The Tao of Willie by Willie Nelson

by Carol9 Comments
The Tao of Willie by Willie Nelson with Turk Pipkin I'm actually not much of a country fan, but Willie Nelson is an American icon. To be honest, I only know a few of his songs, but this short book caught my attention while I was browsing through my library's audiobook titles. Nelson shares his stories, jokes and lessons he has learned during his life. I enjoyed listening to him talk about his friends, religion, politics. I don't know that he said anything earth-shaking, but that's not the point. It's about him sharing his thoughts and maybe giving you some help finding happiness. Let the jerks of the world serve as the perfect example of what you don't want to be. You'll be a heck of a lot happier, and in the long run, there's a chance that other person at work will end up asking what your secret is. Why are you the happy one? In other...
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Forget about…

by Carol9 Comments
Forget about her lips, he warned himself. Forget about the tiny tremor of her mouth when she spoke about her son. Forget about the shade of fear that darkened her eyes when Society was mentioned. And most of all, forget about the inexplicable desire that came over him when she was near—the desire not only to kiss her witless, but to pick up a sword and slay her dragons. (pg. 72, To Sin With A Scoundrel by Cara Elliott) That's why I love historical romance. I know it's cheesy, but it makes me smile. Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Play along. I cheated, but the rules are easy. Grab your current read, open to a random page, and give us two teaser sentences. Remember, no spoilers. I received my copy from the publisher and the above is my honest opinion. I am an Amazon associate....
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We the Children by Andrew Clements

by Carol7 Comments
We the Children by Andrew Clements (Suggested reading level: Grades 3-6) This is the first in a new series featuring Benjamin Pratt. His harbor-side school is about to be demolished to make way for a nautical theme amusement park.  Ben is not a big fan of change, especially with his parents' recent separation, and when an dying janitor entrusts him with a gold coin he knows he has to do something. He read aloud, still whispering, "'If attacked, look nor'-nor'east from amidships on the upper deck.'" He turned the coin over. "'First and always, my school belongs to the children. DEFEND IT. Duncan Oakes, 1783.'" (pg 6. Advance Reader's Copy) The school is definitely under attack and it's up to Benjamin and his friend Jill to decipher the clues, find out what's going on and save the school. Can they do it? I assume so, but we don't find out in this book. Like I said above, it's the first in the series and there's...
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The First Time We Met by Maria Deira

by Carol4 Comments
"The First Time We Met" by Maria Deira Elena has a gift: her saliva can heal cuts and scrapes. When she and Hector, the story's narrator, first meet, she licks a deep cut on his forearm, leaving only a faint trace of the gash. Needless to say, Hector was surprised, confused and attracted to her. The story switches from the present, 15 years after that first meeting, and incidents in their life together. I'm always amazed how much we can learn about the characters in a short story. Here we learn about their history, but also about how even though their comfortable now with each other, some of the passion has left. Also, Elena is losing her gift and doesn't know who she is without it. In some ways, Hector wants to leave her, but in some ways he can't. I don't know what to say. She's both right and wrong. I'm right and wrong. At this moment, I can't go anywhere. I'm...
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Cinderella

by Carol5 Comments
"Cinderella" is another of those fairy tales that we all know or at least think we do. It's also a story that's been told in countless countries in countless ways. I read a few versions this week. The one I was most familiar with was written by Charles Perrault around 1697. His story includes the evil stepmother, the fairy godmother, the pumpkin and animals being turned into the coach and servants, the glass slippers. The father is alive, just not present in the story. These fairy tale fathers and their lack of any kind of backbone is astonishing. How he could let his only child, the daughter of his dead wife, be abused in his own household, given the most menial chores, be lower than a servant? I also read a Grimm's version, which is entirely different, not the story I knew. Cinderellas' mother dies and on her deathbed she promises, "Dear child, remain pious and good, and then our dear God will...
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