Eight Keys by Suzanne LaFleur BOOK REVIEW

Eight Keys by Suzanne LaFleur
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I picked this book up at the Book Fair thinking it would be good for my daughter, and of course that means that I need to read it first. I like to know what they are reading so that if they ask me something I can talk with them about it.

This is a coming of age story about a girl, Elsie, who is entering middle school and turning 12, and all the horrors that come with that. My daughter entered the junior high school last year, and this book captures some of that girl drama perfectly, although there is so much more in real life.

It is also about her finding herself, and who she is in a unique way since her parents are not around and she lives with her aunt and uncle. It is a really well written story. I enjoyed it even as an adult. I have passed it on to my daughter and I look forward to discussing it with her. I am hoping that the story will help her to deal with some of the girl drama at school that she has had to deal with this year.

I would recommend it to any girl to read the summer before they move up to the middle school or junior high school. Not to scare them, but to let them know, if this happens, it's ok. This is what you do, not this. I think it is the perfect book to help get parents and girls talking about the troubles and bullying at school and issues of who am I and what is my purpose that this age brings.

Well done!

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The Magic Knot (The Magic Knot #1) by Helen Scott Taylor BOOK REVIEW

The Magic Knot by Helen Scott Taylor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I grabbed this book through a swap on a whim, without really reading much about it except the Irish of it, so I wasn't sure what to expect, or if it would be good. I was pleasantly surprised.

The book is well written, and somewhat believable in the mixing of human life with folklore and legends in the tales of pixies and fairies, and even leprechauns in the book.  It makes for a good read, and for me it was a quick read, which is what I was looking for at the moment I sat down with this book.

We are introduced to Naill and his twin Michael O'Conner. Very Irish, very traditional and steeped in legend and lore. They are half fairy we learn later. They both talk with an Irish accent and speech pattern that feels right in this book. It's not too heavy and I don't think the characters would have been as believable without it. Well done on the author's parts because the accent and speech pattern can easily overwhelm a book.

The trouble comes in the form of Rose Tremain, who thinks she is a human woman about a normal job. All is not as it would seem.  Through out the book, we learn of the truth of Rose's mother, and the betrayal of her father and what he really is, and the truth as to what she is and what her birthright is.

It's a clever and fun story, and I enjoyed it.  It stands quite well on its own, and I feel complete having read it. Only just realized this is  a series and it continues. Not sure if I will search it out or not, but I have a number of books in my to-read pile right now, maybe later.



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Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth BOOK REVIEW

Insurgent by Veronica Roth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Insurgent is the follow-up to Divergent, and I am ever so happy that I picked both up at the store the day I got Divergent. I finished Divergent in one day and was ready to move on and see what happened next.

Insurgent follows Tris and Tobias, along with some others as they continue the fight between the factions, trying to figure out what is really going on and why the fighting is occurring. What is the real truth. There are hints at more than what meats the eye to their lives as they know them, but this book is a little slower and harder to read than the first. I was so into the first, but there is so much misunderstanding and mistrust between Tris and Tobias that the relationship is really fractured and it is hard to read at times. Other relationships all seem to be fracturing as well, because of the fighting or the unknown, but it really slowed the book and made it move less.

The factions are fighting, at least three are and the factionless are in the battle, but they have their own motive, they want to take over and make a completely new government. There is still the underlying cause, why was the fighting started in the first place, and why the mystery of the Divergents anyway. Why do the Eurdites dislike them and think they are something to be afraid of?

As this book moves along, things have a way of working themselves out, answers are found and the fighting ends, but the answers are not what anyone in the society would have ever thought they would have been. This book ends on a cliffhanger, in that the truth is revealed, but how will everyone react to that truth is another story, and I am eager to find out in the third book. Luckily I started this series late, so I don't have long to wait for the last book.



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Divergent by Veronica Roth BOOK REVIEW

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Divergent by Veronica Roth
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was walking through the store looking for a book to read while I was waiting on my daughters to get out of theater practice, and I had a book in mind, but of course they didn't have it, when I spotted this book. It sounded interesting, so I picked it up, and I am ever so glad I did.

In Divergent, the world is basically the city of Chicago with a huge fence around it. Everyone, for the most part except the farmer, or the faction called Amity, live inside the fence. Society is broken into factions, and based on how you perceive and process information you are placed in one of the factions to live. The placement happens at age sixteen, and this is where the book begins, as Beatrice Prior is about to go through the testing to determine what faction she is best suited to live in.

The book follows her journey as she changes factions, from the faction of her birth to the faction she feels is most like her. As she undergoes the initiation process and learns startling information. There is unease among the factions, or at least among two of the five factions, and it seems to be building, but why and what does it have to do with her and her life and future.

Beatrice makes friends and enemies in her new faction, starts a life and then has to deal with the changing world they live in. It is part coming of age novel, part alternative society novel, and altogether exciting and enjoyable to read. It was well written and I could hardly put the book down until I finished it.

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Seeking Philbert Woodbead (Fairweather Sisters, #2) by Anya Wylde BOOK REVIEW

Seeking Philbert Woodbead by Anya Wylde
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Seeking Philbert Woodbead is the second in the Fairweather Sisters series by Anya Wylde. This book follows up a few months, give or take after the end of the first book, Penelope. Now, although this is a series, you could actually read this book without reading Penelope and still enjoy the book, but it is just more fun if you have read the first book before you start, but if you find yourself needing to start with this book, by all means do. It is a delight.

Celine Fairweather jumps at the chance to leave home and run to London to help her not that long ago married sister Penelope, who is now confined to her home, all because she had the misfortune of getting pregnant in a time when they had no idea what was going on! The book is hilarious. Celine is reading the "Proper English Ladies" book, and trying to be one, and Penelope could care less what society thinks, and the adventures and madcap fun just continues.

I loved the first book, which saw Penelope descend on London to try to find a husband. Now we see her sister descend on London, and although she tries to be more proper than Penelope did, she bungles it just as much if not more. It is zany and funny and every bit as much fun to read, in fact I sat down to read the book, and just had to finish the whole thing!

I love this author's style of writing. It is fun and light and just leaves you feeling happy, especially with everything going on in the world these days, it is so nice to escape into a light-hearted book and laugh and enjoy myself. It was such a good read.

As there are a number of Fairweather girls still at home, I hope this means that we can count on the author to bring us a number of more Fairweather sister books! I'm already looking for the next one!

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Deadly Notions (A Southern Sewing Circle, #4) by Elizabeth Lynn Casey

Deadly Notions by Elizabeth Lynn Casey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Deadly Notions is the fourth book in the Southern Sewing Circle Series, which is a cozy mystery series. One of my favorite feel-good type of books to read when I am down is a cozy mystery, and when it is set in a small town in the south, even better; add in a little sewing and I am in a wonderful place.
This summer I set down one rainy afternoon, while the kids were playing games together on the computer and read this little number.

I have loved this series from the start, and am always anxious when I get ahold of the next book in the series, and it just happened to come in the mail from a swap so I was able to spend the time involved in the book, while it rained.

Tori is the head librarian at the Sweet Briar library, and transplant from Chicago. The Sewing Circle took her in the minute she arrived and have been helping her learn the souther ways to her new home town, like never, ever bring lemonade to a meeting, even if you did squeeze if by hand, all southern ladies drink sweet tea. But this time, the sewing circle has it's hands all tied up helping Melissa with a birthday party for her daughter Sally, but this can't just be a normal birthday party, no it has to meet the high standards and expectations of one mom in the group, Ashley Lawson, who just happens to be a wonderful dress designer, and would do anything in the world to make her daughter, Penelope, the net big thing. She has a way of talking down to all the other moms, and their party attempts, and heaven forbid you don't invite her child, well lets just say she has power in that tongue of hers. The bigger problem is that all this worship of her small daughter has lead to a massive chip on Penelope's shoulder, and none of the kids really like her, but they are forced to deal with her, or worse her mother.

With the Sewing Circle's and Tori's help, including the use of the library as a location it turned out to be quite the party after all, and everyone went home happy. Hummm, I wonder if our local library would be willing to let people use the reading room for dress up and book reading for a party? It actually sounded like a really cute and fun party idea for a seven year old. Until the next morning, when there are police at the library and Ashley Lawson is dead. The problem, there wasn't a soul at the party that didn't say something negative about the Mom, but none of them would have wanted to hurt her would they? Now it becomes Tori's job, along with those wonderfully helpful and noisy ladies of the sewing circle to find out who really killed Ashley and protect Melissa, one of their own and host of the party.

I am telling you, this is a delightful book. Lots of touches of southern charm, mystery, intrigue, twists and turns, followed with more southern charm. As the series continues, the relationships of the women of the sewing circle are deepened, even Rose and Tori and getting along better, and understanding each other better. And then there is the relationship between Tori and milo, even that is growing, in spite of some miscues and sabotage in this book. It was so much fun to follow the twists and turns and the rocks and bumps and finally to the end, where everything worked out for the best.

I just love this series, and I hope I didn't say too much about it to spoil the reading, but yet enough to encourage you to take a chance a try the book. I love to share good books I have found, and I hope you find it enjoyable too. Now, off to find the next book in the series!

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Quality Time

When you are dating or first married, you spend lots of time talking with the other person, you are together all the time, then the kids start coming, and more bills and life has a habit of getting in the way, and if you aren't careful all the sudden you realize you don't even know who you are married to anymore!

Long ago in our marriage we were advised to make time each day, even if it was only 5 minutes, and talk to each other. See what each others days held and what was going on and what each other was feeling. Those simple 5 minutes could be the difference in a marriage surving or failing.

Over the years we have tried to make sure we are doing that, but three kids and work and a house, a dog and a cat, dance, theater, school, all those things that seem to intrude, have done so, but one thing I can say for sure is that we always seem to remember that advice. Everytime we get to busy for it, and we get away from it, something will happen that will cause a disagreement between us, and it will become emotional, and one of us will mention the five minutes. Sometimes I say, we need to get back to our 5 minutes and other times it is my husband, but we both seem to realize that the disagreements came out of us neglecting that time together.

Right now the kids get on the bus at 8am and my hubby will stay home and not leave for work until 8:30, so that we can have our talk time. Now this will change once summer comes, but you know for now I am happy. I notice that I feel better about myself when we are talking, I can tell him what I want to get done in the day, how I am feeling about something and know that he is listening, and the same goes for him. This is time when there are no kids to pull us away, we can focus on each other and talk. There is a small part of me that knows that we should probably make sure the kids see us talking and know that this is a big part of marriage, but for now, I will take this time when I can get it.

We've been married almost 18 years now, and I won't say they have all been rosy, there have been many ups and downs, but I can say this much for sure, had we not been given the advice to talk to each other each day, we might not have made it this long. It is too easy in this world to give up and give in, and no one really teaches you what it really takes to make a marriage work anymore. I just know that for us, we need that time to talk and connect to each other.

If you're newly married or old timers, try it. Set aside some time when you can just talk, no accusations, no hurtful words, just talk and encourage each other. In only 5 minutes a day, you will see a big change in the way you relate to each other. You will begin to understand each other better and maybe even fall more in love with each other!