Review - The Postmistress by Alison Stuart

The Postmistress by Alison Stuart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Paperback, 395 pages

Published June 17th 2019 by HarperCollins

Source: Publisher for Review

Synopsis:
'A stunning historical tale of loss, desire and courage that is full of the terror and the beauty of the Australian bush, for readers of The Thorn Birds, The Naturalist's Daughter and The Widow of Ballarat.

To forge a new life she must first deal with her past...

1871. Adelaide Greaves and her young son have found sanctuary in the Australian town of Maiden's Creek, where she works as a postmistress. The rough Victorian goldmining settlement is a hard place for a woman - especially as the other women in town don't know what to make of her - but through force of will and sheer necessity, Adelaide carves out a role.

But her past is coming to find her, and the embittered and scarred Confederate soldier Caleb Hunt, in town in search of gold and not without a dark past of his own, might be the only one who can help. Can Adelaide trust him? Can she trust anyone?

When death and danger threaten - some from her past, some borne of the Australian bush - she must swallow her pride and turn to Caleb to join her in the fight, a fight she is determined to win...'

My Thoughts:
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and although it is not a genre I typically pick up often I am glad I decided to give it a go.

This isn't your typical, air-headed, sickly romance which is what I enjoyed about it the most. There was a lot more to the story and what I appreciated the most was all of the historical references and the picture that was painted in my head of the old mining town of Maiden's Creek. The author has definitely done her research and it really shows in how she describes everything in such great detail to really make you feel like you are there.

The main character Adelaide was a very believable, strong-minded woman. I liked the fact she was portrayed in this manner rather than your typical air-headed, weak female that is commonly written about in books of this era. She was determined and could think for herself and didn't need anyone else to rely on to make a life for her and her son.

I thought Caleb was a very likeable character as well as he was realistic and had faults which gave him depth and made you want to see everything work out for him in the end.

I appreciated the fact that the romance angle was more of a slow burn rather than a 'fall head over heels in an instant' kind of thing and it made me really want to keep reading to see how it was all going to develop. The romance between Adelaide and Caleb was definitely a big part of the storyline but there was still enough going on in other areas to make the book interesting and keep me invested in reading.

This is the first book I have read by author Alison Stuart and has made me think to try out some of her other books in the future.

Review: David Attenborough: Life on Air by David Attenborough

David Attenborough: Life on Air by David Attenborough
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Paperback, 2nd, 416 pages

Published 2010 by BBC Books (first published 2002)

Source: Own copy

Synopsis:
'David Attenborough hardly needs any introduction; his voice has accompanied so many of the best natural history programs that have graced our televisions over several decades. Life On Air, his autobiography, tells the story of how he has managed to professionalise his schoolboy interests in such a remarkably successful way.

Attenborough's Life On Air began in 1950, having taken a degree in Natural Sciences in the University of Cambridge, done National Service in the Navy, got married, done a year as an editor with an educational publisher, had a son and then answered a BBC recruiting ad in the Times. Turned down for BBC Radio, he was offered a traineeship in BBC TV which was pioneering the medium in Britain and he has never looked back. The rest is TV history and you can read Sir David's personal view of it all in his engaging and highly entertaining book.

This is no boring story of the rise and rise of a media mogul in the smoke-filled rooms of Ally Pally and Lime Grove. Having served his apprenticeship producing programmes like Animal, Vegetable, Mineral? and Song Hunter with the famous American folk singer and song collector Alan Lomax, he managed to escape from the confines of overlit studios into the natural world. Zoo Quest began in 1954 with an animal collecting trip to Sierra Leone and David Attenborough had found his metier. Since then he has managed to bring the wonders of the natural world into millions of living rooms around the world and to reach general audiences without patronising them, without any spurious antics, silly voices or dumbing down. His animal and plant subjects are the stars, Attenborough is the master of ceremonies who introduces the acts for our wonder and amazement. But his scope extends way beyond the birds and the bees.

In the 1960s, it was suggested that he took up an administrative post--"after all, you won't want to be gallivanting around the world when you are 50". Fortunately, he did not abandon gallivanting for admin but went freelance, studied anthropology and helped extend our view of native peoples and sympathies for their life styles. He went on to become responsible for coming up with famous BBC TV series such as Kenneth Clark's incredibly successful Civilisation series, followed by Bronowski's The Ascent of Man. Inevitably, he did become one of the BBC suits but one that wore a camouflage jacket.

What is remarkable is that Attenborough has managed to do it for so long without really changing his own style too much. He has not had to because the technology has changed and so he has constantly been able to give new views and insights into the details of life on Earth. Writing pretty much as he speaks, it is easy to hear his voice, dry sense of humour and generosity coming through all the time. Do not expect to read personal details, navel-gazing or malicious gossip--that is not his style. The only personal note comes at the end with the death of his wife in 1997. Over 100 photos associated with the huge range of programmes he has been intimately involved with decorate Life On Air, a fascinating personal story of our times. He says that he knows of "no pleasure deeper than that which comes from contemplating the natural world and trying to understand it"; he certainly manages to convey that in Life On Air. --Douglas Palmer'

My Thoughts:
I am surprised at how much I really did enjoy this book. I've always been such a major fan of David Attenborough and have watched his documentaries since as long as I can remember.

I was always so grateful that my parents introduced me to these types of programs which developed my interest in natural history and the world around us and I have tried so hard to do the same with my children. I am pleased to say that my 8 year old son has a huge love for David Attenborough and his fascinating way of presenting things just as much as I have and we enjoy nothing more than sitting down and watching anything of his that comes on the television.

I am amazed at the fascinating and interesting life that David has led and cannot fathom how much he has seen and experienced in all his travels. He is a born story teller and I found that I read this entire book as if it was his voice in my head which made it all the more enjoyable.

I'm not usually much of a big reader of biographies or auto-biographies/memoir types books unless it is someone that I really have an interest in and I am so glad that I decided to give this one a chance. I struggled to put it down in some parts because I was so fascinated by what he was doing or where he was at the time and loved how he even described the differences in camera and filming techniques over the years to really give perspective on how things have changed.

If you're a fan of David Attenborough at all I strongly suggest you read this book.

A Monster Of All Time

by J.T. Hunter

on Tour July 1-31, 2019

 

The True Story of Danny Rolling, The Gainesville Ripper

Ambitious, attractive, and full of potential, five young college students prepared for the new semester. They dreamed of beginning careers and starting families. They had a lifetime of experiences in front of them. But death came without warning in the dark of the night.

Brutally ending five promising lives, leaving behind three gruesome crime scenes, the Gainesville Ripper terrorized the University of Florida, casting an ominous shadow across a frightened college town.

What evil lurked inside him?

What demons drove him to kill?

What made him A Monster of All Time?

Book Details:

Genre: True Crime
Published by: RJ Parker Publishing
Publication Date: September 4th 2018
Number of Pages: 304
ISBN: 1987902521 (ISBN13: 9781987902525)
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

Prologue
January 1987
Parchman, Mississippi

The prisoner raged in his lonely cell.
"When they let me out of here," the prisoner swore to himself, "I’ll make them all pay."
Years of condemnation and contempt had taken its toll, breaking him down, eroding his spirit, destroying all sense of hope. Now only the anger remained.
~~~~~
Cast into the bowels of Parchman Prison, the notorious Mississippi State Penitentiary, the prisoner had suffered daily torments during his confinement, each day falling deeper and deeper into despair. Raw sewage regularly seeped into his cell through the floor and flowed from a broken drain down the hall, flooding the cramped 8 x 10 feet concrete space with a revolting grey-brown liquid and an unrelenting stench.
Kept in this torturous isolation, his besieged brain had betrayed him, replaying the grievous moments of his life, all of the humiliations and feelings of helplessness, every piercing word, and every raw, painful memory. It was a constant reminder that the world had always been a hurtful place of violence, animosity, and aversion, never one of empathy or understanding.
Desperate to escape the unrelenting torment, he retreated ever deeper into the labyrinth of his own mind, creeping ever closer to madness. It was in that maze of insanity that he found himself. Or rather, something found him.
In the bleak, all-encompassing darkness, something whispered his name.
Faceless and formless, the voice seemed to emanate both from the impenetrable blackness surrounding him and from the shadowy depths of his own consciousness. The voice soothed and seduced him, its language both alien and familiar. It promised the strength to survive whatever nightmares awaited the remainder of his confinement. It offered the tools of revenge for his present condition, for all of the wrongs committed against him in the past, and for the scorn and mistreatment yet to come. Most of all, it promised the power to make others feel the suffering he had so long endured.
Then a name imprinted itself into his brain, uttered from an unseen shape in the darkness, or muttered from the murky depths of memory.
"Gemini," an eerie voice proclaimed. "I am Gemini."
At that moment, an infernal compact was crafted, a devil’s contract offering redemption for the damned, a demonic covenant accepted regardless of the terms. Caring nothing for the consequences, the prisoner embraced the assurance of vengeance, pledging revenge for the countless injuries inflicted upon him. Just as a cold, uncaring world had robbed him of his humanity and stolen years of his life, he would take the lives of others in an equal and equitable proportion. A new sense of purpose washed over him, bringing with it a rebirth, a recognition of what he needed to do.
And now he waited, marking the days with hidden malice, the bitter darkness of his cell matched only by the malevolence of his twisted, tainted soul.
***
Excerpt from A Monster Of All Time by J.T. Hunter. Copyright 2018 by J.T. Hunter. Reproduced with permission from J.T. Hunter. All rights reserved.

Author Bio:

J.T. Hunter is an attorney with over fourteen years of experience practicing law, including criminal law and appeals, and he has significant training in criminal investigation techniques. He is also a college professor in Florida where his teaching interests focus on the intersection of criminal psychology, law, and literature.
JT's bestselling true crime books include:

Devil in The Darkness: True Story of Serial Killer ISRAEL KEYES

The Country Boy Killer: The True Story of Serial Killer Cody Legebokoff

In Colder Blood: True Story of the Walker Family Murder as depicted in Truman Capote’s, In Cold Blood

Deadly Deception: True Story of Tampa Serial Killer, Bobby Joe Long

Death Row Romeo: The True Story of Serial Killer Oscar Ray Bolin

The Vampire Next Door: True Story of the Vampire Rapist and Serial Killer

Catch Up With J.T. Hunter On:
jthunter.org, Goodreads, BookBub, & Facebook!

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways!

Enter Giveaway!:

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for JT Hunter. There will be 2 winners of one (1) Amazon.com Gift Card each. The giveaway begins on July 1, 2019 and runs through August 2, 2019. Void where prohibited.

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Review - The Last Savanna by Mike Bond

The Last Savanna by Mike Bond
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Source: Netgalley

Synopsis:
'With Africa's last elephants dying under the poachers' guns, Kenya rancher and former SAS officer Ian MacAdam leads a commando squad against them. Pursuing the poachers through jungled mountains and searing deserts he battles thirst, solitude, terror and lethal animals, only to find that the poachers have kidnapped a young archaeologist, Rebecca Hecht, whom he once loved and bitterly lost. 

McAdam embarks upon a desperate trek to save not only Rebecca but his own soul in an Africa torn apart by wars, overpopulation, and the slaughter of its last wildlife. Based on the author's experiences pursuing elephant poachers in the wilds of East Africa.'

My Thoughts:
I found The Last Savanna a very descriptive book that makes you really feel and see what's going on while you read it. There are a couple of parts where you are reading the thoughts of a poor lion and elephant when they are being killed and I literally felt sick due to how awful it all was.

Several times while reading this book I really had to stop and wonder how sad it is that there are humans on earth that can the things described because they are just so desperate to live and have no other choice.

You constantly feel sorry for all of the characters and there really is no positive things I can mention, but I guess this dark and desperate mood is exactly what the author was going for to really open up the eyes of the reader.

I did struggle to finish reading this book and really had to force myself to push through to the end. The ending did surprise me and made me feel even more disappointed because it definitely wasn't what I was expecting to happen. After reading The Last Savanna I felt extremely glad that I don't live in those conditions or have to deal with the issues raised on a daily basis.

In all honesty I just found this book really sad. I know that the author is trying to get a very important message across about what happens in this part of the world so I guess they've done a good job.

Book Blitz - Burton's Solo by Richard J. Cass

An Elder Darrow Mystery, Book 3

Crime Fiction

Publisher: Encircle Publications

Published: October 2018

When Dan Burton beats up Antoine Bousquet, the clothing designer suspect in the murder of two Chinese seamstresses, he jeopardizes his job as a homicide detective and his life. Bousquet is released without bail because of Burton’s mistake. When Bousquet turns up dead, beaten and tortured, Burton becomes the prime suspect. The department’s Internal Affairs inspectors, Bousquet’s live-in lover, several Russian gangsters, and the kingpin of the Boston underworld are all looking for Burton. But Elder Darrow, his best friend and proprietor of the Esposito bar, hides Burton and helps save his position on the Boston Police Department and rescue him from death. In the process, they expose an evil scheme by which illegal immigrants were effectively enslaved to work in Antoine Bousquet’s sweat shops.

Other Books in the Elder Darrow Mystery Series:

In Solo Time

An Elder Darrow Mystery, Book 1

Publisher: Encircle Publications

Published: September 2017

An alcoholic walks into a bar . . . and buys it. At the urging of his sometimes lover and sometimes drinking partner Jacquie Robillard, Elder Darrow uses the last of the money from the trust fund his mother left him to buy the Esposito, a bucket-of-blood bar in Boston that he plans to turn into a jazz nightclub. But before he can turn the place around, the body of Timmy McGuire, a jazz guitar player, shows up on the small stage at the Esposito, stabbed to death.

Dan Burton, a Boston Homicide detective, likes Jacquie for the murder. She had a contentious relationship with the guitar player (and a few other men along the way). But one of the other men Jacquie is involved with is the son of an old-line Boston landlord with political designs on the commonwealth’s governorship. Burton arrests Jacquie for Timmy McGuire’s murder but Elder is certain something darker and deeper than a lover’s quarrel is at stake.

Jacquie is released on bail. When she shows up dead, Elder is drawn into a conspiracy going back to Timmy’s childhood, an arson in the three-decker in Mattapan where he grew up, and the unraveling of a political conspiracy. Elder’s need to solve Timmy’s murder peaks when his jazz singer lady friend, Alison Somers, is kidnapped by the perpetrators. In the end, he has to solve the mystery and rescue Alison without the help of the police or anyone else.

Amazon

Solo Act

An Elder Darrow Mystery, Book 2

Publisher: Encircle Publications

Published: September 2017

An alcoholic walks into a bar . . . and buys it. In this amateur sleuth mystery, Elder Darrow uses the last of the money from the trust fund his mother left him to buy the Esposito, a bucket-of-blood bar in Boston, hoping to turn it into a jazz nightspot. Though he knows that working in a bar is going to test his sobriety, he's relying on the support of his ex-lover, a jazz singer named Alison Somers.

The two of them split when Alison moved to New York to further her career but before she left, the two of them made a pact: he'll stay off the booze if she keeps taking her antidepressants, which keep her from another suicide attempt. Then one day Elder hears that Alison has killed herself by diving out her apartment window.

With his sobriety threatened, he follows an instinct that says she wouldn't have quit taking her meds, or killed herself, without talking to him first. Along the way, Elder encounters a beautiful collector of jazz memorabilia, a Native American gangster with aspirations to management, and a bomb-throwing piano player, as well as the usual stresses and strains of running a bar. But with the reluctant help of his friend Dan Burton, a homicide cop, Elder investigates and exposes the conspiracy of local thugs, corrupt physicians, and shipments of pharmaceuticals of questionable quality, proving that Alison was murdered and who was responsible.

Amazon

About the Author

Richard Cass is the author of the Elder Darrow jazz mystery series: Solo Act was a finalist for the 2017 Maine Literary Awards in Crime Fiction. Its prequel, In Solo Time, won the 2018 Maine Literary Award in Crime Fiction. The third book in the series, Burton’s Solo, was released November 1. Cass serves on the board of Mystery Writers of America’s New England Chapter.

Cass holds a graduate degree in writing from the University of New Hampshire, where he studied with Thomas Williams, Jr. and Joseph Monninger. He has also studied with Ernest Hebert, Ursula K. LeGuin, and Molly Gloss. He has been an Individual Artist's Fellow for the state of New Hampshire and a Fellow at the Fishtrap Writers' Conference in Oregon. His fiction and nonfiction have appeared in Playboy, Gray’s Sporting Journal, ZZYZVA, and Best Short Stories of the American West.  Cass lives in Cape Elizabeth. Visit: rjcassbooks.com.

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Review: Riverboat Point by Tricia Stringer

Riverboat Point by Tricia Stringer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Paperback, 400 pages

Published December 1st 2014 by Harlequin MIRA

Synopsis:

'Savannah Smith’s been hurt by life. She doesn’t need people, then she meets Ethan Daly. In the peace of Riverboat Point, magic can happen.

From the award-winning author of Right as Rain and Queen of the Road.

Savannah has a chip on her shoulder. And no wonder: apart from her tough teenage years, a car accident not only claimed her parents’ lives, but left her with permanent injuries.

She’s not close to her little brother Jax either – although she’s always been envious of his ability to just enjoy life. Jax moves to a small town, Riverboat Point, on the Murray River, and asks her to come too. She won’t leave the city but when Jax disappears leaving a vague warning to watch out for the neighbours, she’s forced to move and take over his houseboat business.

With no idea what to watch out for she keeps all the neighbours at arm’s length, including the mysterious guy next door, Ethan. Savannah is attracted to her tall dark neighbour but won’t admit it. She can trust no one. In spite of her fears, they work closely and she can’t deny the chemistry. Finally, she lets her guard down – only to discover he has been lying to her all along...

Will Jax ever return, or has he met with foul play? Who is interfering with the houseboats and stealing from the business? Will Savannah find out the truth about Jax and Ethan’s deal ... and can she ever trust Ethan again?'
My Thoughts:
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was kind of disappointed for it to end and to leave the world of Savannah and Ethan.

I honestly liked Savannah as a main character and thought she was very realistic and likeable. It wasn't your typical 'useless female meets big macho romantic interest' story which tends to get a bit repetitive and old in romance books in my opinion. Savannah could hold her own and wasn't a brainless, needy female like what is so often portrayed in books of this nature these days.

I really enjoyed the way their romance developed slowly and that they didn't fall into bed with each other straight away. The houseboat angle was also quite interesting and not something that I've encountered in a story line before.

I was also very surprised about the ending and had no idea it was going to turn out the way that it did. Although I knew there was something sinister building, it definitely was not the result that I was thinking.

Overall, this is a story I would definitely recommend if you're after a refreshing change from most other romances and I'm certainly interested in reading more from this author in the future.

Book Blitz - The Last Caliph by T.L. Williams

Logan Alexander, Book 4

Military Thriller

Publisher: First Coast Publishers

Published: March 2019

The Last Caliph is a novel that delves into the threat foreign extremists pose to U.S. national security. Harnessing technology to recruit domestic jihadists bent on ripping the very fiber of the country apart, ISIS is on a mission to destroy the United States. America's intelligence agencies, military and law enforcement are at the forefront of an intense effort to preserve and protect what all hold dear: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The White House has declared ISIS vanquished and the president has ordered U.S troops home from the Middle East. But CIA Operations Officer, Logan Alexander, knows the threat is real. Working with Special Forces personnel, the CIA and law enforcement, Logan attempts to penetrate the terrorist group. In this 4th book in the Logan Alexander series, Logan faces his most lethal foe.

Other Books in the Logan Alexander Series:

Cooper's Revenge

Logan Alexander, Book 1

Publisher: First Coast Publishers

For fans of Tom Clancy, James Patterson and Vince Flynn novels, T.L. Williams debut novel, Cooper's Revenge hits the mark. It immediately draws the reader in as Navy SEAL, Logan Alexander, attempts to put his life back together following a career-ending injury in Afghanistan, when he learns that his younger brother, Cooper, has been killed in an ambush while on patrol with his Ranger unit in Iraq. As Alexander delves into the circumstances leading to Cooper's death, he learns of the role that the secret arm of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Qods Force, plays in exporting terror. Alexander vows to avenge his brother's death. With the financial backing of a Kuwaiti billionaire, and a group of like-minded Special Forces operatives, Alexander conceives a plan that takes his team to the Sonora Desert, Europe, and the Middle East, where he comes face-to-face with the man responsible for Cooper's death.

Amazon

Unit 400 The Assassins

Logan Alexander, Book 2

Publisher: First Coast Publishers

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is reeling from a devastating attack on its covert training center in Bandar Deylam, Iran. In retaliation Iran’s Supreme Ruler unleashes an ultra secret weapon - Unit 400. This cadre of trained assassins has its roots in ancient Persian culture, when Ismaili leader, Hassan al-Sabbah, unleashed the Hashashin from their mountain fortress at Alamut to assassinate political and religious foes. One man stands in their way - former Navy SEAL Logan Alexander. In this exciting sequel to award winning author, T.L. Williams' debut novel, Cooper’s Revenge, Logan and his Special Forces team travel to Europe and South America in an effort to track down the elusive killers before they can strike again.

Amazon

Zero Day: China's Cyber Wars

Logan Alexander, Book 3

Publisher: First Coast Publishers

For readers who enjoyed Tom Clancy and James Patterson thrillers, CIA veteran T. L. Williams unfolds a chilling—and highly conceivable—scenario in his latest novel, ZERO DAY: China's Cyber Wars.  Moving between Chongqing, China and Langley, Virginia, this fast-paced spy thriller revolves around a plot by the Chinese government to seize the edge on global power by undermining the U.S. economy.  Armed with an underground force of hackers, China’s Ministry of Public Security (MPS) has a mission: to destroy confidence in the dollar by launching persistent, aggressive cyberattacks on America’s banking system.  Revenge—against the Communist Party for his father’s shameful death, Li Jiang, a senior Public Security Bureau officer in Chongqing, lets America in on the covert details of China’s masterful cyberattack plan.  To vet and handle this potential asset, the CIA dispatches Logan Alexander, a former Navy SEAL, working undercover in Hong Kong, to China.  Logan quickly comes to trust Li. But the brass back in Langley have doubts. Could Li be a double agent? Or could a trusted American be spying for the Chinese?  Reviewed by the CIA, ZERO DAY is packed with authentic insider details. As discussed on FOX, NBC, CBS,ABC and NPR, Williams latest novel is a must read. KIRKUS Reviews, the Midwestern Book Review, Foreword Reviews and Creative Loafing have all praised Zero Day with critical acclaim.

ZERO DAY, the third book in the Logan Alexander series, follows the award-winning Cooper's Revenge and Unit 400: The Assassins.

Amazon

About the Author

T.L. Williams is a veteran officer of the CIA's clandestine service. Over a thirty-year career he served in Asia, Europe and Central Eurasia, where he was engaged in clandestine collection of critical intelligence with an emphasis on denied-area operations. Williams conducted recruitment operations against East Asian, Middle Eastern, East European and Caribbean targets. As Chief in CIA Stations he was the senior U.S. intelligence official in country. He partnered with foreign allies in counterterrorism, counternarcotics and counterproliferation operations.

Williams' other award-winning novels include Cooper's Revenge, Unit 400: The Assassins and Zero Day: China's Cyber Wars. He and his wife live in northern Florida.

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Review: Whiskey in a Teacup by Reese Witherspoon

Whiskey in a Teacup: What Growing Up in the South Taught Me About Life, Love & Baking Biscuits by Reese Witherspoon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hardcover, 304 pages

Published September 18th 2018 by Touchstone

Synopsis:

'Academy award-winning actress, producer, and entrepreneur Reese Witherspoon invites you into her world, where she infuses the southern style, parties, and traditions she loves with contemporary flair and charm.

Reese Witherspoon’s grandmother Dorothea always said that a combination of beauty and strength made southern women “whiskey in a teacup.” We may be delicate and ornamental on the outside, she said, but inside we’re strong and fiery.

Reese’s southern heritage informs her whole life, and she loves sharing the joys of southern living with practically everyone she meets. She takes the South wherever she goes with bluegrass, big holiday parties, and plenty of Dorothea’s fried chicken. It’s reflected in how she entertains, decorates her home, and makes holidays special for her kids—not to mention how she talks, dances, and does her hair (in these pages, you will learn Reese’s fail-proof, only slightly insane hot-roller technique). Reese loves sharing Dorothea’s most delicious recipes as well as her favourite southern traditions, from midnight barn parties to backyard bridal showers, magical Christmas mornings to rollicking honky-tonks.

It’s easy to bring a little bit of Reese’s world into your home, no matter where you live. After all, there’s a southern side to every place in the world, right?'

My Thoughts:
I actually really enjoyed reading this book. It's one of those frivolous purchases to just chill out with and remember that life isn't so serious all of the time.

I loved reading all the little bits of inside information into Reese's home life and how her life was growing up and this book certainly showcases how priviledged and well-off her family must have been. You get a real inside view into exactly how Reese has become the person she is today and what shaped her personality and family values growing up so if you're a fan of hers, you'll really love this book.

This is a very fun book and not one to take too seriously. It does contain some interesting raw truths as well which was quite refreshing. There's nothing worse than when someone tries to look too perfect all the time.

There are some interesting and tasty recipes scattered throughout and I'll definitely be trying some out with my family in the near future.

If anything it makes a pretty coffee table book to flick through whenever you're feeling a little flat or if you're in need of a lighthearted conversation starter.

Spotlight - The Mindset Accountability Journal by Allie Hudson

Self-help, inspirational, motivational

Date Published: December 10, 2018

Publisher: Lucid Books

Are you stuck in a life you want to be different, but have no idea where to start?

The Mindset Accountability Journal will jump-start you to a life you can enjoy living every day. By establishing incremental daily habits, you will embark on a path to gratitude, self-growth, and fulfillment. This journal will help you:

·        Discover who you were meant to be

·        Shift your focus to what is good and wonderful in your life

·        Create an attitude of mindset growth

You will never regret taking charge of your life and living with gratitude. The journey is rewarding and challenging. It takes only 30 minutes each day to make progress with your future, one day at a time.

A portion of the book's proceeds will support BridgeHope, whose efforts enable survivors of exploitation and trafficking to THRIVE!

About the Author

Allie Hudson grew up in LaGrange, Ohio, and attended Moody Bible Institute, studying education. In 1991, she married Larry Sellers, who passed away of a heart attack in May 2009. In 2010, she married Michael Hudson who passed away of cancer just three years later. In January 2012, Allie lost her corporate job of 20 years because of downsizing in the newspaper business. Throughout this five-year period of three major losses, the only way she survived was to focus on God and trust that He had a plan for her life. After struggling to maintain a daily consistent practice of growth and gratitude, she began a 40-day challenge to practice gratitude and personal growth. That journey taught her the need to help other people develop a daily practice of thankfulness and inspired her to share 'The Mindset Accountability Journal' with the world.

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