By Jacqueline Mitchard.
This book is about a current-time news event that is all too familiar: kidnapping a small
child. It sends chills down the spine of the reader, especially parents, grandparents,
aunts & uncles and family friends of small children. It is well written, but was not as enthralling as some of her other books. Life can change in the blink of an eye......that's all it takes for some deviant to snatch
a kid. The book centers on the search for the missing child.
Should I tell you if there's a happy ending?
Hmmmmm, better not. I did finish it, right to the last page and was glad I did. Though not the best, it's still worth reading.
Let me know what you think. Sent from my iPad

testing
Sent from my iPad

>
> This author was recently in Buffalo and an article in the newspaper
> prompted me to read one of his books.
> I downloaded " In the Company of Cheerful Ladies" from the
> library and settled in for an evening of reading ( note this is one > of the
> no.1 Ladies Detective Agency series).
>
> I have to say McCall Smith's popularity is lost on me. He writes in > choppy, very
> simplistic sentences and constantly repeats previous dialogue. It's > as if the book were
> translated from another language and the phrases are stilted, > although perfectly
> correct.
> I managed to finish it, hoping for something to happen to liven it > up.....
> it didn't happen.

> I would not recommend it, but would be interested in hearing
> other readers' thoughts.
>
>

 I can recommend  A Thousand Acres:  A Novel by Jane Smiley.  I had never read anything by her before and just blundered into this book because it was available for my Kindle at the library.  She is an excellent writer.  Her words are well chosen and although her sentences are complex (unlike many of the current popular writers who confine themselves to short declarative sentences) her ideas come across clearly.    The story is about a family farm in the Midwest and the action is set in the 70's even though most of it is caused by things that happened much earlier.  The characters are are not stereotypes, but seem to be real people with all their contradictions.  The patriarch of the family is aging and decides to split the farm among his daughters since there are no sons.  This decision results not only in the break up and eventual loss of the farm, but also the fracturing of a family that seems at first glance to be "perfect."    I will warn you that this is not one of those books where the heroine meets the perfect man and lives happily ever after.  There are no knights in shining armor to ride in and save the day.  The story is realistic, has lots of unexpected twists and turns, and has a bittersweet ending--not happy but at least hopeful.  I liked the book and will probably read other books by this author.

> The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club
>
> It's kind of a lengthy title for a comfy, pleasant to read book.....
> The the author, Gil McNeil, lives in England and is a "champion > knitter."
> Because the book is set in England and the author is English, there > are lots of
> fun, quirky expressions; some you may have to decider the meaning of > for yourself.
>
> There's life and love and loss.....new discoveries....fear of > something new and
> sense of accomplishment when a new venture makes a positive impact > on a community.
> Jo Mackenzie, newly widowed ( almost newly divorced) moves her young > boys to
> a seaside town and takes over her Gran's knitting shop. Her goal is > to spruce things
> up and attract a younger clientele, as well as keeping the older > ladies interested.
> So, a " Stitch and Bitch" circle is formed.
>
> Knitting has become fashionable among the socialites and film stars; > and, of course,
> this piques the interest of the younger set. So, a multi- > generational activity gets
> under way. Knitting is the backdrop...friendship and camaraderie > hold the group
> together. Knit one, chat two.....shy folks get a word in, issues are > explored,
> solutions are discussed.
>
> This is a good book to curl up with, cuppa tea in hand.
>
>
>

>
> A Good American by Alex George
>
> A story about endings..and new beginnings; funny and sad; small > victories
> and great losses....and LIFE.
> The story begins in 1904 in Germany and centers around two young > people-
> in love- and needing to leave their homeland to escape family bias.
> America: Land of freedom and opportunity....well, some of the > opportunities
> were hard to come by. The goodness of strangers allows Frederick & > Jette to
> settle into mid West life, become financially independent. and learn > the "ways"
> of Americans. More than anything, Frederick wanted to show that he > was a Good
> American!
> One can only imagine arriving in a strange country, not knowing the > language,
> no one them to guide them along, and limited money. There were > scoundrels,
> to be sure. And, there were kind, giving folks, too . One man, > when asked why
> he was so very nice to strangers, said "I was once you."
>
> When we think about our grandparents ( or even earlier generations) > of immigrants
> coming to America, it's amazing that they were able to find their > niche and built
> a life ....and build businesses and houses...and communities.
>
> This book was an enjoyable glimpse into the past....a bit of > history, and family saga.
> Give it a try!
>
>

>
> Joy For Beginners, by Erica Bauermeister
>
> This book makes you step back from the craziness of life and ponder > what's truly
> important......but, it does so in a gentle way.
> A group of women- from 30 something to mid 50's- a hodgepodge of > friends, gathers to
> celebrate their friend Kate's recovery from cancer. It is a > celebration of life!
>
> Kate is challenged to do something she has always feared: whitewater > rafting in the
> Grand Canyon....her daughter convinces her to to accept this > challenge.
> Kate in turn presents each of her friends with a challenge- and Kate > gets to choose
> each friend's project or task!
> If is well- written and moves along. I read it in 2 afternoons. > Each chapter focuses on
> a character and the challenge presented to her.....some may surprise > you! Throwing out
> a pile of books doesn't sound very hard, but, of course, there's a > bit more
> to it.
> Made me think: is there something I want to do, but have avoided- > for whatever reason?
>
> Give it a try and let me know what you think...
>
>

Author Jane Kirkpatrick writes historical fiction. This book is set in late 1800's-
early 1900's and was pieced together from a scrapbook . It 'd be interesting to
see exactly how much is fact and how much is poetic license.

Based on a true story, it follows the cross country walk ( Spokane, WA to NYC)....
yes, walk- along railroad tracks- of a woman and her 18 year old daughter. Keep
in mind, the timeframe....not an era of women going out unescorted or owning
property or having much freedom . The challenge: to walk at least 29 miles per
day ( to complete the trek in 7 months), not ask for any help or lodging, earn
money along the way , and "showcase" women's latest liberation: the divided
traveling skirt. The reward: $10,000 to save the family farm. Complications:
a stoic Norwegian husband and family who vehemently opposed the walk;
safety concerns- both 2 legged and 4 legged creatures; health issues, weather
concerns.
I enjoyed the book, but felt that the writing was kind of simplistic and sometimes
repetitive. It does put the reader back to an era that's hard for us to imagine.

The further "journey" of the daughter, Clara, made me root for this Underdog
and hope that all turned out well for her. A young woman's progress in the
world of business..and in a man's world....
I'd recommend this leisurely-read book to anyone who has an interest in women's
passage through history.....and who enjoys filling in the gaps between history
and fiction.

Kate or Megan: a mother-daughter trek cross country??

Evidence of Things Unseen by Marianne Wiggins.  The blurb describes this as a “poetic novel” which is what may be the trouble.  At heart it is an interesting story of a family in the “midsouth”—North Carolina, Tennessee—between WWI and WWII.  The father is a veteran of the first world war who, although uneducated, is very interested in science and who considers himself a “scientist”.  Basically he is a tinkerer and inventor.  His wife is an uneducated woman from North Carolina.  The story is about their marriage and grand love affair, but the background is American’s changing society and entry into the atomic age.