Thursday, November 21, 2013

Reading Challenge: Shine On Series

 
Title: Shine On; Rise and Shine; Come Rain or Shine
Author: Allison Jewell
Series: Shine On

I found Shine On as a free eBook and dug in to help finish off one of my reading challenges. Not only did I devour it in one day, the next day I found and bought Rise and Shine, and read it, and the next day I bought Come Rain or Shine, and read it! I LOVED this series so much, I'm rather bummed that it appears to be ending with three books. Maybe we'll get lucky and Jewell will decide to pen another. 
Emmie and Silas McDowell meet in rather unfortunate circumstances and as their friendship grows, Emmie's secret involvement with Ole Maizy, a moonshine still, collides with Silas's family business. Shine On leads it's readers into the midst of a moonshine war in which Silas and Emmie are forced to reevaluate all of the decisions they've made in life. With it's blind pigs, speakeasies, dirty cops, and hidden stills, the small town that Emmie grew up in suddenly becomes so many more things. At the heart of this all to short series, is the love affair that begins between Emmie and Silas. Emmie will have to decide if she can accept a life with this slightly overbearing but loving man, and all of his secrets, and Silas has to face up to the fact that he may have finally met his match in Emmie.

Reading Challenges:
Where Are You Reading
Monthly Key Words
Historical Fiction

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Reading Challenge: The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels


Title: The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels
Author: Ree Drummond

I first discovered Ree Drummond like most other people, through her blog The Pioneer Woman Cooks, where she mixes tantalizing recipes with a whole lot of eye candy. In her autobiographical book Ree writes about meeting her cowboy during a short pit-stop between lives in LA and Chicago. She dreamed of big cities, culture, and worldly cuisine. What she got was a chance meeting with a handsome cowboy in a small town bar and a world wind courtship that belongs in a romance novel. I won't give away all of her dirty little secrets, but I dare you to read her story and not fall in love with the Oklahoma prairie and the cowboys that come with it. Ree will have all of you searching for your Marlboro Man.

Reading Challenges:

Monday, November 18, 2013

Reading Challenge: Red Hat Society's Acting Their Age


Title: The Red Hat Society's Acting Their Age
Author: Regina Hale Sutherland

 The Red Hat books have been loosely on my want to read list for a long time. They always sounded like fun, and when I needed a "red" book to fit the color-coded challenge, the title popped up again and I jumped at the chance to finally dive in. It's an easy to read, fun story about three women who have shared their lives, from the turbulent teenage years, to Mia's all to recent loss of her husband. When the women discover Rachel, a run-away foster child, holed up in the store room of Mia's coffee shop, their world is turned upside down as they try to keep Rachel's secrets in a one horse town. This spunky, broken, and desperate fourteen year old helps these three beautiful women find their inner youth, and deal with love and loss, as they begin to truly live again. Mia and Cade, the town's sheriff, struggle with a fledgling relationship, and like any good romance, there is a fairytale ending.

Reading Challenges:

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Reading Challenge: Bella Tuscany

Title: Bella Tuscany
Author: Frances Mayes
Series: Under The Tuscan Sun
Bella Tuscany is as enchanting as Under The Tuscan Sun was when I first perused it's pages four years ago. After the dusty and treacherous work of renovating Bramasole, Frances and her husband return to Cortona, Italy for their ninth summer to rest and relax. Well, as much as you can rest and relax with a revolving door of visitors, acres of garden to cultivate, and two major bathroom remodels. Their adventures with renovation in a small Italian town continue when their precious load of handpicked tile drives off a road and sinks, along with the truck it's in, somewhere along the coast never to be seen again. Frances continues to sneak in exquisite recipes throughout her narrative, and description of their gardens will leave you craving the Cortona hillsides, and tasting the scent of their limoneira.

Reading Challenges:

Monday, November 11, 2013

Reading Challenge: Where Have All The Flowers Gone?


Title: Where Have All the Flowers Gone? the Diary of Molly McKenzie Flaherty
Author: Ellen Emerson White
Series: Dear America

The Dear America series is comprised of easy to read diaries, penned during various points in history.  This particular one follows a year in the life of Molly McKenzie during Vietnam and specifically depicts her confusion over world, and local events. Molly finds solace after her eighteen year old brother, Patrick, joins the Marines by seeking volunteer work in a near-by veterans hospital. You can also read Patrick's story: My Name Is America: The Journal Of Patrick Seamus Flaherty, United States Marine Corps

Reading Challenge:

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Reading Challenge: The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest


Title: The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest
Author: Stieg Larsson

Just like the first two books in this amazing trilogy, I loved the final installment of Lisbeth Salandar and Mikael Blomkvist's saga. The story is a mix of adventure and mystery with a whole lot of government conspiracy and self righteous officials mixed in. After being severely wounded at the end of book two, Salandar clings to life while Blomkvist fights for her freedom. Not only does this story follow Blomkvist through his investigation but we get a deeper look at the rest of the Millennium staff,  and Armansky and his private security crew, among other good guys. Cortez digs up dirt on one of the SMP board members that makes Berger seriously reconsider her recent career move while she is fighting a personal battle with a stalker.
 
Challenges:
Mount TBR