Something About Sophie
by Mary Kay McComas
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: William Morrow
Publish Date: March 26, 2013
Format: Paperback | 320 pages
Rating: 3 of 5
Sophie Shepard has always known she was adopted but never had the desire to locate her birth parents. She loved her adopted parents and was happy with the home they had provided for her. Investigating the circumstances of her birth seemed unnecessary. When she received a letter from Arthur Cubeck, everything changed.
Arther had written to Sophie several times saying he had something important to tell her about her birth mother. Each time she politely refused to meet with him; but when the latest letter arrived begging her to see him before he died, she agreed to go on her summer break from teaching. She would drive to the small Virginia town where he lived, about eight hours away from her home in Ohio.
When Sophie arrived, it was too late. Arthur had passed away. She stayed the night at the local B&B but before she could leave for home, Arthur’s attorney asked her to remain for the funeral and the reading of the will. It was important. Arthur had left her a substantial gift.
Many folks in this small town were not happy with Sophie’s arrival. Now there were many questions to be answered and Sophie wanted to find out the truth. What is her relationship to Arthur? Someone doesn’t want her to know and they will stop at nothing to keep it a secret, including murder. The sheriff asks Sophie to stay in town while he investigates several incidents related to her arrival. Sophie decides to do some investigating of her own.
The story starts out as a mystery but quickly turns to romance and, as the plot thickens, becomes a thriller with an unexpected ending. There were a lot of characters, some well-developed, some not as much, but we learn enough to know that any of them could be the killer or know the secret. Sophie meets Dr. Drew McCarren her first day in town. He offers to help her get some answers and after a few days they are involved in a whirlwind romance. Believable? No. Fun fantasy? Of course.
This was a fast, fun read with an enjoyable setting in a small town. While the plot was a little unbelievable, this is a book to be read for entertainment, not reality.
Recommended for readers who like romantic mysteries or anyone looking for a light read.
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Source: Review copy through TLC Book Tours.
© 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Almost wordless: This was probably a Canada Goose before someone, most likely a Red-tailed Hawk, had it for dinner. The feathers covered about a 5-foot radius.
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More Wordless Wednesday. © 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Thank you to everyone that stopped by to enter the Spring Cleaning Giveaway Hop for a chance to win an audiobook copy of:
Shades of Hope:
by Tennie McCarty
Winner: Carl Scott
More Giveaways
Diary of a Stage Mother’s Daughter
I have another giveaway running through April 5th (US addresses) for a print copy of Diary of a Stage Mother’s Daughter, a memoir by child star Melissa Francis.
In the next few months I have several more giveaways planned for new releases. As always, check my side bar for current giveaways here and for those hosted by other bloggers.
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© 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Mailbox Monday
Mailbox Monday was created by The Printed Page. It is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their home last week.
Mailbox Monday is currently on tour, hosted by a different blog each month. The March host is Caitlin @ chaotic compendiums.
Today’s Linky is hosted by Kathy @ Bermudaonion’s Weblog.
A variety this week….
For review from Spiegel & Grau:
Five Star Billionaire
by Tash Aw
Justin is from a family of successful property developers. Phoebe has come to China buoyed with hope, but her dreams are shattered within hours as the job she has come for seems never to have existed. Gary is a successful pop artist, but his fans and marketing machine disappear after a bar-room brawl. Yinghui has businesses that are going well but must make decisions about her life. And then there is Walter, the shadowy billionaire, ruthless and manipulative, ultimately alone in the world… more
For review from Harper Audio:
Dark Tide
by Elizabeth Haynes
Genevieve has finally escaped the stressful demands of her sales job and achieved her dream: to leave London behind and begin a new life aboard a houseboat in Kent. Not many people know that she financed her fresh start by working weekends as a dancer at a less-than-reputable gentlemen’s club called the Barclay, and she’s determined to keep it that way. But on the night of her housewarming party the past … more
For review and giveaway from the publicist:
Restrike: Coleman and Dinah Greene Mystery No. 1
by Reba White Williams
Money and murder go hand in glove in the rarified art world of Reba White Williams’exciting first novel, Restrike. When a print dealer dies in peculiar circumstances, Coleman is suspicious, but she can’t persuade the NYPD crime investigator of a connection between the dealer’s death and Bain’s buying spree. After one of Coleman’s editors is killed and Coleman is attacked, the police must acknowledge the connection, and Coleman becomes even more determined to discover the truth about Bain. more
For review from Del Rey Spectra (eGalley):
The Best of Connie Willis
by Connie Willis
All ten of the stories gathered here are Hugo or Nebula award winners—some even have the distinction of winning both. With a new Introduction by the author and personal afterwords to each story—plus a special look at three of Willis’s unique public speeches—this is unquestionably the collection of the season, a book that every Connie Willis fan will treasure, and, to those unfamiliar with her work, the perfect introduction to one of the most accomplished and best-loved writers of our time. more
A win from Planet Books:
Drift
by Rachel Maddow
Written with bracing wit and intelligence, Rachel Maddow’s Drift argues that we’ve drifted away from America’s original ideals and become a nation weirdly at peace with perpetual war. To understand how we’ve arrived at such a dangerous place, Maddow takes us from the Vietnam War to today’s war in Afghanistan, along the way exploring Reagan’s radical presidency, the disturbing rise of executive authority, the gradual outsourcing of our war-making capabilities to private companies, the plummeting percentage of American families whose children fight our constant wars for us, and even the changing fortunes of G.I. Joe.
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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.
Share what you read last week and what you are currently reading.
Last week
I finally finished Life After Life by Kate Atkinson. I liked it but it was slow reading with all the jumps in time.
I also listened to two audiobooks, How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia, a beautifully written, unique story and Future History: The 2190 Edition, what I thought was a dystopian novel but was actually a thinly disguised political rant.
I posted two reviews:
The Alzheimer’s Prevention Cookbook
Future History: The 2190 Edition
This week
I’m reading Something About Sophie for an upcoming tour stop and listening to The Drunken Botanist
Giveaways
For readers with a US mailing address:
An audiobook version of Shades of Hope by Tennie McCarty which runs through midnight tonight.
A print copy of the memoir by child star Melissa Francis of Little House on the Prairie, Diary of a Stage Mother’s Daughter, through April 5th.
What are you reading?
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© 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Future History: The 2190 Edition by Jeffrey Sackett
Narrated by David Holloway
Genre: Dystopian Fantasy
Publisher: Crossroad Press
Publish Date: January 3, 2013
Format: Audio, 5 hours | 36 minutes
Audio Listening Level: Easy
Publisher’s Synopsis:
By the wonder of reverse tachyon technology, we have been able to retrieve a series of essays on the History of the United States which was published (or will be published) in the year 2190 A.D. The author, Hugo Gottfried, was (will be) the custodian of the abandoned research library on Fifth Avenue in New York City. As he began in the middle of the 22nd century to read the old books down in the dark and dusty nether recesses of the crumbling old building, he slowly came to a startling realization: the economically impoverished, militarily impotent, morally bankrupt, totalitarian America of his era was not the great Republic envisioned by the Founders and created by the Framers.
My Thoughts:
I enjoy dystopian novels especially ones with good world building and speculative alternate history. When I chose this book I was expecting a work of fiction since it is described as scifi/fantasy on the publisher’s site and was about the discovery of a history book from the future. Instead, I got little more than a political opinion piece.
Soon after I began listening I realized the “series of essays” contained in this book are not what I consider a story or novel; there is no real plot, but instead a discourse on what caused the United States to crumble into an impoverished, morally bankrupt country. It was told through the point of view of future historian Hugo Gottfried. There was no character development, no plot, and mostly a lecture to the reader and a warning to take action to change the course of history now before it is too late.
While I don’t mind dark and grim predictions for the future, after all that is what dystopian is, I did expect this to be an original, creative look back from a future vantage point. Instead I found this an accusatory, heavy-handed diatribe blaming every problem since the end of WWII on the Liberal Statist mentality and that a conservative philosophy would have ‘saved’ the US from a horrific future. It was talking points ripped from the news.
The book is broken into several chapters covering the collapse of moral standards, corruption of the political systems and the breakdown in the educational system, all resulting in an eventual US civil war and a third economic depression. A selection of topics discussed were religion, abortion, environmentalism, immigration, gun control, all presented with an ultra conservative slant. For example, the legalization of gay marriage resulted in legalized polygamy and that in turn allowed the legalization of incest. The book is filled with inflammatory political arguments. It is a platform for a scathing manifesto placing the current and future problems of the United States on the shoulders of the Baby Boomer Generation and the parents that raised them.
The audio was read in a snarky sounding, almost sarcastic tone that I found distracting. (sample) At only five hours I did push through the entire book (since I agreed to review it). I was hoping perhaps it would get better, but that was wishful thinking.
Halfway through I began to wonder if this was satire and I just wasn’t getting it. But after finishing the book, I don’t think so. I checked the description again and no, it doesn’t appear to be satire. It’s ultra conservative ideology thinly disguised and marketed as a dystopian novel. This was not my type of book and definitely not what I was expecting. I would imagine this is not what most science fiction and fantasy readers would expect.
I’m sure there’s an audience out there for this book, but it’s not me.
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Source: Review copy through Audiobook Jukebox.
© 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
This is our worst spring in 50 years and winter isn’t going to release its icy grip any time soon. Snow, yes, snow is predicted for Sunday. And although winter continues to linger, small signs of spring are all around us.
Robins are walking
Robins are beginning to leave their winter flocks and are searching for nesting sites. Several have been scoping out my backyard. While I was out walking yesterday there were lots of them walking around, all eager to pose for a photo.
Robins are one of my favorite subjects and a good bird to practice nature photography. They are very approachable and will pose so shots usually are in focus. This guy was even willing to do a little chirping for me.
Goldfinch molting
The goldfinches have begun their spring molt and are getting their summer plumage.
The males make a dramatic change losing their drab greenish color and turning a brilliant yellow. In a couple of weeks this male should have all his new feathers.
Song Sparrow singing
On my walk yesterday I could hear cardinals, blackbirds and even woodpeckers making sounds, something that has been missing all winter.
As I walked along the marshy area I could hear a very vocal Song Sparrow. This is one of my favorite sparrows and can be found throughout North America. I spotted one in my backyard this morning. He wasn’t singing though, just eating sunflower seeds.
Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books. Visit her blog to see more great photos or add your own.
© 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
I know a lot of my readers enjoy memoirs so I am excited to announce that today I am featuring Diary of a Stage Mother’s Daughter, the recently published book by former child star Melissa Francis who played Cassandra Cooper Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie. Courtesy of the publicist, I also have one copy to giveaway to a reader with a US address.
About the Book
Diary of a Stage Mother’s Daughter:
A Memoir
by Melissa Francis
Genre: Memoir
Publisher: Weinstein Books
Publish Date: March 5, 2013
Format: Hardcover | 304 pages
A dazzling honest and provocative family memoir by former child actress and current Fox Business Network anchor Melissa Francis — both a startling personal story and a cautionary tale for both parents in competitive times.
When Melissa Francis was eight years old, she won the role of lifetime: playing Cassandra Cooper Ingalls, the little girl who was adopted with her brother (played by young Jason Bateman) by the Ingalls family on the world’s most famous prime-time soap opera, Little House on the Prairie. Despite her age, she was already a veteran actress, living a charmed life, moving from one Hollywood set to the next. But behind the scenes, her success was fueled by the pride, pressure, and sometimes grinding cruelty of her stage mother.
While Melissa thrived under pressure, her older sister — who had tried her hand at acting and shrank from the limelight — was often ignored by their mother in a shadow of neglect and disappointment. Tiffany could do nothing to please her mother, but it wasn’t until after Melissa had graduated from Harvard University with a degree in economics, found love, and married that Tiffany’s personal problems culminated in a life-and-death crisis. When Melissa realized the role of her mother continued to play in her sister’s downward spiral, she resolved to end the manic, abusive cycle once and for all.
Diary of a Stage Mother’s Daughter is a fascinating account of life as a child star in the 1980’s, and also a disquieting tale of a family under the care of a highly neurotic, dangerously competitive “tiger mother.” But perhaps most importantly, now that Melissa has two sons of her own, it’s a meditation on motherhood. She asks the questions so many of us ask ourselves: how hard should you push a child to succeed, and at what point does your help turn into harm?
About the Author
Melissa Francis, author of Diary of a Stage Mother’s Daughter, grew up in southern California. As a broadcast journalist, she has anchored CNBC’s Power Lunch, The Call, and On The Money, and served as a regular contributor to the Today show and Weekend Today. Currently she hosts two daily business shows on the Fox Business Network, including Money with Melissa Francis. Francis holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Harvard University. She lives in New York City with her husband and their two sons.
Melissa Francis enjoys discussing her book with her readers and is available for book club meetings as her schedule permits. For more information please visit http://www.melissafrancisofficial.com, and follow the author on Facebook and Twitter.
Giveaway Information
The giveaway is open to those 18 years of age or older with a US mailing address. To enter, leave a comment on or before April 5, 2013. For an extra entry tweet or blog the giveaway and leave the link in your comment. I will draw a random winner who will be contacted by email and have 48 hours to respond with a mailing address.
[Giveaway has ended]
Winner: techeditor
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©2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
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