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Sunday, December 15, 2013

Mailbox Monday and It's Monday, What Are You Reading? Dec 16 Edition

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia who now blogs at To Be Continued. It is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. The host for December is Gilian at Rose City Reader. You can also view the touring blog list here for the upcoming months.

Review Books:

Porcelain Keys by Sarah Beard (from author)

Aria s life is full of secrets--secrets about her mother's death, her father's cruelty, and her dream to go to Juilliard. When Aria meets Thomas, he draws out her secrets, captures her heart, and gives her the courage to defy her father. But when tragedy strikes and Thomas disappears, Aria is left alone to transform her broken heart s melody into something beautiful. Porcelain Keys is a captivating love story that will resonate long after the last page is turned.

A Star for Mrs. Blake by April Smith (Random House for TLC book tour)

The United States Congress in 1929 passed legislation to fund travel for mothers of the fallen soldiers of World War I to visit their sons’ graves in France. Over the next three years, 6,693 Gold Star Mothers made the trip. In this emotionally charged, brilliantly realized novel, April Smith breathes life into a unique moment in American history, imagining the experience of five of these women.

They are strangers at the start, but their lives will become inextricably intertwined, altered in indelible ways. These very different Gold Star Mothers travel to the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery to say final good-byes to their sons and come together along the way to face the unexpected: a death, a scandal, and a secret revealed.

None of these pilgrims will be as affected as Cora Blake, who has lived almost her entire life in a small fishing village off the coast of Maine, caring for her late sister’s three daughters, hoping to fill the void left by the death of her son, Sammy, who was killed on a scouting mission during the final days of the war. Cora believes she is managing as well as can be expected in the midst of the Depression, but nothing has prepared her for what lies ahead on this unpredictable journey, including an extraordinary encounter with an expatriate American journalist, Griffin Reed, who was wounded in the trenches and hides behind a metal mask, one of hundreds of “tin noses” who became symbols of the war.

With expert storytelling, memorable characters, and beautiful prose, April Smith gives us a timeless story, by turns heartwarming and heartbreaking, set against a footnote of history––little known, yet unforgettable.


Fielder's Choice by J. Mark Hart

Fielder's Choice takes back to Birmingham Alabama in 1968. We take a Southern Journey with Brad Williams a 18 year old boy that loves to play baseball. That would be too easy. He struggles with racism on his team and how he should handle it. The Vietnam draft is approaching and he desperately wants to get away from the steel mills of Birmingham. So many choices for a young ball player. We are introduced in a very descriptive manner to his family, his teammates and how the attitude of the times affects him. What shapes his character. Should he just take the easy route and put blinders on? Fortunately, Brad has a conscience and we follow this struggle within the teen.

Bought: 

The Complete Fibromyalgia Health, Diet Guide & Cookbook by Dr. Louise S. McCrindle and Dr. Alison C. Bested

According to the 2010 Canadian Community Health Survey there are 450,000 people in Canada who have fibromyalgia. In the United States, there are an estimated 5 million adults.

This book, written by leading experts in fibromyalgia, gives common sense tools that will help fibromyalgia patients help themselves on to a road to improvement and perhaps recovery. There are few books on fibromyalgia that provide a program for recovery and a cache of antifibromyalgia foods and recipes as successfully as this book. It uses The SEEDS of health approach (Support, Environment, Exercise/Pacing, Diet/Drugs, Sleep) and has shown significant success rates in patients.

The goal of this book is to help patients improve their ability to function and their quality of life. The treatment approach is centered around rebuilding: helping to decrease pain, control inflammation, improve sleep, improve cognitive function (reduce brain fog) and improve energy levels. The book is also a source of support for family and friends.




This meme is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. This is where we keep track of what we are currently reading and plan to read.  The kidlit version is hosted by Jen at Teach Mentor Texts.

Read and reviewed:
Mary Elizabeth the Spotless Cow by Salvatore Barbera (cute with a great message!)
Broken by C.J. Lyons (YA medical thriller - very good!)
In the Hall of the Mountain King by Allison Flannery (excellent to instill music appreciation in kids)

Bookish Post:
Josh and Me Book Spotlight and $25 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

Currently Reading:
Camelot & Vine by Petrea Burchard (loving it so far!)
Switch on Your Brain by Dr. Caroline Leaf (learning more on one of my favorite topics)
The Stowaways by Meghan Marentette (with my son)
The Riddle of Prague by Laura DeBruce (with my daughter)

Hope you all have a great reading week!

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