7 Simple Choices for a Better Tomorrow by Bob Merritt

by Carol2 Comments
The sermon series at our church during Lent was based on 7 Simple Choices for a Better Tomorrow, which is why I picked up the book. The seven choices do sound simple, but each takes work and dedication. Give it one more day Manage you loads Give yourself time Find you rhythm Have barbed-wire discipline Try things you can't do Avoid the fall It gave me a lot to think about. It makes you really look at what you're doing and encourages you to make spiritual disciplines a part of your life. He encourages you to evaluate. I like Merritt's style. He's down to earth and has a lot of true life stories to illustrate his points. I think while I got a lot out of it, my husband would too, if he reads it. Merritt is a hunter, a fisherman, a guy's guy, at least it seems like it. I'm just going to share a couple of passages I highlighted to give you an idea of what the...
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Love in a Nutshell by Janet Evanovich & Dorien Kelly

by Carol3 Comments
I've been having some good luck with light romances lately. Love in a Nutshell is just fun - and guess what, Kate and Matt are actually honest with each other, well more or less. They make a good couple - instant attraction but a few issues keeping them apart, like he's her boss and owns the mortgage on her house, the one he had been planning to foreclose on. Matt is another almost -perfect guy, good business sense, sexy, protective of the people he cares about. Kate is a bit down on herself, but is making a go at starting a new life. Love in a Nutshell has funny moments, a slow courtship between Matt and Kate as far as romances go, and some danger. It's not a wonderful book, but it's enjoyable. It's definitely PG thanks to an overly possessive poodle, one of two dogs who are great characters in and of themselves. The narrator does a good job differentiating the...
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The Case of the Glamorous Ghost by Erle Stanley Gardner

by Carol4 Comments
Sunday evening I had a bit of a cold and when I'm not quite feeling up to par, I tend to pick up vintage mysteries. The Case of the Glamorous Ghost was the first I saw sitting on my shelf and since it's been a while since I've read a Perry Mason story, I picked it up. My daughter saw it and said something along the lines of "isn't that a tv show?" She watches that retro channel sometimes. I told her that yes, but the books actually came first. I'm not sure if I ever watched a full episode of the show. The Glamorous Ghost was what I expected - an interesting court case, some good dialogue, a slightly convoluted mystery. I think part of the reason I like mysteries from that era because they tend not to be overly violent. In general, they're also short, coming in at under 300 pages and while the characters are fun and well-drawn, they're not too depressed, they...
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Homemakers by Brit Morin

by Carol5 Comments
I was so excited when Homemakers showed up in the mail. It's bright and happy; I love crafts, do-it-yourself projects, and cooking. I like her writing style and she's fun and friendly. There are a lot of ideas and projects in the book, and it's all presented with vibrant, colorful photographs. It's a visually appealing book. Unfortunately, I just don't think I'm the right audience. Some of the info I appreciate, like what type of glass to use with which wine - not that it really matters, because I usually drink it out of coffee mugs. She covers a lot of topics, from recipes to making cement serving trays, but most of the recipes were dishes I had already cook or don't care about and most of the projects are a little  silly. Like covering a footstool with pompoms - cute but just not practical. Some of the apps she mentions might be useful and her vision of what the future will...
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Flat-Out Sexy by Erin McCarthy

by Carol4 Comments
Really, really enjoyed this romance. It was sweet, sexy and just nice. There was a happy ending and not too much stress getting there. Tamara wants to take it slow, which is totally understandable and Elec might just be the perfect man. It didn't make me cry, it didn't make me want to yell at the couple to just get their act together. For me, it was what a romance should be. Elec and Tamara are both honestly good people. Tamara did annoy me a little at times, especially her harping on about her stretch marks. Granted, Elec couldn't have cared less about it, he thought she was gorgeous, but I felt like her body issues were a little over the top. Other than that, though, they both felt like people I could enjoy hanging out with. Sometimes audios don't work well for romances with sex scenes, but this one was good. It was sexy, but didn't trip over into cheesy and...
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Murder at the Book Group by Maggie King

by Carol6 Comments
I wanted to like this mystery. The set-up is right up my alley, a mystery reading book group whose member dies during a meeting. Books and murder, a bunch of middle-age women who are readers and writers - perfect. But it was all too much, too many (confusing) characters, too many potential motives, too much marrying/having affairs with each others exes. Maybe that was my main problem. Everybody was hooking up with everybody all the time, or so it seemed, but not in a romantic way, in a trashy way. The author also had a bit of an annoying habit of pointing out themes - like wow, Nazis keep coming up or lots of mothers and sons. Gee, I wonder if the solution has something to do with those two things. I liked the people. I liked Hazel, even though I'm not sure why people thought it was okay that she was digging so much into everyone's backgrounds, not just Carlene,...
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