Reading Journal Update ~ Reading Challenge Updates #TBRKnockout #ReadYourBookshelf

slow going, but becomes a very spooky, suspenseful tale

Silence for the Dead by Simone St. James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was so sure I had a ton of time to read this one, but it languished half finished on the coffee table while I recovered from surgery. As soon as I started feeling better, I picked up the book and began to read, reaching the point where I couldn't put it down, and was reading late into the night wanting to know what happened next.

The first half of the book was slow going as stories for Kitty and the others at Portis House were taking form and being fleshed out. I wasn't a huge fan of the first half of this book, clearly. I almost abandoned it, but I'm happy I gave it another chance.

Don't worry, no spoilers here, you learn the following at the outset.

Kitty is fleeing her cruel, abusive father who turned his rage toward her after his wife left and her brother went off to war. We are transported back to the early 1900's and World War I. She can't take anymore abuse and takes off, running as far from home as she can get. She invents a story for herself, impersonating a nurse and goes off to Portis House to nurse shell-shocked soldiers, some driven mad by the things they have seen. Portis House, meanwhile is a decaying hulk with a completely locked off wing of the house that no-one is allowed to enter. I can't say more without giving away too much, but can say that there are ghosts and a love interest (as much is said in the blurb on the cover). If you can persevere through the first half of the book (you may enjoy it, I was distracted by a broken foot), the second half has all the fun stuff you want to read in this spooky, suspenseful tale.

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Robert Parker's Debt to Pay by Reed Farrel Coleman ~ a suspenseful read worthy of 5 stars

Robert B. Parker's Debt to Pay by Reed Farrel Coleman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I didn't have very high expectations since this Jesse Stone book was actually written by someone other than Robert Parker. I was very pleasantly surprised. Reed Farrel Coleman really captured the Jesse Stone and surrounding characters so well. The voice of Jesse Stone spoke to me from these pages thanks to Coleman's' excellent writing.

This is a high suspense read that kept me glued to my seat. The serial killer nicknamed Peepers, was stunningly frightening. Can't say more because I surely don't want to ruin the suspense. Let's just say that I had to decompress after reading this book.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone. There is violence without being gratuitous. Ever action moves the story along. And you'll want to read this in one sitting. Very good writing, good story, and utterly satisfying.

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Whispers in the Dark by Chase Jackson ~ after getting through the beginning it was a good read

Whispers in the Dark by Chase J. Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Adrian starts this story out as a somewhat immature young adult. He has just finished his Master's degree and manages to land a teaching job at a prestigious school in his hometown. He and girlfriend Lea move into the house that was left to him by his late grandmother.

I almost ditched this book because I could see some glaring issues with dialog; I'm glad I continued reading. Once I hit my stride, I could see an improvement in the writing, and a sneaking suspense crept its way into the story; I couldn't stop reading with the mayhem that ensued. Ghosts, good versus evil, and watching the main character grow, made this book well worth reading.

I don't want to say more because it could ruin the story for you. Make it through the first 20-30 pages and you'll be hooked. This ended up being a good read.

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Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson ~ beautifully written ~ serious subject matter that keeps you turning the pages

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I sat down with this book and read it, cover-to-cover in one day. Then I had to put it aside to wait a few days before I could write this review. The book was just that stunning.

I'm not new to the works of Laurie Halse Anderson. I have read and enjoyed two other stunning titles from her, including Catalyst and Speak. Yes, this is young adult work, but it is appealing to all ages. So, I am already a fan of her writing style.

This is the story of a girl's decent into the horrors of anorexia, along with what it does to that girl's family. But before you write it off as not subject matter that would interest you, give it a try. Laurie Halse Anderson joins the ranks of Alice Hoffman and other's who write in a nearly poetic way. She builds in just enough suspense to keep you reading.

This book is a beautifully written story about a harsh, heart-breaking subject matter that will leave you thinking for days.

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Goals for 2016 ~ planning, makeup, project pan, product reviews

Welcome to my channel. Here are my goals for 2016 – covering health, planning, and beauty. One additional plan that I’ve made is to read more. I mention my writing, one of the reasons I started using my planner the way that I have.

In the future you will see:

- More videos on planning and my planner (highly requested)

- More product demos and reviews (also highly requested)

- You will continue to see unboxing and project pan videos

And I’ve now had two requests to see an updated makeup storage and collection video, since I got the new vanity and second Alex cabinet from my wonderful husband.

Please stay tuned … and subscribe

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Beauty boxes I subscribe to – too many boxes again!  This is an ever fluctuating list - coming and going frequently. Now that Starlooks is eliminating the custom box for the look book only subscription, I'll be leaving them and going with another box.

Boxycharm - my favorite box

E.L.F. Play Beautifully Box - cruelty free and ships every other month

Ipsy - generous sample size and sometimes full size items

BeautyFix - mostly skin care and hair care

Walmart Beauty Box - seasonal (4 times a year), mostly samples with an occassional full size item

Birchbox - a great starter box with mostly travel size products
Allure Beauty Box - also a good starter box

Here are subscription boxes that I recently unsubscribed from:

PopSugar - random lifestyle thngs, very expensive box

Starlooks - cruelty free, great cosmetics

Unless otherwise stated in my video or description above, products were purchased by me. I am not affiliated with manufacturers or any subscription service and am not compensated for the review.  I promise you that you will always get my full and honest opinion.

Marketing: I would be open to discussing and trying products. Contact me if there is something you would like to send for me to try and review.

Finish 4 books by December 4th ~ Update #1 with a book review

Welcome to my channel. This is my first update for Finish 4 books by December 4^th. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy the first book very much. Go see my full review of this book on my website HERE

I did receive this book for free from NetGalley.com to read and review. You can start reading books for free at HERE

Become a member of a large community of readers and writers on GOODREADS

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Finish 4 books by December 4th ~ The In-Between by Barbara Stewart

The In-Between by Barbara Stewart
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I almost stopped reading this book half a dozen times. It was such a total downer, but I kept hoping for a reprieve, but didn't get one. Still I kept reading, and hoping...

Elanor is a misfit and an outcast. Always dancing on the edge of a depression that wants to swallow her up. On the car ride to a new home her parents were moving her to, there is a bone crushing accident that threatens to swallow up both Elanor and her parents. Still, Elanor moves to the new home after a long coma and dance along the edge of a near death experience, she encounters a spirit in the new home. The spirit of a girl who threatens to swallow Elanor alive.

To tell more would give away too much of the story. This is well written and the author has crafted a well written story. But it dwells so much in the depths of depression that I could barely finish it. There were too few subplots to keep the story interesting beyond the soul crushing depression of the main character. I had such mixed feelings about this book. Bottom line is that I could have lived without this one.



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Finish 4 books by December 4, 2015 (Project Book)

Welcome to my channel. This project is a twist on the Project Pan series we all love to watch. How many of you have books you haven’t read, or have fallen out of the reading habit?  Join me in this challenge and read 4 books over the next 3 months, and you’ll finally read again.  Books have a way of transporting us out of the present, they can be poetic, they can be thrilling, they can be magical. So join me in this challenge and be transported to other worlds…. And use those tired brain cells.

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Beauty boxes I subscribe to:

Boxycharm

Walmart Beauty Box

E.L.F. Play Beautifully Box

Here are subscription boxes that I recently, sadly, unsubscribed from:

Birchbox

Ipsy

PopSugar Must Have

BeautyFix

And, I’ve suspended my Allure membership, so they won’t ship again unless I reactivate my account

Allure Beauty Box

Unless otherwise stated in my video or description above, this product was purchased by me. I am not affiliated with manufacturers or any subscription service and am not compensated for the review.  I promise you that you will always get my full an honest opinion.

Marketing: I would be open to trying products from any company. Contact me if there is something you would like to send for me to try and review.

Excellent, well developed, loaded with suspense - Keri Arthur crafts another great suspense novel

Kiss The Night Goodbye by Keri Arthur
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is the fourth and final installment in the Nikki and Michael series. Keri Arthur never missed a beat or made a misstep with these characters (easy to do when you're such a prolific author). In this final installment of this series, Nikki and Michael end up in a town in an old historic town, sealed in and unable to use any of their skills. They need to outsmart an evil that holds all the cards. Arthur manages to keep the tension high. Given that this was the final book anything could happen. I don't want to say more, as I don't want to spoil this book for anyone. Totally fabulous book, now I'm off to read the circle books. Can't get enough Keri Arthur.

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Linda Barnes "The Perfect Ghost" - Such mixed feelings... then left speechless

The Perfect Ghost by Linda Barnes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have such mixed feelings about this book...

Em Moore is the writing half, while Teddy is the one who interviews the subjects of the books they co-author. Teddy is outgoing, while Em is timid and clearly agoraphobic. When Teddy dies in a car accident she is nearly crippled with grief, but pushes past her fear of going out into the world to convince the publisher to let her complete the research for their final book together about famed director Garrett Malcolm.

Written in first person from Em's point of view, you feel so sorry for the timid girl that you cheer her on as she drives out to the cape and moves into a home near Malcolm's estate to complete interviews and write the final draft of the book. Portions of the book were so dull that I felt like skipping sections, but I persevered to read every word of this novel. The twists and turns that came were well crafted and unexpected. Still, the book bordered on dull in sections, even though it left me speechless at the end.



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Excellent tale with present day mixed with Irish myth

Through the Door by Jodi McIsaac
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Okay, so it took me two tries to really get into this book, but then I reached the point where this book was the first thing I picked up when I got home from work. It was that good.

Cedar had a great love, Finn, who disappeared on her on the night before she planned to tell him that she was pregnant with his child. Now seven years later, she is shocked to find that her daughter Eden can open doors to different worlds and times - as long as she can picture it in her mind. Searching for answers, she goes to see Finn's parents. Then Eden disappears. The search across continents begins for Cedar and a giant host of characters, including Finn who reappears during the crisis. Mythical beings from the Tuatha de Danann enter the story and all manner of mayhem and mystery begin.

This tale was written in third person, mostly from the viewpoint of Cedar. Some found her a bit weepy, but that was appropriate since her daughter disappeared. Still, she was so weepy as to destroy the character or the story.

This was a fabulous tale and I was thrilled to see that it is actually the first book in a series. I'm eagerly anticipating reading the other two books.


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Just a tad too much exaggerated hysteria

Forgotten Burial: A Restless Spirit's Plea for Justice by Jodi Foster
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a tough review to write, which is why I waited until a few days passed.

Jodi Foster undoubtedly had a horrible childhood with an unstable mother. This had an impact on her all of her life. Still, she had beautiful children and managed to live an interesting life in spite of her past and the haunting that occurred through her adult life, mainly the haunting of a murder victim who wants her to help her killers come to justice.

I had one problem with this story. Foster is continually collapsing, sobbing, crying, fainting, falling to her knees and otherwise becoming emotionally incapacitated throughout the story. I understand that she had a terrible childhood and was further traumatized by the haunting, but I kept thinking, what about the toddler who doesn't understand why mommy is collapsing and crying all the time. I choose to believe that Foster may have exaggerated her hysterical behavior. Still, all the collapsing and crying was a distraction and, more than once, I considering giving up on this book. Perhaps some careful editing was in order here.


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The Soup & Bread Cookbook - excellent 5 stars

The Soup & Bread Cookbook: More Than 100 Seasonal Pairings for Simple, Satisfying Meals by Beatrice Ojakangas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am one of those nerds who like to read cookbooks. For me, the thing that constitutes a cookbook that is fun to read is a bit of history, a bit of narrative, some instruction, and great recipes. This cookbook fell a little short on those counts and wasn't a great read, but the recipes turned out really fabulously.

Ojakangas built this book with soup and an accompanying bread to go with it, so the net result was that there were an equal number of soup and bread recipes. I made a few recipes from the book, but I'll discuss just two of them here.

By now, those who read my reviews know that I love to make bread... not the super easy way. I've been experimenting with some fairly complicated artisan breads. So what ended up being outstanding bread from this book? A simple Amish White Bread recipe and Old Fashioned Cream Scones. The bread came out with a fine moist crumb and the cream scones were beautiful and went fast. Both recipes were family favorites and didn't last long.

Overall, this was an excellent cookbook with recipes that were as tasty as they looked in the book.

Old-Fashioned Cream Scones - I used my food processor to make these and followed the instructions to a T and these came out with a subtle sweetness. Perfect with morning coffee, or tea.

Amish White Bread - this was supposed to make just one loaf, but as you can see, the one loaf rose to the size of two loaves (I used my bread machine for the dough, which may be the reason). Next time I'll split it between two loaf pans. What did I do with the giant loaf? I cut the top section off and ended up with two loaves of bread that was so good that not a single crumb was wasted.

I would post the recipes, but I'm pretty sure there would be some copyright infringement issue. You'll have to buy the book or get it from your library.



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Enchanting historical tale with a minor present day story

The Beautiful American by Marilyn Holdsworth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I thought this book would be more about a present time person with some diary sprinkled into the story. This book was just the opposite. A story set in the present time was minimal - maybe just 5% of the overall story, while the historical story was the dominant storyline.

Abby Long goes to an auction an sees an antique desk that she falls in love with. She bids a bit high, but wins the auction. She meets Nathan Edwards as she is leaving the auction. They strike up a relationship that blossoms into something more, but before we are treated to a story about Abby and Nathan, they find an ancient diary wedged in a hidden drawer.

From that point forward the entire work is taken over by the story of Jasmine, a slave girl taken in by the Monroe family and treated as a family member. At first the story felt a bit like an intrusion, but then the more I read it, the more interested I became. The only negative is that when the present day story comes back at the end, it feels like an intrusion.

The historical portion of the story, the majority of the book, was detailed and brought brilliantly to life. The present day story could have been left out entirely without losing anything.



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Gets better and better with each book in the series

Chasing the Shadows: Nikki and Michael Book 3 by Keri Arthur
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Somehow, this series gets better and better with each book in the series.

Once again Nikki and Michael are on the trail of a sadistic killer. Both have found that their psychic gifts are increasing, particularly Nikki's. Michael keeps trying to shut her out in a effort to protect her, causing a rift in the their relationship.

Written in third person limited, we see nearly the whole story through Nikki's and Michael's eyes. We don't know from moment to moment what the killer is planning, which serves to heighten the suspense.

Book three of the Nikki and Michael series is a fabulous five stars. Now I'm off to read book four, Kiss the Night Goodbye.



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A battle of good an evil that could threaten the fate of the world

The Megiddo Mark, Part 1 by Mackenzie Lucas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

First, I was able to buy this book on Amazon in one edition (not 4 separate booklets, but that's the only way it is listed on Goodreads). Look for ASIN: B00EHN2VLM

This is billed as a romance, but it is so much more. American Literature professor Malena Alexander, goes to England to close up her great aunt's estate after her death. She is somewhat charmed by what she finds in London. She meets Cullen Wade, an edgy archeologist, after an auction where, through trickery, Malena wins the bidding war for a rare copy of her deceased mother's poetry. All of her books contain secret messages to Malena. She finds a secret message under the bookplate that makes no sense to her at all, but it will.

The book takes off at a blistering pace after the initial set up. I won't reveal more about the book. The publisher has already indicated that there are angels and demons and a fight between good and evil that could decide the fate of the world. Malena and Wade both have a crucial role to play.

There was just enough detail given so you could picture the sites, right down to the rocky Cornish coast where Malena and Wade go to stay in her late aunt's home, now her home, her inheritance. The story is told in third person limited, so we know what Malena and Wade are thinking and feeling with only very rare glimpses into the thoughts and actions of the antagonists. Lucas managed to captivate me so thoroughly that I couldn't wait to get back to the book after work, savoring the last pages. I highly recommend it.

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You don't have to have cancer to enjoy this powerful book

Survival Lessons by Alice Hoffman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book was short, but mighty. It was beautifully written, as all Alice Hoffman's books are, and it touched me so deeply that it made me cry.

Alice Hoffman's writing is like reading poetry. She uses metaphor and simile just enough to give more weight and beauty to her words. I have enjoyed numerous works of Hoffman's fiction, so when I had the opportunity to read this book, I was delighted. This book was a little under 100 pages. Don't let the short length scare you away, the sparse pages are brimming with wisdom.

This has been a tough year for my family and, though none of us has had the dreaded diagnosis of breast cancer, we have had some very difficult times. I was able to relate to many things Hoffman said in this book and found such inspiration and joy in the pages, that I shared the experience with friends. This is a magical book that lit the flame of hope in my heart.



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So good that it may be better than the first book in the series

Hearts in Darkness by Keri Arthur
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the second in a fantastic series of Nikki James and Michael Kelly. As I said in the review for the first book in the series, I don't usually read vampire fiction, but the primary character, Nikki James and vampire Michael Kelly are so compelling that I couldn't put the book down.

Nikki, still a PI for best friend, mentor, father figure Jake, is on the trail of a teenager who meets a woman online, except that she is not your average woman and she kidnaps the boy Nikki is pursuing. Meanwhile, Michael Kelly, the vampire, works for another agency called The Circle, investigating disappearances of wealthy men from an exclusive vacation resort. Michael and Nikki, on the heals of the teenager and the missing millionaires, pose as newlyweds vacationing at the resort full of secrets and danger. Can't say more, that's just the beginning.

The characters and setting are so well drawn that it feels like you are there. There were many times that I hated to put this book down to get other things done, and I stayed up way past my bedtime when I got to the end. I'm starting the next book in the series, Chasing Shadows right away.



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Truly a memoir more than a ghost/psychic story

A Haunted Life: The True Ghost Story of a Reluctant Psychic by Debra Robinson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a tough one to review - it's part memoir about Debra Robinson's life and the tragic death of Robinson's son and father, and part ghost/psychic story. We know from the beginning that Robinson's son James is going to die - there is a dedication to him at the beginning of the book, so this is not a spoiler.

This memoir began intensely interesting with her ghost sitings and psychic experiences. I could relate to these, mostly from the perspective of the ghosts, since I lived in a haunted a little over 25 years ago. The psychic stuff, not so much, but I find it interesting subject matter. Later in the book I was reminded that I was reading a memoir about Robinson's life. My heart breaks for her and what she has been through.

Debra Robinson's book is far more of a memoir. If you're looking strictly for a ghost/psychic story, this isn't it. If you like reading memoirs, then this is the right book for you.



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