Book Review Party Wednesday - LIVE!

<a href="http://cymlowell.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="CymLowell" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2442/3960797566_f11cfb2f41_o.jpg" /></a>

Welcome to Book Review Party Wednesday.

It is real simple. Link up any (old or new, any genre) book review that you have written to the below MckLinky.

A couple of things to remember while you're linking.

1. Add a permalink to your specific post, not the main page of your blog (only one review per blog).
2. Add my Book Review Wednesday Badge or a link-back to the party at the end of your review post.
3. List the name of your blog, Title of Book or Genre. Be sure to use spaces and limit characters to 50. For example: The Lost Symbol, thriller

4. Become a follower of my blog, pretty please (not mandatory).
5. Visit the other linked up reviews and leave comments....it's a party, have fun!
6. I will announce the winner in a weekend post. The winner is chosen from the linked up reviewers using Random Number Generator. All included.

I am so excited to be reading all the reviews! This is always so much fun and gives me the opportunity to add new books to my list (& now check out book covers).

-CYM

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The Girl in the Green Raincoat

The Girl in the Green Raincoat
by Laura Lippman
Wm Morrow/HarperCollins 2008; originally published in the New York Times Magazine


If you have ever been constrained to bed rest or enforced inactivity, were you frustrated? Did you become a voyeur to what is going on around you? Did you fantasize about what might be going on behind the apparent life of the people you see every day?

What would you do if you saw something that you believed indicated foul play to a dog lover, like you? If you were a detective, could you resist using friends and computer sleuthing to find out the truth?

The Girl in the Green Raincoat is an enchanting novella. I originally read it as it was serialized in the New York Times Magazine in 2008. I enjoyed it even more altogether.

Tess is pregnant and confined for the duration. A lady in a green raincoat walks her dog every day at about the same time. Then Tess sees the dog running alone. What happened to the green raincoat woman? Was she murdered? Sleuthing uncovers the dog and a husband with a trail of dead wives and girlfriends. The dog comes to live with Tess and her other two dogs.

Whitney, a friend, does the footwork, as Tess encounters a clever assortment of wonderful characters that one would expect to be found in an Agatha Christie story. Whitney makes herself a love object of the husband, only to be taken to a deserted place of fear. Tess is accosted in her home by a killer, with the abandoned dog closeby.

And . . .? You’ll have to read this one. These clever people and a delightful curve ball thrown by the author, an adept pitcher of intrigue, will keep you turning the few pages. If you love thoughtful mystery, dogs, the movie Rear Window, and novellas, this one’s for you!

Warms, Cym

Resource Links:
Laura Lippman
Laura Lippman on Facebook

Same Book, Other Reviews:
Luanne - A Book Worms World
Luxury Reading
Devourer of Books

Buying Source:

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Winner of the Wednesday Blog Book Review Party and Blog Spotlight!

*all winners are selected by Random Number Generator *

And the winner of the Amazon Gift Card ($15 value) from Wednesday's Review Party is...

(**Drums Rolling in the Background**)

Congratulations to Darlyn & Books!




Be sure to check out Darlyn & Books and leave a comment!


Send me your email address for the Amazon eGC.

Warms-
CYM

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Book Porn

I am sure the spammers are going to have a field day with this post title. Don't be alarmed if the comments section gets turned off.

1. Desk made from books

2. Great t-shirt for kids

3. Book Exchange party invitation

4. Classic Penguins

~XOXO~

Beachbrights

(guest blogger)

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Book Review Party Wednesday - Starts NOW!

<a href="http://cymlowell.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="CymLowell" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2442/3960797566_f11cfb2f41_o.jpg" /></a>

Welcome to Book Review Party Wednesday.

It is real simple. Link up any (old or new, any genre) book review that you have written to the below MckLinky.

A couple of things to remember while you're linking.

1. Add a permalink to your specific post, not the main page of your blog (only one review per blog).
2. Add my Book Review Wednesday Badge or a link-back to the party at the end of your review post.
3. List the name of your blog, Title of Book or Genre. Be sure to use spaces and limit characters to 50. For example: The Lost Symbol, thriller

4. Become a follower of my blog, pretty please (not mandatory).
5. Visit the other linked up reviews and leave comments....it's a party, have fun!
6. I will announce the winner in a weekend post. The winner is chosen from the linked up reviewers using Random Number Generator. All included.

I am so excited to be reading all the reviews! This is always so much fun and gives me the opportunity to add new books to my list (& now check out book covers).

-CYM

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Fighting in Libya

source

Our Young People Fighting In Libya – For Whom and What?

I spent my time in Vietnam long ago. I am not a pacifist. Hopefully, I am a realist having lived a long life observing politics and international finance. We get into these wars with limited objectives (preserve the status quo, humanitarian assistance, domino theory or whatever). Then some commandos, mercenaries, ground support, or whatever are deployed on the ground for “temporary assignment”. Soon, our young people are there fighting limited wars devised by politicians who never tasted combat.

The question is always the same – why are we doing this? Our treasure and fine young people are invested for whose benefit? Why Libya? Why not in all of the other countries of the world where people are massacred and the civilized world turns its head? Why not deal with serious problems like Iran or North Korea? Why not make an all out commitment for relief of our friends in Japan who are suffering and need us?

 For once, it would be rewarding to have a politician actually address real questions with honesty and historical perspective. Where are they? Our young people who fight these wars are heroes! Our leaders should be heroic enough to be honest.


-CYM

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Still Midnight by Denise Mina

Still Midnight
by Denise Mina
Reagan Arthur/Little Brown/Hachette Book Group 2010

If your hand was shot off in a kidnapping-extortion effort, in which your father was abducted for a ransom hundreds of times your family’s apparent worth, could you fall in love with the shooter? If he were Scottish and you were of Ugandan immigrants?

If your family is composed of gangsters and you are a policewoman trying to live a new a different life, in which that connection would be troublesome, would you seek the help of your brother to find the kidnappers?

These are two of the storylines of this mystery by a Scottish novelist. It is set in Scotland with a local charm all of its own. The plotlines evolve with patience, so that I found myself imagining all sorts of potential paths that Denise Mina might take. There were many hints along the way, including the detective’s relationship with the male dominated police force. A boring marriage and an interesting partner provide smoke throughout the story.

The abductors seek millions for the life of a hard-working immigrant shopkeeper, determined to improve the lot of his family with education. One son marries into another gangster family, and a second son attends law school but has other ambitions other than practicing law.

The abducted father has a history of his own. In escaping from their home country, his mother offers herself to assure safe passage for her son. He sat by letting her go, then haunted for life by the disgust that he felt for her. In the story, his sons stand still as he is abducted.

The shooter and the victim add a clever twist in the mosaic of this well written and interesting story.

All of these strands are woven together to provide an enjoyable reading experience, in which you will find yourself doing what I did – envision a variety of different stories as the real story evolves. You will also enjoy your own emotion as you react to these characters.

Still Midnight provides a fresh mystery experience, far different than the norm for the genre by American writers. The characterizations are thought-provoking, and provide ample grist for a mill of sequels.

Warms, Cym

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Winner of the Wednesday Blog Book Review Party and Blog Spotlight!

And the winner of the Amazon Gift Card ($15 value) from Wednesday's Review Party is...

(**Drums Rolling in the Background**)

Congratulations to Sniffly Kitty's Mostly Books!




Be sure to check out Sniffly Kitty's Mostly Books and leave a comment!


Send me your email address for the Amazon eGC.

Warms-
CYM

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Blessings

*photo taken with my iPhone

We are lucky enough to live in Dallas, Cedar Creek Lake and Rosemary Beach, Florida. This weekend we will relax with friends, family and I will spend most of my time reviewing publisher edits of The Dust Scenario. I am making progress as there are materially fewer edits. I am learning - edit, edit , edit every purposeless word. Say a prayer for the Japanese and Libyans and your own blessings.

Warms, CYM

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Book Links You're Gonna Love!

1.  This bag makes me crack-up every time I see it. I even break out in song...

source

2.  Can someone give me a high-five for $3.99 Ikea Spice Racks turned forward facing bookshelves?

source 

3. The simplest, easiest, cutest bookmarks ev'a!

source

4. Painted book store stairs.

source

Enjoy!

~Beachbrights~

guest blogger

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Book Review Party Wednesday - Starts NOW!

<a href="http://cymlowell.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="CymLowell" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2442/3960797566_f11cfb2f41_o.jpg" /></a>

Welcome to Book Review Party Wednesday.

It is real simple. Link up any (old or new, any genre) book review that you have written to the below MckLinky.

A couple of things to remember while you're linking.

1. Add a permalink to your specific post, not the main page of your blog (only one review per blog).
2. Add my Book Review Wednesday Badge or a link-back to the party at the end of your review post.
3. List the name of your blog, Title of Book or Genre. Be sure to use spaces and limit characters to 50. For example: The Lost Symbol, thriller

4. Become a follower of my blog, pretty please (not mandatory).
5. Visit the other linked up reviews and leave comments....it's a party, have fun!
6. I will announce the winner in a weekend post. The winner is chosen from the linked up reviewers using Random Number Generator. All included.

I am so excited to be reading all the reviews! This is always so much fun and gives me the opportunity to add new books to my list (& now check out book covers).

-CYM

Read More

Beyond Viagra

Beyond Viagra
by Gerald Melchiode, M.D. and Bill Sloan
Owl Books/Henry Holt 1999

Have the shadows of sexual dysfunction crossed your life? The honest response for all of us, in one way or another, is likely in the affirmative, whether we are willing to acknowledge it or not.

If you have experienced a period of such darkness, did you find a way to address it in a meaningful manner? Are you ready to do so now?

In this wonderfully readable account of the role of Viagra, written at the beginning of its travels into the mainstream of life in 1999, a practicing psychiatrist specializing in human sexuality explores the treatment of sexual dysfunction in both males and females. While the immediate subject of Dr. Melchiode is the appropriate use of Viagra, his fascinating explanation touches on all aspects of sexuality. Through case studies, he explores the means of finding solution to the full range of dysfunction, including the treatment of couples together and apart.

Like money and power, sex touches us all throughout our lives. The good doctor is able to address the issues that come across its transom with sensitivity and understanding. While I hope never to be on his couch, the patient therapist is evident in his explanation of the treatment of the dysfunctions all around us.

The last chapters address the potential benefits of Viagra in women or in men and women treated together. I’ll bet he has a lot to fill-in over the intervening years. I wonder how Dr. Melchiode would write the sequel today. What new chapters would explain the horizon of treatment today?

Warms, Cym

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Japan

Prayers for Japan

I have spent much of my professional life working in and around Japan. Japanese culture and people are patient and observant of the needs of the country, whether rebuilding after war or a natural disaster as hit this week in Northern Japan. I had planned to leave today for Tokyo for a week, as I do every 8 weeks or so. My colleague advised that electricity is sporadic, food shelves are bare, and gasoline tanks (natural gas in Japan) are empty. He and my other colleagues report that they are safe and ready to sacrifice for recovery. My prayers are with the Japanese people and I hope yours are as well. If you would like to contribute to the humanitarian needs, a Red Cross link is below.

 Warms, CYM

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Winner of the Wednesday Blog Book Review Party and Blog Spotlight!

And the winner of the Amazon Gift Card ($15 value) from Wednesday's Review Party is...

(**Drums Rolling in the Background**)

Congratulations to A Bluestocking's Place!



Be sure to check out A Bluestocking's Place and leave a comment!


Send me your email address for the Amazon eGC.

Warms-
CYM

Read More

Book Review Party Wednesday - Starts NOW!

<a href="http://cymlowell.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="CymLowell" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2442/3960797566_f11cfb2f41_o.jpg" /></a>

Welcome to Book Review Party Wednesday.

It is real simple. Link up any (old or new, any genre) book review that you have written to the below MckLinky.

A couple of things to remember while you're linking.

1. Add a permalink to your specific post, not the main page of your blog (only one review per blog).
2. Add my Book Review Wednesday Badge or a link-back to the party at the end of your review post.
3. List the name of your blog, Title of Book or Genre. Be sure to use spaces and limit characters to 50. For example: The Lost Symbol, thriller

4. Become a follower of my blog, pretty please (not mandatory).
5. Visit the other linked up reviews and leave comments....it's a party, have fun!
6. I will announce the winner in a weekend post. The winner is chosen from the linked up reviewers using Random Number Generator. All included.

I am so excited to be reading all the reviews! This is always so much fun and gives me the opportunity to add new books to my list (& now check out book covers).

-CYM

Read More

Winner of the Wednesday Blog Book Review Party and Blog Spotlight!

And the winner of the Amazon Gift Card ($15 value) from Wednesday's Review Party is...

(**Drums Rolling in the Background**)

Congratulations to Wag The Fox!



Be sure to check out Wag The Fox and leave a comment!


Check your inbox for your Amazon eGC.

Warms-
CYM

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Detroit Public Schools Book Depository

I came across these pictures and was totally moved by what they are saying.  

They speak volumes of sadness and neglect.  

What a waste.  

What a pity. 

The photos are taken by J. Griffioen of Sweet Juniper. You can read the haunting story here and here.

If you can sum up your response to these pictures in one word, leave it for me in the comments.

~Beachbrights~
guest blogger

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Book Review Party Wednesday - Starts NOW!

<a href="http://cymlowell.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="CymLowell" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2442/3960797566_f11cfb2f41_o.jpg" /></a>

Welcome to Book Review Party Wednesday.

It is real simple. Link up any (old or new, any genre) book review that you have written to the below MckLinky.

A couple of things to remember while you're linking.

1. Add a permalink to your specific post, not the main page of your blog (only one review per blog).
2. Add my Book Review Wednesday Badge or a link-back to the party at the end of your review post.
3. List the name of your blog, Title of Book or Genre. Be sure to use spaces and limit characters to 50. For example: The Lost Symbol, thriller

4. Become a follower of my blog, pretty please (not mandatory).
5. Visit the other linked up reviews and leave comments....it's a party, have fun!
6. I will announce the winner in a weekend post. The winner is chosen from the linked up reviewers using Random Number Generator. All included.

I am so excited to be reading all the reviews! This is always so much fun and gives me the opportunity to add new books to my list (& now check out book covers).

-CYM

Read More