The Waiting Booth by Brinda Berry
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is another one of those e-books that I received to review a while ago. I'm sorry it has taken so long. This book is about a young girl - a high school student - whose Mother left the family and whose brother has disappeared. She lives with her father in Whispering Woods. She is working on a science project collecting data on the affect of the phases of the moon on nocturnal feeding patterns of wildlife. She does this by setting up cameras in certain wooded areas around her home. One night she gets a surprise slide of two men who seem to just appear on the film. It turns out these two are agents from a different dimension and the portal they use to get to Earth is beside her Waiting Booth (where she used to wait for the bus). The men are supposed to be working with Pete, her brother, to keep the Earth safe from beings that want to infiltrate and spread disease. The girl, Mia, and her brother Pete have a gift for seeing emotions and vibrations around people and things in different colors. Since Pete is gone, the inter-dimensional organization wants Mia to take his place. Mia reluctantly gets involved because she thinks the two agents can help her find Pete. The book moves along quickly and Mia, her friends, and the two agents have some interesting adventures. Of course, it wouldn't be a young adult book If it didn't involve some kind of romance between two of the characters, but I'm not telling which ones. I liked this book. It moved along and I found myself wanting to keep reading to find out what happens. The end could have been the end, but I believe there is a sequel and I believe it is on my Nook at this very moment. I'll get back to you when I finish it. A good read.


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Train Station Bride by Holly Bush
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this book to review by the author last April. Sorry it took so long for me to read it, but I did enjoy it. This is the story of a young woman who was raised by a rich, restrictive family in the East who answers an ad for a mail-order bride and steals away to South Dakota by train. When she arrives in South Dakota, she is mistaken another mail-order bride and ends up marrying the wrong man. That "wrong man" turned out to be the "right man," of course. Jake, the man in question, is an honest, hard-working farmer who has raised his two sisters since their parents died. He sent for a mail-order bride as a helpmate and to give him a son as an heir. In one respect, it is a typical romance novel, but on the other hand, there are interesting aspects of the story. Julia has been made to think she is fat and undesirable, but of course Jake doesn't think so. She isn't exactly made for farm work, but she makes a valiant effort to adapt. I loved these characters. I loved Julia's efforts to make herself into a good farm wife for Jake. I loved Jake's honorable actions. He vowed to protect Julia when she became his wife and he never stopped doing that even when things got questionable. He was a real hero - one any woman would want. A side note that made a difference to me - there was sex involved. I got worried a bit when I realized how quickly it came in to the story, but it was handled very well. It wasn't explicit at all and I can handle that. If you love a good romantic story, this is the book for you.


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The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have had this book on my shelf since 2010 as is the case of several of my books. I am trying to read through them in a timely fashion, but I'm always getting new books. Anyway, this book was worth the wait. It is about a woman who becomes a chef - we learn her background in the first chapter - and eventually opens a restaurant. She conducts exclusive cooking classes on Monday nights when the restaurant is closed. We get to experience several of those classes throughout the book, but we also get to know each of the students as well. Lillian, the chef, has a very different way of looking at food and she has a talent for knowing just what a person needs to experience. Each chapter in the book tells one of the student's story. The students get involved with each other in special ways and the outcome of the book is very satisfying. As you can tell, I really enjoyed this book. It isn't a "women eating bon bons" kind of book. The situations are very realistic. A great read.


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People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have had this book on my bookshelf for quite some time, but I have finally been able to read it. It is about recreating situations and lives that a special Jewish prayer book have touched. I liked the way the stories were all woven together and that tiny souvenirs from chosen time periods told such a remarkable story. My curiosity was aroused about the different time periods, especially the Inquisition, and the journeys that were taken. The parallel stories of the archivists were interesting as well. I'm glad I finally got to read this book. When I finished it, I prepared to swap it and, before I even got the post finished, someone wanted it. It is a very popular book.

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The Apothecary's Daughter by Julie Klassen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a lovely read. Lilly was an amazing girl with an incredible memory. She helps her father run his Apothecary shop even though that kind of thing was thought to be beyond "a mere woman." The story is about her life...she goes to London and spends a couple of seasons there, meets some eligible men, but has to return home because her father becomes ill. She helps put the store back together and faces charges for prescribing medicine since she, again, is only a woman and not permitted to be an apothecary even though she probably knows the remedies better than her father. This book held my interest and didn't seem like just another romantic story although there was romance involved. There were several threads woven throughout that were tied up in the end. An enjoyable book.

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A House to Let by Charles Dickens
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I thought this was a very interesting concept - to have 4 writers collaborate on one book. I had read Wilkie Collins before and, of course Dickens. The poet was also easy to spot. All the pieces fit so well and made for a lively story. I recommend it. And it's only 93 pages!

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All For You by Lynn Kurland
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was another wonderful time-travel romance by Lynn Kurland. She is so entertaining and I love her characters. This one matched up Stephen dePiaget and Peaches Alexander making all 3 sisters marry "medieval" men. Stephen isn't from the Middle Ages, but he is a professor who specializes in them and he works out in this lists of Ian MacLeod who is definitely from the Middle Ages. I just love this series and the stories never get old for me. Can't wait for the next one.


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The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really liked this book and I was surprised by the depth of it. I felt really connected to the characters and hoped all the way through for a happy ending. I liked that the ending wasn't typical, but, in my opinion, real. It made me want to tear out the flower dictionary at the back of the book so I could keep it handy from now on and even though yellow roses have been a favorite if mine, now I never want to receive them again!

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Julia's Cats: Julia Child's Life in the Company of Cats by Patricia Barey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This little book was interesting and enjoyable. I knew Julia Child from the PBS cooking show, but I never knew she was a cat lover like me.

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Unladylike Pursuits by Alyssa Goodnight
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I liked the premise, loved the heroine and the Viscount, but it took too many words to tell the story. Emily's independence and adventurous spirit had me rooting for her as soon as she fell off her horse. Her adventures were fun and interesting. I just think the story could have been told just as well using say 75 to 100 less pages.

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The Scarlet Pimpernel by Emmuska Orczy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book. The Scarlet Pimpernel was amazing. He could walk into a situation that was impossible to get out of and walk out as someone else. The book moved along quickly and it was never boring. There was always something happening and even to the end, you never knew what was going to happen next. He was so clever! I also loved it because I listened to the audiobook and, whenever a book is narrated by a British narrator, it's all the better. Apparently there are many more books about the Scarlet Pimpernel's adventures. I look forward to reading some of those as well.


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One Enchanted Evening by Lynn Kurland
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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A Wallflower Christmas by Lisa Kleypas

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was an entertaining read. It is part of a series which pairs up each of the Wallflowers with her mate. The characters are fun and interesting. Reading this made me want to look into finding the other books in the series. Good fun.

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