books and ladybugs

I enjoyed this book a lot! It covered a lot of emotions…anger, fear, sadness, love, etc. Cassie is one tough cookie. Her life as a female fire fighter has you cheering her on…even when you’re not sure she’s making the best decisions.

Cassie’s mother is manipulative in getting Cassie to come stay with her. But once you find out the real reason why, you will understand her efforts.

While you find yourself laughing, the next second your heart will ache for Cassie. And as you travel with her through her life … present day and her memories of her high school days. Growing up was a difficult time for Cassie and she appears to have done a good job of becoming a responsible adult with a fulfilling life. But you realize that this amazing young lady has a long way to go before she reaches her full potential.

The thing you save in a fire, at least for Cassie, is forgiveness. And that’s the one lesson that carries through many of the relationships that flow through the pages of this delightful book.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Goodreads for an ARC in exchange of my honest review.

What a quirky bunch of characters! Knight and Moon are once again in the. Midst of an adventure and trying to solve a mystery. Vernon and Bagus add a bit of ragtag craziness to the story. This is typical Janet Evanovich and her typical whackadoodle fun. So many interesting situations with Knight and Moon and Vernon. There are hilarious escapades and Vernon pretending to be a Bigfoot will have you laughing out loud. Just make sure you are somewhere you can laugh until tears stream down your cheeks.

This was another sweet mini book from The Mitford series. The creativity and community of the townspeople was touching. There were a lot of fun interactions among the shop owners and a few patrons.

I enjoy the delightful people who live in Mitford.

This was a sweet mini book from The Mitford series. I love that the focus is really on how giving a person can be…no matter how much it costs them financially or physically or emotionally.

Esther has a true heart of graciousness.

This was a very different take on WWII. The author does a wonderful job of bringing you into the story of Magda and her life as taster for Hitler. While I have no admiration for the monster that controlled the Reich, it was an interesting view into the background of the life of those who might have been part of Hitler’s inner circle and yet did not approve of his beliefs and viewpoints.

Magda was a very strong individual and while some may argue that her willingness to serve in any capacity in Hitler’s regime…even if she didn’t have a choice in whether or not she wanted to be a part of the “help”…wasn’t lessened by the fact that she was not a true member of the Party.

The view of Eva Braun and her life with Hitler was also eye opening.

I continue to be amazed at how so many people were brainwashed by Hitler and his views. But luckily there were others who were not so easily convinced that his opinions were the ones to be believed and stood up for their personal beliefs.

This was a difficult book to read because of the realities of that period in time, but it is worth reading to get a glimpse into the lives of normal German citizens and how their lives were impacted during the Nazi regime.

This was one of my favorite Elmwood Springs books by Fannie Flagg! I was laughing and crying as I drove down the road and listened the audiobook version.

Fannie Flagg is such a wonderful author and she has you loving the characters who live in Elmwood Springs. The story spans several decades and you will learn a lot about several families. You will grow up with Bobby and enjoy his wonderful antics! You will go nuts as Norma experiences stress over EVERYTHING! And Neighbor Dorothy will have you chuckling and wishing you lived during the time her show was broadcast over the airwaves. And when you meet the Oatmans, you know you’ll never forget them!

What delightful characters and a story that will have you wanting to move to Elmwood Springs!

I really enjoyed this book. There is a lot of mystery and intrigue that keeps you guessing what is going to happen next. The references to space and planets was very interesting and educational without being nerdy. There were lots of great expressions comparing space and the relationship between Sarah and Ben.

The story weaves the past and present and there are times when you have to stop and think about what time period you are dealing with. But it really isn’t too distracting.

As is true for most people, there are relationship issues with either family, friends, or colleagues. So the characters are true to life and is seems realistic. The author does a great job of developing the characters and keeping you interested in the story. In fact, this is one of those books where I didn’t want to put it down…I kept flipping through the pages and had trouble making myself stop at the end of a chapter.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.