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This is one of the books in the Elm Creek Quilt series by Jennifer Chiaverini, her seventh. Although it’s the seventh book she’s written in the series, this one takes us back in time to a few years before the Civil War in the United States, a time frame that is chronologically the earliest of all the books in the Elm Creek series.

Dorothea Granger is the main character. She and her parents now live with her Uncle Jacob, her mother’s brother. The move to Uncle Jacob’s farm happened because Dorothea’s parents’ farm was lost to a flood. Not only is the farm underwater, but so are most of the family’s possessions including Dorothea’s hope chest and her completed quilt tops.

Dorothea’s Uncle Jacob is a stern and rigid man who demands a lot of everyone in the household. Dorothea’s parents don’t argue with Uncle Jacob because they hope he will leave his farm to Dorothea’s brother Jonathan who is currently studying to be a physician in Baltimore.

Daily life on the farm is hard work. Dorothea is glad for the teaching position she has, but early in the book we learn that position is being given to someone else, Thomas Nelson. He comes to Creek’s Crossing under mysterious circumstances. Rumor is that he had been in jail, but that his influential father arranged for his release and had him sent to Creek’s Crossing where the family’s homestead is.

Thomas eventually offers Dorothea a position at the school teaching the younger children while he teaches the older ones. Although Thomas and Dorothea have been at odds with each other Dorothea comes to realize he is a good teacher and is good with children.

At Uncle Jacob’s farm, springtime is when there are long days spent at the farm’s sugar camp boiling maple sap into syrup and maple sugar. Even when it’s not sugaring time, Uncle Jacob spends a lot of time alone at the sugar camp and everyone in the family is too afraid of him to question why.

Like many young women of that time, Dorothea has excellent needlework skills. She enjoys quilting the most. One evening, out of the blue, Uncle Jacob asks her to make a quilt for him. Dorothea is surprised but agrees to do so. Uncle Jacob says he wants it in a design he remembers from a quilt of his mother’s and he proceeds to render the sketches for each of the squares and gives them to Dorothea. She has some problems with working on the quilt because Uncle Jacob doesn’t give her all the sketches at once; and she draws his anger when he finds that she hasn’t done a square exactly how he drew it because Dorothea mistakenly thought he had goofed up on one of his drawings. She doesn’t dare question why Uncle Jacob is so particular about each square but she rips out the incorrect work and finishes the quilt for him.

After giving the quilt to Uncle Jacob, Dorothea is shocked and upset to find that Uncle Jacob has dirtied and soiled the quilt so much that it is impossible to get all the stains out. Also, instead of keeping the quilt on his bed as Dorothea thought he would, he keeps it at the sugar camp.

When Uncle Jacob dies and one of his colleagues comes to pay his respects, Dorothea learns a shocking thing about Uncle Jacob and the sugar camp. The sugar camp is a stop on the Underground Railroad and Uncle Jacob spent so much time there because he was helping fugitives slaves escape and get to the next station. Dorothea learns the quilt she made has been left at the sugar camp because it’s a marker, a map that tells the fugitives the directions to the next station.

Dorothea takes up Uncle Jacob’s work and, with new danger to herself and her family, joins in the fight to get slaves to freedom.

There are other subplots in the book and Chiaverini weaves them all together very well. I was intrigued by one thing in particular though. I wondered if quilts really had been used as markers, or maps, in the Underground Railroad so I did a little online research. There seems to be a lot of debate on that subject. Some say it’s a myth, others say the quilts were used as markers, although I was unable to find any documented stories from slaves who had used to Underground Railroad and who mentioned the use of a quilt as a map.

The quilt being used as a marker is an interesting part of the story of this book though.

I found the book interesting and well written.

My rating (0-10 smilies): 8 ☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☺☺

Mary Higgins Clark is the author or co-author of over 30 books, many of them best-selling suspense stories. Carol Higgins Clark is her daughter and has written several books of her own along with a few that she’s co-authored with her mother.

Because I’ve read most of Mary Higgins Clark’s books and have enjoyed most of them, I decided to read this book, released in November 2006.

The book centers around a cruise that takes place between Christmas and New Year’s. It is the first voyage of a small independent cruise ship that has been refurbished by Randolph Weed and is named the Royal Mermaid. The cruise ship is where Commodore Weed (as he likes to be called), wants to spend the rest of his days, entertaining paid and unpaid guests.

The maiden voyage of the ship is scheduled for January, but because ticket sales have been very poor, Dudley Loomis, his public relations man, suggests hosting a completely free cruise between Christmas and New Year’s for people who have “made the world a better place this past year.” The guest list is 400 people who have given of themselves or who have given a sizeable sum of money to worthwhile and charitable causes. Also included on the cruise are 10 Santa’s, who have been chosen lottery style from all over the country.

In keeping with the theme of the cruise, the 10 Santa’s are asked to wear special lightweight Santa costumes, including black sandals, that Dudley Loomis had made, while on the cruise.

Commodore Weed’s nephew Eric is also part of the crew. Unknown to anyone else on the ship, Eric has made a deal to stow away two runaway criminals because the ship’s only stop is at Fishbowl Island, where authorities don’t extradite wanted criminals to the United States.

Also integral to the story is Alvirah Meehan, a lottery winner and amateur sleuth. She’s on the cruise because of placing a winning bid on the cruise at a charitable auction. Because she placed such a high bid, she is offered, as a bonus for her generous contribution, the last two empty cabins for guests of her choice.

Although there’s a glimmer of hope at the beginning of the book as the storyline is set up, the book was a huge disappointment to me. It was boring and predictable with too many coincidences and unbelievable parts.

For example, how believable is it to have Alvirah jump off the ship to escape criminals, but not hurt herself. Granted the ship wasn’t moving at the time, but she was still jumping into an ocean from the deck of a ship, had already been injured and was recovering, and isn’t exactly a spring chicken. A jump like that could easily injure a young, healthy person.

I don’t recommend the book. If you feel you must read it, borrow it from your local library. Don’t waste your money on it.

My rating (0-10 smilies): 1 ☻☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺

Full Title of the Book:

The Wal-Mart Effect – How the World’s Most Powerful Company Really Works – and How It’s Transforming the American Economy

Are you a Wal-Mart shopper? Have you been amazed at the number of Wal-Marts (especially Wal-Mart supercenters) popping up in towns all over the U.S. (and the world)? When you drive by a Wal-Mart building that’s empty and closed do you automatically look around for the new, bigger Wal-Mart that’s nearby? Do you have a love/hate relationship with Wal-Mart as in you hate the shopping experience but love the low prices? Do you complain about jobs leaving the country and being outsourced? Do you wonder why it’s happening? Do you think Wal-Mart is getting too big?

Okay, I know I’ve just asked a lot of questions. I just described how my feelings towards Wal-Mart before reading this book. I hated shopping at Wal-Mart but went there because it was cheap and it was convenient. I can’t say I saved money because I didn’t. I just bought more cheap stuff than I would have if I had shopped somewhere else.

I consider this book a “must read” for anyone in the United States (and any other country where Wal-Mart is becoming a dominant presence) who is a consumer. It doesn’t matter if you shop at Wal-Mart or not (although the majority of people in the United States do shop at Wal-Mart at least occasionally). Wal-Mart has become a big deal. They went from one store to being the largest retailer in the world. Heck, even the spell checker on the word processing program I’m using to write this review recognizes “Wal-Mart” as a valid and correctly spelled word.

This book raises a lot of questions, contains a lot of facts, and will get you thinking. Most of the questions I raised in the first paragraph are discussed in the book. It’s not a book written by a competing retailer. Many of the facts (although facts about Wal-Mart can be pretty hard to obtain) come from many different sources, such as university studies which are typically considered unbiased.

It’s not a book filled with so much technical writing that you will be bored to sleep. I typically don’t like non-fiction books but I could hardly put the book down.

The bottom line for me after reading this book is that my shopping at Wal-Mart will be sharply decreased, at least for now. Although I firmly believe Wal-Mart is driven to provide the lowest prices possible for consumers, I also firmly believe those low prices come at the high cost of other things such as jobs that pay a decent wage. You may read the book and agree with what I’ve decided or you may disagree, which is okay. My only hope is that you read the book so you can make the decision for yourself.

My rating (0-10 smilies): 10 ☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻ - This is a “must read” book.

This is the second book by Eileen Rendahl I’ve read. It was a fun book to read, but it also had messages in it about anger and how today’s society seems to boil, explode, and let that anger come out in unproductive and harmful ways. This book took a close look at one woman’s anger, showed how she figured things out for herself (with help from family and friends) and found a better way for herself in the world – one that allowed her to help try and change things for the better. One specific incident in the book started a whole revolution of women fighting back against (mostly little) injustices and acts of rudeness that happen to people every day.

I think I liked the book so much because I could relate to much of what I read. I’ve floundered around a lot in life not sure of what path to follow or how to best achieve the type of life where I feel like I’m contributing to making the world a better place. And during all that floundering I had plenty of anger – mostly as a result of frustration. What this book showed me is that if you really want to do something, you have to look within yourself to find the strength – and then just get out there and do it. Yes, there will be sadness, tears, and joy all mixed together, but that’s really what life is about. And that’s what this book was about, a little slice of life written down in a way meant to entertain, but also to maybe get people thinking.

My rating (0-10 smilies): 8 ☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☺☺

At the beginning of the book there is a hostage crisis.  A homeless man named Falcon has climbed on top of a bridge and is threatening to jump.  He agrees to come down if he is allowed to talk to the mayor’s daughter, Alicia Mendoza.  The hostage negotiator, Vincent Paulo, agrees to try to work something out.  Alicia (a cop herself) shows up on the scene and is willing to talk to Falcon, but the officials in charge at the scene do not let that happen.  When Falcon agrees to come down, they immediately arrest him and set bail at $10,000.

Jack Swyteck, a defense lawyer who has appeared in other books by Grippando, takes Falcon’s case.  Falcon doesn’t seem to have any money to his name.  After all, he is living in an old car that doesn’t run and doesn’t have any windows.  But, Falcon convinces Jack to go to the Bahamas and open a safe deposit box he has there and get his bail money out of it.  Jack goes and discovers not just the $10,000 needed for Falcon’s bail, but a total of $200,000.  Jack wonders why Falcon is living on the street when he has so much cash stashed away.

The mystery and twists and turns of the story continue.  Falcon gets out on bond, and then almost immediately wanted by authorities again because a woman turns up beaten and dead in the trunk of his car.  Falcon searches out Jack, and carjacks Jack, along with his friend Theo.  Jack manages to escape when the vehicle crashes into a seedy motel, but Falcon takes Theo and some hotel occupants hostage.  Falcon then demands to talk to Alicia, an obsession that becomes a key part of the book.

The dirty war in Argentina is also discussed in the book with Falcon having flashbacks to occurrences at one of the detention centers.  Those flashbacks are also pivotal to the book (for the a short synopsis of the true story of one of one sergeant’s role at the El Campito concentration camp in Argentina in the 1970’s go to: http://www.yendor.com/vanished/junta/caraballo.html).

An addition, the mayor becomes deeply involved in the hostage situation.  Is it because he fears for his daughter who has became Falcon’s obsession, or is it for some other reason?

Although the story was very good, there were times when things were too drawn out and dragged along.  That is the one thing that prevents me from giving the book 10 smilies.

My rating (0-10 smilies):  9  ☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☺

Christmas Letters is the third Debbie Macomber book I have read. What I like best about her books is the close knit communities she builds in her books. It makes me feel a little removed from today’s hustle and bustle world where people don’t know and don’t care to know their neighbors; where some people only shop at malls and big box stores instead of at their neighborhood and hometown stores; and where holidays are so commercialized that many people don’t ever take the time to think about the real reason those holidays are being celebrated. This books centers around the Christmas holiday. Christmas is no longer just a Christian holiday. People from many faiths and some that don’t believe in a higher being celebrate Christmas as a time of family and friends, celebrating life, and giving to others.

Katherine O’Connor, or K.O as she is referred to in the book, is single woman who has put herself through school and is currently supporting herself by doing transcription out of her apartment and with a little sideline business of writing Christmas letters until she can find a public relations job.

The Christmas letter business started by accident when someone read one of K.O’s letters and wanted her to make their Christmas letter as witty and interesting as hers were. One example in the book is when K.O. is asked to write a letter by a man whose family highlights include his son being in a detention home and his daughter moving in with her bum of a boyfriend and announcing she’s pregnant. K.O. puts her own spin on events and writes a letter that talks about how the son “had an opportunity he couldn’t turn down and is currently away at school,” and how his daughter and her boyfriend have decided to “deepen their relationship” nothing that “who knows, there might be wedding bells – and perhaps even a baby – in our daughter’s future.” She definitely makes lemonade out of lemons!

The Christmas letters are only a subplot of the book. The main storyline involves K.O. meeting Dr. Wynn Jeffries, a child psychologist who has written a book about how children should be free to make their own choices because they will naturally choose to do the right thing. K.O.’s younger sister Zelda has read the book and is now using it as a bible in raising her young twin daughters. Since Zelda has started using the “free child” philosophies, her daughters have gone from being well behaved and well adjusted children to demanding little monsters who aren’t much of a joy to be around. K.O. thinks the philosophy of the entire book is a bunch of garbage and that it’s ruining her nieces.

K.O. and Wynn discover they have chemistry with each other, but will their completely different views get in the way of their having a relationship? If you read the book, you’ll find out.

The book was enjoyable and easy to read. I liked it even though the storyline was predictable. If you’re looking for a fun lighthearted book to read, especially at Christmastime, read this one.

My rating (0-10 smilies): 8 ☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☺☺

If you’re familiar with Hannibal Lector (he was the main character in “Silence of the Lambs,” another book by Thomas Harris that was made into a highly successful screenplay), this is the book that gives some insight into what made Hannibal into the evil and disturbed person many of us first read about in Red Dragon (the first novel Harris wrote about Hannibal Lector). “Hannibal” is the other book written by Harris about Hannibal Lector.

If you want to read the books in chronological order, start with this one, “Hannibal Rising.” then “Red Dragon,” “The Silence of the Lambs,” and lastly, “Hannibal.” But it’s not necessary to “Hannibal Rising” first because it was the last book written.

Harris writes in a style I find it hard to describe but one that I think of as descriptive and flowing. He has a gift for using the right word at the right time and is great at describing things well enough for a person to be able to produce a vivid picture in their mind, but not so long and drawn out that it gets boring.

In this book we learn how Hannibal’s mind was incredibly keen and sharp even as a child. His father recognized Hannibal’s intelligence and hired him a tutor. We also learn how World War II affected Hannibal and his family, and how he went through things that no child should have to endure.

If you’ve read any of the other books about Hannibal, it’s hard to believe he has a heart, but in this book we find out that Hannibal’s heart belongs to his little sister, Mischa, and that Hannibal would do anything to protect her and to seek vengeance in her name.

This book is not for the weak of heart or weak of stomach, but if you enjoy thrillers you’ll likely enjoy this book too.

Although it doesn’t answer all the questions I had about Hannibal as clearly as I wanted it to, it does talk about how Hannibal’s memory palace, the place he created in his mind, came to be. Hannibal’s memory palace has ornate and spacious rooms. And when Hannibal goes within his mind and places a memory in a specific room he has to take care to not put dark memories against a dark background because then it’s too difficult for him to retrieve that piece of information.

Not everything in Hannibal’s mind lives in his memory palace however. Some things, things he cannot remember because he cannot bear to go there, live outside the palace. Those memories and events are the horrors and fragments of Hannibal’s dreams that he’ll eventually try to remember so that he can seek justice and vengeance.

Although “Silence of the Lambs” is my favorite book about Hannibal, this is a good one too. Thomas Harris is a talented writer and tells a good, but creepy, story.

My rating (0-10 smilies): 9 ☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☺

You may have read about this book in the news last year. It was written by a young Harvard student who, since the book was published earlier this year, has been accused of plagiarism which has resulted in the book being removed from the market. I don’t know whether that removal is temporary or permanent, but I have read the books this author is being accused of plagiarizing from and I personally didn’t see any evidence of plagiarism.

Although the book is no longer in bookstores, it’s still possible to obtain a copy to read. The book I read was from my local library. Already purchased copies of the book are available for sale at various re-sellers including online at half.com.

The book is about a high school senior whose only goal in life is to get accepted to Harvard University. Along the way, she realizes that she’s been so busy trying to reach specific goals that she has no idea who she is. At times, the storyline in the book is silly and completely unrealistic, but it is a fiction book. The book was entertaining with a satisfying ending and it did have a message for its readers.

My rating (0-10 smilies): 6 ☻☻☻☻☻☻☺☺☺☺

This book was released in 2006. It is Lisa Unger’s first novel under her married name and it’s very good book. I’m looking forward to her next novel.

The main character of the book is Ridley Jones. She’s a freelance writer living in New York. To help supplement her writing income she has an inheritance from her Dad’s best friend to fall back on.

One morning Ridley sees a small child about to be hit by a speeding truck. She runs into the street to save the child. A photographer happens to be on the scene. The photograph of Ridley ends up on the cover of the paper.

After the picture appears in the paper, Ridley receives an old photograph in the mail with a note asking her “Are you my daughter?” She asks her parents about the note and the photo. Not surprisingly they tell Ridley it’s some wacko having fun at expense and tell her that of course they are her biological parents.

Ridley needs to put her mind at ease about the photograph and the note so she looks up her brother who is a drug addict living on the street. He tells her things that make things even more unclear to Ridley.

From there you are taken through many twists and turns and suspense as Ridley tries to pursue the truth and find out what’s really going on.

It’s an interesting novel that pulls you into the story making you not want to put it down. Although the plot is somewhat predicable, the book stays interesting because you are never are quite sure who Ridley should trust or not trust.

My rating (0-10 smilies): 7 ☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☺☺☺