"I feel very in tune with this period in history--past life memories???"
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bookshelves: currently-reading
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This book is about near-death experiences (NDEs) of children. If you have read Raymond A Moody, M.D.'s Life After Life, you will know what this book is about. I don't feel that Morse really added much new information regarding Near-Death Experiences. He does tell you from what part of the brain he feels that NDEs are generated from. He gives an interesting example of how an ancient society in Egypt produced NDEs by sealing a person in a coffin and keeping them in there until they were almost dead from lack of oxygen. It was an okay book, and a fairly quick read--if the subject is of interest to you, you might enjoy it. ]]>
This was a wonderful book. I have liked all of the Elm Creek series and I figured this would just be a typical "holiday" book, a quick read, not much content. I was totally wrong. This book gives quite a bit of backstory to many of the characters. It also left quite a few "cliff hangers" for future books. I don't think I would recommend this book for someone that hasn't read the rest of the series; I'm not sure a "new" reader would be able to pick up at this point (this is the 15th book in the series). ]]>
Can't believe there hasn't been a posting in this thread since July. Well, let me start it up again. I just finished reading A Quilter's Holiday, a new book in the Elm Creek Quilts series. I thought this would just be a fluff story to get something out for the holidays. I could not have been more wrong. This book has a lot of backstory for many of the characters. The next book in the series could go any number of ways but A Quilter's Holiday was left with rather a cliffhanger and I think the next book will go back in time and tell us what happened to Sylvia's favorite cousin Elizabeth. (Or at least that is what I hope the next book will be about however there are several other story lines that could be developed--Anna and Jeremy or Sarah, Matt, and the twins...I guess I will have to wait, but I hope not for a full year. Oh shoot, I realize I have the title of the next book, it is to be called The Aloha Quilt and is to be released in April 2010. So I won't have to wait a year but it doesn't sound like it will be about long dead cousin Elizabeth. No matter, I'm sure it will be good. All the others have been.) ]]>
As always, Jennifer Chiaverini has another winner with A Quilter's Holiday. Although this appears to be a small book (it is hardback but only about a 6"X9") it is packed with story. This is definitely not just a fluff piece to get out for the holidays (like the Debbie Macomber book The Perfect Christmas).
A Quilter's Holiday gives a lot of backstory to many of the characters of the Elm Creek Quilts series. I suppose this could be enjoyed as a stand alone but I think it will mean much more to readers of the series.
Naturally Chiaverini ended the book with a cliffhanger so I hope I don't have to wait a full year before the next book.
I am on a non-cozy run of books. My next book up to read (this is determined by when the book is due back to the library and if it cannot be renewed) is Closer to the Light by Melvin Morse. This book is about learning from the near-death experiences of children. After that, it looks like I will be reading American Home Life, 1880-1930 A Social History of Spaces and Services. I really love this period of history (perhaps I was living then in a past life?).
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I didn't see anybody mention auctions, both estate and book auctions. I used to frequent both types of auctions and have come home with huge amounts of books quite cheap. At either type of auction you can come away with boxes of books very cheap. Granted you get books you don't want in box lots but if you can get a box of books for $1.00-$5.00 what the heck! ]]>
"I love this series and I'm sure I will love this book as much as I have loved all the others."
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I really enjoyed this short book (more like a novella at 180 pages. I like stories about Native Americans and have read Tony Hillerman and Jean Hager. Don Coldsmith was a new author for me and unlike Hillerman or Hager, Coldsmith is not writing a mystery. This is historical western fiction, not a genre I would normally read. The Spanish Bit Saga is about the early Native Americans during the time of the early Spanish penetration of the American continent. This story starts with a Spanish warrior who carelessly gets thrown from his horse and a band of "The People" who see him and think he is a god. When they see that he is hurt and not a god they help him and take him into their group. He slowly becomes one of the tribe and eventually becomes a leader. This is an older series, this first book written in 1980. There appear to be 31 books in this series. Dr. Coldsmith (he was a physician) recently died (June 25, 2009). My library does not have this series; I was able to get this first book through interlibrary loan and I hope that I can read more of them through this service. ]]>