5/21/2023 0 Comments Julianne donaldson goodreads![]() Her fraternal twin, Cecily, has been enjoying life in London and plans to snag the estate's heir, while Marianne is looking forward to seeing her sister again and enjoying the countryside. When 17-year-old Marianne Daventry is invited by her sister to spend the summer at Edenbrooke, the country estate of a family friend, she is ecstatic to leave the boredom of Bath, England, with its unwanted suitor with a penchant for bad poetry and her grandmother's critical eye. ![]() Labeled "A Proper Romance," "Edenbrooke" is the first of a new brand of romance novel by publisher Shadow Mountain, an imprint of Deseret Book, that includes clean love stories - without unnecessary bedroom scenes, sexual themes or bursting bodices. "Edenbrooke" is a Regency-era love story for those who like a well-crafted yet clean romance novel. ![]() " EDENBROOKE ," by Julianne Donaldson, Shadow Mountain, $15.99, 272 pages (f) ![]()
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![]() ![]() At one point in his travels, he learns to identify himself not as a Canadian, but as essentially an honoured member of a Somali sub-clan, all the better to break down barriers and talk with people. His grasp of the minutiae of how local clans interact, and his ability to explain this seminal aspect of Somali culture to us, is remarkable. But the fundamental problem is not really the instability of Somalia, but understanding the complexity of its local culture.īahadur overcomes this by having spent a lot of time developing contacts within the country. ![]() And many, if not most, of those reports are filed by journalists working outside the country, so fearful are foreigners of the place. As he puts it, "Somalia is like a country out of a twisted fairy tale," a land we only hear about from brief news reports. ![]() On landing in the country, the cold reality of where he is immediately hits Bahadur. ![]() And he has turned his research into a compelling and insightful book that takes readers into the very communities that harbour these high-seas criminals to meet with many Somalis, including pirates. He has ventured where few others have gone - be they foreigners or even Somalis - to craft one of the most incisive looks at modern-day piracy yet seen. Bahadur, a young Canadian journalist, has spent the last few years digging into the nefarious world of the pirates who have made Somalia so infamous. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() That is, until a stolen dance reveals a hidden side to the Earl. Charlotte watches Henrietta's games of courtship with wry amusement. Wealthy and beautiful Henrietta Buxted should be the perfect candidate however the Earl’s eye keeps wandering to her quiet cousin Charlotte Wyncroft. ![]() The book tells the story of the Earl of Shalford who needs to marry into money to save his estate. Maghera author Yvonne Fleming's books The Weatherbies have a very important message for children.She received the award in the Best Historical Romance (short) category at the annual Awards Ceremony at the 38th Annual Romance Writers of America (RWA) Conference in Denver, Colorado, last month. A woman from Northern Ireland has won a prestigious writing award.Ĭatherine Tinley, from Newry, has become the first woman from Ireland to win one of the most prominent awards given throughout the genre of romance fiction for her debut novel Waltzing with the Earl. ![]() ![]() Agent: Betsy Amster, Betsy Amster Literary Enterprises. This is by far one of the most endearing L.A. In González and Daughter Trucking Co., bestselling author María Amparo Escandón seamlessly blends together these elements into one compelling and unexpected conclusion that will have you cheering for Libertad and filled with joy. even scenes of mundane life such as a trip to get ice cream provide occasions for the characters to comment on the shifting fortunes of acquaintances after being priced out of up-and-came east side neighborhoods. ![]() Beyond the juicy plot, Escandón is a pro at capturing the socioeconomic geography of L.A. When Keila shares with her family that she intends on divorcing Oscar, the shock sends the entire cast on an emotional roller coaster as the daughters all begin to question how happy they are in their own marriages and Keila develops an attraction to a gallery owner. ![]() Together, they have three lovely, successful daughters: Claudia, a celebrity chef Olivia, an architect and Patricia, a social media consultant for large brands. Oscar, the patriarch, is a descendant of a once-influential California ranching family, and his wife, Keila, is an acclaimed artist who still has roots in the art scene of her hometown of Mexico City. The story follows the Alvarados, a wealthy Mexican-American family, and all the turmoil that exists beneath the sheen of their Instagram-perfect lives. ![]() Escandón ( González & Daughter Trucking Co.) returns with a rollicking and hilarious family drama of telenovela-esque proportions that doubles as a fiery love letter to Los Angeles. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() James: I’ve never seen a ghost, and the thought of it terrifies me. ![]() Leslie Lindsay: Have you ever had any personal connections to ghosts? I started with the idea of the heroine being assigned to assist an eccentric ghost hunter by her temp agency, and the story grew from there. There were psychical research societies, though they were considered eccentric and not taken seriously. People were as fascinated by ghosts in the 1920’s as they are today. The idea for MADDY CLARE wasn’t based on any specific historical fact. Understand ghosts and ghost hunting in the 1920s? What kind of research did you do to fully But not just anyone can pull off a ghost story without it appearing contrived. I must admit to just now reading your 2012 debut, THE HAUNTING OF MADDY CLARE and I love it! It’s dark, it’s gritty, and it definitely makes me think. Leslie Lindsay: Simone, thanks so very much for being with us today. Toss in a little love and a great setting-the lost era of the 1920s-and you’re in for a very compelling read. She writes gothic ghost stories that will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. I am super-excited to share a new-to-me author, award-winning Simone St. ![]() 5/21/2023 0 Comments Dare me based on book![]() ![]() ![]() From here the series sees this secret begin to divide all three girls, as Addy grows closer to Colette and pulls away from Beth.Īs the series progresses, a really dark and stylistically impressive segment anchors the opening swathe of episodes, turning the story toward something far more darker and multifaceted. When new cheerleading coach Colette arrives to shake things up, what follows is a story that starts to drive a wedge in Beth and Addy’s friendship, while dark secrets blanket the trio.Ĭolette is not as squeaky clean as she first appears either and the catalyst for the drama stems from Beth and Addy stumbling upon a shocking secret their coach holds. Addy and Beth are best friends inseparable teenage girls reveling in the heady world of alcohol, drugs and parties. Around the midway point, things really start to pick up and what follows is an endearing and well written mystery that keeps things interesting and tense, right the way through to its open, cliffhanger ending.īased on the best-selling 2004 novel of the same name, Dare Me is a tale that predominantly revolves around three females. ![]() Don’t be put off by the glitzy facade and early vibes in this one though – Dare Me is a show that takes a while to settle into its groove. Surrender at Discretion | Review Score =3/5ĭare Me is an interesting cheerleading drama that takes elements of Gossip girl and other melodramas of its kind and blends them up into a 10 episode series driven by some dark, central themes around murder, rape and jealousy. Mutually Assured Destruction | Review Score = 3/5 ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() With her diagnosis, Lorde was confronted with an altered existential terrain in which the physical and emotional vicissitudes brought about by cancer were coupled with a devastating post-operative experience of dehumanization, prejudice, and potential invisibilisation, often by the medical establishment itself. She had been active within civil rights movements and intellectual circles that included her partner Frances Clayton, Adrienne Rich, Maureen Brady, and Judith McDaniel among others staunchly advocating against systemic racism and the heteropatriarchal oppression of social and sexual minorities. At the time of her diagnosis in 1978, Lorde was an established poet, a Black feminist writer and teacher. At the age of 44, Audre Lorde was diagnosed with a malignant tumour in her right breast and presented with a choice between an aggressive treatment and the surgical removal of her cancerous breast. ![]() 5/21/2023 0 Comments Digital minimalism by cal newport![]() ![]() Newport is convinced that we need “a full-fledged philosophy of technology use, rooted in your deep values, that provides clear answers to the questions of what tools you should use and how you should use them and, equally important, enables you to confidently ignore everything else.” A Lopsided Arms Race The Bennett Principle: A practice in which you prioritize demanding activity over passive consumption, use skills to produce valuable things in the physical world, and seek activities that require real-world, structured social interactions. ![]() ![]() The Social Media Paradox: Social media makes you feel both connected and lonely, happy and sad.Solitude Deprivation: A state in which you spend close to zero time alone with your own thoughts and free from input from other minds.Digital Declutter: A practice in which you define your technology rules, take a thirty-day break, and reintroduce technology.Digital Minimalism: “A philosophy of technology use in which you focus your online time on a small number of carefully selected and optimized activities that strongly support things you value, and then happily miss out on everything else.”.Digital Minimalism is a philosophy of technology in which you focus your online time on a few carefully selected activities that support the things you value. ![]() 5/21/2023 0 Comments The tea rose by jennifer donnelly![]() ![]() Jennifer’s first novel, The Tea Rose, an epic historical novel set in London and New York in the late 19th century, was called “exquisite” by Booklist, “so much fun” by the Washington Post, a “guilty pleasure” by People and was named a Top Pick by the Romantic Times. Jennifer grew up in New York State, in Lewis and Westchester counties, and attended the University of Rochester where she majored in English Literature and European History. She is a co-author of Fatal Throne, which explores the lives of King Henry VIII's six wives, for which she wrote the part of Anna of Cleves, Henry's fourth wife. ![]() ![]() Jennifer Donnelly is the author of thirteen novels - Poisoned, Stepsister, Beauty and the Beast: Lost in a Book, These Shallow Graves, Sea Spell, Dark Tide, Rogue Wave, Deep Blue, Revolution, A Northern Light, The Tea Rose, The Winter Rose and The Wild Rose - and Humble Pie, a picture book for children. ![]() 5/20/2023 0 Comments Odell how to do nothing![]() ![]() Odell argues that by refocusing our attention on the natural world, we can undertake more meaningful forms of political action, reimagine our relationship to the environment, and develop better understandings of happiness and progress. And while there may be a sort of “engineer’s satisfaction” in streamlining our lived experience, Odell writes, “a certain nervous feeling, of being overstimulated and unable to sustain a train of thought, lingers.”Īnd this is because deep down, we know that much of what makes life meaningful comes from interruptions and accidents-the “ off-time” that technology seeks to eradicate. We interact with algorithmic versions of each other online and fastidiously create our personal brands. Odell is right: in a world where value is measured by productivity, every minute is scheduled, every second optimized-even our free time. “Nothing is harder to do than nothing,” artist and professor Jenny Odell opens her recent book, How To Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy. ![]() |