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Top Ten Tuesday -Summer Reads

Today’s Topic: Books to Read By the Pool/At the Beach (This can also serve as your summer TBR)

Hosted by: That Artsy Reader Girl

Well, I was going to choose books to be read by the pool or beach. But there are two problems with this.

1.) I’m not a seasonal reader. I choose books like I choose clothes; by whatever catches my fancy that day.

2.) I don’t spend ANY time at the pool or beach. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I was at either of these places.

So instead, this week’s list will be my Summer TBR list. There are some new releases, that I’m really looking forward to tackling. Continue reading “Top Ten Tuesday -Summer Reads”

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Book Review -In the Eye of the Storm

SUMMARY

In the Eye of the Storm is the second book in a series written by German author Robert Thier. It picks up where book one left off, with the powerfully wealthy, arrogant Rikkard Ambrose still trying to shed himself of one very stubborn female employee. But Lilly Linton refuses to be fired or to quit.

Mr. Ambrose and Lilly are still locked in a battle of control, while also fighting their strange emotional reactions to each other.  Mr. Ambrose is also still at war with his long time business nemesis. This precipitates a trip to Egypt for himself and Lilly. In an effort to appear undercover in a guise his nemesis will never suspect, Lilly and Mr. Ambrose pretend to be a honeymooning couple. But Lilly has trouble playing the part of a loving wife to her tyrant boss. Not to mention, their pursuit of information and revenge puts them both in more peril than ever. Continue reading “Book Review -In the Eye of the Storm”

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Silent Film Review -Sunrise (1927)

SUMMARY

During a summer holiday, a modern young woman from the city visits the countryside. While there, she strikes up an affair with a once happily married farmer. It’s a destructive affair, leading the farmer almost to the edge of personal and financial ruin. Not to mention the breaking of his wife’s heart.

As the end of summer nears, the home-wrecking mistress begs the farmer to follow her back to the city. When he mentions his wife, she darkly suggests it would be great if she could “get drowned.” Under her spell, the farmer agrees to take his wife out on the lake. Suspecting nothing, his wife’s happy to have a day out to herself with her husband. Until she sees the look in his eye. But, when it comes time to follow through, the husband’s tormented by the memories of his wife’s goodness and their happiness together.

Watching Sunrise actually brought to mind Proverbs’ warnings to a young man about the dangers of an evil woman. Although I’m sure Sunrise had different inspiration, in some ways, I felt like I was watching those biblical admonishments come to life.

To read my full review, please follow me over to The Silver Petticoat.

 

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Classic Film Review -Pillow Talk (1959)

Pillow Talk introduced to the world for the first time, the popular, beloved pairing of Doris Day and Rock Hudson. It also re-invigorated the genre of romantic comedy.

SUMMARY

Jan Morrow is an interior decorator who is living the dream in New York City, except for one major annoyance. She is stuck sharing a phone line with the egotistical, womanizing bachelor Brad Allen, a man Jan has never met. Brad is a Broadway song writer who works from home. He ties up their shared phone line at all hours with his multiple affairs. All of Jan’s efforts to regulate the use of the phone meet Brad’s mocking refusal.

One evening, purely by accident, Brad catches a glimpse of Jan while they are both out on separate dates. He is shocked to find that the woman he has been arguing with is actually not the plain prude he assumed she was. Knowing that Jan would never agree to date him, Brad concocts a false identity as a tourist from Texas and rescues her from her drunken date.

Jan is thrilled to finally meet a handsome man she feels she can trust and who treats her respectfully. As Brad and Jan spend time together, her attachment to “Rex Stetson” grows.  While Brad is dating Jan using his alter ego, he also continues to pester Jan as himself over their shared phone line.

At the same time Jan continues to received marriage proposals from her wealthy client Jonathan Forbes. Jonathan is head over heels for Jan. When Jonathan discovers that his close friend Brad Allen is plying his tricks on the unsuspecting Jan, he decides to take action.

To read the full review, please follow me over to The Silver Petticoat Review.

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Reel Infatuation Blogathon -Kathleen Kelly of You’ve Got Mail

For the second year in a row, I am happy to be participating in The Reel Infatuation Blogathon. Hosted by Silver Screenings and Font and Frock, this blogathon is all about film, television or book character crushes.

YOU’VE GOT MAIL

In You’ve Got Mail Kathleen is the owner of New York City children’s bookstore, The Shop Around the Corner. Kathleen is the second generation owner of the store inherited from her mother. The Shop Around the Corner is not just a business to Kathleen, but also home to all of her happy childhood memories with her mother. It is also a beloved neighborhood institution, where the customers and employees are treated like family. Kathleen’s life revolves around her shop. Her secret correspondence with online pen pal NY152 provides her an outlet where she can share her dreams and fears not just about the shop, but also her life.

When “the big, bad, Fox Books” chain arrives in the West Side, it threatens the livelihood Kathleen’s store. On the advice of her anonymous pen pal NY152, she decides to fight a public relations battle with Joe Fox of Fox Books, for the survival of her business. Continue reading “Reel Infatuation Blogathon -Kathleen Kelly of You’ve Got Mail”

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Top Ten Tuesday -My Favorite Books of the First Half of 2018

Today’s Topic: Books I Decided to DNF (did not finish) too Quickly (are you questioning your DNF choices on any books? If you have a policy to not DNF, put a spin on the topic to make it fit you.)

Hosted By: That Artsy Reader Girl

As you can see, I decided to go with my own topic for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday. I almost never DNF a book. So, instead I decided to share my favorite reads so far this year. So far, my tally of books read for the year sits just under forty. I’m happy to say that I have enjoyed the majority of them. That makes it hard to narrow down my favorites. However, as they say, it’s a tough job, but someone has to do it.

Some of these are single titles, many by authors I’ve never read before. Then there are also titles in series which I’m already obsessed with. Continue reading “Top Ten Tuesday -My Favorite Books of the First Half of 2018”

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Book Review -If Spring Comes

SUMMARY

Motivated by a traumatic past, Candice Stevens has survived to become a respected Medical Examiner  in St. Louis. Though successful in her career, she is much less so in her social life. Candice likes to keep to herself. She is also consistent in rejecting the advances of FBI agent Dorian “Sal” Salivas. But when Candice finds a rare piece of evidence which might provide a clue in the long term hunt for a serial killer, she is forced to turn to the man she just can’t take seriously.

Sal has been injured in the line of duty and sidelined by his boss at the FBI. Though unfit for active duty, he is given an undercover assignment to determine if there is a mole in the department who might be in league with the serial killer known as Vivaldi. He of course is thrilled that he must work closely with Candice, a woman Sal has been fascinated with since their first meeting.  It will give Sal the time to prove that he is serious in his pursuit of her while also proving that they just may have more in common than they think. But hunting down a serial killer is dangerous work and not exactly the environment for a romance. When Candice is threatened, Sal realizes he could lose her before he has even won her. Continue reading “Book Review -If Spring Comes”

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Top Ten Tuesday -Historical Time Periods I Want to Visit

Today’s Topic: Bookish Worlds I’d Want to/Never Want to Live In

Hosted by: That Artsy Reader Girl

I’m being a  little creative in interpreting this week’s prompt. When I started thinking about bookish places I would like to live, I realized it wasn’t so much places that I was interested as time periods. I’ve always been fascinated by history. And even though time machines have not yet been invented, stories allow me the experience of visiting other times from the comfort of my own home. Now, as much as I find these other time periods fascinating, I appreciate all of the modern conveniences and comforts. So, I think a visit would be as much as I could handle.

Today I’m sharing my favorite books featuring historical periods I would love to visit. Continue reading “Top Ten Tuesday -Historical Time Periods I Want to Visit”

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Top Ten Tuesday -Best Character Names

Today’s Topic: Best Character Names (make this as narrow/broad as you’d like)

Hosted by: That Artsy Reader Girl

This just may be my favorite Top Ten Tuesday topic ever!

For as long as I can remember I have been in love with and fascinated by names. As a child one of my most cherished books, which I read over and over, was a baby name book. I loved keeping lists of my favorites and most hated names as well as reading about their origins and meanings.  I once carried on a two hour phone conversation discussing names, liked and disliked. And at one point I wanted to re-name myself Lavender (don’t ask!)

This week’s topic choice however made me realize that I haven’t kept a list of my favorite book character names. I’m actually kind of mad at myself about it. Thankfully, this topic prompted me to dig back into some of my favorite stories to search out some great names. And also, to start keeping a list. Continue reading “Top Ten Tuesday -Best Character Names”