TWW's Book Review: Magic and the Modern Girl by Mindy Klaskey

Okay! So I read one quirky paranormal romance/mystery and now I can't seem to stop reading them. You're probably thinking "Enough already!", but truthfully, I can't seem to help myself. These days, my waking hours are long and demanding and when I get home at night, I really need to unwind with something that I don't have to think about too much. These books that I've been reading seem to be just the ticket.

Jane hasn't been using her magic. In fact, you could say she's been very neglectful. Her powers have dwindled, her books are fading, her bits and bobbles are disappearing, and her relationships with her warder is practically non existent. Not only does she have to deal with all of that, but her Grandmother is getting married, her best friend finally has a boyfriend, and Jane thinks she's finally found her guy!

So what's this Modern Witch to do? Well she's going to have to pull out all the stops and get help from everyone in order to make things right. She creates an Anima, named Arial, and of course, things go completely wrong because she doesn't focus and just about loses all the magic she has left! What a mess! Now Jane needs to convince Grandma, her mom Clara, her familiar Neko and David, her warder and protector, to help her.

The rest of the story lumbers along, and doesn't move at the same clip as the previous stories. It took me a bit longer to get thru it and sometimes I found my self skipping ahead just to get to the good parts. The interaction between Neko and Jane was limited, due to Neko moving out, and the same with David, but due to the mere fact that Jane hasn't used her magic.

It was interesting to see Jane get a boyfriend who she could finally open up to, but I didn't see that relationship going anywhere. It was so obvious that she had feelings for David, all the way back to the first book in the series. But nothing keeps a reader interested more than unrequited love or in this case, indecisive love.

The climax, naturally, happens at Grandma's wedding! But since I don't want to give away the story, I will just end and say, that if you're following the series, you will need to read this in order to find out if Jane gets her magic back or not. Rating:

 

Wishing you moments of great reading!


 


Liked anything you see here? Then contact me, Susan Dusterhoft at todaysworkingwoman@hotmail.com. I am always looking for more books/products to review. I can also provide assistance with blog writing!

TWW's Book Review: Lucy Wagner Gets In Shape by Claire Matthews

This book was read for the August, 2012 Reading Romances Challenge.

If you're going to get in shape, might as well have a good reason to do it and Lucy Wagner sure found a way. Of course she didn't expect her lying, cheating, scoundrel of a boyfriend to be the reason (does any woman ever expect this?). She should have known though...all the signs were there, but in my opinion, good riddance now that she found out!

I can't tell you how happy I was when she kicked the jerk to the curb. Not only did she not stand for it, she stood up for herself and didn't let him railroad her into anything. Thank goodness she has two really good friends to help her through it. Both Jen and Will stood by her through this time and Jen showed Lucy that there was so much more to Will than she realizes.

Lucy has so much going on...she had to defend her paper, find a job, dissolve her life from the ex-boyfriend and then show him that she can do something he thought she would never do...participate in an athletic event and finish! She drafts both Jen and Will to do it with her and along the way, not only does she get in shape physically, but emotionally as well. Her whole life is in need of a makeover and it's about time she realizes that she is this confident, bright and intelligent woman who can do anything.

I thought the book was not overly dramatic, but rather, matter of fact. I saw a woman, who didn't wallow in self pity and let her life go. Although I don't think her friends would have allowed that to happen. It was really nice to see Lucy gain control of her life and go after things that she wanted, even though she thought she probably would never get them. She even reconnects with her father, finds a love that she didn't know she could have and jets that job.

Oh and let's not forget that she shows the "ex" a thing or two about determination, and finishing something she started. Rating:

Wishing you moments of great reading!

 


Liked anything you see here? Then contact me, Susan Dusterhoft at todaysworkingwoman@hotmail.com. I am always looking for more books/products to review. I can also provide assistance with blog writing!

TWW's Book Review: Ode to Icky by Maranda Russell

While I have been working on my book reviews as of late, I've decided to bring back some of my previous reviews to spotlight here on The Daily Scribe...enjoy!


Ode to Icky, by Maranda Russell is the story of Icky, the Cat and her owner, Candy. Candy is up to another of her money-making schemes and Icky is going to help her. The idea is courtesy of Candy’s older sister Kayla and her brand new “Icky” smelling perfume.

Icky has been relegated to the backyard because he refuses to bathe. So Candy sees an opportunity and decides she can make a few extra bucks by making her own perfume using some of Icky’s stinky fur. Mixing the fur with water and using a few of her mom’s half empty perfume bottles, Candy creates Ode de Icky…or rather Ode de Iche because the former name didn’t sound fancy enough.

Candy sells the perfume the next day, makes some quick cash, but then has to live with the “stinky” consequences.

This is a wonderful story that teaches children the concept “for every action, there is a reaction or consequence.” Some good and some are not so good. In the case of Candy, the reaction is her mother’s anger for dumping out her expensive perfume and the confiscation of the money Candy received from selling the homemade perfume.

Beautifully illustrated, this is a great book that shows how important it is to think things through before doing something. Not all ideas are good ideas, and Candy had to find out the hard way just how bad an idea it was to sell fake perfume that smells like her stinky cat, Icky. I highly recommend adding this book to family libraries and K-4 schoolrooms.

This is the second children's book by Maranda Russell that I have had the pleasure to review. Maranda is a highly talented children's book author and I highly recommend her! Rating:

 

Wishing you moments of great reading!

 

 Liked anything you see here? Then contact me, Susan Dusterhoft at todaysworkingwoman@hotmail.com. I am always looking for more books/products to review. I can also provide assistance with blog writing!

TWW's Book Review: Always the Designer, Never the Bride by Sandra D. Bricker

"Always the Designer, Never the Bride" by Sandra D. Bricker concentrates on Audrey Regan, up and coming wedding dress designer who is riding into Atlanta on fumes, because she is on the last legs of her business. Her big break is about to hit the skids and she's going to have to layoff her assistant Kat unless something happens and quick.

Audrey is in Atlanta for her best friends wedding not only to be her Maid of Honor, but as the designer of her wedding dress. Of course, there is no one else that would make her dress. A nice twist to the story is the bride, Carly who is marrying Devon, who is a part of the armed forces and about to ship off again for another tour of duty. (Hmmm...I wonder if this is the next story, although not sure how that would work for this wedding related series.)

Devon's brother, J.R. has arrived into town on his Harley. Here for just the wedding, but he not about to stay very long because he's a wanderer and loner so to speak; concentrating on growing his bike restoration business. Similar to Audrey in the sense that she is trying to build her business, but running out of ideas. I think that is why there is such a connection between the two of them. I really like the fact that they are slowly learning to trust themselves and don't just jump into any kind of relationship, with anybody.

All the previous characters are involved in this book. In fact, they are becoming very involved with each others lives. A few funny moments are also included as with the first two stories. Sandra has done an excellent job in character development. The reader really gets to understand how important each person is to the others in all of the stories. As such, I would be hard pressed to say that it would be okay to read this without reading the other two books of the series first, which I think Ms. Bricker would appreciate! While all of the main characters in these books have a creative aspect to them, this one speaks to me the most as I am a designer, in other genres mind you, but a designer nonetheless. Rating:

Wishing you moments of great reading!

 

Liked anything you see here? Then contact me, Susan Dusterhoft at todaysworkingwoman@hotmail.com. I am always looking for more books/products to review. I can also provide assistance with blog writing!

BFF Focus On This...Shutterbug's Choice

Can you picture yourself here?

Wishing you moments of  "aaaahhhhh"!

 


Liked anything you see here? Then contact me, Susan Dusterhoft at todaysworkingwoman@hotmail.com. I am always looking for more books/products to review. I can also provide assistance with blog writing!

Wordless Wednesday

Wishing you moments of  peaceful reflection!
 
 


Liked anything you see here? Then contact me, Susan Dusterhoft at todaysworkingwoman@hotmail.com. I am always looking for more books/products to review. I can also provide assistance with blog writing!

You just never know...

...where you will find your inspiration.

I was reading a book today called "Getting the Pretty Back" by (get this!) Molly Ringwald. Remember her...from Sixteen Candles and various other 80's movies. She actually has a lot of really good things to say. But there was one passage in particular that struck a cord within me, and I just had to share...

The chapter is entitled "Who's Got Your Back":

"How grateful I am now to have friends without children! As much as I do appreciate those with kids - the fact that you can meet any mother on the playground, point out your respective offspring, and boom! insta-quasi friendship - there is nothing like getting together with a friend over a glass of wine and talking about something other than your kids. These friends are extremely valuable, and too often these friendships are thrown out with the bathwater.

...Children are certainly not off limits in our discussions, but I do find that we end up talking more about ourselves, and I find myself being reminded of the person that I was before so much of my every waking moment revolved around these little creatures. How easy it is for us to forget ourselves! As my nonparent friends inadvertently remind me, it is up to us to keep it together, to make time for the gym, to take the time to do whatever it is that we like to do, reminding ourselves of who we are as separate beings apart from the relationships dearest to us."

As a woman, married with a career and no children, this is the first time (in a very loooonnnng time), that I feel content with the cards that were dealt to me in the "children" department. I am slowly finding my way to make up for the fact that I don't have kids, but also relishing the moments that not having kids has afforded me. Case in point...the great trip to Kauai that I recently came back from and the upcoming birthday weekend getaway at a really cool B&B up on the Mendocino Coast. 

So for any friends of mine who are parents and want to spend time with someone who is a non-parent to just talk about...well...talk about whatever, I am here for you. Just be sure to open up that bottle of Pinot Noir you've been stashing away!

Wishing you moments of non-parental friendships!

 


Liked anything you see here? Then contact me, Susan Dusterhoft at todaysworkingwoman@hotmail.com. I am always looking for more books/products to review. I can also provide assistance with blog writing!

TWW's Book Review: Just Breathe by Susan Wiggs

I actually started Susan Wigg’s Just Breathe a long time ago and I recently unearth it from the underside of my bed. After the first few pages, I remembered that I had indeed started it, but wasn’t sure how far I had gotten.

It’s the story of Sarah Moon, a comic strip writer, and her husband Jack, an architect, trying to have a child. Unfortunately Sarah is having a very difficult time getting pregnant, so she and Jack decide to go and get fertility treatments in hopes that it will increase her chances for having a child. While all this is going on her husband Jack gets sick, and Sarah must put her plans on hold in order to care for him.

After Jack gets well, they continue on with trying to get pregnant and go on with their everyday lives. Sarah continues to write her comic strip where art imitates life and Jack designs and builds houses. The tedium is getting to Jack and unbeknownst to Sarah her marriage to Jack is slowly unraveling. The proverbial light bulb goes on when one day Sarah decides to visit her husband at one of his jobsites. What she finds is not what she was expecting – Jack with another woman. Fleeing the scene she goes home completely devastated. Knowing now that her marriage is over she decides to leave and go home to California.

With the help of her family and the people in the community, she begins to start her life over. She reconnects with her high school friends and their families. She also meets up with Will Bonner, a boy she once had a thing for in high school, and his daughter, Aurora. Trying to settle into a new life, Sarah discovers that she is finally pregnant. Big surprise!

The rest of the story is how Sarah deals with all of this, including how she copes with her soon to be ex-husband, his family and the impending birth of her child. Susan Wiggs has a wonderful way of developing the back story of the story as there are plenty of back stories in this novel – Will and Aurora, Will and his firefighting crew, Aurora and her friends, Sarah and her Dad/Grandmother.

Many of you might wonder why I chose this book as the Reading Romances Challenge for March. While on the surface, it wouldn't appear to be a romance, but as the reader, you really need to look deeper and I think you'll see why I believe this is a true romance...in disguise. Love is lost, love is a blessing, love is renewed and love is found...all found within these pages. If that is romance, then I don't know what is! 

This book has an easy flow and despite the 472 pages, it doesn’t seem intimidating. In fact, my interest was piqued throughout the entire book and once I got back into it again, I was hooked. The author, Susan Wiggs, has a way of providing just enough information on the page to keep the reader wanting to turn the page. The thing that I enjoyed the most about the book was the comic strips inserted into the novel. I wished there had been more. In fact, I would have liked to seen the entire strip! Read this one, I think you’ll enjoy it. Rating:

Wishing you moments of great reading!

 

Liked anything you see here? Then contact me, Susan Dusterhoft at todaysworkingwoman@hotmail.com. I am always looking for more books/products to review. I can also provide assistance with blog writing!

Books, Reviews and Great Reading

Hi all! I've been super busy this summer and have been spending the last several days trying to get caught up with some book reviews. While I have posted some here on the Daily Scribe, the bulk of them are on my Book Club Page. Please take a moment and read some of my reviews as there should be something out there for almost everyone. As soon as I am caught up on this site, I will be posting my reviews on a few other sights as well including Amazon, Shelfari, Goodreads, Blogher and perhaps a few other surprises!

If there are any authors out there that would like for me to read their work, please send me a message or leave me comment below. I'll add your books to the queue and get them read as quickly as possible!

If any of you would like to do a guest review of one of your favorite books, please let me know and I will be happy to get them up on my site!

Wishing you moments of great reading!

 

Liked anything you see here? Then contact me, Susan Dusterhoft at todaysworkingwoman@hotmail.com. I am always looking for more books/products to review. I can also provide assistance with blog writing!

TWW's Book Review: Always the Wedding Planner, Never the Bride by Sandra Bricker

This is the second in a series of what I am affectionately calling "Always the (fill in the blank here), Never the Bride" by Sandra D. Bricker. This time around we meet Sherilyn Caine who has just landed the perfect fiance and the dream job of a lifetime.

Anyway, the soon to be Mr. & Mrs. Deliriously Happy are on the way back to Atlanta and Sherilyn is headed to The Tanglewood Inn to start her new job. Good thing she is friends with Emma because she's going to need her as she settles into her new life and everything else that is about to happen. Sherilyn is going to need a lot of help as she is about to have a whole lot come crashing down in her lap. And I do mean "crashing" down into her lap. (Note: This is a hint! :-) )

Ms. Bricker is learning to mix an eclectic set of characters and weave in an interesting scenario to capture the reader's and make them want to read more and more. Take a newly happy couple, a set of sisters, and a beautiful inn, add one new wedding planner, three wedding dresses, a resigned future bride-to-be with an over-bearing and controlling mother-in-law, and a quirky yet lovable dog that nobody wants. Mix in an Actor who needs a wee bit of help with the bottle and you get Always the Wedding Planner, Never the Bride.

Ms. Bricker has done a marvelous job adding some very funny moments in the story, while keeping others quite poignant. Again, remember this is a Christian-based romance, so you won't see a lot of the traditional intimate "couple scenes", but you do get a wonderful flavor for what it is like to be a wedding by the added extras after each chapter. I really enjoyed this part most of all. Makes the book seem more realistic and for those reading it who really are planning their weddings, there are some wonderful tips to follow. Rating:

 

Wishing you moments of great reading!

 


Liked anything you see here? Then contact me, Susan Dusterhoft at todaysworkingwoman@hotmail.com. I am always looking for more books/products to review. I can also provide assistance with blog writing!

TWW's Book Review: Always the Baker, Never the Bride by Sandra D. Bricker

This is the first in a series of what I like to call "Always the (fill in the blank here), Never the Bride" by Sandra D. Bricker. There is just something about weddings that is sort of magical, isn't there. Unfortunately my wedding wasn't all that magical, so I think that is why I enjoy reading stories about them! I love living vicariously through my books!

At first glance, you might think that this series is going to be similar to that of Nora Robert's Series, The Bride Quartet. For those of you that read her series, you will see some similarities:

1.  Each series is about weddings;
2.  Each is about a specific person that helps to plan weddings;
3.  Each takes place in a venue that holds weddings.

But that is where the similarities end. Starting with "Always the Baker, Never the Bride" we meet Emma Rae who has just won a very prestigious award that is about to put her on the "Pastry Chef Map" as it were. What makes this so remarkable is that she has rarely tasted any of her creations, if at all, so she must rely on her trusty sidekick, Fiona, to taste everything for her. Currently working at a popular bakery, she meets Jackson Drake, who stops in for a coffee and some delicious treats that he takes back to his business...a run down hotel that he is renovating to it's former glory.

Okay, I guess we can see where this is going, at least I can. I've read enough romance novels to know where each is going to end up. What is wonderful about this series though is that it is Christian-based, so it is a sweet romance that leaves the intimacies up to the imagination rather than put in print. I also really enjoyed the recipes Ms. Bricker shared at the end of the various chapters. This was a nice added touch for a foodie like myself! Rating:

Wishing you moments of great reading!
 
 


Liked anything you see here? Then contact me, Susan Dusterhoft at todaysworkingwoman@hotmail.com. I am always looking for more books/products to review. I can also provide assistance with blog writing!

Happy August 1, 2012!!!

Wow! Seven months of 2012 are over and today is the first day of my birth month and anniversary month. Where has the time gone? I have no idea.

I feel behind in so many areas. I stopped writing in some areas and have picked up other projects along the way. My day time job has exploded and there are days that I come home and feel completely overwhelmed and really don't feel like writing. But I promise, I am working on projects and will get back into it on a more regular basis. I am working on a way to combine everything into one site. Will let you all know soon how that is working  out.
 

I just recently returned from a week in Kauai and have the most glorious time. Ever had a Mai Tai?  There are super yummy! I think it is my new favorite drink too! While on the island, we had the wonderful opportunity to visit the Koloa Rum Company. Look for an article, review and such regarding this company and their delicious products! Oh look! Here's a picture of me holding another Mai Tai!

And now, it already feels like it has been forever since we've been there, and truth be told, we are already thinking about returning again soon. Maybe a different island or two!

I still have some plans for the rest of the year that I hope to be able to pull off, but if I don't then oh well! There's always next year. I've just decided that this is going to be how I roll. Things will get done when they get done and tomorrow is another day. I have job security (for now) and some great goals for myself. Overall, I am truly happy. More happy, probably, then I have been in years.

So, how has your summer been? Are you having any fun yet? I'd love to hear back from you...let me know!

Wishing you moments of happiness!


 



Liked anything you see here? Then contact me, Susan Dusterhoft at todaysworkingwoman@hotmail.com. I am always looking for more books/products to review. I can also provide assistance with blog writing!