Tuesday, December 7, 2010

When Life Throws You Lemons... Make Cranberry Juice!

12/07/2010 | Posted by Sarah (My World of Books) | Edit Post


Title: When Life Throws You Lemons... Make Cranberry Juice! 
Author: Shari Bookstaff
Published: October 26, 2009 
*Book Tour 

Description: 
When my kids were learning to walk, I remember walking behind them, ready to catch them if they stumbled backward. I never dreamed that thirteen years later my kids would be walking behind me, ready to catch me if I stumbled backward.

I was 42 years old when I was diagnosed with a benign, operable, brain tumor. Doctors predicted a short hospital stay followed by a speedy recovery. Complications arose, giving me unexpected life-long obstacles.

A divorced mother of two beautiful, talented, wonderful children, I had high hopes for a bright and happy future. I had a secure job that I loved, and I was beginning to date again when my brain tumor was diagnosed.

My life since that fateful day has been focused on regaining basic human functions: breathing, swallowing, walking, etc. I am working again, and trying to be a good mother to my two beautiful, talented, wonderful children.

Putting a positive spin on life’s disasters doesn’t always work, but looking for, and accepting, positive things in spite of life’s disasters works. Instead of making lemonade out of lemons, I add life’s sweet sugar and cranberries to my lemons. This makes life much more palatable.

Review: 

I found this novel to be incredibly inspirational. Shari went through what I believe is everyone's worse nightmare. I have a fear of going in for surgery and having something go wrong. I can't imagine the struggle and hardship she went through when she found out what happened to her.

Shari describes her time right before the surgery, her divorce, and her attempt to begin dating again. Everything seemed to be going well when was diagnosed with a brain tumor. She was told over and over that the surgery would be easy. She would be back to her life in no time. They were wrong.

I would recommend this book. I enjoyed reading it. The book did not take long at all to read. You read about Shari working hard to build her life back as best as she can. You get glimpses of how the people around her helped, how her children coped with this abrupt change in their lives, and how Shari struggled to find strength. The only problem I had was how the book was structured. Some chapters felt like they were repeated or pieces of the chapter had already been explained in the previous ones.
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Thursday, September 23, 2010

Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult

9/23/2010 | Posted by Sarah (My World of Books) | Edit Post

Title: Salem Falls
Author: Jodi Picoult
Published: August 6, 2002 
Genre: Fiction 
*found on my bookshelf when I moved

Book Description 


Love can redeem a man...but secrets and lies can condemn him.
A handsome stranger comes to the sleepy New England town of Salem Falls in hopes of burying his past: once a teacher at a girls' prep school, Jack St. Bride was destroyed when a student's crush sparked a powder keg of accusation. Now, washing dishes for Addie Peabody at the Do-Or-Diner, he slips quietly into his new routine, and Addie finds this unassuming man fitting easily inside her heart. But amid the rustic calm of Salem Falls, a quartet of teenage girls harbor dark secrets -- and they maliciously target Jack with a shattering allegation. Now, at the center of a modern-day witch hunt, Jack is forced once again to proclaim his innocence: to a town searching for answers, to a justice system where truth becomes a slippery concept written in shades of gray, and to the woman who has come to love him.

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Ratings: 5 Stars Absolutely Perfect
I absolutely loved this book! The plot was amazing. The characters were unique and memorable. Everyone MUST read this book! 

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Review:

This is the first novel I read by Jodi Picoult and I absolutely love it. The novel was filled with just the right amount of romance, suspense, mystery, angst, and parallels between The Crucible by Arthur Miller, which I absolutely loved when I read it in high school. I read all 433 pages on my two flights from Boston to San Antonio. I just speed through this novel. I really recommend it.   

The novel is told through multiple perspectives. The two main characters though are Addie Peabody and Jack St. Bride. The novel really focuses on the imperfection of the American justice system, one of my favorite things to talk about (political science dork!).  Jack had been a professor at an all girls high school. He was a soccer coach and had some close relationships with the girls on the team. When a crush is  presented as something more, Jack is called upon to defend his innocence only to lose. I was really blown away by how the whole situation was handled. And this is all in the past with the chain of events  slowly unraveling throughout the novel.  

Addie Peabody is a very misunderstood young woman. She has gone through several damaging events that a woman and a mother should never have to go through. I admired her strength and even her weaknesses. She had enough courage and doubt to make her seem realistic. She takes in Jack when he comes looking for work and finds herself attracted to a man with secrets. She has to decide if she will stay by his side when he is once again accused of relations with a minor or if she will desert him. 

The plot was beautifully written and unraveled. I love a good mystery suspense. I hoped the novel would end happily, but couldn't be sure because the novel was based off The Crucible, which does not have a happy ending. The parallels were well-embedded in the novel. I just had to know how the story was going to end. Good job Jodi Picoult for a well-written novel! 

If you loved The Crucible, I think you will really enjoy this novel. If you are looking for a good mystery/suspense, give this novel a try. 




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Friday, September 10, 2010

Wind Warrior Blog Tour Giveaway!

9/10/2010 | Posted by Sarah (My World of Books) | Edit Post

Wind Warrior Blog Tour Giveaway
Sept 1 ~ Sept. 30


I was suppose to post this on September 1st, but my cousin was killed on August 29th. I was in shock and pain so every thing other than being with my family left my thoughts. I just got back to work this week. I want to thank Kristy Milland for emailing me about the giveaway otherwise it would have slipped my mind and I would have not posted it.  Good Luck everyone! And I have some reviews ready to go for next week with a possible giveaway *hint* The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott *hint*  
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Cynthia Roberts, author of her debut historical romance, Wind Warrior hassomething pretty darn dynamic for all of My World of Books visitors, friendsand subscribers ... one of the largest blog tour promotional giveaways ever attempted.

Breaking into the world of romance fiction is a challenge unto itself but more so,when you’re a newly published author. I am incredibly excited to participatein this venture with Cynthia and help introduce Wind Warrior to the world ofromance readers. The bonus … every one has the chance to compete for notone, but five pretty extraordinary prizes which will include:


1. Romantic Two-lid willow picnic basket with deluxe service for two ~
$125.00 value
2. Succulent Godiva Chocolate Tier ~ $75.00 value
3. Exquisite Pearl & Crystal Necklace ~ $50.00 value
4. Amazon Gift Certificate ~ $25 value
5. Amazon Gift Certificate ~ $25 value

To view the gifts & read further descriptions visit her website at
 http://www.romanceauthorcynthiaroberts.com.

Contest Rules Are As Follows

1. Leave a comment at the end of this post
2. Tweet the following text: Wind Warrior by Cynthia Roberts. A story of
longing, of a wanton need to survive all odds & a love so strong it conquers
human evil. On sale now at Amazon, Borders & Barnes and Nobel.
3. Post the same tag on your Facebook and/or Myspace Profile
4. Become a fan/follower/subscriber of the blog you visit
5. The list of participating blogs are registered on Cynthia’s website and you
may enter to win on every one, however, only one family member may do
so in a household.
6. Open to ALL not just the US & Canada
7. Each participating blog will randomly choose five entrants to compete for the
grand prize pool where the final 5 winners will be randomly selected
8. Winners will be chosen on Sept. 30th and notified via email by Cynthia
9. All finalists must provide their email, name and official delivery address at
the time of finalist selection to (name of blog)
10. All prizes will be shipped no later than Oct. 30th directly from the distributor
11. The steps above will be checked to determine your eligibility.

__________________________________________________________

Wind Warrior ~ The Iroquois Series ~ Book One






Leslie Michaels is a visionary, and only those close to her know of her special gift and the visions that come when hermind and body surrender to sleep. Fate has a way of righting many wrongs, and for Leslie it is a destiny that changesher life dramatically. But not before she is forced to flee into the wilderness to escape a murderous trapper benton claiming her for his very own. Faith and a strong will to survive are her only companions, until she encountersWinnokin, the handsome Seneca war chief who first came to her in her dreams. Not only does he prove to be herrescuer and protector, he teaches her that tragedy can breed happiness and the passion to live and love deeply onceagain.


Wind Warrior plunges readers into the intimate depths of a relationship that unfolds like a live drama before theireyes while painting an insightful and intriguing portrait of Native Indian life in the 1800s. It is a story of longing, ofa wanton need to survive all odds, and a love so strong it conquers human evil. Wind Warrior expresses with cunningwords the simple, raw human emotions that hold readers spellbound and captivates their hearts.



On Sale Now at Amazon, Borders, Barnes and Nobel ISBN# 978-1-61663-162-8. Read more than a dozen reviews
on her website at http://www.romanceauthorcynthiaroberts.com.

_______________________
If you have any questions about the contest, feel free to email me and I will get back to you as soon as possible! Good Luck everyone! 
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