Books, Books, Books, and a Cat

I really enjoyed this romance that explored the possibility of alternate worlds. This book's premise is the what if scenario of making a different choice than the one you originally made. Laurel is afraid to commit to her longtime boyfriend, Ollie. She works at a tech company and the opportunity comes up where she can explore what life would have been like if she had said yes to a coworker instead. The problem comes when she actually gets stuck in the other life. This type of premise is always fascinating to me and I thought this author did a great job explaining what it would be like. Laurel was an interesting character and I enjoyed reading about her choices. There were some steamy romance scenes in the book as well. I also liked the pacing of the book. I never got bored with it or lost interest. This was a solid read with a tech aspect to it that made it more interesting than just a regular romance.

This was an interesting look at four siblings.  They had a mother who wanted to see every state so that led to an interesting upbringing.  The novel is actually set in North Dakota as the siblings reunite for the first time in four years.  Each one of them has drifted apart.  Three of the siblings have had incredible success, one a popular soccer player, another an Oscar nominated actress, and another a best selling author.  The fourth and oldest however is trying to get pregnant but not sure if that is what she really wants.  She did not achieve the great success that the other siblings have but feels more like their mother.  The book alternates from present day to each sibling's past.   The book had a lot of great parts to it. Each time a chapter flashed to the past, it takes place in a different state. This book was filled with lots of drama and family dynamics.   I felt engaged with the characters and their different point of vi...

 Excellent historical fiction with a sprinkling of magic, romance, and action.  This novel was set in 1613 in Scotland and England.  Andrew Logan is a messenger for the king.  He is sent to bring back Sir David Murray, who was a constant companion to the prince, from Scotland. The king wants to question him.  Logan must bring David back in one piece while traveling with a woman who hates him and her sick father.  The only problem is Murray's family doesn't want him brought back because there is more than meets the eye to this situation.  A fantastic read with incredible characters that you will fall in love with.  Susanna Kearsley is a master storyteller and I love that there was a hint of magic in this book as well.  There were several parts of this book that I reread just because they were that good.  I also enjoyed at the end of the book where the author told the historical details about the characters and what was true in real life....

  What an incredibly powerful book!  Junie is a slave in Alabama just before the Civil War.  She is maid to Violet the daughter of the McQueen family who own a plantation.  Junie is grieving the loss of her sister and believes it is her fault she is dead.  One day she sees her sister's ghost and she sends her on a mission that will have far reaching consequences.  My heart broke when I read Junie's story.  She was an incredible character and I wanted her to find all the happiness in the world.  This book is a powerful reminder about our countries past and the fact that no one should ever have to be controlled by someone else.  This is great historical fiction with a touch of magic. I love a story with a strong female character and I don't think I could ever find a character stronger than Junie.  Even more powerful than the story was the historical note at the end.  The fact that Junie is based on the author's actual ancestor is an a...

I love a historical fiction book set in the ancient world and to find one that is based on a real woman who ruled Assyria is a must read for me.  This novel did not disappoint.   Semiramis's is left motherless as a baby and is raised by a cruel man. She forms a plan to try and get out of this horrible situation before she is forced into a marriage.  One day a new governor comes to her small town in Assyria and Semiramis decides to change her destiny.  This is only the beginning of her incredible story.  This story is filled with incredible writing and captured perfectly the ancient Assyrian world. This was a story that I will not soon forget and I love that Semiramis was a real woman with a humble background.  There are so few books written about the ancient world and so many of them are set in ancient Rome that I absolutely love that this is set in Mesopotamia.  It is action packed, filled with drama, intrigue but also and incredible story about ...