by Nora Roberts

Berkley Books, 2009

My Rating: B+

This is Book Two in the Bride Quartet. My review of Book One is here. Book Three, Savor the Moment, is coming next week and I wanted to finish this one before number three arrived. It’s not absolutely necessary to read them in order, but it is much better that way. Book Two included characters and builds on events that happened in Book One, so I’d recommend reading them in order.

All four books center around four women who own and manage a wedding planning business called Vows. Each one controls a different aspect of the business. Bed of Roses is about Emma Grant and the flowers. Emma is very good at creating unique arrangements, bouquets, garden and patio areas, and so on for the weddings and other events at the estate where Vows conducts business.

I once read that the author, Nora Roberts, spends all of her spare time gardening and it showed in this book. I could tell she had fun describing the various flowers and how they were used.

Besides flowers, the book is also about the romance between Emma and a family friend, Jack Cooke. Emma and Jack have been friends for so many years that he’s like a member of the family. It surprises everyone, including Emma and Jack, when they start developing feelings for each other. Everybody warns them to be careful. Somebody is going to get hurt.

One of the things I love about Nora Roberts’ books are the men she creates. They’re just right: very masculine, a little sensitive, a flaws and a whole lot of self-confidence. I also like her dialogue between the men. Here’s a sample. In this scene Del, who’s like a brother to Emma, has just learned that his best friend, Jack, has been “with” Emma and he didn’t know anything about it. They’ve both just exchanged punches to the face.

“I didn’t move in on her. If anything we moved in on each other. For __ sake, Del, she’s a grown woman, she makes her own choices. It’s not like I twirled my moustache and stole her virginity.”

“Watch it,” Del warned, then the temper in his eyes went lethal. “You slept with her?”

“Let’s back it up.” Not a good start, Cooke, he thought. Not the best of springboards. “Let’s just back it up.”

“Yes or no, goddamn it.”

“Yes, goddamn it. I slept with her, she slept with me. We slept with each other.”

Something murderous flashed in Del’s eyes. “I ought to beat you senseless.”

“You can try. We’ll both end up in the ER. And when I get out, I’m still going to sleep with her.” Something equally deadly flared in Jack’s eyes. “It’s none of your __ business.”

Don’t worry, they get back their friendship. This is a romance novel you know. Everything always turns out fine. My only complaint about the book is a minor one. It has to do with the ending. It seemed as if the author was rushing to wrap things up. But I can still recommend this one to all my romance-loving friends. Okay, I’m ready for Book Three.

Check your local library for this book. Bed Of Roses is also available at Amazon. (I am an Amazon Associate.)

by Maggie Sefton

Berkley Prime Crime, 2005

My Rating: B

Kelly Flynn is a CPA back in Washington D.C. She’s used to looking at details and analyzing information. But, as the story opens, she’s in Fort Connor, Colorado for her aunt’s funeral. Aunt Helen was Kelly’s last remaining relative and had been a mother-figure to her. Not only is Aunt Helen dead, she was murdered. Kelly doesn’t believe the police have the right suspect nor the right motive.

In her own analytical style, Kelly begins inquiring about her aunt’s activities. Kelly gets some help from her aunt’s friends – all women from the knitting shop next door. The knitting-circle women don’t just help Kelly solve the mystery, they take her into their lives and hearts. Soon Kelly is playing softball, learning how to knit, and deciding to stay in Fort Connor for a few months. Did I mention there’s this good looking guy hanging around? I don’t know where that’s going.

I really liked the women in the circle. Publisher’s Weekly said her “knitting buddies, who, in their own carefree way, resemble the cast of Friends.” I loved the repartee among the group. For pure fun, you have to read the book to meet Jennifer and Lizzie. Jennifer is a smart talking waitress/realtor who hates sports. You’re not going to find her “standing in the sun and sweating.” Lizzie is my soul-mate. She’s a seventi-ish retired schoolteacher who’s not afraid to see for herself what’s underneath the bagpiper’s kilt.

The murder mystery part of the story was enjoyable to read, too. There were several people I thought might be the guilty party but I was surprised in the end – a nice surprise. This was definitely a cozy – no CSI-type pictures popped into my head.

I almost forgot to mention the knitting part of the book. The author was a non-knitter when she started the book but that soon changed. Her description of Kelly walking into the knit shop for the first time was from the author’s own experience. It made me want to run down to my local knit shop. For fellow knitters: There are a couple of patterns in the back of the book.

Knit One, Kill Two is Book One in Maggie Sefton’s seven-book (#8 this summer) series. I have a hunch that Kelly will decide to settle down in Fort Connor and become a permanent member of the knitting-circle. And, yes, I hope she has a little romance too.

I read this book for the Cozy Mystery Challenge Doubled. Maggie Sefton is one of the Cozy Chicks. Her website is here. I borrowed this book form the public library. It’s available at Amazon. (I am an Amazon Associate.)

Grand Central Publishing, 2005

My Rating: A

Mickey Haller is what everyone loves to hate – a defense attorney for society’s criminals. His clients are drug dealers, thieves, prostitutes, etc. He doesn’t need a fancy office. He owns several Lincoln Town Cars and conducts a lot of his business there. He runs between the courthouses of Los Angeles County helping all those guilty people.

The hardest thing for Mickey to figure out is an innocent client. Since most of his clients claim to be innocent Mickey has become jaded. He wonders if he will be able to recognize a truly innocent person when meets one.

And then, one day, he gets a client who can be a franchise client. That’s one who’s rich enough to pay for a long trial with lots of billable hours and big bonuses. This guy has been accused of assault with intent to rape and murder. But he’s a Beverly Hills realtor who has never been in trouble with the law. The guy appears to be that rare innocent man. Or is he just plain evil?

Lincoln Lawyer is a fast-paced look at our justice system through the eyes of a fictional defense attorney. This guy is smart, manipulative and knows how to play all the angles to get his clients as much as possible. It was impossible to dislike this guy. In fact, I was pulling for him long before the middle of the book.

The character of Mickey Haller was well developed and should be a franchise character for author Michael Connelly. I liked other characters as well, particularly his first ex-wife and his investigator. I first met Mickey Haller last year when I read Nine Dragons. He played a small part in that book. Next my plan is to read Brass Verdict which features Mickey Haller and his half-brother, Harry Bosch. If you haven’t met either one of them, I can highly recommend a Michael Connelly character to you.

Check your local library for Lincoln Lawyer. It’s also available on Amazon.

I just finished reading this book that is inspirational, humorous, and a wonderful celebration of the best of what’s inside people. I’m going to give you a summary of the book and share a few quotes. In addition, I’m going to post some quotes from the book over in my left sidebar and keep it going for a while. I don’t want to review it and move on. I want to keep talking about it. It’s that good.

What the book is about:

This slim little book is a compilation of wisdom collected from people who are 100 years-old and ten-years old. The author, Roger Emerson Fishman, traveled the United States interviewing centenarians and children. This volume covers such subjects as Believing In Yourself, Friendship, Preparing For Life, Change, and Longevity.

Each chapter starts with a short synopsis (never more than two pages) about a centenarian who epitomizes that chapter’s theme.  One of my favorites is the chapter on Integrity. Major League Baseball Player, Bill Werber tells about the importance of keeping your word.

Following the short synopsis with the centenarian there are quotes about the topic, primarily from the ten-year-olds. Here’s an example from the chapter on Personal Choice. First, the centenarian’s quote and then two quotes from 1o-year-olds.

“I let my voice be heard for whatever I believed in. I learned hads on that you always have a choice and can make an impact on the world.”

- Ruth Prosekauer Smith, New York, NY

“If you let people push you around, you’re just going to be a pushover and you’re never going to accomplish anything. People will keep picking on you until you accomplish things for them so decide what’s important to you and stand up and go after it.”

- Alex A., Berkley, CA

“When you see people doing mean and disgusting thungs, don’t follow them. Go your own way and it will pay off in your life.”

- Traveasha n., Elaine, AZ

While reading these gems of wisdom, I couldn’t help but think about the gems that have come from my own family. My mom is a decade away from 100 and then there is Q, my oldest granddaughter, who just yesterday left the world of ten to embrace the new world of 11-year-olds. Both are filled with great insights on life and the best way to live it. That is what prompted Roger Fishman to write this book. He followed the advice of his grandfather.

“Real-life wisdom can be found in anyone. We just need to invest the time to care and to listen to those around us. The rewards of feeling more connected and learning from others are beyond compare.”

Check for this book at the public library. It is also available at Amazon.

I received this book from the publicist. I am an Amazon Associate.

by Sarah Blake

Penguin Group

February 9, 2010

My Rating: C

This is a World War II era story which centers around some of the people of a coastal New England town. The story is told primarily from the viewpoint of three of the young women in the town.

• Frankie Bard: Prior to the entry of the United States in the war, we meet Frankie Bard who is working as a reporter for Edward R. Murrow in London. It is the time of the nightly bombings and Frankie relates the stories of individual Londoners who spend their nights underground as the bombs devastate their town. Frankie is also able to travel to the continent where she witnesses what the Nazis are doing to the Jews. Frankie’s goal is to share these stories with people back home. The censors restrict her from full disclosure.
• Emma Fitch is newly married and new in town. Her husband, Will, is the young doctor in town. Emma’s story is of her adjustment to marriage and her new home, but also with her husband’s wishes. Will has a strong desire to go to England and help with the wounded. Emma is convinced that, if he goes, he will never come back. She doesn’t want to tell him she is pregnant.
• Iris James is the Postmistress of the town. She’s neat and organized and believes in following the rules and regulations.

I had a different reaction to each of the three characters. I found Frankie’s story very interesting and I was totally engaged in the story when she was “on stage.” I felt great sympathy for Emma and the fact that she was faced with being alone again soon after marrying Will. Iris, I didn’t get at all. The story jumped back and forth between characters so much that I was confused. I had to bribe myself to keep on reading.

I read this book as part of Barnes and Noble’s First Look Book Club. Other members of the Book Club loved the book, others hated it. I found myself right in the middle. I can recommend this only to those of you interested in more World War II stories.

I enjoy reading novels about fictitious Amish, especially those that seem real. I’ve read three of these novels this year but Leah’s Choice is the best of them all. Here’s the synopsis from the author’s website.

Amish teacher Leah Beiler finds her settled life disrupted by the appearance in Pleasant Valley of two very different men: Daniel Glick, an Amish farmer with three young children and a past that haunts him at every turn and Johnny Kile, the fiancé who left her behind when he jumped the fence to the English world. Leah must suddenly decide between two pathways, either of which will change her life.

My evaluation:

Leah loves her Amish life and all the people in her family and community. She is a serious, passionate teacher of Amish children in all eight grades. As I walked through the daily life of Leah I saw how positive a community it is.

This time – this bonding with her community – was surely one of the strengths of Amish life. Sharing worship and a common meal, they did what the earlier followers of Jesus did, and it built the ties between them more surely with every bite, every joke, every shared story.

But, I could also see why some Amish would choose to leave. The attractions and distractions of the outside world – the English world – is the main concern of the story. Leah has a chance to see that other world in several ways. Leah saw the attraction through the lives of others and she too was attracted by books and education the outside world offered. But to leave would mean permanent separation from her family.

This is a story of relationships and romance and at the same time a story of strong Christian faith. Leah called on her faith to help her.

She’d prayed, caught herself worrying, and prayed again.Why can’t I be confident in Your answers to my prayers, Father? I feel so torn . . . Maybe that was the point. Maybe God was reminding her that only through relying on Him would she find the right path.

I’ve read lots of Christian fiction that is poorly written, preachy and usually dumb. Fortunately, this is one Christian fiction story that is way above others in the genre. The author, Marta Perry, has written over thirty novels. Leah’s Choice is the first in her Pleasant Valley series. The next two will be published in 2010. I’m looking forward to reading those and some of her other novels as well. For more information on Marta Perry visit her website here.

Leah’s Choice is available at Amazon.com

[Source: Review copy from the author. I am an Amazon Associate.]

In the Land of Cotton

by Martha A. Taylor

Outskirts Press, 2009

Martha Taylor was a young white girl living in segregated Memphis, Tennessee when the story opens in 1956. A variety of stereotypes about African Americans had been taught to her as facts. Fortunately for Martha she was very observant and also quite curious. Martha had enough moxie in her to question every thing she was taught. She weighed what she was told against what she observed and formed her own facts.

One day her mother went back to work and hired Lucy Boyd to work as maid/housekeeper/babysitter. Lucy was “colored folk” and it was the first time Martha actually met an African American. She soon loved Lucy. Being curious, Martha wanted to know all about Lucy – her family, where she lived and so on. But Lucy would not tell Martha much about herself. She told Martha she was hired to keep her mouth shut and just work. So Martha follow Lucy home one evening.

Deep in the woods, called the Cypress Grove, Martha discovered a huge extended family, a whole new way of life. As Martha continued to visit she was loved and accepted by the entire clan. She was treated by the Boyd family as one of their own. Martha developed a special friendship with Silas, a boy three years older. Martha kept her visits a secret because she knew her parents would not approve.

Martha learned so much from this new family. She began to see the world from a different perspective. She saw first hand what it meant to be born with your skin a darker pigment.

“You don’t gets it do you, Miz Martha, slavery’s more than chains and shackles, it’s a state of mind; it’s how you feel ever’ day of yo’ life. It’s how you feel ever’ time you sees a sign that says, No Niggers Allowed, or ever’ time some white man call yo’ daddy ‘boy‘. It’s bad when the white folks treat you’s worse than they would their dog. They works at keepin’ us ignorant. That’s why we has as little contact with the white folks as we do. Kinda bad for all the little children here, they thyinhks all white folks is like you. Gonna be bad for them when they finds out different.”

Then in 1959 everything changed. Martha’s father took a job in Texas and she was forced to move. She continued her friendship with Lucy and Silas, still in secret. They exchanged letters and telephone calls on the pay phone. She managed to see her friends on rare trips back to Memphis. The remainder of the story covers the events in the lives of Martha, Silas and Lucy in parallel with the political and civil rights issues and events up through 1968.

Because I lived through the same time period, reading this book was like meeting a new friend my age and reliving those times. Most everyone my age remembers exactly where they were when they heard about the deaths of the Kennedys and Martin Luther King, Jr. We can talk about Little Rock and Selma and Watts and Vietnam. All of our lives were touched by those events. As I read I found myself shaking my head and saying, “My, how far we have come.” I shed a few tears as well remembering friends we lost.

I recommend the book to anyone interested in walking back through those years.

From the back cover: It began with what seemed like an ordinary children’s birthday party. Friends and family gathered to celebrate. There were balloons and cake, games and gifts.

This party, however, was far from ordinary. It was held at Camp David, the presidential retreat. And it ended with a daring kidnapping . . . which immediately turned into a national security nightmare.
Sean King and Michelle Maxwell were not looking to become involved. As former Secret Service agents turned private investigators, they had no reason to be. The FBI doesn’t want them interfering. But years ago, Sean King saved the First Lady’s husband, then a senator, from political disaster. Now, Sean is the one person the First Lady trusts, and she presses Sean and Michelle into the desperate search to rescue the abducted child.
With Michelle still battling her own demons, and forces aligned on all sides against her and Sean, the two are pushed to the absolute limit. In the race to save an innocent victim, the line between friend and foe will become impossible to define . . . or defend.

Our opinion: This latest book (2009) is one of David Baldacci’s Sean King and Michelle Maxwell books. This is the first book we’ve read in this series. These two detectives work well together and support each other nicely without the silly male/female thing found in other books. At first I was  put off by Michelle’s smart mouth but then I began to appreciate how she dug in and tenaciously solved parts of the mystery. In this book she suffers a personal tragedy that shows another side of Michelle, a vulnerable side. I liked Sean all the way. He was that strong, ethical, personable kind of character who shows he is smart enough to go around roadblocks without breaking the law. He needed that in this mostly Washington, D.C. story. The plot was believable as were most of the characters. At one point I actually liked the bad guy and felt sorry for him.

All the characterizations were helped enormously by the reader, Ron McLarty. He gave each character his or her own voice and various accents were also used. As I learned, he has been the reader for several of David Baldacci’s other books. I’m determined to find them and any other books Ron McLarty has read. He’s also written a couple of his own books, been on Broadway and various TV shows.

This was an excellent audiobook and perfect for a road trip. It wasn’t distracting so as to bother my husband’s driving but yet compelling enough to entertain us through hours of boring interstate traffic. There was one point where we arrived at our destination for that day but got back in our vehicle so we could finish up that section of the book. That’s the equivalent of reading through the crucial chapter in a paper book. I definitely recommend this one for long road trips or, for that matter, lots of long walks with your ipod.

From the back of the book:

After Bourne is ambushed and nearly killed while in Bali, he fakes his death to take on a new identity and mission- to find out who is trying to assassinate him. In the process, Bourne begins to question who he really is and what he would become if he no longer carried the Bourne identity.

Across the globe, an American passenger airliner is shot down over Egypt-apparently by an Iranian missile-leaving the world wondering if it was an accident or an act of aggression. A massive global team lead by Soraya Moore is assembled to investigate the attack before the situation escalates.

When Bourne’s search for his would-be assassin intersects with Soraya’s search for the group behind the airplane bombing, Bourne is thrust into a race to prevent a new world war. But it may already be too late.

My husband, Jay, and I are big fans of the Jason Bourne stories. When given the chance to read this new book, we jumped at it. After reading it we sat down and talked about it. Here is some of our discussion. Keep in mind we don’t always agree.

1. In this book Jason Bourne seems indestructible. What do you think?

Jay said: He has near death experiences but I don’t think they were plausible. How can he survive all these things? For me it doesn’t add to the story. I would prefer normal gunshot wounds or knife wounds. But he was shot in the heart, or where his heart should have been. What was that about? It didn’t seem real. They say a cat has nine lives but in this book Bourne has 25.

Margot said: He’s a super-hero. He’s supposed to survive so he can come back for another book.  Okay, I’ll give you that a couple of things seemed a little over the top, but the dramatic coming-back-to-life was just part of the story. For me that’s how a Jason Bourne story is supposed to be.

2. What did you think of the two main female characters (Moira and Soraya)?

Jay said: I liked Moira. She was realistic. She changed jobs by starting her own business, going against a stacked system, and she had a strong backbone. What I didn’t like was when she left Jason in Bali to go back to DC and start her business. If she was really in love with him, she wouldn’t leave him. The character of Soraya didn’t work for me at all. It could have been a man in that role. It seemed to me they made her a female so there would be some love interest in the book and then future movies. Actually, it seemed to me as if the author was writing the book for the movies – the action scenes, the survival of Bourne, the love interest of Moira. It will make a great movie.

Margot said: I thought the best parts of the book were about the women characters. They were strong women, willing to stand up and do the right thing. Moira had to leave Jason on Bali in order to make it look like he was really dead. I also liked the character of Veronica Hart, the Director of Central Intelligence. I wish the author had added more about the politics and in-fighting between the agencies. The character of Soraya didn’t work for me either. She felt contrived, not real. The scene in Khartoum with the Egyptian made him look weak. Not how I think it would have happened in real life.

3. What is your overall assessment of the book?

Jay said: I liked most of the action scenes but I would have liked more realistic action. There were no car chases! Also, you know the attempted assignation at the beginning of the book? I wanted more about that. I needed more information in this book from previous book (The Bourne Sanction) since I didn’t read that one. Overall, it was a fun and easy read for me. It clicked right along. It was engrossing and hard to put down. A nice, intricate plot.

Margot said: I didn’t like it as much as you did. The plot was a little too intricate for me. I needed a list of names to keep track of who’s who. There were so many sub-plots that it took me longer to read the book than it took you. But I did like most of the characters. Jason Bourne’s nemesis, Arkadin, was well-developed. He was so evil and manipulative that I wanted something really bad to happen to him.

Although we may have dissected this book a bit too much, it is still an excellent read. A great book to read together and then discuss. It would make a nice long weekend book. It will probably inspire you to go back and read some of the other Bourne books or you could rent one of the three dvd versions of the movies.

We’d like to thank Miriam at Hachette Book Group for supplying us with an advanced reading copy of this book.

him/her to exhibit acts of greatness?

During my career as a Human Resource professional, I literally knew thousands of people. I saw people walk in the door and go on to be outstanding leaders. On the opposite end, I saw people do just the bare minimum. I’ve asked myself the question above over and over. Why are some people great and others mediocre? Is it something they are born with? Or is it something that anyone can learn? When I saw the synopsis on this book, I knew I had to read it.

The authors, Judy Rodgers and Gayatri Naraine, set out on a world-wide search to find those people whose “quality of character” drove them to go beyond greatness. The authors established their criteria and sent it to a list of people they already considered great. They asked those people to give them names of others who were . Their goal was to interview those people identified and understand what drove them to the “beyond greatness” characteristics.

After a small sampling of interviews the authors didn’t feel like they were any closer to what they were looking for. They felt the need for further reflection and decided to meet with two friends or thinking partners. One was Humberto Maturana, a renowned biologist, and Dadi Janki, an international spiritual leader. And so the subtitle of the book: Conversations with a Man of Science and a Woman of God. There was substantial agreement between the two and I thought these conversations were the real heart of the book. Rodgers and Naraine took what they learned from them on their future interviews. They went on to interview a wide range of people.

There are several conclusions shared in the book. Here’s one I like:

. . .we concluded that this phenomenon of greatness is beyond analysis. In the same way that you can’t teach someone how to fall in love, you can’t teach someone how to have a life that is filled with greatness. It is not teachable, but it may be learnable.

And then there is this final conclusion:

At the end of our search, we concluded that what an observer sees when he or she witnesses greatness is love. Love appears as the foundation of greatness in human behavior.

There is a lot packed into this slim volume. It’s a book filled with sentences that require they be underlined. I found myself underlining whole chapters! It’s not what you would get if you were looking for a Phd. dissertation on the subject. But it was a great discussion of the characteristics and it addressed most of my questions. After all, that’s why I wanted to read the book.

I am one of twelve blogs on the Book Tour. For a complete list of the other blogs on the tour, visit TLC Book Tours. If you are interested in more information about the book and the authors, visit their website at Beyond Greatness.