HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I want to wish everyone a very HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Enjoy tonight, be safe, have a designated driver, and have fun!
I'll post again after the new year!
Enjoy!
Laurie

A Rebird Christmas by Fannie Flagg

Friday, December 17, 2010

A Rebird Christmas by Fannie Flagg

Wow!  What a nice retreat from the regular books I am used to reading!  Here is my review for this nice Christmas book!  The nice thing about reading books about the holidays is they are very different than our daily 'run of the mill' books we read.  The difference is they always point out the good in things all the time.  This is what I call an 'escape'. 
A Redbird Christmas, by Fannie Flagg, has her humor and a very good storyline, as usual.  Fannie Flagg has a knack for humor in her books, which I love this trait in her!

There is a little surprise in this book, and it is a little girl.  We started out with the main character who moves down to Alabama for his health to get better.  Then we are introduced to practically the whole town!  ALL nice people, and SO different than - should I say 'Chicogians'?  The busy busy, non-stop lifestyle that never ends!  Big city, lots of people, always on the go, etc.  Down south in Alabama it is a much slower and seems to be a simpler way of life, where people 'do' take time to smell the roses!  As Oswald, our main character settles into this wonderful town, (and wait till you read 'how' he gets to Alabama!),  we are introduced to a little girl named Patsy.  Poor little Patsy.  She seems to be a vegabond, but does disappear at nightime, so she must have a home?  One of the neighbors takes her in, cleans her up, and FEEDS her!  Then, unbelievable, the little girl's own mother came and asked if the couple who took her in could keep her!  They do.  Thank the Lord!  Now Patsy will have a chance at life.  She is all crippled up, and will need medical attention.  The rest of the story unfolds beautifully with Patsy making a friend named Jack.  Jack is a Cardinal.  A little'red'  bird who lives in the local store!  Yes!  A bird! 
You'll have to read the rest, and the parts I left out, to enjoy this book fully.  It is a very nice escape from our normal reading, and a joy to read for the  holiday season!
Enjoy!
Laurie

I am reading: "I am Not a Serial Killer", by Dan Wells

Wow!!!!  Talk about spooky and creepy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Oh MY!!!!  DON'T let ANYTHING go BUMP in the night!!!!  It is quite gruesome, getting into the head of a serial killer!  His parent's run a mortuary, where his sister works.  He likes the feel of dead, old skin . . . UGH!!!!!!!!!!!  He is under the care of a Therapist, who gets spooked talking to him.  I don't know if I will be able to finish this book?????  I will, but, I WILL have different thoughts about people I DON'T KNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Especially the strange ones!  So . . .  I thought I would read something completely different than Christmas!!! 
This year Christmas is totally different for me.  My Mom passed away on 9-27, and it has been HARD getting over that.  My Dad has specifically requested to spend EVERY holiday 'by himself'.  We have honored that.  Today, the whole family is getting together, but we can't go because of my teenagers.  My daughter is in a fight with MY 1st cousin, who is 24 years YOUNGER than me.  They are BOTH teenagers!  He has a girlfriend and they are friends on Facebook.  Who the HECK invented Facebook?  Teenagers think they can RULE THE WORLD with that thing!  I have had MORE problems with that site, my kids, my family, people just SPEWING their moths off!  It is nothing but a way to tell people off  "without confronting their faces!"  I was NEVER brought up that way.  If there was an issue "I" had with someone, I was taught to 'go' to them and work it out.  Now people even break up relationships ONLINE!!!  What cowards!!!!  It truly IS unbelievable!!!!!  I made them both my daughter and my cousin "REMOVE" each other.  You should have heard them BOTH throwing a FIT over 'who' is removing 'who' first!!!!  It was HILARIOUS!!!!!!  I'll leave it up to your imagination as to how that went, because honestly, I 'don't' want to relive it!!!  But now, they are NOT friends!  Thank you, Lord! 
So, because of Facebook, we are NOT spending Christmas with my family today.  I tried to get every little kink worked out beforehand, but with my daughter - it didn't matter.  What she thinks is right, is written in the Bible!!!  Ha, ha, ha!!!!!  Trying to 'change' her thinking does NOT happen!  Same for the cousin!  OH MY!  So, getting the 3 of them, my daughter, my cousin, and his 'girlfriend', together - NO WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  OUT of the question!!!!   My family won't like it, but what am I supposed to do?  I am stuck in the middle when "I" KNOW what my daughter has planned for today with them, or, his girlfriend.  All the adults in my family say it is all talk.  Yeah, right!  Suspension from school from fighting doesn't explain anything?  So, I will mail my gifts out tomorrow - probably UPS because they are books!  Would they be anything different??  Of course not!!
Okay - over that!
On to READING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What are YOU reading?  PLEASE COMMENT!!!!!!!  What is the title, the author, the premise of the story, etc???  Can't wait to hear about them!
To see the books I have in my library, you can go to:
www.librarything.com/home/lauriehere
"That" is an awesome site! 
I may have some new books I got myself for Xmas not yet listed!  My husband and I don't exchange presents because of money reasons, but I take care of myself with just a few books.  Why do I feel guilty over that?  Is it because I don't really tell him?  Although he sees the packages come in!  He picks up the mail because I don't know if my eletric wheelchair will make it that far!  Books NEVER come UPS, do they?  If they did, he probably wouldn't even know they came!!!  I guess Amazon sends them in a box, but I am trying to support a website called paperbackswap.com.  When you buy from them, it supports their site because they get a portion from Amazon for selling the books.  It is really cool!!  You get discounted books from them!  CHEAPER than Amazon!!!  You really ought to check out that website.  You can swap books with other people for only the cost of postage!  New books, older books, paperback, hardcover, whatever you want!  If you don't want books that have a moldy smell, there are conditions you can put on the books as to what you will and won't accept.  I LOVE THAT SITE!!! 
Anyway, back to Christmas again. We have a friends who are married, and they buy for each other AFTER they buy for everyone else.  HOW do they have money left over?  They could't possibly have enough money left over!  Or, they must skimp on everyone else?  I can't figure that one out!  I will have to ask my friend what they bought for each other!  She was surprised my husband and I don't exchange.  We barely make it - they don't make it, so I don't know HOW they can even buy presents for anyone?????? 
Well, that is what is on my mind today, and what I am reading!
What are you reding, HONESTLY, PLEASE COMMENT!!!!  I am really interested!!!!!!
Laurie

NEW BLOG!!!! PLEASE GO TO IT!!!!!

http://www.lauriehere.blogspot.com/

and, you ARE here!!!

Who is reading what book now?

Please share with us what book you are reading!
Tell us all about it!
Laurie

The Red Gloves Collection by Karen Kingsbury

Hi Everyone!
Has anyone ever read "The Red Gloves Collection" by Karen Kingsbury?  I consider it a classic Christmas read!  It is a really thick book!  It contains 4 novellas in one.  They are heart toucing.  I don't consider them to be a 'typical' Karen Kingsbury book.  They are not that long, and were originally published as '4' separate books, all under "The Red Gloves Collection".  Now they are all collected into one big volume called "The Red Gloves Collection".  The different stories are:  Gideon's Gift, Maggies Miracle, Sarah's Song, Hannah's Hope.  They are heartwarming.  Not the usual Karen Kingsbury, like I said.  I kind of like these stories better than her novels she writes now.  Don't get me wrong, I like Karen Kingsbury, but her books are starting to sound somewhat the same, just separate issues people are dealing with.  Does anyone else feel this way?  I think she has gotten into a comfortable nitch, and is staying there.  I feel as if she needs to change her format around and make the books a little more realistic.  That's what I am getting at.  Realistic.  Life is not  a pair of 'rose colored glasses', and that is what I am starting to feel as I am reading her books.  For example, I would hate for a parent with a child suffering with Auspbergers to have the hope that an old playmate could bring their child OUT of the form of Autism they have just because she wrote a book where that happened.  I would remind readers that this is a 'book', a 'story'.  Not generally likely to happen.  But, then again, I could be wrong.  I just wouldn't want to give false hope.  There is SO much they don't know about Autism.  SO many people blame it on childhood immunizations.  Personally, I don't know?  My mother-in-law has a son, or should I say my brother-in-law has Autism, and they are mostly all unreachable, except for a few words.  It is a TOUGH disease to deal with, watching your child wasted away.  It is VERY sad.  I see it in my mother-in-laws eyes all the time.  She wonders and worries what she did wrong.  Right now he is about 38.   Today, there are SO many MORE childen with this disease, it is a shame. 
Any comments???
Laurie

What am I reading now? A Christmas Story!

Hi Everyone!
Now I am reading a Christmas story!
It is called "A Redbird Christmas" by Fannie Flagg.
Everyone knows how funny Fannie Flagg is!  She wrote Fried Green Tomato's.  That is my FAVORITE movie!!!  I could watch it over and over again!  When I am done - I will give a review of this book!   I'll let you know!
Laurie

My Official Review of "Unlocked" by Karen Kingsbury

Hi Everyone!
I finished Unlocked, by Karen Kingsbury, and I enjoyed it.  I don't know how true to real life it is?  A boy with a type of Autism, high-functioning Autism called Auspbergers, comes around when he meets a childhood friend he used to play with.  Here is my 'official' review!

“Unlocked”, by Karen Kingsbury

Book Review:

Zondervan sent me a new, free book by Karen Kingsbury, called ‘Unlocked’, in exchange for me to write a review about her newest ‘life-changing fiction’ book she has written.  This book is a touching story about a young boy who was struck with Asperberger’s Syndrome, (a form of Autism,) at the young age of three.  As a teenager attending regular High School, he begins being drawn out of his ‘locked’ shell by a long, lost, young playmate whom he used to play with as a young boy.  Unknowingly, they meet back up together in High School through music.  She was touched with the magic of the blessings of the Lord, our God, to draw out this young man afflicted with Aspergers... To miss this book is to miss the magic our Lord has working in us in ways we never know until they happen.

Laurie Carlson

If you get a chance to read it, over the Thanksgiving weekend here, I think I saw it on Amazon for $6.99!  Give your review on the site here!  I'd love to hear what you think!!

Laurie

Unlocked, by Karen Kingsbury - The Official Review

“Unlocked”, by Karen Kingsbury

Book Review:

Zondervan sent me a new, free book by Karen Kingsbury, called ‘Unlocked’, in exchange for me to write a review about her newest ‘life-changing fiction’ book she has written.  This book is a touching story about a young boy who was struck with Asperberger’s Syndrome, (a form of Autism,) at the young age of three.  As a teenager attending regular High School, he begins being drawn out of his ‘locked’ shell by a long, lost, young playmate whom he used to play with as a young boy.  Unknowingly, they meet back up together in High School through music.  She was touched with the magic of the blessings of the Lord, our God, to draw out this young man afflicted with Aspergers... To miss this book is to miss the magic our Lord has working in us in ways we never know until they happen.

Laurie Carlson

I got an ARC from Zondervan!!!!

Hi Everyone!
I recieved an ARC - Advanced Reader Copy from Zondervan in the mail about 1 week ago!  I have been busy posting reviews and yes, I have started this new book!
It is:  UNLOCKED by Karen Kingsbury!!!
I should have this book finished and the review done within the next few days and I will make SURE I post it right away!
This book is REALLY good!  It is about a boy who is Autistic.   He is in High School and sees a girl from his childhood that seems to draw him out of his Autism!  We'll see where else the story goes!  I am half way through this book!  I expect to finish it by tomorrow-Friday!  I will write the review and post it asap!  This looks like a book that everyone should read as well.  He is a 'high functioning' Autistic boy who attends High School!  His mother and father both believe and feel that childhood immunizations 'could' have caused his Autism, although they even admit there really is no way of knowing.  Their son had been sick for quite some time, then went to the doctor's for his immunizations.  He got triple the doses to catch-up on them.  After the immunizations, he seemed to go inside of himself. 
We'll see how the rest of the story plays out!
Enjoy your day!
Laurie Carlson

The Outsider by Ann H Gabhart/NEW BOOK REVIEW!

NEW BOOK REVIEW!
The Outsider by Ann H Gabhart

The Outsider by Ann H. Gabhart

This book is about the Shakers.  It is about a young woman by the name of Gabrielle, is the main character, in the prime of her life at the young age of 20.  She had no choice but to join the Shakers because her mother decided to join with her other daughter, Becca, age 7, after her husband who was missing was pronounced dead.

I also wanted to learn more about the Shakers since my knowledge of their religion was almost none.  The most interesting thing I learned was the Kitchen is called the “Bitery”!

The Shakers families all live apart from each other, even if they are married.  There is a building for adult women, men, girls, and boys.  Even if they are married, they live apart in separate buildings, and the parents are away from each other and their children.

A Doctor who is an Outsider is needed by the community.  Gabrielle, only supposed to be looking down at Outsider’s, made eye contact with the young doctor.  This starts to put doubts in her mind as to whether or not she wants to remain a Shaker or not.  She goes through quite an ordeal.

Ann H. Gabhart’s style of writing is so smooth, consistent, and easy to read, you become so immersed in her stories.  This is one novel that is sure to stay with you.

Laurie Carlson

What are you reading now?

I am reading "The Bone Garden" by Tess Garritsen.  This book is AWESOME!!  I can't put it down!!!
Has anyone read this book yet?
DON'T TELL ME THE ENDING OR ANYTHING GOOD I WILL WANT TO READ FOR MYSELF!