A Parchment of Leaves

2014 Book # 9 for me!

5 stars after just reading it the first time and it will be 5 stars when I read it again as I surely will.
Wonderful book. great writing style. good story. If you've been looking for something refreshing this is your book. I was held captive from prologue to epilogue and wanted more.
Follow the link and read all about it. I don't pretend to be able to write a review.

happy reading!
Babs

Gotta' start again somewhere...

Five Stars

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17159011-white-fire

White Fire is without a doubt one of my favorite Pendergast books. This story is deep and wide going back to one hundred fifty year old murders that had gone unsolved and into present day murders yet to be solved.
Corrie Swanson, introduced to us in "Still Life With Crows", takes center stage in this story putting her forensic and detective skills to work hoping to complete her thesis with the info she gathers.
Mystery, intrigue, multi-layered, old friends, new ones we hope to see again, a bit of the supernatural maybe. With Preston & Child doing the writing, what more could we ask for? I loved it.

I really like James Lee .Burke.His protaganist is human like as we are.He is real. he is flawed. I daresay that there is something in each of us that identifies with the weakness and insecurities  of dave Robisheaux.
I like his books. His words are like poetry sometime, very convicting other times.
Black Cherry Blues took place mostly in Montana. the bitteroots at the foot of the mountains. But thoughts and memories of south Louisiana weren't ever very for from their minds.

Great book to start New Year

Plainsong by Kent Haruf
In Plainsong the writer introduces us to an unlikely group of characters.We find Mr. Guthrie a lonely high school teacher, a pair of boys abandoned by their Mother, a pregnant teenage girl asked to leave her home, and a boyfriend who decides to just leave his pregnant girlfriend behind on her own. And to this mix of characters add two crusty old brothers who have always lived alone minding their business and staying out of every body else's. The author's ability to bring these people together in a story of grace and wisdom and a chorus of voices that find their way into the reader's heart, coupled with the readers ability to connect makes for an unforgettable story. A story we'd like to have more of. I will check this author's other books out for sure. Great way to start a new year!

5 stars

til next book,
Babs

What a mess!

I was so excited about this book blog and know people have checked it out and thought is that the only book she's read this year? NOT! I've read more than I've stitched, but have done less of both all this year. I've been sicker than I've ever been and just seem to have given in but not quite given up :)
Instead of trying to catch you up I'll just throw out some titles and authors that have helped me to cope with the unexpected issues this year.
How about Spare Change by Bette Lee Crosby. It is so good I know I will read it again not because I can't remember the whole entire story. It will be because  the "way" that Bette built the characters, bringing them and the story line together kept me engrossed in the story and the world just went away for awhile.



Louise Penny has captured my mind, that part that loves a good mystery and a protagonist you'd like to know in person :) I began with her first one Still Life which has been made into a movie, and am now reading #6 called Bury Your Dead. That sounds a little gruesome but the story connects to #5 which is
  The Brutal Telling, and that one by far is my favorite.



Hugs and happy reading!
Babs

I was rip roaring ready to go with this reading journal...then I read a book. Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.
This book moved me in such a way that I couldn't find my way into another book.

It is Amir's story, but to me it was Hassan's story and I can not forget that little boy. His heart was overflowing with love and concern for his best friend Amir although Hassan was just a servant to him. There was nothing he wouldn't do for his friend and he suffered greatly because of it.

It is a story that begins right before the Taliban takes over in Afghanistan and travels through the early 80's into San Francisco but the story goes on today.
I'm not going to write a review on this book; I leave that to the amazon link above.

Hassan and Amir

I do recommend it to every one. And I recommend that you don't watch the movie first. I ordered the movie but have not been able to get past the first 20 minutes or so. I ordered the audio too but haven't listened to it.

Until next time,
Babs