Saturday Snapshot: All aboard!

Snapshot Saturday is hosted by Alyce of At Home with Books. To participate in the Saturday Snapshot meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don't post random photos that you find online.

Since TBG is a railroad fanatic, if there is one anywhere near where we visit, of course, we have to take the train ride. This is a narrow gauge train that can up to a whopping speed of 10 miles an hour (we were going 3 mph). The people on the walking trail beside the train were going faster than we were. After our yearly trek north to Cape Cod, we headed to Maine to visit our friends in Eliot and then on to a day in Portland.

 Sandy River narrow gauge rr/Portland, ME

TBG gets control lessons from the friendly engineer.

The end of the line

Winner of A Deadly Grind by Victoria Hamilton

Adding up all the entries for A Deadly Grind, a fun vintage kitchen mystery by Victoria Hamilton, Random.org has once again whipped us up a winner.

 Chef Pudgy, a drumroll please. . . . . . . . .

And the winner is:

Lethea B.

 Congrats!! Thanks to all the enrrants. Be sure to look for 2 new cozy mystery giveaways in June.

Mailbox Monday

This is where we spotlight the books that came to our home in the last week. Caveat: Monday Mailbox can cause your TBR pile to increase exponentially.  May's host is Martha at Martha's Bookshelf.

So excited when this one showed up from St. Martin's Press via SA. I love, love, love Gail Tsykiyama's books!!




Hardcover, 304 pages

Expected publication: August 7th 2012 by St. Martin's Press

more details...

ISBN: 0312274815 (ISBN13: 9780312274818)

edition language: English

From the publisher:

A powerful new novel about an ordinary family facing extraordinary times at the start of the Chinese Cultural Revolution in China, 1957. Chairman Mao has declared a new openness in society: “Let a hundred flowers bloom; let a hundred schools of thought contend.” Many intellectuals fear it is only a trick, and Kai Y ing’s husband, Sheng, a teacher, has promised not to jeopardize their safety or that of their young son, T ao. But one July morning, just before his sixth birthday, Tao watches helplessly as Sheng is dragged away for writing a letter criticizing the Communist Party and sent to a labor camp for “reeducation.”


A year later, still missing his father desperately, Tao climbs to the top of the hundred-year-old kapok tree in front of their home, wanting to see the mountain peaks in the distance. But Tao slips and tumbles thirty feet to the courtyard below, badly breaking his leg. 

As Kai Ying struggles to hold her small family together in the face of this shattering reminder of her husband’s absence, other members of the household must face their own guilty secrets and strive to find peace in a world where the old sense of order is falling. Once again, Tsukiyama brings us a powerfully moving story of ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances with grace and courage.

Anything in your mailbox that has you jumping with excitement?

Saturday Snapshot

Snapshot Saturday is hosted by Alyce of At Home with Books. To participate in the Saturday Snapshot meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don't post random photos that you find online.

Avian real estate

Review and giveaway: A Deadly Grind by Victoria Hamilton

Paperback, 304 pages

Expected publication: May 1st 2012 by Berkley

more details...

ISBN: 0425248011 (ISBN13: 9780425248010)

edition language: English

series: A Vintage Kitchen Mystery #1

From the publisher:

When vintage cookware and cookbook collector Jaymie Leighton spies an original 1920s Hoosier brand kitchen cabinet at an estate auction, it’s love at first sight. Despite the protests of her sister that the 19th-century yellow-brick house they share in Michigan is already too cluttered with Jaymie’s “junk,” she successfully outbids the other buyers and triumphantly takes home her Hoosier.

But that night on the summer porch where they’ve left the Hoosier to be cleaned up, a man is murdered, struck on the head with the steel meat grinder that is part of the cabinet. Who is this stranger—and what was he doing on their porch? Does his death have anything to do with the Hoosier?

As the police struggle to determine the man’s identity, Jaymie can’t help doing a little digging on her own, accompanied by her three-legged Yorkie Poo, Hopalong. But in her bid to uncover the truth about the hidden secrets of the Hoosier, Jaymie may be the one who ends up going, going...gone.

My thoughts: This has been a bonanza year for new series that really appeal to me. In A Deadly Grind, I liked the two sisters and how they complemented each other's personalities, but I really liked Jaymie. She's an independent woman who's very comfortable in her own skin. Collecting vintage cookware and living in an old-fashioned farm house suits her just fine. Writing her cookbook using old recipes she converts to modern day, tending her garden and helping out her neighbors leads to a full life for her. She likes a slower pace of life and doesn't feel the need for a high powered career or all the latest modern conveniences. She has a fine appreciation for the past.

I thought the mystery was well done in this one; plenty of suspects with the powerful motive of Greed! Yes, that's Greed with a capital G; greedy enough to commit murders, theft and betrayal. The author kept me guessing through out most of the book. Although I did figure out the culprit towards the end, that did not take away from the story at all.

The setting, Michigan near the Canadian border, was interesting and the author made me feel as if I were really in the scene. I liked the ambiance of the Queen's Tea that Jaymie participated in. Sounds like an event I would love to attend myself. All these little details make for a well rounded cozy.

Almost no cozy is complete without a little romance. Jaymie's budding love interest sounds like a real sweetie pie. I hope to see this relationship more developed in the next book because I know I will be reading it. The Queen's Cake recipe featured in the story is published at the end of the book, both the old version and the new. 4****

About the author: Victoria Hamilton is a pseudonym for national bestselling author Donna Lee Simpson, who is also a collector of vintage cookware and recipes.

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Berkley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Due to the ever so generous Berkley, I am able to offer a giveaway of one copy of this book. Open to US only.. Be sure to leave an e mail address in your comment. Deadline to enter is May 26th at 5 PM (est). Bonus entries are as follows:

+4 for following on Networked blogs. Just remind me under what name.
+3 for blogging (sidebar is fine) or tweeting about the giveaway. Leave me a link, please.

If you cannot comment you can still enter by sending me an e mail with A Deadly Grind in the subject line. Include your name and e mail address and send to florida982002[at]yahoo.com

Good luck!

Mailbox Monday

This is where we spotlight the books that came to our home in the last week. Caveat: Monday Mailbox can cause your TBR pile to increase exponentially.  May's host is Martha at Martha's Bookshelf.

We just got back from the "big annual trek north" on Friday. Lovely to find several books at the front door and then a couple more at the post office when we picked up our mail so I have no idea what day they showed up. Here they are :

Paperback, 304 pages

Expected publication: June 5th 2012 by Berkley

more details...

ISBN

0425251357 (ISBN13: 9780425251355)

edition language

English

 From Berkley Prime Crime for review/giveaway





Hardcover, 320 pages

Published March 6th 2012 (first published 2012)

more details...ISBN: 0425245535 (ISBN13: 9780425245538)

series: A Tea Shop Mystery #13

setting: Charleston, South Carolina, 2011 (United States)

From the publisher:
The opening of the aquarium is a major Charleston event, and Theodosia has been hired to cater tea, scones, and sandwiches for the private party to honor dignitaries and big buck donors. Things are going swimmingly, until Theodosia escapes the party for a momentary rest, only to discover the body of a man entangled in a net, drowned in one of the aquarium's state-of-the-art tanks.
To make matters worse, the victim is Theodosia's former boyfriend Parker Scully. The EMTs on the scene think Parker's drowning was an accident, but when Theodosia notices what look like defense wounds on his hands, she realizes that someone wanted Parker dead. The local police aren't keen on hearing her theory-especially because of her ties to the victim-so Theodosia knows that if she wants Parker's killer brought to justice, she'll have to jump into the deep end and start her own investigation...
INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES AND TEA TIME TIPS!

Won from Karen at Bookin' with Bingo.

Paperback, 304 pages

Expected publication: June 5th 2012 by Signet

more details...

ISBN: 045123734X (ISBN13: 9780451237347)

series

A Ballroom Dance Mystery #2

setting: Alexandria, Virginia(United States

From Signet/Obsidian for review/giveaway.

Hardcover, 320 pages

Expected publication: June 5th 2012 by Random House Publishing Group

more details...

ISBN

0345528719 (ISBN13: 9780345528711)

edition language:English

From LT /Ballantine Books

Hardback, 336 pages

Expected publication: July 24th 2012 by Random House Publishing Group (first published March 15th 2012)

more details...

ISBN: 0812993292 (ISBN13: 9780812993295)

edition language: English

From the publisher

Meet Harold Fry, recently retired. He lives in a small English village with his wife, Maureen, who seems irritated by almost everything he does, even down to how he butters his toast. Little differentiates one day from the next. Then one morning the mail arrives, and within the stack of quotidian minutiae is a letter addressed to Harold in a shaky scrawl from a woman he hasn’t seen or heard from in twenty years. Queenie Hennessy is in hospice and is writing to say goodbye.

Harold pens a quick reply and, leaving Maureen to her chores, heads to the corner mailbox. But then, as happens in the very best works of fiction, Harold has a chance encounter, one that convinces him that he absolutely must deliver his message to Queenie in person. And thus begins the unlikely pilgrimage at the heart of Rachel Joyce’s remarkable debut. Harold Fry is determined to walk six hundred miles from Kingsbridge to the hospice in Berwick-upon-Tweed because, he believes, as long as he walks, Queenie Hennessey will live.

Still in his yachting shoes and light coat, Harold embarks on his urgent quest across the countryside. Along the way he meets one fascinating character after another, each of whom unlocks his long-dormant spirit and sense of promise. Memories of his first dance with Maureen, his wedding day, his joy in fatherhood, come rushing back to him—allowing him to also reconcile the losses and the regrets. As for Maureen, she finds herself missing Harold for the first time in years.

And then there is the unfinished business with Queenie Hennessy.

A novel of unsentimental charm, humor, and profound insight into the thoughts and feelings we all bury deep within our hearts, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry introduces Rachel Joyce as a wise—and utterly irresistible—storyteller.
From Random House/SA

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there. Have a wonderful day!

Review & Giveaway: Brownies and Broomsticks by Bailey Cates

Mass Market Paperback

Expected publication: May 1st 2012 by Signet

more details...

ISBN: 0451236637 (ISBN13: 9780451236630)

edition language: English

series: A Magical Bakery Mystery #1

From the Publisher:

Lightfoot’s tired of loafing around as the assistant manager of an Ohio bakery. So when her Aunt Lucy and Uncle Ben open a bakery in Savannah’s quaint downtown district and ask Katie to join them, she enthusiastically agrees.

In the Honeybee Bakery—named after Lucy’s cat—Katie notices that her aunt is adding mysterious herbs to her recipes. Turns out these herbal enhancements aren’t just tasty—Aunt Lucy is a witch and her recipes are actually spells!

But when a curmudgeonly customer is murdered outside the Honeybee Bakery, Uncle Ben becomes the prime suspect. With the help of handsome journalist Steve Dawes, charming firefighter Declan McCarthy, and a few spells, Katie and Aunt Lucy will stir up some toil and trouble to clear Ben’s name and find the real killer…

My Thoughts: Such a fun new series! I liked the main characters right away. I could tell they had a strong emotional attachment to each other and would make a good team in running the new Honeybee Bakery. Katie is a wonderful baker with lots of hands-on experience and Aunt Lucy has some special skills to add to the mix. She's a real sweetie-pie but not exactly your typical aunt; she's a witch!  Aunt Lucy's book club is a little more than just a group of ladies who like to read. I loved reading about their exploits. This group reminded me of Dolores Riccio's Divine Circle of Ladies, one of my favorite cozy series!

Katie is a little taken aback when Aunt Lucy tells her the truth of her potential powers but she puts them to good use in the search for the person who really killed nasty old Mavis Templeton; you just know Uncle Ben is innocent!  Mavis's abrasive personality has ticked off more than just a few people in town. It takes a few sleuthing forays to finally ferret out the truth but Katie is persistent and it pays off.  Of course, she has a little help from her aunt and new witchy friends.

I never used to like any paranormal elements but I find that they are more and more appealing to me. This is one charming new series I will definitely follow up on.  4****

Bailey Cates is also the author of the homecrafting series written under her pseudonym ,Cricket McRae.  Cricket/Bailey can be found at her website. If you like Shirley Damsgaard's Abby and Ophelia series, you'll like this one too.

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Berkley in exchange for my honest opinion.
Due to the ever so generous Berkley, I am able to offer a giveaway of one copy of this book. Open to US only. Be sure to leave an e mail address in your comment. No e mail address makes me assume you do not want to be entered in the drawing.

Deadline to enter is May 15rd at 5 PM (est). Bonus entries are as follows:

+4 for following on Networked blogs. Just remind me under what name.
+3 for blogging (sidebar is fine) or tweeting about the giveaway. Leave me a link, please.

If you cannot comment you can still enter by sending me an e mail with Brownies and Broomsticks in the subject line. Include your name and e mail and send to florida982002[at]yahoo.com

Good luck!

Review: Saving Ruth by Zoe Fishman

Paperback, 304 pages

Expected publication: May 1st 2012 by William Morrow

more details...ISBN: 006205984X (ISBN13: 9780062059840)

It's the start of summer in the small Alabama town when siblings, David and Ruth Wasserman, arrive home from college. David, the older of the two, is not quite the same as when he first left town. He's not sociable, talkative or even anxious to play soccer. He's withdrawn, secretive, non-talkative and spends way too much time drinking and smoking weed.

Ruth is completely different; she's come home about 35 pounds lighter and feeling good about her self for the first time in her life. She's enjoying all the positive attention she's been getting and blowing off all the negative comments about her not eating and looking like a prison camp survivor.
She does have a problem, a big one, but will not admit it out loud. Through Ruth's inner dialogue, the reader gets a glimpse of her true feelings about food and her self esteem.


" ..thought about what it would be like to go back to the way I used to be. I couldn't do it. Not now. And it was stupidly easy to fool everyone, including myself, into thinking that this was just dieting. Deep down, I knew damn well that it wasn't. That it was a problem. But I was too scared of the alternative to do anything about it."

Even the parents have their own issues. Dad is angry and frustrated most of the time. Mom is a wishy-washy mess. They are feeling the empty nest and middle age creeping up on them resulting in some marital issues. They argue about the kid's seeming lack of responsibility. David and Ruth have typical teen attitudes; they just want to get away from home and their parents. They want idependence and not to  be hovered over; all part of growing up, separating from parents and finding their own identity.

The siblings are once again lifeguarding at the local pool. One day, their composure is shaken as a little girl nearly drowns. Even though David was in the lifeguarding station, he didn't see what was happening but Ruth did. She jumped in and saved the girl. It took this near tragedy and the ensuing repercussions to get David and Ruth to face their problems.

 In the author's note at the end, Fishman admits to an eating disorder while in college. This must be what gave her the insight at how a person with  anorexia views food and themselves. Although I am sure I am not the target audience for this book, I thought it was reasonably well done but the end ties up a little too neatly for me. 3***


Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by William Morrow/LT  in exchange for my
honest opinion.

Review & Giveaway: The House at Tyneford by Natasha Solomons

Paperback, 368 pages

Published December 27th 2011 by Plume (first published April 1st 2011)

more details...

ISBN: 0452297648 (ISBN13: 9780452297647)

edition language : English

original title: The Novel in the Viola

From the publisher:

It's the spring of 1938 and no longer safe to be a Jew in Vienna. Nineteen-year-old Elise Landau is forced to leave her glittering life of parties and champagne to become a parlor maid in England. She arrives at Tyneford, the great house on the bay, where servants polish silver and serve drinks on the lawn. But war is coming, and the world is changing. When the master of Tyneford's young son, Kit, returns home, he and Elise strike up an unlikely friendship that will transform Tyneford-and Elise-forever.

My thoughts:  I.  Loved. This. Book.  Loved it! ♥ The descriptions of the house and the surrounding area made me long to be there, wartime or not. The sounds of the booming sea with the waves crashing on the shore along with a large stone manor house almost had a gothic feel to it. I was hooked immediately and settled in to be mesmerized by Elise's story from her privileged life in Vienna, "where even the wind waltzes"  to a servant's life in England.

Elise's memories are almost haunting in their poignancy. It's like an old friend telling you her life story as she remembered it with all her feelings still vividly at the forefront even after many years. This is not just Elise's story or a war story but also an intricate look at British life prior to and during WWII. I really enjoyed the "upstairs, downstairs" relationships.  But, then, sometimes the line between masters and servants becomes blurred.

"I'm sorry, Elise. Really I am. Sometimes I forget. That . . . . you know... you're not one of us."

"A few months before in Vienna, I had been one of them. Now I wasn't sure what I was. The other servants barely spoke to me. They knew I wasn't one of them either. I belonged nowhere."

Solomons really brought all the characters to life; so much so that one character made me want to slap the supercilious, smug smirk from her face at the way she treated Elise. Others made my heart ache with their pain. Throughout the book, I was totally engaged emotionally.

The House at Tyneford is an absolutely magical story of love, wartime, loss and family memories as seen through the eyes of Elise. Written in beautifully descriptive, almost lyrical prose, this is one book that is hard to put down. With a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes, I turned the last page. This is only the 2nd 5 * book of the year! Do not miss this one!!

Be sure to read the authors note at end; it's fascinating that the setting for the book is based on a true village that was taken over by the government during the war.

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Penguin in exchange for my honest opinion.

Due to the ever so generous Penguin, I am able to offer a giveaway of two copies of this book. Open to US & Canada. Be sure to leave an e mail address in your comment. Deadline to enter is May 3rd at 5 PM (est). Bonus entries are as follows:

+4 for following on Networked blogs. Just remind me under what name.
+3 for blogging (sidebar is fine) or tweeting about the giveaway. Leave me a link, please.

If you cannot comment you can still enter by sending me an e mail with The House at Tyneford in the subject line. Include your name and e mail and send to florida982002[at]yahoo.com

Good luck!