Book Review: Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
Alice Hoffman I bought Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman because I was entranced by the movie starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman. The first section of the book ~ Superstition ~ is so boring that I almost abandoned the book just when it was about to get good. Superstition Sally Owens [Sandra Bullock] and … Read more
Book Review: Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy
. . .this story is not primarily about spies and secret government agencies; it’s about violence against women, and the men who enable it. – Stieg Larsson, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest Who knew? Men Who Hate Women is the Swedish title of the first book in Stieg Larsson’s millennium trilogy. … Read more
Book Review: Body of Evidence by Stella Cameron
A confident man is glad when a woman is his equal. – Stella Cameron Body of Evidence by Stella Cameron has been gathering dust on my TBR (to be read) shelf for five years. Big mistake! I love, love, loved this book. I was having a PTSD episode from hell this weekend, and Body of … Read more
Celebrating Survivors: SAFE HAVEN by Nicholas Sparks Debuts at #1
Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks is about domestic violence and stalking. I was thrilled to see it debut at #1 on the best seller lists. What a great way to start National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, 2010. Nicholas Sparks is a very happily married man. He’s been madly in love with his wife Cathy from the moment … Read more
Steps and Exes by Laura Kalpakian
Laura Kalpakian wrote my all-time favorite line in Steps and Exes:
“Bullshit,” said Eve,
but not too loud.
The book is set at Useless Point on Isadora Island, a fictional artistic enclave in the San Juan Islands of the Pacific Northwest. The heroine, Celia Henry, became a young widow before she realized her late husband was not Henry West ~ she had married Henry Westervelt, the scion of a lumber baron family. Her life is unconventional and filled with a tribe of step children and ex-spouses and lovers. She runs a bed and breakfast on property that belonged to Henry’s great aunt Sophia. (See Educating Waverly by Laura Kalpakian.)
Great Books by Susan Wiggs
When life hands me lemons, I go on a search for someone good at making lemonade or margaritas at a profit. This is why Susan Wiggs is my favorite author. She’s brilliant ~ she’s got a degree in math from Harvard. She’s funny, gorgeous, and sexy. She’s independent and super-successful in her personal life as well as her professional life. Like the heroines in her books, she’s resourceful, resilient, and generous. She’s better than Oprah at surrounding herself with terrific friends and colleagues. All her books are great escapes that teach me something important.
The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas
Marilyn Stanton, my guardian angel at the Watseka, IL Public Library, recommended this book to me. It is one of my favorites. I hope y’all will read it and decide to make lots of quilts for Shalom Bayit’s clients. “Persian pickle” is an old-fashioned term for paisley scraps used in making quilts, and the Persian Pickle Club is the name of the quilting bee at the heart of the story.
Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen
Anna Quindlen captured the heart and soul of every woman who has ever tasted the bitter fruit of abuse: “It’s like he stole my soul.” (page 219) She deftly navigated the undercurrents of domestic violence. She powerfully demonstrated how our society and legal system enable both the abuser and his/her victim to continue destructive behavior patterns. She turned a bright spotlight on the Patty Bancrofts of the world who seek to control rather than empower women. She threw down the gauntlet to families everywhere who rear women to be helpless doormats and condone the vicious conduct of men through their silence. She painted a sensitive portrait of the shattered innocence of a child caught in the crossfire. In short, Anna Quindlen turned over every rock and examined the mass of maggots hiding underneath.
