CURRENT GIVEAWAYS


My interview over at The Art and Craft of Writing Creatively is HERE

Purchase my book Images of America: Detroit Lakes HERE

Monday, July 9, 2018

Book Review: A Man Called Ove by @Backmanland


Publisher: Atria Books
Format: Paperback
Source: personal


SUMMARY
Meet Ove. He’s a curmudgeon—the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him “the bitter neighbor from hell.” But must Ove be bitter just because he doesn’t walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?

Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove’s mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents’ association to their very foundations.


MY REVIEW
This meme really sums up how I felt when I was done reading A Man Called Ove. It has been awhile since I’ve cried all the way through a book! Backman introduces us to an elderly gentleman who just recently lost his wife. I don’t want to give anything away but from the beginning you realize what Ove is planning and the floodgates open up. Think of a mixture of Grand Torino and the Notebook. Fate plays a hand and Ove is thwarted from his plans at every turn of the page. I will just leave you with some of my favorite quotes from the book (I know you will want to read it after this!)

He was a man of black and white.
And she was color. All the color he had.

“I miss you,” he whispers.
There’s a quick gleam in the corner of Ove’s eye. He feels something soft against his arm. It takes a few seconds before he realizes that the cat is gently resting its head in the palm of his hand.


PURCHASE


Wednesday, May 2, 2018

Book Review: The Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews



https://www.amazon.com/Red-Sparrow-Novel-Trilogy/dp/1501171577/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1525223547&sr=8-1

Series: The Red Sparrow Book 1
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Publication Date: 2/20/2018
Format: Media Tie-in
Source: Purchased from Barnes and Noble

SUMMARY 
In contemporary Russia, state intelligence officer Dominika Egorova has been drafted to become a "Sparrow" -- a spy trained in the art of seduction to siphon out information from their marks. She’s been assigned to Nathaniel Nash, a CIA officer who handles the organization’s most sensitive penetration of Russian intelligence. The two young intelligence officers, trained in their respective spy schools, collide in a charged atmosphere of tradecraft, deception and, inevitably, a forbidden spiral of carnal attraction that threatens their careers and the security of America's valuable mole in Moscow. 


MY REVIEW
I will be the first to say that books about Russian espionage are not my first pick to read, that is usually my mom’s type of book. I will say the reason I picked this book up was because of the previews for the movie version. I just had to read the book before I see the movie, it is how I roll.



The beginning grabbed me right away, I was pulled into the lives of Dominika and Nash. It was a more slow pace to start, which I liked because it eased me into some very heavy reading. After the two meet the book really takes off and I was taken on a roller coaster ride of emotions. There were moments in the book that I was cheering them on and then the next I was raging against one of them for being asinine. The many other characters beef up the story. The author peppers a variety of evil and good men and woman throughout the storyline that creates an almost dizzying affect for me. I couldn’t tell most of the time who were the good guys and who were the bad guys! Which means I was staying up late just to read one more page that turned into one more chapter!

As a bonus, at the end of each chapter was a little recipe for something one of the characters ate. I did mark a few to try just because the way the author described the savory meal made my mouth water.

The author’s expertise is very prevalent in his writing. As I was reading, I wondered if his career with the CIA was as exciting as Nash’s. This was definitely not a book I would have picked up just out of the blue, but I am so glad I did. The ending of this book is really just the beginning and left me craving to read the next!



Thursday, April 26, 2018

I'M BACK!!

Hi Everyone!!! I'm finally back! It has been awhile but I'm ready to start posting and reviewing again. There's been a lot of changes in my life, personal and career, the last few years. Now I'm armed with a new computer (that won't constantly crash on me) and a fresh outlook on reviewing. I most likely won't post AS much as I use to. I am going or more quality then quantity. I've really missed the book blogging world so I am looking forward to this adventure again,,,:-)


BLOG CREATED JUNE 20, 2010