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Thursday, January 26, 2017

Book Review: Lily and the Octopus
by Steven Rowley



Rating: 3/5

This book is a little frustrating. It is at times beautiful and heart-wrenching, other times quirky, and occasionally giggle-worthy, however I almost didn't read past the first few chapters. I'm glad I did. 
 
The first half of the book was difficult to get through and I skimmed a lot of it. It was slowly paced and I wasn't invested in the characters the way I ought to have been. If I were Rowley's editor, I would have advised him to rework the first half to make it as engaging as the second half. There were also things that annoyed me, such as too much description in places, and explaining things in the middle of intense action, as well as the references to specific company names like J. Crew. The list of terms of endearments appeared too late in the story, if it was needed at all. The nicknames were then peppered throughout the following pages in a way that seemed forced - like too much seasoning attempting to bring life to a tasteless dish. There must have been a more elegant way of handling this. I am disappointed, as I frequently am, not by the writing but by the lack of skillful editing employed. This could have been a 4/5 star read. 
 
Despite the slow start and lack of interest that almost turned me away from this book, I do recommend it. Once you get past that first half, the gems start to appear. The story is odd, and sometimes feels a bit awkward, but where it is good, it is very good. If you're a pet lover, or maybe just human, you're likely to be moved to tears by the end of this book. It's also a book about a great many other things. I won't spoil it by listing them. Suffice it to say, we can all see ourselves, at least a little, in the main character who is neither Lily nor the Octopus.

SPOILERS:

These are lines that I marked as memorable (page numbers may be different in your edition). If you haven't read the book yet, don't ruin the moments for yourself - skip this part.

page 157 - great characterization technique - "I liked a lot of Meredith's toys more than my own, especially her stuffed animals and anything to do with crafting. One Christmas she received a kit to make animal finger puppets and she just handed it over to me."
page 171 - funniest line - "It's true that most octopuses are Jungian."

Monday, December 29, 2014

Dakota Franklin Guest Post
PLUS a giveaway

Today, Dakota Franklin returns to Cookie's Book Club with a special guest post and a giveaway!

Following Dakota's post, enter to win one of five prize packs featuring Ruthless to Win, Omnibus One, a three book set, and Triple Threat Thrill, also of the Ruthless to Win series.

Plus, enter to win more books in the Cookie's Book Club Annual Christmas Giveaway, on now!



“I married my husband for his money. 
I have been very happy with my husband’s money.”
Dakota Franklin

Friday, December 26, 2014

André Jute Guest Post
PLUS a giveaway

Today, André Jute returns to Cookie's Book Club with a special guest post and a giveaway. 

Following André's post, enter to win one of five prize packs featuring Festival, IDITAROD a Novel of the Greatest Race on Earth, and a collection of books one through three in the Cold War, Hot Passions series.

Plus, enter to win more books in the Cookie's Book Club Annual Christmas Giveaway, on now!



One of the special privileges that comes with being a writer is meeting so many truly interesting people. Here I’m eating chocolate with Cecilia Bartoli, the greatest living singer.

Saturday, December 20, 2014

2014 Mid-Winter's Eve Blog Hop
Huge Multi-Blogger Book Giveaway

It's that time of year again - time to celebrate Christmas and the coming of a new year by giving away some great books! 


Cookie's Book Club is linking up with I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Bookhounds to bring you even more chances to win books. Be sure to check out the list of participating bloggers at the end of this post.

Check out the list, click on the links to read more about each offering and complete the entry form below. Leave a comment with your preferences and we will do our best to accomodate them. 


*** Remember to tweet daily to 
earn up to 10 extra entries! ***

Plus check the sidebar for more giveaways happening at Cookie's Book Club now!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
Happy Holidays!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Friday, December 19, 2014

Festival by André Jute

The following title is available to be won during the Cookie's Book Club Annual Christmas Giveaway, December 21st to 31st, 2014.

FESTIVAL 
the classic thriller of the performing arts
by André Jute
"Lovers and enemies alike have their price."


FESTIVAL 
the classic thriller of the performing arts
by André Jute

When the formidable Iron Curtain conductor Vlaklos decides to defect to the West at the Adelaide Festival of Arts, consequent events electrify an elite group related through their loves, their hatreds, their secrets and their ambitions. Lovers and enemies alike have their price.

Triple Threat Thrill by Dakota Franklin

The following title is available to be won during the Cookie's Book Club Annual Christmas GiveawayDecember 21st to 31st, 2014.

Cookie's Chronicles is excited to present,

the Ninth Volume in Dakota Franlin's Grand Series
RUTHLESS TO WIN 


"A wonderful story full of action and remarkable detail"
Boyd S Drew

"The Queen of Racing Scribes"
John Houlton



TRIPLE THREAT THRILL
by Dakota Franklin
Get a sample & buy at
iTunes Smashwords Kobo B&N

On her thirty-third birthday she is broken in body from 15 years of racing on the ragged edge, and in spirit from bad luck and bad decisions in choosing her men. For her family she gave up Drew the ‘fortune hunter’, her beloved Hiroshi died headless in her arms, and Erich wanted only to use her to further his own ambition. Still, even if after a two-year absence from driving to be a ‘good wife’ to the treacherous pervert Erich she will never be grand prix champion, she is Jack Armitage’s all-time favorite driver, engineer and racing executive: ‘Triple Threat’ Thrill Morgan, the Parachute Queen Jack sends to salvage impossible situations in his auto racing empire. 

IDITAROD: A Novel of the Greatest Race on Earth by André Jute

The following title is available to be won during the Cookie's Book Club Annual Christmas GiveawayDecember 21st to 31st, 2014.

The 20th anniversary fully revised 2nd edition of
André Jute's grand Alaskan adventure
Iditarod
a novel of The Greatest Race on Earth  

with an exciting new map
a novel for all the family from 14 to 94 years young


IDITAROD
a novel of
The Greatest Race on Earth
by André Jute

Marchez! — A race for survival

When Rhodes Delaney challenged James Alderston Whitbury III to a grudge match she chose the most grueling of all tests — the Iditarod: a lethal dogsled race across the perilous wastelands of barren Alaska.

Ruthless to Win, Omnibus One
by Dakota Franklin

The following title is available to be won during the Cookie's Book Club Annual Christmas GiveawayDecember 21st to 31st, 2014.

RUTHLESS TO WIN 
OMNIBUS ONE 
comprising
TROUBLESHOOTER 
LE MANS 
RACING JUSTICE 
by Dakota Franklin 
Publisher: Coolmain Press
goes straight to the
bestseller lists! 



• Dakota Franklin WINS Best Action/Adventure at Best Independent EBook Awards

• Dakota Franklin's series RUTHLESS TO WIN has already won awards and enthusiastic reviews for fascinating characters and rivetting action. The six volumes already published in the series — LE MANS a novel, REQUIEM AT MONZA, TROUBLESHOOTER, NASCAR FIRST, QUEEN OF INDY and RACING JUSTICE — have all been international Amazon bestsellers.

Cold War, Hot Passions Omnibus One
by André Jute

The following title is available to be won during the Cookie's Book Club Annual Christmas GiveawayDecember 21st to 31st, 2014.


COLD WAR, HOT PASSIONS 
OMNIBUS ONE 
by André Jute
Publisher: Coolmain Press



The epic saga of ten intertwined Russian and American families
who live and die by their love of liberty
and the searing passions their fight for freedom arouses
in war and peace.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Books by Libby Hellmann

The following title is available to be won during the Cookie's Book Club Annual Christmas GiveawayDecember 21st to 31st, 2014.

Book 1: Nobody’s Child





A bloodstained note left for PI Georgia Davis reveals the shocking existence of a half-sister she never knew about. Her sister, Savannah, is pregnant and begging for Georgia’s help. Determined to track her down, Georgia finds herself heading deep into the secretive and dangerous underworld of Chicago’s illegal sex trafficking business. She soon discovers that trafficking is just a small part of the horrifying and deadly situation in which her new sister is caught up. Even worse, as Georgia tries to extricate Savannah, she comes up against an old enemy determined to make sure neither woman will escape alive. In the fourth Georgia Davis novel, Georgia faces her toughest challenge yet—and one she might not survive.

Books by Donna Fasano

The following title is available to be won during the Cookie's Book Club Annual Christmas GiveawayDecember 21st to 31st, 2014.

An Almost Perfect Christmas
by Donna Fasano
(e-book)




About the book:

When 8-year-old Izzie asks her dad for the perfect family Christmas, Aaron Chase feels at a loss about how to make his little girl’s dream come true. Pediatric Nurse Christy Cooper has dedicated her life to caring for children and agrees to be Izzie’s stand-in mom. Maybe this selfless act will somehow alleviate her secret regrets and failures of the past.

Seriously Good Books
by Melanie McDonald and J.S. Dunn

The following title is available to be won during the Cookie's Book Club Annual Christmas GiveawayDecember 21st to 31st, 2014.

Eromenos
by Melanie McDonald
Publisher: Seriously Good Books
Format: Kindle (electronic)




A glorious youth, an untimely death, and an imperial love affair that gives rise to the last pagan god of antiquity. In this coming-of-age novel set in the second century AD, Antinous of Bithynia, a Greek youth from Asia Minor, recounts his seven-year affair with Hadrian, fourteenth emperor of Rome. In a partnership more intimate than Hadrian’s sanctioned political marriage to Sabina, Antinous captivates the most powerful ruler on earth both in life and after death.

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