Let the New Year Read-a-Thon Begin!

Thursday 31 December, 2009 By 2 Comments

It is 5pm my time and so for me, the New Year Read-A-Thon, which is being hosted by Bookworming In the 21st Century has begun!

The book I am currently reading is A Visit From Voltaire by Dinah Lee Kung (348 pages) and from there I will delve into Leading Lady by Heywood Gould (297 pages). As time allows I will list updates. I would like to finish both thee novels tonight however I believe my DH and the twins want me to take out some time to watch a movie with them. No worries, I will indeed be Reading Into the New Year, as will my entire family, save my oldest.

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New Year’s Eve means….

Thursday 31 December, 2009 By 6 Comments


I have decided to make some blogging resolutions based on past failures from last year.

  • Blog about each book read for a specific challenge.
  • Keep accurate page, book, and author counts for all challenges.
  • Add reviews of my personal books I read.
  • Stick with my specific blogging times, my family is not getting younger, time is precious.
  • Comment more when I visit blogs, this will also help me meet more bloggers.

Certainly there are many more areas I need to improve on, yet this list will keep me motivated. It may take some time to get used to these resolutions, since I have fallen into some bad habits, especially when it comes to reading challenges. Wish me luck, I shall need it.

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Abandoned and Forgotten by Evelyne Tannehill: A Book Review

Thursday 31 December, 2009 By 1 Comment

Title: Abandoned and Forgotten: An Orphan Girl’s Tale of Survival During World War II
Author: Evelyne Tannehill
Publisher: Wheatmark
Publication Date: January 15, 2007
Paperback: 440 pages
ISBN: 978-1587366932
Genre: Autobiography

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About the Book:

Much has been written about World War II, but not often do we hear about the immeasurable suffering of the Germans who wanted no part of Hitler’s regime.

Abandoned and Forgotten is the memoir of a young girl growing up in the then-German province of East Prussia by the Baltic Sea. Orphaned at the age of nine and left to fend for herself in a hostile world, Evelyne Tannehill witnessed firsthand what happens when law and order break down and self-preservation becomes the only thing that matters. Her journey is a poignant example of how resilient the human spirit can be, even in the face of war’s greatest horrors.

My Review:

Abandoned and Forgotten is not a typical WWII memoir and once begun the reader will not be able to set the novel down, let alone forget. When WWII broke out Evelyne’s father had planned to take his wife and children out of Germany, to live in America, however his dream was not to be realised. According to Evelyne, life was not too altered one way or another in East Prussia until the later stages of the war due to how far removed they were in the country. Prior to being cut off from the main part of Germany, the Reich, Evelyne lived with her family and went to school as did her siblings. Evelyne writes lovingly of her family, even when she was in trouble as often the young find themselves almost unaware of the war moving closer and closer to her beloved home. By the time her family decided to flee their East Prussian home, it was too late; the Russians had closed in and cut off East Prussia from the Reich. Nine is an extremely young and tender age to witness war atrocities and yet Evelyne’s horrific experiences were just beginning. By nine Evelyne become an orphan in her beloved East Prussia, now occupied by Russian troops and was about to experience the best and the worst of humanity. Abandoned and Forgotten is brilliantly divided into four sections, which profoundly defined the times. Abandoned and Forgotten is a beautiful and at times emotionally heart-wrenching story of one young girls coming of age under the worst circumstances. Told as only one who lived it could tell, this historical autobiography is told fluidly, beautifully, and oftentimes with a wit that one does not expect. Abandoned and Forgotten is a novel not only worth reading once, but numerous times.

About the Author:

Evelyne Tannehill is retired and resides in Reno, Nevada. She has two children and four grandchildren.

I would live to thank AME, Inc. for supplying me with a copy of this book. My review was in no part influenced by my receiving a free review copy.

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Preparing for the New Year – Wordful and Wordless Wednesday

Wednesday 30 December, 2009 By 35 Comments
Christmas 2009 was wonderful and has come to an end.


All the decorations are safely packed away, ready for Christmas 2010.

To view other Wordful Wednesday blogs head over to:

Mom Blogs

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Deadly Codes by JP O’Donnell: A Book Review

Tuesday 29 December, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Title: Deadly Codes
Author: JP O’Donnell
Publisher: iUniverse
Publication Date: February 17, 2009
Paperback: 206 pages
ISBN: 978-0595514113
Genre: Suspense/Thriller

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About the Novel:

In the thriller, Deadly Codes, Daniel Cormac Gallagher, Jr., a Boston private eye, is hired to investigate the death of Jennifer Clark, tragically killed in a car bombing in her own driveway.

Gallagher has been commissioned by Jeanne Campbell, Jennifer’s twin sister, to find a mysterious woman—Jennifer’s secret lesbian lover who vanished immediately after the bombing. While the authorities continue to pursue their suspicions that the terrorist act may have been intended for Jennifer’s husband, Bill, who holds a top-secret position in the counter-intelligence division of the National Security Agency, Jeanne reveals intricate details to Gallagher that intrigue him enough to take on the case. While Gallagher begins searching for the missing woman, he has no idea that a bounty has been placed on his own head—two hired gunmen are plotting to kill him. Gallagher’s search takes him to Washington DC, where he discovers that the car bombing is only a backdrop to a complex, treasonous scheme to sell code-breaking formulas to a hostile enemy nation.

As the violent mystery unravels, Gallagher finds himself under deadly attack from two shocking but powerful forces—one he knows and another he never expects.

My Review:

Deadly Codes is the second novel in JP O’Donnell’s Gallagher series. I have not as of yet had the pleasure of reading his first novel, Fatal Gamble, yet was able to follow the story line rather well. As a relatively new author I was amazed at how well this novel was written and the vast attention to details, including foreign affairs. While reading the novel I was rather excited to be reading so much about my main college degree and was surprised to learn JP O’Donnell was not in foreign relations but instead he was a pediatric dentist. Gallagher, recently married is closing his private detective agency for a safer job in business, yet Gallagher cannot resist this one last case, where the client’s sister was killed in a car bomb. Jennifer’s sister wants to hire Gallagher to discover who planted the car bomb, and to determine who killed her twin sister and why. I found his novel to be a well-woven thriller filled with plot twists, treason, espionage, subversion, and betrayal. Deadly Codes is an excellent novel to curl up with if one is looking for a fantastic suspenseful thriller.

About the Author:

JP O’Donnell is a board-certified pediatric dentist with more than thiry-five years of experience in clinical practice and dental education. Dr. O’Donnell holds degrees from the University of Pittsburgh and Tufts University. He and his wife reside in Bedford, Massachusetts. He is also the author of Fatal Gamble. For more information, please visit the author’s website.

I would live to thank AME, Inc. for supplying me with a copy of this book. My review was in no part influenced by my receiving a free review copy.

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Saying Goodbye to 2009- Teaser Tuesdays

Tuesday 29 December, 2009 By 19 Comments


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here is mine:

“Gallagher could feel the undeniable forces drawing him back into the fray. How could he convince Kate that he needed to investigate one more case?

~Page 20, Deadly Codes by JP O’Donnell
My Review

What are you reading?

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New Year Read-A-Thon!

Monday 28 December, 2009 By 2 Comments

I had meant to blog about this fantastic read-a-thon, apparently I only managed to place it in my sidebar. What is this read-a-thon you ask? It is the New Year Read-A-Thon which is being hosted by Bookworming In the 21st Century. The read-a-thon is open to all people, please have a look at this wonderful event: New Year Read-A-Thon.

Why a read-a-thon? To promote reading in the New Year! Bring on 2010!

Starts: 5 pm on Thursday, 31 December 2009
Ends: 10 pm on Sunday, 3 January 2010

I am hoping to catch up on some much needed reading. I hope many will join in the New Year Read-A-Thon.

You can read as little or as much as you want, include the family as well.

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Reading Into the New Year!

Monday 28 December, 2009 By Leave a Comment

I have already blogged about the New Year Read-A-Thon I am participating in, but I also will be joining in the other event hosted by Bookworming In the 21st Century. This read-a-thon will overlap the other one I am doing, but I wanted my readers to know about this option as well. It can be as long or as short as you like. Begin reading 5 minutes before midnight or read all night long. There are no time constraints. The Read-a-thon is open to all people and is a delightful way to add your children into the picture. To learn more, have a look at this read-a-thon, Reading Into the New Year. I am not one to party on New Year’s Eve so this is perfect for me. What a delightful way to ring in the New Year than with books!

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What Are You Reading Mondays? The Last One Until 2010

Monday 28 December, 2009 By 13 Comments


I adore this meme, which was created by J. Kaye at J. Kaye’s Book Blog . It is the perfect way for me to begin the week by helping me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs.

I was correct in assuming I would not get much reading accomplished over the Christmas Holiday.

I Read:

  • These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer (384 pages)- Review
  • I Used to Know That (175 pages) by Caroline Taggart - Review
  • The Sign for Drowning (205 pages) by Rachel Stolzman – Review

This Week I am hoping to read (Considering the holidays, I doubt half of these will get read until the New Year’s Read-a-Thon):

  • Leading Lady by Heywood Gould (297 pages)
  • A Visit From Voltaire by Dinah Lee Kung (351 pages)
  • Deadly Codes by JP O’Donnell (206 pages)
  • Abandoned and Forgotten by Evelyne Tannehill (431 pages)
    Check back next Monday to see how well, or not so well, I accomplish my reading goals.

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The Sign For Drowning by Rachel Stolzman- A Book Review

Monday 28 December, 2009 By 4 Comments

Title: The Sign For Drowning
Author: Rachel Stolzman
Publisher: Trumpeter; Reprint edition
Publication Date:
Paperback: 194 pages
ISBN: 978-1590307205
Genre: Fiction

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About the Book:

Anna has grown up haunted by her younger sister’s death. In the life she constructs as a barrier against the emotional wreckage of her family tragedy, Anna settles comfortably into a career as a teacher of deaf children. But a challenge arrives—in the form of a young girl. Adrea’s disarming vulnerability and obvious need for love offer Anna the possibility of reconnecting with the world around her—if she has the courage to open her heart.

In this debut novel, Rachel Stolzman has crafted a moving and poetic witness to love’s power to transcend grief, pain, and the constraints of human language. The Sign for Drowning is a poignant story of loss and the unexpected occasions of grace that enable us to heal from it and grow beyond it.

My Review:

The Sign for Drowning is a deeply and profoundly poetic as well as lyrical novel about love and loss and the beauty of family. Anna watched helplessly as her younger sister drowned and her way of coping as an eight year old was by learning sign language. She believed at such a tender age that she could communicate with her sister through sign language. As an adult, Anna moved to New York and began working as a teacher at the Deaf and Hearing Center where she dotes on the young students she is in charge of while relishing in the solitude and the safety in the sameness of the days. One day Anna meets Andrea, whom she mistakenly refers to as Adrea, a five-year-old orphan, who weaves her way into Anna’s heart and life. As Anna grows into the role of a single mother of a deaf child, Anna struggles with loving, learning to live in the present and coming to terms with the profound pain of losing her sister. Compounding Anna’s healing process is her lack of relationship with her mother. As a new mother herself, the pain and isolation becomes more pronounced despite Anna’s father’s unconditional love, as she craves the love from the one person who cannot offer her what she needs, her mother. Stolzman’s first novel is one that will grab the reader’s attention and hold it throughout the entire novel. The Sign for Drowning is an amasing novel about the fragility of life and finding oneself through healing. This book will stay with the reader long after the book has been closed.

About the Author:

Rachel Stolzman received her MFA in creative writing from Sarah Lawrence College. Her writing has won several awards and her poetry has appeared in numerous journals. This is her first novel. She lives in Brooklyn.

I received a free copy of The Sign for Drowning by Rachel Stolzman from her publisher. Receiving a free copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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