It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. I had a much more productive week last week…hopefully the trend continues as I have…
View Post
First line: Dorothy Shauman Ledbetter Shauman is standing in front of the bathroom mirror in her black half-slip and black push-up bra, auditioning a look. From the inside cover: From the beloved bestselling author of Home Safe and The Year of Pleasures comes a wonderful new novel about women and men reconnecting with one another – and themselves – at their fortieth high school reunion. To each of the men…
View Post
In My Mailbox (IMM) is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren. Every week I’ll post what books I’ve received either by mailbox/library/store. For Review (2) Already Home by Susan Mallery The Goodbye Quilt by Susan Wiggs Library (0) Purchased (0) Free Downloads (0) From family member (14)* The Scent of Jasmine by Jude Deveraux Here to Stay by Catherine Anderson Sweet Nothings by Catherine Anderson The…
View Post
CONGRATULATIONS to Gigi Ann winner of Stilettos & Scoundrels by Laina Turner Molaski Random.org selected the winners. Thanks to all who entered the giveaway!
View Post
Please join me in welcoming Susan Wiggs, author of the new book, The Goodbye Quilt to Always With a Book! I will be reviewing this book next month so be sure to come back and see what I thought. Today Susan talks about writing The Goodbye Quilt. The Goodbye Quilt is a different sort of book from me. While readers will find the emotional heart of the book familiar, they…
View Post
Please join me in welcomingSusan Mallery, author of the new book, Already Home to Always With a Book! I will be reviewing this book next month so be sure to come back and see what I thought. Today Susan talks about what is on her DVR. Susan Mallery has entertained millions of readers with her witty and emotional stories of women and the relationships that move them. In her latest…
View Post
From the back of the audio case: Following the tremendous success of her first novel, Innocent Traitor, acclaimed historian and New York Times bestselling author Alison Weir turns her masterly storytelling skills to the early life of young Elizabeth Tudor, who would grow up to become England’s most intriguing and powerful queen. Even at age two, Elizabeth is keenly aware that people in the court of her father, King Henry…
View Post
Katrina over at Callapidder Days is hosting the Spring Reading Thing Reading Challenge. The challenge is to pick books you would like to read this spring and then keep a record of how you do. The challenge runs from March 20 to June 20. If you’d like to join, head over here to sign up. Here’s my list as of now: Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff The Secret Lives…
View Post
It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. This was a really slow week for me reading-wise. I had a lot going on…
View Post
In My Mailbox (IMM) is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren. Every week I’ll post what books I’ve received either by mailbox/library/store. For Review (4) Here, Home, Hope by Kaira Rouda Mothers & Daughters by Rae Meadows The Bone Trail by Nell Watson Slate by Brian Rowe Library (0) Purchased (0) Free Downloads (0) Borrowed from family member (0) From Paperback Swap (0) Won (0) …
View Post
CONGRATULATIONS to Jonnie winner of The Paris Wife by Paula McLain Random.org selected the winners. Thanks to all who entered the giveaway!
View Post
First line: Who do you love? About the book: WHO DO YOU LOVE? One question, a split-second decision, and Brian Darby lies dead on the kitchen floor. His wife, state police trooper Tessa Leoni, claims to have shot him in self-defense, and bears the bruises to back up her tale. For veteran detective D. D. Warren it should be an open-and-shut case. But where is their six-year-old daughter? AND HOW…
View Post
It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. Books Completed last week: The Last Time I Saw You by Elizabeth Berg (on-line book…
View Post
First line: A smirking human skull, all hollow eye sockets and pronounced parietal bones, grinned diabolically at Theodosia. From the back cover: Indigo Tea Shop owner Theodosia Browning is lured into attending the Heritage Society’s Pirates and Plunder party by her master tea blender. Amid the gold earrings and doubloons, an antique skull ring set with a huge diamond steals the show – and gets plundered by someone who murders…
View Post
In My Mailbox (IMM) is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren. Every week I’ll post what books I’ve received either by mailbox/library/store. Purchased/Won (4)* Romance Bag: Friends & Lovers by Barbara Delinksy A Highlander Christmas by Janet Chapman To Catch a Highlander by Karen Hawkins Grand Passion by Jayne Ann Krentz Eden Burning by Elizabeth Lowell The Year of Living Scandalously by Julia London Scoundrel in…
View Post
Please join me in welcoming Laina Turner Molaski, author of Stilettos & Scoundrels to Always With a Book! If you missed my review, you can read it here. Today Laina talks about the love of reading. Enjoy and be sure to enter the giveaway! The love of reading I can identify with the title to this blog because I AM always with a book. From an early age I fell…
View Post
First line: What was I thinking? From the back cover: Presley Thurman, a sassy, thirty-something red-head, lover of shopping and Starbucks had just been fired so she decided to follow her dream. With her feisty nature and a spirit to not “sweat the small stuff,” she was ready to tackle any challenge (even if she had no idea how she would pay the bills). However, the new job turned into…
View Post
About the book: When her mother deserts her to be with a new man, Amanda is hurt and betrayed. She loses faith in the world. To soothe her pain, she retreats into fly fishing, until she learns that her loving grandmother has terminal cancer. Amanda struggles to find answers. Then one day she discovers that her grandmother, against the doctor’s orders, has gone fishing somewhere on the Junction River. Frightened,…
View Post
It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, isthe perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. Books Completed last week: The Paris Wife by Paula McLain (review) The Lady Elizabeth by Alison…
View Post
In My Mailbox (IMM) is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren. Every week I’ll post what books I’ve received either by mailbox/library/store. For Review (2) Blackberry Crumble by Josi S. Kilpack Poison in the Blood by Matthew Scarsbrook Library (0) Purchased (5) The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton The Rossetti Letter by Christi Phillips The Devlin Diary by Christi Phillips The Virgin’s Daughters by Jeane Westin…
View Post
First line: During your child’s senior year in high school, it is most important for parents to try to a. remain positive b. set firm, consistent limits c. save money d. live through the experience From the back cover: Balancing family, work, and college means a. putting one of them on the back burner b. learning to juggle c. lots of caffeine …
View Post
CONGRATULATIONS to Beverly winner of Lessons from Stanley the Cat by Dr. Jennifer Freed Random.org selected the winners. Thanks to all who entered the giveaway!
View Post
Please join me in welcoming Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife to Always With a Book! If you missed my review, you can read it here. Enjoy and be sure to enter the giveaway! There’s a moment in A Moveable Feast, when Ernest Hemingway and his new wife, Hadley, have just moved to Paris, where he’s hoping to earn his stripes as a writer. It’s 1922. Winter has settled…
View Post
Here are my reading stats for February! Books read: 11 Books I read (reviewed ones have * and link to review) The Tudor Secret* by CW Gortner The Diva Paints the Town* by Krista Davis The Tapestry of Love* by Rosy Thornton Lady Be Good* by Susan Elizabeth Phillips Love Letters* by Geraldine Solon The Tenth Circle* by Jodi Picoult Haunting Jasmine* by Anjali Banerjee Marrying Daisy Bellamy* by Susan…
View Post
First line: Though I often looked for one, I finally had to admit that there could be no cure for Paris. From the inside cover: In Chicago in 1920, Hadley Richardson is a quiet twenty-eight-year-old who has all but given up on love and happiness – until she meets Ernest Hemingway and finds herself captivated by his good looks, intensity, and passionate desire to write. Following a whirlwind courtship and…
View Post
First line: Major Pettigrew was still upset about the phone call from his brother’s wife and so he answered the doorbell without thinking. From the inside cover: You are about to travel to Edgecombe St. Mary, a small village in the English countryside filled with rolling hills, thatched cottages, and a cast of characters both hilariously original and as familiar as the members of your own family. Among them is…
View Post
It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, isthe perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. Books Completed last week: Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson (book club book, library book)…
View Post
In My Mailbox (IMM) is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren. Every week I’ll post what books I’ve received either by mailbox/library/store. For Review (1) Stilettos & Scoundrels by Laina Turner Molaski Library (0) Purchased (0) Free Downloads (0) Borrowed from family member/friend (1) Teacher Man by Frank McCourt From Paperback Swap – (0) Won (1) – from Crystal at My Reading Room (book from Book…
View Post
First line: The bridegroom was so handsome, Daisy Bellamy’s heart nearly melted at the sight of him. From the back cover: There are days on Willow Lake… Daisy Bellamy has struggled for years to choose between two men – one honorable and steady, one wild and untethered. And then, one fateful day, the decision is made for her. When the wind is so still and the water so calm… Now…
View Post
From the back of the audio case: New York Times best-selling author Jodi Picoult brilliantly explores the complex dynamics of troubled American families in her captivating novels. With The Tenth Circle, she crafts the tale of a brokenhearted teenage girl and the father who will do anything to protect her. Trixie Stone is only a freshman in high school when Jason, the junior she thinks she loves, dumps her. Then…
View Post
Today I am being featured over at Kittling: Books for her Scene of the Blog feature. Please stop by to check out my workspace and my bookshelves! Leave a comment there telling me what you think – I’ll be stopping by throughout the day to visit as well. Not sure what the Scene of the Blog feature is? Basically, book bloggers from around the world each have a “space”, somewhere…
View Post
First line: Kenny Traveler was lazy. From the back cover: Lady Emma Wells-Finch, the oh-so-proper headmistress of England’s St. Gertrude’s School for Girls, knows only one thing will save her from losing everything she holds dear: complete and utter disgrace! Skirts flying, umbrella pointing, and beautiful mouth issuing orders, she arrives in Texas on a mission: She has two weeks to lose her reputation. World-famous playboy-athlete Kenny Traveler has been…
View Post
It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. Books Completed last week: Scones and Bones by Laura Child (review) Marrying Daisy Bellamy Reading…
View Post
First line: Dear Sophie, My miserable cousins have been pawing through Grand-pa’s house, claiming they’re there to spruce it up. Synopsis from Barnes & Noble: When Sophie’s neighbor-a reclusive professor-dies, his final wish is for the Domestic Diva to throw a dinner party in his honor, and he’s planned everything down to the letter. But what no one planned for is the corpse of a student that Sophie finds in…
View Post
In My Mailbox (IMM) is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren. Every week I’ll post what books I’ve received either by mailbox/library/store. For Review (0) Library (2) The Last Time I Saw You by Elizabeth Berg Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson Purchased (5) The Seduction of the Crimson Rose by Lauren Willig The Temptation of the Night Jasmine by Lauren Willig The Betrayal…
View Post
I am pleased to welcome Anjali Banerjee, who wrote Haunting Jasmine to Always With a Book. You can read my review of her book here. About the author:Anjali Banerjee was born in India, and raised in Canada and California and received degrees from the University of California, Berkeley. She has written five young adult novels and two adult novels. Banerjee lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and beloved…
View Post
First line: I didn’t see this turn of events coming, or going. From the back cover: Divorcee Jasmine Mistry is intent on restarting her life when she gets the chance to do just that. A call from the past brings her home to Shelter Island, a green dot in the middle of Puget Sound, to run her beloved aunt’s bookstore. The familiarity is heartening – the rocky beaches, pewter skies,…
View Post
Please join me in welcomingDr. Jennifer Freed, author of Lessons from Stanley the Cat to Always With a Book! Does First Love Last? by Dr. Jennifer Freed, author of new top selling book Lessons from Stanley the CatThe lessons of first love last forever. Everyone will tell you that you never forget your first love. Most of us feel like when we fall in love for the first time that…
View Post
First line: As Chloe Rogers put her car in reverse, she couldn’t stop looking at her princess-cut diamond. Synopsis from Amazon: Bridal shop manager Chloe Rogers will soon marry Richard Foster—so she thinks—until suddenly, she bumps into her childhood sweetheart, Josh Goldman, whom she hasn’t seen in thirteen years. The sparks between Chloe and Josh fly, but Richard provides safety, financial security. Should she follow her heart or her head?…
View Post
It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, isthe perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. Books Completed last week: Love Letters by Geraldine Solon (review) Lady Be Good by Susan Elizabeth…
View Post
In My Mailbox (IMM) is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren. Every week I’ll post what books I’ve received either by mailbox/library/store. For Review (2) Friendship Bread by Darien Gee Elizabeth I by Margaret George Library (2) Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner (audio book) The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir (audio book) Purchased (4) The Secret Lives of Dresses by Erin McKean Marrying Daisy Bellamy by…
View Post
About the book: Blighted by an eye disease, Joanna Raines undergoes a corneal transplant operation to stop her going blind. The procedure is successful, but in the weeks that follow she begins to see dark coronas surrounding certain people. By turns fearful that something has gone wrong and worried that she’s going crazy, Joanna searches for an answer to the phenomena. What she finds will change her life forever. The…
View Post
First line: Never in her life had Catherine Parkstone imagined so many sheep. From the back cover: A rural idyll: that’s what Catherine is seeking when she sells her house in England and moves to a tiny hamlet in the Cevennes mountains. With her divorce in the past and her children grown, she is free to make a new start, and to set up in business as a seamstress. But…
View Post
MizB of Should Be Reading hosts Teaser Tuesday. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: Grab your current read Open to a random page Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) Share the title & author, too, so that…
View Post
It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, isthe perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. Books Completed last week: The Tudor Secret by CW Gortner (review book) The Diva Paints the…
View Post
In My Mailbox (IMM) is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren. Every week I’ll post what books I’ve received either by mailbox/library/store. For Review (3) The Hundred Secret Dresses by Amy Tan Love You More by Lisa Gardner The Paris Wife by Paula McLain Library (0) Purchased (3) The Queen’s Dollmaker by Christine Trent The Masque of the Black Tulip by Lauren Willig The Deception of…
View Post
First line: Like the luxury co-ops and five-star French eateries located in Manhattan’s Silk Stockings District, Benchley East Side Parking was outrageously exclusive. From the inside cover: NYC’s #1 detective, Michael Bennett, has a huge problem – the Son of Sam, the Werewolf of Wisteria, and the Mad Bomber are all back. The city has never been more terrified! TICK – A KILLER’S COUNTDOWN BEGINS A rash of horrifying crimes…
View Post
First line: Everyone has a secret. From the back cover: The era of the Tudors was one of danger, intrigue, conspiracy, and, above all, spies. Summer 1553: a time of danger and deceit. Brendan Prescott, an orphan, is reared in the household of the powerful Dudley family. Brought to court, Prescott finds himself sent on an illicit mission to the king’s brilliant but enigmatic sister, Princess Elizabeth. But Brendan is…
View Post
A year ago today, I started Always With a Book. This past year I’ve discovered so many other great blogs and stumbled upon hundreds of interesting books, many of which I would probably not even know about. I feel fortunate to be able to share my love of books with others who share the same passion. THANK YOU to all those who follow this blog and leave me comments. I…
View Post
First line: It might have been Kindred Spirit Days in Elmwood Park, but Suzanne Dietz wasn’t exactly feeling the spirit. From the back cover: Suzanne, Toni, and Petra lost their husbands but found independence – and, in each other, a life raft of support, inspiration, fresh baked goods, and their own business. But when the Cackleberry Club cafe opened its doors in the town of Kindred, who’d have guessed that…
View Post