"Martha Stewart's Handmade Holiday Crafts: 225 Inspired Projects for Year-Round Celebrations"

Published by:  Crown Publishing Group/Random House

Pages:  369

Genre:  House & Garden/Crafts

Here's the Scoop:

There is no question that Martha Stewart has long been the reigning queen of DIY home crafts and decorations.  In this holiday-centered book, she has gathered the best of her ideas, giving us up-close and fully realized directions on how to create extraordinary crafts and gifts for home, family and friends. Martha doesn't disappoint her fans, and anyone is bound to find something beautiful to create in this holiday crafting book.

Major holidays are segmented and ideas for crafts, home decorating and gift giving are shown for each one:  New Year's, Valentine's Day, Easter, July 4th, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas...and all others in between!   The large spread photographs are lovely, the ideas are not expensive, but are easily accessible; and, the resulting crafts present bright, festive, magical, and even enchanting pieces.

Here's What I Liked:

Valentine's Day: 

Red tulips in double glass vases with red cinnamon candy hearts were vibrant, beautiful and made an easy presentation for a dinner arrangement.

Also, a carnation heart made of multiples of pink carnations on floral foam to make a centerpiece is quick and gorgeous!

Easter :

Fabulous egg-dyeing techniques using natural formulas made from coffee, cabbage, blueberries, beets and spices made incredibly beautiful and exotic eggs.  And, Martha gives specific directions for marbleizing eggs!  Actually, most of her egg crafting was exceptional.

Thanksgiving :

Gourd candles made from hollowed out mini gourds with colored, melted candles are just amazing little jewels!  Pumpkin carving is fabulous!

Christmas :

I loved the cookie cutter ornament ideas made from various paper goods, family pictures and such.  The gilded, and verdigris Polish inspired eggs, and the ribbon poinsettia wreath was just to die for.

Hanukkah :

Paper packages, a menorah, and satin stars are glowing and sparkling in Martha's hands.

Here's what I found lacking:

Often the crafts are more complex than one would want to become engaged in. 

The directions are not clear cut; that is, they are not in a "recipe/materials" format, but are listed in text, which I found to be more difficult to follow.  I needed to break it down for myself on my own paper.

Diagrams sometimes took too much for granted, or at least seemed to expect the more experienced crafter could "fill in the blanks."  I wasn't up to some of that!

Several projects were quite time-consuming for very little return or impact.

And, finally, I found the pictures too small in the working segments.

Overall Rating:  3 stars ~ I can't highly recommend it, but it's a good book to check out of the library...

Deborah/TheBookishDame

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"Christmas at Pemberley~A Pride & Prejudice Christmas Sequel" by Regina Jeffers

Published by:  Ulysses Press

Pages: 350 with Afterward

Genre:  Fiction/Regency Romance

THE DARCYS AND THE BENNETS

CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO

CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY: A PRIDE & PREJUDICE HOLIDAY SEQUEL

Very quick Summary:

Darcy has invited the Bennets and the Bingleys to spend the Christmastide’s festive days at Pemberley. But as he and Elizabeth journey to their estate to join the gathered families, a blizzard blankets the English countryside. The Darcys find themselves stranded at a small inn while Pemberley is inundated with refugees seeking shelter from the storm.

Without her brother’s strong presence, Georgiana Darcy tries desperately to manage the chaos surrounding the arrival of six invited guests and eleven unscheduled visitors.

But bitter feuds, old jealousies and intimate secrets quickly rise to the surface. Has Lady Catherine returned to Pemberley for forgiveness or revenge? Will the manipulative Caroline Bingley find a soul mate? Shall Kitty Bennet and Georgiana know happiness?

Written in Regency style and including Austen’s romantic entanglements and sardonic humor, Christmas at Pemberley places Jane Austen’s most beloved characters in an exciting yuletide story that speaks to the love, the family spirit and the generosity that remain as the heart of Christmas.

Pemberley from the Dame's Perspective :

I only wish I had 10 more days of Christmas and 10 more books written by Regina Jeffers about the Darcys and clan to fill them! This is my very favorite of the Christmas books I've read for review this year.  And, I'm so happy to bring it to your attention just in time for your Christmas rush!

If there is ever a time to get one more book for yourself in that "one for her/him~and one for me" pile;  this is the ONE!

Jane Austen would love Regina Jeffers's perfectly Pemberley story that unites not only Elizabeth and Darcy in further intimacy around their soon-to-be first child, but also begins to be-ribbon some family relationships that have kept us aching for more closure.

Regina is the reigning queen (name is rightfully hers) of the sequels to Miss Austen's books, in my humble opinion.  She takes care to keep her characters in perfect unity with Jane's intentions, it seems to me. This makes the books all the more close to authentic in nature, and all the more desirable for Austen aficionados. 

I lost myself in this wintry novel as it danced among the characters and their longings for connections of heart, purpose and mind.  Jane Austen's books are of this quality; not just fluff, but of the substance of true life and its mysteries, if a reader will take a moment to look beyond the surface, as Lizzy would have us do.

The story of a coming home to Pemberley at Christmastime brought me such pleasure this weekend as I put the last trimmings and touches on our holiday.  While I went to church, heard the last of the pre-Christmas sermons and remembered things from past holidays with husbands (yes, there have been a couple--I was widowed very young) and children; "A Christmas at Pemberley..."  lifted my heart even more. 

This is a beautifully, thoughtfully written book.  Perfectly in keeping with Miss Austen's tone of characters.  A positively on-target treat for Darcy and Lizzy fans. If we can't have Jane, at least we have Ms Jeffers!  Thank God!

A Christmas in Regency style that is up-lifting, heartwarming and centered on the things that matter most in life:  Love and Family.

The Best of Christmas Books in 2011

Deborah/TheBookishDame

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Christmas Book Drive ~ Migrant Workers' Children

Not all children have books for Christmas or any other time of year.

Many children don't even have children's magazines, coloring books, crayons or pencils of their own; and, they're lucky if they can find any to share.

In our immediate area in South Florida, there is a shelter for migrant workers which seeks to provide care for the too many children and mothers left in poverty, and who live virtually homeless.  Not only do these children lack basic needs, but

to ask for a book or books of their own

would be impossibility thinking for them.

If you would like to participate in a Christmas Gift of Books for these children and their mothers, please leave a comment with your email

Thanking you, and God be with you this Christmas

Deborah/TheBookishDame

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O, Christmas Tree~I Put Up Our Tree Tonight :]

I built our Christmas tree tonight from some of the books read and reviewed this year. What could be better than to celebrate the authors and books that have brought me such pleasure over the last months? 

Florida isn't known for its snowy roads and evergreen-covered forests, but we do have lights that twist around our palm trees and fountains that herald reminders of stars in a distant Bethlehem.

And, on certain beautiful nights, if you look up wondering what it's all about, you'll see a glowing moon to let you know that no matter how far you live away from those you love, the same moon lights the night for each of you.  And Love never leaves your sides.

In the days before Christmas, thanks to beloved family, dear friends, those authors and publishers and the quiet, bearly noticed people who made my life special this year.

Deborah/TheBookishDame

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Christmas Cookies! "Debbie Macomber's Christmas Cookbook"

Published by: Harlequin

Pages: 240

Genre:  Family/House & Garden

Something About Debbie :

We call her the "Official Storyteller of Christmas"—but Debbie Macomber is more than that. She is someone who loves the holiday and all its traditions. Now she shares more than 100 of her favorite recipes to help you enjoy this most joyous of seasons. You'll also find easy-to-follow instructions for crafts, decorations and gift-wrapping—everything you need to create a beautiful and festive holiday.

What makes this cookbook unique Is Debbie's personal memories and observations. Join her as she reminisces about traditions past and present, and discover the craft ideas she herself uses. As she says, "The holidays are about being with others. They're about celebrating and sustaining our personal community of family and friends."

In this beautifully illustrated book, she shows you how to serve a memorable meal, whether it's a sit down Christmas dinner for a crowd, entertaining a group of friends at an open house or tea, or spending time with your children and grandchildren...

The Dame's Summary of the Book in a Nutshell:

When I went scouring my cookbook library shelves and hideouts this season, I just couldn't find the Christmas cookies and new baking ideas I wanted for the holiday.  It's the 21st century!  I needed some inspiration! 

I went hunting at my local book shop and found "Debbie Macomber's Christmas Cookbook."  The beautiful cover jumped off the book shelf!  Up until now, I have to admit not being a fan of Debbie's books. I'm not into ladies groups and small town chit-chat novels.  But, boy, does she know holiday stories and making holidays special with family and friends.  This is a wonderful, picture and memory-making book to fill out the old and weary cookbook shelves of any household. (And, its caused me to ferret out her newest Christmas novel, as well, which I recommend!)

Debbie's simple, yet beautiful cookies and delicious desserts are mouthwatering. But she also includes wonderful recipes for breakfast, brunch and munchies of the savory sort. And, while you're waiting for these to bake, her stories are so much fun and so heartwarming to read. Her easy to follow crafts ideas are as clearly pictured as her recipes. In fact, this book is beautifully pictured throughout.  It's of the coffee table quality books for Christmas.

I enjoyed Debbie's sense of  humor and the times she cherishes with her grandchildren. I'm not able to spend time with my grandchildren since they live in four different States; pretty far away from me. So, although this book was sometimes bittersweet to read, it was a reminder of when my children were babies.  And a time when I was a young mother, baking Christmas cookies and decorating them with my little children in a Yankee Barn in New Hampshire while snow piled up 4 ft. high on our deck...

This is a book that will find its way into your lap when you walk away from the kitchen to sit in your favorite chair crunching on your warm baked goods.  It may find its way into your lap when you have a grandchild by your side.

I think it's a book well worth purchasing this year.

Happy Holidays...I wish I could send each of you a tin of my holiday lemon bars!

5 red stars

Deborah/TheBookishDame

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Amish Story~"A Lancaster Co. Christmas" by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Published by:  Revell/Baker Publishing Group

Pages:  191, and Discussion Questions

Genre:  Fiction, Inspirational

Introduction of Author:



Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of The Choice, The Waiting, and The Search, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace. Her interest in the Anabaptist cultures can be directly traced to her grandfather, W. D. Benedict, who was raised in the Old Order German Baptist Brethren Church in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Benedict eventually became publisher of Christianity Today magazine. Suzanne is the host of a radio show called Amish Wisdom, and her work has appeared in many magazines. She lives in California.

Book in a Nutshell:

Are you as curious about the Amish as I am?  It seems I've had a sense of awe about them and what seems their secretive ways.  A couple of my children went to small, private colleges near Lancaster County (Dickinson and Gettysburg), affording me an opportunity to visit the Amish villages,  and see their farms once in a while.  Since I stopped to shop in their small town, I was a heartbeat away from these gentle people whose nearly downcast eyes and shy smiles felt like gifts to me as they passed by. My spirit was lifted just be being around them.   Although, I'll never forget nearly crashing into a buggy with my too- fast-moving sports car one afternoon...an English lady not paying attention to what I was doing!

The Quilt Museum in Lancaster County is a display of the most astonishing quilts I've ever seen.  With simple, unpatterned cotton in every hue, Amish women have created quilts that flash and vibrate.  It's truly other-worldly.  I've never experienced anything like it.  The juxtaposition of colors makes your eyes "play tricks" on you so that the quilts actually sparkle!  Such is the plain life of these people~they quietly sparkle in their simplicity. And lest one think their clothing is too plain, it's amazing how inventive women can be with plain, beautifully colored cotton and cotton blends...no zippers or buttons included.

In "A Lancaster County Christmas" Susanne Woods Fisher brings us a story of such an outwardly simple, plain Amish couple with one cherished son, who meets and takes in a young "Englisher" couple in trouble.  The couple is in trouble both physically, as their car is disabled in a raging snowstorm, and in that their marriage is on the brink of divorce. 

Through this story during the weekend of Christmas, we learn about loss and love, the meaning of friendship and faith, family and following the light we've been given.  We also learn that whether Amish or not, people are the same in their life-struggles and in their feelings of insecurity and pain.

The theme of the book, "Emmanuel (God) with us" reminds us of the true meaning of Christmas.  That He came down to be with us. It's the reminder that we would not always find life to be perfect and without struggles, but that we would have the promise that He would always be by our sides~with us~and He would never fail us through it all. It's a story that's simple and, yet, so complex to grasp. 

 "A Lancaster County Christmas" is a book that leads us along the path to understanding the importance of real communication.  I loved the story of the two couples, of how they saw the similarities in the troubles they had to deal with, how they gave each other hope and strength.  It's a book that's gentle to read, and a book that leaves you stronger for the reading.  A sit down between cookie baking novel...

May you know that Emmanuel is with you this Christmas.

Recommended for now through January--and beyond.

4 winter stars

Deborah/TheBookishDame

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Follow Friday~Blog Hop A Chance to Meet New Blogging Friends

Please follow Alison Can Read to find today's Follow Fiday list of bloggers to visit and exchange greetings.

You can also add your blog(s) to the link and have a following!

I think this is a great way to actually meet fellow reviewers who have similar interests in books and to establish connections with them.  It's worked for me incredibly well.

You'll find details for signing up for this event that takes place several times per month.

Nearly forgot:  Every time there's a blog hop, there will be a featured site and a question for the Friday.  This Friday's question is~

"What do you do with your books after you've read them?

I keep them for the most part.  Confess that I'm a book hoarder of the first rank.  My library is pushing us out of the house!  I've also begun to share them with my daughter who has now shown herself to be a serious reader; now that she's in her 30's, finally!  And, I share them with friends who are also serious readers. If I have duplicates, I give them away in "giveaways" on my blog. Because I believe "Books are our friends," a phrase I coined when I was in my early teens, I don't give them away randomly to swaps or such.  That's like dropping them off at orphanages to me!  LOL

Seriously, what do you do with the books you've already read??

Deborah/TheBookishDame

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"The Cross Dresser's Wife: Our Secret Lives" Written and Edited by Dee A. Levy and B. Sheffield Hunt

Published by:  Creative Space

Pages:160

Genre:  Women's Non-fiction

The Dame's Highlight of This Book:

This is an important collection of women's personal stories having to do with their struggles to understand husbands who are or who did affect ther lives as cross dressers. 

This book is an attempt to give help and hope to those women who have experienced the heartbreak of this horrific experience, and to give solace and hope to those who find or ever found themselves in a marriage such as described in these pages and still want to understand it. The sufferings of these brave women cannot be discounted, and the courage they show in sharing their stories for the benefit of others cannot be lauded enough...it's a lonely and unimaginable torture to be in a marriage that is fraught with sexual addiction and unspeakable secrets. 

Unflinching it its truth, bravely written, and edited, this book will be a lifeline for women in abusive relationships with men who keep secrets about their sexual addictions; men who torture their wives and families with hidden lives.  I don't think this book is for cross dressers only. It will shock and surprise you.

Additionally, I'm privileged to bring you this interview:

I’m so delighted you’ve agreed to allow us to get to know you and your book better through an interview.

Thank you very much. My esteemed book partner Dee A. Levy and I are thrilled to have The Cross Dresser’s Wife * Our Secret Lives reviewed by The Bookish Dame!

First of all, please tell us a special something about what makes you "tick."

As an educated human being and a writer, I am consistently flabbergasted by and love exploring the intricacies of human behavior. Truth IS stranger than fiction because if life appears simple, scratch any surface and discover the unexpected. I first truly recognized how bizarre people can be at my first job in high school, the local Baskin Robbins ice cream parlor. Nine or ten high-schoolers scooping ice cream for senior citizens commenting on how a banana split used to cost a nickel… where is the potential for drama? Yet, there were firings, hirings, secret promotions, illegitimacy, domestic turbulence, gossipy virgins who thought they might be pregnant, a boss named Major McNally barking "Portion control!" every ten seconds, and even a ghost named Keith! In what appeared to be a barren and humdrum setting, there was much gold to be mined.

Those workplace dramas are always the best! LOL

You chose a specific topic to write about, what made you choose it? Has writing your book given you a sense that you did what you were meant to do?

I was approached by my force-of-nature book partner, Dee A. Levy, to help craft her harrowing story into an article. This expanded into a book, which expanded into a collection of memoirs told from the POV of the cross dresser’s wife.

If the initial reviews are anything to speak of, we have touched upon a hot topical issue. Readers of every ilk, not just cross dressers’ wives, are expanding their base of thought and responding to these courageous stories in a way that we never expected… yet we did. Who can’t relate to a survival story? You care about these women. You can’t help it. The emotional tunnels they dig in order to survive will blow any misconceptions about cross dressing to smithereens and draw the basic similarities evident in all relationships into clearer focus, thus bringing society and cross dressers’ wives everywhere closer together.

Please share with your readers where you like to write. Do you have a particular space or desk? What can you see from your desk? Do you have props you use to write from? What about special "charms?"

I love this question! Surrounded by books in a library is a thrilling space to write if you feel the urge to get out and absorb stimuli, yet writing at home is usually best for me. Per Feng Shui guidelines, my slightly-scratched old Chinese writing desk, a gift from an internationally renown interior decorator who is a friend and former boss, sits before our home office’s bright north-facing window. A small potted asparagus fern, a cutting from a larger plant belonging to my grandparents, lives right outside the window in my direct eyeline. He reminds me who I am. The grass cloth swathed walls of my home office serve as giant bulletin boards, bursting with postcards, photographs, art, cocktail napkins with jotted ideas, Henry Miller’s 11 Writing Commandments, and other cherished memorabilia. My "charm" would be the antique nautical-looking brass hourglass that dominates the tray on my desk. She is my encouraging timekeeper; no matter how mined, frustrated, or tired I might be feeling, I can always turn her over one more time and get in another 45 minutes or so of writing. Mine works so well for me, I recommend a trusty hourglass for every writer’s desk in America.

In your opinion what makes a book a greak one?

A great book has a beating heart that you sense from page one, if not the title or cover. Yes, you can sometimes judge a book by its cover.

I agree with you, even though I was always taught you couldn't!

What are your Top 5 all time favorite books?

This list evolves, but today my all time favorite books are Queen Zixie Of Ix by L. Frank Baum, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, A Separate Peace by John Knowles, Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham, and any of the Mapp and Lucia novels by E. F. Benson.

I’m sure there were tears of sadness and joy in the writing of "...Crossdressers.." 

Can you share a memorable moment for you with us?

Holding our first hard copy of the book from the publisher was a big deal. Imagine realizing you’re floating in a hot air balloon together on a beautiful day with a splendid view of wineries below. Dee and I looked at each other, raised our martinis, and uttered something deep and meaningful like, "Aaahhh." We are grateful and enjoyed that moment.

Please tell us the underlying message of your book. What would you like your readers to take away after having read the book?

Cross dressing is a highly complex and often highly misunderstood issue. Living in the closet and all the machinations involved in keeping a thorny secret can have devastating consequences on women, men, relationships, and families. It is time for the issue of cross dressing to be pulled from the shadows into the light of understanding and acceptance.

Were you able to keep your original title? What was it, if not?

Originally titled My Secret Life as a Cross Dresser’s Wife, after other wives and partners from the Forum on www.crossdresserswives.com bravely stepped up to share their powerful stories, the book evolved into The Cross Dresser’s Wife * Our Secret Lives.

Is there a song that you "heard" or might best represent your book as a theme song?

I don’t know if it classifies as the book’s official theme song, but in Mr. Wonderful, page 147, the last page of the last story in the book, our protagonist wife is realizing she won’t be married to her soul mate/husband for the rest of her life. The song ‘Birds’ by Neil Young is playing, "It’s over, it’s over.." as she sits parked in her driveway in the pouring rain, sobbing recklessly, too devastated to go inside and face the cross dressing husband waiting for her in bed.

 If your book were made into a movie; tell me who would play some of your characters! :]

Madeleine Stowe and Stanley Tucci can ignite and bring the marriage of Mr. Wonderful to blazing fruition. Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling will infuse their explosive talents into the horrors of Gaslighting. Dianne Wiest would absolutely flee into the interior labyrinth of The Queen Of Denial. Jessica Chastain from ‘The Help’ would instill authentic grace into the dark journey of The Golden Nugget.

I can completely see Dianne Wiest in The Queen of Denial.  Let's go to the movies!  It would be amazing.

Please tell~Guilty pleasures: Most recently read book? Favorite guilty pleasure tv show?
What’s your guilty pleasure coffee/tea? What sweet snack do you sneak?

I am reading The Edinburgh and Dore Lectures On Mental Science by Thomas Troward and the 1955 personal journal of producer Ross Hunter. I love The Simpsons, even after all these years, and can watch favorite episodes endlessly. I like to eat almonds, a banana opened from the bottom like monkeys do, or yummy cheese, apple, and whole grain crackers.

Thank you for bending to these busybody questions! It’s been a pleasure from my end of things!

Thank you so much!


Before you go, is there anything you’d still like to "confess?" LOL

Working on The Cross Dresser’s Wife * Our Secret Lives and becoming part of something positive that helps people understand what is happening all around them is truly a rewarding experience. I tip my proverbial cap to Dee A. Levy and all of the inspiring women from www.crossdresserswives.com. Their stories are powerful, gripping, and eye-opening. Curious readers won’t put the book down until they have reached the last page.


And, I have to say that I thought "The Cross Dresser's Wife: Our Secret Lives" is one of the most significant books I've read in all my life.  There hasn't been a book so helpful in this area of male human behavior and its affects on the women who love them and have children with them that I've ever been aware of. I think its also significant for the men involved who've felt locked up emotionally in their secret lives.


Please see more on this subject and go to the following site for further support and information: http://www.crossdresserswives.com/

TheBookishDame

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"The Outlaw Album" by Daniel Woodrell ~ Or Why We Don't Want to Go Exploring Far Afield!

Published by:  Little, Brown and Co.

Pages:  167

Genre: Short stories, Fiction

In A Nutshell :

Twelve timeless Ozarkian tales of those on the fringes of society, by a "stunningly original" (Associated Press) American master.

Daniel Woodrell is able to lend uncanny logic to harsh, even criminal behavior in this wrenching collection of stories. Desperation-both material and psychological—motivates his characters. A husband cruelly avenges the killing of his wife's pet; an injured rapist is cared for by a young girl, until she reaches her breaking point; a disturbed veteran of Iraq is murdered for his erratic behavior; an outsider's house is set on fire by an angry neighbor.

There is also the tenderness and loyalty of the vulnerable in these stories—between spouses, parents and children, siblings, and comrades in arms-which brings the troubled, sorely tested cast of characters to vivid, relatable life. And, as ever, "the music coming from Woodrell's banjo cannot be confused with the sounds of any other writer" (Donald Harington, Atlanta Journal Constitution).

Let The Dame Speak:

Daniel Woodrell is a twisted man with the literary voice of a blunt instrument.  He's surgical in his ability to cut to the chase and give up the dialect and the staccato voice of his characters in mindless distress. He's twisted, and probably has dreams fraught with red-eyed, demented people. He's got to be to write these stories of seriously strange and neatly unnatural people caught up in a lawless, irreverent environment where time has stood still, and anger management is simply unheard of.

The backwoods of the Ozarks are lands that you don't want to even think about venturing into unless you were born there and you have serious weapons, and you are well versed in how to use them.  And, I'm talking primitive, deadly weapons. And, I'm talking about being around people who have bouts of murderous rage that makes the darkest insanity look comforting. Such are the characters Woodrell rounds out and presents to us in his mesmerizing book.

Does anyone remember the movie "Deliverance?"  There we have some small inkling of what Daniel Woodrell's stories entail.

Oh, how I couldn't stop reading these horrific tales of the backwoods and how I found my heart beating and my head shaking at the stark truths they showed me.  If ever you've wondered what the primal heart of a man or woman can be, this is where you can find evidence of it.

Woodrell is an author who stands alone in his brilliance. He has a power to his words that makes the impact of very few lines read like a novel.

"The Outlaw Album" is a collection of stories that will stand you on your ear, as my mother-in-law who knew the fringes of the Ozarks used to say.  She grew up in Arkansas near the Ozarks and knew about the interior of that deep mountain country, but she and her family were never crazy enough to tread that far inland, for fear of their lives. Like dark areas of Appalachia, backwoods and bayous of Lousiana and other such places, Daniel Woodrell tells of the peoples that inhabit a land without spiritual and moral boundaries, except those they choose to create on their own.

I was particularly shaken by his story of a young girl who is abused by an uncle, watches him rape innocent girls, and comes to a resolution at the end of the story that is shocking but gratifying.  Like his other stories, it's one I don't think I'll ever forget.

I recommend this small volume very highly to everyone, with the reservation that they understand these are stark short stories; dark and dealing in evil that lies in the hearts of a people isolated from the "real" world of civilization.  These are not your children's fantasy stories!

5 incredible stars

Deborah/TheBookishDame

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"The Story of Beautiful Girl" by Rachel Simon~A Favorite Book of 2011

Published by:  Grand Central Publishing/Hachette Publishing Group

Pages:  340

Genre: Adult Fiction, General Fiction

The Story in a Nutshell :

It is 1968. Lynnie, a young white woman with a developmental disability, and Homan, an African American deaf man, are locked away in an institution, the School for the Incurable and Feebleminded, and have been left to languish, forgotten. Deeply in love, they escape, and find refuge in the farmhouse of Martha, a retired schoolteacher and widow. But the couple is not alone-Lynnie has just given birth to a baby girl. When the authorities catch up to them that same night, Homan escapes into the darkness, and Lynnie is caught. But before she is forced back into the institution, she whispers two words to Martha: "Hide her." And so begins the 40-year epic journey of Lynnie, Homan, Martha, and baby Julia-lives divided by seemingly insurmountable obstacles, yet drawn together by a secret pact and extraordinary love.

The Dame's Take:

This is one of my favorite books of 2011, and possibly one of the books that most impacted my thinking this year.

A beautiful novel of friendship and survival under the most dire of circumstances, it's a book that is both heart-wrenching and challenging of everything we may have thought we knew about our country's past dealings in the mental health system.

I was just captured from the first sentences of the book. The characters are magnificent in their rawness and their abilities to rise above what seem like insurmountable difficulties. Heros and heroines grabbed at my heart.

This is the story of two people who escape a horrendous mental institution in hopes of making a decent life for their unborn child and themselves. It's the story of how they finally overcome their tragedies and find salvation through the Herculean efforts and personal sacrifices of those who take up their battles for them...the battle of the powerless and the innocent.

I reviewed this book earlier this year with minute detail, but wanted to bring it to your attention again as a favorite. 

The author is an advocate for the mentally ill and their care. An amazing woman whose work bears knowing about, and whose writing is stellar.

I promise you you'll be moved and changed by this book.

Highly recommend it to everyone I know.

5 shining stars of hope

Deborah/TheBookishDame



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"One Hundred And One Nights" by Benjamin Buchholz ~ A Novel of Iraq and Rebuilding A Life

Published by:  Back Bay Books/Little, Brown and Co.

Pages:  346 and Reading Group Guide

Genre:  Contemporary Adult Fiction

@LittleBrown will be hosting a tweet chat for author, Benjamin Buchholz on Dec. 9, 1PM to 4PM. We will have Q&As, giveaways, and fun facts. All posts will be hash-tagged #101Nights. Everyone is welcome to attend.

 

About the Book:

After thirteen years in America, Abu Saheeh has returned to his native Iraq, a nation transformed by the American military presence.  Alone in a new city, he has exactly what he wants:  freedom from his past.  Then he meets Layla, a whimsical fourteen-year-old who amuses him with her love of American pop culture.  Enchanted by Layla's stories and her company, Abu Sheeh settles into the city's rhythm and begins rebuilding his life.   But two sudden developments--his alliance with a powerful merchant and his involvement with his hotheaded young assistant--reawaken painful memories, and not even Layla may be able to save Abu Saheeh from careening out of control and endangering everyone around them.

"One Hundred and One Nights" is a breathtaking story of friendship, love, and betrayal--an unforgettable novel about the struggle for salvation and the power of family.

Benjamin Buchholz is a the author of "Private Soldiers," a book about his Wisconsin National Guard unit's year-long deployment to southern Iraq.  He was stationed with his family in Oman from 2010 to 2011 and currently lives in Princeton, NJ, where he is pursuing a graduate degree in Middle East studies. 

 "One Hundred and One Nights" is his first novel.

Please see his absorbing article today "Fiction Born In A Moment of Truth" on Huff Post Books via Huffington Post at:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/benjamin-buchholz/post_2649_b_1092508.html

In addition:

You can find him at his blog:

Not Quite Right.com  

5 American Stars from The Dame!

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"Remembering You" by Tricia Goyer ~ Reminds Us All is Fair in Love and War

Published by:  Guideposts

Pages:  301

Genre: Inspirational Fiction



Story Summary and Publication Review in a Nutshell:

Publishers Weekly ~

Prolific novelist and nonfiction author Goyer (All Things Hidden) pens a contemporary story rooted in World War II, where several of her historicals have been set. TV producer Ava Ellington is suffering from heartbreak and making professional mistakes. An unexpected opportunity to go to Europe with her grandfather Jack, a WWII vet, to visit battle sites promises emotional escape and a set of great stories about vets returning to Europe. In Paris, a complication materializes: Ava’s first love, Dennis, is accompanying his grandfather Paul, Jack’s wartime buddy and family friend, on the same trip. Jack has ghosts to face as Ava is reminded of her own past pain. Goyer does well with the Greatest Generation, showing that war is more than nostalgia. Some might well wish for more information about the historical battle sites that frame the present action, but this is a light fictional treatment of a heavy subject. This novel has a sweet way of describing family relationships and will particularly speak to those closely connected to WWII veterans, who are taking their stories with them to the grave.

About the Author:  Tricia is the author of 30 books and has published over 500 articles for national publications such as Focus on the Family, Today’s Christian Woman and HomeLife Magazine.
She won the Historical Novel of the Year award in both 2005 and 2006 from American Christian Fiction Writers, and was honored with the Writer of the Year award from Mt. Hermon Writer's Conference in 2003. Tricia's book Life Interrupted was a finalist for the Gold Medallion Book Award in 2005. Tricia's co-written novel, The Swiss Courier, was a nominee for the Christy Awards.


The Dame Happily Brings You An Interview with Tricia Goyer:



Hello, Ms Goyer. Welcome to A Bookish Libraria!
I’m so delighted you’ve agreed to allow us to get to know you and your book better through an interview. I have several questions for you, since I'm dying to get to know you better.

1) First of all, please tell us a special something about what makes you "tick."

My family makes me tick. I love being with them. I center my day on serving God by serving them. Time spent with them is my favorite!

2) WWII is a favorite time frame for me as a reader and reviewer. What made it especially compelling to you other than your family connection to the era?

I love World War II because there was so much at stake. It was a fight against good and evil, light against darkness. During World War II ordinary people were taken out of their comfort zones. Farm boys ending up halfway around the world. There is so much internal and external conflict that comes when writing about World War II. All that fascinated me as a writer...but what connected with me as a person was being able to interview WWII veterans. I interviewed over 100 of them in the last ten years. I'll forever see WWII different because of those men. I got a glimpse of truth, and fears, and honor as I listened to their stories.

3) Please share with your readers where you like to write. Do you have a particular space or desk? What can you see from your desk? Do you have props you use to write from? What about special "charms?"

My favorite place to write is Panera Bread with a salad and a large tea. That doesn't happen too often. Where I usually write is at my dining room table. I don't have a designated office so I sit about ten feet from my family as they watch television or hang out. Since I mostly write after dinner I actually like being close to them. I don't feel as if I'm off in some other part of the house...and amazingly I'm also able to concentrate.


4) In your opinion, what makes a book a great one?

When you feel as if you're a part of the story, the characters are friends (or enemies) and there is a message that resonates with you.


5) What are your Top 5 all time favorite books?

The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boon
Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby
A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers
The Atonement Child by Francine Rivers
The Forgiving Hour by Robin Lee Hatcher

"The Hiding Place" by Corrie Ten Boon was probably the first Christian book I read as a young adult. It was the most inspiring non-fiction memoir I had ever read...still is today.  I've found myself quoting from it many times over the years to comfort myself and my children in difficult times.  What an inspiration she has been in my life.  I'm glad you mentioned that book, Tricia.


6)  Read any books in the past 6 months that you've loved?

I loved Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst. I also really enjoyed The Help.

7) Please share with us the underlying message of your book. What would you like your readers to take away after having read "Remembering You?"

I hope first they've been entertained and been swept away in its pages. I also hope that readers will be encouraged to listen to those God places in their lives. We don't truly understand until we listen, and we can't love completely until we understand.
　
8) Were you able to keep your original title? What was it, if not?

Yes, Remembering You was my original title. I tried to figure out something more artsy, but it just fit so well! I love it now!

9) Is there a song that you "heard" or might best represent your book as a theme song?

Steven Curtis Chapman actually has a new song, "Remembering You." It would make an EXCELLENT theme song for my novel!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDX6f39ZAqY

You're so right.  That's a beautiful and perfect song for you.

10) What’s your favorite coffee? ...candy?

My favorite coffee is Leiva's coffee:
http://leivascoffee.com/
Geovanni actually goes to my church and hand delivers it to me. It's the best coffee I've every had.

As for candy … dark chocolate!

Tricia, thank you so much for bending to these busybody questions! It’s been a pleasure having you on my blog and a pleasure reading "Remembering You." 


The Dame's Review:

WWII is a time frame that draws many of us back over and over.  Love stories seem to haunt the years and never fade with the passage of time.  Letters, journals and stories carried from grandparents to parents to grandchildren, keep fellow soldiers, doctors and nurses, war correspondents, European cities, freedom fighters and foreign lovers vivid in our minds.  Pictures of Paris and London under siege, of children and other refugees, and of the survivors of death camps such as Dachau only serve to leave us playing the images over in our minds and wanting to know more stories about them.

Tricia Goyer has given us that new novel to salve the craving so many of us have for just one more story.  It's a book about love stories.  It's a book about Europe and the cities from different times and circumstances.  It's a book about age and aging and learning how to accommodate that process.  And, I think it's a book about learning to take some of those journeys through life with grace.

I recommend "Remembering You" to those who like reading a light and gentle story about the things I've mentioned above.  While Tricia Goyer is a prolific writer, in this book she is more concerned with creating likable characters who learn to walk in faith and with love, than she is with in-depth analysis on any particular topic.  This book is not weighty, rather it seems meant to give entertainment and joy in the reading.

Find out more about Ms Goyer at:  http://www.triciagoyer.com/

4 stars

Deborah/TheBookishDame

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"Frost Moon" ~ Book 1 of The Skindancer series

Published by: Belle Bridge Books

Pages:  284

Genre: Fiction, Paranormal/Mystery

Where and When:

Futuristic/Alternative 21st Century Atlanta, GA

Main Characters:

Dakota Frost ~ Skindancer, tatoo artist and magi/tat specialist who owns The Rogue Unicorn located in Little 5 Points, Atlanta's weird and wonderful shopping district.

"Jinx" Anderson ~ Wiccan teenager who can discern the truth between dangerous and not frightenly evil tatoo magic...it's a thin line to walk, but she can see it, even though she's almost perfectly blind.

Wulf ~ Handsome, but mysterious werewolf who needs Dakota's assistance...also in need, it seems, of a Nazi occultist magi-tatoo.

Spleen ~ Dakota's "ratty" cohort employee who frequents the underground and knows the ropes, 'though he's not the easiest person to have around.

Special Agent Philip Davidson ~ Federal investigator, one of many agents and law enforcement involved in the case at hand.  Dakota finds him attractive in a New World Order government enforcement sort of way...

My Quick Hit:

Snappy, smart, snarky Dakota Frost, the skindancing tatoo artist of "Frost Moon" is a winner from the get-go in the first book of this series.  I cannot wait to get my hands on the other novels as they flow off the press!

Stepping off the pages during an alternate, futuristic, late 21st c. Atlanta, Dakota is brought into and caught up in a murder, and sadistic torture investigation having to do with someone acting like a serial tatoo killer.

She may be a Skindancing magi-tat artist who has strange friends and is a card-carrying "Edgeworlder" but she's no torturer, and doesn't suffer those types easily.

Dakota agrees to help the police and special agents find out who is. She's serious in her pursuits, and she enlists the help of some very exotic friends and friends of friends to help her.

 
Amidst werewolves, vampires, witches, magical weavers of all sorts and some New World Order government forces, Dakota puts  her life on the line to find out who has killed and maimed 12 people...all with skindancing/magical tatoos. And, since all indicators point to her being next on the creep's list around the time of the next full moon, Dakota and friends need to be quick about discovering who and why these killings are taking place.

Who'd have ever thought I'd be reading this genre? I took a chance on a wild-haired day, and I'm so glad I did. Great writing, great book!

Final note :

This is a series. I'm so psyched. Dr. Francis is an able writer who kept me flipping pages with such joy. I felt like I could do a marathon of his books. His newest one:

5 howling at the moon stars

Deborah/TheBookishDame



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