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Kareni

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Everything posted by Kareni

  1. Very nifty!! Regards, Kareni
  2. I do. Echoing the thank you to @Susan Wise Bauer for providing these boards. Regards, Kareni
  3. I was! That page brought back memories; I see lots of familiar names some of whom are also still here. I've been visiting since the late nineties and remember all the Y2K hubbub. Regards, Kareni
  4. Five today! Regards, Kareni
  5. Four today! Regards, Kareni
  6. Congratulations! Enjoy your new circumstances, @alysee. Regards, Kareni
  7. Four today! Regards, Kareni
  8. Next week my local book group will be meeting to discuss Commonwealth: A Novel by Ann Patchett. I found this book, about members of two families over some fifty years, to be a quick read. The time jumps surprised me though, and I could have benefited from a list of characters as many are introduced in the first chapter. This is not a happy book and contains infidelity, divorces, death of a child, cancer, and more. "One Sunday afternoon in Southern California, Bert Cousins shows up at Franny Keating’s christening party uninvited. Before evening falls, he has kissed Franny’s mother, Beverly—thus setting in motion the dissolution of their marriages and the joining of two families. Spanning five decades, Commonwealth explores how this chance encounter reverberates through the lives of the four parents and six children involved. Spending summers together in Virginia, the Keating and Cousins children forge a lasting bond that is based on a shared disillusionment with their parents and the strange and genuine affection that grows up between them. When, in her twenties, Franny begins an affair with the legendary author Leon Posen and tells him about her family, the story of her siblings is no longer hers to control. Their childhood becomes the basis for his wildly successful book, ultimately forcing them to come to terms with their losses, their guilt, and the deeply loyal connection they feel for one another. Told with equal measures of humor and heartbreak, Commonwealth is a meditation on inspiration, interpretation, and the ownership of stories. It is a brilliant and tender tale of the far-reaching ties of love and responsibility that bind us together." Regards, Kareni
  9. Four today! Regards, Kareni
  10. Science fiction fans ~ March 15 and 16 only. Load up your eReader for FREE, no strings attached, with mind-blowing sci-fi. Hurry, this sale lasts two days only. https://www.cgockelwrites.com/sci-fi-book-blast/ Regards, Kareni
  11. I just finished All The Colors of Life by Lisa Aisato which has lovely art by the author who is a professional artist/illustrator and a nice storyline to accompany it. "Enter the breathtaking world of internationally acclaimed artist Lisa Aisato with this heartwarming book featuring her most beloved illustrations. Celebrated artist Lisa Aisato distills the many stages of life, in all their rainbow hues, into a lushly illustrated book that will inspire and comfort readers at all moments of their journeys. More than one hundred beautiful images, stunning in their diversity, each illustration an exuberant story unto itself. Colorful and heartfelt, All the Colors of Life explores the universal ups and downs of a life while highlighting what is most important in life….love." Regards, Kareni
  12. Three today! I see that Wordle 1000 will be tomorrow. Regards, Kareni
  13. Three today! Regards, Kareni
  14. Sending good wishes for you and your child, @sangtarah, and for your entire family. Regards, Kareni
  15. I quite enjoyed the contemporary romance Something Wild & Wonderful (Nashville Love Book 2) by Anita Kelly which features two men who meet while hiking the Pacific Coast Trail. I can imagine rereading this at some point and look forward to reading more by the author. (Adult content) "Alexei Lebedev’s journey on the Pacific Crest Trail begins with a single snake. And it is angling for the hot stranger who seemed to have appeared out of thin air. Lex is prepared for rattlesnakes, blisters, and months of solitude. What he isn’t prepared for is Ben Caravalho. But somehow—on a 2,500-mile trail—Alexei keeps running into the outgoing and charismatic hiker with golden-brown eyes, again and again. It might be coincidence. Then again, maybe there’s a reason the trail keeps bringing them together . . . Ben has made his fair share of bad decisions, and almost all of them involved beautiful men. And yet there’s something about the gorgeous and quietly nerdy Alexei that Ben can’t just walk away from. Surely a bad decision can’t be this cute and smart. And there are worse things than falling in love during the biggest adventure of your life. But when their plans for the future are turned upside down, Ben and Alexei begin to wonder if it’s possible to hold on to something this wild and wonderful." ** I also enjoyed the historical romance novella The Mistletoe Kiss by Ruby Moone which featured a bookseller and his assistant after the Napoleonic war. (Adult content) "Widowed bookseller Lawrence Fenton has spent a lonely lifetime hiding who he is. He has convinced himself his feelings for his far too young, gorgeous, but troubled assistant Christy Shaw are nothing more than pride in his protégé and concern for his plight. Christy’s life involves walking fine lines: one between his mother and his abusive stepfather, one where he must keep his needs hidden, and hardest of all, one where he must keep his feelings for his serious employer to himself. Lame since birth, Lawrence cannot imagine anyone wanting him, least of all Christy. But when Christy’s life threatens to spiral out of control, Lawrence steps in. Then Christy’s emotions spill over into a kiss under the mistletoe at Christmas. Will Lawrence be able to face the long-buried truth about himself and keep Christy by his side?" Regards, Kareni
  16. I have another bookmark to share. This was a thank you gift for a friend from the board. Front ~ Back ~ Regards, Kareni
  17. Five for me today! Regards, Kareni
  18. Six for me today! Regards, Kareni
  19. Five for me today. Regards, Kareni
  20. In addition to her diploma and a newspaper article, might she have a yearbook that could give additional information/corroboration about her attendance? (A long shot) If she is not a recent graduate, perhaps a previous employer kept a file of her high school records. Regards, Kareni
  21. I just finished a lovely picture book, Big by Vashti Harrison. This is about a young girl who, as she grows, is deemed to be too big. She is ridiculed, and her feelings are hurt. She comes to realize that her size is right for her and returns to their speakers the unkind words that had hurt her. The book is a Caldecott Medal Winner and Coretta Scott King Honor Title. "The first picture book written and illustrated by award-winning creator Vashti Harrison traces a child’s journey to self-love and shows the power of words to both hurt and heal. With spare text and exquisite illustrations, this emotional exploration of being big in a world that prizes small is a tender portrayal of how you can stand out and feel invisible at the same time." Regards, Kareni
  22. Five here today! Regards, Kareni
  23. At our wedding, we gave Jordan almonds wrapped in tulle and tied with a ribbon. My sister gave an engraved bar glass at one of her children's wedding showers. Regards, Kareni
  24. I've read three more books. A favorite author recommended A Space Girl from Earth (The Kyroibi Trilogy Book 1) by Christina McMullen. I found it a pleasant science fiction novel but am not compelled to read on in the series. This book is currently free for US Kindle readers. "Yesterday, her biggest worry was failing an exam. Today, it's saving the galaxy. From her six foot four inch height to the uniform white dots that peppered her skin in perfect geometric patterns, Ellie Whitmore was certainly unusual, but an alien from the other side of the galaxy? Of course not. That's just what the tabloids said to sell papers. Or so she thought. Turns out not only is Ellie an alien, but an ancient and powerful relic housing the forbidden knowledge of a lost civilization is hidden deep within her genetic code. Suddenly she's on the run from a malevolent Emperor who sees her as the key to ruling the galaxy. Even her own mother can't resist the draw of ultimate power and the one person Ellie might be able to trust is an unrepentant assassin who may be responsible for her life’s upheaval. Now, she must travel to a distant planet and unlock the secrets to restoring peace and ending tyranny. But how can anyone expect her to save the galaxy when she can’t even pass organic chemistry?" ** I also read two more books by author Gigi DeGraham which I quite enjoyed. The first, Prisoner (Steele Pack Book 1), seems to be a contemporary novel until a revelation in the last chapter. The story is about a teenager found guilty of murdering a man who is raping his sister. He serves some years in a juvenile facility (where he befriends/falls in love with another inmate) before being transferred to a prison. When the story begins, he is escaping. After finishing Prisoner, I read and enjoyed the sequel Fugitive (Steele Pack Book 2). Now I need to wait for the next book to be published. "Most prisoners believe their punishment is unfair, but for Ryan Tarkett, it’s true. While serving his sentence, an attack sets off a chain of events and forces Ryan to speed up the timeline on an insane escape plan. Spurring him on are memories of his past, his one love, who he met in juvie, and the driving desire for freedom. When Ryan believes he has nothing left to lose, escape from prison becomes the only option. Ryan’s desperate journey isn’t easy as he tries to evade capture. Past regrets and confusion about his sexual orientation dog him as he deals with the loss of Thomas. When a stranger gives Ryan the chance at a new life, somewhere he might begin to feel safe, he may learn to trust again. But in his mountain hideaway, Ryan feels as if he is being watched. Something lurks in the surrounding woods. Flashes of a figure give the impression he is being followed or, worse, hunted. Alone and lonely, Ryan fears he is losing his mind. When his new shadow seems intent on sticking around, Ryan starts to suspect this is no ordinary Wolf. Prisoner is a different kind of love story, where a mystery waits to unfold." /// Regards, Kareni
  25. Three today! Regards, Kareni
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