Vanessa’s Comments (group member since Jun 15, 2017)

Vanessa’s comments from the Read, Reading, Planning to Read and More group.

I finally got the chance to finish reading Spellbinder I actually really liked it once I gave it a chance. I dropped it for some new shiny book and didn't get back to it until this weekend. The H and h were actually intelligent enough to actually talk things out and reason their reactions.
I am attempting to finish a couple of novels that I have left hanging for various reasons. I'll be traveling home tomorrow, so I might tackle another book that I have left hanging.

Bayou Born
is $.99. This is the first book in a new series by Hailey Edwards, and I thought that it has really good "bones" for a very different series.

Melindeeloo wrote: "Lisa - (Aussie Girl) wrote: "Vanessa, I've read all the spin off series Thunder Point. It's much in the same style as Virgin River... but in Oregon and doesn't have the military connection. There i..."

Didn't the Virgin River books feel like there should be more of an ending? That's it? We just leave it open ended?

When I typed in Virgin River series on Ammy, this came up too---
really? Even the reviews stink. Gave it 5*'s but wouldn't recommend it to anyone because the short stories have cliffhangers? It's a 20 story bundle. Too funny!

https://smile.amazon.com/Alien-Tentac...

Vinity wrote: "Vanessa wrote: "Lulu... My Grandmother has always said that her faith in God, has been number one. I would also like to add that she has always been active, she always had huge gardens, which we at..."

Vinity... Are you planting the three sisters corn, beans, and winter squash? I have never used chemicals in my yard, I have cats, and sadly one had to be euthanized because of chemicals someone had used, (the vet thought that it might have been a defoliant).
I have heard about turmeric, let us know how it works. How much do you take?
Lambs, miniature goats, and baby pigs are about the cutest animals I have ever seen.

Charlaine Harris has a very different trilogy out on October 2nd.
An Easy Death is the first book. I like her writing style so I think that I will pick up the first book. No info about an audio version yet. This is the synopsis.-----

Gunnie Lizbeth Rose has been hired by a pair of Russian sorcerers as both their local guide and muscle through the small towns of East Texas as they search for a distant relative of an infamous sorcerer whose bloodline can help save their emperor-in-exile as an ever increasing number of assassins tries to stop them.

After the assassination of FDR in the 1930s, the US collapses and is picked off by the UK, Canada, Mexico, and Russia. We find ourselves in the southwestern states now known as Texoma. It is here that the gunnie Lizbeth Rose tries to piece out a life, running security on runs from Texoma, across the border to Mexico where work and prospects are stronger. When two Russian magicians come looking for a man named Alex Karkarov, they hire Lizbeth to find him or his family, but there are problems: The man they're looking for is dead, but he has a daughter they now need to find, as an ever-growing set of sorcerers and gunnies do not want them to succeed. It’s a good thing Lizbeth is a deadly gunfighter; too bad she hates sorcerers, even the ones she has to learn to rely on.

#1 New York Times bestseller Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse mysteries/True Blood, Midnight Crossing) returns to fantasy in a taut thriller set in a United States where magic is an acknowledged truth, but disreputable.

Paula wrote: "Vanessa wrote: "HappyBookWorm2020 wrote: "Vanessa, I'm still trying to picture the apple slices on the cows and the dogs."

HappyBookWorm... The apple slices were being dried up near the pens and t..."

I am almost through the book. I get what you mean, I think that the author is trying to give a lot of info about a fair number of characters. It reminds me of the Monster Hunter books, lots of paranormal super heroes and crazy bad guys.

LAB.... I listened to the Virgin River books, and they are part of the Audible Romance deal. Some of the books are better than others. I am not much for Contemporary reads either. I prefer Fantasy, UF, PNR, and Historical myself. The exceptions are the few actually funny contemporary authors, like Jennifer Crusie, Molly Harper, and recently C.M.Owens.

Sadly, the latest Shifters Unbound book, Midnight Wolf isn't released in audio yet. I don't recall her audio books released after her e-pub date before. What gives? Are all of the narrators so backed up, or are the publishers trying to get fans to buy both?

HappyBookWorm2020 wrote: "Vanessa, I don't can at all, nor do I have a garden. My son has a few raised beds but it is his personal hobby, and he may plant mostly things that attract butterflies.

My Mama put me to work pic..."

I have a hard time getting all of the household things done, but I do freeze and can things in small quantities. I used to get a CSA, (farm box), every week in the summer, but many places aren't doing them anymore. They are labor intensive and I think that their customers can be very picky. I hit the farmers markets when they start up in the spring/summer.

Doug... I know that Dark Queen is an ARC. What can you tell us? Did it live up to our expectations? You know, vengeance? I can't wait to read it. Next week can't come soon enough.

HappyBookWorm... I forgot to ask, Do you still can? I do. I noticed that locally someone was giving lessons on how to can. I think that it was connected to one of the local farmer's markets. There are a number of books out that can in small quantities. I have a few, and can recommend a couple if anyone is interested. Yes, there isn't much better than fried apple pies with ice cream. :-)

HappyBookWorm2020 wrote: "Vanessa, I'm still trying to picture the apple slices on the cows and the dogs."

HappyBookWorm... The apple slices were being dried up near the pens and the shed/barn where both the dogs and some of the cows were that night. The dogs were border collies and the apples were all matted in their fur. A couple of the cows had apple slices all over. I think that my mother took pictures, it was so bizarre. The racks were all overturned and some were broken. Even the old open topped horse trailer was on its side. (we used to slide screen trays into the top of the trailer between to top rails and the wooden slats). I believe that we had a micro-burst, (a kind of mini tornado), that night. In that part of the yard it smelled of apples and the bees and flies were around for days. It was one of the weirdest things that I have ever seen.

Lisa... I might give the first book or 2 a try. I want to know what happened to Cooper's friend and to see him get his HEA.

Paula... Were you talking about the Thunder Point books?

Doug... Good line.

LAB... I have probably had The Immortal Rules on my TBR for years too. I might get to it someday, or not. Thanks for the good wishes for my Grandmother. I think that she would get a kick out of all of this book talk and the discussion group friendships that we have here.

Liz... I would still recommend T.S.Joyce's books before your KU runs out. Husband Fur Hire is a pretty good series. The couples are in the Alaskan frontier. Also, did you get the chance to read the Red Havoc Panther, The Fire Bears, or the Saw Bears?

Sadly, My trip to Virgin River is over. I really liked how the main characters appeared in many of the following books. The town is quite a place with a couple of families taking more prominent roles and others woven through their stories. I want to eat at Jack's bar and hang out on Gillian's farm, and eat her sister's creations. I finished My Kind of Christmas. Does anyone know if the story will or does continue? I see that the character, Cooper from the last of the Virgin River books is in the first Thunder Point novel. Has anyone read these books? Are they as good as the Virgin River books, just set in Oregon instead of Northern California?

So I have had this book hanging around on my audio TBR it is set in the paranormal world and seems to be filled with quirky characters at a Super Hero for hire agency. Andrea Vernon and the Corporation for UltraHuman Protection I hope that once it get rolling that it will be like the Miss Fortune books. I think that this is the author's debut novel.

Lisa ... It sounds like your daughter has a great work ethic and a great heart. You also sound very proud of her. :-)

Kristi, Lulu, and Lisa.... Thanks so much for your kinds words. I happen to think of her as quite extraordinary! I am truly blessed to still have her.

Lulu... My Grandmother has always said that her faith in God, has been number one. I would also like to add that she has always been active, she always had huge gardens, which we ate, after which she canned and froze the excess. Which I think is one of the most important things, she ate her own food. Growing up, my grandparents raised Black Angus cattle, always had a couple of milk cows, raised hogs, and goats. For a while we drank goats milk. They had chickens and rabbits for eating too.
She worked full time as an inspector for Bassett furniture and many times worked overtime and then came home to do work on the farm. I would also like to add that she had those gardens well into her 90's. She once told me to never plant a tree unless you could get something from it, whether is was fruit or nuts.
One of our jobs in the summer was that we peeled apples, dried them on screens, and then bagged them up in pillowcases. They always hung in the closet. She had dried apples all winter long and made fried apple pies a couple of times a month. (There is always dessert).
Once, when those apples were drying, we had a horrible thunderstorm during the night. We woke to apple slices stuck to everything, the house, cars, trees, dog, cattle, everything! Sadly we had to start the process up all over again. LOL!!
The last year that she had her gardens, she "put up" only 85 quarts of green beans, Only? Do you know how many dang green beans that is? We almost never sat at night without a pan of something to do on your lap, shelling beans, cracking nuts, something.
When I was a kid I thought that we were just cheap labor. We painted, weeded the garden, hauled hay bales, cleaned the barn, (I think that my Grandfather took special interest in saving that for when the "yankees" came down to the farm in June.) There is a peace in knowing where your food came from, that you made it. She has always been a reader, and her latest "thing" is adult coloring books. She watches local news, and mostly public television, and is always learning. I have never heard her refer to herself as old, and I think that is key. Out of 10 children, my grandmother's youngest sister is still alive. Almost all of them died in their 90's. I hope that this gives you a picture of my Grandmother, Lula!

Kristi... I am flying, maybe I'll catch up with you next time.

DemetraP... There are so many great images in the KD series, and Eeyore pjs is another one. I want Roman's book too. I loved the short where Kate and Curran asked him to officiate at their wedding and he was avoiding his mother. I wondered about that too. What would make Ilona so mad professionally?
Paula... I read the e-mail this afternoon I hope that early May is their goal.

Lulu... Me too!! I always tell her that I want to beat her by one, one day older, one week,month etc. I think that I'm going to have a hard time beating her. It's just a joke rivalry between us.

Lulu... Thanks, she is unbelievably mobile and witty. Like all of us, she is a reader too. I do feel bad for her though. My cousins who live nearby don't visit her near enough, and I hate that. She still cooks, does laundry, and dresses up nearly every day. She's quite a woman.