Throwback and the Review Pile ~ 8/31/12

The read and the unread.

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We hope to be able to bring attention to some older titles (released 5 or more years ago) that may not be at the top of the current bestseller list, but still deserve a spot in your To-Be-Read pile.

"A Tree Grows in Brooklyn"

Author:  Betty Smith

Publication Date: 1989

The beloved American classic about a young girl's coming-of-age at the turn of the century, Betty Smith's A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a poignant and moving tale filled with compassion and cruelty, laughter and heartache, crowded with life and people and incident. The story of young, sensitive, and idealistic Francie Nolan and her bittersweet formative years in the slums of Williamsburg has enchanted and inspired millions of readers for more than sixty years. By turns overwhelming, sublime, heartbreaking, and uplifting, the daily experiences of the unforgettable Nolans are raw with honesty and tenderly threaded with family connectedness -- in a work of literary art that brilliantly captures a unique time and place as well as incredibly rich moments of universal experience.

I remember when I plucked this book of the library shelf as a kid thinking, "Don't trees grow everywhere?"  I was quite taken aback by the title.  Of course, I'm a country kid so reading about life in the city was a new experience for me.  This was one of my first tastes of a life so different from my own.

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From the Review Pile is hosted by Stepping Out of the Page every Thursday.

The aim is to showcase books that you've received but haven't yet got around to reading.

"River's End"
Series:  The Inn at Shining Waters
Author:  Melody Carlson

Publication Date:  8/1/2012

In the final story of The Inn at Shining Waters, Anna Larson's granddaughter Sarah is beginning to find her independence. But her relationship with her parents suffer as a result and she travels away from all that is familiar.

While the solace of the river calls Sarah back, surprises await upon her return. Three generations of family heartbreak and disappointments converge at Shining Waters as Sarah finds God right in the center of it all. 

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I look forward to getting lots of great book ideas for my TBR from everyone's Throwbacks and Review Pile.

Happy Reading!

Throwback and the Review Pile ~ 8/23/12

The read and the unread.

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We hope to be able to bring attention to some older titles (released 5 or more years ago) that may not be at the top of the current bestseller list, but still deserve a spot in your To-Be-Read pile.

"The Secret Garden"

Author:  Frances Hodgson Burnett

Publication Date: 7/1/1990

What secrets lie behind the doors at Misselthwaite manor? Recently arrived at her uncle's estate, orphaned mary Lennox is spoiled, sickly, and certain she won't enjoy living there. Then she discovers the arched doorway into an overgrown garden, shut up since the death of her aunt ten years earlier. Mary soon begins transforming it into a thing of beauty--unaware that she is changing too.

But Missalthwaite hides another secret, as Mary discovers one night. High in a dark room, away from the rest of the house, lies her young cousin Colin, who believes he is an incurable invalid, destined to die young. His tantrums are so frightful, no one can reason with him. If only, Mary hopes, she can get Colin to love the secret garden as much as she does, its magic wil work wonders on him.

I loved this book!  And the movie.  They are both worth taking the time to read and watch :)

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From the Review Pile is hosted by Stepping Out of the Page every Thursday.

The aim is to showcase books that you've received but haven't yet got around to reading.

"Taming the Wind"
Series:  Land of the Lone Star
Author:  Tracie Peterson

Publication Date:  9/1/2012

 When Cassie Lowe goes to live with her sister in the years following the Civil War, she is reacquainted with a man who once saved her life, Tyler Atherton. But Cassie is no longer the lighthearted young woman he once knew. She is now a widow with a young daughter, and she is nursing the disappointments and hurts from a difficult marriage. Though she longs to open her heart again, she is bound by fear and mistrust.

Tyler has demons of his own. Still haunted by the knowledge that his father was murdered by Comanches, he puts all his focus on reclaiming his inheritance: the ranch stolen from his family as punishment for his fighting for the Confederacy. With his affection for Cassie growing, he longs to provide a home and future for her and her daughter.

Though yearning to pledge their love, both Cassie and Tyler struggle to conquer their fears. Will Indian attacks, post-war renegades, and the hardship of life on the Texas plains destroy their future? Or will they find the strength to surrender their wills to God...and embrace his perfect plan?

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I look forward to getting lots of great book ideas for my TBR from everyone's Throwbacks and Review Pile.

Happy Reading!

Throwback and the Review Pile ~ 8/2/12

The read and the unread.

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We hope to be able to bring attention to some older titles (released 5 or more years ago) that may not be at the top of the current bestseller list, but still deserve a spot in your To-Be-Read pile.

"Harriet the Spy"

Author:  Louise Fitzhugh

Publication Date: 5/15/1978

Harriet M. Welsch is a spy. In her notebook, she writes down everything she knows about everyone, even her classmates and her best friends. Then Harriet loses track of her notebook, and it ends up in the wrong hands. Before she can stop them, her friends have read the always truthful, sometimes awful things she?s written about each of them. Will Harriet find a way to put her life and her friendships back together?

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From the Review Pile is hosted by Stepping Out of the Page every Thursday.

The aim is to showcase books that you've received but haven't yet got around to reading.

"Chasing Fire"
Series:  N/A
Author:  Nora Roberts

Publication Date:  4/3/2012

The number-one New York Times-bestselling author delves into the world of elite firefighters who thrive on danger and adrenaline -- men and women who wouldn't know how to live life if it wasn't on the edge. — There's little as thrilling as firefighting -- at least to Rowan Tripp. The Missoula smoke jumpers are in Rowan's blood: her father is a legend. She's been fighting fires since her eighteenth birthday. At this point, returning to the wilds of Montana for the season feels like coming home -- even with reminders of the partner she lost last season still lingering in the air.


Fortunately, this year's rookie crop is one of the strongest ever -- and Gulliver Curry's one of the best. He's also a walking contradiction, a hotshot firefighter with a big vocabulary and a winter job at a kids' arcade. And though Rowan, as a rule, doesn't hook up with other smoke jumpers, Gull is convinced he can change her mind...

But everything is thrown off balance when a dark presence lashes out against Rowan, looking to blame someone for last year's tragedy. Rowan knows she can't complicate things with Gull -- any distractions in the air or on the ground could mean the end -- but if she doesn't find someone she can lean on, she may not make it through the summer. . .

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I look forward to getting lots of great book ideas for my TBR from everyone's Throwbacks and Review Pile.

Happy Reading!

Throwback and the Review Pile ~ 7/26/12

The read and the unread.

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We hope to be able to bring attention to some older titles (released 5 or more years ago) that may not be at the top of the current bestseller list, but still deserve a spot in your To-Be-Read pile.

"The Outsiders"

Author:  S.E. Hinton

Publication Date: 10/15/1968

Yes, I read the book before I saw the movie :)

Ponyboy is fourteen, tough and confused, yet sensitive behind his bold front. Since his parents' death, his loyalties have been to his brothers and his gang, the rough, swinging, long-haired boys from the wrong side of the tracks. When his best friend, Johnny, kills a member of a rival gang, a nightmare of violence begins and swiftly envelops Ponyboy in a turbulent chain of events.  

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From the Review Pile is hosted by Stepping Out of the Page every Thursday.

The aim is to showcase books that you've received but haven't yet got around to reading.

"The Chase"
Series:  Crime Scene Houston Book 1
Author:  DiAnn Mills

Publication Date:  3/27/2012

To the FBI it's a cold case. To Kariss Walker it's a hot idea that could either reshape or ruin her writing career. And it's a burning mission to revisit an event she can never forget. Five years ago, an unidentified little girl was found starved to death in the woods behind a Houston apartment complex. A TV news anchor at the time, Kariss reported on the terrifying case. Today, as a New York Times bestselling author, Kariss intends to turn the unsolved mystery into a suspense novel. Enlisting the help of FBI Special Agent Tigo Harris, Kariss succeeds in getting the case reopened. But the search for the dead girl's missing mother yields a discovery that plunges the partners into a witch's brew of danger. The old crime lives on in more ways than either of them could ever imagine. Will Kariss's pursuit of her dream as a writer carry a deadly price tag? Drawing from a real-life cold case, bestselling novelist DiAnn Mills presents a taut collage of suspense, faith, and romance in The Chase.

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I look forward to getting lots of great book ideas for my TBR from everyone's Throwbacks and Review Pile.

Happy Reading!

Throwback and the Review Pile ~ 7/19/12

The read and the unread.

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We hope to be able to bring attention to some older titles (released 5 or more years ago) that may not be at the top of the current bestseller list, but still deserve a spot in your To-Be-Read pile.

"Tex"

Author:  S.E. Hinton

Publication Date: 6/1982

I remember this book like it was yesterday!

Easygoing, thoughtless, and direct, Tex at fifteen likes everyone and everything, especially his rambling rodeo-riding father; his horse, Negrito; and Johnny Collins's blue-eyed sister, Jamie. He thinks life with his older brother in their ramshackle house would be just about perfect if only Mace would stop complaining about Pop and forget all his schemes to leave Oklahoma.

When Pop stays away too long and forgets to send money altogether, Mace starts to rule the house with an iron fist. Even worse, he reveals a fact about Tex that ends his easygoing days forever.
  

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From the Review Pile is hosted by Stepping Out of the Page every Thursday.

The aim is to showcase books that you've received but haven't yet got around to reading.

"Not This Time"
Series:  Crossroads Crisis CenterBook 3

Author:  Vicki Hinze

Publication Date:  2/21/2012

Relationships are fragile things, especially at Crossroads Crisis Center. Beth believes her best friend and business partner, Sara, is married to an unscrupulous man. Sara disagrees, and the resulting friction between the two women becomes almost unbearable for Beth. Tensions rise even more when Sara's husband goes missing and is presumed dead -- and Beth appears guilty of his murder.

In her attempt to prove herself innocent and help Sara see the truth, Beth calls on Joe, a special ops member and a man she loves although she shouldn't. Together, they discover an international link to NINA, the most feared terrorist group in the world, and realize the head of the group is among their closest friends; but which one?

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I look forward to getting lots of great book ideas for my TBR from everyone's Throwbacks and Review Pile.

Happy Reading!

Throwback and the Review Pile ~ 7/12/12

The read and the unread.

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We hope to be able to bring attention to some older titles (released 5 or more years ago) that may not be at the top of the current bestseller list, but still deserve a spot in your To-Be-Read pile.

"Kumquat May, I'll Always Love You"
Author:  Cynthia D. Grant

Publication Date: 3/1/1987

I absolutley loved this book!

Livvy's widowed mother wandered out of Livvy's life two years before , when Livvy was 14. With the help of her friend, Rosella, Livvy has been able to keep her neighbors in the town of Kumquat from realizing that Luna Lee is gone. Because she has a car, a small income, a big isolated house and a canny ability to maintain her mother's routine, Livvy has managed to avoid the dreaded fate of living with her pompous uncle and his unpleasant family.

When an old school friend, Raymond Mooney, moves back to town, his presence threatens Livvy's friendship with Rosella and, worse, threatens the fragile network of lies Livvy has created. Despite the too-clever title and the too-smooth-to-be-believed Raymond, this is an engaging and unusual survival story. Livvy is a staunch and likable heroine who makes the very best she can of a life in shambles. Her realization that no one pays much attention to anyone else works all too well for most of the townspeople, but she is fortunate in her friendships with Rosella and with a gruff elderly man named Dave.  

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From the Review Pile is hosted by Stepping Out of the Page every Thursday.

The aim is to showcase books that you've received but haven't yet got around to reading.

 

"Her Inheritance Forever"
Series:  Texas Star of Destiny Book 2

Author:  Lyn Cote

Publication Date:  2/17/2010

In 1836 Texas, Alandra Sandoval is the lady of Rancho Sandoval, determined to prove to a doubting world that a woman alone can run a ranch as well as any man. But when Comanches attack her ranch and kidnap her, Alandra must admit she needs protection. A top hand at a nearby ranch, Scully Falconer, is chosen for the task and though Alandra tries to pretend she doesn't need his help, he quietly stays by her side.

Though they believe their paths to be worlds apart, the rugged American cowboy with a troubled past and the proud lady of Mexican descent are united when Alandra's greedy relatives burst into their lives. And when General Santa Anna's army crosses the Rio Grande—marching toward a rendezvous with destiny at the Alamo—Alandra and Scully are swept up together in the tide of history...and their world will never be the same.

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I look forward to getting lots of great book ideas for my TBR from everyone's Throwbacks and Review Pile.

Happy Reading!

Throwback and the Review Pile ~ 7/5/12

The read and the unread.

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We hope to be able to bring attention to some older titles (released 5 or more years ago) that may not be at the top of the current bestseller list, but still deserve a spot in your To-Be-Read pile.

"Echoes"
Series:  The Glenbrooke Series Book 3

Author:  Robin Jones Gunn

Publication Date: 1999

In this dramatic contemporary romance by bestselling author Robin Jones Gunn, Lauren Phillips enters the wild, uncharted territory of the Internet on her home computer and "connects" with a man known only as "K.C." As she struggles to recover from a broken engagement, Lauren keeps busy by working full time and striving to finish her college degree. But her correspondence with K.C. quickly becomes the thing she loves most...and the source of dreams she cannot bear to relinquish. When the opportunity comes for them to meet after a year of corresponding, Lauren faces a tough choice: Is she willing to risk everything...including a broken heart?  

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From the Review Pile is hosted by Stepping Out of the Page every Thursday.

The aim is to showcase books that you've received but haven't yet got around to reading.

"Maggie Rose"
Series:  Daughters of Jacob Kane Book 2

Author:  Sharlene MacLaren

Publication Date:  6/8/2009

The year is 1904, and Maggie Rose, the spunky, friendly, twenty-year-old middle daughter of Michigan resident Jacob Kane, feels compelled to leave her beloved hometown of Sandy Shores to pursue what she feels in her heart are God's plans for her life - in New York City. Maggie Rose adjusts to her new life at Sheltering Arms Refuge, an orphanage that also transports homeless children to towns across the United States to match them with compatible families.

Most of the children have painful pasts that make Maggie aghast, but she marvels at their resiliency. As she gets to know each child, her heart blossoms with new depths of love and compassion. When a newspaper reporter comes to stay at the orphanage in order to gather research for an article, Maggie is struck by his handsome face-and concerned by his lack of faith. She can't deny their mutual affections, though. Will she win the struggle to maintain her focus on God and remain attuned to His guidance?

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I look forward to getting lots of great book ideas for my TBR from everyone's Throwbacks and Review Pile.

Happy Reading!

Throwback and the Review Pile ~ 6/28/12

The read and the unread.

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We hope to be able to bring attention to some older titles (released 5 or more years ago) that may not be at the top of the current bestseller list, but still deserve a spot in your To-Be-Read pile.

"Secrets" The Glenbrooke Series Book 1

Author:  Robin Jones Gunn

Publication Date: 1999

Beginning her new life in a small Oregon town, high school English teacher Jessica tries desperately to hide the details of her past. Yet two individuals remain determined to discover the painful truth: the jealous woman who is Jessica's immediate superior, and Kyle Buchanan, a handsome, compassionate paramedic and dreamer. Will Jessica's past destroy her future? Or can she find a deeper peace that will end her need to keep Secrets?

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From the Review Pile is hosted by Stepping Out of the Page every Thursday.

The aim is to showcase books that you've received but haven't yet got around to reading.

"Scattered Petals" Texas Dreams Book 2

Author:  Amanda Cabot

Publication Date:  3/1/2010

Longing for adventure, Priscilla Morton leaves Boston and heads for Texas, never dreaming that the adventure she seeks will leave her badly injured and her parents dead. Priscilla is determined to rebuild her life and make a home for herself in the beautiful Hill Country. But the bandits who took her parents' lives also destroyed her hope for the future.

Ranch foreman Zachary Webster knows what the future holds for him, and it's not a woman like Priscilla. She deserves a cultured East Coast gentleman, not a cowboy who's haunted by memories of his mistakes. The best thing he can do is leave her alone. When necessity draws them together, Priscilla and Zach begin to forge a life that, like the scattered petals of her childhood, is filled with promise. But then the past intrudes, threatening their very existence.

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I look forward to getting lots of great book ideas for my TBR from everyone's Throwbacks and Review Pile.

Happy Reading!

Throwback and the Review Pile ~ 6/21/12

The read and the unread.

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We hope to be able to bring attention to some older titles (released 5 or more years ago) that may not be at the top of the current bestseller list, but still deserve a spot in your To-Be-Read pile.

"Whispers" The Glenbrooke Series Book 2
Author:  Robin Jones Gunn
Publication Date: 1999

Teri went to Maui hoping to start a relationship with one special man. But romance becomes much more complicated when she finds herself pursued by three men: the handsome marine biologist who brought her to the islands, a charming old crush from high school, and a clumsy, endearing Australian with a wild past.

Swept up by her feelings, yet determined to make the right choice, Teri discovers a powerful truth about where God's law ends and His grace begins. Readers will keep the pages turning to find out Teri's response to the gentle Whispers in her heart. This bestselling former Palisades release is the second book in the new Glenbrooke series.

I just finished the latest release from Robin Jones Gunn, "Under a Maui Moon" so I thought I'd go back to one of the first book I read of Robin's for today's throwback.  This whole series is really good!

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From the Review Pile is hosted by Stepping Out of the Page every Thursday.

The aim is to showcase books that you've received but haven't yet got around to reading.

"Wildflower Bride" Montana Marriages Book 3

Author:  Mary Connealy

Publication Date:  5/2010

Welcome to the wilds of Montana, where humor, romance, and suspense ride the range. Glowing Sun, a white woman raised by the Flathead tribe, has vague memories of her former life, including a name - Abby Lind. When she's forced to sever all links with her adopted Shoshone family, Abby wonders if she'll ever find a home again.

Tenderhearted Wade Sawyer, responsible for Abby's survival during the village massacre, convinces the knife-wielding woman to return with him to the Sawyer Ranch, never realizing danger lurks behind every corner. Can they survive long enough to fall in love? 

I'm going to be reading this book hopefully within the next few days as part of the Wicked Wildfire Read-A-Thon and also to finish up a series for "All Series, All Summer 2012".  I really, really liked books 1 and 2 of this series.  I don't know why I haven't gotten around to reading this book sooner other than the fact that there are so many books and so little time!

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I look forward to getting lots of great book ideas for my TBR from everyone's Throwbacks and Review Pile.

Happy Reading!

Throwbacks & the Review Pile ~ 5/31/12

Out with the old, in with the new?  Not anymore!

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We hope to be able to bring attention to some older titles (released 5 or more years ago) that may not be at the top of the current bestseller list, but still deserve a spot in your To-Be-Read pile.

"To Sir Phillip, With Love" Bridgerton Family Book 5
Author:  Julia Quinn
Publication Date: 2003

Sir Phillip knew that Eloise Bridgerton was a spinster, and so he'd proposed, figuring that she'd be homely and unassuming, and more than a little desperate for an offer of marriage. Except… she wasn't. The beautiful woman on his doorstep was anything but quiet, and when she stopped talking long enough to close her mouth, all ... he wanted to do was kiss her…and more.

Did he think she was mad? Eloise Bridgerton couldn't marry a man she had never met! But then she started thinking…and wondering… and before she knew it, she was in a hired carriage in the middle of the night, on her way to meet the man she hoped might be her perfect match. Except…he wasn't.

Her perfect husband wouldn't be so moody and ill-mannered, and while Phillip was certainly handsome, he was a large brute of a man, rough and rugged, and totally unlike the London gentlemen vying for her hand. But when he smiled…and when he kissed her…the rest of the world simply fell away, and she couldn't help but wonder…could this imperfect man be perfect for her? 

This was the very first book I read by Julia Quinn and I fell in love with the Bridgerton Family.  I think it happened when Eloise's brothers came to "rescue" her.  I then had to go back and read every book Julia had written and I've read every one since.  I don't read much mainstream romance anymore, but this is one author that is on my must-read list.

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From the Review Pile is hosted by Stepping Out of the Page every Thursday.

The aim is to showcase books that you've received but haven't yet got around to reading.

 

"Masquerade"

Author:  Nancy Moser

Publication Date:  8/2010

Adventure, Romance, and a Risky Charade in 19th-Century New York City. — 1886, New York City: Charlotte Gleason, a rich heiress from England, escapes a family crisis by traveling to America in order to marry the even wealthier Conrad Tremaine. She soon decides that an arranged marriage is not for her and persuades her maid, Dora, to take her place. What begins as the whim of a spoiled rich girl wanting adventure becomes a test of survival amid poverty beyond Charlotte's blackest nightmares.

As for Dora, she lives a fairy tale complete with gowns, jewels, and lavish mansions -- yet is tormented by guilt and the presence of another love that will not die. Will their masquerade be discovered? Will one of them have second thoughts?
There is no guarantee the switch will work. It's a risk. It's the chance of a lifetime.

I love the premise of this book and adore the cover.  I just haven't gotten around to reading it yet.  Maybe I'll move it to the top of my pile and try to read it this week.

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I look forward to getting lots of great book ideas for my TBR from everyone's Throwbacks and Review Pile.

Happy Reading!