The Book Challenge for 2009

From Kristin's blog:

Jen J for *Navigating the Waters of Infertility and Beyond posted about setting a concrete goal to read a specific number of books this year. It can be any type of book. She said, "I'm going to try to mix mine up between easy reads and thought-provoking books. Also a good mix of non-fiction and fiction as well. It will be interesting to see if I can do it." The whole goal is to make sure you keep reading. And, rereading books is definitely allowed.

I read a number of books throughout the year and was already planning how many I read this year, so I'll join in. I think I will also set my goal at 70. We'll see how close I get. Who wants to join me? You can set the challenge at whatever total you want.

Kristin is offering a contest for anyone that wants to join. Please go here to join in. =)

Recently Read Books

Beyond the Shadows by Robin Lee Hatcher: Deborah Haskin's world is shattered when her husband, Andy, dies in the Korean War. As much as she wants to fall to pieces, she knows that he would want her to try to keep the Idaho farm that had been his life's dream. When Andy's war buddy, Gideon Clermont, shows up on her doorstep after the funeral, Deborah doesn't know what to make of him, especially when she learns that he is an alcoholic. But God uses Gideon to help Deborah work through her grief to a new place of hope and faith.

Smoke and Mirrors by Barbara Michaels: The fast-paced world of politics was both exhilarating and daunting to young Erin Hartsock - she came to Washington, D.C., to join the campaign of a charismatic congresswoman. But Erin's enthusiasm turned to dread as the campaign took a dark turn. A chilling secret threatened Erin and her colleagues, causing a series of strange fires and a seemingly accidental death, and showing Erin the shocking truth behind the political game. The next candidate for death would soon be chosen....

Return by Karen Kingsbury and Gary Smalley: A Shattered Relationship - Luke, golden boy and the Baxter family's only son, has walked away from everything that mattered most to him: his faith, his family, and Reagan, his only love. Devastated by the events of September 11, 2001, Luke decides that life is random, faith a fraud, and God a fantasy.

A Secret - A baby is about to be born, but with Reagan a thousand miles away in New York City, Luke has no idea he's the father. Now, though, someone in his family learns the truth. The problem? She has a secret of her own, one that will change the Baxters' lives forever.

A Revelation - What will it take for Luke to return to the family who loves and aches for him? And what extremes will a certain young firefighter take to help bring the Baxters together again, and in the process, find his place in the family?

A story of tenacious love and longing for a lost son.

The Forgiving Hour by Robin Lee Hatcher: After years of bitterness and anger over her ex-husband’s betrayal, Claire Conway’s life finally seems to be on track. She has raised a fine son, Dakota. Her work is going well, and for the first time in years she finds herself attracted to a man once again! Then Dakota brings home his fiancée, Sara Jennings, and everything falls apart. For Sara turns out to be the same woman Claire’s husband had an affair with twelve years before. Forgiving Sara seems impossible. Yet only in that hour of forgiveness can the three of them be truly set free.

Book info from BarnesandNoble.com

Family Time

Yesterday was a lovely family day. It was really nice having my parents and my sister & her DH over for the day. We all ate way too much and we even forgot to put a couple of things out on the table. Oops! That just meant we got to snack on them later. LOL We cooked two turkey's yesterday...one in a roasting oven which cooked extremely fast. The turkey was done 1 1/2 hrs before we were expecting it to be. We didn't take into account that the standalone oven would cook faster than a regular oven. Oh well, we just kept it warming until everything else was done. We also deep fried a turkey. Yummy! My BIL introduced us to deep frying as that's how he's always had his turkeys done so now we have to do one that way too. We also deep fried some shrimp after the turkey was cooked. I can't imagine anything better than deep fried shrimp. The rest of the meal consisted of mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, green beans, corn, rolls, gravy and cranberry sauce. The items we forgot were meatballs and watergate salad. And for dessert we had pumpkin pie, apple pie and coconut custard pie. I was soooo full last night but it was all delicious. And we've got tons of left overs so we'll be eating well today. :) I just wish I had remembered to take a picture of the everyone at the table.


Last night as I was trying to get Kearsyn to sleep, I sat down in the rocking chair and happened to look on the floor and saw what the pictures shows...apparantley Bekah has been hoarding Christmas ornaments. LOL




Today should be an easy day. Traditionally it's our day for Christmas decorating but since we did it early this year, that doesn't need to be done...although our outside lights do need a little repair work done to them after the huge wind storm we had. And since we just did a major cleaning job of the house, that also doesn't need to be done. Maybe I'll try to get some stitching time in between loads of laundry but I haven't been much in the mood for stitching lately. Most likely I will just sit back and read a book. =)

Recently Read Books

Key of Light by Nora Roberts: First book in the Key Trilogy - The life of gallery manager Malory Price is stalled when she is invited to a reception at a mansion near her small Pennsylvania town. Upon her arrival, she discovers that she is one of only three guests-all of whom are feisty young women with life challenges just like her own. Their mysterious hosts explain that centuries earlier, they allowed the souls of the three demigoddesses under their care to be stolen by a sorcerer. Legend says the demigoddesses cannot be freed until three mortal women find the keys to the glass box in which they are housed. Should they agree, Malory, Dana Steele and Zoe McCourt will each receive $25,000 to search for the keys, plus a million dollars if they succeed. They nervously accept, and Malory is the first to tackle her task, with the help of Dana's charming but commitment-phobic brother Flynn.

Key of Knowledge by Nora Roberts: This second book in the Key Trilogy continues the story of three contemporary female friends chosen to free the souls of ancient demigoddesses called the Daughters of Glass. This time, the heroine is Dana Steele, a librarian who is sure that the key she's seeking lies in a book. As she begins her search, Dana renovates Indulgence, the gallery-cum-salon-cum-bookstore she is opening with her friends Malory Price and Zoe McCourt. She also spends sometimes passionate, sometimes vexing time with Jordan Hawke, the thriller writer who broke her heart years earlier when he abandoned her and their small Pennsylvania town of Pleasant Valley to seek fame in New York. Dana slowly realizes that the love they once felt for each other has not died-and that Jordan's writing is inextricably entwined with her supernatural quest. In the end, Jordan must join with Dana to fight the spells of the sorcerer Kane and fulfill the terms of her quest. Despite lots of special effects, Kane isn't powerful enough to create much suspense, and Dana is a surprisingly inefficient detective for one so bright.

Key of Valor by Nora Roberts: This book concludes the Key Trilogy, in which mortal women quest to unlock the spellbound souls of ancient demigoddesses. The third and last woman to make the attempt is hairstylist Zoe McCourt. Like her friends Malory and Dana-heroines of the previous installments (Key of Light, Key of Knowledge)-Zoe has a single month and a cryptic set of clues with which to find her key. The angry sorcerer Kane fights her efforts as friends both mortal and immortal lend their support. As she searches, Zoe is courted by Bradley Vane IV, the sexy heir to a home improvement empire. She's not sure which is more difficult: accepting that she's magically linked with Brad or trying to quell her suspicions long enough to accept his love in the here and now. When she finds the courage to do both, the souls of all three goddesses are finally released. Smart but struggling single mom Zoe is an appealing heroine whose working-class grit finds a perfect foil in Brad's patrician confidence.

Book info from BarnesandNoble.com

Recently Read Books

The Visitation by Frank Peretti: The sleepy, eastern Washington wheat town of Antioch has suddenly become a gateway for the supernatural-from sightings of angels and messianic images to a weeping crucifix. Then a self-proclaimed prophet mysteriously appears with an astounding message. The national media and the curious flock to the little town-a great boon for local business, but not for Travis Jordan. The burned-out former pastor has been trying to hide his past in Antioch. Now the whole world is headed to his backyard to find the Messiah, and in the process, every spiritual assumption he has ever held will be challenged. The startling secret behind this visitation ultimately pushes one man into a supernatural confrontation that will forever alter the lives of everyone involved.

Stitches in Time by Barbara Michaels: The quilt captured Rachel Grant's imagination. An antique bridal quilt, which appeared under mysterious circumstances in the vintage clothing shop where Rachel worked, it drew her as if it had been made for her. It was beautiful, mesmerizing ... almost eerily fascinating. She little dreamed that it might hold secrets better left undisturbed. Rachel had never been able to resist the allure of finely crafted textiles from times gone by. Her research into women's crafts led her to believe that through the ages women had woven protective magic into the fabric of all they fashioned for their rites of passage: birth, marriage, and death. It never occurred to Rachel that the same power used to protect could also be used to harm. But day by day she saw and felt the power grow - the quilt was influencing her thoughts, her actions. And this was not the benign white magic of her imagination. Much as Rachel's rational mind longed to deny such an uncanny phenomenon, the aura of evil emanating from the quilt was all too frighteningly real. The carefully crafted heirloom carried a sinister legacy into the present, something that threatened to destroy the people Rachel loved.

The Flanders Panel by Auturo Perez-Reverte: A fifteenth-century painting by a Flemish master is about to be auctioned when Julia, a young art restorer, discovers a peculiar inscription hidden in a corner: Who killed the knight? In the painting, the Duke of Flanders and his knight are locked in a game of chess, and a dark lady lurks mysteriously in the background. Julia is determined to solve the five-hundred-year-old murder, but as she begins to look for clues, several of her friends in the art world are brutally murdered in quick succession. Messages left with the bodies suggest a crucial connection between the chess game in the painting, the knight's murder, the sordid underside of the contemporary art world, and the latest deaths. Just when all of the players in the mystery seem to be pawns themselves, events race toward a shocking conclusion. A thriller like no other, The Flanders Panel presents a tantalizing puzzle for any connoisseur of mystery, chess, art, and history.

Search the Shadows by Barbara Michaels:Haskell Maloney's mother named her after an Oriental museum, and three months later died, leaving the baby girl, whose father had already been killed in Vietnam, in the care of a loving aunt. Grown up and engaged to be married, Haskell discovers she is a carrier of Tay-Sachs disease, most unlikely for the offspring of an Irish Catholic father and a Pennsylvania Dutch mother. She breaks off her engagement to begin the quest to learn her true paternity. Before becoming pregnant, her mother had been a student at the Oriental Institute in Chicago; Haskell's treasured possessions include snapshots taken there of her mother, Kevin Maloney, the man she married, and other friends. Haskell persuades one of the men in the pictures, now a professor, to take her on as unpaid summer help at the Institute, which still is in the unyielding grip of Victor Nazarian, a profoundly wealthy, ill and elderly eccentric, whose only son, also in the photos, died in the late '60s in an explosion caused by a home-made bomb. Her paternity now seriously in doubt, Haskell thinks she could be Nazarian's heir along with his daughter, who is married to another of the men in the pictures. Haskell's suppositions mount as does the danger she finds herself ina drink is poisoned and the cottage she lives in is rifled, then set afire. Finally she must also question who it is that wants her dead. A rousing chase through dark museum halls brings surprising facts to light, and helps Haskell decide where true love lies.

There's Something About Christmas by Debbie Macomber: Emma Collins has always believed that the world is divided into two kinds of people: those who love fruitcake and those who don't. She's firmly in the second category, so it's ironic that her major assignment for the Puyallup, Washington, Examiner is a series of articles about . . . fruitcake. At least it's a step up from writing obituaries. Her task is to interview the finalists in a fruitcake recipe contest, and that means traveling around the state. Actually . . . flying around the state. Local pilot Oliver Hamilton, who's starting an airfreight business, has agreed to take her wherever she needs to go, in exchange for free advertising. Unfortunately Emma hates small planes -- almost as much as she hates fruitcake. But in the weeks leading up to Christmas, Emma falls for Oliver (who's not quite the Scrooge he sometimes seems) and his mutt, Oscar (who's allergic to her perfume, which makes him sneeze repeatedly). And she meets three wise women who know a lot about fruitcake -- and even more about life.

Book info from BarnesandNoble.com

It's Halloween

The kids have been looking forward to today for days. They've been looking forward to dressing up as soccer zombies...I'll see if I can snag a pic that Andy took of them (I stole this pic from Andy's blog as it seems to be the only one we have)...and going to a friends house for a Halloween party. There's always lots of good food to eat and tons of kids. They do a hayride through the neighborhood making periodic stops to hop off and swarm the houses for treats. I wasn't going to go because of Kearsyn but Andy talked me into going which I'm glad he did as I had a good time. Once the kids left to go trick or treating, it was me, Andy and Mary (whose house the party was at). We sat outside chatting while waiting for trick or treaters to come by. It was a beautiful evening although it did start to get a little bit chilly although Mary had built a nice fire in their fire pit. I was a little nervous about Bekah going trick or treating...one of the other moms kept an eye on her while on the hayride as their wasn't room for Andy to go since the trailer was so packed with kids...as Andy scared her half to death when he put on his scary mask at home. He came walking out of the hallway with it on and she about fell over herself trying to climb behind me to get away him all the while screaming her head off...poor thing. There was no need to worry, though, as she was apparantly really into trick or treating and didn't mind going up to the houses to get the candy.

I made another attempt at making the peanut butter chocolate chip cake today...at the request of Andy to take to the Halloween party. I guess the last one wasn't too bad but I did remember to add the butter this time. LOL It was definitely better than the first time although it was still a little dry. I think I add too much flour...will have to try less next time.

Stitchingwise, I've been working on the mini rr I have. I only have one more color to stitch and then it will be done. Hopefully I'll get it finished up by the weekend although I'm not pushing myself. Then I'm going to stitch on the next release of the Halloween Gameboard Mystery Sampler.

I finally finished reading the Visitation which prompted another trip to the library for more books. That's always a frustrating adventure since our library never has what I want to read. I was able to find a couple of books which will hopefully be pretty good and am about halfway through the first one, Stitches in Time.

We met with the lady from the Infants and Toddlers program today. She just does the paperwork and went over general information for Bekah. She said that two other people from their staff should be getting in contact with us in the next week or so to do a more thorough evaluation...one will just focus on Bekah's speak and the other will look at all areas of Bekah's development.

Sleep

I think I've forgotten what this word means as I haven't been experiencing it much lately so I had to look it up just to refresh my memory. Webster defines sleep as:

1 : the natural periodic suspension of consciousness during which the powers of the body are restored

What exactly qualifies as a natural periodic suspension of consciousness?? And I sure haven't had my body's powers restored lately. Usually I can get a 1 1/2 - 2 hours sleep in between feedings but they've become less and less frequent over the past few nights with last night being the worst so far. Kearsyn started fussing around 11pmish and I didn't get to go back to bed until 5:15am. And that would have only lasted for 15 minutes because she was up fussing again at 5:30. Thankfully, Andy knew that I was at the end of my rope at that point...maybe it was the fact that when she started making noise I immediately hid under my pillow and covers but maybe he had some other clues to help him out. LOL...as he got up and took care of her so I was actually able to get a couple of hours sleep. Of course that ended when the rest of the kiddos got up...things were good until they finished breakfast at which point they all went to clean up rooms and it sounded like a herd of elephants walking over my head....our bedroom is underneath their rooms. Let me tell you, kids do not know how to walk quietly anywhere...they are constantly stomping around. I'm sure they aren't intending to do that but that's definitely the way it sounds...especially to a sleep deprived mom. Let's hope that tonight is a better night but I'm not counting on it. As a fall back measure, I've made some brownies so at least I can comfort myself throughout the night. ;)

Kenzie and Connor had their first choir concert of the season and from the way Andy described it was a nightmare as far as getting everything set up for them. And the weather was less than ideal for an outdoor concert...overcast and chilly and as luck would have it, as soon as they were done singing and ready to leave, the clouds went away and the sun came out.

I've been trying to finish up reading the book I'm currently reading but it seems to be very slow going...not because the book is bad...just because there's usually a baby in my arms that then interrupts the turning of pages and such...especially when said baby needs to burp and won't. I've also been trying to work on the mini rr I have and that is also slow going since it seems that everytime I pull it out Kearsyn picks that moment to wake up. I have managed to get most of the outside border done but that's taken me about 3 days to do. Luckily, this piece isn't due out til the end of next month so I should be able to get it done by then although at the rate I'm going I think I'll have to become a member of the SSC. LOL

Whew, the wind today/tonight has just been incredible. I'm surprised the twins are actually sleeping right now because they hate the wind. Usually it whistles around their room and scares them so they are usually up and in either Kenzie or Alex/Connor's room. Unfortunately, tonight those three are sleeping over at a friends house so if the boys wake up, they won't be able to find comfort from their older siblings. Let's hope they stay asleep.

And it's now time for me to end this post as Kearsyn just decided to wake up....and so my night begins...Oh and just to add insult to injury, since we turn the clocks back tonight, that will just give me an extra hour to be up with the baby. ;)

Recently Read Books

Thursdays at Eight by Debbie Macomber: Every Thursday at eight, four women meet for breakfast — and to talk. To tell their stories, recount their sorrows and their joys. To offer each other encouragement and unstinting support.

Clare has just been through a devastating divorce. She's driven by anger and revenge . . . until she learns something about her ex-husband that forces her to look deep inside for the forgiveness and compassion she's rejected — and for the person she used to be.

Elizabeth is widowed, in her late fifties, a successful professional — a woman who's determined not to waste another second of her life. And if that life should include romantic possibilities — well, why not?

Karen is in her twenties, the years for taking risks, testing your dreams. Her dream is to be an actor. So what if her parents think she should be more like her sister, the very respectable Victoria?

Julia is turning forty this year. Her husband's career is established, her kids are finally in their teens and she's just started her own business. Everything's going according to plan — until she gets pregnant.

The Sacrifice by Beverly Lewis: This is book 3 of Abram’s Daughters Before she can be courted, tragedy befalls Leah, forcing her to choose between her happiness and her family. This powerful family saga features four Amish courting-age sisters growing up in Lancaster County Pennsylvania, beginning in the 1940s. Life in Gobbler’s Knob was all Leah Ebersol ever wanted until her older sister Sadie abandoned faith and family, leaving Leah no choice but to believe the worst, that Sadie—and her own beloved Jonas—had betrayed her. Now, two years later, Leah still misses both Sadie and Jonas keenly. Because of her sister’s shunning, she cannot contact either of them but hears through the grapevine that they are married. Loyal neighbor Gid is still biding his time, but on the verge of accepting his courting invitation, tragedy befalls the Ebersols and Leah must again choose between her own happiness and her family. Mary Ruth dreams of becoming a teacher, but it has gotten pushed to the back of her thinking when a nice young Amish boy comes courting. Twin Hannah yearns for her sister to attend baptismal classes with her, but Mary Ruth is not ready to take her vows.

The Prodigal by Beverly Lewis: In Book 4 of Abram's Daughters, an alarming secret is brought to light. Truth can be thorny, even heartbreaking, yet Leah is required to make another difficult choice. Will this secret of secrets bring further sorrow for Leah, Sadie and the Ebersol family? Never would this family, especially Leah, have expected the return of one more prodigal….

Dakota Born by Debbie Macomber: Buffalo Valley, North Dakota, a struggling farming community, is dying. But its citizens won't give up on the town where generations have lived, loved, raised families, worked hard, and died. When Savannah-born Lindsay Snyder decides to accept the teaching position in Buffalo Valley, she brings a breath of fresh air with her. Lindsay is trying to escape a stalled romance and learn more about her family, especially her grandmother Gina, who lived her entire life in the tiny town. Buffalo Valley has its share of characters, including Hassie Knight, the matriarch of this small community; Buffalo Bob Carr, the ex-biker who won the local watering hole in a poker game; and Gage Sinclair, the handsome farmer whose roots are deeply planted in the fertile soil of this North Dakota village. But Gage refuses to believe that Lindsay will find any reason to stay so far from the bright lights of the big city she recently called home. And Lindsay despairs that Gage will never comprehend that she has the best reason to remain--love, for him.

The Preacher's Daughter by Beverly Lewis: Book 1 of Annie's People. The Preacher's Daughter begins a remarkable journey of heartache and homespun delight. Paradise, Pennsylvania, is likened to a little slice of heaven on earth...but for Annie Zook--the preacher's eldest daughter--it seems like a dead-end street. She is expected to join the Amish church, but at 20 she is "still deciding." Because of the strict rules that guide the Plain community, she must continually squelch her artistic passion, although it has become her solace.

and the Shofar Blew by Francine Rivers: In the Old Testament, God called his people to action with the blast of the shofar, a ram's horn. God still calls his people today. In this relevant and timely contemporary novel, dynamic young preacher Paul Hudson is committed to building his church--but at what cost? As Paul's zeal and ambition build, he loses sight of the One who called him. As Paul and those around him struggle to discern what it truly means to live out their faith, they must ultimately choose between their own will or God's plan.

I really, really enjoyed this last book. I'm looking forward to reading more books by this author assuming that our lame library has any more.

Book info from BarnesandNoble.com

Recently Read Books

Flight Lessons by Patricia Gaffney: Though Anna once adored her aunt Rose, that ended when she betrayed Anna and her mother — Rose's terminally ill sister — and Anna can't forgive or forget. Years later, her own heart broken, Anna returns home to Rose, and to the family restaurant, the Bella Sorella, now grown shabby with age. Anna is still reluctant to forgive Rose, insisting that her stay is temporary. But the intimacy of working with Rose to put the Bella Sorella back on its feet, and an unexpected chance at true love, bring about a change of heart.

The Covenant by Beverly Lewis: This is the first book in the series of Abram's Daughters. Years of secrecy bind the tiny community of Gobbler's Knob together more than the present inhabitants know, and the Plain folk who farm the land rarely interact with the fancy locals. So when Sadie is beguiled by a dark-haired English boy, it is Sadie's younger sister, Leah, who suffers from her sister's shameful loss of innocence. And what of Leah's sweetheart, Jonas Mast, sent to Ohio under the Bishop's command? Drawn into an incomprehensible pact with her older sister, Leah finds her dreams spinning out of control, even as she clings desperately to the promises of God. The Covenant begins a powerful Lancaster portrait of the power of family and the miracle of hope.

The Betrayal by Beverly Lewis: Second book in the series of Abram’s Daughters. Spanning three generations, the Abram’s Daughters series paints a powerful family portrait of four Amish sisters growing up in Gobbler’s Knob, Lancaster County. Leah and her beloved Jonas are separated for half the year when he accepts a long-desired carpenter’s apprenticeship in Ohio. They are confident that by letter and heart-felt promises, their love is strong enough to survive the temporary separation. But never could they have foreseen the bitter test facing them and their families.

Home Song by Thomas Kinkaid and Katherine Spencer: Caught up in the responsibilities of her job and the incessant demands of her elderly mother, mayor Emily Warwick doesn't allow herself to dream. Then there's her younger sister Jessica, who's about to walk down the aisle with a man their mother despises. It doesn't help that Emily's still mourning the husband she lost and wondering what happened to the baby she gave up for adoption twenty years ago. Sometimes she thinks it would take a miracle to fill the hole in her heart. But miracles do happen in Cape Light. You just have to close your eyes--and believe in your dreams.

Book info from BarnesandNoble.com

Mini RR

I was able to finish up Jo Anna's snowman mini rr last night. It was fairly easy to stitch although it had a ton of half stitches and lots of backstitching. Thankfully I enjoy backstitching. :) I did the September snowman...the one on the far right. These little guys are from a pattern called Happy Everything. It's adorable.

I'm now going to start working on Robin's Finishers Too piece. It's some kind of cabins, I believe, although the name of the pattern is escaping me right now.

I went to library yesterday after voting and picked up some more books. I'm really enjoying reading again and gives me a nice break when I get tired of stitching. And, since I can't move around and play with the kiddos as much right now, it gives me something to take outside so I can still be with them. I can sit on the swing and read while the kids run around and play.

Tonight was the mandatory parents meeting for Connor and Kenzie's chorale. That meant I got to leave work early to get there in time which was okay with me as I was very tired by that point. They talked about all the normal stuff...when the concerts were, what fund raising needed to be done, volunteers that would be needed during the course of the year, etc. This year there are a ton of new kids so that's wonderful. It was pretty sparse last year. The director of the chorale announced that this would be her last year and they've brought in an assistant to work with her throughout this season in preparation of him taking over next year. Connor really liked him which is good. The verdict is still out with Kenzie. LOL We'll be doing a fund raising spagetti dinner next month, 10/14, that we had to sign up to either work at or bring cakes to. I opted for the cakes but lets hope this munchkin doesn't decide to come early otherwise I'll forget all about the cakes. LOL This dinner made quite a bit of money for the chorale last year and it was fairly easy to put on. It sounds like the Festival for this season (scheduled for March 07) is going to be back in Frederick again. That's where it was last season. This is where 4 choirs from around the state get together and practice for a day and then put on a combined choir in the evening. I missed the one they did this past March due to morning sickness. Not sure I'll be able to make this next either due to the baby. Looks like hubby might get to make that treck again. ;)

Recently Read Books

A Quilter's Legacy by Jennifer Chiaverini: When precious heirloom quilts hand-stitched by her mother turn up missing from the attic of Elm Creek Manor, Sylvia Bergstrom Compson resolves to find them. From scant resources -- journal entries, receipts, and her own fading memories -- she pieces together clues, then queries quilting friends from around the world. When dozens of leads arrive via the Internet, Sylvia and her fiancé, Andrew, embark on a nationwide investigation of antiques shops and quilt museums.

Sylvia's quest leads her to unexpected places, where offers of assistance are not always what they seem. As the search continues, revelations surface about her mother, Eleanor Lockwood, who died in 1930, when Sylvia was only a child. Burdened with poor health and distant parents, Eleanor Lockwood defied her family by marrying for love. Far from her Manhattan home, she embraced her new life among the Bergstroms -- but although warmth and affection surrounded Eleanor at last, the Bergstroms could not escape the tragedies of their times.

The Saving Graces by Patricia Gaffney: For ten years, Emma, Rudy, Lee, and Isabel have shared a deep affection that has helped them deal with husbands, lovers, careers, children—the ebb and flow of expectations and disappointments common to us all. Calling themselves the Saving Graces, the quartet is united by understanding, honesty, and acceptance—a connection that has grown stronger as the years go by...

Though these sisters of the heart and soul have seen it all, talked through it all, they will not be prepared for a crisis of astounding proportions that will put their love, loyalty, and courage to the ultimate test.

Book info from BarnesandNoble.com

Recently Read Books

Since it's been hot and muggy lately (or maybe it's just the pregnancy affecting me more than normal), I haven't felt much like stitching so I've been doing a fair amount of reading. The three books I've finished over the last couple of weeks are A Gathering Place, The Shop on Blossom Street and The Reckoning.

A Gathering Place by Thomas Kinkaid & Katherine Spencer. With the Cape Light election over, Mayor Emily Warwick can finally focus more on her dear adopted daughter Sara and her deep regret about their long estrangement. For counsel, she turns to Reverend Ben, but the good-hearted minister seems distracted, troubled by turmoil within his own family. Sara's longing for a second chance is partially satisfied by her new relationship with newspaper publisher Dan Forbes. But does Dan really want to start a second family? A touching faith-based novel co-authored by the Painter of Light.

The Shop on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber. There's a little yarn shop on Blossom Street in Seattle. It's owned by Lydia Hoffman, and it represents her dream of a new life free from cancer. A life that offers a chance at love . . .
Lydia teaches knitting to beginners, and the first class is "How to Make a Baby Blanket." Three women join. Jacqueline Donovan wants to knit something for her grandchild as a gesture of reconciliation with her daughter-in-law. Carol Girard feels that the baby blanket is a message of hope as she makes a final attempt to conceive. And Alix Townsend is knitting her blanket for a court-ordered community service project. These four very different women, brought together by an age-old craft, make unexpected discoveries — about themselves and each other. Discoveries that lead to friendship and more . . .

The Reckoning by Beverly Lewis. Katherine Mayfield, the new Mistress of Mayfield Manor, always dreamed of a fancy "English" life. But as the seasons pass, she finds herself grieving the loss of her Amish family and her dearest friend, Mary Stoltzfus. Shunned from the Plain life she once knew, Katherine finds solace in volunteer work with hospice patients--a labor of love she hopes will bring honor to the memory of her birth mother. Unknown to Katherine, her long-lost love, Daniel Fisher, is desperate to locate his "Sweetheart girl," only to be frustrated at nearly evey turn. Meanwhile, she delights in the modern world--once forbidden--cherishing the attention of Justin Wirth, her handsome suitor. Her childhood entwined with Daniel's, yet her present life far removed from Lancaster County, Katherine longs for the peace that reigned in her mother's heart. And once again, she is compelled to face the heritage of her past.

I went to the library today and checked out a number of books including some of the Elm Street Quilters books that has been talked about on the cross stitch board recently. I'd forgotten how much I used to enjoy going to the library to get books out to read. I guess that tends to be one of those things that falls by the wayside when you start having kids and are so involved with their activities. I'm glad I've rediscovered it but I do wish that our library had more choices of books to check out.

Book info from BarnesandNoble.com