Books

Top Ten Tuesday

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This week on Top Ten Tuesday, as per The Broke and the Bookish, we are to post 10 Beach Reads, books we plan to read on the beach.  Not being a beach person, myself, I will post 10 Mountain Reads.  I would much rather spend a week or weekend in the mountains than at the beach, and mountains are as good a place to read as the beach.

So here are my top ten choices to take to the mountains:

  1.  

This mystery/suspense is just the kind of book to keep me turning pages as I sit outside a cabin enjoying the sounds of nature.

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3. 

4. 

Yes, I am a huge Dee Henderson fan.  I totally loved her O’Malley series.  I can’t wait to dig into this one and all of her other books that I haven’t read yet.

5. 

I have never been a big fan of fantasy, but I find a growing interest in that genre, and Magonia sounds like a good read.

6. 

Another fantasy novel that has captured my interest.  I haven’t gotten my hands on it yet, though.

7. 

We gave T.V. up a long time ago, but my parents still watch a lot of T.V. and sometimes when I visit, I catch a show or two.  Interestingly enough, many of the shows are based on books, which makes me quite happy because I’d rather read a book than watch a T.V. show anyway.  So, after seeing an episode or two of “Castle” with my mom, I looked up the books.

8. 

Yes, this too, is a book that a T.V. show is based on.

9. 

This book was suggested by a speaker at a writers’ conference I attended in November 2015.  It sounded intriguing and so it’s on my TBR list, and since the title is “The Poisonwood Bible”, it sounds like a good mountain read.

10. 

Thought the cover copy made this book sound fascinating.

So, do you prefer to read your books on the beach or in the mountains?

Top Ten Tuesday

/ kellyfbarr / 6 Comments

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday as suggested by The Broke and the Bookish is “Ten Books I Feel Differently About After Time Has Passed” and we are to share whether we love the books more or less or have complicated feelings about them.

So, to preface my list, I will say that some of the books here are ones I love less because in the home I grew up in, my books, music, t.v. and movies weren’t really monitored.  However, my husband and I have strong convictions about what we believe our children should and should not be exposed to, and because of that, I have learned to love many of these books more and some of them less.

  1.  All of the Curious George books.  I have to say that I love them less because George always gets into a mess of trouble, but never really gets a consequence.  Instead he usually gets some type of reward.
  2. The Berenstain Bears books — I love more because the children are taught lessons, they have consequences and yet, their parents show them unconditional love.
  3.  Amelia Bedelia books — I love more.  These books are just so much fun!  Amelia takes everything so literally, and it’s fun to share with my children how complicated our language can sound.
  4.  The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis.  I have come to completely LOVE these books, so much so that I read them over and over again.  They have wonderful messages like unconditional love, consequences for choices and actions and the fact that these consequences don’t always just affect the person who made the choice or committed the action but those around them as well, and sacrificing for others.
  5. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee — I love more because as a parent, I now not only love the lessons that Jem and Scout learn, but I love the example that Atticus sets before them;how he teaches them to stand for what they believe in and to think for themselves and not just do what others do, and that every person matters.
  6. I know this may be more of a movie item than a book item, but I used to have some of these in storybook form as a young girl — The Disney Princess stories.  I love them much less because they are so unrealistic and they set up little girls for heartbreak and struggles in real life.  I loved these stories as a child, and when I grew up and got married and realized that not everything is “happily ever after” and my “Prince Charming” isn’t always going to be “Prince Charming”, I struggled because things weren’t always the way I wanted them to be.  Fortunately, I was also taught that my marriage vows need to be taken seriously, and I learned that marriage is work — work on the part of both the man and the woman.
  7. Stephen King’s horror stories — I don’t love at all anymore.  As an adult, I now find horror stories disturbing and I do not enjoy them at all.  I find many of King’s horror stories too graphically gruesome as well.
  8. Dean Koontz’s suspense novels — I love more because they give me the heart-pounding suspense and action that I used to like about King’s books without the graphic gruesomeness.  Some of them also hint at the paranormal, which I still have a fondness for.  (Yes, I am an X-Files fan).
  9. Winnie the Pooh books by A.A. Milne – I love more because they are sweet, innocent stories that involve a wonderful cast of lovable animals, who aren’t perfect but who stick together and help one another whenever needed.
  10. Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McClosky – I love more because I learned that it is based on fact – a police officer really did stop traffic to allow the mama duck and her babies to cross a busy Boston city street safely.  Then we vacationed in Boston not long after I had read the book to our oldest son, and when walking through Boston Commons saw the statues that are in the park that represent the mama duck and her ducklings.  It’s a wonderful memory, and we took a photo or two of our son with the statues.

I realize many of these are children’s books, but that is because those are the ones that came to my mind for this topic.  Besides, for the past almost twenty-three years, I have been reading what I consider much more appropriate reading material and I could give you a whole list of books that I totally LOVE now.  Actually, that may have been a topic on a past Top Ten Tuesday, or something like it.

How about you?  Are the books you love more or love less than years ago from your childhood, teen years, or adulthood?

Top Ten Tuesday

/ kellyfbarr / 1 Comment

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday list as per The Broke and the Bookish is “Ten Books I Picked up on a Whim”.  Therefore the following list is a list of books I picked up at a bookstore, yard sale or used bookstore, without prior knowledge of the book, just because the book jacket print made me want to read it or because I found the cover very intriguing.  However, I rarely pick up a book solely based on the book cover, even on a whim.

  1.  

I found this book on the Bargain Book rack in a book store.  I was intrigued by both the cover and the back cover print.  It sounded like a strange and unusual story, which it did, indeed, turn out to be.  It also is the first book in a trilogy.  I liked this story, but it wasn’t a favorite, and I’m not sure that I will read the next two books in the trilogy.

2.

I found this book at a used book store, and I loved Raggedy Ann as a little girl, so I bought this book on a whim based on some favorite memories.  I have not read it yet.

3. 

I purchased this book at a yard sale.  The front cover print above the title reads “The Forgotten Story of One of the Most Influential Figures in American Music”.  That intrigued me.  So, a rarity for me, I based my decision to purchase this book solely on the words on the front cover.  It is still on my To Be Read list, and I may read it with my youngest son this year for school for part of his music education.

4.      and 5.  

I purchased these two books just because I recognized the author’s name as someone I connected with on Facebook.  I do not know Alice J. Wisler.  I only know of her from what little I have seen her post on Facebook.  These books are also still on my TBR list.

6.  

I bought this book at a used book store because of the front cover and the fact that I have always had a soft spot for teddy bears.

7.  

I purchased this book simply based on the author’s name.  I was sure that I had read a book some time ago that was also written by Patricia Sprinkle and was sure that I had liked it, and that was why I bought this book.  Still on my TBR list.

8. 

I purchased this book at a bargain book store because it is a light mystery.  It is part of a series called “A Seaside Knitters Mystery” and I have always enjoyed a good mystery.  Many of my favorites are light and charming mysteries solved by unusual characters, not detectives.  This book is also still on my TBR list.

9. 

I purchased this book at a bargain book store because of the title and the fact that it says at the top of the cover that it is “A Novel of Ireland”.  As a writer, I am always interested in stories, fiction and nonfiction, about storytellers or writer/authors.  I also have come to love stories of Ireland after reading several of Maeve Binchey’s wonderful novels.  This is also still on my TBR list.

10. 

This one was also published at a bargain book store, and of course, because it is a fictional story about writers.  This book also remains on my never ending TBR list.

I thought this list would be difficult to put together.  I didn’t think I picked up many books on a whim, but when I started digging through my books, I found out that I do a lot more purchasing books on a whim, if they are bargain priced, than I thought.  Of course, what do you expect from a bookaholic?    😀

How about you?  Do you purchase books on a whim?

Top Ten Tuesday

/ kellyfbarr / 4 Comments

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday, as suggested by The Broke and the Bookish, is Top Ten Bookworm Delights (things that have to do with books and why you love them).

  1.  The Smell of New Books
  2. Sitting in a library or bookstore surrounded by shelves upon shelves of books.
  3. Hunting for books on the Bargain shelves, at a used book sale or yard/garage sales.
  4. Relaxing in the evening with a cup of tea, a good book, and my dog at my feet.
  5. Meeting someone who likes to read the same genre that I like and sharing favorite books and authors.
  6. Following my favorite authors on social media.
  7. Reading books aloud to my children, using different voices for different characters.
  8. Memories of climbing my neighbor’s apple tree, where I would sit and read, as a young girl.
  9. Picking out a book to give as a special gift for someone.
  10. Being touched so deeply by a book that it makes me both laugh and cry.  These are the stories that are truly unforgettable.

Have you shared your list for Top Ten Tuesday?

Top Ten Tuesday

/ kellyfbarr / 10 Comments

This week The Broke and the Bookish have given us a choice.  The list is “Ten Books Every ______ Should Read” and we get to fill in the blank.  I have chosen to do “Ten Books Every Parent Should Read Aloud to their Child(ren)”

We’ll start with two of my favorites for Preschool to Kindergarten age.

  1.  

Now, some great books to read with children in their elementary years.

3.  

This is the first book of a fantastic series, and if you’re like me and you read to your kiddos using different voices for different characters and do accents too, you and your kids will build wonderful memories together while sharing good books.

4.  

Another great series by the same author as pick #3, with the same main characters.

5.  

The complete original Little House on the Prairie series is another great series to share with your children.

6.  Product Details

The Chronicles of Narnia is a great series too.  The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe remains my very favorite of this series.

7.  

These last three are great to read and discuss with your teenagers.  Yes, teenagers still like to be read to.  I could have listed more books for teens, but this is only a list of ten.

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10.  

Yes, I have read all of these books with my older boys and am still working on reading some of them with my youngest.  They are good quality books with good lessons to be learned, and they have great topics for discussion and teaching moments.

Top Ten Tuesday

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Today’s Top Ten List as suggested by The Broke and the Bookish is the Ten Bookish People You Should Follow on Social Media.

As much as I love to read, I must admit that I don’t follow too many “bookish” people because I am a writer, I follow “writer” people.  So I can list Four Bookish People that I think you should Follow on Twitter and one on Facebook:

Twitter:

  1.  Glenn Soucy @GlennSoucy1
  2. Faydra Deon @faydra_deon
  3. Readers Gazette @ReadersGazette
  4. Gary Lindberg @gary_lindberg

Facebook:

1.  Mindy Detweiler

Now, since writers write good books for the bookish people and because writers are bookish people too, here are five writers that I follow on Facebook that I think you should follow:

  1.  Grace Greene
  2. Jeanette Lavellie
  3. Shelley Adina
  4. Mike Dellosso
  5. Marsha Hubler

Top Ten Tuesday

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Today’s Top Ten Tuesday’s list as suggested by The Broke and the Bookish is: Ten of my Most Recent 5 Star Reads.

I have written reviews of all of these books on Amazon.com.  However, I wouldn’t say that all of these are “recent” as I do not give out “5 Star” reviews easily.  To me, 5 stars are for books that are outstanding, in their story line, in having well developed characters that I love and care about and hate to say goodbye to and in the quality of the writing.

The last book on this list, I read and reviewed in September of 2013, #9 I read and reviewed in December 2014, #’s 1-3 are the most recent – I read and reviewed those in 2016, all the rest I read and reviewed in 2015.

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Top Ten Tuesday

/ kellyfbarr / 4 Comments

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday’s theme is “Ten Books I Really Love But Feel Like I Haven’t Talked About Enough/in a While” as suggested by The Broke and the Bookish.

  1.  

I love the entire Chronicles of Narnia series, but The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is my absolute favorite.  This story is a wonderful story of faith, loyalty, love, sacrifice and redemption.  I love Lucy, Mr. Tumnus, Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, and Aslan.  I love to share this series with my children.  It is a story that left a strong impact upon me.

2.  

This incredible story is filled with French history, sometimes more than you desire as it distracts you from the actual story line at times when reading the unabridged version.  The story is filled with characters that invoke strong emotions, both positive and negative, as you read the story.  This, too, is a wonderful story of redemption, and, though I love the British soundtrack, I prefer the move drama adaptation starring Liam Neeson.

3. 

This story has such a strong message, more than one actually.  The characters are wonderfully written and they capture your heart.  There are wonderful lessons to be learned throughout this story as Atticus defends a black man in the old, deep south and as he must deal with the anger and dislike aimed at him and his family because of it.  Atticus also teaches his children some valuable lessons throughout the story, both through his words and his actions.

4.  

This is a true story about what happened to one family during the holocaust.  The story shows God’s protection of this family even in the concentration camps in unexpected ways.  It is an amazing story of faith, even in severe adversity.

5.  9781938314148: Fire & Water: A Suspense-filled Story of Art, Love, Passion, and Madness

This book has amazing characters who grab your heart and don’t let go.  The story can be quite intense at times, but you never stop cheering for Jake Bloom and Kate.  You long for Jake to find peace, and when the story ends, you will forever be changed by Jake’s story.

6.  

This is one of my favorite romance stories of all time.  It includes a medieval knight who accidentally ends up in 20th century United States just when Dougless Montgomery needs rescuing.  What happens from that moment on will keep you turning pages until the very end.

7.  

This is my favorite book that includes a dog as a main character.  After reading this book, I wanted a dog just like Einstein.

8.  

The Negotiator is the first book in the O’Malley series by Dee Henderson.  Dee creates wonderful characters in this series; characters you grow to know and love so much that when you reach the series end, you want more.  You don’t want to leave these characters,  you want the story of the rest of their lives (at least I did).

9.  

If you have never read this original story of Bambi, and the only Bambi you are familiar with is the Disney Bambi, you don’t know what you are missing.  I found this book in one of my elementary classrooms where the teacher had us choose a book from the shelf, read it and do a project of some kind on it.  After reading this book, Bambi took on much more meaning to me.  I am a huge animal lover.  I grew up watching and loving t.v. shows like “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom” and “The Adventures of Grizzly Adams”.

10.  LOVE UNEXPECTED Read Online Free Book by Jody Hedlund at ReadAnyBook.

I love historical romance novels (that’s why I am writing them).  Anyway, I read the prequel to Love Unexpected and then couldn’t wait to get my hands on Love Unexpected.  They have made me a big fan of Jody Hedlund and I cannot wait to read the rest of Jody’s historical novels.

All of the stories on this list have made a big impact upon me.  If I can remember a story’s basic plot line and its characters for many years, that means it has made a big impact upon me, and the stories on this list will live on in my memory.  Their characters are like good friends.

Top Ten Tuesday

/ kellyfbarr / 3 Comments

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday’s theme as determined by the Broke and the Bookish is Ten Books on my To Be Read List.  This is probably the easiest list I’ve done so far.

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Top Ten Tuesday

/ kellyfbarr / 11 Comments

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday theme is “Ten Characters Everyone Loves but I Just Don’t Get” or “Ten Characters I Love but Others Seem to Dislike” as per The Broke and Bookish.

Again, I’m going to have to tweak my list.  I have no idea for the first theme but I can easily tell you ten characters I love, but I do not know if others dislike them or not.  So, my Top Ten Tuesday theme this week is “Ten Characters I Love”.

  1.  Atticus Finch of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. He is a wonderful, wise, loving father and exceptional role model, not only for his own children but for the entire community.
  2. Peeta of Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins.  Peeta is a sweet, devoted, loving and protective love interest.  He is the kind of love interest I believe every woman dreams of.
  3. Lucy of The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis.  She is brave, intelligent, innocent and kind-hearted.
  4. Samwise Gamgee of The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien.  Sam is honest, faithful, loyal, wise and innocent.  He is the kind of friend everyone needs.
  5. Einstein, the golden retriever in Watchers by Dean Koontz.  Einstein is a highly intelligent, faithful dog.  All dog lovers would love to have a dog like Einstein.
  6. Dave Richman of The Negotiator of the O’Malley series by Dee Henderson.  He is a strong, intelligent, protective man.
  7. Jarrod Monahan of Kissed by a Cowboy by Debra Copton.  Jarrod is witty, charming, sexy, strong, and romantic.  He knows just how to warm a woman’s heart.
  8. Jake Bloom of Fire and Water by Betsy Graziani Fasbinder.  Jake is brilliant.  He’s an exceptional artist.  He is a romantic, loving husband.  He’s also temperamental and dangerous because he is tortured by a mental/emotional illness.
  9. Nicholas Stafford, Earl of Thornwyck of A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Devereaux.  Nicholas is exactly what the title of the book says he is and this is one of the greatest romance stories I have ever read.
  10. Jean ValJean of Les Miserables by Victor Hugo.  Jean ValJean is a man who is strong, physically, mentally and emotionally.  Yes, he ends up imprisoned because he steals a loaf of bread to try to feed his starving family, and yes, he escapes from prison, but he does so many noble things and proves himself redeemed, honest and trustworthy.