 1/4/12 - I finished this book 12/20/2011. It was a really good book that has captured my attention and has made me want to look more into this Tudor time period of King Henry VIII, and his heirs - in particular Queen Elizabeth. I loved the way Brandy Purdy brought the characters to life. There were clear distinctions between the two sisters Mary and Elizabeth. Although they had differences in opinions overall, they wanted the best for their country and they loved their god. Although some points of their lives are sad, it was good to see how some of the things they couldn't see immediately came to light with more experiences and age behind them. Great read, one of my favorites this year - I would definitely recommend this one! 11/18/11 - I'm actually a little more than half way through this book - it's really good so far, Brandy Purdy has done an amazing job at bringing all the characters to life. I've had a lot going on over the past month and a half, so it looks as though this will be my last book of the year. But I'm so looking forward to seeing how this book will end! :) 10/26/11 - I actually started this book, The Tudor Throne by Brandy Purdy on 10/16/2011. So far I'm a little over 100 pages into it. I must say it is quite the read and so far, I like the way that Brandy is telling the story from both Mary and Elizabeth's perspectives. To read a Sample Chapter Click Here. Favorite Quotes:"Sometimes...no matter how much you want something, you still cannot have it." ~Mary, pg 67 "They say the vein in that finger connects directly to the heart - that is why the wedding ring is worn upon it..." ~Elizabeth, pg 110"Trust is a fragile thing and once broken can never be seamlessly put back together again; the cracks will always show and be ever vulnerable to fresh fractures and doubt." ~Elizabeth, pg 113 "All that glitters is not gold..." ~Elizabeth, pg 115"A woman should be virtuous, above rubies, as the Scriptures said; she should hold herself aloof and reserve, not lower and demean herself by course and common manners. If a lady behaved as common as the masses, she became as common as they were, and no one would look up to her or respect her." ~Mary, pg 189"There is a reason they say love is blind...Sometimes it willfully or unwittingly fails to see the things it should see." ~Elizabeth, pg 365"...this I have learned from both observation and experience - there are times in our lives when we find ourselves standing on the edge of a cliff. Sometimes you stand there, looking down, for a very long time. Sometimes you jump because you believe you cannot go back or that there is nothing to go back for, that your soul is lost in a long black tunnel with not even a glimmer of light at the end of it to guide you and give you the hope you need to go on. Sometimes you jump just because you are tired of being afraid. And sometimes you jump just to find out what it feels like to fall, to test your strength, to find out if you can claw your way back up again." ~Elizabeth, pg 366
 10/26/11 - Well, I finished this book almost 2 weeks ago. Here are my thoughts - 3 out of 5 stars: I think overall this book was pretty good, it is truly a book that discusses the truth about friendship and the things that can make or break us when we allow people to enter our lives. At the end, I feel as though the author left us hanging. I was left wondering what happens after the two friends go their separate ways. Is Lucy Dawson, keeping things open for a sequel??? 9/27/11 - The plan is to start What My Best Friend Did by Lucy Dawson today! :)
 9/27/11 - I actually finished reading this book on Sunday afternoon. I have to say it was a nice read. The author totally captured how death has the ability to totally transform us in so may unimaginable ways and the many ways that we as humans cope with death.
9/25/11 - This is yet another short story/book that isn't on my 2011 Reading List. While I'm debating which book I want to read next, I figured I would read this in the meantime. I started reading One More Winter yesterday and hope to have time to finish it today.
 9/25/11 - Although this book isn't on my 2011 Reading list, it was free on my Kindle and decided to read it. I started and finished this book yesterday afternoon. It was a very quick and good read. It was a great love story that touched on going with your gut when it comes to matters of the heart.
 9/25/11 - I finished reading this book yesterday. I must say that overall it was a great read! To read this story of four generations of women who suffered through domestic violence and their story of triumph was amazing. L.Y. Marlow does a great job, although the story is based on her family, she does a great job in making sure that the reader can relate to each woman in one way or another. The reader gets to go inside the minds of these women and see why they stayed in their situations and what finally gave them the strength to leave. Amongst tragedy, we can still be strong and survive, we can all turn the corner and learn to fly and reach greater heights for ourselves and our families. 9/9/11 - I just started reading Color Me Butterfly by L.Y. Marlow on Monday, September 5, 2011. So far this book is a definite page turner. I can't wait to see how this family turns things around for the better!!! Favorite Quotes:"Sometimes you gotta let a butterfly go in order for it to learn to fly." ~Mattie to Lydia, page 347"You know, sometimes it's easier to forgive than it is to carry around all that anger." ~Mattie to Treasure, page 381"You gotta turn one corner, baby, to find another." ~Lydia thinking to herself, page 405Read an ExcerptSee Inside the Book
 9/9/11 - I actually finished reading this book on August 5, 2011, days before giving birth to my second child! :) This book was great. I like how the author focused on these women and their lives. By the end of the book you feel a personal connection to these women. You feel their joys and even share in their pains. This is definitely a great read! 7/29/11 - I just started reading Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez yesterday, July 28, 2011. So far, I'm only 10 pages into the book - but I think it's going to be another good read for 2011! Just FYI - next week I will more than likely take a break from reading this book so I can try to finish The Hand I Fan With and then I'll pick it back up. About the Book
See Inside the Book
 7/29/11 - I started reading The Help on the 14th or 15 th of July, and I finished it on July 27, 2011. I must say that this was a really good book. Kathryn Stockett, did an amazing job at bringing each character to life. I especially liked Minny, she was just so funny! I'm excited about seeing the much anticipated movie here in the next few weeks. Click here to read the Synopsis or an Excerpt
Favorite Quotes include:
"And my work shoes is so thin, they look like they starving to death." ~Aibileen
"Wasn't that the point of the book? For women to realize, We are just two people. Not that much separates us. Not nearly as much as I'd thought." ~Miss Skeeter
"Don't go ruirning this now, she offering you a jay-o-bee." ~Minny
There are two other quotes I really like, but I don't want to give the book away - You'll just have to read it and find out on your own!!!! LOL
 9/9/11 - FINALLY, FINALLY, FINALLY, I FINALLY FINISHED THIS BOOK!!!! This book, started off very slow, and although a little more than half way through it started to pick up, the author had already lost my interest. The ending overall was pretty good, and if you like over the top detailed books, you'll probably enjoy this read. 7/29/11 - Well, to be honest....I only have a little less than 200 pages left to go in this book. Although it has started to pick back up, it's still a little to slow and weird to me. My grandmother's book club meeting (7/2/11) was good though, and the ladies who did enjoy the book, made me want to finish reading it. So next week, the plan is to pick this book back up and finish reading it - hopefully before Baby Girl #2 get's here! I haven't read this book all month, but I am determined to finish reading it. So good luck to me, and as always, I'll keep you all posted.
6/16/11 - Well, I'm 70 pages into this book - it's starting off a bit slow...hopefully it will pick up - SOON!
6/10/11 - I have been invited to join in my grandmother's bookclub meeting at the beginning of next month. The book the bookclub is reading is The Hand I Fan With by Tina McElroy Ansa. I plan on starting this book hopefully this evening. And yes, this book wil count towards my goal of 12 books in 2011, although it's not on my reading list. I'm not sure which book it will replace yet. If you've read it, please let me know what you thought about it! :) About the book:
The Hand I Fan With
Lena McPherson, the "baby of the family" from Ansa's first novel, is all grown up, rich, beautiful and successful. The only problem is she is also lonely, overworked and unappreciated as the "hand" the whole town of Mulberry, Georgia "fans with." But she is still a special little baby girl so she and her best friend get together and conjure her up a man and Herman, a 100-year-old ghost appears.
In this beautifully erotic novel, Herman fills her life with joy, love and peace and teaches her how to share her life, wealth and gifts without destroying herself in the process.
 6/10/11 - I just finished this book yesterday....here's what I thought:
I thought overall, this was a pretty good book. It kept me interested from page one until the end. I must say though, I actually give this book 3.75 stars - due to not being quite ready for it to end just yet. Jacob, the main character, I love his personality as an older man. He's a hoot, however as a young man, I think he's a little on the uptight side. All-in-All, I have to say if you want to know more about the exciting life of a traveling circus, this is a must read. It was amazing to find out that the bulk of the things the author put in the book are actual accounts from traveling circus history! Great read!!
5/23/11 - This book is pretty good so far. It's had both funny and sad moments. I'm excited to see how it turns out. 5/18/11 - After reading the reviews and hearing about Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, from friends, I'm excited about starting it today!!! Quotes I Liked:
* "'I'm about used up. Ain't good for nothin' but ticket seller, and I recon I'm too ugly for that." I glance over and decide he's right. 'Is there something else you can do instead? Maybe behind the scenes?" ~Camel to Jacob, page 64 * "Keeping up the appearance of having all your marbles is hard work but important." ~Jacob, page 82 * "When two people are meant to be together, they will be together. It's fate." ~Jacob, page 355 * "With a secret like that, at some point the secret itself becomes irrelevant. The fact that you kept it does not." ~Jacob, page 415 Read an Excerpt.
 5/18/11 - I just finished reading this book last night - it was truly a good quick read! I must say it was very colorful, vivid and very beautifully written. It led up to a great climax and an unexpecting ending. A true testament to one's happiness.
5/16/11 - Just started reading this today - hope it's as good as it seems to be. Quotes I liked:
“He was, besides, one of those men who like to witness their own life, considering any ambition to live it inappropriate. “ ~Page 7 “The girl continued to stare at him, with a violence that wrenched from every word the obligation to be memorable.” ~Page 29 “Read the flight of your arrow if you want to know your future, my father said to me.” The birds flew slowly, rising and falling in the sky, as if they wanted to erase it, very carefully, with their wings.” ~Hara Kei to Hervé Joncour, Page 42 “A thousand times he searched for her eyes and a thousand times she found his. It was a kind of sad dance, secret and impotent.” ~ Page 68 “Maybe it’s that life, at times, gets to you in a way that there’s really nothing more to say.” He said. “Nothing more, forever.” ~ Hervé Joncour to Baldabiou, Page 77 Read an Excerpt.
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