Mailbox Monday April 25

It's Mailbox Monday! I love checking out everyone's mailboxes and adding books to my wish list. Be sure to check out all the posts over at Passages To The Past where Amy is hosting Mailbox Monday this month. Thank you Amy!

Spring is finally here in Wisconsin. It could be warmer but we will take what we can get. I even saw a fly yesterday. It's funny to see bugs after not seeing them all winter long.

I hope everyone had a nice weekend. We got my oldest son moved back in. We had to disassemble his box spring to get it upstairs..I don't recommend doing this. It took hours to take it apart and rebuild it. He'll be buying a new bed when he moves out again.

I had a great mailbox week. I received one book for review, I purchased one book, and I received my win from Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-thon. If you have never participated in the Read-a-thon you should consider it. I always have a good time even if I don't get much reading accomplished. The next one is scheduled for October 22, 2011 so mark those calendars!




This tote bag and a book were my win from the readathon. The tote bag is so cute and will be very handy for trips to the library. I didn't know what book was going to come with the tote bag so this was a very nice surprise. I received Don't breathe A Word by Jennifer McMahon. It looks like a good book. This was a win from Harper Collins. A special thank you to all that donated and supported the Readathon.





I received The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin from St Martin's Press through Librarything Early Reviewers Group.

Next up I bought The Bird Sisters by Rebecca Rasmussen. This book has intrigued me since I heard of it. After reading so many wonderful reviews and recommendations for it, I had to buy it. It just go to show that book blogs do sell books! I am constantly hearing about books I might have otherwise missed.

So what wonderful books made their way into your home?

Happy Easter

I want to wish every reader and follower a Very Happy Easter! I am fixing a simple Easter dinner - ham, potatoes, and broccoli. My oldest son is moving home today so we will be busy getting him settled back in. It will be nice to have all my chicks under one roof again. I hope each and everyone of you has a very Blessed Easter. For those who don't celebrate Easter, I wish you a wonderful spring day!

The Sister Wife

The Sister Wife by Diane Noble

Summary from Goodreads

What if the man you loved told you God wanted him to take another wife? What if that woman was your best friend?

Set in the heart of the earliest days of a new nineteenth-century sect known as the Saints, The Sister Wife is a riveting account of two women forced into a practice they don't understand, bound by their devotion to Prophet Joseph Smith. When Mary Rose marries Gabriel, neither of them could foresee how quickly the community would turn to the practice of plural marriage. Devastated when Gabe is faced with an order from the Prophet to marry her best friend, Bronwyn, Mary Rose tries to have the faith to carry through with the marriage. But can she really be married to the same man as her very best friend? Can Mary Rose and Bronwyn face betraying both their husband and their God to do what they feel is right?

My Thoughts

I have been wanting to read this book after reading the book description. I would classify this as a historical romance. The book jumps around a bit and for some reason that was a problem for me. There were characters who were minor and I would almost forget about them only to have them reappear. Maybe these characters will play more important roles in the next books in the series. There had to be a reason for them to be mentioned. I felt very disconnected frm the characters yet I wanted to know what was going to happen to them. I am not very familiar with the history of the Mormon Church and polygamy so I cannot say if it is an accurate account. I certainly hope not. I didn't hate the book but didn't love it either. However, I will more than likely read the next installment as it ended as a bit of a cliffhanger. Hopefully when I read the next book it will all make more sense. Until then, I will learn a bit more about this time period and the Mormon Church at the time. If you know of any books that would help in my search to learn more, please feel free to leave them in the comments.

I borrowed this book from the public library to read for the 2011 Just For Fun Challenge

Mailbox Monday April 18

It's Monday and you know what that means? Mailbox Monday! I love how we do this on Monday. It sure brightens my Monday! I love checking out everyone's mailboxes and adding books to my wish list Be sure to check out all the posts over at Passages To The Past where Amy is hosting Mailbox Monday this month. Thank you Amy! Unfortunately my mailbox looks nothing like the mailbox in the picture. My mailbox is covered in snow this morning. Snow in April..not the way I think April should be. My idea of April is daffodils, birds, green grass... not snow! Someday spring will come..I hope! Anywho, lets check out some mailboxes. It's much more fun than dealing with snow..in April.

I was a bad girl a week or so ago and placed an Amazon order. I went to order two books recommended by a friend and decided to check out the sale books. I also found two Halo books for my son in the sale section. I just can't pass up a good book bargain and all were on my wish list. I also received one book for review. I'm very excited about that!




Up first is the review book, which made a long journey from the U.K. to get to my house. I received this book from the author..thank you Rosy! I am really looking forward to reading this one. In fact I was looking at the cover this morning wishing I could transport myself to setting. I'll bet there's no snow there!

Tapestry of Love by Rosy Thornton

Summary from Goodreads
A warm and uplifting story of how a woman falls in love with a place and its people: a landscape, a community and a fragile way of life.

A rural idyll: that's what Catherine is seeking when she sells her house in England and moves to a tiny hamlet in the Cévennes mountains. With her divorce in the past and her children grown, she is free to make a new start, and her dream is to set up in business as a seamstress. But this is a harsh and lonely place when you're no longer just here on holiday. There is French bureaucracy to contend with, not to mention the mountain weather, and the reserve of her neighbours, including the intriguing Patrick Castagnol. And that's before the arrival of Catherine's sister, Bryony..

The rest are the books I ordered and feel somewhat guilty about..somewhat. I linked them all back to Goodreads if you want to check to see the book summaries.

The Opposite of Me by Sarah Pekkanen
The Wishing Trees by John Shors
Labor Day by Joyce Maynard
At Home on Ladybug Farm by Donna Ball
The Wet Nurse's Tale by Erica Eisdorfer
Pictures Of You by Caroline Leavitt

I am now off to check out other mailboxes..a big highlight of my Monday! And watch the snow melt!

Night Road

Night Road by Kristin Hannah

This book blew me away! I have read other books by Kristin Hannah so I knew I was in for a treat with this one. Little did I know that this book would take me on quite a journey!

Kristin Hannah's stories aren't typical in the way all of the characters are important. It's hard to say who the main character is in the book which I love! She does an excellent job at developing characters! I felt like I knew who each character was and why they did what they did or felt the way they did.

In Night Road we meet Jude, a helicopter mom of teenage twins, Zach and Mia. She is an excellent mother, sometimes hovering just a bit too much. Jude tries to protect the twins from all the evils life has to offer. Their father, Miles is involved but is much more laid back than his wife. Mia becomes best friends with Lexi, a girl who has had a rough upbringing but has turned out to be a great kid. Lexi is welcomed into the family as Mia's BFF. The first half of the book revolves around the family and Lexi. We learn how everyone got to where they are in life. The second half of the book takes place after a terrible tragedy occurs. And here is where I will not talk about where the story goes. The anticipation really builds in this book. You have a looming feeling something is going to happen but you have no idea what that is. If you knew, the story would not have the same emotion I'm afraid. Part of the greatness of the book is the not knowing..at least it was for me. Kristin Hannah has done a fabulous job of building a story in layers and each layer is very important. This book is one you experience as you read it. If I said much more about the story it would ruin the book for you. Trust me..just read it! I highly recommend this book. This won't be the last Hannah book for me!

I received this book for my honest opinion from Librarything Early Reviewers Group. It in no way influenced my opinion.

Mailbox Monday April 11

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists! Mailbox Monday was started by Marcia at the Printed Page. Marcia has started a new blog for Mailbox Monday here. Mailbox Monday is now on tour and this month's host is Amy at Passages To The Past. Thank you Amy for hosting!

I fell off the wagon this past week when it comes to books. I received 3 review books, downloaded several books on my Nook, checked out books from the library and received an order from Barnes and Noble. Sadly, I am also waiting on a box of bargain books from Amazon. Just call me hopeless. My wish list grows every week visiting blogs. What's a gal to do? I linked all the books to Goodreads instead of listing the summaries here.



Review Books

Courting Miss Amsel by Kim Vogel Sawyer (received from Bethany House)

Another Dawn by Kathryn Cushman (received from Bethany House)

The Civilized World by Susi Wyss (received from Henry Holt and Company)

Purchased Books

A Race to Splendor by Ciji Ware- Sourcebooks

Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda- William Morrow

The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen- Bantam


Library Books

The Sister Wife by Diane Noble
Lily of the Nile by Stephanie Dray
Left Neglected by Lisa Genova
Chosen by Chandra Hoffman

Nook Books
Cottage By The Sea by Ciji Ware
Becoming a Woman of Freedom by Cynthia Heald
Miranda's Big Mistake by Jill Mansell
Secret Holocaust Diaries by Nonna Bannister
Wings by Aprilynne Pike
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Whew...that was fun! Now to go visit your mailbox and see what wonderful books came into your home! I wonder how many will end up my wish list this week?

Salting Roses

Salting Roses by Lorelle Marinello

I loved this story. Gracie Lynne Calloway was abandoned on a front porch as an infant. She is raised by her "uncles" who found her. Artie and Ben raised Gracie along with the help of Alice, Ben's wife who lives next door. Gracie thought she knew exactly who she was until the day Sam Fontana comes to town to tell her she is a missing kidnapped heiress. Gracie has to figure out who she really is and what is the truth about who her parents really are. The story is full of wonderful, well-developed characters. Artie and Ben are very loving and gentle with Gracie. Gracie is a very funny, headstrong gal who I completely adored. Her interactions with Alice cracked me up. Alice is determined to turn Gracie into a lady while Gracie would much rather run around in jeans and a t-shirt. I couldn't help but love the little town of Shady Grove. It had a great small hometown feel to it. It's the kind of place where everyone knows everybody and their business. I loved this book even though it did seem to move a bit slow in parts. Maybe I was just anxious to know how it all would turn out. Get yourself a seat on the front porch, grab a glass of sweet tea and and read this book. It's a lovely Cinderella type story that will leave you feeling good. You won't be disappointed.

I received this book for my honest opinion from the publisher through Librarything's Early Reviewers Program