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Home to Holly Springs

Can you really go back home? Father Timothy Kavanagh isn't too sure, but he's willing to try. He hasn't been home in over thirty years, and probably wouldn't have gone but his curiosity was sparked by a note that he received that only had "Come home".

Here's the blurb:

Sometimes a trip back home becomes a journey of the soul.

After more than thirty-eight years, Father Tim Kavanagh returns to his childhood home of Holly Springs, Mississippi, on a profoundly personal journey.

Whatever became of Tommy Noles, his forbidden childhood friend, and Peggy, the loving woman who was like a second mother? What were the facts behind he court trial that drove the Kavanagh family even further apart?

He figures Thomas Wolfe was right: You can't go home again. Then he discovers the truth: A surprising number of old connections have miraculously survived time and neglect.

In this first of the Father Tim novels, Jan Karon takes her celebrated Mitford character to territory he has long avoided, the uncharted territory of family, giving us a spellbinding and poignant narrative laced with the wisdom and forgiveness only a trip back home can inspire.

Thirty-eight years have passed since Father Tim Kavanagh left his Mississippi hometown, determined not to return.

Then he receives a handwritten note postmarked Holly Springs. Cryptic and unsigned, it says only Come home.

These two words compel him to make the most disturbing journey of his life. They also lead him to a truth that will change his life - forever.

I'm a huge fan of the Mitford series by Jan Karon. And I was very to happy to learn that she was continuing the series with Father Tim, so I can get my fix every once in a while. Alright I admit it's almost addiction like affection that I have for the character, but he's the type of person I would love to become, kind, insightful, forgiving and not afraid to admit when he's wrong. Well something to work on the new year.

It's beautifully written, it's faced paced and it's inter-laced with Father Tim's memories, which is the icing on the cake.

If you haven't read Jan Karon yet, what are you waiting for?

Home To Holly Springs by Jan Karon (4.5/5) General Fiction; Published: 10/07, Viking Adult; Series: # 1, The Father Tim Novels; Library book; Added to shopping list.

Library Visit:

I needed to get kids out of the house and doing something other than playing video games, so we went to the library. They both got a bunch of books after playing with the library's multimedia. (I know, the whole purpose was to get them off the computer!) But they're very resilient, they asked the librarians for help. lol

Anyway, here's what I brought home with me:

4th of July by James Patterson
The Last Camel Died at Noon by Elizabeth Peters
Home To Holly Springs Jan Karon
For The Sake of Elena by Elizabeth George
The Water Room by Christopher Fowler

First book of the New Year

"You can't go wrong with a Carly Phillips book." At least that was what the sales clerk said at the bookstore, and I took her word for it.

Here's the blurb:

On the outside, Molly Gifford has it all — a hot legal career and Daniel Hunter, her equally hot boyfriend. But what she really wants is a family. So when she discovers her real father, she doesn't hesitate to pack her bags. Even though it means leaving her old life behind.

A year later Daniel Hunter's still trying to get on with his life. Then Molly shows up at his door, begging for help. Her newfound father is under arrest for murder, and she's convinced Hunter is the only attorney with the skill and reputation to get him off.

Hunter can't resist helping an innocent man. But this time he'll be the one walking away — even if it breaks both their hearts to do it...

I do agree with the sales clerk, Carly Phillips did hit the spot, but I found although the story was good, it was a little too sweet for my taste. I enjoyed the characters, and their extended "family", but I wanted a little more grit, I wanted the characters to be a little more dimensional.

Come on now, they were dealing with a serious problem, but it seemed that they had everything figured out very quickly and don't get me started on on how quick Molly and Hunter got together, considering on they were acting in the previous book, Cross My Heart.

I may be exaggerating a bit (okay maybe a lot), but I was expecting something more, especially when I know and enjoy the author's previous work. Is it so bad to expect something more?!

Sealed with a Kiss by Carly Phillips (2.5/5) Contemporary Romance; Published: 10/07; Series: #2, Ty and Hunter Stories;

A New (to me) YouTube Gem

OMGosh I'm addicted to YouTube. I love this one...I just had to share it. Enjoy!

Happy 2008!

What Do The Holidays Mean To You?

What The Holidays Mean to You

For you, the holidays are about emotional connections and bonds. You are happiest being around those you love. You celebrate the holidays in a minimalist style. You are likely to only give one great present and decorate your house with a few special items. During the holidays, you feel magical. You love all of the decorations and how happy people are. You like to sit back and take it all in. You think the holidays should be comforting and relaxing. You don't like the holiday rush... you just like the simple pleasure of the holidays. Your best holiday memories are warm and intimate. You remember special moments more than gifts or parties.

What Do the Holidays Mean to You?

Dallas Does It Again

Eve Dallas is by far my favorite fictional female character! Ever! I absolutely love her. Strong, independent, and a kick ass attitude. When I grow up I want to be Eve Dallas! And I want Roarke too!

Here's the blurb of the latest book of the series:

NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas keeps the streets of a near-future New York City safe in this extraordinary series. But even she makes mistakes, and is haunted by those she couldn't save-and the killers she couldn't capture. When the body of a young brunette is found in East River Park, artfully positioned and marked by signs of prolonged and painful torture, Eve is catapulted back to a case nine years earlier. The city was on edge from a killing spree that took the lives of four women in fifteen days, courtesy of a man the media tagged "The Groom"-because he put silver rings on the fingers of his victims.

When it turns out that the young brunette was employed by Eve's billionaire husband, Roarke, she brings him in on the case-a move that proves fitting when it becomes chillingly clear that the killer has made his attack personal. The victim was washed in products from a store Roarke owns, and laid out on a sheet his company manufactures.

With the Groom's monstrous return, Eve is determined to finish him once and for all. Familiar with his methods, Eve knows that he has already grabbed his next victim. Time is running out on another woman's life.

And chances are he's working up to the biggest challenge of his illustrious career-abducting a woman who will test his skills and who promises to give him days and days of pleasure before she dies: Eve.

Like the rest of the series, this one has the usual fast pace of J.D. Robb. The usual "suspects", I mean, characters, were present: Roarke, Peabody, Feeney, Mira, McNab and Sommerset. And as usual I found the Sommerset and Dallas scenes were "scene stealer's". I wanted more Sommerset!

I'm not going to go any deeper than this, because I don't want to spoil the plot. If you haven't read this book yet, you NEED to! I enjoyed it that much!

Rate: 4.5/5, Library book

Barefoot

I discovered this book at the library. Just one of those trips, browsing around while waiting for my children's program to end. I admit the cover was what attracted me to the book but the sign that was above the shelf helped a bit too. That sign said: "Have You Discovered A Gem Lately?".

Here's the blurb for Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand:

It's summer on Nantucket, and as the season begins, three women arrive at the local airport, observed by Josh, a local boy, home from college. Burdened with small children, unwieldy straw hats, and some obvious emotional issues, the women--two sisters and one friend--make their way tothe sisters' tiny cottage, inherited from an aunt. They're all trying to escape from something: Melanie, after seven failed in-vitro attempts, discovered her husband's infidelity and then her own pregnancy; Brenda embarked on a passionate affair with an older student that got her fired from her prestigious job as a professor in New York; and her sister Vickie, mother to two small boys, has been diagnosed with cancer. Soon Josh is part of the chaotic household, acting as babysitter, confidant, and, eventually, something more, while the women confront their pasts and map out their futures.

Although all three women all going through their own problems, the only one that really grabbed me was Vickie's. She battling cancer, she has two small children, and for some reason it really hit home. I found her character believable, her struggle, and at times her inability to cope with her future or the lack thereof, felt so true. How can she do all she needs to do in one summer? Will the chemo help? How do you say goodbye to the people that you love the most?

This was my first book by the author, and although I didn't find it stellar, I enjoyed it. And I will definitely be looking at her other titles.

Rate: 4/5, Library book

Which of Santa's Reindeer Are You?

You Are Dancer

Carefree and fun, you always find reasons to do a happy dance. Why You're Naughty: That dark stint you had as Santa's private dancer. Why You're Nice: You're friendly. Very friendly.

Which of Santa's Reindeer Are You?

It came!

It's here.

I'll be having a Sissi marathon....

The Sweater

Finally finished hubby's sweater!



I'm off to the next project...