The Life Intended by Kristin Harmel

The Life Intended

Kristin Harmel

Rating and Recommendation

Rating: 4 1/2 teacups

Recommendations: Yes

Book Club Worthy: Yes, it is going on my book

                                        club calendar

Review

After twelve years of being Patrick’s widow, Kate is ready to move on or is she?

Harmel packs quite a punch from the beginning of this, at times, heart wrenching novel (my way of saying you may cry in parts). It seemed to be over quickly as the plot was filled with so much action and indecision for Kate. Once she starts to make her decisions they come quick and fast. The romance is fraught with suspense and it takes a while to know which way to root, or root at all.  

Harmel's wild emotional ride is definitely worth the ride. Even though I gave this book a 4 ½ on my blog I am adding it to the calendar to my book club. I recommend this book highly and only dock ½ star as I think that Kate is a little too weak in the beginning of the novel. So, if you do not mind a little paranormal with some harsh reality both with personal loss and the Foster Care System of New York City spiced with dicey and the best romance ever, this is your book.

Disclosures

*I would like to thank Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books via NetGALLEY for giving me an unreleased copy for an honest and fair review.

* If you buy this book through the above link money is generated, however, donated to the non-profit American Association of University Women (AAUW). 

www.aauw.org

AAUW works empowering women, since 1881, standing up for causes in the areas of educational, social, economic and political issues especially important to women. Marie Currie was one of the first beneficiaries of the group that would become AAUW receiving monetary help to attend college. I am a proud member and believe that the profit from books seems a fitting donation.

Point of Direction

Point of Direction

Rachel Weaver

Rating and Recommendation

Rating: 4 ½ teacups

Recommendation: Yes

Book Club Worthy: Yes, will appear in mine!

Hampton Roads Book Club Meetup Calendar:

To be determined

Review

Beautiful, mysterious novel that is quite pleasing and exciting reading you do not want to miss.

The prose alone would carry this manuscript to the presses; couple that with a fine story of multiple antagonists and this is sure to be a thriller you will enjoy. At times, one wonders if our protagonists may fall victim to their adversaries. You will have to read the story to see if this happens. No spoilers here as is always the case on my blog.

You might think that with multiple story lines running throughout, with a couple flashbacks thrown in, that it would be too busy. Weaver actually pulls it off quite well.  And, did I mention the prose Weaver writes. I could not put these words away as the writing style just kept flowing and leading me to the next page. 


Okay, why only 4 ½ teacups with such high praise. In the beginning, the sequencing jumps a little. An example is how they are just at the ranger station signing up as caretakers for the lighthouse. The other segue ways are much smoother. I promise if you just go with this jump, or if you do not mind it (the book might just be a 5 for you), you may find it irresistible, as I did. That may seem a little picky of me to some of you, but that is what would have brought it to 5+ teacups in my opinion.    

Disclosures

* Thank you to Rachel Weaver for contacting me and sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review and possible spot on the book club calendar.

* If you buy this book through the above link money is generated, however, donated to the non-profit American Association of University Women (AAUW). 

http://www.aauw.org/ 

AAUW works empowering women, since 1881, standing up for causes in the areas of educational, social, economic and political issues especially important to women. Marie Currie was one of the first beneficiaries of the group that would become AAUW receiving monetary help to attend college. I am a proud member and believe that the profit from books seems a fitting donation.

A Little History About Me and My Blog

Welcome 

Hello and welcome to my blog. I hope it interests and helps you. Your interaction is loved. I promise you no spoilers on the page. You want spoilers or have a question, e-mail. Disagree with me, let me know. You can comment, e-mail me, I only ask you to tell me why.  I do not mind if you disagree as long as you tell me why you feel that way. Even if you only tell me you could just not get into it. In fact, I feel differing opinions allow us to learn from each other and grow as well. So go ahead and tell me, just try not to me abusive to me please and thank you.
My love for reading goes back to my childhood when I was encouraged by paternal grandfather to read my books to him. This allowed me to become an early reader. I was always taken to the library and it was treated as a reward. The ability to read was explained to me as a gift and so was that of receiving a free public education. I was encouraged to read everything from books to food labels, so I did. I learned later that my paternal grandfather was not allowed to attend school only for a few years and as a result was illiterate. So my family did really realize literacy as the gift it is and how important it is to someone’s future.
I took this knowledge and tutored those struggling with reading. I have a book club and this blog. I say this loosely as no one else really wants to run it. I pick books and put them up and if someone objects we do not use that book. If it does not make the cut for the actual club I do recommend it if I feel it is at least a 4 teacup book. I also read every book before it makes the book club calendar.
   

Teacup Rating System

You might wonder what a Teacup book is, let alone a 4 teacup book. Teacups are my rating system for the books, most people use stars. How does that translate across the world? What do stars mean to you, then to me, or someone else? It is really a conceptual description that is totally dependent on what stars represent to each of us as a measurement system. I know teacups are somewhat subjective too, however I think they way I am using them might express the books review and ability to be recommended a little easier and perhaps more definable. My teacup or coffee cup if you prefer is 12oz. If you, like I do, go to Starbucks, then you recognize this as a Tall.
Now that you know my teacup size, I can tell you how my rating system works. It lets you know how many cups of tea that I drink while I am reading the book at one sitting. Do I really drink 5 plus teacups at one time?  In full disclosure, sometimes I will substitute another non-caffeinated (never alcoholic,) remember, I take my reading very serious. Even the book club talks book and then some stay and recommend books followed with a little social interaction.

Book Club

If any of you are interested in joining the book club, contact me at kshaggerty@cox.net you must be local as it is a physical meeting in the Hampton Roads are in Virginia, United States. We even welcome Skyping with authors at the club meetings.
Thank you for spending your time with me and I would love to hear from you.

Warm Regards,
Kelly

Paper Love: Searching for the Girl My Grandfather Left Behind by Sarah Wildman

Paper Love: Searching for the Girl My Grandfather Left Behind Sarah Wildman

Rating and Recommendation

Rating: 5+ teacups

Recommendation: Yes

Book Club Worthy: Yes

  Hampton Roads Book Club Meetup Calendar: 

 March 19, 2015

Review

A true 5 teacup+ read! A books that change your life nominee... Wildman strikes a perfect balance with Romance and History lovers by including her research story alongside that of Valy's creating the ever desired nonfiction work reading like fiction. Through a synergistic serendipity of the research community and her own, Wildman is able to bring the reader on the journey from Yours, Valy- at the close of a letter toward Valy- the loved one left behind to Valy- whose life should be important to every person on the planet. Perhaps being so involved does not allow Wildman to recognize she even answers the question about what the next generation or generations should be told in the future about WWII both leading up to and after the end of the European Theatre on both sides of the Atlantic. Those who read this remarkable work may soon recognize the perfect answer lies in the words you place in your book Ms.Wildman. Thank you for the 2014 book that changed my life. If there is only one book you read this year, this is it.

Disclosures

* I was given a preview copy of this book in exchange for a fair an unbiased review of the book from Penguin’s First to Read Program.

*If you buy this book through the above link money is generated, however, donated to the non-profit American Association of University Women (AAUW). 

http://www.aauw.org/ 

AAUW works empowering women, since 1881, standing up for causes in the areas of educational, social, economic and political issues especially important to women. Marie Currie was one of the first beneficiaries of the group that would become AAUW receiving monetary help to attend college. I am a proud member and believe that the profit from books seems a fitting donation.