Book Review: The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge – by Christine Nolfi

Book: The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge

Author: Christine Nolfi

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Date: March 15, 2012

Genre: fiction, romance/mystery/suspense

Pages: 382, paperback

Price: $13.95; less in Kindle

My rating: A gripping story that stirs emotions and feelings on many levels.

I won a copy of this adult book from the author.

The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge begins with a hook (a line that grabs one’s interest), and the reader’s curiosity is stirred immediately.

Our main character, Ourania (whose name I’m never sure I am correctly pronouncing – and I do ‘hear’ the words even as I read along silently) is a strong single woman, who owns and operates her own electrical contracting business. She bids on – and is accepted for – a challenging job that places her directly in the path and life of a man she once knew. Then her life gets really complicated.

Because of her mother’s work in family services, she gets pulled into foster parenting – and not of one child but of two troubled siblings. As if her job’s stability isn’t precarious enough already, things start heating up between her and the man who hired her, she feels threatened by dominating male presence on the job site, and her private life gets more complicated as she has to deal with the young children’s issues when she knows little about parenting. Besides all that, the children’s safety is at risk and she must somehow protect them although they resent her.

Does this intrigue you so far? Read on.

There is this ancient tree, a tree that – if given the ability – could reveal secrets that would boggle one’s mind. Besides its being a private meeting place for people over the years, some of them romantic interludes, there had been a savage, brutal act committed there decades before. We learn with Ourania what an impact this one site had and will have on her life, along with other shocking information she struggles to handle.

Not wanting to give away any more of the story, I will say that Christine Nolfi wrote an interesting, gripping, yet tragic tale. The way she connected everyone works well. The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge is a painful story to read, while being a hopeful one through which love winds its way.

What doesn’t work for me is the repetitive lusting after one another
… but that’s my personal preference; it seems to be what many people want to read. I also found it unnecessary to repeat the explanation of one person we never meet except in the characters’ telling and thinking. Once or twice is fine, I believe the reader will remember from there.

The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge is a title I wondered about until I got into the story. Although it was difficult to read in places because of the rawness of human nature being exposed, I found it harder to NOT read this book. If you enjoy a little romance interwoven with suspense, mystery, and drama, I believe you will like Christine Nolfi’s The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge from its beginning page to its dramatic end.

Watch for a soon-upcoming interview with Christine Nolfi, the author of The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge. She will be offering a copy of this book to one reader-commenter at that time!

You can find The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge listed on my BUY THE BOOK! page.

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Book Review: From One Place to Another – by Carol White

Book: From One Place to Another

Author: Carol White

Publisher: TriMark Press, Inc

Date: May 10, 2012

Genre: contemporary women’s fiction

Pages: 298, paperback

Price: $17.95; less on Kindle

My rating: An enjoyable modern tale of mishaps and mayhem in the life of a woman trying to succeed

I received this book from the author to read and review. It seemed that it would be quite different from what I usually read, and I was not in error on that point.

Carol White writes with confidence, which is obvious by the way she tackles the dialogue and personalities she created. In From One Place to Another she throws open a door into the elaborate, wealthy lifestyle of a country club in Boca Raton, Florida, at which her main character half-heartedly thumbs her nose.

Dina Marshall knew she was a very good cook. In order to help her husband build his business, she became immersed in creating gourmet dinners in their home to attract clients. It was working well until the evening she and her husband were dining out on her thirty-sixth birthday. Mark delivered news that would totally change her life — he was leaving her for a younger woman – that day. This was a complete shock to Dina who thought they were moving forward together in life. And how could he on her birthday?!

Carol White captured well the roller-coaster ride of a jilted woman’s emotions. Dina tried all she could to get her husband back, was drawn into other circumstances and relationships, waited expectantly when she learned all was not as her estranged husband thought it would be in his new life. (Don’t worry, I won’t spoil the story for you.) In the meantime, she developed her own catering business in order to keep up the lifestyle to which she had become accustomed, but also to impress her husband while waiting for him to come to his senses.

That last point is the main focus of From One Place to Another. It was written with descriptions of the exotic food and elaborate meals Dina prepared, the craziness that ensued, and the hilarity of the best laid plans gone wrong. One thing that Dina does is make lists, and – good or bad – she makes lists all through this crisis time in her life.

I must mention that bad language is used in several places, and there is also a thread of heated romance throughout the story.

Although I was appalled at the behaviour and habits of some of the people for whom Dina catered, I enjoyed this book. Actually, I was appalled at some of Dina’s behaviour and I grew to not like her very much. Perhaps, given the set of circumstances she was dealt, her actions and reactions are understandable, but the comical, tragic turn of events that befell her biggest, most important catering job seemed justified. The author told it well, winding humour in and around as the tension built. Dina’s spirited attitude made for entertaining reading that kept drawing me back until I finished the book. (My reading time is rarely uninterrupted.)

Carol White wrote From One Place to Another in a way that pulled this reader into the very room where each scene unfolded, making it not simply an act of reading the words but with a sense of being there. I like that.

You can find One Place to Another listed on my BUY THE BOOK! page.

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Book Review: Without a Hitch – by Andrew Price

Book: Without a Hitch

Author: Andrew Price

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Date: June 4, 2012

Genre: legal thriller

Pages: 408; paperback

Price: $12.99 paperback, also on Kindle for less

My rating: Riveting, suspenseful, tense, well worth the breathlessness

At first I wasn’t sure about reading a thriller, but I decided to take a chance on Without a Hitch. Once I got into this story there was no turning back. The author, Andrew Price, cleverly caught and held my attention from the first page onward.

This debut novel is about two lawyers who concoct a scheme to get rich, not exactly legally. Well, actually – not legally at all. That’s where the trouble starts, and it builds to such a heightened point of stress that I had to walk away a few times to breathe. Really.

Having said that, don’t get me wrong – I enjoyed this book almost completely. I say ‘almost’, because of some of the language. If you have been following my reviews, then you know I hate the “f’ word, and this story is riddled with it in certain scenes. What makes it work is that the characters, one in particular, would use that speech if he were a real person living the life created for him by the author. Because I couldn’t bear to not know what was going to happen, I stuck with it. In fact, because of the suspense and effectively building tension, it was with difficulty that I did not skip ahead to find out some things before reading through. I made myself wait so as not to spoil the read.

There are several necessary characters (even a mystery man) created by Andrew – not all playing leading roles in this story, but important – in different capacities – to its forward motion and edginess. They also add to the drama and suspense, enough to keep the reader wondering and reading. They are so real-to-life I could visualize them, hear them, and identify with them in some of their behaviour. The dialogue is accurate, amusing, annoying – and playful when in the flirtatious scenes. The reader may even think, “I know someone like that.”

Because Andrew Price has inside knowledge of the legal field, having worked in various capacities for nearly two decades, he was able to write a story that is believable and enjoyable to read. His characters stay with the reader, and the ending he came up with made me say, “Huh?” I had to go back and reread the last page a few times, studying it for clues. It’s an ending that leaves you guessing and thinking about quite awhile after you lay down the book as ‘finished.’

I believe there is a series developing. And I want to follow it through, it’s that good.

You can find Without a Hitch listed on my BUY THE BOOK! page.

Watch for an upcoming interview with Andrew Price, author of Without a Hitch. There will be a copy of Without a Hitch for one person who leaves a comment after the interview.

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Book Review: Watching Jimmy – by Nancy Hartry

Book: Watching Jimmy

Author: Nancy Hartry

Publisher: Tundra Books

Date: September 11, 2012 (reprint edition)

Genre: Historical Fiction for young people (age 9 and up)

Pages: 160; paperback

Price: $9.95

My Rating: exciting and absorbing from start to finish

I received this book from Library Thing in exchange for an honest review.

This little book was a surprise. I knew it was coming, but I didn’t expect it to be so big for its size. By that I mean, this book may be small but it is jam-packed – in such a nice way.

Nancy Hartry grabbed my attention right away with how she began this tale. She set the scene in chapter one, then hit with a gut-wrenching punch in chapter two. Even so, this interesting – yet painful – story that’s easy to read, easy to follow, easy to understand, is hard to put down until the end. And once there it evokes a satisfied sigh and leaves the reader thinking it all over.

Carolyn and Jimmy were best friends. When Jimmy got hurt, Uncle Ted’s story was that he fell off the swing. What nobody knows is that Carolyn saw the whole thing, but who can she tell? And what good would it do?

This story is set in 1958, after World War II, during a time of struggle and recovery in Canada, a historical time that will change the nation. Nancy Hartry writes in a way that illuminates that era without the reader realizing there is a history lesson being presented.

This book is well worth the read. It is very believable and captures the reader for a step back in time to learn what life in Canada was like then, and what it means to be courageous, dedicated, and truthful.

Watching Jimmy by Nancy Hartry was a finalist for the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award, the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People, and the Ontario Library Association’s Golden Oak Award.

If you enjoy historical fiction you will certainly appreciate Watching Jimmy by Nancy Hartry.

You can find Watching Jimmy listed on my BUY THE BOOK! page.

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Help! What’s your favourite e-reader?

I LOVE BOOKS!

Big books, little books, thick books, thin books, old books, new books —

historical fiction, picture books, YA, mystery, fantasy, classics, and the list goes on. But now I have a problem!

I said I’d never do it; I thought I never would.

I said I’d read just “real” books; I really thought I could.

But some books don’t have paper, they’re only on a screen.

I’m nearly done resisting; I think I’m “going green!”

I have a pc kindle but it’s stuck here on my desk.

So now I have to ask you, what reader is the best?

Please forgive my falling out of rhyme there, but I really do want – and need – your opinion on this. As I said above, I have a pc Kindle with several books loaded onto it. The problem is that when I want to read one of those books and not have to be sitting in front of my computer to do it – right now I can’t. I need some help from you.

I’ve been told that having an e-reader (electronic book) is very convenient because it’s easy to carry and many books can be loaded onto it. (I’m not sure I know how that works, but I’m interested in learning.)

I know I’m often slow with technology, but in this case – I love real books, I love the old ways that work well, and I usually see no reason to mess with a good thing. You know the grammatically poor saying, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it!” I just found out that e-books have been around for almost a decade … or am I behind in that too? Is it longer? *blush*

What reasons do you have for using an e-reader? Do you prefer an e-reader to a “real” book?

And my main question: I’ve heard about the Kindle, Kobo, Nook, Sony reader, IPad, and some others. Which e-reader do you recommend and why?

I’m grateful for your help to get me a little more up-to-date. 🙂

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Book Review: Running For My Life – by Lopez Lomong (Olympic athlete)

Book: Running For My Life: One Lost Boy’s Journey from the Killing Fields of Sudan to the Olympic Games

Author: Lopez Lomong with Mark Tabb

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Date: July 17, 2012

Genre: biography & autobiography; sports

Pages: 240; hardcover

Price: $24.99

My rating: An inspirational true story of hope and courage.

I received this book from BookSneeze in exchange for an honest review.

When I saw the blurb about it I wanted to read this book – not because I’m an avid sports fan (because I’m not) but because I am always interested in how people overcome adversity. This book did not disappoint.

Lopez Lomong was born in the Sudan. He was one of a family of four children, but the only one with his parents in the open-air church service that Sunday morning in 1991 – the day the rebel soldiers came for the children. He was only six years old. That was the day he was violently separated from his family with dozens of other boys and girls, the day his life was forever changed.

Lopez tells the story of his kidnapping, of not knowing what happened to all the girls that were taken at the same time, of the prison camp where boys were trained to be child soldiers – but he was too small to become a soldier so he was left in the hut, probably to die as so many did. The difference for him was that he was rescued in a dramatic way, which to this day he firmly believes was God’s hand on his life.

Lopez tells about his escape with three other boys, how they ran for three days, always miraculously finding food and water when needing it, where he ended up as a refugee instead of where he thought he was headed – home to his mother, and the ever-challenging experiences he had there that would shape him into the man he would become.

His parents had named him Lopepe, which means ‘fast’, and he lived up to that name because he loved to run and always ran as fast as he could. This trait would be one thing that kept him alive, one main factor that would shape his life and eventually help him immigrate to the United States where he continues to run. In an unlikely place his heart was set on the Olympics when he was a boy. I read Running For My Life during the London 2012 Olympics, which seemed appropriate since Lopez Lomong was running for the USA.

As I read through this book as one looking in from the outside, I could recognize God’s guidance and protection as Lopez trusted Him with his life. He tells his story with painful honesty, later revealing a sense of humour that caused me to laugh out loud several times.

Lopez Lomong has a passion, not just for running, but for helping the people in his village and South Sudan. He now has a charitable foundation called 4 South Sudan set up to achieve his goals of providing clean water, education, nutrition through better farming methods, and basic health care that will save lives. Because World Vision already has a presence in Sudan, he partnered with them to set things in motion. Also, part of the proceeds of the sale of this book go to his foundation.

Check it out: www.LopezLomong.com/foundation

Give Running For My Life a try, my guess is you will enjoy it.

You can find Running For My Life listed on my BUY THE BOOK! page.

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Reminder: Book Giveaway on August 12!

This is just a reminder in case you planned to add your name into the draw and haven’t done so yet.

Tomorrow, Sunday, August 12, the names of those who left comments on my last post will be put into a little basket, and at 6:00 PM EST one name will be drawn out. That person will be notified via email that he or she has won a copy of The Lion Is In, written by Delia Ephron. Once I receive a reply with your mailing address, I will contact Blue Rider Press who will mail a book to you.

At the time of my writing this post, you have less than 21 hours to enter the draw. If you want a chance to win a book, then get your name in by leaving a comment after reading my interview with Delia Ephron. That’s all there is to it. Oh, and you must live in either Canada or the USA to win. (Sorry, that’s the stipulation this time.)

You can also read my review of The Lion Is In.

I hope you win! I wish you all could.

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂