A Year in the Life of a Playground Mother by Christie Barlow

Oct9

Today I am participating in a Brook Cottage Books book tour! Click on the banner above for more information about the book and links to more stops on the tour.

I am part of a book club. One of the many small groups of women who get together once a month, theoretically having all recently read the same book. Of course, before we can talk about the book we have to pour some drinks, eat some snacks and catch up on the last month. And, yes, that can take most of our time, but we always get around to the book… eventually.

Reading this book, was like having a surprise guest at book club. She comes in though the door, wearing comfy clothes and monster slippers, which seems like a pretty good mark in her favor. Then she brings out her drink of choice which she brought to share – also a mark in her favor. The fact that it’s sherry is a bit odd because I’ve never known someone to do anything other than cook with the stuff but, well, she’s from England and it’s not like anyone else in the group wants my bourbon on the rocks, so we’ll roll with it Of course, then someone asks her about herself…

A long time later we have learned many things. First off, this new one is a bit of a conversation hog. I mean really, we asked how things were going and she gave us a whole year in review! But we’ve been giggling pretty constantly so I think everyone is ok with it. Her stories are hilarious! At least I think they are hilarious, sometimes it’s hard to tell. One wouldn’t think you’d need a translator to translate English to English but I definitely feel I’m missing some things. The only unfortunate thing is that as time has gone on the sherry has kicked in. Arms are waving, stories are louder and while she is still funny there are few topics and phrases that she seems to think have gotten funnier as the night goes on. But we’ve all been there so when she wanders I take the moment to sip my own drink and let my mind drift and quickly come to a conclusion. Girls can be mean, moms can be meaner. And this new mom, despite her humor, is no exception!

Would I recommend it? I would have invited her back for another book club, but I don’t think she actually read the book…

It was a funny, quick read, and it can be yours! Click on the book below for a chance to win your own copy of A Year in the Life of a Playground Mother!

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This honest review was given in return for a free copy of the book from its author.

Wild Water by Jan Ruth

Oct1

It is always sad to read a tale of adultery, divorce and families torn in two, but Wild Water is heartbreaking.

And it’s the husband, Jack, who extends this book beyond the general, wife leaves husband, depression and right into heartbreak territory. He makes a joke, and you want to give him a sad pathetic kind of smile because he’s trying so hard. He loses his temper and makes another poor decision and while you can see the train wreck coming, your gut sort of aches for him anyway. He helps his family along and you want to give him a hug because he’s managing to think of others even as he’s falling apart in all the ways a man can. Even when his childhood sweetheart arrives on the scene it’s hard not to cringe knowing that that this guy can’t possibly not screw something up.

Would I recommend it? This isn’t a light hearted romp in the hay romance, nor is it a drama with deep wells of prose. This is something different, a blend of the two, that might have gone awry except for the emotion that Jan Ruth endows Jack with. Jack carries the story and while feeling as though I’ve given myself a sympathy ulcer while reading isn’t always the most enjoyable feeling, it’s undeniably a sign of an author who knows people. And what are books about, if not people?

This honest review was given in return for a free copy of the book from its author.

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

Sep24

It’s over a 1,000 pages.

It’s “Part One.”

This isn’t a book, it’s a commitment!

I didn’t even start to understand this new complex world until I was around page 400.

But, the characters are engaging, the world is detailed, and the story is complex without overreaching. By the time I was near the end, you know, the last 200 pages or so, I couldn’t put it down.

Would I recommend it? I’m not going to steer my anti-fantasy friends toward this one. It’s likely too huge and overwhelming to be a cross genre favorite. But, if you are someone (cough, cough, my husband, cough, cough) who is avoiding Brandon Sanderson because of the whole Wheel of Time business, please stop, go find this book, and read it.

If you are still waffling click over to read “The Way of Kings” – The Way To Write Epic Fantasy. Not only is it an excellent (and much longer) review than mine, it’s what inspired me to pick up the book in the first place!

UnBlessed by Crystin Goodwin

Sep17

I could tell you…

I could tell you about the world. The magic of the elements and the animals. The ceremonies and the changes. The extensive history of the people.

But I’d hate to ruin the way the author unfolds it for you.

I could tell you in great detail the why’s and wherefores of the characters whom I loved and those who, upon reflection, I wished had been a little more fleshed out.

But I don’t want to introduce any prejudice. I want you to be as taken with the people as I was.

I could tell you what I absolutely loved and what left me wanting.

But I won’t.

I could even tell you just how it leaves you hanging at the end to send you running off to Amazon to see if her next book has yet been published.

I could tell you all of that.

But all that’s really important.

All I really feel you need to know.

Is that I have three young girls who all require breakfast in the early morning.

And the night I sat down to read (and eventually finish) this book I was left with far, far, less than the recommend eight hours of sleep a person is supposed to receive.

Far, far, less.

Would I recommend it? It was my turn for the morning shift with the girls and it was still totally worth it.

This honest review was given in return for a free copy of the book from its author.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Sep10

The plot was interesting – depressing, disturbed and dark, but interesting.

The narrator…

Perhaps a book narrated by a drunken man who merely stands on the edge of things while being overly concerned with his own appearance sounds appealing to you… I didn’t so much love it.

Would I recommend it? Nope. But after a conversation at book club I believe that if you had a sober person tell you all about it with a marked amount of enthusiasm that would be a good story!

Fool’s Assassin by Robin Hobb

Sep3

Fitz is back!

But I’m sure you’ve all taken my previous advice and read Assassins Apprentice, so you already know just how exciting that is. You probably also had it pre-ordered and were jumping with joy the same day I was when you opened your mailbox to find a huge, heavy, hardcover waiting just for you.

Would I recommend it? Well, he’s still Fitz… but I still love him. I was ridiculously thrilled to be reading about the Farseers again. And, this is the first of the Fitz and the Fool trilogy which, of course, means two more are coming.

It’s like Christmas come early!

Hunting Birds: The Lives and Legends of the Pine County Rod, Gun, Dog and Social Club by Jerry Johnson

Aug27

I guess it could be argued that the narrator of this tale takes his own sweet, round about time to get down to the story at hand.

But that would be the argument of someone who goes bird hunting just to kill things.

Would I recommend it? Yes.

Also, Jerry Johnson has an excellent blog at Dispatches from a Northern Town. Head over and check it out. Bells and Whistles is a great place to start, though you might need a Kleenex!

The Wrath Inside by RR Gall

Aug20

Often it starts with a setting that interests you, then the characters paint their lives full and rich, the plot hooks you for good and there you are engrossed in a good book.

As a story set it AD 15 The Wrath Inside certainly interested me and perhaps that was the problem. I was so busy being analytically interested I never became emotionally involved. So much of my inner dialog was saying things like; “Ha- of course teenagers were still smart alecs.” “Is that what their houses are like?” “Are those wood working tools really as old as all that? I wonder what they looked like?” ” Wait, what are they eating?” “Should I know this person?” “How much of this is real?” I was googling, and defining and learning… and completely missing getting wrapped up in the character and plots. The Wrath Inside by RR Gall

I missed connecting with the young boy who was sucked into schemes he knows little about and the angry Roman commander who has come to take the census of his town. And as for the many plot lines that were being woven, well, I was too busy wondering over cooking tortoises to puzzle over any mystery. Finally when the different plots started weaving together near the end, promising more action in the following book, I was surprised at all that had been going on while I was marveling over roofing design!

Would I recommend it? The book was interesting but not captivating. Of course, that said, I’d like to read the next one. I think I need to know what happens next!

This honest review was given in return for a free copy of the book from its author.

The Last Runaway by Tracey Chevalier

Aug13

The reader in me waded into this book and the current of the story swept me off my feet and down the stream. My poor conscience was left running down the shore alone. After the final page the reader dragged herself out onto shore and sat dripping, foolishly grinning as she stared off into the distance. But before too long my conscience showed up and assaulted the reader in me. “What was that?” “You seriously liked that person?” “Weren’t you annoyed by that person?” “Didn’t you think?”

But the reader in me only shrugged and with a little half smile said, “That lady can write.”

Would I recommend it? Yes.

Creaky Old House by Linda Ashman and Michael Chesworth

Aug6

Our old house had a disease, the remodeling disease.

For details please refer to: The Disease Part I , II and III as well as More Roofing!

We set out to fix a stairwell wall and we did.

…and then we had to fix a lot of other walls, and wiring, and insulation, and stairs, and the roof…

The disease hadn’t even finished running it’s course when we moved out and the DOT knocked the whole thing down.

For a very sad picture please refer to: Weekly Photo Challenge: Split Second Story

With that said, no one should be surprised that this book followed us home from the library:

Would I recommend it? If you’ve ever had an old house with a touch (or a full blown case) of the remodeling disease this one’s for you!

Oh, the kids?

They liked it too!

Probably something to do with the great rhyming verse, detailed illustrations and the fact that there are labeled pictures of all the characters in the front.

My girls love any book with pictures of all the people… cat sitting on book