A Peek into my Week

I got 4 review books in Monday’s mail, a book win on Friday, and 2 more review books in Saturday’s mail . I was only able to get 3 books read this week. I have other’s that I’ve bought that I want to read, too. What am I going to do?

Friday I worked at the Multipurpose Center as I have every Friday since the end of February. It was Anne, another volunteer from 8 – 11, and me. We weren’t swamped with customers like we are some days but it was steady all day. I didn’t even have free time to go to lunch. (Something different is going to be done about that!) Anne had been having a bad muscle ache in her neck all week and went home a little early and I was ready for home, too, when 4:30 came around. Instead , Jim and I went and bought a used dryer. YIPPEE!! Mine had quit working in May and I’ve been hanging clothes outside or on the back porch all summer. It was never a question of not having money to replace it; it’s a problem with our basement stairway. Jim finally fixed that enough to get by, and we got the old one out and the newer one in. Jay and Dianna came down to help move them and we had a nice visit after supper.

Iowa weather continues to have its ups and downs. July was the coolest on record and now we’re behind on rainfall after quite a damp spring and early summer. Yesterday (Saturday) was hot enough to make up for July – mid 90s - and after getting about ¾” of rain on Friday, the humidity was terrible, too.

This was the weekend of the annual Hwy. 141 garage sales here in Iowa. All the towns and lots of country people in between Grimes and Manilla participate for 2 days, Friday and Saturday, and have sales. One of these years I’m going to have Jim take off work and we’re going to go on Friday because Saturday was pretty picked over. We started at Grimes like usual and it takes forever to get very far because of all the stops and starts. It was miserably hot, too, which isn't much fun. Would you believe the only thing I bought was a computer keyboard for $1? I needed a different one because a couple of keys were sticking and the price was definitely right, but I really expected to spend a LOT more money than that on finds. I even had some extra money this year and was hoping to find a couch or something unusual for the garden, but nope, nothing. I was really disappointed. I didn’t even find any paperback bargains. I can find so many at flea markets for 25 or 50 cents so there’s no way I’m going to pay a dollar or more for a used book. We finally gave up and drove on over to Council Bluffs and spent the money we had desinated for the sales at the Horseshoe Casino. That, at least, that was air-conditioned and more fun.

Books I've read this week - Receive Me Falling

Receive Me Falling © 2009 by Erika Robuck

About the book: “Every slave story is a ghost story.

The haunting words of an historian and former cane worker on the Caribbean island of Nevis launch Meghan Owen on her quest to unlock the secrets of an abandoned sugar plantation and its ghosts.

After Meg’s parents die in a car accident on the night of her engagement party, she calls off her wedding, takes leave of her job in Annapolis, and travels to land she’s inherited on Nevis. A series of discoveries in an old plantation house on the property, Eden, set her on a search for the truth surrounding the shameful past of her ancestors, their slaves, and the tragedy that resulted in the fall of the plantation and its inhabitants.

Through a crushing phone call with her lawyer, Meg learns that her father’s estate was built on stolen money, and is being sued by multiple sources. She is faced with having to sell the land and plantation home, and deal with the betrayal she feels from her father.

In alternating chapters, the historical drama of the Dall family unfolds. Upon the arrival of British abolitionists to the hedonistic 19th century plantation society, Catherine Dall is forced to choose between her lifestyle and the scandal of deserting her family. An angry confrontation with Catherine’s slave, Leah, results in the girl’s death, but was it murder or suicide?

Hidden texts, scandalous diaries, antique paintings, and confessional letters help Meghan Owen uncover the secrets of Eden and put the ghosts to rest.”

I enjoyed this book very much. It was based on fact and I liked learning about the island of Nevis. It also gave a good description of what life was like for the sugar cane plantation owners and their slaves in the early 1800s. I found the early part of the story and the strong character of Catherine more interesting than the present-day chapters of Meg's life, but together they told a good story. The author threw a couple of curves into the story towards the end which changed the emotional feeling of the book. What an unexpected way to end the story!

This is Erika Robuck’s debut novel but she’s currently researching and drafting a novel set in Depression-era Key West around the home of Ernest Hemmingway.

Book Giveway - The Hope of Refuge

Luxury Reading is participating in the blog tour and giveway for The Hope of Refuge by Cindy Woodsmall.

About the book: Raised in foster care and now the widowed mother of a little girl, Cara Moore struggles against poverty, fear, and a relentless stalker. When a trail of memories leads Cara and Lori out of New York City toward an Amish community, she follows every lead, eager for answers and a fresh start. She discovers that long-held secrets about her family history ripple beneath the surface of Dry Lake, Pennsylvania, and it’s no place for an outsider. But one Amish man, Ephraim Mast, dares to fulfill the command he believes that he received from God–“Be me to her”– despite how it threatens his way of life.

Completely opposite of the hard, untrusting Cara, Ephraim’s sister Deborah also finds her dreams crumbling when the man she has pledged to build a life with begins withdrawing from Deborah and his community, including his mother, Ada Stoltzfus. Can the run-down house that Ada envisions transforming unite them toward a common purpose–or push Mahlon away forever? While Ephraim is trying to do what he believes is right, will he be shunned and lose everything–including the guarded single mother who simply longs for a better life?

Sounds interesting, doesn't it? If you'd like to enter to win a copy go to here to enter. Extra entries possible.

Books I've read this week - Water Witch

Water Witch © 2008 by Deborah LeBlanc

About the book: “Dunny knew from an early age what it meant to be an outsider. Her special abilities earned her many names, like freak and water witch. So she vowed to keep her powers a secret. But now her talents may be the only hope of two missing children. A young boy and girl have vanished, feared lost in the mysterious bayous of Louisiana. But the didn’t just disappear; they were taken. And amid the ghosts and spirits of the swamp, there is a danger worse than any other, one with very special plans for the children – and for anyone who dares to interfere.”

This was a good thriller with a psychotic killer, evil spirits, two sisters who believe in doing what's right, and a spooky location – the swamps of Louisiana. Dunny's unique 'gift' was unlike any I had ever seen but one that made her somewhat of an outcast as she grew up, so she learned to hide it. Now her sister has called asking her to come help find two missing children. She goes even though she knows she’ll probably regret it. With the help of her sister and Poochie, her sister’s grandmother-in-law, she’s determined to find the children before time runs out, even if it means putting her own life on the line.

I liked the character development in the book. The good people had faults and the bad one was truly evil and his identity completely unexpected. The setting was perfect for the plot and Poochie with her Louisiana-Cajun lingo and insights really added to the story. There were a few moments of humor and many of terror as the ladies made and executed their plans to find the kids. The tension built throughout the book until it reached the climatic ending, making it a very good story.

Thanks to FSB Associates for providing copies of Water Witch, Soul Survivor, and Benny & Shrimp for me to read and review.

Books I've read this week - Soul Survivor

Soul Survivor: The Reincarnation of a World War II Fighter Pilot ©2009 by Bruce and Andrea Leininger with Ken Gross

About the book: “The parents of James Leininger were first puzzled and then disturbed when their two-year-old son began screaming out chilling phrases during recurrent nightmares, such as “Plane on fire! Little man can’t get out!” The centerpiece of a loving family of three, James was a happy, playful toddler who had only just begun stringing together sentences. Determined to understand what was happening to their son, Bruce and Andrea set off on a journey of discovery that was to rock them to their core. For the more they researched the arcane comments and fragmented details little James revealed, the more they were drawn inescapably to a shocking conclusion: that James was reliving the life of James Huston, a World War II fighter pilot who was killed in the battle for Iwo Jima -- over sixty year ago!

Through painstaking research and conversations with war veterans and surviving members of James Huston’s family, Bruce and Andrea were forced to confront their skepticism and reexamine their entire belief system. In the process, they not only managed to solve the mystery of their son’s statements, they also uncovered revelations about James Huston’s life and wartime experiences that could finally bring peace and healing to his loved ones, decades after his death.”

This was a fascinating story. A two-year-old starts having nightmares and says he’s trapped in a burning plane. That by itself is nothing too unusual but when he names a specific type of plane and says he was shot down by a Japanese fighter plane, his parents began to wonder what’s going on. He has knowledge of things that a 2-year-old couldn’t know. James was lucky he had parents who took the time to try and figure out what the problem was, instead of just ignoring it or medicating him, because the screaming nightmares went on for months. If I hadn’t known this was a true story, I would have thought it a very interesting novel. Do I believe James Huston was reincarnated in James Leininger? I’m not sure. Read it yourself and draw your own conclusions. For more information, you can go to http://www.soulsurvivor-book.com/ .