Search

Search only in certain items:

Rose Carroll is a Quaker Midwife in Amesbury, Massachusetts, in 1888. The small town is usually quiet until a fire destroys some of the factories in town, killing employees. Rumors circulate that it was caused by arson. Will her connections in town help Rose figure out what is happening?

This is a good series debut. I had a little trouble keeping track of the characters at the beginning, but I quickly got them all straight, and I grew to care for them by the end. The plot is good with some nice complications and a creative climax. I’m looking forward to visiting Rose again in more books.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/04/book-review-delivering-truth-by-edith.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles, #1)
Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles, #1)
Kami Garcia | 2009 | Fiction & Poetry, Paranormal, Romance
4
7.4 (34 Ratings)
Book Rating
I had heard so much about Beautiful Creatures since it came out, but I really wish I'd skipped this one. It's just another gothic teen romance, authors jumping on the bandwagon that Stephenie Meyer made of the dark scary character and big entrancing eyes and inhuman beauty and absurd chemistry. Nothing happened in the first few chapters, the descriptions were repetitive and strange, the characters were stereotypical, and the dialogue was boring.

The only good thing I had to say was that the small town they described in the book really did sound like a small town (and I can say that because I live in one).

Oh, and the reader of the audiobook was good.

Other than that, honestly, it was just Twilight except Edward Cullen was a girl.

Content/Recommendation: I didn't read enough to be able to say, though honestly if you're going to read a 500-page novel, read Crime and Punishment or The Count of Monte Cristo.
  
War and Peach (Georgia Peach Mystery, #3)
War and Peach (Georgia Peach Mystery, #3)
Susan Furlong | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry, Mystery
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
I really enjoyed the last book in this series, Rest in Peach, but I think War and Peach is even better. When local farmer and mayoral candidate Clem Rogers is found in the debris of his burned-down barn, everyone suspects his political rival Margie of having done away with her competition. Nola Mae is sure that the woman isn’t capable of murder, but the rest of her small town don’t seem to agree. Sure that an innocent woman is being railroaded, Nola steps in to investigate.

I love the small town feel of this series, and the realistic, down-to-earth people. They could be your neighbors rather than characters in a story, and that might be what keeps drawing me back to Cays Mill. You can jump right in with this book even if you haven’t read the first 2 in the series, but you’ll probably want to go back and catch up if you do!
  
40x40

CJ (8 KP) rated The Bookshop (2017) in Movies

Sep 11, 2018 (Updated Sep 11, 2018)  
The Bookshop (2017)
The Bookshop (2017)
2017 |
8
5.3 (3 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Woman vs. town.
Based on the novel of the same title by Penelope Fitzgerald, it tells the story of widow Florence Green (Emily Mortimer) who opens a bookshop in an abandoned home in a small English village. Unfortunately, she does so against the wishes of some of the locals who try to get her removed from her shop. However, she does not find herself without allies and friends.

I was thoroughly delighted by the scenery and costumes in this movie. The stage was set very well. I’m a fan of Bill Nighy as a rule, but I can honestly say that this is the best role I’ve seen him in.

This isn’t a particularly feel good movie. If you’re looking for a Hallmark ending, keep looking. But it does have a few laughs, in that British small-town movie way, and I found it well worth my time. Especially in regards to Emily Mortimer’s and Bill Nighy’s performances.