Book Talk Tuesday: Sweet Caroline

 

I needed something light to read one evening and I remembered I had Sweet Caroline on my Kindle.

I’ve read several other Rachel Hauck books and enjoyed them, although I didn’t love them. I’ve reviewed at least one here before. It just about kills me that I don’t love them. I should. They have everything I love in other books.

• A spunky heroine.
• Wit and humor.
• Good stories.
• Unique settings.

Caroline has been the unofficial life preserver for friends and family ever since she was a child. Her most recent rescue is a local diner where she’s been waiting tables to help out the owner.

The owner dies and leaves the whole place to Caroline, just when she’s finally about to fly the coop. She’s accepted a job in Spain and can’t wait to finally start living her own life.

But if she leaves, the diner will be closed and people she cares about will lose their jobs.

Caroline postpones Spain and throws herself into making over the diner. She finds a buyer who promises to keep the employees and not to change a thing. Of course, we know that isn’t going to happen. But for some reason Caroline believes the promises.

Her first and only real love comes back to town. But Caroline insists they can be friends now, that she’s over him. Of course, we know that isn’t going to happen.

I liked the premise and I liked that even though I could see the ending coming, I enjoyed the ride Hauck took me on to get there.

I can’t put a finger on why, maybe 10% of the book, for me, is just okay.

I take that back. I do know what it is. And it’s strangely revealing about my own writing voice.

The heroine is too spunky. More of a “wise guy” trying to be funny, than truly using humor to make the best of a bad situation.

It’s a criticism I’ve heard myself. More than once. My local writing teacher/mentor is continually telling me, “Sometimes more is just more. With the smart alecky tone, less is definitely more.”

It’s a lesson I’ve worked hard to learn. I still have a ways to go, but at least I can recognize and diagnose it in others.

Now to turn the pointing finger back to myself.

What about you? Anything that turns an otherwise great book to just okay for you?

Fiction Friday: The return of The Bandbox Hat

 

Thanks for your patience while I wrapped up some other projects. I’m back to Sarah Jane this week.

The Bandbox Hat

Previously: Sarah Jane, her new friend Cassie and three other girls are invited to a beach date with Austin and his mom. Cassie and Sarah Jane were playing volleyball against Austin and Amanda. Cassie served the ball and Amanda screamed.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

By the time the show’s medic’s stopped Amanda’s nosebleed, gave her an icepack, and escorted her to the beach chairs away from the volleyball court, she had slowed down swearing and yelling at Cassie. Mostly.

“I know you did that on purpose, you—” she screamed over her shoulder. Thankfully, the medic she leaned on stumbled in the sand and she turned her fury on him so we didn’t get to hear what she was about to call Cassie.

Austin caught my eye. “Guess volleyball doesn’t bring out the best in her.”

Cassie chuckled. “I wish I could say I did it on purpose, just so she’d show her true nature, but it really was an accident.”

I scrunched my toes in the warm sand. “I think I’m done with volleyball. Do you mind if I quit and go it the water for a bit?”

Before I finished my sentence, three other girls swarmed onto the court.

“I’ll take her place,” Hayley said to Austin. “Your mom and I had a lovely visit.”

“No, I will.” A tall redhead elbowed the blonde aside. “Ready to match me, Austin?” Her eyebrows waggled at him.

I turned and made my way to the water’s edge. The last few strides hurt the bottoms of my feet. The sun had warmed the sand to blistering.

“Ahhh,” I said, as the cool water welcomed my smoking toes.

“Ouch.” A familiar voice sounded behind me.

I turned to see Linda wading in.

“Is Amanda okay?” I asked, nodding at the shelter where Linda had sat.

“I think her pride is more hurt than her nose.” Linda’s sunglasses kept her eyes hidden. “And if I were you and Cassie, I wouldn’t turn my back in a dark alley. If you know what I mean.” She spoke softly.

I nodded, though I wasn’t sure I really did know what she meant. Oh, I knew Amanda was petty and small. She looked at Austin like he was bacon and she was a vegan. But this was a reality dating show. No one found true love while cameras recorded their every move. Right?

“The water is nice,” Linda said. “No cameras out here.”

I looked over my shoulder. She was right. A man with a bulky camera on his shoulder and another man with a boom mike stood a few feet above the wet sand mark.

“Cool and private,” I said, turning back to gaze at the horizon. Blue-green water met a blue horizon dotted with white clouds.

“So tell me, Sarah Jane—”

I heard splashing and Linda and I turned at the same moment.

Austin ran through the water and scooped up his mother into a bear hug. “Having fun?”

She laughed. “Put me down.”

“Make me.” He swung her around but staggered. He wobbled.

I reached out to steady him but too late.

Austin and Linda fell and came up sputtering and batting water at each other.

“You big bully.” Linda stood, hair drooping.

Something brushed against my knee and I reached down to grab Linda’s sunglasses before they were swept away with the tide. “Here.” I held them out to her.

She took them and handed them to Austin. “Dry these off.”

He grinned but took them and splashed back to shore.

“That boy.” She chuckled.

“You’re very close,” I said. Good one, Sarah Jane. State the obvious.

She nodded. “Are you close to your parents?”

Woe! It’s Wednesday

 

Spring and summer always bring mixed blessings.

• Longer days: Good
• Hot weather: Bad
• Beautiful flowers and fresh fruit and vegetables: Good
• Increased bug activity in the house: Bad
• Vacations to look forward to: Good
• Laundry after the vacation: Bad

I could go on, but you get the idea.

I did a load of laundry yesterday morning, and was greeted by a drowned mouse as I moved wet clothes into the dryer.

Needless to say, laundry day was suspended indefinitely.

Often, what we think we want comes with an unexpected downside.

A day off means other things on the To Do list need to be checked off.

Christmas and other special days almost never live up to the expectations.

Clean clothes have mouse cooties.

Isn’t that just life though? God gives us just enough bad to help us appreciate the good. Sometimes it seems He’s given a bit too much bad, but I think in retrospect, He knows what He’s doing and He has it worked out just right.

What do you think? What’s some bad that comes along with some good in your life?

Book Talk Tuesday: The Goodbye Quilt

I’ve been a Susan Wiggs fan for about a year now and I’ve read six or seven of her books. I’ve even reviewed several of them here. I enjoy sewing and knitting and quilting so when I saw The Goodbye Quilt I knew I wanted to read it.

It’s very different from Susan’s other books.

 

 

The Goodbye Quilt is a gentle story about a mom and her daughter driving across the country to deliver the daughter to her prestigious college.

Linda is a quilter working on a memory quilt for Molly’s dorm room. Both mother and daughter use the journey to work out some issues. Molly is in love and leaving her boyfriend under protest.

Linda gave up a college education and is firm that Molly not lose her opportunity.

The ending is satisfactory with an epilogue far into the future so the reader can see the results of all the decisions made on the pages of the book.

This is the kind of story that is easy to imagine was sparked by a real event. It’s also the kind of story that a previously unpublished writer would find impossible to sell.

Susan Wiggs fans will enjoy it. I wouldn’t recommend it as your first Susan Wiggs book. Start with one or three of the Lakeshore Chronicles,   then pick up The Goodbye Quilt.

What do you think? Do you have a favorite author who’s written an atypical book?

Off the top of my head, I can think of John Grisham and his sports books instead of the legal thrillers. Also James Patterson – a friend told me recently that she loved Suzanne’s Diary For Nicholas and she felt Patterson was better at writing romance than his usual stuff. Last week’s review mentioned Earlene Fowler and her quilting mysteries as well as her two stand alones.

Anyone else?

Fiction Friday

No, it’s not your imagination. Fiction Friday has been on hiatus while I’ve been busy with several other projects. Please don’t give up on Sarah Jane and check back next week.

Thank you!

Harry’s waiting …

Technorati Tags: Fiction Friday

Book Talk Tuesday

 

One of my favorite mystery series is Earlene Fowler’s Benni Harper. Each book is named for a quilt pattern.

I just finished the most recent.

If you’re unfamiliar with Earlene and Benni, allow me to introduce you.

Benni Harper Ortiz lives in a fictional San Luis Obispo, California called San Celina. If you know the central coast, you know the setting.

Benni is the curator for the local art museum.

In book one, she’s a still grieving widow who gets drawn into a mystery. Gabe Ortiz, the new police chief in town, doesn’t like her poking in her nose . At the end of book two, she marries him.

There are wonderful secondary characters such as Benni’s father, her grandmother Dove, and Dove’s husband. Benni has a best friend, Elvia, who’s married to Benni’s cousin.

Technorati Tags: Book Review,Spider Web,Earlene Fowler,Quilting

In Spider Web a few years have gone by since the beginning of the series. Benni now goes by Benni Ortiz. A sniper is taking potshots at local policemen. Gabe’s PTSD is triggered by the shootings. A stranger is town is asking Benni a lot of personal questions about her life and her marriage.

It all adds up to another great Benni Harper Ortiz book.

Earlene has also written two stand alone books. The Saddlemaker’s Wife and Love Mercy.

A new Earlene Fowler book typically comes out each spring. Spider Web was 2011’s offering. I can’t see a release date for Earlene’s next book, but on Facebook she mentioned researching her next book, a sequel to The Saddlemaker’s Wife which was set in Bishop, California.

I enjoyed both the stand alones, but I really love Benni Harper Ortiz and her adventures.

If you’re new to Earlene’s books, the Benni Harper series is best read in order, starting with Fool’s Puzzle.

Book Talk Tuesday: A Pair of Shorties

I did quite a bit of reading last week and finished two books that had been recommended as short and quick but enriching reads. They were that.

First, I read The Dream Giver by Bruce Wilkinson.

The first half of the book is a parable about a Nobody with a Big Dream. He decides to leave Familiar to pursue the dream. Along the way, he has to leave Comfort Zone and get past Border Bullies and Giants.

The rest of the book is Wilkinson’s teaching about each point of the story.

One item really poked at my complacence. When talking about three common traps we fall into as we pursue our dream, he mentioned being too passive and saying it’s “all in God’s timing anyway.”

Ouch.

I’ve said those words. Even believed them.

But 2012 is the year of ME and I’ve been actively pursuing my dream so I was able to pull out the stinger without too much trouble.

The second book I read was A Place Called Blessing by John Trent.

This was also a parable about a young man named Josh who experienced heart break and rejection until he met a man at work and the man’s mother. Josh turned from an angry loner into a healed and whole man, thanks to his friends and their choices to bless Josh instead of let him be alone and miserable.

Both books are very good and I recommend them.

I have a few more shorties still on my nightstand. Check back next week to see if I’ve finished.

What are some of your favorite “short” reads?