tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86410847530989816342024-02-07T13:10:37.406-08:00Stack of BooksNormalynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281018206773495076noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641084753098981634.post-47876522397611902052011-10-05T17:34:00.000-07:002011-10-05T17:34:41.186-07:00Book Review: A Woman of Substance by Barbara Taylor Bradford<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8155.A_Woman_of_Substance" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="A Woman of Substance (Emma Harte Saga #1)" border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41V3edE02HL._SX106_.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8155.A_Woman_of_Substance">A Woman of Substance</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5353.Barbara_Taylor_Bradford">Barbara Taylor Bradford</a><br/><br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/202593498">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br /><br />
I was bored reading the first part. I have to painstakingly encourage myself to read at least a chapter everyday. But, when I got to the part where she got pregnant and had to run away, where I think is just the beginning of her success, I already can't put the book down. All in all, I loved the book. I learned never to rush into marriage if it's not because of love at all. <br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/4335746-normalyn-espejo">View all my reviews</a><br />
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<b>Book Summary</b><br />
In celebration of its thirtieth anniversary, here is the novel that started it all: New York Times bestselling author Barbara Taylor Bradford’s dazzling saga of a woman who dared to dream—and to triumph against all odds. . . .<br />
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On the brooding moors above a humble Yorkshire village stood Fairley Hall. There, Emma Harte, its oppressed but resourceful servant girl, acquired a shrewd determination. There, she honed her skills, discovered the meaning of treachery, learned to survive, to become a woman, and vowed to make her mark on the world.<br />
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In the wake of tragedy she rose from poverty to magnificent wealth as the iron-willed force behind a thriving international enterprise. As one of the richest women in the world Emma Harte has almost everything she fought so hard to achieve—save for the dream of love, and for the passion of the one man she could never have.<br />
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Through two marriages, two devastating wars, and generations of secrets, Emma’s unparalleled success has come with a price. As greed, envy, and revenge consume those closest to her, the brilliant matriarch now finds herself poised to outwit her enemies, and to face the betrayals of the past with the same ingenious resolve that forged her empire. (from <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8155.A_Woman_of_Substance">goodreads</a>)<br />
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<b>About the Author</b><br />
Barbara Taylor Bradford worked as a journalist and columnist before publihing her first novel, the bestseller A Woman of Substance (1979). She lives in New York. (from <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5353.Barbara_Taylor_Bradford?origin=">goodreads</a>)<br />
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/gLptHtDRURs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></span>Normalynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281018206773495076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641084753098981634.post-28531620131333127202011-09-20T17:57:00.000-07:002011-09-20T17:57:04.030-07:00Read free novels online: The Way of All Flesh by Samuel Butler<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1302668412l/11055016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="475" width="317" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1302668412l/11055016.jpg" /></a></div><br />
This Halcyon Classics ebook is Samuel Butler's indictment of Victorian society, THE WAY OF ALL FLESH.<br />
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A semi-autobiographical novel, THE WAY OF ALL FLESH attacks Victorian era hypocrisy as it traces four generations of the Pontifex family. It represents a relaxation from the harsh religious outlook of Calvinism. Butler dared not publish it during his lifetime, but when it was published, it was accepted as part of the general revolution against Victorianism.<br />
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<b>Book Summary</b><br />
The story is narrated by Overton, godfather to the central character.<br />
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The novel takes its beginnings in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries in order to trace Ernest's emergence from previous generations of the Pontifex family. John Pontifex was a carpenter; his son George rises in the world to become a publisher; George's son Theobald, pressured by his father to become a minister, is manipulated into marrying Christina, the daughter of a clergyman; the main character Ernest Pontifex is the eldest son of Theobald and Christina.<br />
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The author depicts an antagonistic relationship between Ernest and his hypocritical and domineering parents. His aunt Alethea is aware of this relationship, but dies before she can fulfill her aim of counteracting the parents' malign influence on the boy. However, shortly before her death she secretly passes a small fortune into Overton's keeping, with the agreement that once Ernest is twenty-eight, he can receive it.<br />
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As Ernest develops into a young man, he travels a bumpy theological road, reflecting the divisions and controversies in the Church of England in the Victorian era. Easily influenced by others at university, he starts out as an Evangelical Christian, and soon becomes a clergyman. He then falls for the lures of the High Church (and is duped out of much of his own money by a fellow clergyman). He decides that the way to regenerate the Church of England is to live among the poor, but the results are, first, that his faith in the integrity of the Bible is severely damaged by a conversation with one of the poor he was hoping to redeem, and second, that under the pressures of poverty and theological doubt, he attempts a sexual assault on a woman he had incorrectly believed to be of loose morals.<br />
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This assault leads to a prison term. His parents disown him. His health deteriorates.<br />
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As he recovers he learns how to tailor and decides to make this his profession once out of prison. He loses his Christian faith. He marries Ellen, a former housemaid of his parents, and they have two children and set up shop together in the second-hand clothing industry. However, in due course he discovers that Ellen is both a bigamist and an alcoholic. Overton at this point intervenes and pays Ellen off. He gives Ernest a job, and takes him on a trip to Continental Europe.<br />
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In due course Ernest becomes 28, and receives his aunt Alethea's gift. He returns to the family home until his parents die: his father's influence over him wanes as Theobald's own position as a clergyman is reduced in stature, though to the end Theobald finds small ways to purposefully annoy him. He becomes an author of controversial literature. (from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Way_of_All_Flesh">wikipedia</a>)<br />
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<b>About the Author</b><br />
Samuel Butler was an iconoclastic Victorian author who published a variety of works, including the Utopian satire Erewhon and the posthumous novel The Way of All Flesh, his two best-known works, but also extending to examinations of Christian orthodoxy, substantive studies of evolutionary thought, studies of Italian art, and works of literary history and criticism . Butler also made prose translations of The Iliad and The Odyssey which remain in use to this day. (from <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/72703.Samuel_Butler">goodreads</a>)<br />
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<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/woaf/index.htm">Read Online</a><br />
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lOqHgWKjd0Y" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></span>Normalynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281018206773495076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641084753098981634.post-45344311432873176682011-09-16T03:44:00.000-07:002011-09-19T20:19:00.575-07:00Book Blogger Hop: 9/16-9/19<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i595.photobucket.com/albums/tt34/crazybookblog/cfbmemebutton-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="250" width="220" src="http://i595.photobucket.com/albums/tt34/crazybookblog/cfbmemebutton-2.png" /></a></div><br />
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<span class="fullpost"><br />
Here's the question asked by <a href="http://crazy-for-books.com/2011/09/book-blogger-hop-916-919.html?utm_source=feedburner">Crazy for Books</a>:<br />
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As a book blogger, how do you introduce yourself in your profile? <br />
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I introduce myself by mentioning my love for books and how I just love reading books. I really think that I would have to further improve the way I introduce myself in my profile. Now, I would have an idea on how I can effectively do that. Thanks!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/296/7999CB1A4E2E7E4B56E3C98DEFB2650B.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;"/></a></span>Normalynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281018206773495076noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641084753098981634.post-77252783464140143452011-09-16T03:11:00.000-07:002011-09-16T03:15:57.711-07:00Read Free Novels Online: The Call of the Wild by Jack London<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1278614264l/1852.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="168" width="100" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1278614264l/1852.jpg" /></a></div><br />
An unusual dog, part St. Bernard, part Scotch shepherd, is forcibly taken to Alaska where he eventually becomes leader of a wolf pack.<br />
<span class='fullpost'><br />
<b>Book Summary</b><br />
Buck, a powerful Saint Bernard-Scotch shepherd dog, lives a comfortable life in the Santa Clara Valley with his owner, Judge Miller. One day, Manuel, the Judge's gardener's assistant, steals Buck and sells him in order to pay a gambling debt. Buck is then shipped to the "man in the red sweater" to be broken. Then Buck is shipped to Alaska and sold to a pair of French Canadians named François and Perrault (for $300), who were impressed with his physique. They train him as a sled dog, and he quickly learns how to survive the cold winter nights and the pack society by observing his teammates. He and the vicious, quarrelsome lead dog, Spitz, develop a rivalry. Buck eventually bests Spitz in a major fight, and after Spitz is defeated, the other dogs close in, killing him. Buck then becomes the leader of the team.<br />
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Eventually, Buck is sold to a man named Charles, his wife, Mercedes, and her brother, Hal, who know nothing about sledding nor surviving in the Alaskan wilderness. They struggle to control the sled and ignore warnings not to travel during the spring melt. They first overfeed the dogs, then when their food supply starts running out, they do not feed them at all. As they journey on, they run into John Thornton, an experienced outdoorsman who notices that all of the sled dogs are in terrible shape from the ill treatment of their handlers. Thornton warns the trio against crossing the river, but they refuse to listen and order Buck to move on. Exhausted, starving, and sensing the danger ahead, Buck refuses and continues to lay unmoving in the snow. After being beaten by Hal, Thornton recognizes him as a remarkable dog and is disgusted by the driver's beating of the dog. Thornton cuts him free from his traces and tells the trio he's keeping him, much to Hal's displeasure. After some argument, the trio leaves and tries to cross the river, but as Thornton warned, the ice gives way and the three fall into the river along with the neglected dogs and sled.<br />
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As Thornton nurses Buck back to health, Buck comes to love him and grows devoted to him. Buck saves Thornton when the man falls into a river. Thornton then takes him on trips to pan for gold. During one such trip, a man makes a wager with Thornton over Buck's strength and devotion. Buck wins the bet by breaking a half-ton sled out of the frozen ground, then pulling it 100 yards by himself, winning over a thousand dollars in gold dust. Thornton and his friends return to their camp and continue their search for gold, while Buck begins exploring the wilderness around them and begins socializing with a wolf from a local pack. One night, he returns from a short hunt to find his beloved master and the others in the camp have been killed by a group of Yeehat Indians. Buck eventually kills the Indians to avenge Thornton. After realizing his old life is a thing of the past, Buck follows the wolf into the forest and answers the call of the wild. Every year Buck comes to mourn for Thornton the place where he died. (from wikipedia)<br />
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<b>About the Author</b><br />
Jack London was an American novelist and short-story writer whose works deal romantically with elemental struggles for survival. At his peak, he was the highest paid and the most popular of all living writers. Because of early financial difficulties, he was largely self educated past grammar school.<br />
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London draws heavily on his life experiences in his writing. He spent time in the Klondike during the Gold Rush and at various times was an oyster pirate, a seaman, a sealer, and a hobo. His first work was published in 1898. From there he went on to write such American classics as Call of the Wild, Sea Wolf, and White Fang. (from <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1240.Jack_London">goodreads.com</a>)<br />
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Read Online<br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/cotw/callofthewild01.htm">Chapter I: Into the Primitive</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/cotw/callofthewild02.htm">Chapter II: The Law of Club and Fang</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/cotw/callofthewild03.htm">Chapter III: The Dominant Primordial Beast</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/cotw/callofthewild04.htm">Chapter IV: Who Has Won to Mastership</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/cotw/callofthewild05.htm">Chapter V: The Toil of Trace and Tail</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/cotw/callofthewild06.htm">Chapter VI: For the Love of a Man</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/cotw/callofthewild07.htm">Chapter VII: The Sounding of the Call</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/ebooks/download/1852.The_Call_of_the_Wild">Download eBook</a><br />
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</span>Normalynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281018206773495076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641084753098981634.post-24034617649809080152011-09-14T18:23:00.000-07:002011-09-14T18:53:13.849-07:00Read free novels online: Anthem by Ayn Rand<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1157143423l/667.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="500" width="330" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1157143423l/667.jpg" /></a></div><br />
The year 2005 marks Ayn Rand's Centennial Year.<br />
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Ayn Rand's classic tale of a future dark age of the great “We”—a world that deprives individuals of name, independence, and values—anticipates her later masterpieces, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged.<br />
<span class='fullpost'><br />
<b>Book Summary</b><br />
Equality 7-2521, writing in a tunnel under the earth, explains his background, the society around him, and his emigration. His exclusive use of plural pronouns ("we", "our", "they") to refer to himself and others tells a tale of complete socialization and governmental control. The idea of the World Council was to eliminate all individualist ideas. It was so stressed, that people were burned at the stake for saying an Unspeakable Word ("I", "Me", "Myself", and "Egos"). He recounts his early life. He was raised, like all children in the world of Anthem, away from his parents in the Home of the Infants, then transferred to the Home of the Students, where he began his schooling. Later, he realized that he was born with a "curse": He is eager to think and question, and unwilling to give up himself for others, which violates the principles upon which Anthem's society is founded. He excelled in math and science, and dreamed of becoming a Scholar. However, a Council of Vocations assigned all people to their jobs, and he was assigned to the Home of the Street Sweepers.<br />
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Equality accepts his profession willingly in order to repent for his transgression (his desire to learn). He works with International 4-8818 and Union 5-3992. International is exceptionally tall, a great artist (which is his transgression, as only people chosen to be artists may draw), and Equality's only friend (having a friend also being a crime because, in Anthem's society, one is not supposed to prefer one of one's brothers over the rest). Union, "they of the half-brain," suffers from some sort of neurological seizures.<br />
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However, Equality remains curious. One day, he finds the entrance to a subway tunnel in his assigned work area and explores it, despite International 4-8818's protests that an action unauthorized by a Council is forbidden. Equality realizes that the tunnel is left over from the Unmentionable Times, before the creation of Anthem's society, and is curious about it. During the daily three hour-long play, he leaves the rest of the community at the theater and enters the tunnel and undertakes scientific experiments.<br />
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Working outside the City one day, by a field, Equality meets and falls in love with a woman, Liberty 5-3000, whom he names "The Golden One." Also, Liberty 5-3000 names Equality "The Unconquered".<br />
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Continuing his scientific work, he rediscovers electricity (which he, until the book nears its conclusion, calls the "power of the sky") and the light bulb. He makes a decision to take his inventions to the World Council of Scholars when they arrive in his town in a few days' time, so that they will recognize his talent and allow him to work with them, as well as to make what he sees as a valuable contribution to his fellow men. However, one night he loses track of time in the underground tunnel and his absence from the Home of the Street Sweepers is noticed. When he refuses to say where he had been, he is arrested and sent to the Palace of Corrective Detention, from which he easily escapes after being tortured.<br />
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The day after his escape, he walks in on the World Council of Scholars and presents his work to them. Horrified, they reject it because it was not authorized by a Council and threatens to upset the equilibrium of their world. When they try to destroy his invention, he takes it and flees into the forest (called the Uncharted Forest) outside the City.<br />
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Upon entering the Uncharted Forest, Equality begins to realize that he is free, that he no longer must wake up every morning with his brothers to sweep the streets. (It's important to note that it was illegal for men of the City to enter or even think of the Forest, therefore he was not pursued once he crossed its threshold). He can "rise, or run, or leap, or fall down again." Now that he sees this, he is not stricken with the sense that he will die at the fangs of the beasts of the forest as a result of his transgressions. He develops a new understanding of the world and his place in it.<br />
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On his second day of living in the forest, Equality stumbles upon the Golden One, Liberty 5-3000, who has followed him from the City. They embrace, struggling to express their feelings for each other as they do not know how to verbally express themselves as individuals. They find and enter a house from the Unmentionable Times in the mountains, perfectly preserved for hundreds of years by thick overgrowth, and decide to live in it.<br />
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While reading books from the house's library, Equality and Liberty discover that the Unspeakable Word, the one that carries the penalty of death, is "I", given through the power of "ego". Recognizing its sacred value and the individuality it expresses, they give themselves new names from the books: Equality becomes "Prometheus" and Liberty becomes "Gaea". As the book closes, Prometheus talks about the past, wonders how men could give up their individuality, and charts a future in which they will regain it.<br />
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The last word of the book, "EGO", is inscribed by Prometheus on a rock and hung over his front door.(from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthem_%28novella%29">Wikipedia</a>)<br />
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<b>About the Author</b><br />
Alisa Rosenbaum was born in pre-revolutionary St. Petersburg to a prosperous Jewish family. When the Bolsheviks requisitioned the pharmacy owned by her father, Fronz, the Rosenbaums fled to the Crimea. Alisa returned to the city (renamed Leningrad) to attend the university, but in 1926 relatives who had already settled in America offered her the chance of joining them there. With money from the sale of her mother's jewellery, Alisa bought a ticket to New York. On arrival at Ellis Island, she changed into Ayn (the name of a Finnish writer) Rand (taken from the brand name of her Remington-Rand typewriter). She moved swiftly to Hollywood, where she learnt English, worked in the RKO wardrobe department and as an extra, and - fuelled with Dexamyl - wrote through the night on screenplays and novels. She also married a bit-part actor called Frank O'Connor because he was 'beautiful' - and because her original visitor's visa had run out.<br />
Rand sold her first screenplay in 1932, but nobody would buy her first novel We the Living (1936) a melodrama set in Russia. Her first real success was The Fountainhead (rejected by more than ten publishers before publication in 1943).<br />
She was a libertarian, opposed to state interference of all kinds, and her follow-up novel Atlas Shrugged (1957) describes a group who attempt to escape America's conspiracy of mediocrity. (from <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/432.Ayn_Rand">goodreads.com</a>)<br />
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Click <a href="http://www.bygosh.com/anthem/index.htm">here</a> to read<br />
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Riley's finding that the afterlife can be a lonely place when all you do is focus on work. So she goes to the place where dreams happen, hoping to find a way to contact her sister, Ever. She meets the director, who tells her about the two ways to send dreams. As a Dream Jumper, a person can jump into a dreamer's dream, share a message, and participate. As a Dreamweaver, an entire dream can be created in a studio and sent to the dreamer. But Dreamweaving was outlawed decades ago, and the studio was boarded up. Thinking it's her only way to reach out to her sister, Riley goes in search of the old studio. There she finds a ghost boy, who's been creating and sending nightmares to people for years. In order to stop him and reach out to Ever, Riley is going to have to confront and overcome her own fears.<br />
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Alyson Noël continues the bestselling story of Riley Bloom as she learns how dreams are made and tries to make contact with her sister, Ever.<br />
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Want to win your own copy of Dreamland? Click <a href="http://www.iceybooks.com/2011/09/win-dreamland-by-alyson-noel.html">here</a>.</span>Normalynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281018206773495076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641084753098981634.post-16443506973293428442011-09-12T21:52:00.000-07:002011-09-22T20:12:02.479-07:00Read free novels online: The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17728.The_House_of_Mirth" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="The House of Mirth" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166853537m/17728.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17728.The_House_of_Mirth">The House of Mirth</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16.Edith_Wharton">Edith Wharton</a><br/><br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/207865584">3 of 5 stars</a><br /><br /><br />
I actually didn't read the book but watched the film. Unfortunately, I am not inclined to appreciate very sad endings. I hate it that she chose to do the right thing, like not marry for money but she was not rewarded for it. She ended up poor and died. I don't think this will serve as an inspiration for women to do the right thing.<br />
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This edition of Wharton's classic novel presents the standard text of the 1905 Scribner's edition along with five critical essays- newly revised for a student audience. Each critical essay is accompanied by a succinct introduction to the history, principles, and practice of the critical perspective and a bibliography that promotes further exploration of that approach.<br />
<span class='fullpost'><br />
<b>Book Summary</b><br />
The House of Mirth tells the story of Lily Bart, a woman who is torn between her desire for luxurious living and a relationship based on mutual respect and love. She sabotages all her possible chances for a wealthy marriage, loses the good opinion of her social circle, and dies young, poor, and alone.<br />
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Lily is initially of good social standing and rejects several offers of advantageous marriage. Lily then damages that good standing by accepting an invitation to Lawrence Selden's private rooms. Lily's social standing erodes further when her friend Judy Trenor's husband Gus gives Lily a large sum of money. Lily innocently accepts the money, believing that it is the return on investments he supposedly made for her. The rumors of this transaction, and of her mysterious visit to Gus in his city residence crack her social standing.<br />
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To escape the rumors and gossip, she accepts an invitation from Bertha Dorset to join her and her husband, George, on a cruise of Europe aboard their yacht the Sabrina. Unfortunately, while aboard the yacht Bertha accuses Lily of adultery with George to move societal attention from Bertha's own infidelity with the poet Ned Silverton. Lily has the option of saving herself by publishing evidence of an affair between Bertha and Selden, but abstains for sake of Selden's reputation. The ensuing scandal ruins Lily, leading her Aunt Peniston to disinherit her.<br />
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Lily descends the social strata, working as a personal secretary until Bertha sabotages her position by turning her employers against her. Lily then takes a job as social secretary for a disreputable woman, but resigns after Selden comes to rescue her from complete infamy. She then works in a millinery, but produces poorly and is let go at the end of the season. Simon Rosedale, the Jewish suitor who had proposed marriage to her when she was higher on the social scale tries to rescue her, but she is unwilling to meet his terms: use love letters between Bertha Dorset and Selden that have come into her possession. Eventually, she receives her $10,000 inheritance which she uses to pay her debt to Trenors. Lily dies from an overdose of the sleeping draught to which she had become addicted. (from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_House_of_Mirth">wikipedia</a>)<br />
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<b>About the Author</b><br />
Edith Newbold Jones was born into such wealth and privilege that her family inspired the phrase "keeping up with the Joneses." The youngest of three children, Edith spent her early years touring Europe with her parents and, upon the family's return to the United States, enjoyed a privileged childhood in New York and Newport, Rhode Island. Edith's creativity and talent soon became obvious: By the age of eighteen she had written a novella, (as well as witty reviews of it) and published poetry in the Atlantic Monthly.<br />
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After a failed engagement, Edith married a wealthy sportsman, Edward Wharton. Despite similar backgrounds and a shared taste for travel, the marriage was not a success. Many of Wharton's novels chronicle unhappy marriages, in which the demands of love and vocation often conflict with the expectations of society. Wharton's first major novel, The House of Mirth, published in 1905, enjoyed considerable literary success. Ethan Frome appeared six years later, solidifying Wharton's reputation as an important novelist. Often in the company of her close friend, Henry James, Wharton mingled with some of the most famous writers and artists of the day, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, André Gide, Sinclair Lewis, Jean Cocteau, and Jack London.<br />
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In 1913 Edith divorced Edward. She lived mostly in France for the remainder of her life. When World War I broke out, she organized hostels for refugees, worked as a fund-raiser, and wrote for American publications from battlefield frontlines. She was awarded the French Legion of Honor for her courage and distinguished work.<br />
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The Age of Innocence, a novel about New York in the 1870s, earned Wharton the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1921 -- the first time the award had been bestowed upon a woman. Wharton traveled throughout Europe to encourage young authors. She also continued to write, lying in her bed every morning, as she had always done, dropping each newly penned page on the floor to be collected and arranged when she was finished. Wharton suffered a stroke and died on August 11, 1937. She is buried in the American Cemetery in Versailles, France. (from <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16.Edith_Wharton">goodreads.com</a>)<br />
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</span>Normalynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281018206773495076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641084753098981634.post-78139163798251513192011-09-05T19:24:00.000-07:002011-09-05T19:24:59.318-07:00Read free novels online: Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51NqS6OcU3L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="500" width="333" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51NqS6OcU3L.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Of Human Bondage is one of the greatest novels ever written. Philip Carey is an orphan with a clubfoot, he grows up to love books and struggles trying to understand why life has been so cruel to him. Then he falls in love, and his life changes forever.<br />
<span class='fullpost'><br />
<b>Book Summary</b><br />
The book begins with the death of the mother of the nine-year-old protagonist, Philip Carey. Philip's father had already died a few months before, and the orphan Philip is sent to live with his aunt and uncle. His uncle is vicar of Blackstable, a small village in Kent. Philip inherits a small fortune but the money is held in custody by his uncle until he is twenty-one, giving his uncle a great deal of power over him until he reaches his maturity.<br />
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Early chapters relate Philip's experience at the vicarage. His aunt tries to be a mother to Philip, but she is herself childish and unsure of how to behave, whereas his uncle takes a cold disposition towards him. Philip's uncle has an eclectic collection of books, and in reading Philip finds a way to escape his mundane existence and experience fascinating worlds of fiction.<br />
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Less than a year later, Philip is sent to a boarding school. His uncle and aunt wish for him to eventually go to Oxford to study to become a clergyman. Philip's shyness and his club foot make it difficult for him to fit in with the boys at the school, and he does not make many friends. Philip goes through an episode of deep religious belief, and believes that through true faith he can petition God to heal his club foot; but when this does not happen, his belief falters. He becomes close friends with one boy; but the friendship breaks up, and he becomes miserable. Philip shows considerable academic talent and is informed by the school's headmaster that he could have earned a scholarship for Oxford, but instead he becomes determined to leave the school and go to Germany. Philip's uncle and the headmaster oppose Philip's desire to go to Germany, but eventually they give in and allow him to go to Heidelberg for a year.<br />
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In Heidelberg, Philip lives at a boarding house with other foreigners and studies German, among other subjects. Philip enjoys his stay in Germany. At the boarding house he meets a fellow Englishman, Hayward, who has an interest in literature and who considers himself a poet. Philip also meets an unorthodox American named Weeks, who dislikes Hayward, whom he thinks superficial. Philip is intrigued by his long discourses with Hayward and Weeks and eventually becomes convinced that he need not believe in the Church of England; a radical idea for him as he had been brought up with staunch Christian values.<br />
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Philip returns to his uncle's house and meets a middle-aged family friend of his aunt and uncle named Miss Wilkinson, who is very flirtatious toward Philip. He is not particularly attracted to her and is uncomfortable about her age; but he likes the idea of having an affair with someone, so he pursues her. She becomes very attached to Philip and declares her love for him, and he pretends to be passionate about her, but he is relieved when she needs to return to Berlin. Miss Wilkinson writes letters to Philip from Berlin, to which he eventually stops responding.<br />
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Philip's guardians decide to take matters into their own hands and they convince him to move to London to take up an apprenticeship to become a chartered accountant. He does not fare well there as his co-workers resent him because they believe he is above them and is a "gentleman". Philip is desperately lonely in London and is humiliated by his lack of aptitude for the work. He begins thinking about studying art in Paris. He goes on a business trip with one of his managers to Paris and is inspired by this trip. Miss Wilkinson convinces Philip that he draws well enough to become a professional artist, and he moves to Paris to study art.<br />
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In Paris, Philip attends art classes, makes a few friends among fellow art students and meets Miss Price, a poor talentless art student who does not get along well with people. Miss Price falls in love with Philip, but he is unaware and does not return her feelings. After her funds run out, she commits suicide, leaving Philip to tend for her affairs.<br />
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Philip realizes that he will never be more than a mediocre artist; at the same time, he receives word that his aunt has died. He returns to his uncle's house, and eventually decides to go to London to pursue medicine, his late father's field. He struggles at medical school and comes across Mildred, a tawdry waitress at a local café. He falls desperately in love with her, although she does not show any emotion for him. Mildred tells Philip she is getting married, leaving him heartbroken; he subsequently enters into an affair with Norah Nesbitt, a kind and sensitive author of penny romance novels. Later, Mildred returns, pregnant, and confesses that the man for whom she had abandoned Philip had never married her. Philip breaks off his relationship with Norah and supports Mildred financially though he can ill afford to do so, but later she falls in love with a friend of Philip's and disappears.<br />
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Philip runs into Mildred again when she is so poor she has resorted to prostitution and, feeling sympathy for her, takes her in to do his housework, though he no longer loves her. When he rejects her advances, she becomes angry at him, leaves, and destroys his possessions, causing Philip to abandon that residence and move into cheaper housing. When Philip meets Mildred next, she is ill and prostituting herself again, and the baby has died.<br />
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While working at the hospital, Philip befriends family man Thorpe Athelny and is invited to his house every Sunday. Athelny has lived in Toledo in Spain, enthusing about the country, and is translating the works of San Juan de la Cruz. Meanwhile, a stockbroker acquaintance of Philip advises him to invest in South African mines, and Philip is left with no money when the stock market crashes due to the vicissitudes of the Boer War. He wanders the streets aimlessly for a few days before the Athelnys take him in and find him a job at a retail store, which he hates. Eventually, his uncle's death leaves him enough money to go back to medical school, and he finishes his studies and becomes qualified. He takes on a temporary placement at a Dorsetshire fishing village with Dr South, an old, rancorous physician whose wife is dead and whose daughter has broken off contact with him. However, he takes a shine to Philip's humour and personableness, eventually making him an outstanding offer of a stake in his medical practice. Although flattered, Philip refuses as he is still eager to travel and returns to London.<br />
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He soon goes on a small summer vacation with the Athelnys at a village in the Kent countryside. There he finds that one of Athelny's daughters, Sally, likes him. They have an affair, and when she thinks she is pregnant, Philip decides to give up his long-cherished plans to travel to exotic lands, to accept Dr South's offer, and to propose to Sally instead. They meet in the National Gallery where learning that it was a false alarm, Philip is disappointed but proposes to her anyway; she accepts. Philip puts aside his lofty, complex artistic and philosophical ideals, coming to the conclusion that "the simplest pattern, that in which a man was born, worked, married, had children, and died, was likewise the most perfect".(from wikipedia)<br />
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<b>About The Author</b><br />
From Wikipedia: William Somerset Maugham, CH, was an English playwright, novelist and short story writer. He was among the most popular writers of his era, and reputedly, the highest paid author during the 1930s. <br />
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</span>Normalynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281018206773495076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641084753098981634.post-53768735841279129672011-09-02T03:54:00.000-07:002011-09-02T03:54:02.110-07:00Book Giveaway: Egypt: The Uprising (Battle for Maat #1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkorSWQGKKz18JnXlp7w7U6rlmdKRRc75cu6Tn5o8gt2rDhYGhFiYy-bYT-gLi-E-3FkDiabPNCxmbEqKGopMMPNwlwk0IlUwa_mw4cO2EkjPSiP-vK6c13_Hw-hVc2uPtwTvStxI-OlHD/s320/11514802.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkorSWQGKKz18JnXlp7w7U6rlmdKRRc75cu6Tn5o8gt2rDhYGhFiYy-bYT-gLi-E-3FkDiabPNCxmbEqKGopMMPNwlwk0IlUwa_mw4cO2EkjPSiP-vK6c13_Hw-hVc2uPtwTvStxI-OlHD/s320/11514802.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Author: Amira Aly<br />
Self-pubished<br />
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Why is the Arab world in turmoil? What instigated the Spring of Freedom?<br />
There is more to the story than meets the eye...<br />
The very fabric of the world is at stake.<br />
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And , believe it or not, your fate lies in the hands of one book-loving Egyptian teen with an extraordinary heritage .<br />
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Aya is an Egyptian teenage girl trying to mind her own business and take care of her brother. As their country is swept by the tides of a revolution against a tyrant nicknamed the vile pharaoh, Aya tries to stay adrift. But her blood has something different in store for her.<br />
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Learning what the Ancients have always known, She joins a battle for truth and freedom-- a battle for Ma'at.<br />
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It is not just a story, however, it is a world-within-world, and a fresh tantalizing outlook on the events in our modern events. <br />
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Check out this <a href="http://fromthetbrpile.blogspot.com/2011/09/blog-tour-giveaway-egypt-uprising.html">link</a> for details on how to join the giveaway book contest.<br />
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Good Luck! This is only until September 7.</span>Normalynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281018206773495076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641084753098981634.post-6047356875217466092011-09-02T03:39:00.000-07:002011-09-02T03:39:39.654-07:00Book Review: She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11052985-she-s-come-undone" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="She's Come Undone" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1302666545m/11052985.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11052985-she-s-come-undone">She's Come Undone</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3505.Wally_Lamb">Wally Lamb</a><br/><br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/202593347">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br /><br />
I love the book and I love Dolores Price! She sure went through a lot of ups and downs in life. My problems are nothing compared to what she has been through. She is not popular in school nor does she have a lot of friends but, I like how she can develop meaningful friendships that can last a lifetime. And these people she has developed a meaningful relationship with and who love her back are the ones who help her brave the storms in her life. <br/><br/>It's sad that her Ma died but if this has not happened, she would have gotten stuck in her grandmother's house, a fat girl forever. <br/><br/>I love how the book ended, she has found true love through Thayer and also got to see a whale in action! It is a very dramatic ending. She does not long for what she can't have anymore but is thankful for what she already has.<br/><br/>I love reading this kind of book because I get to have the chance to go through one's life and learn valuable lessons.<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/4335746-normalyn-espejo">View all my reviews</a><br />
<span class='fullpost'><br />
<b>Book Summary</b><br />
In this extraordinary coming-of-age odyssey, Wally Lamb invites us to hitch a wild ride on a journey of love, pain, and renewal with the most heartbreakingly comical heroine to come along in years.<br />
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Meet Dolores Price. She's 13, wise-mouthed but wounded, having bid her childhood goodbye. Stranded in front of her bedroom TV, she spends the next few years nourishing herself with the Mallomars, potato chips, and Pepsi her anxious mother supplies. When she finally orbits into young womanhood at 257 pounds, Dolores is no stronger and life is no kinder. But this time she's determined to rise to the occasion and give herself one more chance before she really goes under.<br />
<b><br />
About the Author</b><br />
Wally Lamb is the author of She's Come Undone, The Hour I First Believed, and I Know This Much Is True. Two were featured as selections of Oprah's Book Club. Lamb is the recipient of the Connecticut Center for the Book's Lifetime Achievement Award, the Connecticut Bar Association's Distinguished Public Service Award, the Connecticut Governor's Art Award, the Barnes & Noble Writers for Writers Award, the 1999 New England Book Award for Fiction, and the Missouri Review William Peden Fiction Prize.<br />
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He was the director of the Writing Center at the Norwich Free Academy, Norwich, Connecticut from 1989-1998, and an Associate Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Connecticut’s English Department. He holds a B.A. in Education and an M.A. in English from the University of Connecticut and an M.F.A. in Writing from Vermont College.<br />
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Lamb has served as a volunteer facilitator for a writing workshop at the York Correctional Institute, a maximum-security prison for women, in Niantic, Connecticut since 1999. Institute, a maximum-security prison for women. He has edited two collections of autobiographical essays entitled Couldn't Keep It to Myself: Testimonies from Our Imprisoned Sisters (2003) and I'll Fly Away (2007).<br />
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Lamb currently lives in Mansfield, Connecticut with his wife, Christine Lamb, and their three sons, Jared, Justin and Teddy.<br />
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<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=reminmom-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B0054U54LG&fc1=CB51AD&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=9915CB&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align:left;padding-top:5px;width:131px;height:245px;padding-right:10px;"align="left" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=reminmom-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0061469084&fc1=CB51AD&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=9915CB&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align:left;padding-top:5px;width:131px;height:245px;padding-right:10px;"align="left" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=reminmom-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B0033AGSY6&fc1=CB51AD&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=9915CB&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align:left;padding-top:5px;width:131px;height:245px;padding-right:10px;"align="left" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=reminmom-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0671021001&fc1=CB51AD&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=9915CB&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align:left;padding-top:5px;width:131px;height:245px;padding-right:10px;"align="left" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=reminmom-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=006059537X&fc1=CB51AD&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=9915CB&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align:left;padding-top:5px;width:131px;height:245px;padding-right:10px;"align="left" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=reminmom-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0061626392&fc1=CB51AD&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=9915CB&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align:left;padding-top:5px;width:131px;height:245px;padding-right:10px;"align="left" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></span>Normalynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281018206773495076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641084753098981634.post-26324125030877342932011-08-31T05:24:00.000-07:002011-08-31T05:24:51.844-07:00Book Review: The Wicked Day by Mary Stewart<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27692.The_Wicked_Day" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="The Wicked Day (Arthurian Saga, #4)" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1167885624m/27692.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27692.The_Wicked_Day">The Wicked Day</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15590.Mary_Stewart">Mary Stewart</a><br/><br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/127897009">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br /><br />
I like this part of the book, "You and I, Emrys,"she had said, giving him the boyhood name Merlin had used for him,"have let ourselves be blinded by prophecy. We have lived under the edge of doom, and feel ourselves now facing the long-threatened fate. But hear this, Emrys: fate is made by men not gods. Our own follies, not the gods, foredoom us. The gods are spirits, they work by men's hands, and there are men who are brave enough to stand up and say; "I am a man; I will not."<br/><br/>All throughout the book, it has been mentioned that Mordred will be Arthur's bane and that has plagued them and haunted them. What I like is that even with these foreseen, Arthur and his queen still loved and accepted him. What's sad is that even if Mordred was totally loyal to Arthur, because of this prophecy, he was seen only to be Arthur's bane and nothing more. <br/><br/>I was touched by the line I quoted above because if only they have not thought of Mordred as that, then the ending of Arthur's kingdom might have been different. <br/><br/>Personally, I really don't believe in prophecies or fortune tellers to be exact. I believe in just living your life with faith in the real living God. I think that is all one needs to be able to live a full and contented life. <br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/4335746-normalyn-espejo">View all my reviews</a><br />
<span class='fullpost'><br />
<b>All About the Book</b><br />
Now, the spellbinding, final chapter of King Arthur's reign, where Mordred, sired by incest and reared in secrecy, ingratiates himself at court, and sets in motion the Fates and the end of Arthur....<br />
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<b>About the Author</b><br />
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Lady Mary Stewart is a popular English novelist, and taught at the school of John Norquay elementary for 30 to 35 years, but has now retired.<br />
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She is one of the most widely read fiction writers of our time. The author of twenty novels, a volume of poetry, and three books for young readers, she is admired for both her contemporary stories of romantic suspense and her historical novels. Born in England, she has lived for many years in Scotland. <br />
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<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=reminmom-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0060548282&fc1=CB51AD&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=9915CB&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align:left;padding-top:5px;width:131px;height:245px;padding-right:10px;"align="left" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=reminmom-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0688003478&fc1=CB51AD&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=9915CB&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align:left;padding-top:5px;width:131px;height:245px;padding-right:10px;"align="left" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></span>Normalynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281018206773495076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641084753098981634.post-65721792401937972582011-08-29T17:02:00.000-07:002011-08-30T03:14:30.018-07:00Book Review: Unnatural Exposure by Patricia Cornwell<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/232145.Unnatural_Exposure" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Unnatural Exposure (Kay Scarpetta, #8)" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172944575m/232145.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/232145.Unnatural_Exposure">Unnatural Exposure</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1025097.Patricia_Cornwell">Patricia Cornwell</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/202593540">3 of 5 stars</a><br />
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Don't let jealousy bite you because it can destroy you. Be content.<br />
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This is the first Patricia Cornwell book I've read and I somewhat like it. I love the main character's attitude, namely Dr. Kay Scarpetta. I like that she's firm with a lot of gentleness and kindness to people who needs it. <br />
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I hate Ring, too bad the book doesn't say if he's been punished. Maybe that will be in the next Cornwell book. <br />
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I just don't like how the book ended. It's like it's cut short and I had no inkling whodunit because if memory serves me right there was no mention of Dr. Phyllis Crowder. Maybe I'm used to other books like this where they give clues as to whodunit and you have to make a choice only to be proved wrong in the end. <br />
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No matter, I am still going to read other Cornwell books. That's definite. <br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/4335746-normalyn-espejo">View all my reviews</a><br />
<span class='fullpost'><br />
<b>Book Summary</b><br />
Virginia Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta has a bloody puzzle on her hands: five headless, limbless cadavers in Ireland, plus four similar victims in a landfill back home. Is a serial butcher loose in Virginia? That's what the panicked public thinks, thanks to a local TV reporter who got the leaked news from her boyfriend, Scarpetta's vile rival, Investigator Percy Ring. But the butchered bodies are so many red herrings intended to throw idiots like Ring off the track. Instead of a run-of-the-mill serial killer, we're dealing with a shadowy figure who has plans involving mutant smallpox, mass murder, and messing with Scarpetta's mind by e-mailing her gory photos of the murder scenes, along with cryptic AOL chat-room messages. The coolest innovation: Scarpetta's gorgeous genius niece, Lucy, equips her with a DataGlove and a VPL Eyephone, and she takes a creepy virtual tour of the e-mailed crime scene.<br />
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Unnatural Exposure boasts brisk storytelling, crackling dialogue, evocative prose about forensic-science sleuthing, and crisp character sketches, both of familiar characters like Scarpetta's gruff partner Pete Marino and bit players like the landfill employee falsely accused by Ring. Plus, let's face it: serial killers are old hat. Cornwell's most vivid villains are highly plausible backstabbing colleagues like Ring, who plots to destroy Lucy's FBI career by outing her as a lesbian. Some readers object to the rather abrupt ending, but, hey, it's less jarring than Hannibal's, and it's the logical culmination of Cornwell's philosophy about human nature. To illuminate the novel's finale, read Cornwell's remarks on paranoia in her Amazon.com interview. --Tim Appelo (from <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/232145.Unnatural_Exposure">goodreads.com</a>)<br />
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<b>About the Author</b><br />
Patricia Cornwell ’s first novel, Postmortem, is the only novel to have won the Edgar, John Creasey, Anthony and MacAvity awards, and the Prix du Roman d’Adventure in one year. Her second and third novels, Body of Evidence and All That Remains, attracted equal critical acclaim and became international best-sellers, establishing the author as one of the top crime writers. She received the Gold Dagger Award for her fourth, Cruel and Unusual.<br />
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A former award-winning reporter for the Charlotte Observer, Patricia D. Cornwell worked for over six years as a computer analyst in the chief medical examiner’s office in Virginia, where she witnessed hundreds of autopsies. This experience inspired her to create Dr Kay Scarpetta, the tenacious, intelligent and compassionate Chief Medical Examiner.<br />
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She has written a total of 18 novels featuring Dr Scarpetta, as well as 3 police procedurals set in North Carolina; 2 cookbooks and 1 children's book.<br />
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She lives in Richmond, Virginia and New York. (from <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1025097.Patricia_Cornwell">goodreads.com</a>)<br />
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<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=reminmom-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0425218929&fc1=CB51AD&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=9915CB&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align:left;padding-top:5px;width:131px;height:245px;padding-right:10px;"align="left" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=reminmom-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B004VMQDB8&fc1=CB51AD&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=9915CB&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align:left;padding-top:5px;width:131px;height:245px;padding-right:10px;"align="left" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=reminmom-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B0038TQTV4&fc1=CB51AD&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=9915CB&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align:left;padding-top:5px;width:131px;height:245px;padding-right:10px;"align="left" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=reminmom-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B004FXXOQA&fc1=CB51AD&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=9915CB&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align:left;padding-top:5px;width:131px;height:245px;padding-right:10px;"align="left" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=reminmom-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B004P4LZ56&fc1=CB51AD&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=9915CB&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align:left;padding-top:5px;width:131px;height:245px;padding-right:10px;"align="left" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br />
<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=reminmom-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B0010S42JQ&fc1=CB51AD&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=9915CB&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align:left;padding-top:5px;width:131px;height:245px;padding-right:10px;"align="left" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></span>Normalynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281018206773495076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641084753098981634.post-66387948531353710332011-08-28T17:40:00.000-07:002011-08-30T03:13:19.747-07:00Book Review: Not That Sort of Girl by Mary Wesley<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1208605.Not_That_Sort_of_Girl" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Not That Sort of Girl (King Penguin)" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1181878727m/1208605.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1208605.Not_That_Sort_of_Girl">Not That Sort of Girl</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/87093.Mary_Wesley">Mary Wesley</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/126505289">5 of 5 stars</a><br />
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I love the book! It focuses mainly on extra marital affairs, which I do not condone. But the author wrote it in a manner that's light and I like that. I think this situation is happening in reality wherein people would not end up marrying the people they love but chose to be practical and chose financial security. The heroine in this book however was pushed because of pressure form those around her. I like that Milo and her weer given the chance to be together happily in the end. And that was a long wait. At least, there's still true love in this book and it still won in the end. <br />
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<span class='fullpost'><br />
At the age of 18, Rose met Mylo at a party, and the two fell instantly in love. But only a year later, Rose married the wealthy, secure Ned. Now 50 years later, Ned has died, and Rose is looking back on her two relationships.(from <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1208605.Not_That_Sort_of_Girl">goodreads.com</a>)<br />
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About the Author<br />
Mary Wesley, CBE (24 June 1912 – 30 December 2002) was a English novelist. She reportedly worked in MI5 during World War II.[citation needed]During her career, she became one of Britain's most successful novelists, selling three million copies of her books, including 10 best-sellers in the last 20 years of her life.<br />
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She wrote three children's books, Speaking Terms and The Sixth Seal (both 1969) and Haphazard House (1983), before publishing adult fiction. Since her first adult novel was published only in 1983, when she was 71, she may be regarded as a late bloomer. The publication of Jumping the Queue in 1983 was the beginning of an intensely creative period of Wesley's life. From 1982 to 1991, she wrote and delivered seven novels. While she aged from 70 to 79 she still showed the focus and drive of a young person.<br />
Her best known book, The Camomile Lawn, set on the Roseland Peninsula in Cornwall, was turned into a television series, and is an account of the intertwining lives of three families in rural England during World War II. After The Camomile Lawn (1984) came Harnessing Peacocks (1985 and as TV film in 1992), The Vacillations of Poppy Carew (1986 and filmed in 1995), Not That Sort of Girl (1987), Second Fiddle (1988), A Sensible Life (1990), A Dubious Legacy (1993), An Imaginative Experience (1994) and Part of the Furniture (1997). A book about the West Country with photographer Kim Sayer, Part of the Scenery, was published in 2001. Asked why she had stopped writing fiction at the age of 84, she replied: "If you haven't got anything to say, don't say it. <br />
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</span>Normalynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281018206773495076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641084753098981634.post-41346916579731060852011-08-28T00:49:00.000-07:002011-08-30T03:37:22.250-07:00Read free novels online: Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn9QdmIdUFKMpZ9hIDMJQ8u-pj7vx7ZqAQMiqVmurzkc5brLTmVtGEkqDnV_jmHFt18wJ5pN8XLZvKFtf3UW1wzCbNfLb8w4PvT3ybONahHbeKHNcDKJ8dLeTR2eQP2vBMOdhKffL3rcI/s1600/Carrie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="476" width="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn9QdmIdUFKMpZ9hIDMJQ8u-pj7vx7ZqAQMiqVmurzkc5brLTmVtGEkqDnV_jmHFt18wJ5pN8XLZvKFtf3UW1wzCbNfLb8w4PvT3ybONahHbeKHNcDKJ8dLeTR2eQP2vBMOdhKffL3rcI/s1600/Carrie.jpg" /></a></div><span class='fullpost'><br />
Sister Carrie (1900) is a novel by Theodore Dreiser about a young country girl who moves to the big city where she starts realizing her own American Dream by first becoming a mistress to men that she perceives as superior and later as a famous actress. It has been called the "greatest of all American urban novels. (from goodreads.com)<br />
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<b>About the Author</b><br />
Theodore Herman Albert Dreiser (August 27, 1871 – December 28, 1945) was an American novelist and journalist. He pioneered the naturalist school and is known for portraying characters whose value lies not in their moral code, but in their persistence against all obstacles, and literary situations that more closely resemble studies of nature than tales of choice and agency. (from goodreads.com)<br />
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<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie01.htm">Chapter I: The Magnet Attracting--A Waif Amid Forces</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie02.htm">Chapter II: What Poverty Threatened--Of Granite And Brass</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie03.htm">Chapter III: Wee Question Of Fortune--Four-Fifty A Week</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie04.htm">Chapter IV: The Spendings Of Fancy--Facts Answer With Sneers</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie05.htm">Chapter V: A Glittering Night Flower--The Use Of A Name</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie06.htm">Chapter VI: The Machine And The Maiden--A Knight Of To-Day</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie07.htm">Chapter VII: The Lure Of The Material--Beauty Speaks For Itself</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie08.">Chapter VIII: Intimations By Winter--An Ambassador Summoned</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie09.htm">Chapter IX: Convention's Own Tinder-Box--The Eye That Is Green</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie10.htm">Chapter X: The Counsel Of Winter--Fortune's Ambassador Calls</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie11.htm">Chapter XI: The Persuasion Of Fashion--Feeling Guards O'er Its Own</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie12.htm">Chapter XII: Of The Lamps Of The Mansions--The Ambassador Plea</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie13.htm">Chapter XIII: His Credentials Accepted--A Babel Of Tongues</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie14.htm">Chapter XIV: With Eyes And Not Seeing--One Influence Wanes</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie15.htm">Chapter XV: The Irk Of The Old Ties--The Magic Of Youth</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie16.htm">Chapter XVI: A Witless Aladdin--The Gate To The World</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie17.htm">Chapter XVII: A Glimpse Through The Gateway--Hope Lightens The Eye</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie18.htm">Chapter XVIII: Just Over The Border--A Hail And Farewell</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie19.htm">Chapter XIX: An Hour In Elfland--A Clamour Half Heard</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie20.htm">Chapter XX: The Lure Of The Spirit--The Flesh In Pursuit</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie21.htm">Chapter XXI: The Lure Of The Spirit--The Flesh In Pursuit</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie22.htm">Chapter XXII: The Blaze Of The Tinder--Flesh Wars With The Flesh</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie23.htm">Chapter XXIII: A Spirit In Travail--One Rung Put Behind</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie24.htm">Chapter XXIV: Ashes Of Tinder--A Face At The Window</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie25.htm">Chapter XXV: Ashes Of Tinder--The Loosing Of Stays</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie26.htm">Chapter XXVI: The Ambassador Fallen--A Search For The Gate</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie27.htm">Chapter XXVII: When Waters Engulf Us We Reach For A Star</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie28.htm">Chapter XXVIII: A Pilgrim, An Outlaw--The Spirit Detained</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie29.htm">Chapter XXIX: The Solace Of Travel--The Boats Of The Sea</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie30.htm">Chapter XXX: The Kingdom Of Greatness--The Pilgrim A Dream</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie31.htm">Chapter XXXI: A Pet Of Good Fortune--Broadway Flaunts Its Joys</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie32.htm">Chapter XXXII: The Feast Of Belshazzar--A Seer To Translate</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie33.htm">Chapter XXXIII: Without The Walled City--The Slope Of The Years</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie34.htm">Chapter XXXIV: The Grind Of The Millstones--A Sample Of Chaff</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie35.htm">Chapter XXXV: The Passing Of Effort--The Visage Of Care</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie36.htm">Chapter XXXVI: A Grim Retrogression--The Phantom Of Chance</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie37.htm">Chapter XXXVII: The Spirit Awakens--New Search For The Gate</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie38.htm">Chapter XXXVIII: In Elf Land Disporting--The Grim World Without</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie39.htm">Chapter XXXIX: Of Lights And Of Shadows--The Parting Of Worlds</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie40.htm">Chapter XL: A Public Dissension--A Final Appeal</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie41.htm">Chapter XLI: The Strike</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie42.htm">Chapter XLII: A Touch Of Spring--The Empty Shell</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie43.htm">Chapter XLIII: The World Turns Flatterer--An Eye In The Dark</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie44.htm">Chapter XLIV: And This Is Not Elf Land--What Gold Will Not Buy</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie45.htm">Chapter XLV: Curious Shifts Of The Poor</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie46.htm">Chapter XLVI: Stirring Troubled Waters</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/carrie/carrie47.htm">Chapter XLVII: The Way Of The Beaten--A Harp In The Wind </a><br />
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</span>Normalynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281018206773495076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641084753098981634.post-53544473474443995872011-08-27T17:15:00.000-07:002011-08-30T03:36:20.860-07:00Read free novels online: Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1302438953l/10592274.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="475" width="317" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1302438953l/10592274.jpg" /></a></div><span class='fullpost'><br />
The story tells of Charles Marlow, an Englishman who took a foreign assignment from a Belgian trading company as a ferry-boat captain in Africa. Although Conrad does not give the name of the river, at the time, Congo Free State, the location of the large and important Congo River was a private colony of Belgium's King Leopold II. Marlow is employed to transport ivory downriver. However, his more pressing assignment is to return Kurtz, another ivory trader, to civilization, in a cover-up. Kurtz has a reputation throughout the region. This symbolic story is a story within a story or frame narrative. It follows Marlow as he recounts from dusk through to late night, to a group of men aboard a ship anchored in the Thames Estuary his Congolese adventure. The passage of time and the darkening sky during the fictitious narrative-within-the-narrative parallel the atmosphere of the story. (from <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10592274-heart-of-darkness-by-joseph-conrad">goodreads.com</a>)<br />
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<b>About the Author</b><br />
Joseph Conrad (born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski) was a Polish-born English novelist who today is most famous for Heart of Darkness, his fictionalized account of Colonial Africa.<br />
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Conrad left his native Poland in his middle teens to avoid conscription into the Russian Army. He joined the French Merchant Marine and briefly employed himself as a wartime gunrunner. He then began to work aboard British ships, learning English from his shipmates. He was made a Master Mariner, and served more than sixteen years before an event inspired him to try his hand at writing.<br />
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He was hired to take a steamship into Africa, and according to Conrad, the experience of seeing firsthand the horrors of colonial rule left him a changed man. His introspective need to come to terms with his experience lead to Heart of Darkness, which was followed by other fictionalized explorations of his life.<br />
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He has been lauded as one of the most powerful, insightful, and disturbing novelists in the English canon despite coming to English later in life, which allowed him to combine it with the sensibilities of French, Russian, and Polish literature.<br />
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<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/hod/heartofdarkness01.htm">Chapter I</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/hod/heartofdarkness02.htm">Chapter II</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/hod/heartofdarkness03.htm">Chapter III</a><br />
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</span>Normalynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281018206773495076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641084753098981634.post-75323010454616184382011-08-27T04:51:00.000-07:002011-08-30T03:11:08.101-07:00Book Review: A Million Little Pieces<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1241.A_Million_Little_Pieces" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="A Million Little Pieces" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1157865754m/1241.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1241.A_Million_Little_Pieces">A Million Little Pieces</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/822.James_Frey">James Frey</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/123338415">3 of 5 stars</a><br />
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I chose to read this book because it's interesting. I would like to have a closer look inside the life of an addict and how one is freed from the bondage of addiction. <br />
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I was already in the middle part of the book when I read that the book is not all true. It's kind of disappointing and I feel duped by the author. But, I read it to the end anyway.<br />
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It's impressive that he has been able to overcome addiction by his own means and not through the help of a higher power. However I still secretly hope that he would find it in his heart to believe in God maybe not today but in the future. <br />
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My favorite part is the love that blossomed between him and Lilly. Love is really a beautiful thing and it can conquer all. Too bad Lilly was not able to wait for James. <br />
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I will not be proud to recommend this book because it's not all true. <br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/4335746-normalyn-espejo">View all my reviews</a><br />
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<span class='fullpost'><br />
James Frey's memoir of drug addition and recovery was a bestseller even before Oprah Winfrey picked it for her book club in 2005, but the subsequent revelations about discrepancies between the story and the author's real life touched off a national debate about the line between fact and fiction.<br />
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Filled with graphic scenes of epic substance abuse and the torments of withdrawal, A Million Little Pieces was widely heralded upon its publication as a harrowing, self-lacerating, and courageously confessional autobiography. It received many admiring critical reviews, carried cover endorsements from noted literati, and was selected by Barnes & Noble as a 2003 Discover pick. (Our reviewer called Frey prodigiously talented, poetic, and unflinchingly honest).<br />
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In January 2006, the author acknowledged the truth of charges that many details in the book were embellished or fabricated. In a note to readers that was prepared for subsequent printings, he apologized to those who felt they had been misled and explained why he wrote the book the way he did. Reactions to these revelations included soul-searching by publishers about their responsibilities for ensuring accuracy, ruminations by critics on the line between fact and fiction in modern culture, and spirited defenses of the author by readers who maintained that the book's inspirational message was of primary importance. One thing seems certain: A Million Little Pieces is a book that promises to have a long-lasting impact.(from goodreads.com)<br />
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<b>About the Author</b><br />
James Christopher Frey is an American writer. He graduated from Denison University and also attended The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. His first memoir, A Million Little Pieces, was published by Nan Talese/Doubleday in spring 2003. Its follow-up, My Friend Leonard (also a memoir) was published by Riverhead in summer 2005. Both books became New York Times #1 bestsellers. In late 2005 and early 2006, The Smoking Gun and other investigators discovered that elements of his memoir, A Million Little Pieces, were untrue. Frey, along with his wife and daughter, currently resides in New York City. He is also one of the authors that share the pseudonym Pittacus Lore, author of the Lorien Legacies.<br />
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</span>Normalynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281018206773495076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641084753098981634.post-91846637058399888602011-08-27T00:41:00.000-07:002011-08-30T03:34:10.029-07:00Read free novels online: Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://makingmore.co.uk/images/sons_and_lovers-full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="299" width="205" src="http://makingmore.co.uk/images/sons_and_lovers-full.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Sons and Lovers is a 1913 novel by the English writer D. H. Lawrence. The modern library placed in ninth on their list of the 100 best novels of the 20th century.<br />
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The third published novel of D. H. Lawrence, taken by many to be his earliest masterpiece, tells the story of Paul Morel, a young man and budding artist. Richard Aldington explains the semi-autobiographical nature of this masterpiece:<br />
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When you have experienced Sons and Lovers you have lived through the agonies of the young Lawrence striving to win free from his old life. Generally, it is not only considered as an evocative portrayal of working-class life in a mining community, but also an intense study of family, class and early sexual relationships.[citation needed]<br />
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The original 1913 edition was heavily edited by Edward Garnett who removed 80 passages, roughly a tenth of the text. The novel is dedicated to Garnett. Garnett, as the literary advisor to the publishing firm Duckworth, was an important figure in leading Lawrence further into the London literary world during the years 1911 and 1912. It was not until the 1992 Cambridge University Press edition was released that the missing text was restored.<br />
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Lawrence began working on the novel in the period of his mother's illness, and often expresses this sense of his mother's wasted life through his female protagonist Gertrude Morel. Letters written around the time of its development clearly demonstrate the admiration he felt for his mother - viewing her as a 'clever, ironical, delicately moulded woman' - and her apparently unfortunate marriage to his coal mining father, a man of 'sanguine temperament' and instability. He believed that his mother had married below her class status. Rather interestingly, Lydia Lawrence wasn't born into the middle-class.[clarification needed] This personal family conflict experienced by Lawrence provided him with the impetus for the first half of his novel - in which both William, the older brother, and Paul Morel become increasingly contemptuous of their father - and the subsequent exploration of Paul Morel's antagonizing relationships with both his lovers, which are both invariably affected by his allegiance to his mother.<br />
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The first draft of Lawrence's novel is now lost and was never completed, which seems to be directly due to his mother's illness. He did not return to the novel for three months, at which point it was titled 'Paul Morel'. The penultimate draft of the novel coincided with a remarkable change in Lawrence's life, as his health was thrown into tumult and he resigned his teaching job in order to spend time in Germany. This plan was never followed, however, as he met and married the German minor aristocrat, Frieda Weekley. According to Frieda's account of their first meeting, she and Lawrence talked about Oedipus and the effects of early childhood on later life within twenty minutes of meeting.<br />
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The third draft of 'Paul Morel' was sent to the publishing house Heinemann, which was repulsively responded to by William Heinemann himself. His reaction captures the shock and newness of Lawrence's novel, 'the degradation of the mother [as explored in this novel], supposed to be of gentler birth, is almost inconceivable', and encouraged Lawrence to redraft the novel one more time. In addition to altering the title to a more thematic 'Sons and Lovers', Heinemann's response had reinvigorated Lawrence into vehemently defending his novel and its themes as a coherent work of art. In order to justify its form Lawrence explains, in letters to Garnett, that it is a 'great tragedy' and a 'great book', one that mirrors the 'tragedy of thousands of young men in England'.<br />
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Lawrence rewrote the work four times until he was happy with it. Although before publication the work was usually called Paul Morel, Lawrence finally settled on Sons and Lovers. Just as the new title makes the work less focused on a central character, many of the later additions broadened the scope of the work, thereby making the work less autobiographical. While some of the edits by Garnett were on the grounds of propriety or style, others would once more narrow the emphasis back upon Paul.<br />
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<b>Summary</b><br />
Part I:<br />
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The refined daughter of a "good old burgher family," Gertrude Coppard meets a rough-hewn miner at a Christmas dance and falls into a whirlwind romance. But soon after her marriage to Walter Morel, she realizes the difficulties of living off his meagre salary in a rented house. The couple fight and drift apart and Walter retreats to the pub after work each day. Gradually, Mrs. Morel's affections shift to her sons beginning with the oldest, William.<br />
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As a boy, William is so attached to his mother that he doesn't enjoy the fair without her. As he grows older, he defends her against his father's occasional violence. Eventually, he leaves their Nottinghamshire home for a job in London, where he begins to rise up into the middle class. He is engaged, but he detests the girl's superficiality. He dies and Mrs. Morel is heartbroken, but when Paul catches pneumonia she rediscovers her love for her second son.<br />
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Part II:<br />
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Both repulsed by and drawn to his mother, Paul is afraid to leave her but wants to go out on his own, and needs to experience love. Gradually, he falls into a relationship with Miriam, a farm girl who attends his church. The two take long walks and have intellectual conversations about books but Paul resists, in part because his mother looks down on her. At work, Paul meets Clara Dawes who has separated from her husband, Baxter.<br />
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Paul leaves Miriam behind as he grows more intimate with Clara, but even she cannot hold him and he returns to his mother. When his mother dies soon after, he is alone.<br />
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Lawrence summarized the plot in a letter to Edward Garnett on 12 November 1912:<br />
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It follows this idea: a woman of character and refinement goes into the lower class, and has no satisfaction in her own life. She has had a passion for her husband, so her children are born of passion, and have heaps of vitality. But as her sons grow up she selects them as lovers — first the eldest, then the second. These sons are urged into life by their reciprocal love of their mother — urged on and on. But when they come to manhood, they can't love, because their mother is the strongest power in their lives, and holds them. It's rather like Goethe and his mother and Frau von Stein and Christiana — As soon as the young men come into contact with women, there's a split. William gives his sex to a fribble, and his mother holds his soul. But the split kills him, because he doesn't know where he is. The next son gets a woman who fights for his soul — fights his mother. The son loves his mother — all the sons hate and are jealous of the father. The battle goes on between the mother and the girl, with the son as object. The mother gradually proves stronger, because of the ties of blood. The son decides to leave his soul in his mother's hands, and, like his elder brother go for passion. He gets passion. Then the split begins to tell again. But, almost unconsciously, the mother realizes what is the matter, and begins to die. The son casts off his mistress, attends to his mother dying. He is left in the end naked of everything, with the drift towards death. (from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sons_and_Lovers">wikipedia</a>)<br />
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<b>About the Author</b><br />
David Herbert Richards Lawrence was an English writer of the 20th century, whose prolific and diverse output included novels, short stories, poems, plays, essays, travel books, paintings, translations, literary criticism and personal letters. His collected works represent an extended reflection upon the dehumanizing effects of modernity and industrialisation. In them, Lawrence confronts issues relating to emotional health and vitality, spontaneity, human sexuality and instinct.<br />
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Lawrence's opinions earned him many enemies and he endured official persecution, censorship, and misrepresentation of his creative work throughout the second half of his life, much of which he spent in a voluntary exile he called his "savage pilgrimage." At the time of his death, his public reputation was that of a pornographer who had wasted his considerable talents. E. M. Forster, in an obituary notice, challenged this widely held view, describing him as "the greatest imaginative novelist of our generation." Later, the influential Cambridge critic F. R. Leavis championed both his artistic integrity and his moral seriousness, placing much of Lawrence's fiction within the canonical "great tradition" of the English novel. He is now generally valued as a visionary thinker and a significant representative of modernism in English literature, although some feminists object to the attitudes toward women and sexuality found in his works. (from <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17623.D_H_Lawrence">Goodreads</a>)<br />
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D.H._Lawren...<br />
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Part One<br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/sons/sons01.htm">Chapter I. The Early Married Life of the Morels</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/sons/sons02.htm">Chapter II. The Birth of Paul, and Another Battle</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/sons/sons03.htm">Chapter III. The Casting Off of Morel--The Taking on of William</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/sons/sons04.htm">Chapter IV. The Young Life of Paul</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/sons/sons05.htm">Chapter V. Paul Launches into Life</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/sons/sons06.htm">Chapter VI. Death in the Family</a><br />
Part Two<br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/sons/sons07.htm">Chapter VII. Lad-and-Girl Love</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/sons/sons08.htm">Chapter VIII. Strife in Love</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/sons/sons09.htm">Chapter IX. Defeat of Miriam</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/sons/sons10.htm">Chapter X. Clara</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/sons/sons11.htm">Chapter XI. The Test on Miriam</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/sons/sons12.htm">Chapter XII. Passion</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/sons/sons13.htm">Chapter XIII. Baxter Dawes</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/sons/sons14.htm">Chapter XIV. The Release</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bygosh.com/sons/sons15.htm">Chapter XV. Derelict</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/126505474">5 of 5 stars</a><br />
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This book is different from all the books I've read since it's about the experiences of a spirit or a ghost per se. I find it interesting and I kind of liked to read that love transcends all even the after life. It is a good read. <br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/4335746-normalyn-espejo">View all my reviews</a><br />
<span class='fullpost'><br />
In 1920s New Orleans, smart and fearless Raziela Nolan is in the throes of a magnificent love affair when she suddenly dies in a tragic accident. Immediately after her death, she chooses to stay between - a realm that exists after life and before whatever lies beyond it. From this remarkable vantage point, Razi narrates the story of her lost love, as well as the relationship of Amy and Scott, a young couple whose house she haunts seventy years later. Their trials finally compel Razi to slowly unravel the mystery of what happened to her first and only love, Andrew, and to confront a long-hidden secret." The Mercy of Thin Air entwines two tragic and redemptive love stories that echo across three generations and culminates in a startling finish that will leave readers breathless. From plucky, forward-thinking Razi, who illegally slips birth control guides into library books, to hip Web designer Amy, who begins to fall off the edge of grief, to Eugenia, caught between since the Civil War, the characters in this ambitious and original debut sing with life, as well as Southern flair. (from goodreads.com)<br />
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About the Author:<br />
Ronlyn Domingue's debut novel, The Mercy of Thin Air, received critical acclaim and was acquired in 11 other countries. Currently, she's working on her second book and writing nonfiction for the online magazine, The Nervous Breakdown. Her short stories and essays have appeared in New England Review, Clackamas Literary Review, New Delta Review, The Independent (UK), Shambhala Sun, and mindful.org. (from goodreads.com)<br />
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</span>Normalynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281018206773495076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641084753098981634.post-8188594233507302522011-02-04T17:18:00.000-08:002011-08-30T03:06:48.478-07:00Book Reviews: The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5191.The_Pilot_s_Wife" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Pilot's Wife" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1275661355m/5191.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5191.The_Pilot_s_Wife">The Pilot's Wife</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3530.Anita_Shreve">Anita Shreve</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/143500024">5 of 5 stars</a><br />
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I love this book!! It's sad but sometimes sad things happen for a reason and may also be for the best. I love the story, how it unfolded and the way it ended. The author was just superb!<br />
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<span class='fullpost'>The book touches on adultery and about how you may live with another person but not being able to truly know that person. And it got me thinking how did she not even have a hint about what's happening? They say that when your husband plays around, the wife would have that gut feeling because he's her husband and a wife would surely be able to know. However, as was also mentioned in the book, if you don't do it, you'll never even think of it and I guess that was the explanation provided by the author.<br />
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They say that adultery happens in almost every husband and wife. That no couple is exempt from it. I don't know and I am not sure. My husband works abroad, he's far away from me and far away from our kids. And I don't like it, 3 years away from your family is for me greatly unacceptable and saddening. We miss him, he misses us. However, others are saying that we're lucky nowadays because there's internet, there's yahoo messenger, there's a webcam. Unlike the old days where you can only write letters, which takes days to arrive.<br />
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There has been rumors but I trust my husband. Other people may say otherwise, even people close to us, which really hurts and if I've listened to it, our family would have been a broken family by now.<br />
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But, I tell you this, only you and your partner knows what's really the score between you two. I remember the way he courted me, the times we fought over such trivial matters but would then kiss and makeup right after. I remember when we were still young, in the early stages of our relationship and he fought for that love when I was ready to just give it all up. Looking back, I can see he loved me, is loving me still and will continue to love me forever. As for me, my love for him is growing deeper everyday than anyone can ever imagine.<br />
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Other people would not know any of those things, that is why it's just easy for them to say anything they want. But, between the two of you, your partner and you, you would know. So, don't listen to what others maybe saying but listen to your heart. The answer is there. The truth is there.<br />
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</span>Normalynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281018206773495076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641084753098981634.post-78530455267969271052011-02-04T16:14:00.000-08:002011-02-04T16:35:27.152-08:00Book Blogger Hop: 2/4-2/7<center><a href="http://www.crazy-for-books.com"><img src="http://i595.photobucket.com/albums/tt34/crazybookblog/cfbmemebutton-2.png" alt="Book Blogger Hop" width="150" height="150"></a></center><br />
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It's Book Blogger Hop time. It's your chance to know more book bloggers out there as well as new websites to follow. Come on and join the fun!<br />
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The question for this week: <br />
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<b>"What are you reading now and why are you reading it?"</b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDNCKIT2ZtdHxq8zpIpI40NANIEAcBPG0S7hF5ErASjC_h9_y6sVobz5iAdDpBePO1Ew7jAtaNymyQn05IFbhMzt98Ry8tigxGldLtVVQINttQ5WyT4HFHVS7JpAzPVIIDkr8tsidmP28/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDNCKIT2ZtdHxq8zpIpI40NANIEAcBPG0S7hF5ErASjC_h9_y6sVobz5iAdDpBePO1Ew7jAtaNymyQn05IFbhMzt98Ry8tigxGldLtVVQINttQ5WyT4HFHVS7JpAzPVIIDkr8tsidmP28/s320/images.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I am reading, The Mercy of Thin Air by Ronlyn Domingue. I chose to read it because it's about a different subject from all the other subjects I read. It's about ghost, paranormal experiences and spirits. It is unique to me, since I don't really see a lot of books that tackle this particular topic in the form of a novel. I will be posting about it once I fnish reading it, that's for sure! <br />
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Here's a summary of the book that I got from goodreads: In 1920s New Orleans, smart and fearless Raziela Nolan is in the throes of a magnificent love affair when she suddenly dies in a tragic accident. Immediately after her death, she chooses to stay between - a realm that exists after life and before whatever lies beyond it. From this remarkable vantage point, Razi narrates the story of her lost love, as well as the relationship of Amy and Scott, a young couple whose house she haunts seventy years later. Their trials finally compel Razi to slowly unravel the mystery of what happened to her first and only love, Andrew, and to confront a long-hidden secret." The Mercy of Thin Air entwines two tragic and redemptive love stories that echo across three generations and culminates in a startling finish that will leave readers breathless. From plucky, forward-thinking Razi, who illegally slips birth control guides into library books, to hip Web designer Amy, who begins to fall off the edge of grief, to Eugenia, caught between since the Civil War, the characters in this ambitious and original debut sing with life, as well as Southern flair.<br />
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So go on ahead and click this link - <a href="http://www.crazy-for-books.com/">Book Blogger Hop</a> to join the fun! </span>Normalynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281018206773495076noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641084753098981634.post-43297711368237094282011-02-01T18:17:00.000-08:002011-02-01T18:18:06.146-08:00Book Giveaway!! Anyone, anywhere can join!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4BK1o_FMwwVLHXuilxUWM3Xi-kZaUtFX0wOy2cTYfaUTr2ohy3VxZK-9oGulxFQqbkj7qPURoF60lsYLRd12-MT4vDOKHhr_B1hU3A3HkEKQPCCGa_x8vTvtRohQa2nYusNWELq-0-_Q/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4BK1o_FMwwVLHXuilxUWM3Xi-kZaUtFX0wOy2cTYfaUTr2ohy3VxZK-9oGulxFQqbkj7qPURoF60lsYLRd12-MT4vDOKHhr_B1hU3A3HkEKQPCCGa_x8vTvtRohQa2nYusNWELq-0-_Q/s320/images.jpg" /></a></div><br />
MyBookishWays has done a blog makeover and it's totally great and she's giving away a really nice book that is worth reading, The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan. This is her "I love my followers" giveaway. So go on ahead, click on the link below and join the fun! Good luck!<br />
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http://www.mybookishways.com/2011/01/new-look-so-how-bout-giveaway.html<br />
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<span class='fullpost'></span>Normalynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281018206773495076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641084753098981634.post-51602985799756472332011-02-01T18:02:00.000-08:002011-08-30T03:05:48.090-07:00Book Review: Long Lost David Morell<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/219381.Long_Lost" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Long Lost" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172803500m/219381.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/219381.Long_Lost">Long Lost</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/12535.David_Morrell">David Morrell</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/124234379">5 of 5 stars</a><br />
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It was a great read! It's has simple plot and it's a very good warning to us all. That no one is exempted from anything bad that can happen so we should always be prepared, expect anything and it never hurts to know a little self defense and to know how to handle guns. Once again, Morrell has impressed me. <br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/4335746-normalyn-espejo">View all my reviews</a><br />
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Here's a summary of the book:<br />
As the older sibling thirteen-year-old Brad Denning knew he was responsible for his kid brother nine-year-old tag along Petey. However, his friends encouraged Brad to send Petey home. So Brad told Petey to leave. The sobbing preadolescent biked away. However, when Brad returned home for supper he learns that Petey did not come home. Frantically their parents called friends and the police, but the skinny little kid never came home.<br />
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Nearing forty, Brad is married, has a son, and has a successful architect career, but remains guilt stricken by the sobbing of a LONG LOST nine year old. Desperate for closure he appeals on TV for Petey to come home. In Denver, a mangy looking construction worker calls Brad by name insisting he is Petey. Though initially skeptical, Brad begins to believe him because this guy knows insider things about Brad and their parents. Brad takes Petey home, where his wife and son warmly welcome him.<br />
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While camping, Petey shoves Brad off the edge of a cliff before abducting his sister-in-law and nephew. Brad survives and begins an odyssey to rescue his family from the avenging serpent.<br />
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LONG LOST is a taut suspense thriller that hooks readers from the very first line until the one sitting tale is finished. Though Petey's revenge seems extreme, especially the events he committed after he left his brother for dead, the suspenseful plot thoroughly retains its grip on the reader. David Morrell has furnished a powerful haunting thriller with a frightening ending that just adds to the depth of a hard to forget novel.<br />
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Harriet Klausner <br />
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About the Author:<br />
David Morrell is a Canadian novelist from Kitchener, Ontario, who has been living in the United States for a number of years. He is best known for his debut 1972 novel First Blood, which would later become a successful film franchise starring Sylvester Stallone. More recently, he has been writing the Captain America comic books limited-series The Chosen. (from GoodReads)<br />
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I took a break from reading as you can see from my posts. It was months ago from when I last read. It's just that I got busy, or maybe just got lazy reading. I don't know if this happens to other bookworms too, if not, then I'd feel totally guilty of calling myself as such. <br />
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Anyway, as they say, a habit is a habit, so I just suddenly got into reading again! I don't know how it happened but that feeling of me wanting to read just came on suddenly. So, I read the first book I got my hands on and that's Eddie's Bastard. <span class='fullpost'>I was struck at the comment from Denver Post regarding this book. It read, "Draws the reader in from the get-go and refuses to relinquish its hold." Upon the reading the book I can say that it is so true. <br />
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It is a great book in every sense. I like the way the story unfolded as well as it is also well-written. Some scenes I like in the book was when Enzo from Nagasaki, Japan kept his promise and brought back the diary of the great Willie Mann. I was touched because he treasured such promise and as said in the book, people like him are rare nowadays. I also like how the musicians turned up on Willie Mann III wake. <br />
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I am sad that Billy and Annie did not end together, when they would have made such a lovely couple. That is the only thing I didn't like in this book. <br />
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Furthermore, from the way the book was ended, I am thinking there would be a sequel to this. This book was published 1999 and if there is a sequel to it, I don't know of it yet but I would be very happy to read it if given the chance. <br />
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<b>About the Author</b><br />
William Kowalski is the author of the novels Eddie’s Bastard, Somewhere South of Here, The Adventures of Flash Jackson, and The Good Neighbor, all published in North America by HarperCollins and in the U.K. by Transworld/Doubleday/Black Swan. His work has been translated into fifteen languages and has appeared on numerous international best-seller lists. Eddie’s Bastard was the winner of Exclusive Books’ Book Lover’s Award (South Africa) in 2001. William is a regular book reviewer for the Globe and Mail. He is also a faculty member of Nova Scotia Community College, where he instructs adult learners in a variety of subjects.<br />
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William lives in Nova Scotia with his wife and two children.<br />
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</span>Normalynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281018206773495076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641084753098981634.post-33363845963917477112010-10-25T17:17:00.000-07:002011-08-30T03:02:40.396-07:00Book Review: Chaneysville Incident David Henry Bradley Jr.<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46214.The_Chaneysville_Incident" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="The Chaneysville Incident" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223648631m/46214.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46214.The_Chaneysville_Incident">The Chaneysville Incident</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4413598.David_Henry_Bradley_Jr_">David Henry Bradley Jr.</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/125539481">4 of 5 stars</a><br />
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It's somewhat a boring read in some parts and it is maybe because I'm not interested in history and this book has a lot of it since the main character is a historian. At times, I would really have to push myself to read it. I always make sure that when I start a book, I read it to the end. That's just how I read. However, I like the story, the mystery of it, the ending too. It's a look into the controversial topic of black history and I'm just relieved that it is not happening now. We are all brothers and sister no matter what our color or race. That is my belief. <br />
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<span class='fullpost'>Book Summary<br />
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The legends say something happened in Chaneysville. The Chaneysville Incident is the powerful story of one man's obsession with discovering what that something was--a quest that takes the brilliant and bitter young black historian John Washington back through the secrets and buried evil of his heritage. Returning home to care for and then bury his father's closest friend and his own guardian, Old Jack Crawley, he comes upon the scant records of his family's proud and tragic history, which he drives himself to reconstruct and accept. This is the story of John's relationship with his family, the town, and the woman he loves; and also between the past and the present, between oppression and guilt, hate and violence, love and acceptance. <br />
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About the Author<br />
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Bradley, David (b. 1950), author and professor of creative writing. Born and raised in Bedford, Pennsylvania, David Bradley's horizon was shaped by a rural world near the soft-coal region of western Pennsylvania and by his father, a church historian and eloquent preacher, who frequently took his son on trips to the South. After high school Bradley was named Benjamin Franklin National Achievement and Presidential Scholar. In 1972, he graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania and was awarded a Thouron Scholarship for the University of London, where he received his MA in 1974, and established a lasting interest in nineteenth-century American history, resulting in the writing of four versions of his second novel when he returned to America.<br />
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In 1975, with the publication of his first novel, South Street, Bradley showed a keen interest in depicting everyday life and in the use of vernacular language. The book is centered on a black bar, a black church, and a hotel lobby on Philadelphia's South Street. In an ironic black urban version of the Western genre, Bradley has the black poet Adlai Stevenson Brown temporarily live and work amidst the unstable conditions of the black ghetto. Brown functions as a catalyst for the fantasies of hustlers, drinkers, whores, and preachers, whose sexual and material power games, articulated in vividly idiomatic speech and couched in ebullient or caustic humor, add up to a virtuoso dramatization of a vibrant, though depressed, city milieu.<br />
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Bradley's second novel, The Chaneysville Incident (1981), won the PEN/Faulkner Award in 1982 and was quickly recognized as a major text of African American fiction. Its protagonist, John Washington, a history professor in Philadelphia, in the process of exploring his family and group history finds himself confronted with his father's dying friend Old Jack (an embodiment of the black oral tradition); with the life plans of his father Moses and his ancestor C. K. Washington (who both tried to exert covert influence on the white power structure); and with his white girl friend, Judith a psychologist, who eventually helps John to make meaningful a partially buried and fragmented history through an imaginative complementation of the data from several incidents near Chaneysville, especially the voluntary suicide of a group of fugitive slaves when threatened with reenslavement.<br />
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After shorter spells as an editor and a professor of English, David Bradley settled at Temple University in Philadelphia as professor of creative writing in 1977. He has published a variety of essays, book reviews, and interviews in prestigious periodicals, magazines, and newspapers treating topics such as black education and literature, the exemplary lives and self-concepts of black athletes, and the status and reception of Malcolm X. Bradley worked on a Malcolm X film script for Warner Brothers between 1984 and 1988 but gave up hope when faced with the systematic evisceration of Malcolm's figure by Hollywood. With Shelley Fisher Fishkin, Bradley edited the three-volume Encyclopedia of Civil Rights in America in 1998.<br />
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Some rumors about Bradley's working on a detective novel notwithstanding, the author in a 1992 interview claimed to be at work on a nonfiction book about the founding documents and the continuing tradition of racism in America.<br />
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<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=reminmom-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B0007SAEEC&fc1=CB51AD&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=9915CB&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align:left;padding-top:5px;width:131px;height:245px;padding-right:10px;"align="left" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></span>Normalynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281018206773495076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8641084753098981634.post-5224599843933131962010-10-21T17:49:00.000-07:002011-08-30T03:00:59.357-07:00Book Review: Going Overboard Sarah Smiley<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/727765.Going_Overboard" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Going Overboard: The Misadventures of a Military Wife" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1177709351m/727765.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/727765.Going_Overboard">Going Overboard: The Misadventures of a Military Wife</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/386852.Sarah_Smiley">Sarah Smiley</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/123338298">5 of 5 stars</a><br />
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I loved this book and I loved Sarah Smiley. This book made me cry towards the end. I love the fact that eventhough she had issues on infidelity, she woke up and saw in the end that she should really be with her husband and I really like that. Sarah Smiley is now one of my favorite authors! I would love to read more of her books, if there are any. <br />
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<span class='fullpost'><br />
<b>Book Summary</b><br />
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GOING OVERBOARD chronicles the life of Sarah Smiley, a young Navy wife whose husband Dustin goes to sea for a longer-than-expected deployment once the war with Iraq begins. The daughter of an admiral, Sarah grew up in and around the Navy. She really thinks she knows what to expect from military life but feels ill-prepared for the many ups and downs she experiences while her husband is gone. She writes about her problems (real and imagined) and successes with disarming candor as she matures when he is away.<br />
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Dustin is a Navy pilot whom Sarah had known her entire life. As she is quick to point out, this doesn't make living together any easier. Often they seem out-of-synch, unable to communicate effectively with each other while living under the same roof. This lack of communication is only aggravated by Dustin's absences. When things get tough Sarah gets going --- to the comfort of a closet with her phone to call one of her good friends and discuss her problems.<br />
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Sarah writes with humor and unflinching honesty about being totally responsible for a two-year-old and a newborn. She feels like a single mother, even though she isn't. Dustin always took care of such things as mowing the lawn and balancing the checkbook, which Sarah now obsesses about. And she has a crush on her family doctor, an eligible bachelor, which leaves her by turns bewildered and excited, wondering if the doctor feels the same way about her.<br />
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While all of her friends are in France visiting their pilot husbands (she stays home because of her fear of flying), Sarah gets bitten on the leg by Courtney's cat. Since the cat had never been vaccinated, Sarah is informed that she may need a series of rabies shots. Being a bit of a hypochondriac anyway, this makes for a worrisome situation for Sarah, who doesn't even like cats to begin with.<br />
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Sarah shoots from the hip, lives in the moment, and is perplexed by her mother's listmaking and efficiency. Whenever Mom visits, Sarah reverts to being a needy child and is more than happy to let another adult take charge of the young children and the household.<br />
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Sarah's best friend moves out of her Florida neighborhood and clear across the country to California. Tanner, the much-loved dog Sarah grew up with, dies. The emails and phone calls to and from Dustin are less than satisfying, and she wonders where her marriage is headed.<br />
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Though she often feels like the Rock of Jell-O, Sarah is helpful and a good neighbor. She takes Melanie to the hospital and stays with her during a medical emergency and personal tragedy. She also takes in Melanie's daughter, Hannah, who is used to a very calm and orderly home environment. When Hannah asks why there are no vegetables on her dinner plate, Sarah realizes that not all families exist on hot dogs and macaroni and cheese.<br />
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People seem drawn to Sarah and willingly help her out. Her neighbor Brent mows the lawn without even being asked. Jody, Courtney and Melanie give her constant moral support, whether via late-night phone conversations or in person. Her frailties and quirks make her human and very likeable. Though her life seems to have a Lucy Ricardo quality about it, she is definitely the product of a younger, hipper generation.<br />
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Sarah writes a syndicated column about what she knows best --- life in and around the military. GOING OVERBOARD is her first book; hopefully there will be more to come.<br />
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--- Reviewed by Carole Turner *from http://www.bookreporter.com<br />
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<b><br />
About the author</b><br />
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Navy wife Sarah Smiley is the author of Shore Duty, a syndicated newspaper column that reaches more than 2 million readers weekly, and of the memoir GOING OVERBOARD: The Misadventures of a Military Wife (Penguin/New American Library, 2005) and a collection of essays titled I'M JUST SAYING... (Ballinger, 2008).<br />
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Sarah has been featured in The New York Times Magazine ("Confessions of a Military Wife," November 6, 2005) and Newsweek, and on ABC's Nightline, CNN American Morning, CNN Sunday Morning, CBS The Early Show, Fox News Studio B, and MSNBC Live.<br />
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Sarah's life rights were recently optioned by Kelsey Grammer's company, Grammnet, and Paramount Television. A half-hour sitcom based on her columns and book is now in development. Film and dramatic rights are represented by Shari Smiley (surprisingly, no relation) at Creative Artist Agency in Los Angeles, CA. Sarah's literary work is represented by Jenny Bent at Trident Media Group in New York.<br />
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Sarah has been a Navy dependent for more than 31 years. She is the daughter of Lindell Rutherford, a career Navy F-14 pilot, and spent most of her upbringing amid the aircraft carriers and Navy bases in Virginia Beach, Virginia.<br />
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Sarah Smiley has a B.S. in Education from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. She is the mother of three young boys -- Ford (6), Owen (4), and baby Lindell (1) -- and the wife of Navy flight instructor, Lt. Cmdr. Dustin Smiley." *from goodreads<br />
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</span>Normalynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18281018206773495076noreply@blogger.com0