Recent Reads . . . .

Catch a Rising Star (Drama Queens Series #1)
by Tracey Bateman

When thirty-something Tabby Brockman has the opportunity to reclaim her role as a killed-off character on the nation's #1 daytime soap opera, she figures this must be God's reward. But back on the set, she's faced with the same hateful head writer who killed off her character in the first place, kids who drive her crazy, a stage dad who rubs her completely wrong, and and an unwanted boyfriend who can?t seem to get the message. Faced with this dizzying rollercoaster of challenges, Tabby has to wonder: is she finally a star on the rise or just on the brink of another spectacular fall?

This was a lighthearted, fun read. Great for summer reading! This was the first book I've read by Tracey Bateman and I'll definetly be reading more!

Breach of Promise

James Scott Bell

From the Back Cover: How far will a father go to get back his only daughter? And how will he survive in a legal system that crushes those who can't afford to fight back? Mark Gillen has the storybook life other men dream of, complete with a beautiful wife and an adoring five-year-old daughter. Then his wife announces shes leaving him. And taking their daughter with her. The other man is a famous film director with unlimited funds and the keys to stardom and wealth for Paula. How can Mark begin to compete? But the most bitter blow comes when he is kept from seeing his daughter because of false charges . . . and a legal system ill-suited for finding the truth. Forged in the darkest valley Mark has ever walked through, his faith in God may ultimately cost him everything in the eyes of the family law system. But it is the one thing that can keep him sane and give him the strength to fight against all odds for what matters most.

Another first for me, I'd never read James Scott Bell before, but had heard/read great things about him. I did like his writing style and the book was good, realistic, and hard hitting. It reminded me of the story of Job. One.bad.thing.after.another kept happening to Mark, it got to the point where I was like, alright already! But I liked the message of the story.The ending is more "real" than "storybook" and I guess I've grown so accustomed to "fairytale" endings that I was a bit disappointed.

Go here for a review I posted of a new tween book - Trion Rising

And here and here for some warnings/reviews of books to keep your teens/tweens away from!

Why You Haven't Seen Any Book Reviews/Giveaways Lately!

I've been reading Teen Lit lately - so I haven't had time to read any of the grown-up books I have to review/give-away!
To tide you over - you can check out some of my recent reviews - and check here and there over the next week for some upcoming give-aways! Happy Reading!

In The Hall of The Dragon King by Stephen R. Lawhead









Bad Connection by Melody Carlson

I'm Baaaaack!

I am back, and totally rested, relaxed, and tanned! On Valentine's Day I left, along with HWH, my sister and her hubby, my Dad and his girlfriend, on a 10 day Caribbean cruise.
We cruised on the Emerald Princess. The ship was nice - but overall, I enjoyed cruising on Royal Caribbean much more. I have sailed twice on RC and thought the layout of the ships were better, and the food was much better on RC.
Our first stop was Antigua where we took a taxi to the beach and enjoyed the clear blue water.
Then, we stopped by St. Lucia - HWH and I went 4-wheeling on ATVs and had a blast.
Next was Barbados where we found another beautiful beach on which to sunbathe.
In St. Thomas we went out on a sailboat (the type they sail in America's Cup)and learned to sail, then raced 2 other sailboats. After that we shopped, shopped, shopped.
We were unable to make the stop scheduled for St. Kitts (I have been to St. Kitts for a 1 week vacation before, so I was not too upset).
Lastly, we stopped at Princess Cays in the Bahamas and enjoyed the beach and shopping.
I love cruising. I am not a real adventurous type and I don't have the desire to traipse around foreign countries sightseeing. I am more of an introvert - I love to relax by laying out in the warm sun, reading, socializing with my little circle of friends or family. I enjoy the short, planned visits into the countries we stop in, but mostly I just follow my HWH or sister around there.
I read 4 books while I was gone:
The Choice by Nicholas Sparks - LOVED IT! Probably my 2nd favorite Sparks book - behind The Notebook of course!

Truffles by the Sea by Julie Carobini - A great read. Enjoyed it even more than her first book, Chocolate Beach, which was fabulous.


The Other Mother by Gwendolen Gross - Interesting. I had read about this book on several blogs when it was released. I liked the book and could really identify with the feelings of both mothers in the book. I will warn you there are some scenes in the story that were a bit steamy and a few curse words.
7th Heaven by James Patterson - I like his books, quick reads, short chapters, interesting characters. Some curse words and gory scenes. I did feel like this was one of the best in the Women's Murder Club series.

I plan on giving away Truffles by the Sea in March - so check back soon for that Pass It On giveaway! Hopefully I'll post cruise pictures soon too!

Have a great week!

Book Reviews

Lately, I have been reading t'ween and teen books. The books I've read/reviewed over the past few months are:

Kingdom's Dawn by Chuck Black

The Capture by Kathryn Lasky

DragonSpell by Donita K. Paul

The Mistmantle Chronicles: The Urchin of the Riding Stars by M.I. McAllister

The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black

The Spiderwick Chronicles has a movie based on the book series that will be coming out soon. I enjoyed all the books except The Spiderwick Chronicles. My 12 yr. old son enjoyed the series though, so he will probably go see the movie. I found the books to be too mean, and I would not suggest a parent let their kids read them until they have read one or two of the series first, and judge if they are somthing your child would enjoy/handle.

All the other books, I really enjoyed and would suggest without hesitation to parents. If I had to pick a favorite it would be DragonSpell.

I have a pile of adult books I am anxious to read - hopefully I can slip a few in and post a few adult reviews here next month!

Happy Reading!