A Chick Ponders Bookish Things: Balancing Time And Books

Life interrupts me again. I'm behind in my reading and there's so much I want to read, not to mention several tours that I'm taking part in.

I have to remind myself that though I love doing these tours and that having content is absolutely fabulous, I need a month to just read books that I want to read. There are plenty of those lying about. Heck, I keep buying books. (Well at used stores for the most part these days.)

I have 5 library books and I have renewed them 3 times!

Yikes!

I promised myself I wouldn't bite off more than I could chew, but guess what I've done.

I've bitten off way more than I could chew.

Actually, it wouldn't have been so bad if both of my parents hadn't had extended hospital stays in the last month.

Maybe I can play catch up in August. I don't have much going on then.

Have you ever found yourself overwhelmed by your book blogging commitments?

Innovative Book Tours Book Review: Murder On Spyglass Lane

Author: J.M. Griffith
Title: Murder On Spyglass Lane
Publisher: Createspace
Publish Date: Jan 22, 2012
Buy: Amazon
Review Copy Provided By: Innovative Book Tours & the author

Book Blurb: Artist Sarah McDougall flees from New England to Florida's west coast thinking she can escape her unwanted psychic abilities. When she finds a dead body buried under the sand trap on the thirteenth hole of the golf course behind her home, Sarah realizes she was mistaken. Stuck with an ability that will nearly be her undoing and unable to shake the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach, Sarah turns to her neighbor for help. The swashbuckling pirate-like handsome man, has secrets of his own. The duo investigates the murder finding unexpected and surprising twists along the way that place Sarah in harms way more often than she ever thought possible.

Review: This was a cute short mystery. I guess it is a cozy mystery, but it lacks some of the elements that make most cozies popular, though I think it's possible if this becomes a series that it will pick up on them nicely.

I thought Sarah's character was unique. She could see visions. That's definitely a twist on the cozy mystery front and then there's Raven. He reminded me a little of Janet Evanovich's Ranger, more in his actions than anything else, but when you say he's pirate handsome..I think sexy, oh wait, now I'm thinking of Johnny Depp. Actually the author makes mention of Mr. Depp in the book, in relation to his Pirates character.

Le sigh

Its just a shame she couldn't spell his name correctly. That kinda annoyed me a little bit.

For a book that was a little over 120 pages, it dragged a bit at the beginning. There were some descriptions that made me feel this was going to be more of a thriller than a cozy.

I did like the ending. I hadn't expected the person who had actually done the killing, so that made me feel satisfied in my reading.

It was an ok read, nothing to exciting, but good for passing the time. I probably wouldn't revisit this story, but I would try the author again.


Rating: 3 flowers

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J.M. Griffin Online:
Website www.JMGriffin.net
Blog http://mycozymystery.blogspot.com
Twitter @mycozymystery

TLC Book Tours Review: Passing Love

Author: Jacqueline E. Luckett
Title: Passing Love
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publish Date: Jan 25, 2012
Buy: Amazon

Review Copy Provided By: TLC Book Tours & The Publisher Book Blurb:  Nicole-Marie Handy has loved all things French since she was a child. After the death of her best friend, determined to get out of her rut, she goes to Paris, leaving behind a marriage proposal. While there, Nicole chances upon an old photo of her father-lovingly inscribed, in his hand, to a woman Nicole has never heard of. What starts as a vacation quickly becomes an investigation into his relationship to this mystery woman. Moving back and forth in time between the sparkling Paris of today and the jazz-fueled city filled with expatriates in the 1950s, Passing Love is the story of two women dealing with lost love, secrets, and betrayal...and how the City of Light may hold all of the answers.
Review: This is a book that you have to be drawn to from the start. The cover is absolutely stunning and if you look closely the model is wearing a bracelet with a charm of the Eiffel Tower, which hints at the city that this story revolves around.This is mature chick lit. Not the typical fluffy kind that you get from Sophie Kinsella. This is chick lit for the women who've been there, done that, and lived through it.
There are two heroines in this story; Nicole, who is our modern day character and RubyMae who we see in the 40s and 50s. Both are strong women, though Nicole is just finding her strength. There stories are tied together by a common thread. However it does take a little while to find that thread. It makes the first few chapters a bit confusing, because the jumping back and forth between the characters has no rhyme or reason.
This was a beautiful book from the front cover through to the last page. Definitely worth it as a great summer read!
Rating: 5 flowers

Historical Fiction Book Tours: The Queen's Vow

Author: C.W. Gortner
Title:  The Queen's Vow
Publisher: Ballentine Books
Publish Date:  June 12, 2012
Buy: Amazon
Review Copy Provided By: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours and the publisher
Book Blurb: No one believed she was destined for greatness—until she became one of history’s most powerful and controversial queens. Young Isabella is barely a teenager when she is thrust into danger. Suspected of treason and held captive, she treads a perilous path, until, at age seventeen, she finds herself heiress of Castile, the largest kingdom in Spain. Plunged into a deadly conflict to secure her crown, she is determined to wed the one man whom she has vowed to love yet is forbidden to her—Fernando, prince of Aragón. As together they unite their two realms under "one crown, one country, one faith," Isabella and Fernando face an impoverished Spain beset by enemies. With the future of her throne at stake, Isabella resists the zealous demands of the inquisitor, Torquemada, even as she is seduced by the dreams of an enigmatic navigator named Columbus. But when a violent, treacherous battle against an ancient adversary erupts, it will test Isabella’s resolve, her courage, and her tenacious belief in her destiny . . . . From the glorious palaces of Segovia to the battlefields of Granada and intrigue-laden gardens of Seville, The Queen’s Vow sweeps us into the tumultuous forging of a nation and the complex, fascinating heart of the woman who overcame all odds to become Isabella of Castile.

Review: I think everyone pays too much attention to the  Queens of England, especially those of the Tudor era, one of which is the daughter of Isabella of Castile. Sure that time period was exciting but Isabella really accomplished a great deal.

The story chronicles her life up til 1492...you know when that Christopher Columbus guy discovered America?

I think most people really know her from all the books about her daughter, Catherine Of Aragon. This is the story of one of Europe's greatest monarchs. That's the extend of my knowledge of Isabella. I think the best picture I had of her so far was in Julia Fox's Sister Queens that I read earlier this year.

I really loved getting to know this woman who was so ambitious and really helped to build Spain.

I think this is a definite must read for people that love historical fiction, especially about royals. Plus it steps away from England where so much of this genre is centered. Yes, there are other royals besides The Tudors!

Rating: 5 flowers

Book Review: The King's Concubine

Author: Anne O'Brien
Title: The King's Concubine
Publisher: NAL Trade/Mira UK
Publish Date: June 5, 2012
Buy: Amazon

Review Copy Provided By: Net Galley

Book Blurb: A child born in the plague year of 1348, abandoned and raised within the oppressive walls of a convent, Alice Perrers refused to take the veil, convinced that a greater destiny awaited her. Ambitious and quick witted, she rose above her obscure beginnings to become the infamous mistress of Edward III. But always, essentially, she was alone... Early in Alice’s life, a chance meeting with royalty changes everything: Kindly Queen Philippa, deeply in love with her husband but gravely ill, chooses Alice as a lady-in-waiting. Under the queen’s watchful eye, Alice dares to speak her mind. She demands to be taken seriously. She even flirts with the dynamic, much older king. But she is torn when her vibrant spirit captures his interest...and leads her to a betrayal she never intended. In Edward’s private chambers, Alice discovers the pleasures and paradoxes of her position. She is the queen’s confidante and the king’s lover, yet she can rely only on herself. It is a divided role she was destined to play, and she vows to play it until the bitter end. Even as she is swept up in Edward’s lavish and magnificent court, amassing wealth and influence for herself, becoming an enemy of his power-hungry son John of Gaunt, and a sparring partner to resourceful diplomat William de Windsor, she anticipates the day when the political winds will turn against her. For when her detractors voice their hatred,and accusations of treason swirl around her,threatening to destroy everything she has achieved, who will stand by Alice then?


Review: Stories about the mistresses of Kings have always intrigued me. This story was made even more so because I had just read The King Must Die, which was about Edward's mother and his early years on the throne.

Not much is known about Alice Perrers, other than she served as a Lady in Waiting to Queen Phillipa and that she became the King's Mistress. Oh and she was intensely disliked by most people.


I think the why's of that dislike are pretty obvious.

Edward and Phillipa had a very good marriage as far as royalty is concerned. Yes, they loved each other. That's what makes the way O'Brien brings King and Lady together a little bit hard to take. Anne suggests that Alice became Edward's lover because the Queen wanted her too, because her illness prevented her from enjoying the marriage bed any longer.

Hmmm.

I'm not sure if that idea works well with me, but somehow Alice, who was obviously low born, made it to the inner circles of the monarchy. Lowborn though she was, she was also, oddly for that time, a very astute businesswomen.

This book does a lot to cast a more favorable light on Alice, mostly in the fact that she harbors some love for Edward, but I'm not sure if she deserved the light to be cast on her. Let's face it, she was greedy and power hungry. She managed to accumulate 50 manors during her time as the King's Mistress, and she even managed to get them back after a corruption trial. (She could have lost her  life there, but she managed too to talk her way out of it)

I think if one thing can be said for Alice Perrers, it is that she was a woman hundreds of years before her time. In truth, I couldn't like Alice as I read this book. I could admire her though, because she rose from the ashes and for a time, ruled a kingdom.

Rating:4 flowers

TLC Book Tour Review: Keepsake

Author: Kristina Riggle
Title: Keepsake
Publisher: William Morrow
Publish Date: June 26, 2012
Review Copy Provided By: TLC Book Tours and the publisher
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb: Trish isn't perfect. She's divorced and raising two kids—so of course her house isn't pristine. But she's got all the important things right and she's convinced herself that she has it all under control. That is, until the day her youngest son gets hurt and Child Protective Services comes calling. It's at that moment when Trish is forced to consider the one thing she's always hoped wasn't true: that she's living out her mother's life as a compulsive hoarder. The last person Trish ever wanted to turn to for help is her sister, Mary—meticulous, perfect Mary, whose house is always spotless . . . and who moved away from their mother to live somewhere else, just like Trish's oldest child has. But now, working together to get Trish's disaster of a home into livable shape, two very different sisters are about to uncover more than just piles of junk, as years of secrets, resentments, obsessions, and pain are finally brought into the light.


Review: This book is simply stunning. It puts hoarding into perspective. Most people only think of hoarders as those disgusting people you see in reality shows and on the evening news. No one stops to think that these people are in fact people and that there is a disorder behind all of the mess.


Keepsake, Kristina Riggle has managed to do that and in doing so gives you a portrait of a family that has been torn apart by this disorder. You get to see how 2 generations are affected by hoarding. Trish and and Mary's mother was a hoarder and Trish is as well. Mary on the other hand is compulsively clean! So really, what you have here is a family story and one that will keep you turning the pages.

It is hard to deal with Trish, because she's in denial for much of the story. Things are falling apart around her and she feels that everything is ok. (Even though her oldest son moved in with this girlfriend's parents) The plot of Keepsake is different. Hoarding isn't one of those disorders that people seem to write about. In truth, it is a disorder that is exploited. Kudos to Kristina for showing the world is is more than that.


Rating: 4 flowers

June Recap And Challenge Updates

This is the half way point of the year, so I thought while recapping what I've read for the year, that I'd also give an update on the reading challenges that I'm participating in. I'm actually doing pretty good on most of them, and I've even completed one!

Woo hoo!

June Reads


Neta Jackson - The Yada Yada Prayer Group (June 3, 2012)
H.P. Mallory - Witchful Thinking (June 4, 2012)
Sandra Byrd - The Secret Keeper (June, 6, 2012)
Dale E Bayse - Snivel: The Fifth Circle Of Heck (June 10, 2012)
Lauren Clark - Dancing Naked In Dixie (June 15, 2012)
V.S. Morgan - The Gift (June 16, 2012) @ Wenches Blog (short story)
Gillian Flynne - Gone Girl (June 18, 2012)
Alexandra Stewart - The Last Of His Kind (June 19, 2012) @ Wenches Blog
Paige Harbison - New Girl (June 22, 2012)
Beverly Lewis -The Telling (June 25, 2012)
Tori Carrington - Dirty Laundry (June 27, 2012)
Karen Ann Hopkins - Temptation (June 28, 2012)
Nikki Gemmell - With My Body (June 29,2012)

Challenges:

Regency/Victorian Challenge: 4 out of 8 books read
Crusin' Through The Cozies: 19 out of 12, exceeded goal and actually exceeded the final level too! Completed!
Amish Reading Challenge: 11 out of 15
Goodreads Reading Challenge: 93 out of 155!
Historical Romance Reading Challege: 10 out of 12 (I took this month off...I may finish this challenge in July)
Tudor Reading Challenge: 4 out of 10
The Doctor Reading Challenge: 0 out of 5 (I just got a whole bunch of Doctor Who ebooks so I'll be completing this challenge)
Reading Romances Challenge : 17 out of 40 (I need to update the post with my review links)
Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge:  20 out of 24. I'll be completing this challenge in July too!