Book Beginnings - The Brotherhood


By Unknown
 

As you all know, when Friday rolls around Book Pondering joins in the weekly post, Book Beginnings on Friday! Katy, over at A Few More Pages, hosts this every week and it's always fun to participate in this! If you are interested in doing this for your blog, check out Katy's blog for details on what to include in the post! Today I chose The Brotherhood!
The Brotherhood

1 : 5 8   a . m . ,   F r i d ay ,  De c e m b e r   1 6 ,   2 0 1 1
“Wanna take this one yourself, Rook?”
Boone Drake shot his partner a double take. The 911 dispatcher had broadcast a domestic disturbance in progress at 
a seedy apartment building on West Jackson Boulevard in 
Chicago’s most dangerous precinct, Harrison, District 11.
“Myself?”
“I mean take the lead,” Jack Keller said, eyes fixed on the 
pavement as he maneuvered the blue and white Crown Vic 
squad through icy streets. “I’ll have your back.”

This was an awesome opening that immediately grabbed my attention. A rookie cop going in for his first job on his own? Immediately the suspense grabs you and makes you curious about what is to happen. The following pages continue to pull you into this action-filled, sobering story. I can't wait to finish that one!

We'd love to hear what's the first line - or paragraph - of your current read. Feel free to share it with us in the comments! Are you liking the book so far? Was the first few lines enough to grip your attention? We're looking forward to hearing from you! :-)
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Book Review - Cascade


By Katie Marie
 

What if you not only feel back through time...
But fell in love, too?


Gabi knows she’s left her heart in the fourteenth century and she persuades Lia to help her to return, even though they know doing so will risk their very lives. When they arrive, weeks have passed and all of Siena longs to celebrate the heroines who turned the tide in the battle against Florence—while the Florentines will go to great lengths to see them dead.

Even in the midst of the battles, Gabi's is increasingly drawn toward Marcello, just as Lia's is to Luca. In medieval Italy, the sisters discover things inside themselves that they couldn't seem to find in the present - connection with their mom, courage within, and the understanding that a life well lived often  means encountering sacrificing. But in a world long past, many things will keep Gabi from giving Marcello her heart forever...and one thing in particular calls all three of the Betarrinis home.

Romance:
Violence:
Fear/Horror:
Overall Opinion:

KATY'S REVIEW:

Much like the first book in this series, Cascade was awesome! Even after I finished reading the last page—another cliffhanger, ugh!—I instantly went back and started re-reading the highlights…which was nearly the whole book! The River of Time series just keeps getting better and better! (is it September yet??) I am really looking forward to how this series will be concluded. Tuscany continually grows on me, as it does on Gabi and Lia, and I can only hope that they decide to remain back in time with the men they have each grown to love.

The adventures in Waterfall are intense and perilous—and the events that Gabi and Lia go through in Cascade are even more intense! Just when one of the girls get out of a situation, they seem to fall right back into another perilous predicament. Their men, Marcello and Luca, are beside them the whole time, rescuing them from dire situations and, on occasion, being rescued themselves! If I thought I was attached to these four characters in the first book, Waterfall, the bond only grew stronger in Cascade. These four young adults are the best hero’s and heroine’s I’ve read in an action/adventure book in a long time.

Gabi came back in Cascade even stronger than before. Ever protective of the people she loves—Lia, Marcello, Luca, and now her mother—she fights to protect everything she holds dear. But she finds it more difficult than before as she realizes that Marcello isn’t the object the enemy most desires now…it’s her and her sister that they want now—the mighty She-Wolves of Siena. There was only one questionable thing that I thought to point out for younger readers. When Gabi is captured a man tears her shirt down the front. Nothing much is seen as her chest and stomach are bound with a clothe, as Gabi was suffering from broken ribs. The man glances down at the rope holding her pants up, but somebody steps in just then and nothing else happens. Lisa Bergren handled this situation so well, though, that I would think its fine for young teen readers.

As the girls continue their fight to stay ahead of their powerful enemy, Gabi struggles with the biggest decision she will ever make. She loves Marcello, and Marcello loves her. But if she marries him, she will be tying down her sister and mother to remain in the past forever. My admiration for Gabi grew as she struggled with this issue. Showing a vast amount of selflessness, she considers her mother and sisters happiness over her own. Even though all she could ever want was to remain in the past, marry Marcello, and spend the remainder of her days fighting at his side, she thought of her family first. A wonderful character quality that I really appreciated.

I mentioned above that the book ends in another cliffhanger, and now I am looking forward to the release of Torrent just as much as I looked forward to the release of this book. I am SO curious how this series will end. Gabi and Lia want to go back, but if they do, it will be right around the time of the dreaded Black Plague. Are they willing to risk their own death to return to the men who have captured their heart? That is the question that will be answered in Torrent and I cannot wait! At least I can re-read Gabi and Lia’s grand adventures over and over while I wait. Cascade makes me wish I could jump inside the book and go back in time with Gabi. :-)

Originally reviewed on my blog, Book Reviews by Lady Katy
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WWW Wednesday


By Unknown
Hey everyone! Today we are having our weekly WWW Wednesday posts. If you are interested in reading more about these posts, check out MizB's blog, Should Be Reading for more info! 



To play along, we must answer three questions...
- What are you currently reading?
- What did you recently finish reading? 
- What do you think you'll read next?

So! Below are my answers for this time around! :-)



Great Catch, A: A Novel (Lake Manawa Summers) 
What are you currently reading? Right now I am nearly finished with A Great Catch by Lorna Seilstad. This book is HILARIOUS and I've found myself laughing continuously as I read it. This is definitely one I am going to recommend!!






How Huge the Night: A Novel

What did you recently finish reading? Just last night I finished How Huge The Night. I really liked this one! I was actually surprised I liked it so much because there isn't much action or suspense - things I normally prefer in a book - I really enjoyed the history and meaning in it. I highly recommend this one to those who like historical books.





Angel Fall: A NovelDug Down Deep: Unearthing What I Believe and Why It Matters 
What do you think you'll read next? Well, I'll probably read two books; Dug Down Deep by Joshua Harris and I'll finish up Angel Fall - one I started a while back but put down cause it was kinda boring. LOL. 
I really am looking forward to reading Harris' book!  






Well that was fun! Please feel free to leave a comment and let us know what your WWW is for this week! :-D
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Ponderin' the Past...in a Corset!


By Katie Marie
She Walks in BeautyI laughed when I wrote the title for this post. Just the thought of pondering anything in an 19th century corset sounds stifling! Haha! But, anyhow, that is what we will be talking about today. Corsets! I got the idea to research this after reading Siri Mitchell's book, She Walks in Beauty and everything Clara had to endure to get the "perfect" waist size.

So to begin with, for any non-historical readers out there, a corset is a garment worn to shape the woman's waist into a desired shape. The first thought that might pop into your head (at least it popped into mine when I first heard of it) was "Cool! Something to make my figure look perfect!". But as I learned more about the corset, I found it more of an instrament of torture than to give a woman a nice figure. Just hearing the size of some of the woman's waists back then--18 inches--makes me cringe! (and Clara was forced to shrink her waist to a 16 inch! :-o)
Where did corset's come from? Well, the created of bringing them into style goes to Cathrine de' Medici, wife of King Henry II of France. During the 1550's she enforced a ban on thick waists at court attendance. I guess she had a problem and, since she was Queen, went to great lengths to see a bunch of thin-waisted women! (Talk about extreme! Wowza.)

Over the years the corset has undergone many changes. Its interesting watching the clothing fashion for women change as the years roll by until, in the 1900s, the corsets slowly faded from history. While I in no way would want to force my waist to 16 inches, the corset seems like such a neat part of the 1800s--at least to me, it did. I love watching the special features to movie set years ago and listen to the actors complain about not being able to breath in the corsets! Haha! Make's me want to wear one just to experience it. :-)

Well, that's all I have to say on corsets. If you have anything else to add about it, though, feel free to jump in with your knowledge in the comments section. I love learning more about our history!! :-D
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