WWW Wednesdays September 14

It's Wednesday again! Today is our 26th wedding anniversary. We don't have any big plans. I am making a nice dinner. I also bought my hubby a new Farmer's Almanac. I have bought him one pretty much every year since we have been married. He enjoys following it during the year. He loves pointing out to us when it is right on with it's predictions. It does make for interesting reading. Pick one up sometime if you have never read one. They have interesting articles in them. The daughter has the day off of school so I am spending the day being a wife and mother and appreciating it. That is celebration enough for me. On to WWW Wednesday!

WWW Wednesday is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

To play along, just answer the following three questions…
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

Excuse the different book cover sizes. I had troubles today. The control freak in me is really having a hard time seeing the different cover sizes. I am not sure why the one cover would not enlarge.

What are you currently reading?

Stiltsville by Susanna Daniel

I started out really enjoying this but it seems to be slowing down for me. We'll see what I think of it when I get to the end. I am just having a hard time seeing where the story is going. Have you read this one?


What did you recently finish reading?

The Butterfly's Daughter by Mary Alice Monroe

I loved this book! This was my first Mary Alice Monroe book but will not be my last. Click on the title for my review. This book was full of great female characters.

What do you think you’ll read next?

One Summer by David Baldacci

I am very curious about this. I hear this is not his usual type of book.

Mailbox Monday September 12

It's Monday again! Time for another Mailbox Monday post. Mailbox Monday is the creation of Marcia from A Girl and Her Books. The meme is on tour and this month's host is Amused By Books.

That mailbox reflects how I feel today! I am glad that summer is on it's way out, for the most part. It has been a hot summer here. We don't have air conditioning. We have just never really needed it here before. Heat waves were short and sweet. Not this year. It has been a miserable one. Today should be our last hot day for some time. I am looking forward to the cooler temps, my favorite sweats coming out of hiding and drinking hot tea. I bought some loose herbal teas at our harbor market this summer and I am anxious to try them out with a good book in hand. I am sure at some point I will miss summer. Probably when I am shoveling snow. Although there were several times this summer, I wished for a snow bank to jump into. This winter, I'll be hoping for some warm weather to melt that snow bank. It's vicious circle.

I received one book this past week for review. It looks very interesting.

The Train of Small Mercies by David Rowell

Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: Putnam Adult (October 13, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 039915728X
ISBN-13: 978-0399157288

In haunting and crystalline prose, The Train of Small Mercies follows six characters' intrepid search for hope among the debris of an American tragedy.

In New York, a young black porter struggles through his first day on the job-a staggering assignment aboard Robert F. Kennedy's funeral train. In Pennsylvania, a woman creates a tangle of lies to sneak away from her disapproving husband and pay her respects to the slain senator, dragging her child with her. In Maryland, a wounded young soldier awaits a newspaper interview that his parents hope will restore his damaged self-esteem. And in Washington, an Irish nanny in town to interview with the Kennedy family must reconcile the lost opportunity and the chance to start her life anew.

In this stunning debut, David Rowell depicts disparate lives united by an extraordinary commemoration, irrevocably changed as Kennedy's funeral train makes its solemn journey from New York to Washington.

I received this book from Putnam Books

What wonderful books made their way into your home?

9/11

Today marks a day which changed all of our lives. I find it hard to believe it has been 10 years. I remember that day so vividly. I walked my two youngest kids to the bus stop and came home to Good Morning America on the tv. I always left the tv on when I walked the kids to the bus. I saw the tower on fire and then heard them say it was believed to be plane had crashed into it. It had just happened and there was much confusion. I figured it had to be a small plane and an accident. I phoned my mother as I did every morning at that time while watching the next plane crash into the other tower. That was the moment I knew our lives had changed. I knew it was not an accident. My eyes were glued to the tv all day. I struggled with the decision of leaving my kids at school or bringing them home. I chose to leave them at school so they could have a few more hours of innocence. Being in grade school, I knew my youngest kids were not told much of what transpired. My oldest son was 14 and in high school. His school was a fairly new charter school. They made an announcement. He really didn't understand the magnitude of what had happened until he was home.

That night was surreal. I couldn't help thinking while fixing dinner that night, of the families who would not be together due to this act of terrorism. My heart ached for them. The night was very quiet. We have a busy road that runs behind us and there was not a car on it. The skies were quiet as all airplanes were grounded. In the middle of the night I heard fighter jets flying overhead. Apparently, they were being moved to other locations. I remember feeling very uneasy hearing those jets.

Life changed for all of us that day. Some more than others. Some would never hold their loved ones again. To those people, our hearts go out to you. You do not mourn alone. We mourn with you. We will never forget!

I am editing this post to add this book. I read this long before I knew what a book blog was. I read this when it first showed up in my local library. It is a wonderful, heartwarming side to that fateful day. I highly recommend it.

The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland by Jim DeFede

"For the better part of a week, nearly every man, woman, and child in Gander and the surrounding smaller towns stopped what they were doing so they could help. They placed their lives on hold for a group of strangers and asked for nothing in return. They affirmed the basic goodness of man at a time when it was easy to doubt such humanity still existed."

When thirty-eight jetliners bound for the United States were forced to land in Gander, Newfoundland, on September 11, 2001, due to the closing of United States airspace, the citizens of this small community were called upon to come to the aid of more than six thousand displaced travelers.

Roxanne and Clarke Loper were excited to be on their way home from a lengthy and exhausting trip to Kazakhstan, where they had adopted a daughter, when their plane suddenly changed course and they found themselves in Newfoundland. Hannah and Dennis O'Rourke, who had been on vacation in Ireland, were forced to receive updates by telephone on the search for their son Kevin, who was among the firefighters missing at the World Trade Center. George Vitale, a New York state trooper and head of the governor's security detail in New York City who was returning from a trip to Dublin, struggled to locate his sister Patty, who worked in the Twin Towers. A family of Russian immigrants, on their way to the Seattle area to begin a new life, dealt with the uncertainty of conditions in their future home.

The people of Gander were asked to aid and care for these distraught travelers, as well as for thousands more, and their response was truly extraordinary. Oz Fudge, the town constable, searched all over Gander for a flight-crew member so that he could give her a hug as a favor to her sister, a fellow law enforcement officer who managed to reach him by phone. Eithne Smith, an elementary-school teacher, helped the passengers staying at her school put together letters to family members all over the world, which she then faxed. Bonnie Harris, Vi Tucker, and Linda Humby, members of a local animal protection agency, crawled into the jets' cargo holds to feed and care for all of the animals on the flights. Hundreds of people put their names on a list to take passengers into their homes and give them a chance to get cleaned up and relax.

The Day the World Came to Town is a positively heartwarming account of the citizens of Gander and its surrounding communities and the unexpected guests who were welcomed with exemplary kindness.

The Butterfly's Daughter

The Butterfly's Daughter by Mary Alice Monroe

Summary

Four very different women embark on a transformational journey that follows the migrating monarchs across the United States to Mexico. The story begins when Luz Avila's grandmother, the local butterfly lady, purchases an old, orange VW bug for a road trip home to Mexico. When she unexpectedly dies, Luz is inspired to take her grandmother's ashes home. In the manner of the Aztec myth of the goddess who brings light to the world, Luz attracts a collection of lost women, each seeking change in their lives. The Mexican people believe the monarchs are the spirits of the recently departed and Luz taps into ancient rituals and myths as she follows the spectacular, glittering river of orange monarchs in the sky to home.

My Thoughts

I started reading this book just as the monarch butterflies were showing up in my yard. It was perfect timing to read this book. Each chapter begins with a tidbit about the monarch butterflies life and journey to their winter home in Mexico. I found it very interesting as I watched the butterflies make a quick stop in my yard on what I imagine is part of that journey.

At the same time Luz, the main character, is on a journey which coincides with the monarch butterflies journey. She is taking her grandmother's ashes to home in Mexico, which is where the butterflies are also heading. Luz meets some interesting characters along the way. Each plays a roll in Luz's growth and journey along the way as do the butterflies.

I enjoyed this book and found the journey of the butterflies and Luz beautifully written. This was my first Mary Alice Monroe novel but won't be my last. She captured my attention with her wonderful details and great characters.

As an added note, the book is also a bargain book on Amazon right now.


I received this book from Gallery Books through Goodreads First Reads Giveaway

Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer - Audiobook Review

Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer

Summary

From the internationally bestselling author of Kane and Abel and A Prisoner of Birth comes Only Time Will Tell, the first in an ambitious new series that tells the story of one family across generations, across oceans, from heartbreak to triumph.

The epic tale of Harry Clifton’s life begins in 1920, with the words “I was told that my father was killed in the war.” A dock worker in Bristol, Harry never knew his father, but he learns about life on the docks from his uncle, who expects Harry to join him at the shipyard once he’s left school. But then an unexpected gift wins him a scholarship to an exclusive boys’ school, and his life will never be the same again.

As he enters into adulthood, Harry finally learns how his father really died, but the awful truth only leads him to question, was he even his father? Is he the son of Arthur Clifton, a stevedore who spent his whole life on the docks, or the firstborn son of a scion of West Country society, whose family owns a shipping line?

This introductory novel in Archer’s ambitious series The Clifton Chronicles includes a cast of colorful characters and takes us from the ravages of the Great War to the outbreak of the Second World War, when Harry must decide whether to take up a place at Oxford or join the navy and go to war with Hitler’s Germany. From the docks of working-class England to the bustling streets of 1940 New York City, Only Time Will Tell takes readers on a journey through to future volumes, which will bring to life one hundred years of recent history to reveal a family story that neither the reader nor Harry Clifton himself could ever have imagined.

My Thoughts

I was reading this book and was given the opportunity to review the audiobook also. I have been trying to get into audiobooks but have been struggling with it. I was enjoying reading this book so I hoped that the audio version would keep my attention as well. It really worked out well since this was a book that I found hard to put down. I could listen to the audiobook as I did housework or drove in my car. It worked out well. The book is read by Roger Allam and Emelia Fox who both did a wonderful job. The audiobook also includes a bonus interview with Jeffrey Archer, which I found very interesting.

I really loved this book and am looking forward to the rest of the series. I would recommend both the print version and audio version. Below is my review of the print version in case you missed it last month.

Book Review

I have never read a book written by Jeffrey Archer before. After reading this book I will be looking out for more of his books. What an amazing storyteller!

Only Time Will Tell tells the story of two families, the Barringtons, a well to do family and the Cliftons, a struggling family. The Barringtons are shipping magnates while the Cliftons are hard working people. Young Harry Clifton's mother, Maisie is a waitress while his uncle is a dock worker as was his father. Young Harry believes his father died in the war. Maisie will do what she needs to do to get her son the type of education he needs to break the cycle. Harry has a phenomenal voice which just may be his ticket to a good school. When Harry goes off to school he meets Giles Barrington and the two become fast friends. The two boys become connected without realizing they may have always been connected. As Harry learns the truth about his father, the world is getting closer to being at war and decisions are made which will affect them all.

Each chapter is told from the viewpoint of another character. I found this extremely interesting even though some of the same storyline was retold. It gave me a different look at the situation as it happened. Seeing the same situation through the eyes of another can be quite eye-opening.

The characters are well developed. I felt I knew each character very well. The author does a fantastic job creating each character's personality. Each character seems to be harboring some sort of secret by the time this book ends. Some of the characters are not very likeable but make for great reading. Every saga needs a good villain or two. Other characters such as Maisie and Harry will capture your heart. You can't help but feel for Harry and Maisie. I kept hoping life would get easier for them.

The book ends with a huge cliffhanger that has me dying to get my hands on the next installment of this series. I find myself wondering what will happen to each of the characters in the book. This book ends with many unanswered questions but I knew going into this book it was a series spanning many years and many generations. I adore a good family saga and this one does not disappoint! I loved all the unexpected twists. I can't wait to see where Mr. Archer plans on taking this storyline next! He has made me a big fan! I just hope we don't have to wait too long for the next book! I know I'll be reading all installments of The Clifton Chronicles. You don't want to miss this series!

I was given both the print and audiobook in return for my honest opinion. Thank you to Macmillan Audio and St Martin's Press.

WWW Wednesday September 7

This week is just flying by! I haven't posted WWW Wednesday for awhile. It feels good to get back into the swing of things.

WWW Wednesday is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

To play along, just answer the following three questions…
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

The Butterfly's Daughter by Mary Alice Monroe

I am loving this book! Each chapter begins with a fact on monarch butterflies. It's really very interesting, especially since I have seen a few monarchs in my yard this past week. It is also on sale at Amazon right now!


What did you recently finish reading?

The Art of Forgetting by Camille Noe Pagan

This book was a pleasant surprise for me. You can read my review here.


What do you think you’ll read next?

Stiltsville by Susanna Daniel

I really need to get this read and back to the library. It also is on sale right now at Amazon.

Mailbox Monday September 5

It's Monday again! Time for another Mailbox Monday post. Mailbox Monday is the creation of Marcia from A Girl and Her Books. The meme is on tour and this month's host is Amused By Books.

I have been MIA lately in the blogging world. School started Thursday here. I always feel the need to organize and purge things when school starts. I cleaned out a closet and painted it. In the middle of a heat wave! Not smart! Hopefully things will get back to normal and I'll get some posting and blog hopping done. I'm hoping to settle into a routine this week. The heat is gone and it is 52 this morning! Everyone is complaining but not me! I think it feels good! I have had enough of heat this summer. I am ready to curl up with some hot tea and a good book!

This weeks mailbox is obnoxious. I hit Borders a week or so ago and haven't posted my finds there. The day I went the deals were not as great as they are now. Our store is in it's final 10 days now. It is so sad in the store. The employees are sad and who can blame them. There were quite a few employees there that I could always go to for suggestions or assistance. I will miss going there.

First up are my review books.

Ingenue by Jillian Larkin

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

These both came courtesy of the publishers(scholastic Press and Delacorte Press)through Amazon Vine. I have seen so many great reviews for both of these YA series so I decided to give both series a try.

The Winters in Bloom by Lisa Tucker

I received this book courtesy of Atria's Galley Alley.

The following books are my Borders treasures.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Easy Slow Cooker Recipes by cookbook resources
Deep Down True by Juliette Fay
Life Sentences by Laura Lippman
The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker
Still Alice by Lisa Genova
Vixen by Jillian Larkin
The Christmas Cookie Club by Ann Pearlman

This book I pre-ordered and it came this week. I found Angie's blog awhile back. She is a writer and speaker who inspires me to be a better person. I adored her first book, I Will Carry You so I knew I had to read her new book as well.

What Women Fear: Walking in Faith that Transforms by Angie Smith

Whew! That is what came into my home recently. What wonderful books made their way into your home?