Tag Archives: books

REVIEW The Inn at Ocean’s Edge by Colleen Coble

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I picked up a “new to me” author the other week. Not sure why I picked the book; the cover’s not my usual thing altho I did see a Karen Kingsbury recommend. That might be it. ocean

The author’s page and some buying links (I’m not affiliated to these) are here: http://colleencoble.com/books/the-inn-at-oceans-edge/

Synopsis: The minute she steps inside the grand Inn at Ocean’s Edge, Claire Dellamare knows something terrible happened there. She feels it in her bones. Her ensuing panic attack causes a scene, upsetting her parents. Claire attempts to quiet her nerves with a walk on the beach, to no avail. She’s at too great a distance to make out details, but she believes she witnesses a murder on a nearby cliff. When local police find no evidence of foul play, they quickly write off the “nervous” woman’s testimony as less than credible.

But Luke Rocco, home on leave from the Coast Guard, has reason to believe Claire. Years ago when his mother went missing, Luke’s father suspected she’d been murdered. He died never having convinced the police to investigate. So when an employee of the grand hotel doesn’t show up for work, Luke steps in to help Claire track down the missing woman.

As Claire and Luke put together the pieces of a decades-old mystery, they discover that some family secrets refuse to stay buried. And some passions are worth killing for.

So far (40+ pages in) I’m getting hooked. I found the intro a little disjointed, altho this may just be moving straight away from a Nora Roberts series read into this. But I’m now wondering how everyone links together and who Claire saw. I can see myself reading the older titles from this author. Maybe not the historical, but certainly her Hope Beach series. I’ll let you know how I get on with this one.

Bits about Books

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I was going to do a full sub-series for April, based on books. I downloaded the prompts and all. Then I decided that no, I had enough on my plate so I’d just answer those I can right now. You might learn a little about me; you might find something to read here too. And if you can answer the questions too, please do so in the comments. I’d love some recommends too.

DAY 1. – A book series you wish had gone on longer OR a book series you wish would just end already. Like half the fantasy world, I wish George R Martin would hurry the heck up and finish the series. Who ends up on the Throne? Where can I buy a dragon? Is it practical to have a dragon and work full time (probably not).
DAY 2. – Favourite side character. This is easy. Silk, from David Eddings’ Belgariad & Mallorean series. I loved his humour, sly comments & all the things he got up to. Except when I first started reading the series I was ten, so I didn’t understand HALF the things he got up to until I was in my twenties. Slow, that’s me.
DAY 3. – The longest book you’ve read. It probably isn’t physically the longest, but Hilary Mantell’s Bringing Up the Bodies just seemed to go on and on…but I loved Wolf Hall. Not sure about watching it on TV but probably will, as Si prefers that medium.
DAY 4. – Book turned into a movie and completely desecrated. Oh please. This list would be far too long and you have a life to lead. Next!
DAY 5. – Your “comfort” book. & DAY 6. – Book you’ve read the most number of times. This is easy too – Pride & Prejudice. I would probably read this once a year. I love the flow of the words, the hidden meanings, the way Austen linked everything together & how she created some memorable characters. It’s nearly a perfect book. The BBC adaptation was nearly perfect too.

DAY 11. – Favourite classic book. DAY 20. – Favourite childhood book.Has to be Winnie the Pooh. My favourite early memories are curled up with my Gran reading AA Milne in my bed at her house in the Wellington Hills (Fantail Grove – wow I remember the name of the street!) or on the chaise. Gran’s reading-out-loud style is one I use today; I can hear her voice in the rhythm of “Disobedience”. Louise chose that as her poem for the school years ago too.
DAY 22. – Least favourite plot device employed by way too many books you actually enjoyed otherwise. Misdirection or assumption – used in far too many romance books. Often leaves the hero/heroine in the TSTL category.
DAY 30. – Book you couldn’t put down. Unbroken. Also listening – Z chose a Michael Morpulgo called Private Peaceful. It’s harrowing and topical (given that we are commemorating WWI this year and looking at the prospect of WWIII) but we couldn’t stop.

DAY 27. – Book that has been on your “to read” list the longest. To Kill A Mockingbird, preferably before the “sequel” comes out!

disobedienceDisobedience

By A. A. Milne 1882–1956

     James James
     Morrison Morrison
     Weatherby George Dupree
     Took great
     Care of his Mother,
     Though he was only three.
     James James
     Said to his Mother,
     “Mother,” he said, said he:
“You must never go down to the end of the town,
     if you don’t go down with me.”
     James James
     Morrison’s Mother
     Put on a golden gown,
     James James
     Morrison’s Mother
     Drove to the end of the town.
     James James
     Morrison’s Mother
     Said to herself, said she:
“I can get right down to the end of the town
     and be back in time for tea.”
     King John
     Put up a notice,
     “LOST or STOLEN or STRAYED!
     JAMES JAMES
     MORRISON’S MOTHER
     SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN MISLAID.
     LAST SEEN
     WANDERING VAGUELY:
     QUITE OF HER OWN ACCORD,
SHE TRIED TO GET DOWN TO THE END
     OF THE TOWN—FORTY SHILLINGS
     REWARD!”
     James James
     Morrison Morrison
     (Commonly known as Jim)
     Told his
     Other relations
     Not to go blaming him.
     James James
     Said to his Mother,
     “Mother,” he said, said he:
“You must never go down to the end of the town
     without consulting me.”
     James James
     Morrison’s mother
     Hasn’t been heard of since.
     King John
     Said he was sorry,
     So did the Queen and Prince.
     King John
     (Somebody told me)
     Said to a man he knew:
“If people go down to the end of the town, well,
     what can anyone do?”
 
    (Now then, very softly)
     J. J.
     M. M.
     W. G. Du P.
     Took great
     C/o his M*****
     Though he was only 3.
     J. J.
     Said to his M*****
     “M*****,” he said, said he:
“You-must-never-go-down-to-the-end-of-the-town-
     if-you-don’t-go-down-with ME!”

A. A. Milne, “Disobedience” from The Complete Poems of Winnie-the-Pooh. Copyright © The Trustees of the Pooh Properties reproduced with permission of Curtis Brown Limited, London.

Source: The Complete Poems of Winnie-the-Pooh (Dutton, 1998)

even more journalling

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Prompt 10: You are 6 years old! Someone has kindly given you 4 chairs covered with an enormous blanket!! It’s a tent! Tell us about your play day.

At six, I’d just become a big sister. I spent most of my playtime with Carol, the baby doll I received when Rob was born (she still only has one arm, as my cousin Sara threw it out the car window one day driving over the Kaimai’s) and my best friend Debbie.

We met at Brookfield kindergarten, hate at first sight. She hit me on the head with a hammer and I lured her to the Big Kids Slide (strictly forbidden) then pushed her down it. Her mum picked us up that afternoon and asked us about our day. From then on we were together more often than not until I moved away to Auckland. Our tents would be anything from a circus tent to a doll’s house to an escape from our brothers.

If I was by myself my imagination would take over and the tent would be Eeyore’s house in the 100 Acre Wood, to a ship on the High Seas of Narnia, to Pippi Longstocking’s House or even Dr Doolittle’s surgery.

Today my kids love “tents”. B & Z probably use theirs to hide mess, but Mase has a special space under his bed, complete with an adjustable Ikea lamp, that’s perfect for playtime. I’m a little jealous!

Mase’s lamp: http://www.ikea.com/au/en/catalog/products/00201777/

Journal, day 3

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an update on yesterday – I HAVE learnt how to spell existential. Woo hoo.

Prompt 3

Make a fashion statement! What’s your style? Jeans? Jersey? Jacket? Tell us what makes you comfortable – or SMART!

I’ve reversed yesterday’s process in that this is a shot of my journal with the tags, stitches and textures, but the text is also below:
image

OK, so I read this and came to an abrupt halt. I’m not really a fashion person at all, I prefer individuality – hence today is a mix of purple chucks, skinny jeans, long black cardy and a beautiful blouse that was made in a little Hong Kong boutique (thanks much to my SIL, it’s one of my favs). Yay for casual Fridays 🙂

What got my brain storming was the word I took out of the prompt – FABRIC. I think stitching, embroidery (yes, they are different to me), LOTR costumes (I love the texture, layers & detail), glamour, warmth, comfort, aida, linens, evenweave…

I take a project along with me pretty much wherever I go, be it work or the car. I’m trying to embrace new things, like surface “free” embroidery – I went to a class earlier this year with Zeb, to the Stitchsmith and my head is overwhelmed with new ideas. I’m loving the creative buzz!

My samples? Aida (the white and blue square-like fabrics) – what new stitchers can learn on. Easy to work with & I’m currently stitching with Zac. A DMC wrapper – they make my fav threads. A pink ribbon – lots of focus on ribbons these days. Quiksilver tag – my new dress already for summer. And cream evenweave – reverse chainstitch, long/short fill & my most common stitch, the cross over 2 threads.

LINKS – Zeb’s blog : http://www.ixari.net/about/
– The Stitchsmith : http://www.thestitchsmith.co.nz/
– Write On, home to the prompts: http://fabrilicious.wordpress.com

READING: The Princes in the Tower by Alison Weir. Apparently my brain had enough trash inbetween the solid stuff to absorb more facts.
LISTENING: iPod is still on shuffle. I can’t settle on anything so it pops from Nickleback (don’t judge hastily, the early stuff is great and non-commercial) to Alanis to Toby Mac to Ministry of Sound to Seether. Ooh, Duran Duran – lets hit that fast forward, shall we?
CRAFTING: on week three of the Mirabilia pattern Stargazer. So pretty, she reminds me of Maria in Elizabeth Goudges’ Little White Horse.
MISSING: Still cut up the the MIL killed my red tailed shark.