Tag Archives: fiction

Thale’s Folly – Dorothy Gilman

Dorothy Gilman is most famous for the “Mrs. Polifax” series, but the stand-alone novel “Thale’s Folly” is equally as enjoyable, although it’s a story rather than a mystery. Andrew Oliver Thale is a young man of twenty-six who survived a terrifying plane crash, coming out with a number of broken bones and post-traumatic stress disorder. Once a budding novelist with two books under his belt, he has lost his ability to write fiction and has taken a job writing newsletters for the company where his father holds a place as vice-president. He can’t sleep without having nightmares about the crash, … Continue reading →

Out to Canaan – Jan Karon

The next book in the Mitford series by Jan Karon is “Out to Canaan.” Father Tim has decided to retire in a year and a half, and, although he hates to do it, he realizes he must announce this to his congregation. He has supplied the Mitford pulpit for sixteen years and loves the people like his own family. How will he bear to step down? Even though he and his wife, Cynthia, have made the decision to stay in Mitford after his retirement, it won’t be the same. As soon as the announcement is made, some of the members … Continue reading →

Sugar House Hill – Heather Simonsen

“Sugar House Hill,” a critically acclaimed first novel by Heather Simonsen, is the story of Cassie Wagner. Cassie is a stay-at-home mom to a sweet little girl and she’s expecting another child. She thinks life couldn’t get any better – and then it takes a sharp turn for the worse. It all begins one morning when Jane, her daughter, wakes her up with a request for juice. For some reason, Jane’s voice is piercing, and Cassie realizes that her hearing isn’t quite right. She feels like she has a cotton ball stuck in her ear. Even though the hearing is … Continue reading →

The Daughter of Time – Josephine Tey

Alan Grant is an English police officer, and at the moment, he’s not a happy one. While chasing a suspect, he fell through a trap door, and he’s going to be in hospital for a very long time, flat on his back. His friends have sent him flowers and books, but he can’t concentrate on any of the novels because he’s so tired of staring at the ceiling. He badly wants to be up and around again. One afternoon, a lady friend named Marta brought him something a little more interesting. She went round to the print shop and bought … Continue reading →

New Moon – Stephenie Meyer

Well, I never thought this would happen to me, but I’m addicted. When “Twilight” was first recommended to me, I wasn’t even the slightest bit interested. Come on – vampires? No, thanks. But round about the tenth recommendation, I though I’d give it a try. You can read about it here. When my friend lent me “New Moon,” the sequel, I was a very good girl and didn’t touch it for two days, but when I did, I read the first half before going to bed and the second half after waking up the next morning. I’m hooked. When we … Continue reading →

A Summer to Die – Lois Lowry

Meg is not as beautiful or popular as her older sister Molly. She has always envied her sister’s golden hair, perfect complexion, and the way all the boys look at her. Meg’s the smart one, she is told, but that doesn’t do a whole lot to boost Meg’s self-confidence when she feels like she’ll never be pretty. Meg’s father is asked to write a book. Unable to work in town, he moves his family out to a small house in the country, and Meg and Molly must share a room. This is hard on both girls – Molly wants her … Continue reading →

Ellen Tebbits – Beverly Cleary

In “Ellen Tebbits,” Beverly Cleary brings us another little girl who’s very ordinary, who has the same hopes, fears and dreams that nearly every little girl does. The first chapter in the book is my very favorite. Ellen is off to ballet class, but she’s determined to get there first. She races up to the changing room, only to find Austine, the new girl, already there. Needing her privacy, Ellen slips into the janitor’s closet and there reveals to the reader what she hopes no one in her dance class will ever know – she is wearing long woolen underwear … Continue reading →

Book Review – Scrap Everything by Leslie Gould

Scrapbooking is my passion. My hobby. My lifeline. And I seek it out, anywhere I go. I tend to notice signs, posters, books, magazines, or any other reference to it, when I’m out and about. I cannot help it, and it’s probably a border line addiction. Do they have a Scrapaholics Anonymous? So when I found out that author’s were starting to write books, that somehow incorporated scrapbooking into the pages of their novels, I was surprised, curious and excited. One thing I absolutely do not like, when reading any book, is reading a topic that sounds forced or just … Continue reading →

The Undomestic Goddess – Sophie Kinsella

Once again, I have found a book that I absolutely loved, except for a few of “those” parts. I hate it when that happens! I want to recommend it unequivocally but I can’t. What I will do is steer you around “those” parts and we will celebrate together what is fabulous about the book. “The Undomestic Goddess” is about Samantha Sweeting, a lawyer at a high-powered London firm. She has put so much time and effort into her work that she hardly has a life of her own anymore, but it’s paying off – she’s about to be made partner. … Continue reading →

The Books of Pamela S. Thibodeaux

Yesterday we met award-winning author Pamela S. Thibodeaux and talked with her a bit about her writing and her motivations. If you missed that interview, click here. Today let’s take a look at Pamela’s novels and see why she’s so popular with her readers. The first book in Pamela’s series is called “Tempered Hearts.” Published by ComStar Media, this is the story of a rancher named Craig Harris and Tamera Collins, a veterinarian. Their personalities are so different, they clash right from the start, and their tempers get in the way of forming a relationship. But as they come to … Continue reading →