What I've Been Watching

Serendipity

Faith Harrington was the classic girl of privilege–until her father was convicted of running a Ponzi scheme and then her marriage crashed and burned.

Now Faith is back in her hometown, hoping for a fresh start. But her father’s betrayal has rocked Serendipity – and not everyone is ready to welcome her with open arms.

Then she runs into her teenage crush — the dark, brooding Ethan Barron.  Ethan, no stranger to scandal himself, never imagined he'd own the mansion on the hill, much less ever again come face-to-face with Faith -- the princess he once kissed senseless.  The chance meeting reignites the electric charge between them.

Still, when Ethan hires her to redecorate what was once her childhood home, Faith is sure that getting involved with the town's notorious bad boy will lead only to trouble.  But her heart has other ideas.  And so do the townspeople of Serendipity...

I picked up this book at the library.  I haven't bought a Carly Phillips book in a very long time, she's been a hit or miss author for me for a while now. I wasn't expecting much, I didn't want to be overly disappointed. Having said that, I was pleasantly surprised on how much I enjoyed the book itself.  I love the idea of a series of books being set in small towns, there's always potential in my opinion.  A small community comes together in good times and bad times, there are festivals and sporting events.  The possibilities are endless!  I like that it's focusing on three brothers, so far, and their relationship with a surprised troubled sibling.  Then you add a strong female to mix and cannot go wrong.


Got to get the next book!


Serendipity by Carly Phillips (3.5/5)  Contemporary Romance; Published: Berkley (9/2011);  Series: # 1,  Serendipity; Library; Books 2012 (15);

Anna and the French Kiss

Anna was looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. So she's less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all ... including a serious girlfriend. 


But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss? Stephanie Perkins keeps the romantic tension crackling and the attraction high in a debut guaranteed to make toes tingle and hearts melt.




I've been meaning to read this book for a very long time.  I first heard of it over at The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader, and Marg does not steer me wrong.  I took it out of the library last summer but never got around to reading it, so I returned it unread. Well, the book caught my attention once again, and this time I was going to go through with it.


I'm not really sure what is happening to me, but lately I've been reading really good books.  You know type.  Those books that you get hooked right at the beginning. Anna and the French Kiss is one of those deliciously addicting books.  I didn't want to put it down.  It was hard to do it too, considering it's March break, but the book was easy enough to carry around with me, so I could sneak a peak every once in a while.


Anna is the daughter of a world famous author, he decides it's time for her to experience some culture, and what wouldn't be better than to sending her to Paris for her senior year of high school.  Anna doesn't think so, she doesn't know the language, she doesn't want to leave her friends and her family and that cute guy that works with her is finally noticing her.   She makes friends quickly enough, the language itself is taking more time than she thought.  She's discovering the city, its history, and experiencing all that the city has to offer, especially the number of theaters that Paris has.


I loved this book.  I think that the author has the teenage feelings and attitude down pat. 


Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (4.5/5)  Young Adult Fiction; Published: Speak (2010); New Author; Library; Books 2012 (14);

Secondhand Spirits

Lily Ivory is not your average witch. Her spell-casting powers tend to draw mischievous spirits while keeping normal humans at a distance. But now her vintage clothing store could give her a chance to make friends in San Francisco....

Lily hopes for a normal life when she opens Aunt Cora's Closet. With her magical knack for vintage fashion -she can sense vibrations of the past from clothing and jewelry—her store becomes a big hit.

But when a client is murdered and children start disappearing from the Bay Area, Lily may be the only one who can unravel the crime. She tries to keep her identity a secret while investigating, but it's not easy—especially under the spells of sexy "mythbuster" Max Carmichael and powerful witch Aidan Rhodes. Will Lily's witchy ways be forced out of the closet?

I'm a sucker for a cosy mystery.  Doesn't really matter if it's a contemporary, a historical, paranormal or themed...I'm the girl to read it.  If I haven't read it yet, I'll  be getting my hands on it sooner or later.  While I was browsing the mystery stacks at the library I found this book along with the 2nd and 3rd book of this series, and they all came home with me.


Lily Ivory is a very talented witch, but she's always been a loner, she doesn't trust easily but she's willing to give a helping hand. She's finally found a place that she can live without feeling watched upon or considered as a freak. She's slowly making friends and building a successful business and then walks in trouble, in the form of a powerful male witch.  She know owns a pot bellied pig, Oscar, who is her familiar.  Soon she's trying to defeat the powerful La Llorona (sp?), a spirit that steals children souls.

I inhaled this book.   It was fast paced, funny and very entertaining.  Not only is the main character interesting the rest of the ensemble are equally engaging.  I really enjoyed reading about the cleansing and ritual spells, mainly because I don't know much of it.  Very fascinating.


Secondhand Spirits by Juliet Blackwell (4.5/5) Paranormal Mystery; Published: Signet (7/2009); New Author; Series: # 1, Witchcraft Mystery; Library; Books 2012 (13) ;

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!

This week I took the kids along to the library with me.  I thought I would be bringing home more books, but the kids surprised me with getting only one book each.  Me, on the other hand got lots of books to keep me busy.  Here's what came home with me:

The Angel in My Arms by Stefanie Sloane.  This book is the second book of the Regency Rogues series.  I read the first book, The Devil in Disguise, recently. You can find my thoughts here.

Sugar Rush by Donna Kauffman.  It's the first book of A Cupcake Club series.

Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale.  I read Austenland ages ago, I remember enjoying and hoping for a sequel of some sort...My thoughts can be found here.

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty.

The Deception of the Emerald Ring by Lauren Willig.  The third book of Willig's Pink Carnation series. I also got the fourth book, The Seduction of the Crimson Rose.

You can join in the fun by visiting here.

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Should Be Reading. Here's how you play:

* Grab your current read.
* Let the book fall open to a random page.
* Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
* You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
* Please avoid spoilers!




This week's teaser (a little more than 2 sentences):

The last time we were together, we kissed.  I can't help but fantasize about our reunion.  Toph picking me out of the crowd, being unable to pry his eyes from me, dedicating songs to me.  Meeting him backstage.  Kissing him in dark corners.  I could be on the verge of an entire winter break spent making out with Toph.  By the time we arrive at the club, my stomach in knots, but in such a good way. ~ taken from page 221, Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

You can join in the fun by visiting here.

The Masque of the Black Tulip

Finding True Love Was Never So Dangerous.

Two hundred years ago, secret documents so sensitive they could alter the course of history were stolen from a courier with the London War Office.  At the scene of the crime, the victim was left a curious note containing only a small black symbol pinned to his chest.  Authorities were baffled.  It took two centuries for a young American history student, Eloise Kelly, to uncover the missing pieces to the puzzle.

As Eloise reads from old an old codebook, she discovers that the Black Tulip, the deadliest spy in Napolean's arsenal, has returned to England with a terrifying mission.  Only a pair of star-crossed lovers stand in the way of the Black Tulip.  But will stopping the Black Tulip's secret mission cost them their lives, or even worse, their love?

Have you ever read a book that you just couldn't put down? Well, this is the second book in a little over a week that I've read in one sitting.  I'm losing sleep but I'm not complaining, I'm not allowed to according to the husband.


In this book we  find Eloise and Selwick in the ancestral home so she can do research on the Pink Carnation, there she finds some correspondence that mentions the Black Tulip, an infamous spy for Napolean.  At this point of the story Miles and Henrietta enter, and I was hooked... Miles and Hen are Richard's best friend and younger sister, they have deep feeling for each other but they just do not know how deep those feelings are until they are both in jeopardy.


This book had a little bit of everything, historical fiction, romance, and spy intrigue (not as much as the first book).  As much as I enjoyed the first book, I like this one more.  I found Miles and Hen more compatible than the previous couple, they had a sweetness that was endearing or it could have been just them being such great friends.


On the identity of the Black Tulip, I had a few guesses along the way, but in the I was completely
I was wrong.  Ah well...


The Masque of the Black Tulip by Lauren Willig (5/5) Historical Fiction; Dutton Adult (12/2005); Series: # 2, The Pink Carnation; Favourite Reads; Library; Books 2012 (12);

February in Review

February was quite the month:  I got back into the groove of things, my reading picked up(yay), celebrated a very low key Valentine's Day, started re-doing the girl's room, striping furniture and staining it, and was floored along with the rest of the world with Whitney Houston's death.


Television wise, I found American Idol's auditions to drag on forever! I'm looking forward to Dancing with the Stars. The husband has been watching Walking Dead, I tried watching it but it freaks me out, so he watches that alone. One show that both the husband and I agree with is Boardwalk Empire, we're still watching the first season. As a family we've been (re)watching Chuck Season 1, Amazing Race, and a whole bunch of kids shows on Netflx.  We also watched a lot of movies, mostly at home, but we managed to go to the theatre a couple of times.  We took the kids to watch Journey 2, and the husband and I watched This Means War.  (I love Tom Hardy!)


Here are the list of books that I read:


Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safron Foer 
To Catch a Leaf by Kate Collins 
The Wicked Duke Takes a Wife by Jillian Hunter
The Devil in Disguise by Stefanie Sloane
Out of Body by Stella Cameron
Breaking Point by Pamela Clare

My Life in France

Julia Child singlehandedly awakened America to the pleasures of good cooking with her cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking and her television show The French Chef, but as she reveals in this bestselling memoir, she didn't know the first thing about cooking when she landed in France.

Indeed, when she first arrived in France in 1948 with her husband, Paul, she spoke no French and knew nothing about the country itself.  But as she dove into French culture, buying food at local markets and taking classes at the Cordon Bleu, her life changed forever.  Julia's unforgettable story unfolds with the spirit so key to her success as a cook and teacher and writer; brilliantly capturing one of the most endearing American personalities of the last fifty years.

When I grow up I want to be like Julia Child!  She was quite a woman!


I think I've always been a fan. I remember watching her shows on PBS, leafing through my mother's copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and wishing that someday I would be comfortable in the kitchen to create these mouth watering recipes.  I haven't mastered cooking yet.  I love to cook, but my experimenting is very limited at the moment, my children are super fussy eaters.  I'm hoping that in the next few years their palates will be more receptive to new tastes and they will be more acceptable to trying new things.


I've watched Julie & Julia, and loved seeing Julie's struggle and achievement of MTAOFC.  And I also read the book, Julie & Julia: 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen by Julie Powell.  You can find my thoughts on the book, here.  When we visited Washington, DC, a few years back I made a point of visiting Julia Child's kitchen at the National Museum of American History, and I have a picture to prove it, too.


It was only a matter of time until I got my hands on this book.  I have this problem about "reviewing" memoirs.  How can I review someone's memories, life?  I can tell you that the book itself was a great read and Julia Child seemed to have a wonderful time discovering her culinary gift. I can also tell you that this book left me very hungry at times.


My Life in France by Julia Child with Alex Prud'homme (4.5/5) Memoir; Published: Anchor Books (10/2007); Books 2012(11);

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!

I had to return a bunch of books, unfortunately I wasn't able to renew them because other people were waiting, but I'm sure I'll be seeing them again very soon.


Here's my loot:

You can join in the fun by visiting here.

It Takes a Witch

Darcy Merriweather and her sister, Harper, hail from a long line of witches who have the power to grant wishes using spells.  They've come to Enchanted Village in Salem, Massachusetts, to join the family business, but they soon find themselves knee-deep in murder....

Until three weeks ago, Darcy and Harper were working dead-end jobs and trying to put their troubles behind them.  Then their aunt Velma delivered a bombshell: They're actually Wishcrafters - witches with the power to grant wishes with a mere spell.  Wanting a fresh start, they head to their aunt's magic-themed tourist town to master their new found skills.

But their magic fails them when a wannabe witch turns up dead - strangled with Aunt Ve's scarf - and Ve's sweetheart, Sylar, is found looming over the dead body.  Ve is standing by her man, but Darcy overheard Sylar wish that the victim would disappear - forever.  With Harper distracted by her handsome new crush, Darcy is determined to to sleuth her way to the truth.  But it'll take more than a wish to unravel this mystery....

This book should have had a disclaimer on the cover: Do not start reading before bed. It may keep you up all night.  And it did, too.  Once I began the book I couldn't put it down and yes I was up until 3ish this morning.  I cannot complain.  The book is very good.  Me, on the other hand, not so much.  I've been dragging my feet all day long.  Yes, I'm tired but I got to read a really book.


Darcy and Harper are new to Enchanted Village and to the Craft.  They go about their daily life slowly adjusting to a new place and their gift, they're learning the rules and secrecy of having this gift.  Along the way they meet interesting people and I got a feeling that this series entourage with be awesome.  The main character, Darcy, is very likable, she's going through an adjustment period her life, she's newly divorced and she's sworn off man.  Until she meets Nick.  He too has some issues, he's a single dad raising a daughter.  Oh yeah, they're attracted to each other, and I just know that the author will stretch this romance for a few books. Hehehe.  There are a bunch of other interesting people, Evan and Starla, Aunt Ve, Pepe, Mrs P, and  Arthur.   The mystery itself was a very well written.  I truly could not guess who could have killed Alex.  It seemed like the list a growing constantly.  And I was very surprised on who the murderer was.


I have just one little problem.  I have to wait until August for the next book in the series.


It Takes a Witch by Heather Blake (5/5) Paranormal Mystery; Published: Obsidian Mystery (1/2012); New Author; Favorite Read 2012; Series: # 1, Wishcraft Mystery; Library; Books 2012 (10);

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Should Be Reading. Here's how you play:

* Grab your current read.
* Let the book fall open to a random page.
* Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
* You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
* Please avoid spoilers!


My teaser:

We finished with (and were finished off by) a rich and creamy dessert called prune, for which the cheerful chef joined us.  It was an extraordinary meal.  And by its conclusion we were utterly flooded with a soft, warm, glowing pleasure.   ~ taken from page 49, My Life in France by Julia Child with Alex Prud'homme

You can join in the fun by visiting here.