A Place Called Freedom by Ken Follett

Again, another very good book.  This was our book club book for March.  I read it in a week.  I couldn't put it down.  It's about slaves who work in the coal mines.  The main character doesn't agree with how they are treated, and it tell of his journey.  Too many things have been happening in my reading world for me to recall more than that.  It left a great impression though, I recommend this book.

Remember Me by Lesley Pearse

I've gotten very behind again.  I'm just going to give a quick blurb for each book.  I loved this book.  I found it a little slow to start, but the main character gets caught stealing in the olden days, and she is then shipped off to a secluded spot with a bunch of other prisoners and they have to start a new life, build what they need and survive off the land.  The hardships this woman goes through again and again is unimaginable.  Great story line.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Oh my god it's been TOO long since I've posted.  But here is why:  I started this book on January 6th and just finished it last week.  It was a BIG book.  850 pages big.  It still shouldn't have taken me as long as it did to read.  I just have to accept that I don't have as much time as I used to or as I'd like to, to read.  But if you haven't read this book yet, you have to go get it right now.  It's AMAZING.  Every woman is going to want a James Fraser.  He is firey hot and everything a woman could want in a man!  If you don't fall for him, let me know, because every lady in my book club melted for him! 

Ok, a little bit about the book.  It's set in Scotland (YES, James is Scottish!), and starts in modern time....but Claire (the main character) accidentally time travels and is set back to some time in the 1700s.  It continues about her journey and has a lot of accurate history in the storyline as well.  There is battle, there is romance, there is a bit of humor, there is pain, there is absolute brutality...disturbingly so.  But it is SO good.  I can't tell you how good, you just HAVE to read it.  I myself will go on to read at least the second book.  This book is the first in a series of eight.  Only seven are available right now, I think the eighth is set to come out next year.  I could give you a summary, but seriously, you need to read the book.  And then we'll chat about it because SOMEONE in my book club gave away something from book two that I was lead to believe wasn't so, and now I'm enraged.  But so hooked ;)

GO TO THE LIBRARY RIGHT NOW AND GET THIS BOOK!

<3

The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister

I just finished this book.  When I started it, I thought it was going to be a lot like the movie Julie & Julia.  I didn't like the beginning....until about the first 30 pages were finished, then it started to get more interesting.  Basically this book is based around a cooking class, and goes through short stories of the students and what lead them to the class, and at the end of the book they all become a part of one anothers lives.  It was a good light read, something different than I usually read.  I don't think I'd have read it though unless it was part of my bookclub list (it's January's book).  That's really all I have to say about this book.

The Bridges of Madison County & A Thousand Country Roads by Robert James Waller

Ok.  I read "The Bridges of Madison County" in October.  I'm late posting, but I wanted to wait until I had read the epilogue, "A Thousand Country Roads", which I read in November, so I'm still late posting.  The first book I read all in one night.  It was pretty good.  It had to be for me to sit and read for three plus hours.  But it was a short book.  And I had the time.  I did enjoy the book.  I thought maybe it would have ended differently.  It's about a man who travels the world due to his career in photography.  On one trip he meets a woman, falls in love, and then I won't give away the ending, but they don't stay together.  It all happens in the course of four days. 

The second book, took me much longer to read, even though it about the same in length.  I didn't enjoy the second book.  There is a twist thrown in there that I view as unnecessary.  Basically it was written to satisfy people about the untold story of the main character.  And his life after meeting the woman he fell in love with.  I would not recommend reading the second book.  If you want a summary look it up, or I'd be happy to share.  It just gives you hope that maybe the end of the last book wasn't "the end" for the two in love.  But it was.

I've been extremely busy and haven't had much time to read (mostly due to my lunch hour being cut in half to accumulate time to take off over Christmas), but I am still trying to finish "Silent in the Grave" which I am still very thoroughly enjoying.  I shall post when it is completed, and hopefully get a few more books read over the break, before our book club starts up again in January (we took December off for a break due to the stress and hustle of Christmas).  Cheers!

Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn

So I just started this book today on my lunch break.  I only have a half hour lunch from now until Christmas so I can book some time off over the holidays, so I only read the first two chapters.  One of my co-workers lent me this to read, and so far it's very descriptive so I can picture exactly what's happening.  It's the kind of book that is good right from the beginning, so it jumps right into what's happening instead of having all the crap leading up to it.  It set in the 1880's so it'll be interesting just by the things that were going on back then.  Like already her husband has died and it's talking about her going into mourning so she must wear nothing but black clothes and the whole house has to be transformed into black everything, even her handkerchiefs must be outlined in black.  I like it so far.  Hopefully it keeps my interest.  :)


Ok.  So on Wednesday night I finally finished this book that I started in November and haven't had much time to read.  Not the time it deserved.  Had I picked it up at a less busy time of the year I know I would have had this finished in two weeks.  It was wonderful.  I absolutely love reading this type of time, how they talk, and have servants in the house for everything.  Being called "my lady."  Sigh* What a time.  It had a very unexpected twisted ending.  Quick summary, Julia, quickly a widow in the beginning of the book, discovers that her husband may have been murdered.  She spends the bulk of the novel trying to piece together the events leading up to her husbands death and who the murderer is.  I think I shall have to read the second book as there are embers to a potential romance that do not amount to anything in this book, and I'm a sucker for romance.  I'd hope the embers would turn into flame in the second book.  When I get to it (it will be months for sure, I have a lot of books to read!) I'll be sure to let you know how it went.

House Rules by Jodi Picoult

Ok.  So I just finished this book on Monday.  I'd like to say that I didn't even realize I was nearing the end of the book, because I expected so much more to happen.  I'd also say that the end was a bit disappointing.  It had the outcome I suspected, but I felt like it left me hanging.  And I do NOT like that.  For this reason, it doesn't top the favorites list by Jodi.  It will stay at number three.

However, it was still an amazing book, given that I was so absorbed I didn't even realize how close to the end of the book I was!  I also love the way she writes for Jacob.  How he thinks and his reason behind things is so interesting.  It makes one stop and think about things we say that seem so natural to us.  But Jacob being in a literal world doesn't get them.  He explains them well, if you read the book, you'll understand.  It's difficult to put into words.  It's also very interesting to read about his routine being SO important and if it's disrupted he doesn't have the skills to cope.  Like every day of the week has a different color and on that day all the food is that color and his clothes are that color.  And trying to get clothes on Jacob that don't match the color of the corresponding day, makes him have an outburst. 

That's all I will say.  I think if you find that little blurb interesting, you should read the book.  It seems large but it goes by SO quickly.  Especially if you have more time to read than I do these days.  Anyway, I liked the book so much that in the middle of it I decided to put it on our book club list for my next turn (which won't be until March). 

If you read this book I want to know what you think of it, comment! 

Happy reading.  =)