Pearl Girls – Teaser Tuesdays

Tuesday 1 December, 2009 By 26 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!

This excerpt is taken from Kristin Billerbeck’s, “I Just Don’t Fit In” essay:

“Cliques are a part of our culture, whether we are in junior high school or the upper echelons of Manhattan society. Human Society is a fickle thing.”

~Page 104 Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace, compiled by Margaret McSweeney

What are you reading?

Photobucket

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , ,

A Virtual Tour: Dear Coach by Ira Herr

Tuesday 1 December, 2009 By 1 Comment

I was asked if I would be interested in taking part in a book tour hosted by Opening Windows VBT. I looked over the material and realised Dear Coach was a story that needed to be heard.

On December 4th, Lois Herr, author of “Dear Coach: Letters Home from WWII” will be stopping by to share with us an excerpt from her new book.

A collection of not only letters but historical facts, pictures and vivid commentary, “Dear Coach” features letters from WWII that were sent to Lois’s father, the famous Elizabethtown College coach Ira Herr, by various students, friends and family members who once played for the coach. The book gives an inside look at not only the impact of war to a small college community, but that of multiple heartfelt player and coach relationships.

For more detailed information about the book or how to obtain a copy, lease visit the author’s website.

To learn more about the author and book please feel free stop by her official “Dear Coach: Letters Home from WWII” virtual tour blog and read up on reviews, tour stops and so much more.

I have not read Dear Coach: Letters Home from WWII by Ira Herr, but I am enjoying the tour and look forward to obtaining a copy of the novel. * Standard disclaimer: I have not been compensated in any manner for posting about this tour.

Photobucket

Filed Under: Book Tour Tagged With: , ,

No Wind of Blame by Georgette Heyer: Book Review

Tuesday 1 December, 2009 By 6 Comments

Title: No Wind of Blame
Author: Georgette Heyer
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date: Reissue September 2009
Paperback: 364 pages
ISBN: 9781402218019
Genre: Mystery

Photobucket


About the Book:

The superlatively analytical Inspector Hemingway is confronted by a murder that seems impossible—no one was near the murder weapon at the time the shot was fired. Everyone on the scene seems to have a motive, not to mention the wherewithal to commit murder, and alibis that simply don’t hold up. The inspector is sorely tried by a wide variety of suspects, including the neglected widow, the neighbor who’s in love with her, her resentful daughter, and a patently phony Russian prince preying on the widow’s emotional vulnerability and social aspirations. And then there’s the blackmail plot that may—or may not—be at the heart of the case…

My Review:

No Wind of Blame is a brilliantly crafted murder mystery as only the late Georgette Heyer was able to craft. Heyer devotes the first half of the novel to setting the scene for the murder, masterfully weaving together the stories of several of the upper crust in the quaint village creating a cast of characters all with a motive to murder. The murder itself is fairly straightforward, but Inspector Hemingway would be the first to point out things are definitely not as they appear. With witty dialogue, at times delightfully sarcastic, the suspect(s) continually change as the plot becomes more and more entwined the further along Inspector Hemingway’s investigation proceeds. Heyer cleverly keeps the reader guessing until the very end, creating an entirely new twist to the traditional cozy mystery. I already have the rest of her mysteries on my Christmas wish list. If one is looking for a clever and witty mystery, one cannot go wrong with No Wind of Blame by Georgette Heyer.

About the author:

The late Georgette Heyer was a very private woman. Her historical novels have charmed and delighted millions of readers for decades, though she rarely reached out to the public to discuss her works or personal life. She was born in Wimbledon in August 1902, and her first novel, The Black Moth, published when she was 19, was an instant success.

Heyer published 56 books over the next 53 years, until her death from lung cancer in 1974. Her work included Regency novels, mysteries and historical fiction. Known also as the Queen of Regency romance, Heyer was legendary for her research, historical accuracy and her extraordinary plots and characterizations. Her last book, My Lord John, was published posthumously in 1975. She was married to George Ronald Rougier, a barrister, and they had one son, Richard.

I received a free copy of No Wind of Blame by Georgette Heyer from Sourceboks. Receiving a free copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

Photobucket

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , ,