No "Room" for "The Noel Stranger" To Get "Tied Up In Tinsel"!

I admit that there have been a few books over the years that I either didn't enjoy ("What If God Were The Sun" by John Edward) or were just so horrible that I couldn't finish
("The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure" by William Goldman.  The movie was way better).  "Room" by Emma Donoghue falls into the latter category.  It was so boring, I don't think I got past the first 50 pages. As the saying goes, "Everything ain't for everybody!"   That being said, I can't wait to take a "journey" through the latest novel by Richard Paul Evans, "The Noel Stranger."  (I just picked it up yesterday!!!!!!!)

Maggie Walther feels like her world is imploding. Publicly humiliated after her husband, a local councilman, is arrested for bigamy, and her subsequent divorce, she has isolated herself from the world. When her only friend insists that Maggie climb out of her hole, and embrace the season to get her out of her funk, Maggie decides to put up a Christmas tree and heads off to buy one—albeit reluctantly. She is immediately taken by Andrew, the kind, handsome man who owns the Christmas tree lot and delivers her tree. She soon learns that Andrew is single and new to her city and, like her, is also starting his life anew.

As their friendship develops, Maggie slowly begins to trust again—something she never thought possible. Then, just when she thinks she has finally found happiness, she discovers a dark secret from Andrew’s past. Is there more to this stranger’s truth than meets the eye?  There's only one way for me to answer that question.....It's time for me to take a "journey" through "The Noel Stranger!"  I should, according to pattern, need a few tissues be able to get throughthis book within a week or two.  This gives me enough time to FINALLY finish "Tied Up In Tinsel" by Ngaio Marsh.  I keep starting it, but end up misplacing it before I'm through reading the first chapter!  Things are going to be different this year!  I will read "Tied Up In Tinsel" from beginning to end, and I will blog about it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Holed up at Hilary Bill-Tasman's manor estate for Christmas, Troy Alleyn is to paint the man's portrait and, while she's there, view the Druid Christmas pageant. Along with a pack of eccentric guests, Troy enjoys the festivities-- until one of the pageant's players mysteriously disappears into the snowy night. Did the hired help-- each a paroled murderer from the nearby prison-- have a deadly hand in this Christmas conundrum? Inspector Roderick Alleyn arrives to join his wife in finding the lost man- and unraveling the glaring truth from the glittering tinsel.   

With less than 8 weeks until the end of the year 2018, I'm going to have my hands full reading!  I'd better get started on this "Journey" ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!

"Grandmother" Sent Me To My "Room"

What can I say about "My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry?"  Interesting, confusing, and funny.  I wasn't crazy about all the Harry Potter references, but the overall story was amusing.  I was especially envious of the quirky relationship Elsa had with her grandmother.  My relationship with my late paternal grandmother wasn't as hysterical, but we were still close.  I would definitely recommend this book and can't wait to begin reading Emma Donoghue's "Room."  To five-year-old Jack, Room is the world.  It's where he was born, it's where he and his Ma eat and sleep and play and learn. At night, Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where Jack is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits.   Room is home to Jack, but to Ma it's the prison where she has been held for seven years.  Through her fierce love for her son, she heas created a life for him in this eleven-by-eleven-foot space.  But Jack's curiosity is building alongside Ma's own desperation--and she knows that Room cannot contain either much longer.  "Room" is a tale at once shocking, riveting, exhilerating--a story of unconquerable love in harrowing circumstances, and of the diamond-hard bond between a mother and her child.  After reading this, I may check out the movie (inspired by the book) that was released a few years ago.  In the meantime, I'm going to let "My Grandmother" send me on a "journey" to my "Room!"

The "Coast Road" Leads to "Grandmother"

I finished reading Coast Road    by Barbara Delinsky on Tuesday.  This isn't the first novel by her that I have read, but it was my least favorite.  Rachel is in a coma, stemming from a car accident, for the majority of the story, but both the reader and Jack (Rachel's ex-husband) learn about Rachel's life through her daughters, her artwork, and her friends.  There was a little side story romance between one of Rachel's friends and a doctor, but even that romance was hindered by that fact that Katherine (Rachel's friend)  was a breast cancer survivor and self-conscious about her body and her femininity.  I am grateful that I previously acquainted myself with Barbara Delinsky by reading An Irresistible Impulse, Together Alone, & Moment To Moment.  If I had read  Coast Road  first, I never would have read the other three.  Coast Road was my least favorite book by Barbara Delinsky, and I am relieved to be done with it!  That being said, I'm looking forward to taking a "journey" through My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry  by Fredrik Backman.  Elsa is seven years old and different.  Her grandmother is seventy-seven years old and crazy--as in standing-on-the-balcony-firing-paintball-guns-at-strangers crazy.  She is also Elsa's best, and only, friend.  At night, Elsa takes refuge in her grandmother's stories, in the Land-of-Almost-Awake and the Kingdom of Miamas, where everybody is different and nobody needs to be normal.  When Elsa's grandmother dies and leaves behind a series of letters apologizing to people she has wronged, Elsa's greatest adventure begins.  Her grandmother's instructions lead her to an apartment building full of misfits, monsters, attack dogs, and old crones, but also to the truth about fairy tales and kingdoms and a grandmother like no other.  At its heart, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry    is a story about life and death and one of the most important human rights: the right to be different.  Having lost my own grandmother, who was also my best friend, I expect to be able to relate to the story.  However, unlike Elsa, I was an adult (Age 30) when Grandma died.  I still miss her, but perhaps I can reconnect with her during this "Journey Through A Book!"

On the "Road" Again: From "The Forgotten Road" to the "Coast Road"

I love attending advanced movie screenings with Hubby.  Not only is it a chance to meet new people and make new friends; it's also an opportunity to get some reading done.  I managed to complete Richard Paul Evans' "The Forgotten Road" while waiting in line to see "Solo" A Star Wars Story" special screening at the National Air & Space Museum.  In the book, Charles is re-connected with his ancestral Hispanic heritage after he he robbed of his money by a motorcycle gang and forced to work in the fields.  He eventually leaves the fields and continues with his journey.  Honestly, not a horrible book, but not one of my favorites by Evans.   The "Road" series seems too similar to Evans "Walk" series, though this will be a trilogy, whereas the "Walk" series was told in 6 books.  I'm not going to say that I was eager to finish it, but I am ready for next year's conclusion, "The Road Home."  In the meantime, I'm begun reading "Coast Road" by Barbara Delinsky.  Rachel Keats and Jack McGill were artists, deeply in love when they married, until the rush of life took its toll.  After ten years of marriage, they divorced and went their separate ways.  Jack stayed in San Francisco.  Rachel moved with their two young daughters to Big Sur.  Six years later, an alarming middle-of-the-night phone call demands that Jack put aside his own busy life and career as a leading architect to rush to his ex-wife's hospital bed.  While she lies lifeless, Jack maintains a bedside vigil and finds himself getting to know Rachel better than he ever did--through their daughters, her friends, and even more revealingly, through her art.  Meanwhile, the beauty and grace of the redwood canyon where she has made their home also work their own special alchemy upon Jack.  He begins to see Rachel,  his daughters, and the story of his marriage with new eyes.  "Coast Road' celebrates those things in life that matter most--the kinship of neighbors, the companionship of friends, and the irreplaceable time spent with children and family.  In this masterful  novel, Barbara Delinsky  depicts with exquisite accuracy the ties  that baind each of us to those people and places we hold most dear.  Having previously enjoyed Barbara Delinsky's books, I don't expect this one to be any different, but only time will tell as I take this "Journey Through A Book!"

Patterson's "Quickie" Sends Me Back on the "Road" Again!

I finished reading James Patterson's "The Quickie" earlier this evening.  It wasn't a horrible book, but I'm in no hurry to read any more of Patterson's novels in the near future.  It was a game of tit-for-tat and secrets and lies.  Did Paul (the main character's husband) kill Lauren's (the main characters) lover, Scott (who worked with her on the police force)--or was it somebody else??? And did Paul have a "quickie" of his own to confess to? Read for yourself and find out!  As for myself, I am eager to begin a "journey" through Richard Paul Evans' latest novel, "The Forgotten Road!"  I would imagine that the novel picks up where Evans left off with "The Broken Road...."  Chicago celebrity and successful pitchman Charles James is supposed to be dead.  Everyone believes he was killed in a fiery plane crash.  But thanks to a remarkable twist of fate, he's very much alive and ready for a second chance at life--and love.  Narrowly escaping death has brought Charles some clarity: the money, the fame, the fast cars--none  of it was making him happy.  The last time he was happy--truly happy--was when he was married to his ex-wife, Monica, before their connection was destroyed by his ambition and greed.  Charles decides to embark on an epic quest: He will walk the entire length of Route 66, from Chicago to California, where Monica lives, and try to convince her to give him another shot.  Along t he way, Charles  is immersed in the deep and rich history of one of America's most iconic highways.  But the greater journey he finds ins the one he takes in his heart as he meets people along the road who will change his perspective on the world.  But will his transformation be enough to earn redemption?  There's only one way to find out....Time for me to take a "journey" on "The Forgotten Road!"

"Love & Gelato" & A "Quickie"...Oh My!

The problem with having so many books is deciding which one to read next.  I finished "Love & Gelato" last Friday.  It was an amazing book and very well written.  Jenna Evans Welch has definitely inherited her father's gift of writing!  I'm looking forward to picking up her novel  "Love & Luck," which is due out next month!  But back to "Love & Gelato!"  I liked the majority of the characters with the exception of  (stronzo) Matteo, who actually is the major of the minor characters in this novel.   The tagline of the book is "People come to Italy for love and gelato...but sometimes they discover much more."  It is definitely true.  Love, gelato, truth, rejection....Jenna Evans Welch explores all of that and so much more in her debut novel!  While I wait for her to release "Love & Luck," I'll take a "journey" through James Patterson's thriller, "The Quickie!"  With the perfect marriage and a great job, Lauren Stillman loves her wonderful life...until she sees her husband with another woman.  Devastated and lusting for revenge, Lauren has her own affair.  It's supposed to be a quickie, but Lauren's night of passion takes a shocking turn when she witnesses an unbelievable and deadly crime.  Now her horrifying secret threatens to tear her life apart, pitting her need to uncover the truth against her feat that the truth may be too horrible to bear.  And whichever choice she makes may cost her dearly--her job, her marriage...or even her life.  It's' not normally my cup of tea, but I was given a whole bag of  his books and that one looked promising....We shall see how this "journey" goes!

4 Books, 1 Post

2018 has been very busy for me so far. Between my duties with the DC Anime Club (www.dcanimeclub.org), conventions, and general everyday life, I'm happy I've been able to carve out a block of time to devote to reading on a daily basis. I started off the year reading "Michael Vey: The Final Spark" by Richard Paul Evans. When I finished reading that, I wandered along "The Broken Road." (Also written by Richard Paul Evans.) I just finished reading "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon. today. I'm eager to embark on another "Journey Through A Book," this time with "Love & Gelato," written by Jenna Evans Welch (the daughter of Richard Paul Evans)

Michael Vey is missing and it’s up to the Electroclan to find him in this electrifying seventh installment of the New York Times bestselling series!

The final book in the "Michael Vey" series opens with the Electroclan facing a devastating loss: Michael is missing. He made the ultimate sacrifice to save his friends and now he’s gone. What is next for them and the revolution?


The battle on the island of Hades ended with a devastating explosion that left the island a smoking ruin and much of Hatch’s army dead. However, Hatch survived and while his plans have certainly suffered a setback, he’s more determined than ever to bring the world’s governments under his control. But first, he wants to wipe out the Resistance and capture the remaining members of the Electroclan.

As Hatch’s forces storm into action, it seems nothing can stand in their way. The Electroclan is divided. The voice is captured, and Michael’s mother is being used as bait to lure the leader of the Resistance out of hiding. Can anything—or anyone—stop the Elgen? Or is this the end? To be honest, it was my least favorite book in the series. Michael is absent (or so it would seem) for most of the book, leaving the other characters dangling like participles! Will Hatch be destroyed? Will someone presumed dead be "resurrected? Perhaps...

"Michael Vey" led me to "The Broken Road," a story about a broken man, a twist of fate, and a second chance. Chicago celebrity Charles James can't shake the nightmare that wakes him each night. He sees himself waking down a long, broken highway, the sides of which are lit in flames. Where is he going? Why is he walking? What is the wailing he hears around him? By day, he wonders why he's so haunted and unhappy when he as all he ever wanted-fame, fans, and fortune and the lavish lifestyle it affords him. Coming from a childhood of poverty and pain, Charles finally has the life he's dreamed of . But now, at the pinnacle of his career, he's started to wonder if he wanted the wrong things. His wealth has come legally but questionably, from the power of his personality and his ability to seduce people out of their hard-earned money. When he learns that one of his customers has committed suicide because of financial ruin, Charles is shaken. The cracks in his façade widen, spurring him to question everything: his choices, his relationships, his future, and the type of man he's become. Then a twist of fate changes everything. Charles is granted something remarkable: a second chance. The question is, what will he do with it? "The Broken Road" is the first book in a much-anticipated new trilogy by beloved storyteller Richard Paul Evans. It is an engrossing, contemplative story of redemption and grace and the power of second chances. It is an epic "journey" you won't soon forget. This book wasn't a tearjerker like some of Evans' past novels, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. I am eager to continue the saga with "The Forgotten Road," which is due to be released on May 1, 2018! I can't wait, but obviously I have to. In the meantime, I have just finished reading "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon and can't wait to get started on "Love & Gelato" by Jenna Evans Welch (daughter of Richard Paul Evans.) "Everything, Everything" was a great movie (one of the few times it was better than the book). It is the story of Maddy Whittier, a smart, curious and imaginative 18-year-old who is unable to leave the protection of the hermetically-sealed environment within her house because of an illness known as Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID). Olly is the boy next door who won't let that stop them from being together. Gazing through windows and talking only through texts, Maddy and Olly form a deep bond that leads them to risk everything to be together, even if it means losing everything. Very few people are aware of Maddy's existence: Carla--Maddy's nurse, Rosa--Carla's daughter, and Madeline's tutors. After seeing the movie and reading the book, I developed a strong dislike for Dr. Pauline Whittier, Maddy's mother. The movie did leave out a few minor characters mentioned in the book, such as Zach, a friend of Olly's. I still enjoyed to book overall.  Now, I'm ready to take a "journey" through "Love & Gelato" by Jenna Evans Welch.  Lina is spending the summer in Tuscany, but she isn't in the  mood for Italy's famous sunshine and fairy-tale landscape.  She's there only because it was her mother's dying wish that she get to know her father.  But what kind of father isn't around for 16 years?  All Lina wants to do is go back home.  But then she is given a journal that her mom had kept when she lived in Italy.  Suddenly Lina's uncovering a magical world a secret romances, art, and hidden bakeries.  A world that inspires her, along with the ever-so-charming Ren, to follow in her mother's footsteps and unearth a secret that has been kept for far too long.  It's a secret that will change everything Lina knew about her mother, her father--and even herself.  People come to Italy for love and gelato, someone tells her, but sometimes they discover much more....I don't yet know what Lina will discover, but I do know one thing: If Welch inherited her father's writing talent, then I'm in for one amazing "Journey Through a Book" with "Love & Gelato!"