Book Review: Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult

One moment June Nealon was happily looking forward to years full of laughter and adventure with her family, and the next, she was staring into a future that was as empty as her heart. Now her life is a waiting game. Waiting for time to heal her wounds, waiting for justice, waiting for a miracle. — For Shay Bourne, life holds no more surprises. Th… more »e world has given him nothing, and he has nothing to offer the world. In a heartbeat, though, he gets one last chance for salvation, and it lies with June’s 11-year-old daughter, Claire. But between Shay and Claire stretches an ocean of bitter regrets, past crimes, and the rage of a mother who has lost her child. Father Michael is a man whose past decisions led him to devote the rest of his life to God. But when he comes face-to-face with Shay, he must question everything he’s been taught to believe about religion, about good and evil, about forgiveness. About himself



What would you do if your child was dying? What would you do if the only person who could save your child was someone you thought killed your husband, and your other child? These are the questions that Change of Heart asks you. These truly are impossible choices to make. Jodi Picoult takes you through an emotional story that has you wondering about a lot of things. Is the bad guy really the bad guy? What would you do if you were faced with this same choice you had to make? What is the difference between religion and faith? Change of heart takes on so many heavy issues that it is impossible to call this a light read. It takes on Capital punishment, Organ Donation, the United states Justice System as a whole, and religion. Everywhere you turn in this story there is a topic that is mostly spoken of in whispers and hushes, so not to offend anyone. This is one of the reasons that this book is so good. When you read a Picoult novel you know you are going to get something emotional that will pull at your heart strings. I could not believe just how pulled in I got though, I found myself not wanting Shay Bourne to be killed, wondering if he truly did the crime he had been convicted of and yet wanting the little girl Claire to live. There is no denying that there are some shadows of the Green Mile in this book with some of the things that happen in the prison with Shay there, and even the relationships with some of the guards. That being said the book makes no secret of that and even makes a small joke of it in calling Shay Bourne “green Mile” in one passage. This book is not Green Mile, and while it has some similar themes stands fully on its own, and gets a hearty MUST READ from me.

Book Review: Royal Harlot by Susan Holloway Scott


London, 1660: Ready to throw off a generation of Puritan rule, all England rejoices when Charles Stuart returns to reclaim the throne. Among those welcoming him is young Barbara Villiers Palmer, a breathtaking Royalist beauty whose sensuality and clever wit instantly captivate the handsome, jaded king. Though each is promised to another, Barbara… more » soon becomes Charles’s mistress and closest friend, and the uncrowned queen of his bawdy Restoration court. Rewarded with titles, land, and jewels, she is the most envied and desired woman in England–and the most powerful. But the role of royal mistress is a precarious one, and Barbara’s enemies and rivals are everywhere in the palace.

I will open this review by saying that Charles II of England is perhaps one of my least favorite Monarchs of England. Not that he did anything particularly bad to my tastes but he just does not fit into my Gem pile. That said I could barely put down this book. The story of Charles II and Barbra Villiers is pretty well known among historians, and she is always vilified. Always called any score of names that in my opinion could be laid at any royal mistress’s feet, but she always gets the worst of it.
Susan Holloway Scott did not gloss over any of the things that Barbra Villiers was, she was vain, and wonton and even calculating. However she brought to light a side that is most often over looked by the usual rabble, she was loving and tender and generous to her family and friends. Let’s face it to have remained in the King’s favor as long as she did she had to have more to her than just a nice body.
So if you like historical fiction and you don’t mind a lot of the sexual innuendo and some not innuendo in your book I recommend this one for you. It was a good read and one that thoroughly held my attention to welcome me back into the grips of my book obsession and reviewing. My only regret about this one is going to be selecting one to follow it.



Smell the Freshness in the Air

I know we are well into the New Year now, but this is going to be my new resolution. Anyone who knows me I do not really make New Year’s resolutions, so I won’t call this one of those. It is simple a resolution to get back into things that bring me joy. To long I have been feeling so sick, and falling down into a pit of depression. I can admit that, and honestly I am still depressed but I am making an effort to claw my way back out. So a few things about the blog.

1) No book challenges this year I got so wrapped up in completely challenges the last two years that I think I got over whelmed. I took too much on and it became about how fast and how many books I could read instead of just enjoying the books. I may take on a challenge again in 2012 but 2011 my only challenge is MY challenge to myself to get back into things.



2) Re-organizing this blog and my other blogs you may see some things showing up and some disappearing here, call it bloggy spring cleaning.

3) I am likely going to be posting some more personal stuff instead of just book reviews. Of course it will be bookie stuff, but I need a sounding board for myself too and I feel this is the better place for it. This is my first blog, and I want to focus on using it more. Making another one may be just too much, so I hope no one minds more yapping from me.

And those are my choices I am laying down for myself. I look forward to interacting more with my friends again and posting some more books. In an effort to move passed my reading block I had Steve select the next book I am reading off my shelf. He of course just grabbed one, but hey it’s a Historical Fiction and you all KNOW how much I love Historical Fictions! So look for the next book review to be… Royal Harlot by Susan Holloway Scott.

Book Review: Fashion Unraveled by Jennifer Matthews

*Blows the dust off her blog and smiles* Happy erm Belated new year all, I have explaining to do. I know, but I will do that later..for now. I want to introduce you all to a FANTASTIC new book.

As an educator at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (San Francisco & LA), Jennifer Lynne Matthews, recognized that there was a need for a step by step educational manual to teach her students on how to start their own business. Consequently, Matthews wrote the first edition of Fashion Unraveled in 2008 to provide such educational material; the second edition is due out in early 2011. Matthews, also a lingerie designer and entrepreneur, began her path in the fashion industry in 1994. She attended Florida State University, then the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, completing her degree in 1999. With a specialization in intimate apparel, Matthews began working in the industry as a stylist and freelance designer.

In 2002, Matthews opened her own business, Porcelynne Lingerie. Fashion Unraveled is built on Matthews’ experience in both opening and sustaining a successful business. She brings the knowledge of running a small business and her expertise in the industry into her book and it continues into her classroom teaching.

Matthews has won numerous awards for her designs and has received worldwide accolades for her work, including the Best of the East Bay and the Best of San Francisco Mastermind awards for her lingerie designs. Her most recent project has been on a reality TV show (currently being pitched to networks) as a co-producer and fashion consultant for a lingerie design competition show.

Future plans include authoring a collection of books on lingerie design, draping and clothing construction. She also aspires to open a showroom and education studio in the garment district of Los Angeles.

For more information on Jennifer Matthews and her work, see www.fashionunraveled.com and http://www.porcelynne.com/.

If you like fashion an learning about it this book is for you. Do not get wrong this is not a shopaholic style book or any of that. This is an honest book about Fashion from someone in the industry. Who better to tell the store than someone who is actually in the industry. So if you are into learning about fashion and curious at the point of view I would read this one for sure.

I would also make sure you keep an eye and ear out for the TV show the author is pitching to networks. I am always for another fun show that goes along with a book that I enjoy and this is one of them. You must get this book!



Book Review: Young Black Stallion, 5 – The Yearling by Steven Farley



Once again, Danielle must adjust to life without her beloved horse Redman, who’s back on duty at the riding camp. She turns to Raven for comfort, but the brash young colt is more full of himself than ever. Although Alec, Raven’s trainer, is pleased with the development of his future racehorse, Danielle is troubled by Raven’s increasingly aloof manner. Despite her best efforts, he doesn’t seem to care whether she is around or not. Alec reminds Danielle that Raven, like the famous Black, will never be anyone’s pet. Can Danielle give up her secret hope of being the colt’s best friend?

Sadly on this book I have to go back to my former..sadness with the series…*sigh* here we go.

While he has made an appreciated attempt, Steven Farley’s books just do not live up to the caliber of his father’s work (Walter Farley). I have read 6 of the books in the “Young Black Stallion” series, and I find them more akin to the “Thoroughbred” and “PonyPal” books, sadly lacking the fire and excitement of the original Black Stallion books. Steven Farley has made some glaring errors in his protrayal of Alec Ramsey… How could Alec be only 18 if he found the Black at 15? So the Black has only been racing for 3 years through all 21 books in the original series? Come on! Make Alec 25 or so, and that would be believable….

Also, what makes these books less interesting to read is that they are “dumbed down” a bit, while the original stories were written for 10-12 years olds, they appealed to adults too! (Like myself, who grew up reading the Black Stallion books.)

I think “The Black Stallion’s Shadow” and The Black Stallion’s Steeplechaser” were much better than the books in this “Young Black Stallion” series. For your money, I think you are better off trying to get some of the original 21 books by Walter Farley…


Book Review: Young Black Stallion, 4 – Wild Spirit by Steven Farley



It’s shaping up to be the best Christmas ever for Danielle. With both her dad and her horse, Redman, home for the holidays, the farm couldn’t be busier. But Raven, the spirited colt with whom Danielle has been working, doesn’t want to share her attention. Danielle knows she has a duty to the colt and to Alec Ramsay, his owner, but she can’t help feeling loyal to Redman as well. If Raven is to be manageable as a racehorse someday, he must learn to share territory with other horses–but can he?

The book was good and I think it will be great for younger hores lovers. It has alot of horse talk so you need to really know horses to understand the book. It is a step up from the other 3 books and perhaps in this book the writer has gotten his stride a little bit. I am still leery but as always will keep reading, it shows promise and improvement.


The Move

The Move is taking place soon..infact it wil be happening tommrow..at 8am is when Steve is planning on getting up and getting packed and gone. So I do not know when I will be posting next. We have to get there, get our things into storage and get internet and cable hooked up. I am excited and nervous all in the same breath. I have never moved this far from home, I have always lived in Minnesota in one city or another. Alas life needs changes sometimes, and hubby has been away from his home to long. He needs to be with his kids more and this will enable that. There is also my health, so the move is needed. Things happened much faster and not perhaps in the best way, but it needed to happen. So I will be in hoosierville likely by this time tommrow. Alasa I will ALWAYS be a Minnesota Wild Girl. I will be back to posting as soon as I can.

Book Review: Young Black Stallion, 3 – The Homecoming by Steven Farley

Danielle is thrilled to be helping Alec Ramsay escort a vanload of racehorses from New York to Florida. She’ll also get to visit her horse, Redman, who has been earning his oats at a riding camp up north. When an extra stall unexpectedly becomes available in the van, Redman’s new owner allows Danielle to take him home for a visit. Danielle is overjoyed to be reunited with her beloved horse, but the trip home turns out to be more hazardous than anyone imagined. Can Danielle and Alec make it safely back to Florida with their precious cargo?

This one is a little bit better than the other two. But it is still not up to the calibre of the regular series. I do not think Steven Farley is a bad author persay but he should have stuck with his own story line to make it more his own and not so fakey sounding. However I guess it was just easier to take his Father’s idea.


BooK Review: Young Black Stallion, 2 – A Horse Called Raven by Steven Farley



Danielle is working at Alec Ramsay’s stable, but she still has a long way to go before she can buy back Redman. When a dangerous flu virus strikes a neighboring farm and most of the horses are moved, Danielle is crushed to learn she’s temporarily out of a job. Then the little black colt to whom she’s beginning to grow attached falls ill, and Danielle’s priorities begin to change…



I don’t know if he’s just trying to make money off his father’s famous series, but I think he should’ve come up with his own idea for a children’s series. The Black Stallion books that Steven Farley is writing stick out like a sore thumb. This one has no improvement over the first one. Hard to plug along but I made a commitment to do so.


Book Review: Young Black Stallion 1 – The Promise by Steven Farley



Thirteen-year-old Danielle Connor feels nothing but rage toward Alec Ramsay, the famous young jockey who has turned her family’s farm into a training facility for his Thoroughbred racehorses, including the legendary Black. Now Danielle’s family has to move and her beloved horse, Redman, has been sold. Even after Alec introduces her to a special black colt, Danielle remains determined to be reunited with Redman…at any cost.

As a long time reader of the ‘Black Stallion’ series, I was curious to see what Mr. Farley’s son had done with the stories since I felt Walter Farley left the series unfinished. I loved the series as a child and have even re-read the books as an adult (as my readers can now tell by all my reviews). Although I applaud anyone’s efforts in writing and publishing a book, Steven Farley might have wanted to write about a different subject. The ‘Young Black Stallion’ series is looking like it might be a big disappointment; this story was silly and pointless. In several instances the author has taken sentences, word for word, from his father’s earlier ‘Black Stallion’ books and simply changed the character’s names. The characters are poorly developed and clumsy with each other. The plots have a lot of holes in them, even for children. Based on the earlier stories, Alec could not possibly be only 18 and why should he be? Alec supposedly wanted the farm where Danielle lived in order to board his horses there, then with the exception of a mare and foal, all the horses he supposedly acquired the farm for remained at another facility. A Thoroughbred operation such as Alec and Henry had supposedly built would not isolate one promising colt and spend so much one-on-one time. Where were all the other Hopeful Farm colts? The series would probably read better if it did try to weave the ‘Black Stallion’ characters into it, but rather expanded its own story.




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