I am pleased to welcome Anjali Banerjee, who wrote Haunting Jasmine to Always With a Book. You can read my review of her book here. About the author:Anjali Banerjee was born in India, and raised in Canada and California and received degrees from the University of California, Berkeley. She has written five young adult novels and two adult novels. Banerjee lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and beloved…
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First line: I didn’t see this turn of events coming, or going. From the back cover: Divorcee Jasmine Mistry is intent on restarting her life when she gets the chance to do just that. A call from the past brings her home to Shelter Island, a green dot in the middle of Puget Sound, to run her beloved aunt’s bookstore. The familiarity is heartening – the rocky beaches, pewter skies,…
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Please join me in welcomingDr. Jennifer Freed, author of Lessons from Stanley the Cat to Always With a Book! Does First Love Last? by Dr. Jennifer Freed, author of new top selling book Lessons from Stanley the CatThe lessons of first love last forever. Everyone will tell you that you never forget your first love. Most of us feel like when we fall in love for the first time that…
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First line: As Chloe Rogers put her car in reverse, she couldn’t stop looking at her princess-cut diamond. Synopsis from Amazon: Bridal shop manager Chloe Rogers will soon marry Richard Foster—so she thinks—until suddenly, she bumps into her childhood sweetheart, Josh Goldman, whom she hasn’t seen in thirteen years. The sparks between Chloe and Josh fly, but Richard provides safety, financial security. Should she follow her heart or her head?…
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It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, isthe perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. Books Completed last week: Love Letters by Geraldine Solon (review) Lady Be Good by Susan Elizabeth…
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In My Mailbox (IMM) is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren. Every week I’ll post what books I’ve received either by mailbox/library/store. For Review (2) Friendship Bread by Darien Gee Elizabeth I by Margaret George Library (2) Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner (audio book) The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir (audio book) Purchased (4) The Secret Lives of Dresses by Erin McKean Marrying Daisy Bellamy by…
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About the book: Blighted by an eye disease, Joanna Raines undergoes a corneal transplant operation to stop her going blind. The procedure is successful, but in the weeks that follow she begins to see dark coronas surrounding certain people. By turns fearful that something has gone wrong and worried that she’s going crazy, Joanna searches for an answer to the phenomena. What she finds will change her life forever. The…
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First line: Never in her life had Catherine Parkstone imagined so many sheep. From the back cover: A rural idyll: that’s what Catherine is seeking when she sells her house in England and moves to a tiny hamlet in the Cevennes mountains. With her divorce in the past and her children grown, she is free to make a new start, and to set up in business as a seamstress. But…
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MizB of Should Be Reading hosts Teaser Tuesday. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: Grab your current read Open to a random page Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) Share the title & author, too, so that…
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It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, isthe perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. Books Completed last week: The Tudor Secret by CW Gortner (review book) The Diva Paints the…
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In My Mailbox (IMM) is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren. Every week I’ll post what books I’ve received either by mailbox/library/store. For Review (3) The Hundred Secret Dresses by Amy Tan Love You More by Lisa Gardner The Paris Wife by Paula McLain Library (0) Purchased (3) The Queen’s Dollmaker by Christine Trent The Masque of the Black Tulip by Lauren Willig The Deception of…
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First line: Like the luxury co-ops and five-star French eateries located in Manhattan’s Silk Stockings District, Benchley East Side Parking was outrageously exclusive. From the inside cover: NYC’s #1 detective, Michael Bennett, has a huge problem – the Son of Sam, the Werewolf of Wisteria, and the Mad Bomber are all back. The city has never been more terrified! TICK – A KILLER’S COUNTDOWN BEGINS A rash of horrifying crimes…
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First line: Everyone has a secret. From the back cover: The era of the Tudors was one of danger, intrigue, conspiracy, and, above all, spies. Summer 1553: a time of danger and deceit. Brendan Prescott, an orphan, is reared in the household of the powerful Dudley family. Brought to court, Prescott finds himself sent on an illicit mission to the king’s brilliant but enigmatic sister, Princess Elizabeth. But Brendan is…
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A year ago today, I started Always With a Book. This past year I’ve discovered so many other great blogs and stumbled upon hundreds of interesting books, many of which I would probably not even know about. I feel fortunate to be able to share my love of books with others who share the same passion. THANK YOU to all those who follow this blog and leave me comments. I…
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First line: It might have been Kindred Spirit Days in Elmwood Park, but Suzanne Dietz wasn’t exactly feeling the spirit. From the back cover: Suzanne, Toni, and Petra lost their husbands but found independence – and, in each other, a life raft of support, inspiration, fresh baked goods, and their own business. But when the Cackleberry Club cafe opened its doors in the town of Kindred, who’d have guessed that…
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Here are my reading stats for January! Books read: 12 Books I read (reviewed ones have * and link to review) Frill Kill* by Laura Childs Death Swatch* by Laura Childs Tragic Magic* by Laura Childs The Diva Takes the Cake* by Krista Davis Mum’s the Word* by Kate Collins Accidentally Yours* by Susan Mallery The Beach House* by James Patterson Virgin River* by Robyn Carr The Deep Blue Sea…
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MizB of Should Be Reading hosts Teaser Tuesday. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: Grab your current read Open to a random page Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) Share the title & author, too, so that…
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It’s Monday What Are you Reading isthe perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. Books Completed last week: Fiber and Brimstone by Laura Childs (library book) Tick Tock by James Patterson (mine) Eggs Benedict…
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In My Mailbox (IMM) is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren. Every week I’ll post what books I’ve received either by mailbox/library/store. For Review (2) Haunting Jasmine by Anjali Banerjee Love Letters by Geraldine Solon Library (2) The Tenth Circle by Jodi Piccoult (audio book) Lady Be Good by Susan Elizabeth Phillips Purchased (8) Tick Tock by James Patterson Bobby & Jackie: A Love Story by…
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First line: A globulous giant head, evil grin stretched wide across its glowing orange face, teeth jagged as a buzz saw, bobbed and pecked at the air above Carmela Bertrand’s head. From the inside cover: With the help of her best friend Ava Gruiex, Carmela is building a giant monster puppet for the French Quarter’s gala Halloween Monsters and Mayhem Torchlight Parade. Things get terrifying earlier than expected when they…
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MizB of Should Be Reading hosts Teaser Tuesday. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: Grab your current read Open to a random page Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) Share the title & author, too, so that…
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It’s Monday What Are you Reading isthe perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. Books Completed last week: The Deep Blue Sea for Beginners by Luanne Rice (audio library book) Reading Now: Cleopatra: A…
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First line: Mel squinted into the rain and darkness, creeping along the narrow, twisting, muddy, tree-enshrouded road and for the hundredth time thought, am I our of my mind? From the back cover: WANTED: Midwife/nurse practitioner in Virgin River, population six hundred. Make a difference against a backdrop of towering California redwoods and crystal-clear rivers. Rent-free cabin included. When the recently widowed Melinda Monroe sees this ad she quickly decides…
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Day 3 brings an end to Bloggiesta IV for me. This fun event has been hosted by the lovely Natasha at Maw Books. Overall, I was pretty productive. I was able to spend the whole day working on my blog – lots of housekeeping/organizational stuff going on. It’s pretty mundane stuff, but needs to get done and the Bloggiesta is the perfect opportunity to work on it. Here’s what I…
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Jenn at Jenn’s Bookshelves is hosting this mini-challenge and I thought I would chime in my organizational skills. How do I keep up with what I have in my collection? I have a Goodreads account that I am slowly updating with all the books I have sitting on my shelf waiting to be read (it is going to be so long once I am done updating it!). I also need…
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I finally have a button, thanks to the lovely and generous Gina at Hott Books, who graciously designed one for my blog!!! I absolutely love it and can’t thank her enough for helping me with this. Check it out: <a href=”http://alwayswithabook.blogspot.com/” target=”_blank”><img alt=” Always With a Book ” src=”http://lh5.ggpht.com/_H9VeW_MXLTA/TTxbAIYcnCI/AAAAAAABbno/XmlNRQVkTpU/s144/AWB.jpg” /></a><br /> I will be adding a section on my blog for all those who have buttons – hopefully I will…
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In My Mailbox (IMM) is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren. Every week I’ll post what books I’ve received either by mailbox/library/store. For Review (0) Library (0) Purchased (0) Free Downloads (1) The Apothecary’s Daughter by Julie Klassen (e-book) Borrowed from family member (0) From Paperback Swap – (1) Milk Glass Moon by Adriana Trigiani Won (0) What’s in your mailbox?
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Day 2 of Bloggiesta IV, hosted by the lovely Natasha at Maw Books, is completed and I think I was pretty productive. I was able to spend most of the day working on my blog as hubby was out in his home office working and it was way too cold here in New York to go anywhere. I’m hoping to have another productive day tomorrow. Here’s what I have accomplished…
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If you have installed IntenseDebate on your blog and you are using the blogger platform – do you have any tips for easy installation? I tried installing it earlier, thought it was working, and then realized that posts were showing up with no way to comment on, old comments were not showing up – basically a total disaster. I uninstalled it and am back to using blogger’s default system, but…
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I had to uninstall the new commenting system because it didn’t appear to be working – you weren’t able to comment, comments weren’t showing up – there were a few isues, so I took it off. If you did comment, I appreciate it. Clearly I need to do a little more research into installing this than I initially did. If you tried installing/have installed IntenseDebate – do you have any…
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I have been unhappy with my commenting system for a while now and have wanted to look into other options. I put off this daunting task specifically until Bloggiesta – it’s the perfect time for blog projects. I was debating between going to IntenseDebate or going to Disque…and decided to try IntenseDebate. Hopefully it will do all I hope it will – primarily allow me to reply directly to each…
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From the back of the audio case: Years ago, Lyra Davis left behind a world of wealth and privilege and the people she loves most in the world, unable to reconcile the expectations of her celebrated family with the longings of her own wild heart. Now she lives quietly among a community of expatriates on the isle of Capri, slowly learning to live fully for the first time. Granddaughter of…
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First line: It’s like dancing sitting down. From the inside cover: Jack Mullen is in law school in New York City when the news comes that his brother, Peter, has drowned in the ocean off East Hampton. Jack knows his brother practically grew up in the water, and that this couldn’t be an accident. Someone must have wanted his brother dead. But the police say otherwise. As Jack tries to…
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Day 1 of Bloggiesta IV, hosted by the lovely Natasha at Maw Books, is completed and I think I was pretty productive. Although I did have to spend time shoveling this morning and then I had to participate in a webinar/phone conference this afternoon, I still managed to log in some quality time on my blog. I’m hoping tomorrow to spend most of the day working on my blog –…
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Thanks to Jen at Devourer of Books for hosting a challenge on how to create and use Google Documents. I have seen these used on other blogs and have been wanting to try it myself for a while and now I am. If you would please take the time to fill out my form, I would be very grateful and you will have a chance to win a prize! Thank…
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First line: “Girlfriend, this is not your thing,” Lance said as he passed over three napkins, then clucked his tongue. From the back cover: WANTED: -Single mom seeks billionaire’s pocketbook to fund dying son’s research cure. Will seduce if necessary. Blackmail is not out of the question. Miracles welcome. -Cynical billionaire seeks working mom with a heart of gold for PR campaign to improve his standing in the community. Must…
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This weekend I will be participating in my second Bloggiesta! This is a great weekend blogging marathon set up by Natasha at Maw Books, and this weekend will be the fourth installment. The premise of the bloggiesta, for those that haven’t participated before, is to spend the entire weekend working, updating, improving your blog. From minor things such as writing up posts, to reaching out for guests posts and reorganizing…
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CONGRATULATIONS to Lisa winner of A Royal Likeness by Christine Trent Random.org selected the winners. Thanks to all who entered the giveaway!
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MizB of Should Be Reading hosts Teaser Tuesday. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: Grab your current read Open to a random page Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) Share the title & author, too, so that…
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It’s Monday What Are you Reading is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. Books Completed last week: Beach House by James Patterson (mine) Virgin River by Robyn Carr (mine) Reading Now: Cleopatra:…
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In My Mailbox (IMM) is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren. Every week I’ll post what books I’ve received either by mailbox/library/store. For Review (1) The Tudor Secret by CW Gortner Library (2) Fiber & Brimstone by Laura Childs Eggs Benedict Arnold by Laura Childs Purchased (3) Shelter Mountain by Robyn Carr (e-book) Whispering Rock by Robyn Carr (e-book) A Virgin River Christmas by Robyn Carr…
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Don’t forget to enter the following giveaway: A Royal Likeness by Christine Trent ends January 15th
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First line: Most people hate Mondays. From the back cover: I don’t meddle, honest! But can I help it if my nose for injustice is as keen as my green thumb? Now I, Abby Knight, law school dropout, am the proud new owner of Bloomers, my hometown flower shop. I’m devoted to making my business grow, but I’m no shrinking violet if someone needs my help to right a wrong…
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First line: Dear Sophie, My fiance’s former girlfriend showed up at our engagement party uninvited and released four dozen white mice. From the back cover: Sophie Winston’s sister, Hannah, is getting married – again! And if you ask Sophie, her future brother-in-law is no prince. But is he a killer? That’s the question on everyone’s mind when his ex-wife is found hanging from a pergola. This is one event Sophie…
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First line: “That’s the place,” said Carmela Bertrand. From the inside cover: Carmela, owner of Memory Mine scrapbooking shop, and her best friend, Ava Gruiex, owner of Juju Voodoo, have a big project ahead. Melody Mayfeldt is converting an old mansion in the Faubourg Marigny district into an unforgettable haunted house for those who flock to New Orleans for a creepy fix. She needs Carmela’s crafty touch to make the…
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First line: It wasn’t that Carmela didn’t like Mardi Gras. From the inside cover: Amid zydeco rhythms and popping champagne corks, bead-draped revelers are moving into the streets, and Jekyl Hardy is playing host to a party in his elegant French Quarter apartment. On a wild night like this, anything can happen. The guests – including Carmela – never imagine it will be murder. But as the evening progresses, Jekyl’s…
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This week’s musing asks: Where is your favorite place to find new books to read? Blogs? The library? Newspapers? Magazines? In the backs of other books? Suggestions from friends/family? Online bookstores? On the shelves of the local bookstores? (I don’t necessarily mean, ‘where do you find books to buy’ — I mean, ‘where do you discover new titles that you add to your to-be-read lists’?). PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT…
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It’s Monday What Are you Reading is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. Books Completed last week: Death Swatch by Laura Childs (library book) Tragic Magic by Laura Childs (library book) The…
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From the back of the audio case: After years away, Maura Shaw has returned to Newport, Rhode Island, to teach English at the academy. Behind her lies a life that seemed on the surface to be all she had ever wished for. That illusion vanished in a storm off Mackinac Island in the wake of an accident that engulfed Maura’s husband and her older daughter, Carrie. For fourteen-year-old Beck, the…
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