2013 ARC's

Doctor Sleep by Stephen King (Audiobook)

October 3, 2013 by Darlene

Wow! That is how I will start this review because that is the only word coming to mind as I just finished listening to the audio version of Doctor Sleep by Stephen King. It is narrated by Will Patton and I can’t even begin to gush over the great job I think he did. He was the perfect choice to narrate this book as he’s very talented with injecting the right amount of emotion and excitement into his voice at the right time. As for the book I will say that I didn’t think anything would live up to The Shining for me but I was wrong! I was glued to this audio from the beginning to the end and at 18 plus hours that says a lot. It was utterly fantastic!

Doctor Sleep has us returning to one of the most popular characters that Stephen King created and that was Dan Torrance of The Shining. Dan is all grown up now but he is still haunted by the time he spent up at the Overlook Hotel when he was just a boy. It had affected most areas of his life with him turning to alcohol for solace from the depression and violent tendencies he feels.

After arriving in New Hampshire and meeting Billy and getting himself an AA sponsor Dan’s life begins to improve. When he begins working at a nursing home and using his ‘shining’ to help those pass peacefully in death he feels he’s finally found his calling and eventually they begin to call him Doctor Sleep. When he starts receiving messages on his blackboard from twelve year old Abra and learns she needs help he doesn’t hesitate. A crazy bunch of people who call themselves the True Knot go after those who have the shining and use the steam from it in order to keep on living and what they do to them I won’t even say. When they come after Abra though it becomes personal for Dan. However he can never imagine how it will bring alive all his own demons that he’s been running from for years.

Doctor Sleep is awesome! It is Stephen King at his best and listening to it on audio made it all the better for me. It had my heart pounding and my mouth hanging open at some of the twists and turns and I loved every minute!

Buy at: Simon & Schuster, Audible, and iTunes

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher. No compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

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Thread of Gold Beads by Nike Campbell-Fatoki & Giveaway (US/Canada)

October 2, 2013 by Darlene

Taking place during The French-Danhome war of the late 1890’s in Benin Republic and moving into the early 1900’s in Abeokuta and Lagos in South-Western Nigeria, Thread of Gold Beads by Nike Campbell-Fatoki is a novel rich in the life and culture of the people who lived during this era. It is also a coming of age story, a love story, and the story of a woman full of courage, strength, and determination.

Princess Amelia, daughter of the King of Danhome has led a good life in the Kingdom despite all the political upheaval swirling around her. There are also other things going on, whispers and such that she knows have to do with her and when a secret surfaces that completely shatters her life and war breaks out in Danhome Amelia has no choice but to flee with her brother Dare. The two head for south-western Nigeria and it is there that Amelia will find the love of family and God. However not before a journey through many struggles and yet more secrets that shock Amelia down to her very soul. Will Amelia ever have the love and peace she has always wanted?

This is a wonderfully written novel. The characters are well developed and the plot intriguing. I really liked Amelia. For the era she lived in she was a strong and smart woman and not afraid to show it. No matter the adversities she faced she came back stronger and more determined. I also liked Ms. Titilayo who took Amelia in and cared for her like she was her own. Of course there are characters you love to hate but they added to the story as well.

If you enjoy historical fiction that takes place somewhere different from what seems the norm and has some interesting twists and turns, then Thread of Gold Beads is one you should add to your reading list. I really enjoyed it!

Thread of Gold Beads by Nike Campbell-Fatoki is on tour with Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours so be sure to pop in and visit the other tour stops. You can connect with the author on her website and blog as well as Facebook and Twitter. You can purchase a copy of Thread of Gold Beads at Amazon, Amazon Canada, Amazon UK, and CreateSpace.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS (US/Canada)

I have one copy of Thread of Gold Beads by Nike Campbell-Fatoki to share with my readers – winner’s choice of print copy or eBook copy. To enter…

Leave a comment for 1 entry to the giveaway.
Tweet, share on Facebook, or blog for 2 extra entries.

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents (no PO boxes) and I will draw for the winner on October 17/13. Good luck!

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher. No compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

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Little Island by Katharine Britton

September 30, 2013 by Darlene

I love those books that you hate to put down; those that keep you up late at night because you just have to try to finish it. Well that’s exactly the kind of read Little Island by Katharine Britton was for me. I loved it! This is the second book of hers that I’ve read having read Her Sister’s Shadow a few years ago and loving it as well. I had hoped that this book would be as good for me and I wasn’t disappointed in the least. Little Island is a story of love, family, deeply buried secrets, and above all hope.

When she passed Grace’s mother wanted a memorial that celebrated her life so this weekend the family will gather to do just that at their inn on Little Island, Maine. However with Grace and her husband Gar along with their grown children Joy and the twins Roger and Tamar, a get together is usually anything but smooth. Why you ask? Well twenty years ago a tragedy occurred that the family has never been able to get past. It changed their lives then and has continued to do so in their adult lives. Can this weekend change anything for them?

Joy, the eldest of the kids has always felt that she was the third wheel with the twins Roger and Tamar being so close. Now with her son Rex heading off to college Joy is at a crossroads and not knowing what she wants from her life or her marriage. Not to mention that secret that has been eating away at her for years. As for Roger well he has a drinking problem that he can’t seem to shake and Tamar spends more time on her career than her family. Needless to say she doesn’t have a clue who her own young twin girls are and she’s hoping this weekend will rectify that. As for Grace and Gar time has taken its toll and Grace is reeling from the loss of her mother. She seems to have lost the joy she used to find in the simplest things and she wants to find it again. For this family this get together will finally be the reunion that will not only heal their family, but their very souls.

What an excellent novel! Katharine Britton has a way of weaving a story that so fully draws you into her character’s lives and their stories. I could feel the pain that this family was feeling, has felt, and hopes to move on from in all of their relationships. Joy was an easy character to like. Her son has grown up and moved on and she isn’t sure she has a life without him. Roger seems to be a good guy despite his drinking problem but Tamar is the one that you love to hate in the story and you hope that she will see the error of her ways. Ultimately I loved this family and the time I spent with them. I highly recommend Little Island for those that like stories centering around a family drama as well as those who enjoy books taking place on the Maine coast which sounded extra heavenly to me and I still wish I was there with them…

Katharine’s website, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads

Buy at: Amazon, Amazon Canada, B&N. and IndieBound

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher. No compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

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Help for the Haunted by John Searles (Audiobook)

September 27, 2013 by Darlene

Help for the Haunted by John Searles is an eerily haunting story where the haunted, deeply buried secrets, and mystery abound. I listened to the audio version of the book which is narrated by Emma Galvin. I think she did a great job as her voice has a young quality to it that lent really well to the telling of the story from a young person’s point of view. She kept me engaged in the story and had a perfect tone throughout that matched the storyline.

The story is told from the point of view of the youngest daughter Sylvie. Sylvie has always been the good daughter while her older sister Rose the troublesome one. Now Sylvie’s family has never been considered a normal family as the job her parents have set them apart. They help haunted souls find their way and needless to say most people think they are more than a little strange. So while Sylvie’s parents love her their family is still quite dysfunctional as the kids have always been exposed to this weirder side of life.

Things go very bad when one stormy night Sylvie’s parents go out to meet some mysterious person at an old church and are murdered. Sylvie is left in the care of her sister Rose and believe me Rose doesn’t rise to the occasion, more often than not being mean to her sister.

Sylvie perseveres but the one thing that troubles her is her parent’s murder and the fact that it seems that her sister Rose is a suspect. Since Sylvie’s memories are jumbled from that night she decides to set about unraveling the mystery of what really happened and what she learns shocks her to her core.

I really enjoyed Help for the Haunted especially the audio version. It had all the elements of a story I enjoy with the paranormal aspect, the ghosts, and creepiest of all a very weird doll which makes me very glad I don’t own one or I’d have had to have put it away while reading this book. It was creepy, suspenseful, and last but not least -just what is lurking around in the basement of Sylvie’s house???

This novel covers a lot of territory with the paranormal, family matters, coming of age issues, and a murder. A great bookclub pick I would say!

Help for the Haunted by John Searles is on tour with TLC Book Tours so pop in and check out the other stops on the tour. You can connect with John Searles on Twitter and you can purchase your own copy of Help for the Haunted at Amazon or Amazon Canada.

Source: Audiobook from my personal library.

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The Old Rectory: Escape to a Country Kitchen by Julia Ibbotson

September 23, 2013 by Darlene

Like the author, Julia Ibbotson, I love books about buying and restoring properties especially in quaint little villages or countrysides so her novel The Old Rectory: Espcape to a Country Kitchen was really an enjoyable read for for me. This is a shorter book at a little under two hundred pages and it just flew by as Julia related she and her husband’s journey towards getting the old Victorian rectory restored to its former glory.

Julia and her husband buy a property that is in the middle of the moors in the midlands of England. The rectory is in need of major restoration and they debate on whether they are up for it and can afford it but ultimately they know that this is the place for them. As the restorations are going forward they begin to learn that the rectory has a very rich history and this fascinates them even more. However as with all things they most definitely have their struggles in getting the rectory to where they want it and many times they are very frustrated but they keep on and eventually it all pays off. With beautiful gardens and an abundance of fresh veggies and herbs, the rectory has become the home they always wanted.

In reading any memoir it always helps when the main person is one that you can see yourself sitting at the kitchen table having a coffee or an English tea with and Julia is just that sort of person. She had worked hard all of her life and really wanted to get away from the craziness of the world and do something meaningful to her and her family. She is also someone who loves to cook and views it as a way of showing her love for her family and friends. It brings her joy to see them enjoy the bounty she prepares and I can’t tell you how many times I wished I was a part of her family and able to enjoy what is obviously a close knit and happy family.

While I enjoyed the sections of the book dealing with the restoration of the rectory I have to say that I really loved the mouth watering recipes that Julia included in the book that reflect the four seasons. As she said in her book “food seems to reflect the moods of life; it follows the seasons and creates your memories”. Most of us can relate to that as many of our fondest memories are related to sharing or cooking food with a loved one. There are so many recipes I plan on trying but I’ll just name a few here: Hot Oranges in Vanilla Caramel Syrup, Potato Dauphinoise de Loire which is a creamy cheesy dish -yum!, Traditional Lemon Syllabub, and Potato Pete Soup. This is just to name a few as there are many others that sound so scrumptious.

The Old Rectory: Escape to a Country Kitchen was a comforting read for me. Between the restoration, the recipes, and the obvious love that the author has for her family I found that the novel warmed my heart. The only thing missing was that I would have liked to see photos of the before and after of the restoration. The author did include pencil sketches at the beginning of each chapter though that were done by her daughter and they really added a touch of charm. This is a memoir that falls into a few categories so if you like books about restorations and you’re a foodie then The Old Rectory is certainly a book you’ll enjoy!

Julia’s website, Facebook, and TwitterBuy at: Amazon, Amazon Canada, and B&N

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher. No compensation was received for this review and all opinions are my own.

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Tremble by Tobsha Learner & Giveaway (US/Canada)

September 18, 2013 by Darlene

Tremble: Erotic Tales of the Mythical and Sinister by Tobsha Learner is described as erotica for the modern woman. Tremble offers up stories that are sure to stimulate the senses and imagination with some pretty steamy erotic scenes to set your heart to pounding. Tremble takes us into worlds where fantasy and reality are often impossible to separate … where magic and the supernatural blur the lines of what is real and what isn’t.

I enjoyed this short story collection. As usual I had a few favorites and some I didn’t take to as much but what I appreciated was how tastefully done the stories are as they are erotic in nature. Of course the stories contain a supernatural element that captured my attention immediately and in some of the stories you will even find yourself laughing. I’ll tell you about a few of the stories I liked…

The Root was my favorite of all the stories in the collection and I can’t say why so I don’t ruin it for others who may read the book. I will say though that there is a woman who comes from a long line of witches and when her great-aunt passes she leaves her an inheritance that has been passed down for generations. This is ‘the root’ but what the root actually is and how it behaves had me laughing more than a few times.

Another story I enjoyed was called Rainmaker. Jacob has always had the ability to be a rainmaker as did his forefathers. However to make rain for a drought ridden town he tells them that he must make love to a woman from the town. Needless to say the men of the town are horrified by the idea. However Jacob is a good looking man and it isn’t long before the sexually frustrated women in town begin to make their way to his trailer and this sets off a more sinister chain of events. There is another, more supernatural element to the story as well that was intriguing.

A couple more stories I liked were Virgin and The Snore. In Virgin a young nun has lost her faith. She is sent away to a secluded land to live in a cave and hopefully reconnect with her God. What happens there changes her in ways she never could have imagined. The Snore involves a man coming back to haunt his wife and mother as an audible and irritatingly loud snore. While the story has a serious side it was also kind of funny.

These stories are all very well written and the descriptions so vivid the stories really come alive in your mind. What I was really impressed with was the author’s ability to so fully develop her characters in such a short time. This collection will appeal to those who enjoy erotic stories. The sex scenes, other than a couple, are tastefully done so it may even appeal to those who don’t like the more hard core stuff out there. I definitely intend to check out more of Tobsha Learner’s work!

Tremble by Tobsha Learner is on tour with TLC Book Tours along with her novel Quiver so be sure to head over there and check out all the other tour stops. You can connect with Tobsha on her website and you can purchase your own copy of Tremble at Amazon and Amazon Canada.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS (US/Canada)

I have one copy of Tremble by Tobsha Learner to share with my readers. To enter…

Leave a comment for 1 entry to the giveaway.
Tweet, share on Facebook, or blog for 2 extra entries.

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents (no PO boxes) and I will draw for the winner on October 2/13. Good luck!

Source: Review copy and giveaway copy provided by the publisher. No compensation was received for this review and all opinions are my own.

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