Monthly Archives: July 2015

Fun and romance on a cattle drive

Posted on July 11, 2015 by Iiiireader

Kiss Me

By: Susan Mallery

Rating: 5 of 5

kissmeI have read a number of Susan Mallery’s books in the Fool’s Gold series. The most recent is “Kiss Me” which is the story of Phoebe Kitzke, a realtor on a forced vacation, and Zane Nicholson, the cattle rancher who finds himself unwillingly taking a bunch of greenhorns on a quickly slapped together cattle drive.

Phoebe has just received a serious dressing down for some unethical business practices and, in fact, may lose her realtor’s license altogether. During her month of suspension, her friend Maya talks her into joining her on a cattle drive at her ex-family’s ranch in Fool’s Gold, CA. Zane is Maya’s ex-step brother who takes his responsibilities seriously, perhaps too seriously, and that is where the fun comes in.

Phoebe is a kind-hearted and very funny individual. I loved the thoughts, dialog, and actions that Ms. Mallery dreamed up for this character.

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An edge of the seat thriller involving K9 rescue

Posted on July 9, 2015 by Iiiireader

Silent Creed

By: Alex Kava

Rating: 5 of 5

silentcreed“Silent Creed” is the second book in Alex Kava’s new series featuring Ryder Creed who is a K9 search and rescue dog handler. While I didn’t read the first book in this series, I have read previous books by Ms. Kava which feature a character who is in this book, FBI agent Maggie O’Dell. This series is a definite off-shoot of that series and Maggie is present and a major character in this story.

There is a landslide in North Carolina and it involves a government sanctioned medical research lab. There is a huge rush to get to the site to find out who and what are left after the decimating event. Ryder Creed is called in by a “friend” from his days in Afghanistan. Once he lands and starts his search, the book explodes into action.

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Funny Young Adult story of a “fake” paranormal investigator

Posted on July 7, 2015 by Iiiireader

Jillian Cade: (Fake) Paranormal Investigator

By: Jen Klein

Rating: 5 of 5

jilliancadefakeI generally do not read books with a paranormal vein; however, the blurb on “Jillian Cade (Fake) Paranormal Investigator” caught my eye and my attention and I thought I would give the book a try. I’m glad that I did. It is a funny take on high school age paranormal investigators located in Southern California. The girl who runs this operation doesn’t believe in things paranormal – she is in a tight position and so she has to do what she has to do (investigate the so-called paranormal) in order to make ends meet and keep the electricity on.

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A lovely old story – so happy to see this author in print again

Posted on July 6, 2015 by Iiiireader

Celia’s House

By: D.E. Stevenson

Rating: 5 of 5

celiashouseI read many of Ms. Stevenson’s books when I was a child and teenager. As it turned out, I had not read this particular one, “Celia’s House” previously. As with other of her books that I have read, the author presents a charming face to the story but then goes a little deeper and gives us a look at some of the turbulence that is brewing below.

In this story, there is also the very slightest touch, really just a whisper, of the paranormal. Tiny clues that allow the reader to make what they will of what is being told. For me, in my reading of Ms. Stevenson’s books, this was a little out of the ordinary. I don’t usually read books that embrace the paranormal, but this touch was just enough for me to enjoy.

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Well now, that wasn’t good at all

Posted on July 5, 2015 by Iiiireader

A Glimpse of the Dream

By: L.A. Fiore

Rating: 1.5 of 5

aglimpseofthedreamIf I had downloaded a sample of this book on my Kindle, I would have thought it was going to be a well-written book under Literature/Fiction and then maybe proceeded to buy it with that in mind. I would have been wrong, really wrong. In my case, I actually had received a digital copy of the entire book gratis , so I felt compelled to finish it.

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Outstanding beginning to a great series for young readers

Posted on July 4, 2015 by Iiiireader

The Galaxy Pirates: Hunt for the Pyxis

By: Zoe Ferraris

Rating: 5 of 5

thegalaxypirates“The Galaxy Pirates: Hunt for the Pyxis” by Zoe Ferraris is the start of what could be a great series of books for young readers. This book was a very fun read and it includes all the things almost anyone would want in an adventure series including heroes, villains, pirates, evil Queens, interstellar sailing ships, magic and all sorts of fantastical creatures.

The story centers around Emma and Herbie, from Earth, and the adventures they take to save Emma’s parents and the universe from the evil Queen.

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Really lovely and stylish crocheted bags

Posted on July 3, 2015 by Iiiireader

Simply Stunning Crocheted Bags

By: Coats Design Studio

Rating: 5 of 5

simplystunningcrochetbagsThis is a book of 23 truly stunning crocheted bags. I am inspired to crochet at least one of each bag for myself and then, perhaps, a couple of others for family and friends.

The book apparently was published in Germany in 2014 (though it is unclear if it was as a book or simply that the patterns were available from Coats GmbH), then in Great Britain in 2015, and finally, here in the US, also in 2015. The translators did a good job in providing directions in both the US format (default in this book) and in the English format.

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Posted in Needlework/Arts/Crafts | Leave a comment

Gorgeous illustrations of stylized owls

Posted on July 2, 2015 by Iiiireader

Creative Haven Owls Coloring Book (Adult Coloring)

By: Marjorie Sarnat

Rating: 5 of 5

My husband and I have started using Adult Coloring Books as a way to de-stress. I know that many crafts use the same part of the brain that one uses in meditation, so I wasn’t surprised to read that many other adults were turning to coloring. I have bought several different types of books and I find that I like a lot of the ones by Creative Haven/Dover. I have found that my non-alcohol based markers and my gel pens all leak through this brand of book, so I am sure to place paper between the pages to keep the pages behind fresh and clean. I’ve found that freezer paper works really well for this purpose.

The pages of the book are single-sided and are perforated at the bound edge so you can remove the page to color or to frame afterwards. The pages are a bright white and have a decent pound weight – they are not flimsy.

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Lovely illustrations of birds in outdoor settings

Posted on July 2, 2015 by Iiiireader

Creative Haven Beautiful Birds Coloring Book (Adult Coloring)

By: Dot Barlowe

Rating: 5 of 5

My husband and I have started using Adult Coloring Books as a way to de-stress. I know that many crafts use the same part of the brain that one uses in meditation, so I wasn’t surprised to read that many other adults were turning to coloring. I have bought several different types of books and I find that I like a lot of the ones by Creative Haven/Dover. I have found that my non-alcohol based markers and my gel pens all leak through this brand of book, so I am sure to place paper between the pages to keep the pages behind fresh and clean. I’ve found that freezer paper works really well for this purpose.

The pages of the book are single-sided and are perforated at the bound edge so you can remove the page to color or to frame afterwards. The pages are a bright white and have a decent pound weight – they are not flimsy. What is really nice about this particular book is that, if you chose to color the pages realistically, the author/illustrator has included a color guide for each of the 31 print included in the book. The birds are shown in natural habitat style outdoor settings but you can decide to mix it up and use any color you wish.

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An English cozy mystery set in 1930s small town

Posted on July 1, 2015 by Iiiireader

Death at Dovecote Hatch (A Florence Norris Mystery)

By: Dorothy Cannell

Rating: 5 of 5

Death At Dovecote HatchI have been a fan of Dorothy Cannell for a number of years. I remember reading my first book of hers and laughing at the title “How to Murder Your Mother-In-Law” and then scrambling to read the earlier books in the Ellie Haskell series. I lost track of her writing over the last few years, so when I was given the opportunity to read “Death at Dovecote Hatch” I was thrilled to find her once again.
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