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My little corner of the blog world showcasing my exploits in reading, knitting and life in general.




Category: Fiction
Format: Trade Paperback
Publish Date: 9/25/2009
ISBN: 9781935170044
Pages: 256
Publisher: Hachette
Book Summery directly from Hachette’s website:
High-powered executive Steven Kerner is living the dream in southern California. But when his bottled pain ignites in anger one night, his wife kicks him out. Then an eccentric mystery man named Andy Monroe befriends Steven and begins unravelling his tightly wound world. Andy leads Steven through a series of frustrating and revealing encounters to repair his life through genuine friendship and the grace and love of a God who has been waiting for him to accept it. A story to challenge and encourage, BO’S CAFE is a model for all who struggle with unresolved problems and a performance-based life.
My review:
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Bo’s Cafe and have already had my husband start reading it. I do believe many people walk around with a persona of who they want to be, or be perceived as, rather than being who they are. So many fear rejection and so avoid opening themselves up to others. Defense mechanisms can be put into place at an early age and by the time one realises they are there, it takes time, love, courage and a safe environment to let these defenses down. I know a lot of “Stevens” in the world and hope to discover more “Andys”. I believe every reader will take something different from this book and be positively influenced from what the reader takes away from Bo’s Cafe.
About the authors:
Bruce McNicol is president of Leadership Catalyst, Inc. and an international speaker and consultant. He holds a master’s in theology and a doctorate in organizational and leadership development. Previously he served for ten years as president of the international church planting organization Interest Associates.
Bill Thrall serves as vice-chair of Leadership Catalyst, mentor, and coauthor of the bestselling TrueFaced resources (www.truefaced.com), The Ascent of a Leader, and Beyond Your Best.
John Lynch is a national conference speaker and writer for LCI, holds a master’s of theology from Talbot Seminary, and has twenty years’ experience as a teaching pastor of Open Door Fellowship. He’s also cofounder and playwright of a theater troupe in Phoenix.
Visit Bo’s Cafe!
Thank you Miriam and Hachette for allowing me to take part in this book tour.

Title: The Puzzle King
Author: Betsy Carter
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Publication Date: August 25, 2009
Hardcover: 352 pages
ISBN-10: 1565125940
From the Publisher’s website :
On a gray morning in 1936, Flora Phelps stands in line at the American consulate in Stuttgart, Germany. She carries a gift for the consul, whom she will bribe in order to help her family get out of Hitler’s Germany. This is the story of unlikely heroes, the lively, beautiful Flora and her husband, the brooding, studious Simon, two Jewish immigrants who were each sent to America by their families to find better lives. An improbable match, they meet in New York City and fall in love. Simon—inventor of the jigsaw puzzle—eventually makes his fortune. Now wealthy, but still outsiders, Flora and Simon become obsessed with rescuing the loved ones they left behind in Europe whose fates are determined by growing anti-Semitism on both sides of the Atlantic.
Inspired by her family’s legends, Betsy Carter weaves a memorable tale. In the tradition of Suite Française or Amy Bloom’s Away, she explores a fascinating moment in history and creates a cast of characters who endure with dignity, grace, and hope for the future.
Copyright © 2009 by Betsy Carter
My Review:
I cannot adequately express how deeply The Puzzle King by Betsy Carter moved me. Her beautiful story grabbed me by the heart from the beginning and kept me engrossed until the very last typed word. I was unable to put this book down, so immersed was I in the lives of Simon Phelps, Flora and Seema Grossman, Margot and Fredrick Ehrlich, and their daughter Edith. The Puzzle King spans the years 1892-1936, which coincides with rising anti-Semitism following the decline of Germany after WWI, the stock market crash in the United States, and the rise of WWII. The Puzzle King begins with 9-year-old Simon Phelps traveling from Lithuania unaccompanied to America to start a new life. His goal, impressed upon him by his mother, is to find a job, earn enough money and make a home for his mother and six siblings. Intertwined with his story are the stories of Flora and Seema Grossman, two sisters who recently immigrated from Germany to America, as well as stories of their family members left behind in Germany. Beautifully mastered, Carter weaves together such an elegant and moving tale of humanity and ultimately, how one person’s faith in family saved hundreds of lives. This novel, so rich in detail, will grab the reader’s attention, if not the reader’s heart, from the start and stay with the reader long after the story has ended.
This novel, is one that will be with me for a long time and I hope others choose to read this beautiful novel and that it too will stay in the hearts and minds of its readers. The Puzzle King by Betsy Carter is indeed a novel I would recommend to everyone.
To learn the background behind the story, to view photos of the real Puzzle King and his family, visit Betsy Carter’s website.
My gratitude to Wonders & Marvels for allowing me to preview The Puzzle King by Betsy Carter.


I am trying a new Meme created by J. Kaye at J. Kaye’s Book Blog saying what books I read last week and what books I plan to read this week.
Last Week I Read:
This Week I am hoping to read:
Check back next Monday to see how well, or not so well, I accomplish my reading goals.

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