Linda reads : Wind Chime Point and Sea Glass Island by Sherryl Woods

July 27, 2013August 27, 2014 / Linda / Leave a comment

Wind Chime Point is book two of the Ocean Breeze Trilogy. It would be helpful to read the first book, Sand Castle Bay, although the author does a wonderful job of tying in book one’s story.

Hardworking, ambitious, and independent Gabriella Castle is facing personal and professional challenges that prove too daunting for her to handle alone. She retreats to her grandmother’s home in Sand Castle Bay, NC. and the welcoming arms of her family.

Wade Johnson is a cabinet-maker and wood-carver with a tragic and secret past. He’s been intrigued by Gabriella whenever she’s visited and is happy when she returns to town. He’s also a friend of Emily’s finance, Boone.

Gabi is having a lot of trouble deciding what to do about her future. For the first time in her life, she is plagued with doubts and uncertainty. She finds a friend in Wade and his easy-going style and good listening skills are both helpful and comforting. She didn’t expect or plan for her feelings for Wade to blossom into love. Wade knew he had strong feelings for Gabi, but he is unsure if he’s ready to take the next step.

Although this book focuses mainly on Gabi and Wade, the secondary characters play an important part in the story. Gabi’s sister Emily is busy planning her wedding and her other sister, Samantha is facing her own crisis about her career. Grandmother Cora Jane is still playing matchmaker and the sister’s father, Sam, has an expanded role in this book.

Sea Glass Island is the third and final book of the trilogy. Samantha has been living in New York City pursuing her dream of being an actress. But lately, the parts she auditions for are all going to younger actresses. She goes home to North Carolina for her sister’s wedding and to reflect on what to do with her life.

Ethan Cole is a doctor at the local clinic in town. He lost a leg while serving in Afghanistan, and his fiance dumped him shortly thereafter. He’s having a hard time overcoming the hurt caused by his finance. He doesn’t know that Samantha has had a crush on him since high school, or that her family is relentless on their determination to get them together.

There are several interesting subplots in this book and plot lines from the previous two books are tied up quite nicely.

These are captivating, realistic, heartwarming romances. The setting is a place you want to visit and the characters are people you want to know. This is a character-driven trilogy with witty dialogue, beautifully descriptive scenes, warm and loving family interactions, and sweet love stories. This trilogy is Ms. Woods best work yet.

Jenn Reads: Slaughterhouse Five

July 23, 2013July 20, 2013 / Jenn / Leave a comment

Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut is our July pick for the Cheshire Cats Classics Club. It was chosen largely to appeal to men and to those who like more modern classics. This is not my typical fare, necessarily, and was not even on my to-read list. Far from it, actually.

I’m not sure what I thought Slaughterhouse Five was going to be, but whatever notions I had where quickly dispelled. I think I heard that it included a fictional planet, and time-travel and thought “Not for me…” First impressions are often wrong, prejudiced, and just down right stupid.

Slaughterhouse Five is a crisp 275 pages, easily read, and likely easily misunderstood. Some may find the scenes of Tralfamadore ridiculous, the war depictions brutal, the episodes of sex raunchy, but they unfortunately have missed the essence of the book. And don’t let the ease of reading the book fool you: Vonnegut is trying to send an important message on the destructiveness of war, finding happiness, and mental illness.

Slaughterhouse Five, to me, is an anti-war novel on the surface. The subtitle, or The Children’s Crusade: A Duty-Dance With Death alludes to the fact that so many of the men who bravely fight our wars are merely boys. They are dancing with death in a way many of us will never experience.

What Billy Pilgrim experiences and views at the bombing of Dresden forever changes him and shapes the novel. Billy’s “strange” behavior of time traveling and episodes on Tralfamadore are manifestations of his PTSD. Knowing that Vonnegut himself saw the bombing of Dresden makes you wonder how much of this was truly Billy Pilgrim’s story and how much of it was autobiographical. Anyone who has seen actual warfare is never the same.

I listened to this book, as I try to do with all of the classics we read for the club. Ethan Hawk was the reader for this version, which included an interview with Vonnegut. All in all, I was pleasantly surprised with this book, having gone in with low expectations. Hawk’s reading of it was admirable, although the mixing on the recording was very low and he was often difficult to hear, and the story moved.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars (but it’s a hearty 3 stars)

Linda reads: Barefoot In The Sun by Roxanne St Clair

June 20, 2013August 27, 2014 / Linda / Leave a comment

This is book 3 of the Barefoot Bay series. You do not have to read them in order, however if you would like to, the first book is Barefoot in the Sand, the second book is Barefoot in the Rain.

Zoe Tamarin has been on the run since she was a child when her neighbor, Pasha, rescued her from a nightmare foster home. They’ve lived in the shadows, never staying in one place too long, not being able to live any sort of normal life. Zoe did manage to fall in love along the way, however, with Dr. Oliver Bradbury and decides to confess that she’s really not who he thinks she is. The confession and Oliver’s reaction go very badly and Zoe, once again, disappears.

Oliver marries another woman, has a child, divorces the woman, and moves to Florida with his son to start a new life in a new medical practice that helps cancer patients with new, experimental techniques. It is a coincidence that both Zoe and Oliver end up in the same Florida town.

When Zoe discovers that Pasha has terminal cancer, she seeks out Oliver to see if he will help (albeit, under the radar as Pasha cannot reveal her true identity). This proves to be a difficult task, as Pasha is too frightened her past will be discovered, and Oliver and Zoe do not trust each other.

The chemistry between Zoe and Oliver is explosive, but their resentment and outside influences interfere with their quest to reconcile. Both have heart-wrenching secrets that each needs to help the other overcome. Will Zoe run again or stay and fight for the life and love she yearns for?

This is a heartwarming, emotional story of love, loss and the quest for happily ever after.

Susan Picks: Foreign Films

June 7, 2013June 5, 2013 / Susan O. / Leave a comment

I like foreign films as a form of foreign language practice. The people speak at a normal rate and use conversational words as they would if you went to their country. But, like most people, if it’s a language I don’t know well, I tire of the gibberish after five minutes, and I rarely have time to sit and watch subtitles. On the other hand, I like foreign films because they aren’t the same repetitive formulaic Hollywood boredom. They often rely heavily on character development, less on action, and are hard on irony. The sceneries are often exotic and intriguing, ways of life (like collapsible yurts and nomadic circles) so very different – yet oddly similar – to America in all its forms. You sympathize with the main characters and feel their pain. Here’s a weekend’s worth of films that you probably haven’t heard of and are well worth your trouble:

Since Otar Left – a Georgian film about three generations of women who haven’t heard from their bread-winning relative in ages, and imagine how well he’s doing as they wait for him to call. Kind of like Waiting for Godot in Sochi.

Tulpan – a Kazakhstani film about a young nomadic sheepherder named Asa who returns after serving in the Russian Navy and wants a wife – but try and find one on the empty steppe. Then there are the crazy traditional courting rituals to be conquered …

Combination Platter – a story about an illegal Chinese immigrant trying to live out the American promise while working like a slave in a Chinese restaurant and dodging the terror of immigration.

9^th Company – a modern Russian film about their futile 1980’s war in Afghanistan, a no-holds-barred action thriller every bit as good as any American movie. You might have hated them in 1980, but you will cheer for them now.

Vitus – a sweet Swiss film about a little boy whose parents help push him to be a brilliant concert pianist by the age of nine – but all he really wants to be is a little boy.

Travel the world from your recliner and give one a try today!

Linda reads : All He Ever Dreamed by Shannon Stacey

May 18, 2013August 27, 2014 / Linda / Leave a comment

The Kowalski family has owned and operated the Northern Star Lodge in Whitford, Maine for four generations. The current generation includes five siblings. Josh is the youngest and only one left living at the Lodge. All his siblings have found other interests and occupations that do not include the running, upkeep, maintenance and all the work that it takes to run the Lodge. Josh feels he is being forced to give up his own dreams of exploring a life outside of Maine and the Lodge. When the family discovers just how upset he is with being stuck at the Lodge, they try to find a way that Josh will be able to leave and fulfill his dreams – even if it means selling the Lodge.

Katie Davis is the daughter of the Lodge’s live-in housekeeper, Rose. Katie grew up with the family and feels like she’s another sibling to them. She owns a barber shop in town. Secretly, she has always been in love with Josh, but he thinks of her as a sister – until late one night when she walks into the kitchen in her pajamas. Suddenly, Josh is not seeing a “sister”.

Everyone in the family and in town can see that Josh and Katie are meant to be together, but Josh can’t see what’s right in front of him. It was fun to watch Josh stumble along when he realizes he’s in love with his “best friend”. Suddenly Josh’s vision of leaving Maine becomes clouded by his feelings for Katie. She is committed to staying in Whitford and has no desire to leave. Josh feels guilty about leaving her and the Lodge and you can really feel his dilemma. The author does an excellent job of keeping the reader guessing what’s going to happen.

There’s a sweet side story between the housekeeper, Rose and her late husband’s best friend Andy. The other Kowalski siblings’ stories are also entertaining and the various townspeople of Whitford, Maine add another layer of interest.

Shannon Stacey has the winning formula for contemporary romances. Her stories are witty, charming, filled with emotion and fun to read!

This is book 6 of The Kowalski Family series. The books do not have to be read in order. Learn about the rest of the Kowalski clan in the previous 5 books:

1. Exclusively Yours

2. Undeniably Yours

3. Yours to Keep

4. All He Ever Needed

5. All He Ever Desired