32 - Letter To My Daughter; George Bishop

Letter to My Daughter is a coming of age debut novel, about a mother (Laura) and her teenage daughter(Liz). The story is written by George Bishop, and one would think that writing about a topic like this would be a difficult task to do well for most males, but this author succeeds.

After an argument with her mother on the eve of her fifteenth birthday, Liz storms off from her Louisiana home. While her father busies himself in projects, her mother watches the clock waiting for her daughter to return. She reflects on her own adolescence and decides to write Liz a letter, which she plans to give her on her birthday.  In the letter she conveys stories never shared before about the conflicts she had with her own parents when she was her daughter's age. Laura writes an at times, painful and emotional story about her first love and her parents disapproval of the young man. She shares her experiences at Sacred Heart Academy, a Catholic boarding school that her parents sent her off too--their way of separating Laura and the young man.

MY THOUGHTS: The author did an excellent job conveying the pain and confusion of the teenage years and first love. Since the time period was the late 1960's and early 1970's, other hot issues are addressed as well, such as: the Vietnam war and discrimination etc.  The novel is short, just 126 pages, but the story is written in a way that kept me engaged from beginning to end. RECOMMENDED (4/5 stars)

(Review copy provided by Shelf Awareness/Balletine Books)

Waiting on Wednesday

 

Waiting On Wednesday is hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine.  What book are you waiting for to be released?  Here's my pick:

 The Tale of Halcyon Crane; Wendy Webb

(March 30th - Holt Publishing)

(amazon)

A young woman travels alone to a remote island to uncover a past she never knew was hers in this thrilling modern ghost story.

When a mysterious letter lands in Hallie James’s mailbox, her life is upended. Hallie was raised by her loving father, having been told her mother died in a fire decades earlier. But it turns out that her mother, Madlyn, was alive until very recently. Why would Hallie’s father have taken her away from Madlyn? What really happened to her family thirty years ago?

In search of answers, Hallie travels to the place where her mother lived, a remote island in the middle of the Great Lakes. The stiff islanders fix her first with icy stares and then unabashed amazement as they recognize why she looks so familiar, and Hallie quickly realizes her family’s dark secrets are enmeshed in the history of this strange place. But not everyone greets her with such a chilly reception—a coffee-shop owner and the family’s lawyer both warm to Hallie, and the possibility of romance blooms. And then there’s the grand Victorian house bequeathed to her—maybe it’s the eerie atmosphere or maybe it’s the prim, elderly maid who used to work for her mother, but Hallie just can’t shake the feeling that strange things are starting to happen .

Wordless Wednesday

 

(not exactly your typical Easter bunny)

31 - Jamaica Inn; Daphne DuMaurier

 

 Jamaica Inn

Having fallen in love with Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier, I was anxious to read something else by her.  I was not disappointed with Jamaica Inn.

It's the 1800's and Mary Yellan is a twenty three year old woman who has lived her life on a farm in Helston. She helped her mother with the family farm after her father passed away. When her mother loses her will to live, she shares with Mary her final wish. She says that Mary is to go to live with her Aunt Patience in Bodmin after she dies. Patience' husband Joss Merlyn is the Innkeeper of Jamaica Inn.

Mary arrives at the gloomy inn, and is shocked by the woman her Aunt Patience has become. Formerly outgoing and cheerful,  now she is nervous, quiet, aloof and frightened. Her husband, Joss is creepy, mean and secretive, and Mary realizes early on that this is not a place for her or her aunt, as danger lurks within the crumbling inn. 

(p. 159...."She thought of Aunt Patience, trailing like a ghost in the shadow of her master, and she shuddered. That would be Mary Yellen too, but for the Grace of God and her own strength and will." 

Mary wants to escape but she is torn because of the promise she made to her mother. She feels her aunt is not safe with Joss, an alcoholic, and she wants Aunt Patience to escape as well. Strange things are going on at the inn on the Cornish coast.  I don't want to give spoilers, but there are never any guests and is not even open to the public, and secretive things happen late at night at Jamaica Inn.

MY THOUGHTS  - If you like Gothic novels, and stories that evoke the atmosphere of horror and dread, then this novel should be perfect for you. 

RECOMMENDED - 4.5/5 stars  (Purchased by Me)

30 - Fancy Nancy's Elegant Easter; Jane O'Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser

Fancy Nancy's Elegant Easter

If you are looking for an adorable Easter book for the special little girl in your life, be sure to check this book out. 

As Fancy Nancy prepares for her Easter gala (that's a fancy word for a party), she is busy greeting guests by saying: bonjour (that's a fancy french word for hello), and she makes a beautiful bouquet (that's a fancy word for a very pretty bunch of flowers). 

Well, I think you get the idea. I am totally addicted to these adorable "fancy girl" books, that not only tells a cute story, but teaches some grown up words in each book as well. This one is especially cute and perfect for the upcoming Easter holiday. The book is not only beautifully illustrated, but it has pop up flaps full of awesome surprises in addition to some "fancy" new words for your special little girl. 

Recommended for girls ages (4 - 8). (5/5 stars) (Library Book)

Tuesday Teasers

 

Miz B and Teaser Tuesdays asks you to:

• Grab your current read, and let the book fall open to a random page. 
• Share  (2) sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12. 
• You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from.

The Girl Who Fell From the Sky 

 

(p.36...."The shrine was made of an old board elevated by two cement blocks a foot off the ground. On the board, covered by a brightly colored cloth, there were candles, flowers, a teddy bear and balloons --two already popped--attached with barely sticky tape").

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is a fun meme where bloggers reveal the books that arrived at their house (by mail) over the past week. Thanks to Marcia of The Printed Page. 

 Did you get any good books? Please share!

(Books above were obtained as Giveaway wins, through Paperback Swap, or purchased by me. Most were recommended by some of you book blogging buddies) 

• Pirate Latitudes (Karen @ Bookin With Bingo Win)
• Beyond Blue (Booksie's Blog Win)
• Confessions of a Buddhist Atheist (paperback swap)
• Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (purchased/ book review recommendation)
• Father Melancholy's Daughter (purchased/ Lise @In the Purple House-recommendation)
• Doctor Olaf van Schuler's Brain (Stephanie's Blog)

 

(Review Books Received)

• Without Mercy; Jackson (Kensington Books)
• The Heights; Hedges (Amazon Vine)
• The Long Song; Levy (Amazon Vine)
• Imperfect Birds; Lamott (Amazon Vine)
• 31 Bond Street; Horan (Harper)
• Bible Babel; Swenson (Harper)
• The Blue Orchard; Taylor (Touchstone)