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This is wonderful!! Merely setting it aside for brief things like greeting Ron and eating, I really read in one sitting, from page 1 - 362!! There was no waning of interest that signaled a place to stop. It came to 5:00AM and I had to sleep! I will soar through the remaining 100 pages joyfully. This contemplates souls, marriage, family, animals. It is an uplifting treasure. No synopsis does this novel justice.

Well! I love this for many reasons. Characters, the writing, place, a single heroine of at least 33. The encouraging ideologies that centre this novel, such as following the heart mattering more than money. The "running away from demanding parents and the fake, busy life" begs to be called cliche but the story is told well, believably. I am resonating with all of it! Including animal-rescue and novel-composing!

I am blowing through this like nobody's tomorrow and it has over 500 pages! What does that tell you about this being emotionally engaging to read? It is more grisly and disturbing than I estimated. That benign dialogue and narrative and characters being very likeable, result in an enjoyable story. Though revelations of the backstories are terrible, they are sympathetically told. Skillfully-plotted, suspenseful.

Sarah Rayne's synopsis and sometimes covers and titles seem like they would comprise more of the horror genre than I would care for. Then when I dig into her narration and dialogue, I find benign people and atmospheres. I wish literature would be marketed perfectly. These turn out perfect: as adventuresome, suspenseful, mysterious and sometimes even as paranormal as I would like without gore or terrible scenes.

E-books aren't for me. I won't contribute to eradicating real ones. I read some freebies via PC app, desk chair of course not being comfortable reading. I love them as independent resources / hobbies NOT requiring computer or electricity! This story affirms my conclusion: merely better to have an e-copy than none. Be available, an option but never replace real books. It doesn't seem they will! They are loved.

What an enjoyable, original, intelligent, and thought-provoking adventure! The concepts to consider are invigorating. Our brain cells do need to jog after all. The personages are all distinct, likeable, and meld well together. I wondered why our unemployed protagonist din't work for his millionaire best friend but never mind. We wouldn't have the story otherwise. I love this! Antiquity and modernity in tandem.

What an enjoyable, original, intelligent, and thought-provoking adventure! The concepts to consider are invigorating. Our brain cells do need to jog after all. The personages are all distinct, likeable, and meld well together. I wondered why our employed protagonist din't work for his millionaire best friend but never mind. We wouldn't have this story otherwise. I love this! Antiquity and modernity in tandem.

It is trendier and younger than I expected, less old world. I presume we are marching towards an exciting payoff of that nature. I am bursting through these pages, enjoying the writing and jokes. I am computer-savvy from a ways back thus I get the guffaws and references. I love the juxtaposition between usefulness of technology and continual respect and need of real books. Happily, their need will not evaporate!

I am glad to be joining this party and only a little later. According to what I grew up reading and often do in present day, the 2000s all amount to new releases for me! This is particularly close. :)

There are some less pleasant stories in the middle. When we are past killing or unfairness to people or critters or greed, I breathe easier and am freed to enjoy stories much more highly. I see they did not mind "Indian", at least in these 1970s, perhaps like there is no objection to "black". One Indian tale takes the scope of Noah's Ark, like a Peruvian one I have recently read called: "The Llama's Secret".

It might be no coincidence that I began enjoying this novel after Marco stopped tweaking Abigail's nose. I am annoyed with him calling her sunshine, Lottie calling her baby, and Grace transfixing on the subject of meddling. There is a time to step up and turn a situation around. If that shtick of admonishing Abigail for investigating things kept up, it would be a large turnoff for me. 3 stars if the end is good.

I would have preferred Dorothy Foster gather only positive poetry and more closely realize her title "In Praise Of Cats". However only a few discuss death or annoyance with a feline. I never cared for "Mother Goose" rhymes as a child (nearly drowning one in a well, for pete's sake)! The snippets here show why. I groaned at them, except one that set me laughing: "I Like Little Pussy"! Who knew she was from 1760?

I'm enjoying so much STANDARD mystery, I have lost patience for cozy mystery; the reduced offshoot (if anyone wants the veritable definition). Not serious, not suspenseful, less bold, and sometimes less well-written. I wrestled and consulted other reviews because I have never bailed. It seems knowing other people's dislikes broke a spell! Suddenly when I resumed page 40, I didn't mind. I already own 9 of these!

You know my comment that allowing this book to build slowly, in its many layers and detours, is sure to be worth it? Oh my goodness: arriving at the family household and then at last entering into the paranormal.... Their sudden appearance in a novel, benign most of the way, is almost too scary! My sole critique so far is not referring to Viola's husband and then suddenly having his hobby become paramount.

Some books spark an odd imbalance of reactions. Wipe any expectation to romp around a haunted manor within 200 pages. Take this ride and absorb what it is, instead of bemoaning the formula we are used to. Doesn't that result in a surprise, as a book's pages should? Alice's letters and Viola's tales take time. I wanted to return to Gerard but the tales and side trips are crafty, spooky, and connected importantly.

I can see this not unrolling the way such a title would have people expect but I am enjoying the journey for what it is. A boy cherishes a penpal, something I did well past internet invention, as life skirts around a secretive, nervous Mother. I imagine we'll ease into the ghostly, gothic atmosphere we crave. John Harwood must be thoroughly establishing his protagonist's upbringing and awkward penpal for a reason.

I am loving "Jewels Of The Sun". No one is firmer about prioritizing the focus of mystery literature than me. You see how much I am enjoying the ability of general fiction to tell a purely personal story, meandering any way the authoress wrote. Jude's girl gossiping night with Brenna & Darcy, airing out hurts, bonding, was a pleasure. Their tableau is more special than romance. I could read a book on these pals.

This is very enjoyable. We leap into romantic attraction, a scenario that might be tempting to call cliche: "the thunderstriking right person I have been awaiting". But if you acknowledge that Nora is a romance authoress and overlook that thread; this is very much a book of bright scenes, emotions, Celtic traditions, lovely people, a gardener and music-lover's delight. It is a spiritual jaunt that adds in magic!

Here I am surprising peers who know me a bit again! For the same reason as Patricia Cornwell, I have queued several Nora Roberts novels for about ten years. One sounded exciting and I scooped other bargains without knowing any belonged to series. When I reexamined them later I wondered: are these romances? I don't read straight romances! They don't seem to be. This has a ghost in Ireland, others contain magic.

If you have a collector's mindset you can picture this. About 10 years ago one of Patricia Cornwell's stories obviously caught my eye on sale. At that time I was unaware mysteries had turned into series. I was a longtime gothic standalone fan. Police fiction is not interesting to me! Because one book was, I collected a bunch. This was destined for a "why did I buy it" outcome. Today I'm glad I gave it a chance!

This is a surprise for anyone who knows me, isn't it? I read reluctantly, for massive lack of adult options, mysteries that are about crimes instead of puzzles that are genuinely mysterious on their own! I care even less for police novels instead of a civilian heroine and lower than that, a male protagonist. But I am a writer, have owned this about 10 years, and at first sight: I love Patricia Cornwell's writing!

I am enjoying this! No wonder it was reprinted for decades since 1959. If it isn't now, I am extra lucky to have it. When we see old collections we wonder: will the tales be too old-fashioned, mentioning animal-killing for instance? I cannot abide that. Will they be too childish? Frances Fraser made these wondrous, for all ages! Likely in Northern Alberta, she was white with Aboriginal neighbours and friends.

The eras from which we find cat poetry, including early men praising their beloved cats as early as the 1700s, surprises and pleases me greatly! It sometimes feels like it is today's animal advocate who struggles to teach that cats are sentient family members meriting protection and respect. What a relief and revelation that the burden is not a solitary, modern one! Many understood cats are precious for centuries.