Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ All Sorts discussion
Member's Corners
>
Laurel's corner
message 251:
by
Laurel
(last edited May 21, 2015 08:15PM)
(new)
Nov 09, 2013 12:48PM

reply
|
flag

/list/show/4...
The best book series with at least 7 books. Have read one or all in the series, almost 50% of those listed.

Possibilities are:























Completed:



Wonderful! Congratulations!

Thank you, Michael! just got back from the hospital. All is well, she has had her first bath, and seems quite contented. It is so wonderful to see your children holding their own, for the first time. Plus, this little one will be close by, a few minutes drive away, rather than three hours away, like the other two little ones. So, needless to say, we are very excited.

Thanks you so much, Michael. We just got back from our 3 week vacation in Florida yesterday, drove home in 2 days, through terrible rain, all the way from Knoxville. Terrible ice storm here in Ontario.
I wish you and your family every happiness for Christmas and 2014. We are especially grateful to be home safely, to celebrate with our month old granddaughter, and the other little ones, too. After Christmas, I have a story to tell you about my dog, Beezer, a 12 year old golden retriever. As a dog lover, I know you will understand.

Thank you Michael! Best wishes for 2014. Have you decided on a reading goal for the new year?


On the back cover, it reads "when mysterious events begin occurring along the New River Valley in West Virginia, government agents Mike Califano and Ana Thorne are sent to investigate. What they discover will shake the the foundations of science and religion and put both agents in the crosshairs of a deadly, worldwide conspiracy." As a Canadian, the reference to the New River Valley tweaked my interest, since it is one of the places in the United States that I have visited. It was easy to visualize the bridge that spans the very deep gorge, and the breathtaking beauty of the valley that was revealed, after we hiked down the boardwalk in the steamy heat of an August morning.
I was immediately drawn in by the events that transpired in a research lab, deep in the sides of the gorge, circa the mid 1950's. Skip forward to the present, and an unidentified man turns up at a diner, and collapses. Where has he come from? Why is he wearing clothes that a well-dressed gentleman would wear in the fifties? The unanswered questions begin piling up, like dominoes that have been tipped over. Enter the two main characters, Mike and Ana, who work for an obscure branch of the CIA. They are given the task of finding out where this man came from, and why it seems as if he has stepped out of the past, from an era more than sixty years ago, into the present.
I assumed that the story was going to be about time travel, which is an acceptable premise for plot construction, in my reading world. Mr. Barney has taken this notion, and twisted it, added to it, reinvented it, in a way I had not expected. This is a thriller, and I was invested in the investigation and developing partnership between Mike and Ana, right from the get-go. I had to keep reading to find out what really happened in that lab, and how two small, black stones, fallen into the wrong hands, could have dire consequences for the world.
The fact that this book held my interest is especially impressive, given that it has two major elements that are not usually of particular interest to me, as common elements in the fiction I read-namely science and religion. There is a lot of scientific information, relating to physics, in The Joshua Stone. Additionally, the scientific research/mystery is closely interwoven with a biblical mystery. At several points during my read, I stopped to ask my husband questions, who is a "science type". I admit that there were sections of text that I did not understand, but the main thread of the story more than compensated for that, and kept me reading to the very end.
This is Mr. Barney's second book, the first being The Genesis Key which is about the discovery of a gene that could extend a human life for hundreds of years. The main character is a gifted biologist, who becomes embroiled in the mystery behind her murdered parents secret research-all tied to the topics of the human genome, archaeology, and the Book of Genesis. I am looking forward to reading how Dr. Kathleen Sainsbury investigates this obviously complicated case.
I would recommend The Joshua Stone to anyone interested in a swiftly paced plot, with elements of espionage, time travel in a way you have likely not encountered before ( no spoilers here!), and characters that I cared about. If you like Science and Religion added to the mix, this book is for you! But do not let these latter themes dissuade you from experiencing an enjoyable read. Many of us belong to Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ in order to expand our reading comfort zone, find new authors, and enjoy the ride. Thanks to Mr. Barney, all three apply.


I am not accustomed to giving one star reviews, but this novel left me with no choice. I was tempted several times while reading it to give up. The plot was superficial, and very predictable. A young British entrepreneur, Nathan Johnson, along with a devout pastor and his equally devout and beautiful daughter, sail to Fiji. He is there to make his fortune, and the minister and his daughter are there to covert the pagan natives of Fiji.
This is not an uncommon theme-white men come to a new land, determined to achieve their various personal goals, without any regard for the culture or consequences of the people they encounter. The young man is selfish, self-centred, and has lustful thoughts about the young woman. The descriptions of the Fijian people and their culture, I found to be quite condescending and disturbing. No doubt, there are aspects of their culture that were brutal, in relation to our modern values, but the reader is hit over the head with negative recounts of life on the island. Through a series of events, the young man's attitudes towards some of the Fijians begins to change, and he risks his life to defend those who have become his friends and allies. He still has selfish motives, since he has fallen in love with the young woman, and must rescue her from a dangerous situation.
The reader is expected to believe that he undergoes a complete turnaround in his feelings and attitudes towards the Fijans he has accepted as friends and allies. There is an epilogue at the back of the book that fills in the blanks concerning what happened to Nathan after leaving Fiji.
My main issue with this book is not that a white man could become friends with members of another culture and realize that their ways are not as inferior to his own as he first thought. This character's redemption is extreme, and we are expected to accept these changes over a fairly short time period, driven by his involvement to rescue his love, and a missing Fijian girl, who has been taken by a renegade group of natives.
Perhaps it is unfair to compare this book to Michener's Hawaii, an old favourite of mine. However, I continues to think about how Michener had handled similar subject matter, and this novel came up short. To say any more would give too much away.
Used to cover 2011 in the read a decade challenge for 2014.



Here is my review: /review/show...


I recently finished Carmen Amato's Cliff Diver. It features Emilia, a female detective in Acapulco, Mexico's all-male Police Department. To say she has a rough go of it would be an enormous understatement! None of her male counterparts want her there, and it was only because Rico, her existing partner, volunteered to take her on as his partner. If he had not done so, she would not have allowed to become a detective, despite achieving the highest marks on the detective's exam.
She suffers many types of harassment from all sides, including from her boss, Infante, who runs the department. Emilia finds herself in especially deep waters when Infante is murdered, and she is unexpectedly placed in control of the department and the investigation into his death, by the leader of the police union. Who is to be trusted in the department? In the mayor's office?
Emilia is one of the most appealing female characters I have encountered in some time. In addition to a hellish work environment, she is dealing with a mother with dementia, and facing the possibility that her devotion to a career has likely removed any chance for a family life.
The author has lived in Mexico, and her writing is gritty, realistic and totally believable. I read this in a day, and instantly wanted to buy the next installment,

There are some fairly violent sections in this book, along with adult behaviour that many would find disturbing, but the content is not gratuitous.
A compelling read, and I am anxious to move on to see how Emilia copes with her next case.

The books is "Servants- A Downstairs View of Twentieth-Century Britain", by Lucy Lethbridge.

Summerset Abbey

Reading this book provided me with an enjoyable experience mid-week, as I waited for the upcoming Sunday episode of Downton Abbey. Set in the years before the onset of WW I, this initial volume of Brown's trilogy introduces us to three lovely young women-Rowena, Victoria and Prudence. They are living a rather unusual life for upper class young women of this era. Their father, a botanist, has sheltered them from the highly structured social life of wealthy debutantes, by allowing them to follow their own interests and hobbies. They are well educated, but not driven to find an appropriate match from the hordes of eligible blue blooded bachelors, the cream of London high society.
Additionally, Prudence has been raised as an equal to the other girls, although her mother was Rowena and Victoria's governess. The trio's idyllic life is torn to shreds by the death of their father. His brother, Lord Buxton, decides to move the girls to his massive estate, Summerset Abbey, where they will live until they reach the age of twenty-five. Moreover, he insists that the only way Prudence can join the girls, is if she comes as a lady's maid, rather than recognizing her as one of the three young heiresses.
How the girls cope with the aftermath of this decision, provides the storyline for the novel. Since Prudence is now a servant, we see how her life at the Abbey unfolds in stark contrast to her situation before the botanist died. Lord and Lady Grantham of Downton Abbey fame, are certainly benevolent employers, compared to the master and mistress of Summerset Abbey. If you enjoy reading about the upstairs/downstairs life of the master and mistress of Summerset Abbey versus that of countless servants, this book should be on your reading horizon. Lots of details regarding room decor, fashion, expected behaviour and etiquette, are provided by the author, in order to bring the abbey to life. Rowena, Victoria and Prudence must cope with a very different day-to-day existence, and the reader is along for for the ride!
The book ended rather suddenly, but I did not mind, since I have the second volume of the trilogy






is another first entry in a mystery series, featuring a strong female lead character. She is not working as a detective or police officer, a common device used by mystery writers. Julie O'Hara is a body language expert and counsellor. She assists lawyers with jury selection and businesses with improving client relations.
Out of the blue comes the terrible news that a dear friend, a talented gay artist living in Key West, has died unexpectedly. She heads to Boston for the funeral, and the plot unfolds from there.
Castle Cay, in the Bahamas, is key to the story, although it is used in a minor way as a setting. This is a mystery with a romance woven into the plot. Additionally, Julie's friendship with Marc and his bereft partner David, provides extra interest. A good chunk of the story takes place in Key West, which I visited this summer for the first time. This feature added extra interest for me.
This is a pleasant, quick read and worth your time. The next book in the series is Swan Song

Excellent selection of books, Laurel!

Thank you, glad to see you visited!
I'm always interested in what my friends are reading, and how they've constructed their corners. Your corner here is awesome!

Thank you. Feel free to visit often. I love company in the corner.

She has a form of dementia, not diagnosed as Alzheimer's, but close to it. It is certainly difficult to watch. Still missing my doggie- no waggy tail when we come home.
Could really use some energizing from babysitting our two little granddaughters this weekend, so our son can take his wife away for a Valentine weekend. We havent't seen them for a month-they are 3 hours away, so looking forward to that. I turn 60 this Sunday...can't believe it! It is only a number, right?
Hope all is well wth you and yours. Thanks for looking out for me! Much appreciated!

I hope you find the perfect home for your mom, some place close and well staffed. So far, I have been lucky with my mom. She's in her eighties, lives alone in a retirement village in Dearborn MI. She gave up her house a little over a year ago. I thought she would have regrets, but evidently not. She is having a ball. I'll be flying up at the end of the month for a few days. I hope the weather breaks before then. I don't want to spend my vacation time sitting in an airport.
Little League is starting up--no more free time. Johnny wants me to coach again. I really don't want to--I don't have the sports knowledge nor the patience to put up with kids. We shall see.
Not really doing any challenges--just reading whatever falls into my lap. We'll see if any pattern developes.


Hey Laurel. How ya doin', sugar tits?


Didn't mean to offend you. I call my girlfriend that. Sorry.

Hi Michael and Laurel. Hope you both are well.

Things are good, Michael. Thank you. Molly is doing well- 4 months old, rolling over, loves to giggle, already 29.6 inches tall! Going to be tall like her daddy! It is wonderful having her only a few min. away from us. We haven't seen the other two since early Feb.- we are all going to be together for Easter. I am very excited about that! Hope you have a wonderful Easter break with your family.

No, I was being sarcastic, Michael. I know I wasn't snubbed. Oh, you're on GR from work. I've done that, too, so I know how it goes.
Ironies of ironies my computer has the flu. Thanks, and we're glad to have you as a member, Michael.
Ironies of ironies my computer has the flu. Thanks, and we're glad to have you as a member, Michael.

how you doing? haven't seen much from you lately.
Everything alright?"
Michael, you are much a good guy! I am fine. I have been reading a fair bit but not writing as many reviews or posting as much. I guess I just needed a change. Also, I have been knitting madly! I made my two granddaughters little afghans for their dollies for Easter, and have been working on several large projects. Many of our friends are having grandchildren, so the knitting needles had to come out. I can't knit and read at the same time because of patterns and counting etc. listening to books doesn't work either. So a ball game is usually on, with the sound turned down! But I should be around more, once I finish a couple of these large projects. Unless more babies turn up! Best to you and your family. It is so nice to be missed,

Read more of Peter RobinsonDry Bones That Dream


Read more of Peter RobinsonDry Bones That Dream

I've been watching it too. Good show. Inspector Banks is played by the same actor who was the priest in the first few series of Ballykissangel

Read more of Peter RobinsonDry Bones That Dream

I have not seen Ballykissangel. What is it about? Is it Irish? Sounds like it might be, and I know you have a great fondness for things Irish. I really like the actor who plays Banks.

Books mentioned in this topic
Die with Me (other topics)Black December (other topics)
The Silent Girls (other topics)
Blood Silence (other topics)
The Tea Rose (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Scott Hunter (other topics)Martin Cruz Smith (other topics)
David Hewson (other topics)
Lauren Willig (other topics)
Charles Finch (other topics)
More...