Sookie Stackhouse  finds it easy to turn down the request of former barmaid Arlene when she wants her job back at Merlotte’s. After all, Arlene tried to have Sookie killed. But her relationship with Eric Northman is not so clearcut. He and his vampires are keeping their distance…and a cold silence. And when Sookie learns the reason why, she is devastated.

Then a shocking murder rocks Bon Temps, and Sookie is arrested for the crime.

But the evidence against Sookie is weak, and she makes bail. Investigating the killing, she’ll learn that what passes for truth in Bon Temps is only a convenient lie. What passes for justice is more spilled blood. And what passes for love is never enough…

My Review:  Overall I think Charlaine Harris did really well in "Dead Ever After" and had the perfect ending. These fictional characters are from Ms. Harris' imagination and I've read this is how she envisioned her series ending since around the 2nd book. I've enjoyed her imagination and characters and stories in all 13 books. I for one like to see a "happy ever after" in a normal-ish way for our heroine after all these years. Congrats on a job well done Ms. Harris!

Whiskey Beach book review

Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts
Book Review

from inside cover: 

For more than three hundred years, Bluff House has sat above Whiskey Beach, guarding its shore—and its secrets. But to Eli Landon, it’s home…

A Boston lawyer, Eli has weathered an intense year of public scrutiny and police investigations after being accused of—but never arrested for—the murder of his soon-to-be-ex wife.

He finds sanctuary at Bluff House, even though his beloved grandmother is in Boston recuperating from a nasty fall. Abra Walsh is always there, though. Whiskey Beach’s resident housekeeper, yoga instructor, jewelry maker, and massage therapist, Abra is a woman of many talents—including helping Eli take control of his life and clear his name. But as they become entangled in each other, they find themselves caught in a net that stretches back for centuries—one that has ensnared a man intent on reaping the rewards of destroying Eli Landon once and for all…

My review:
An excellent build on the main characters (probably could have done in less pages though) and the locale.  Especially enjoyed the added element of history and the scenic location just 'takes you away'.   Well written and a Happy Ever After fictional read.

BOOK REVIEW: A CAST OF STONES: The Staff & The Sword by Patrick W. Carr

BOOK REVIEW:  A CAST OF STONES:  The Staff & The Sword by Patrick W. Carr

An epic journey of a personal as well as traveling nature. The depth of the story was incredible. The main character Errol was a pathetic teenage drunkard hiding from his past. Through a drama-filled journey wandering various lands, Errol's character rose above his circumstances to become the man he was meant to be. It's a fast-paced enjoyable recommended read.

South of Superior Book Review

 South of Superior BOOK REVIEW

Author Airgood's first novel is a true gem full of heart, in which love, friendship, and charity teach a woman to live a happy life by involving herself in her community.

When Madeline Stone walks away from Chicago and her fiance, she moves five hundred miles north to the desolate coast of Lake Superior, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, but she isn't prepared for how much her life will change.

Charged with caring for an aging family friend, Madeline finds herself in the middle of beautiful nowhere with Gladys and Arbutus, two octogenarian sisters-one sharp and stubborn, the other sweeter than sunshine. As Madeline begins to experience the ways of the small, tight-knit town, she is drawn into the lives and dramas of its residents. It's a place where times are tough and debts run deep, but friendship, community, and compassion run deeper. As the story hurtles along-featuring a lost child, a dashed love, a car accident, a wedding, a fire, and a romantic reunion- Gladys, Arbutus, and the rest of the town teach Madeline more about life, love, and goodwill than she's learned in a lifetime.

A heartwarming novel, South of Superior explores the deep reward in caring for others, and shows how one who is poor in pocket can be rich in so many other ways, and how little it often takes to make someone happy.

Book Review - "No Safe Harbor" by Elizabeth Ludwig

Book Review - "No Safe Harbor" by Elizabeth Ludwig

"No Safe Harbor" by Elizabeth Ludwig takes place in New York City in 1897.  This historical setting of this novel is very interesting and Ludwig pulls you into 1897 with her story telling.  Her heroine, Cara Hamilton, is a brave single young lady that made her way from Ireland to America in search of her twin brother Eoghan whom she had thought to be dead.

The book takes you along with Cara's search for her brother including the sights and conditions of 1897 NYC all the while meeting various other travelers coming to America to start a new life for various reasons.  Cara's questions and search for her brother lead her into another plot she had no idea she was getting involved with and her life is put in danger as a result.

I received this book from Bethany House for review.  The review and opinions are solely mine.