Juliet’s Nurse by Lois Leveen

Note: This book is rated S: sex scenes and P: profanity
To read more reviews, follow the tour on Italy Book Tours.

About the author:

Award-winning historian, author, and former college professor LOIS LEVEEN holds degrees in history and literature from Harvard, UCLA, and USC. She traveled to Verona, Italy, to research JULIET'S NURSE, as well as apprenticing herself to an urban beekeeping group in her adopted hometown of Portland, Oregon, to write accurately about the life cycle of hives.

Lois has given talks in Finland, France, and throughout the US about the historical research behind JULIET'S NURSE, and about how she approached challenging themes of teen violence, suicide, and plague epidemics in adapting Shakespeare for contemporary readers. Her first novel, The Secrets of Mary Bowser, based on the true story of an African American woman who spied for the Union during the Civil War by posing as a slave in the Confederate White House, was a 2012 Target Book Club pick and is currently being developed into a Broadway musical.

Connect with Lois: Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

The Covers

About the Author

Let's Revisit the Characters...

And now for the giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Remake by Ilima Todd
Shadow Mountain Publishing
ISBN: 978-1609079246
Published October 14,2014
Trade paperback, 304 pages

Book synopsis:

Male or Female?

Nine is the ninth female born in her batch of ten females and ten males. By design, her life in Freedom Province is without complications or consequences. However, such freedom comes with a price. The Prime Maker is determined to keep that price a secret from the new batches of citizens that are born, nurtured, and raised androgynously.

But Nine isn’t like every other batcher. She harbors indecision and worries about her upcoming Remake Day—her seventeenth birthday, the age when batchers fly to the Remake facility and have the freedom to choose who and what they’ll be.

When Nine discovers the truth about life outside of Freedom Province, including the secret plan of the Prime Maker, she is pulled between two worlds and two lives. Her decisions will test her courage, her heart, and her beliefs. Who can she trust? Who does she love? And most importantly, who will she decide to be?

Our thoughts:
Ilima Todd was born and raised on the north shore of Oahu and currently resides in the Rocky Mountains. She never wanted to be a writer even though she loves books and reading. She earned a degree in physics instead. But the characters in her head refused to be ignored, and now she spends her time writing science fiction for teens. When she is not writing, Ilima loves to spend time with her husband and four children.
Connect with Ilima:

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

Have a Happy Family by Friday by Dr. Kevin Leman
Revel (Baker Publishing Group)
ISBN: 978-0800724153
Published August 2014
Trade paperback, 304 pages

I like reading parenting books. Although I studied child psychology and I practice Biblical teachings, I like to strive to learn more, especially when we parents have the challenge to bring up our kids in a technological-based world.

As children grow from babies to toddlers, preschoolers, middle-graders and finally teenagers, what you think you know about your kids suddenly flies out the window when your emotions get involved and you go through your own life changes too.

When I first saw the title of this book I thought it was unrealistic, but as I started reading I found the counsel to be very realistic, practical and loving. It fit right in with my own family values and ways of parenting.

Dr. Leman dispenses his counsel with knowledge and experience. I felt like I was reading a letter from a very experienced parent and grandparent who has seen it all. Best of all, Dr. Leman has a wonderful sense of humour and his love of family shines through in this book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading and meditating on the counsel it contains. Dr. Leman gets kids and he gets teenagers. He gets how to make families thrive. I read a portion of this book every night and it made me love my kids more, it made me see them with new eyes, especially after some difficult days with them.

Dr. Leman incorporates all parts of a family, including grandparents. He delves into essential topics like communication, time and priorities, discipline and attitude. There is even a section called Ask Dr. Lemon with question and answer, much like Dear Abby. I also enjoyed the anecdotal stories he includes.

Overall, this is an easy book to read and Dr. Leman motivates one to take action and to follow through. However, that doesn't mean the advice is simplistic. It's actually quite deep and filled with wisdom. Highly recommended, especially if you want to make some positive changes to parent in the best way you can.

Note: This book is rated C = clean read.

Reviewed by Laura



Disclosure: This book has been provided courtesy of Revel (Baker Publishing Group) and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Baker Publishing Group. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.

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. Mailbox Monday now has a permanent home on its blog. Link up to share your MM.

This week I participated in a Google+ Hangout called Mamma Mia - Italy. The panel consisted of three foreigners living in Italy as well as two Italian Canadians (I was one of them) and we talked about what Italy means to us. It was a fun discussion. I invite you to take a look:

Mamma Mia - Italy hosted by Connections


Two books in my mailbox this week!

The Sea House by Elisabeth Gifford
St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 978-1250043344
Published April 15, 2014
Hardcover, 320 pages

I was immediately drawn to this story when I first read about this book. It's literary fiction, but also includes the mysterious legend of selkies—mermaids or seal people claimed to have been sighted off the north of Scotland for centuries.

I didn't quite know what to expect, after all, this wasn't a fantasy novel. Well, it superseded my expectations and was better than I thought. Actually, I will consider this one of the best books I've read this year.

The story has a dual timeline. It begins in the present (year 1992) with Ruth and Michael who have bought the dilapidated Sea House, and after months of renovations, have finally moved in. However,once in their new home, they make a shocking discovery. Buried beneath the house are the tiny bones of a baby with its legs fused together—a mermaid child? This brings up all kinds of questions. Their story alternates with that of Reverend Alexander Ferguson, who is an amateur revolutionary scientist from the 1860s, obsessed with finding out the truth behind the legend of the selkies.

There is so much going on in this story. It deals with a woman who, at a young age, witnessed the discovery of her mother's drowned body. Ruth carries this memory and deep loss with her and her unresolved pain comes to a screeching climax when she moves into the Sea House situated in the village where her mother grew up. Ruth is dealing with depression and post traumatic stress, even as she and Michael are expecting their first child.

I was so drawn to Ruth, perhaps because I went through post-partum depresssion and feel things deeply. I understood her pain and her actions. I understood her need to find out more about that buried baby. When she does get her hands on Reverand Ferguson's journal and pieces together his story, it helps her deal with her own unresolved issues about her mother and the father she never knew.

Reverand Ferguson's story was very good too. I love historical fiction. Gifford skillfully moves from one story to the next capturing the times and lives of those in the 19th century and then smoothly transitioning to the present, while always maintaining the link between both stories. And the way she dealt with the legend of the selkies was brilliant.

Gifford's writing is exquisite. This novel was so atmospheric. Her descriptions of the sea made it so alive, almost like a character in the novel. Every description of it was beautiful, and never the same. She truly captured the many changes and images of the sea.

Best of all, unlike most literary fiction, this story has a happy and satisfying ending. If you like atmospheric stories set in Scotland with a fine set of varied and interesting characters and a mix of legendary tales so prevalent in Scots culture, then I highly recommend this one. Gifford is a master storyteller and I look forward to reading more of her works.

Note: This book is rated P = profanity for 3 f-words spoken in a moment of anger. The rest of the book is clean.
To read more reviews and to follow the tour, please visit The Sea House Tour Schedule.


Don't miss The Sea House, a stunning fiction debut from the UK. Set in a house on the windswept coast of the Outer Hebrides, Elisabeth Gifford's haunting tale effortlessly bridges a gap of more than a century. Adeptly interweaving two tales involving residents of the titular house, Gifford sets up an absorbing mystery revolving around local lore and myths about mermaids, selkies, and sealmen. Stretching seamlessly back and forth through time, layers upon layers of secrets are slowly and effectively peeled away in this evocative debut (Booklist).




One grand prize winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire
• The Sea House by Elisabeth Gifford

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on October 19th. Winner will be announced October 20th at Elisabeth's Blog.

Watch the trailer:

About the author:
Elisabeth Gifford grew up in a vicarage in the industrial Midlands. She studied French literature and world religions at Leeds University. She is the author of The House of Hope: A Story of God's Love and Provision for the Abandoned Orphans of China and has written articles for The Times and the Independent and has a Diploma in Creative Writing from Oxford OUDCE and an MA in Creative Writing from Royal Holloway College. She is married with three children. They live in Kingston on Thames but spend as much time as possible in the Hebrides.

Find Elisabeth online: Website, Facebook

Reviewed by Laura


Disclosure: Thanks to the publisher and Litfuse for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.

Belches, Burps, and Farts Oh My! by Artie Bennett
Blue Apple Books
ISBN: 978-1609053925
Published Sept 2, 2014
Hardcover, 40 pages
Ages 4-8

Book Description:

He’s beheld the butt and offered the scoop on poop. Now Artie Bennett takes young readers on a discovery of those little (and not so little) puffs that exit from our mouths and duffs—the burp, the belch, and the fart! With Bennett’s signature combination of real science and zany rhyme, kids will learn the how, why, and where of gas-tastic eruptions made by people and animals, such as:

• why we can’t burp while on our backs
• which animals can’t “cut the cheese”
• how fish communicate via burp bubbles
• why soda and burps go together
• who farts more—boys or girls

MONTREAL: Street Photography by Debra Schoenberger
Blurb Inc
ISBN: 978-1320108317
Published Aug 24, 2014
E-book, 64 pages

This is the first time I review a photography book. Although I'm the last one with a camera in hand whenever we are touring a place, I do appreciate art. When I was younger I drew a lot and was quite good at it. I love creativity in any form.

Having said all that, this book caught my attention for several reasons. I was born and still live in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, so I wanted to see how Debra would capture my city. Debra is a world traveler who skilfully captures the essence of the places she visits. I love looking at her photos on her website, so what about Montreal?

Debra's photos are both in black and white and in color. She has many snippets of places, people and things found on the streets of Montreal. They are almost like puzzle pieces, making you pause and wonder about them. She catches images at different angles, making use of shadow and motion. There are several photos looking through street windows, on the subway (metro, as we call it), of children and of dogs.

My favorite photos are the ones that capture the joy of children playing in the street, the ethnicity of my city and the quiet snow-filled streets.

Debra's photos are unusual and quirky. They are not your typical touristy pictures, making this a unique photography book.

View more photos from her world travels on her profile page at Your Shot National Geographic.
Note: This book is rated C = clean read.
To read more reviews, please visit Debra's book tour page on iRead Book Tours.

About the photographer:
Debra Schoenberger (girl with camera)

"My dad always carried a camera under the seat of his car and was constantly taking pictures. I think that his example, together with pouring over National Geographic magazines as a child fuelled my curiosity for the world around me.

Although I worked in the field of photography for over 20 years, it wasn't until very recently in 2010 that I bought myself a secondhand professional camera and started experimenting with street photography. I shot over 50,000 images that first year and gradually began to improve.

Photographers I admire are Vivian Maier, Robert Frank, Steve McCurry and Edward Steichen to name but a few amongst the many incredibly talented people over the last century.

Street photography is my true passion. Having a slightly off-kilter sense of humour helps keep me looking for the unusual."

Connect with Debra: Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter