Last Hurrah before school starts

I'm leaving for one last hurrah before starting a new school year! I'm so very excited because our son, Marc, will be joining us for the first time this summer..yippee!!! I won't be posting this weekend nor reading blogs because I'm going to truly enjoy this time together. This is Marc's Senior year and I want to savor every moment and make them count!! I hope you all have a fantastic Labor Day Weekend....see you next week!!

Peace,
Staci

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The Weight of Heaven by Thrity Umrigar -TLC Book Tour Review

What The Weight of Heaven is about:

When Frank and Ellie Benton lose their only child, seven-year-old Benny, to a sudden illness, the perfect life they had built is shattered. Filled with wrenching memories, their Ann Arbor home becomes unbearable, and their marriage founders. Then an unexpected job half a world away in Girbaug, India, offers them an opportunity to start again. But Frank’s befriending of Ramesh—a bright, curious boy who quickly becomes the focus of his attentions—will lead the grieving man down an ever-darkening path with stark repercussions.

A devastating look at cultural clashes and divides, Thrity Umrigar’s The Weight of Heaven is a rare glimpse of a family and a country struggling under pressures beyond their control.

I remember being blown away when I read Thrity's book The Space Between Us in 2010. I thought she made India come alive in my mind and as I became further engrossed in the story I could swear that I heard the sounds and the smells of the country too. That's how vivid and wonderful this author's writing is...with her sharply honed pen she draws the reader into the pages of her imagination and you find yourself not wanting to leave.

The Weight of Heaven is another masterpiece by Umrigar and even though I was left with many conflicting emotions at the end of the book, I can honestly say that I loved it. I believed I experienced the entire gambit of emotions; extreme sadness, thrill of first love, anger, grief, hostility, bewilderment, indignation, happiness, joy, and too many more to list. I loved how the author told the story in segments because that gave the reader a chance to go back in time when life was really starting to get good for Frank and Ellie. The reader gets a glimpse into how very happy they truly were and then to see how they both plummeted into the tunnel of despair and grief after losing their only child. I started out feeling extreme sympathy and empathizing with both Frank and Ellie, but by the final page all of those connections and feelings were out the door. I was shocked to say the least and when I finally was able to close the book I just sat there in a stunned silence and really let everything soak in. Honestly, I'm still thinking about it a day later. Umrigar's story will haunt me for a while.

Recommend? Absolutely and with no hesitation.

Disclaimer: Thank you to TLC Book Tours for sending me a review copy. I was not compensated for my review. My thoughts on this book were in no way influenced by the author or publicist.They are my personal reflections based solely on MY experience while reading this novel.

Review Book #27
© 2012, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Sprinkle with Murder- Bookish Thoughts #45

What Sprinkle with Murder is about:

Melanie Cooper and Angie DeLaura are finally living out their dream as the proud owners of the Fairy Tale Cupcakes bakery. But their first big client is a nightmare. She's a bridezilla who wants 500 custom cupcakes for her wedding.

When Mel stumbles upon the bride-to-be dead-by-cupcake, she becomes the prime suspect. To save themselves and their business, the ladies need to find the real murderer, before the cupcake killer ices someone else.

I am always looking for a great cozy series that I can fall into effortlessly and when it's done walk away with a smile of contentment. This was one of those books for me. Who can resist two best friends who have walked away from secure jobs to chase their dream of owning their own business? Further more, who can resist a cozy when it revolves around cupcakes!!?? I thought the characters were interesting people and I genuinely liked them. And to top it off, the culprit was not someone I immediately suspected...love it when that happens!!

Recommend? Most certainly! If you're looking for a new series to start, I think this one has a lot of potential. McKinlay has written four books so far with the fifth one to be released next year. You have plenty of time to get caught up!!!

Cupcake Mystery Series Book #1

Source: Public Library

Bookish Thoughts #45

© 2012, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

 

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Mailbox Monday and It's Monday..What Are You Reading?

Mailbox Monday 

is a gathering place for readers to share the books that

came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. 

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

Our August host is: Jennifer D at 5 Minutes for Books

The Good Woman by Jane Porter- review copy courtesy of publisher

Meg Brennan Roberts is a successful publicist, faithful wife, and doting mother who prides herself on always making the right decisions. But years of being "the good woman" have taken a toll and Meg feels burned out and empty, more disconnected than ever from her increasingly distant husband.

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Hosted by

 Sheila @ One Person's Journey Through a World of Books

We discuss the books that we've read 

and what we're planning to read for the week.

Read and reviewed last week: 

Beach Road- great book for a day on the beach!

Catching Fire- Why did I wait so long to read this one!!!

Lucky Harbor #4,#5, and #6- great ending to this series

Bookish Thoughts I will be sharing this week:

The Weight of Heaven- TLC Book

Sprinkle With Murder- a cozy

All the Truth- summer review book

In my Book Box:

*This is my last week before going back to work so I'm going to read as many fun books as I can!!

Flirting with Forever

In the Woods

Glory in Death

Six Sentence Saturday (Friday Edition)- More HEA books!!

Welcome to Six Sentence Saturday

Where I try to express my thoughts on recent reads using only 6 sentences!!!!.
At the end of each review I will post a
rating scale of 1-5 using the cute and original (lol) Playing Cards.
Rating scale will be as follows:

5 of Hearts- You must read this book NOW!!
4 of Hearts- A great read, put it on your TBR list.
3 of Hearts- Happy that I read it...a good read. 
2 of Hearts- Just O.K but nothing to write home about.
Joker Card - Don't bother (why did I?)

***PLEASE NOTE: My rating on this series was based on my overall enjoyment and how I felt after I read them! Though they are not literary works, they were fun and that is how I am rating them!

Lucky in Love (Lucky Harbor #4)
Author: Jill Shalvis
Source: Digital review copy from Publisher
Reason for reading it: Because I am addicted BIG TIME to the Lucky Harbor series!

~Books 4-6 start the stories of the peripheral stories of characters that the reader meets in books one, two, and three. Mallory is a nurse and overall caregiver to everyone in Lucky Harbor. She's always bee the good girl and never really lived for herself. That is until she meets Ty Garrison and then the fireworks start flying!! I love Mallory and her drive to do "more" with her life. This was a great intro for the next two books.



Rating:

At Last (Lucky Harbor #5)
Author: Jill Shalvis
Source: Digital review copy from Publisher
Reason for reading it: I'm really into HEA and love the people in Lucky Harbor!

~Amy is a carefree spirit and does not want to be tied down. She's got her own problems to deal with and is not interested in having a man in the mix. Then while hiking, she gets lost and forest ranger Matt Bowers ends up having to rescue her. This was my favorite book of the last three because I felt that Shalvis really put some depth to Amy's past and emotions. It wasn't just a book filled with hot, steamy sex but also with characters that could be real. Now I'm hoping that if I ever get lost in the woods, a very buff, dreamy-looking forest ranger will rescue me! *** I know, it's not going to happen but a girl can dream, right?

Rating:

Forever and a Day (Lucky Harbor #6)
Author: Jill Shalvis
Source: Digital review copy from Publisher
Reason for reading it: I had to finish the Lucky Harbor series!!!

~ Out of all of the books in this series, this one was my least favorite. For some reason I really wanted Shalvis to take more time with Grace and Dr. Josh's love story. That's really my only beef with Shalvis' comtemporary romance series, Lucky Harbor. I wish that she would spend a bit more time on the relationships rather than the sex (but the sex is very good!). In the end, I was still happy and had a dumb smile on my face. The dog Tank and the little kid grabbed my heart from the beginning and if I ever had to have a doctor check me out, he damn well better look like Josh!!!



Rating:

Bookish Thoughts #42, 43, and 44

© 2012, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Catching Fire- Bookish Thoughts #41

What Catching Fire is about:

Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol - a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.
Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

I read The Hunger Games in 2010 and can't believe that it took me two whole years to get to book two! Luckily for me, I ran out of reading material on the beach and checked the trunk where I had a book stashed...and it was Catching Fire!! It took me a little bit to remember some of the people from the first book but once I got going the pages flew right by. I still like Katniss and sympathized with her as she had to make choices that would influence so many peoples lives. I was also appalled at the Capitol and how they played with everyone's lives as if they were all just there for their entertainment. I can not wait to see what happens next!! I will be reading Mockingjay next week and will finally not be the LAST person to have finished this trilogy.

Source: Purchased over 3 years ago!!!!! Good Grief
Reason for reading: Sadly, because I finished one book without bringing another. I'm glad I always keep a book in the trunk. Yes, I am weird!

Bookish Thoughts #41

© 2012, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

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Beach Road- Bookish Thoughts #40

What Beach Road is about:
Tom Dunleavy has a one-man law firm in the wealthy resort town of East Hampton. But his job barely keeps him in paper clips because the local rich people already have their own lawyers. Then a friend of Tom's is arrested for a triple murder near a movie star's mansion. Tom knows in his gut that Dante Halleyville is innocent. Now representing Dante is what could be the Trial of the Century, Tom recruits Manhattan superlawyer Kate Costello to help. With the entire nation's eyes on him, Tom orchestrates a series of revelations to expose the killer. And what emerges is staggering --- and will shock everyone.


 I spent four hours on the beach waiting for my husband and our friends to get back from Salmon fishing on Lake Michigan and this book helped those hours fly right by. It was a great summer beach read and worth the .50 cents that I paid for it. The story was fast and furious and the ending made me growl with madness, especially because I never saw it coming!! If you enjoy Patterson's books then this one would be a great addition to the beach bag....

Source: purchased at library sale
Reason for reading it: Because it had the word Beach in the title and it was only .50 cents!

Bookish Thoughts #40

© 2012, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Mailbox Monday and It's Monday..What Are You Reading?

Mailbox Monday 

is a gathering place for readers to share the books that

came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. 

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

Our August host is: Jennifer D at 5 Minutes for Books

The Harbormaster's Daughter- courtesy of NAL

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Hosted by

 Sheila @ One Person's Journey Through a World of Books

We discuss the books that we've read 

and what we're planning to read for the week.

Read and reviewed last week: 

What Happened to My Sister- disappointing read

The Good Muslim- DNF but I shared my first impressions

The Next Always- Really enjoyed the setting and the characters 

Lucky Harbor Books 2 and 3- loved them big time

Bookish Thoughts I will be sharing this week:

Beach Road by James Patterson

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Lucky Harbor- Books 4,5, and 6 

In my Book Box:

Instant Attraction (another Jill Shalvis book..no surprise there!)

All The Truth- summer review book

Animal Attraction- thank you to my awesome friend Sheree!!!

Saturday Snapshot- Wildlife up close!

Saturday Snapshot

is hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books

It's easy to participate- just post a picture that was taken by

you, a friend, or a family member, and add your link

on Alyce's site. (no pictures from the internet!)

Click on the image so that you can really see this amazing HAWK!!

About two weeks ago right before my husband and I were going to leave for up north, we heard a commotion in our backyard. Lily (the big dog) was barking her fool head off and we ran out of the house to see what she was barking at. Imagine our surprise when we saw this beautiful Red-tail Hawk in the yard about 20 feet from the back deck!! He was in a stand-off with Lily and his feathers were puffed up incredibly huge as to make him appear larger than he really was. He was going to do whatever it took to keep her from his kill. His beak and eyes scared me but not Lily. My husband had to call her several times before she would back down. We put the dogs in the house immediately and then after the 'awe' factor started to go away, I got my wits about me and had my son run to the car to get my camera. The hawk could have cared less about me taking photos of him. He was too focused on eating his snake!! Isn't he magnificent?? I have always considered the Red-Tailed Hawk as my talisman of good luck and a gift from God. Whenever I have been worried about something a hawk appears either in the sky above my house, on my back deck right by my sliding glass doors, or sitting in a tree beside the road that I may be traveling upon. Having this one so close made my day and filled my heart with a calming warmth!!

Six Sentence Saturday- FRIDAY Edition!

Welcome to Six Sentence Saturday

Where I try to express my thoughts on recent reads using only 6 sentences!!!!.
At the end of each review I will post a
rating scale of 1-5 using the cute and original (lol) Playing Cards.
Rating scale will be as follows:

5 of Hearts- You must read this book NOW!!
4 of Hearts- A great read, put it on your TBR list.
3 of Hearts- Happy that I read it...a good read. 
2 of Hearts- Just O.K but nothing to write home about.
Joker Card - Don't bother (why did I?)

The Sweetest Thing (Lucky Harbor #2)
Author: Jill Shalvis
Source: Purchased
Reason for reading it: Because I am addicted BIG TIME to the Lucky Harbor series!

~ I loved seeing the wall that Tara built around her heart get torn down by the sexy Ford Walker. Heck, even his name is hot!! Shalvis delivered once again with the second in her Lucky Harbor series and I loved this book from the beginning to the very end. I seriously love the quirky characters in this book. I will  even admit to checking Facebook to make sure that there wasn't a Lucky Harbor gossip page like there is in the book..the elderly lady who runs it is an absolute HOOT! Tara's story has a bit more depth to it than book one and I loved how Shalvis was able to take a serious subject and really put her magical twist on it.


My Rating:

Head Over Heels (Lucky Harbor #3)
Author: Jill Shalvis
Source: Purchased
Reason for reading it: I love HEA and I love Shalvis' mix of fun, sexy, and smart writing!

~ Can I just say that I loved Chloe's story??!! She's such a free-spirit and never really had a place to call home or anywhere to put down some roots. My heart soared when she realized that her sisters were there for the long haul and she opened herself up to loving them and letting them love her. I admired her loyalty to her friends and to what she felt was right and especially loved it when her shenanigans caused the blistering hot sheriff, Sawyer, to come to her rescue more than once!! I thought this was a solid book in the Lucky Harbor series and it brought to close the three sisters' stories perfectly! Lucky Harbor is calling my name!!

My Rating:

Bookish Thoughts #38 and #39

© 2012, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

The Next Always- Bookish Thoughts #37

What The Next Always is about:  
The historic hotel in BoonsBoro, Maryland, has endured war and peace, changing hands, even rumored   hauntings. Now it's getting a major facelift from the Montgomery brothers and their eccentric mother. As the architect of the family, Beckett's social life consists mostly of talking shop over pizza and beer. But there's another project he's got his eye on: the girl he's been waiting to kiss since he was fifteen.


Whenever I'm in the mood for a good book that has a mixture of fun, great location, dream jobs, dreamy men, women who actually like each other, and lots of romance I usually turn to Nora Roberts. I know there are some of you out there that wouldn't be caught dead with a "silly romance" book in your hands and I'm cool with that...but as for me, I say bring them on!! This book was everything I was hoping for and more. The more comes into play because of course this book was just the first one in a trilogy. I loved the whole idea of renovating a run down historic hotel and turning it into the place of your dreams. And Beckett was just one of those male characters that I couldn't resist. And his love interest Clare- well can I just say that I loved her character so much. Robert's creates women who I would want to be friends with IRL and this was the case with Clare. How could I resist a devoted mom who just lost her first love to the war and is trying to make her bookstore a success? I also fell in love with the town and people of Boonsboro. I go into these books knowing that there will be a HEA and everything will be wrapped up nice and neat with a bow on top. That's probably why I enjoy them so much because they're easy to read and I almost always finish with a smile on my face!

Recommend? Sure do! I can't wait to find the time to get to book two!!!

Source: Public Library

Bookish Thoughts #37

© 2012, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

The Good Muslim- TLC Tour Book Stop

My honest thoughts: I tried valiantly for three days to get interested in this book, but unfortunately I just couldn't make it happen. I felt that the opening seventy-five pages were very slow and for some reason I had a hard time switching from past to present. Because of this I am just going to highlight Tahmima Anam's book for my reader's today. I hope that you will take the time to visit the other bloggers on this tour and read their reactions over the next few weeks. I'm sure that it really comes down to being the wrong time for me to pick up this book. I will try to give it another chance at some point in the future and when I do I will make sure that I post my thoughts. I want to make every effort to make sure that my experience does NOT influence anyone unjustly. This could be a 5-star read for one of you!

About The Good Muslim

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial (August 14, 2012)

In the dying days of a brutal civil war in Bangladesh, Sohail Haque stumbles upon an abandoned building. Inside he finds a young woman whose story will haunt him for a lifetime to come.

Almost a decade later, Sohail’s sister, Maya, returns home after a long absence to find her beloved brother transformed. While Maya has stuck to her revolutionary ideals, Sohail has shunned his old life to become a charismatic religious leader. And when Sohail decides to send his son to a madrasa, the conflict between brother and sister comes to a devastating climax.

The Good Muslim is an epic story about faith, family, the rise of religious fundamentalism, and the long shadow of war from prizewinning Bangladeshi novelist Tahmima Anam.

About Tahmima Anam

Tahmima Anam was born in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and grew up in Paris, Bangkok, and New York. She holds a Ph.D. in social anthropology from Harvard University. Her writing has been published in Granta, the New York Times, the Guardian, and the Financial Times. A Golden Age, her first novel, was the winner of the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book. She lives in London and Dhaka.

Website | Facebook

Tahmima’s Tour Stops

Tuesday, August 14th: The Year in Books

Wednesday, August 15th: Life in the Thumb

Thursday, August 16th: What She Read …

Friday, August 17th: Between the Covers

Monday, August 20th: libbysbook blog

Thursday, August 23rd: The Feminist Texican [Reads]

Monday, August 27th: Bibliosue

Tuesday, August 28th: Book Reviews, Fiction Reflections, n’ More!

Wednesday, August 29th: Broken Teepee

Thursday, August 30th: Silver & Grace

Friday, August 31st: Books in the City

Disclaimer: Thank you to TLC Book Tours for sending me a review copy. I was not compensated for my review. My thoughts on this book were in no way influenced by the author or publicist.They are my personal reflections based solely on MY experience while reading this novel.

Review Book #26
© 2012, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

What Happened to my Sister by Elizabeth Flock- TLC Tour Book

Synopsis of What Happened to My Sister:

Nine-year-old Carrie Parker and her mother, Libby, are making a fresh start in the small town of Hartsville, North Carolina, ready to put their turbulent past behind them. Violence has shattered their family and left Libby nearly unable to cope. And while Carrie once took comfort in her beloved sister, Emma, her mother has now forbidden even the mention of her name.

When Carrie meets Ruth, Honor, and Cricket Chaplin, these three generations of warmhearted women seem to have the loving home Carrie has always dreamed of. But as Carrie and Cricket become fast friends, neither can escape the pull of their families’ secrets—and uncovering the truth will transform the Chaplins and the Parkers forever.

I absolutely loved the author's book, Me and Emma.  Knowing that What Happened to My Sister was the book that would hopefully bring closure to all my questions from the prior read, I was really excited to accept a review copy. I was captivated by the first paragraph because I could hear Carrie's voice and picture her little emaciated face and bruised body. I was ripping through the pages and then all of the sudden the author introduces a new voice into the story and something changed for me. I was a bit upset because I was trying to figure out how this new character and her family would fit into the story.  It wasn't a cohesive pairing whatsoever, and actually it was like hitting a huge bump in the road because it threw my reading mojo off course and influenced my overall reaction to the book. It didn't help either that by mid-point I knew what was going to happen. I don't know how I did, but I just did and it felt so contrived that I was a bit ticked. And of course, it went down exactly as I thought and when I finished the book, I honestly wished I'd never read it, because it came no where close to the powerful and intense read of Me and Emma.

Recommend? You MUST read Me and Emma first...without that prior knowledge I'm not sure that this book will stand on its own.  I didn't hate it, but I sure didn't love it. So I guess you could categorize it as an okay read for ME. Now, plenty of other bloggers and readers have given this one high marks, so please make sure you read some other reviews before deciding whether or not you want to read this book.

Please take the time to visit the other bloggers on this tour and read their thoughts.....

Disclaimer: Thank you to TLC Book Tours for sending me a review copy. I was not compensated for my review. My thoughts on this book were in no way influenced by the author or publicist.They are my personal reflections based solely on MY experience while reading this novel.

Review Book #25
© 2012, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Mailbox Monday and It's Monday...What Are You Reading?

Mailbox Monday 

is a gathering place for readers to share the books that

came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. 

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

Our August host is: Jennifer D at 5 Minutes for Books

What The Heart Remembers- courtesy of Erin @ Penguin Group

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Hosted by

 Sheila @ One Person's Journey Through a World of Books

We discuss the books that we've read 

and what we're planning to read for the week.

Read and reviewed last week: 

Naked in Death- this is a series that I can see myself becoming addicted to!!

Books I will be talking about this week:

What Happened to My Sister- TLC Tour stop Tuesday

The Good Muslim- TLC Tour Stop Wednesday

The Next Always- Bookish Thoughts 

Lucky Harbor- Bookish Thoughts Book #2 and Book #3

In my book box:

Sprinkle with Murder- cozy

Instant Attraction- another Jill Shalvis book..I'm in love with her books!!

Weight of Heaven