Violins of Autumn

Violins of Autumn begins with British trained spy Adele paratrooping into occupied France during World War II. She links up with the French Resistance and begins her work, deconstructing the German stronghold in France. Adele and her spy pal, Denise, end up saving a downed pilot and getting him safely into the city of Paris. They are separated for awhile and have to find their own way of getting established in Paris, but are eventually drawn back together. Moving from city to countryside, they find themselves involved in one precarious situation after another, anxiously awaiting the code words that will signal the start of D-Day. Eventually, Adele is captured, tortured, and starved, but gives up no information that will help the Germans. After months and months in captivity, her friends are able to rescue her and return her to safety. Not long after, the Allied powers retake France and all is well; a nice tidy package with a happy ending. With tidbits of accurate historical information peppered among her harrowing tale, readers will be drawn into the intense situations in which Adele repeatedly finds herself.

Fifty Shades of Grey

One of my sister's good friends recommend that I read this book at the exact same time that my cousin recommended it.
Two recommendations and lots of media hype = something I had to look into.

Christian Grey is into some kinky bedroom business. He always has been. He even has a contract for all future love interests to read and consent to before getting down to brass tacks (or whatever other tricks he has up his red-room sleeve...).
When Christian meets Anastasia, he immediately hopes to make her a conquest. However, negotiations and other matters take them further down the relationship course than he's ever been.

Fifty Shades of Grey is book one of a trilogy and I will say that I picked up book one on a Monday and finished the set by Thursday. The premise didn't seem too outlandish or preposterous. It even sparked up a few conversations (and I do mean conversations) between me and my husband about relationships.

Definitely worth the read. I hear, too, that the movie rights have been purchased. I don't know how on earth they would make this into a movie, but...it will be something to keep an eye on in the future.

Grace and Power

My scholarly friend, JP, recommended Grace and Power, so I digitally checked it out from the library (very cool!). This follows the trail of the Kennedy's from the beginning of their White House stay until John F. Kennedy's untimely death.

I imagined the Kennedy's to have a great marriage and to be such a shining beacon, kind of the like the Camelot allegory they created. Turns out that their White House was something far different. Smith's patchwork of memos and biographical information from primary sources shows the Kennedy's more as petulant teenagers than leaders of the country. JFK's drug use, womanizing, and alcohol consumption left me wondering how he was able to run the country at all. Sheesh! It was disappointing to see the unvarnished Kennedys, but also interesting. We always look back at things with nostalgia and yet, I suppose the world is no different today than it was back in the 60s, STDs and all...

Easter Reading

The usual rotation of night-night reading goes: Punk Farm, Llama Llama Red Pajama, Are You My Mother, etc...and we have been stuck on some semblance of that line up for AGES.
I decided it was time to spruce up W's bedside table with some Easter/Springtime reading, and it has worked so far! Here is an annotated look at what we are reading.

Dewdney, Anna. Llama Llama Nighty-Night. 2012. .12pp. $5.99 hc. Penguin Young Readers Group. 9780670013272.

In traditional Llama Llama fashion and rhyme scheme, we run down the list of night night chores before falling into bed with one final "nighty-night" from mama. I like this abbreviated version of the Llama tale (12 pages!), with all of the same colorful cuteness.


Hills, Tad. Duck and Goose: Here Comes the Easter Bunny. 2012. .18pp. $6.99 hc. Random House, Inc. 9780375972808.

If you like Duck and Goose tales, this one is cute. Duck and Goose find out that the Easter Bunny is on the way and they want to hide in order to catch him...but all of their hiding places are lacking imagination. Thistle gives them a great disguise, but they end up falling asleep and missing the Bunny all together. Luckily, the Easter Bunny still leaves lots of fun eggs to help Duck and Goose celebrate.


Katz, Karen. Where Are Baby's Easter Eggs? 2008. .12pp. $7.99 hc. Simon and Schuster, Inc. 9781416949244.

It is baby's first Easter egg hunt, and she looks all over the yard trying to uncover those eggs! She finds an Easter basket, some chicks and bunnies, a few jelly beans, a bonnet, and finally, the eggs. This is a lift-a-flap book, which makes the search for the eggs more entertaining. Eggs are different colored foil, very bright and cheerful, but not easy to destruct.


Loupy, Christophe and Eve Tharlet. Hugs and Kisses. .2001. 12pp. $6.95 hc. North South Books. 9780735820197.

Hugs (the puppy) wants to know more about kisses, so he enlists the help of the farm animals to show him. Each page has a textured patch to touch, which keeps the book interactive for your little squirt.


Magsamen, Sandra. Peek-a-Book, I Love You. .2009. 10pp. $7.99 hc. Little Brown & Company. 9780316003896.

These lift a flap books really keep W interested in the story. "What's under there?" he wants to know! Who is hiding all over the house? My favorite things, including YOU baby. Very cute and easy to read.


Magsamen, Sanda. Peep, Peep, I Love You. .2012. 10pp. $7.99 hc. Little Brown & Company. 9780316070065.

What animals are on the farm? These mamas and babies tell you all about it - but the favorite baby is still...YOU! The lift a flap tabs in this book contain animal sounds. Fun.