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Full of what could happen in real life and what might become a reaction are the thoughts that fill the pages of this novel, "Stars in the Grass" by Ann Marie Stewart. The book touches on the unexpected loss of a very young family member named Joel. Afterwards, there are the battles of the mind and body which each family member suffers as they try to realign their lives without Joel. There is Abby the second oldest child, who sees the three year old's crib in her bedroom every day until the parents and she realize it's time to remove it. There is the symbolism behind the clocks repaired by the father. There is a memorable snow ball fight between brother and sister. At the same time, new friendships are made, and old friendships become more important. It is a Christian fiction novel. I think the whole novel is emotional. This is a Christian family who have moved from Wisconsin to Ohio. The father and husband of the family is a Presbyterian minister. A

California, here I come! The Bethel AME church scenes are very inspiring along with African American heroines and heroes like Jim Beckwourth and also Native American tribes. There is a wonderful romance between Logan and Mariah. Since Mariah is not bad to look at, she gets a big share of men who come to date her. This part of the novel is very funny.It seems men will do anything to get a woman's attention. There is Reverend Dennis who comes a courting also. My favorite part of the novel is Logan's shopping trip with Mariah Cooper. He has it. So she can pick out all the furniture she wants and also romantic negligees and beautiful jewelry which I wanted to wrap around my neck and put on my ears. "Earbobs, a few necklaces for special occasions. A bracelet or two and oh, a wedding ring." His special name for her is querida. Yes, there is a bit of the Spanish culture in the novel. I am tempted to take a course in the Spanish language and in Spanish A

There are many wonderful places in this novel titled "Deep Water" by Christine Poulson to discuss in a group or ponder alone. There is the terrible death of Jennifer in a car, a lost lab book and the competition of scientists working in labs. To what lengths will scientists go to prove that they are the first to discover or explore something in the human DNA? Then, there is the mystery of research and children's illnesses. For example, the need of Bone Marrow which opens the door to who should give it, why are we thinking of one donor over another donor? Also, there is the mystery of reproduction. There is Daniel, Rachel, Nick and Jennifer and of course, Harry. Why is it only possible for the woman to really know who has fathered the child? Is it part of the punishment measured out to Adam that the man might have to suffer not knowing whether he is the true father of a child? It's so sad when biological parenting comes in to question. However, it is g

The release of new postal stamps on the market is exciting especially if it is your hero or heroine. I've had my favorite stamps. However, I never thought about the stamps which become collector items. For example, where is their country of origin? That's why "The One - Cent Magenta" by James Barron is a very gripping book to read. Some of the collectors know they have a treasure and other collectors like Harry Vaughn, a twelve year old, have no idea what they have in their hands. That makes for eccentric people and pretty ordinary people who choose to become stamp collectors. I have to start with the twelve year old. He paid sixteen dollars and some cents for his magenta stamp. At the exact opposite side of the totem pole is the businessman who walks around with a briefcase chained to his wrist. Inside is the stamp that is a rarity. Along the way, there are many fun facts in this non-fiction book about a very, very valuable stamp with a strange color. Groucho M

  "Himself" by Jess Kidd is an Irish tragedy. The novel takes place in Ireland. The main character is a man named  Mahony. His life is very sad. If you're in the mood for carrying around a box of tissues, you will love this novel. His life begins as an infant placed on the doorstep of Saint Anthony's orphanage. Twenty six years later he is ready to set out on a road of discovery to find his mother. His mother is Orla Sweeney. She led a tragic life.. There is the feeling she looked for love in all the wrong places never finding it until giving birth to Mahony. She loved the baby, but the cards or the ghosts of the past work against her. She does not survive to see the baby grow up. Neither does she survive to see him  smile at the angels. The fates are against her. Like most abandoned children, Mahony wants to know about his parents. He wants to know what happened to his mother and if lucky, he might find out who fathered him too. "Himself" by Jess Kidd is

It's a British Newspaper and a staff mixed up in the politics of Russia. There also are Royals and the famous Faberge eggs. All of this is found in "The Kill Fee" by Fiona Veitch Smith. During the Twentieth Century, there were the White Russians, the good guys, who sided with the British. There were also the Red Russians who wanted a new Russia where the people would have more control. It became very easy for me to learn and recognize the White Russians. It seemed much harder to keep up with the characters on the Red side. Thank goodness for the name chart at the front of the book. If there is any interest in Old Russia, the murders of Tsar Nicholas III and his Tsarina Alexandra and their family, you will like this mystery. Also, if there is any fascination with Rasputin and what happened to him is a reason to fly swiftly through all the pages. There is a runaway named Nana and a child named Anya. I felt the strain and stress of  these two people.  I wanted to rema

While I love Time Travel novels, I didn't know the reason characters did it. In "Yellowstone Heart Song" by Peggy L. Henderson, Aimee falls backward in time to 1810. Her modern life is spent in the time of 2010. Zach Osborne, Daniel's father,  is the one who sends people back and forth in time. Zach does it by touching a dried snake head he keeps in a pouch around his neck. What is thought provoking to me is that Aimee feels she needs to time travel because it allows her to "escape reality." The e book is well done. I thought so much about Yellowstone Park and its animal life like Bison and Elk.I also had the chance to discover the names of  Indian tribes. There are the Blackfoot Tribe, Tukedeka Tribe and the Shoshone Tribe. It's exciting learning how one tribe is very different in temperament from another tribe. I also read about the hot springs. Surprising to me, some springs are hotter than other springs. I also loved the fact that Aimee is a Trau