Houdini Pie Anyone!? (Review)

Houdini Pie by Paul Michel



I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a review stating my honest opinion of this book! Houdini Pie was a rollicking good read! Set in California in the 1930's this book is based loosely on true events (the Hopi Treasure)! The quirky characters include Hal a celebrated baseball pitcher, his sad mother & his father the bootlegger, always looking for a quick way to make money! You will also meet a few other quirky characters throughout the book. Everyone has caught wind of the long buried secret of the mythical Hopi treasure! Everyone is set out to find this mythical treasure & their adventures & dealings you won't soon forget! This entertaining novel has it all! It's got long buried treasure, a bit of history, quirky characters that you won't soon forget, love, baseball, bootleggers, crooked politicians & twists & turns that will keep you reading! I thoroughly enjoyed reading Houdini Pie & I for one am hoping the author is planning on writing another novel! Though this is Paul's first published novel I would definitely look forward to reading another! Filled with humor & suspense I would recommend this book to anyone!

View all my reviews >>

The Guest House by Barbara K. Richardson (Reveiw)

Guest House by Barbara K. Richardson



You won't find your "average guest" staying in this house!  After Melba witnesses a collision that includes a cyclist, she decides it's time for a change.  She quits the rat race of success & moves into an old farmhouse.  That is where her guests come in!

This is both a story about tragedy & change.  It also tells of love, friendship & strength.  A heartbreaking, touching story that will tug at your heart!

I enjoyed this book very much & would definitely read another by Richardson. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys stories about life, struggle & strength.  A great read by Barbara K. Richardson!

View all my reviews >>

Blue Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews (Review)

Blue Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews

Blue Christmas is the third book in Mary Kay Andrews Savannah series.  Whether it's the Christmas Season or not you'll be in the Christmas Spirit by the time you finish reading this!  If you're looking for a light, quick read this one is perfect!  It will warm your heart & make you laugh!  With the Historic Districts Christmas Decorations Contest coming up, the competing shop owners the way & a mysterious visitor Weezie is at her wits end!  Oh & of course there's always the family get to together to look forward to!

Visit Mary Kay Andrews blog to learn more about her Savannah series & other books! http://www.marykayandrews.com/blog/index.asp?id=home

View all my reviews >>

We're Going South of Broad with Pat Conroy (Review)

South of Broad by Pat Conroy


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
When I think of how to describe this book I am reminded of John Irving's writing.  The reason for that is some of the characters & events that take place in the book I believe are comparable to the feel of an Irving book.  Which is not meant as an insult as I am an Irving fan!


With that being said you also cannot mistake this book being written by Conroy.  It has his vivid, beautiful descriptions of places & surroundings which he is known for.  It's so easy to imagine the places he writes about even when you haven't been there.


As for the book overall I found it to be very good.  Entertaining, nice flow & easy to read.  The story takes place starting in the 1960's up to the 1990's.  The main character Leo King is a child when the story begins & goes throughout his life up to an adult.  Both a coming of age story as well as a look into events that took place in the stories time periods.  Such as racism & AIDS.  Of course I have to mention Leo's group of unforgettable friends too!  Friends from all walks of life & their adventures & life growing up together.  Friends you won't soon forget!  I was very pleased with this book.


It had the coming of age, history, love & adventure.  A little something for everyone!  I would recommend this book to any Irving fans as well as all Conroy fans.  If you're looking for a book about life, growing up & the hardship of growing up in a certain time period this is a great one!


Read the full synopsis of this book here.

View all my reviews >>

A Honkytonk of a Book!!!

Honky Tonk Man by Clancy Carlile

This is another of my old reviews I thought I would share. Of course this is one of my favorite books! If you haven't read the book perhaps you may remember the 1982 movie of the same title starring Clint Eastwood. Needless to say the movie of course was based on the book. Clancy Carlile the author of the book also wrote some of the songs on the movies soundtrack. Another great book by Carlile is Children of the Dust. If you've never heard of it here's a link to my review of that book. Scroll down towards the bottom of the page & you'll see it. Underneath the review you'll find the Synopsis also. O.k., now for the Synopsis of Honkytonk Man...

Following a musician taking one final chance at the big time. Red Stovall is a would-be country singer who has been bouncing around the margins of the music business for years. With nowhere in particular to go, Red arrives at the failing Oklahoma farm of his sister for an extended visit, where her son Whit quickly bonds with his uncle. However, it's obvious that Red is in very poor health, drinking heavily & breathing with difficulty, & when Red is invited to audition for the Grand Old Opry in Nashville, Whit tags along for the road trip to keep an eye on his ailing uncle. En route, Red & Whit are joined by Whit's grandfather & another hopeful vocalist, Marlene, who like Red is chasing her own dreams of stardom on the Opry. Now for the review....

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I just loved this book! It is easily one of my favorites. A book about dreams, coming of age, life, honkytonks. It was such an interesting & entertaining read. One that will tug at your heart strings & make you want to cry while in other parts you will be laughing out loud. Definitely a book I will read again in the future.

View all my reviews >>

Alley Kat Blues by Karen Kijewski Kat Colorado Series (Review)

Alley Kat Blues by Karen Kijewski


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A good read by Kijewski. Part of the Kat Colorado series. The main character Kat is a P.I. The books was entertaining & a fast read. Memorable characters with a good plot. I would recommend this book to fellow who-dun-it readers.

View all my reviews >>

Savannah Breeze by Mary Kay Andrews (Review)

Savannah Breeze by Mary Kay Andrews


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Another good one for my fellow antique lovers, yard sale-a-holics, junkers & rummage goers! Andrews sequel to Savannah Blues does not disappoint! All your favorite main characters are back...Along with a couple new ones! BeBe Loudermilk (Eloise's best friend, the main character from the last book) is the main character this time. Not to give anything away, let's just say BeBe get's mixed up with Mr. Wrong & vows to right those wrongs. She rounds up a posse made up of Granddaddy Loudermilk, Eloise & Harry (could he be Mr. Right!?) They hit the road to Fort Lauderdale, Florida determined to find Mr. Wrong. It's a fun road trip that you won't want to miss! And of course there's "junking" along the way! Another book I highly recommend!

View all my reviews >>

Little Bitty Lies by Mary Kay Andrews (Review)

Little Bitty Lies: A Novel by Mary Kay Andrews


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Lies turn out to be not so Little Bitty after all! Quick read that is both funny & entertaining. Another good one by Andrews!

View all my reviews >>

In Her Shoes by Jennifer Weiner (Review)

In Her Shoes by Jennifer Weiner


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found it to be a quick & entertaining read. Nice change from some of the Novels I had been reading excessively. The characters were enjoyable & I often found myself laughing out loud. I recommend to anyone looking for a light, funny read.

View all my reviews >>

Kat Scratch Fever by Karen Kijewski (Review)

Kat Scratch Fever by Karen Kijewski


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this book. It was a fast, entertaining read. Another series based on a female P.I.

View all my reviews >>

Firefly Cloak-A Novel by Sheri Reynolds

Firefly Cloak: A Novel by Sheri Reynolds


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I thought this was a good read. Entertaining & funny at times with some more serious parts intertwined. I gave this book 4 stars only because I did not care for the ending. I felt there was too many things left unsaid.

View all my reviews >>

Bingo by Rita Mae Brown (Reading Now)

Bingo by Rita Mae Brown





View all my reviews >>

Bastard Out Of Carolina by Dorothy Allison (Reading Now)

Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison





View all my reviews >>

Ultra Violet by Nancy Bush (Review)

Ultraviolet by Nancy Bush


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Another entertaining read from the Jane Kelly series! Fast paced & entertaining. A quick light read. I highly recommend this series to anyone who likes Evanovich's Plum series.

View all my reviews >>

What I'm Reading Now

The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy





View all my reviews >>

Children Of The Dust by Clancy Carlile

Children of the Dust by Clancy Carlile


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I did not want this book to end! I could not wait to read another of Carlile's books after reading Honkytonk Man & though I consider Honkytonk Man to be one of my favorite books I believe this may be even better!

I found it to be very well written with interesting & intriguing characters. I did not want to put this book down & could not wait to get to the next page to see what happened next. Taking place in Oklahoma during the Land Rush it was very interesting to read a little of the history behind that along with the intriguing storyline. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in history or just likes a good western type story!

I definitely look forward to reading more of Clancy Carlile's books!

View all my reviews >>

Currently Reading...

Children of the Dust by Clancy Carlile

Synopsis: Children of the Dust. Gypsy Smith is a half-black, half-Indian gunfighter, bounty hunter, and scout who reluctantly accepts a job leading poor black sharecroppers from the South to the border of new territory for the Oklahoma land rush. Among his charges is a young woman, Drusilla, with whom he fall in love. On the eve of his wedding, there's trouble with the Ku Klux Klan. The Klan lynches two young boys. When he tries to follow the trail, Gypsy is wounded, castrated, and left for dead. But Gypsy doesn't die, at least not in a literal sense. The old Gypsy is dead, the one who liked a joke, who was in live, and who found beauty in the hard land. All that remains is a searing, all-consuming need to avenge his mutilators. One by one, he extracts his revenge, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. The local law, spurred on by Klansmen, begins a massive manhunt for Smith. The conclusion is as inevitable as the plot is predictable, with Smith meeting his end as an avenging angel to some and as a devil to others. There are sub-plots and parallel story lines, but none of note. This is serviceable western fare lent import due to the four-hour CBS miniseries that will air as the book is released. On that basis most libraries will experience demand, but don't get carried away. It's not special. Genre veterans Cameron Judd and Elmer Kelton produce better work regularly.
View all my reviews >>

The Water Is Wide by Pat Conroy

The Water is Wide by Pat Conroy


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I loved this book! It was the first book I read of Conroy's & I can't wait to get my hands on another one (along with the movie that is based on this book). I thought it was well written & very entertaining! It was both funny & sad. I found myself laughing one minute & heart broken the next. Being based on Conroy's true life it was a very interesting look into the Carolina Low Country in the late 60's & early 70's. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys books giving insight to history, teaching or southern settings.

View all my reviews >>