The Brides Quartet series by Nora Roberts

Book Descriptions

Vision in White

Mackensie Mac Elliot loves capturing happy and playful moments with her camera, but her own life is all about work—until she meets English teacher Carter Maguire. He's escorting his bride-to-be sister to a meeting with the Vows team and recognizes Mac as the girl he crushed out on in high school. Funny sparks fly: he's a geeky guy who quotes Shakespeare, she's a trendy workaholic who loves shoes. He's crazy about her, which makes him verbally clumsy and, to Mac, charming, though she's saddled with a needy mother, an absent father and difficulties with both that make falling in love complicated.


Bed of Roses


In the second installment of the series, florist Emma wonders if she can find true love with old friend Jack Cooke, who is also very close to Emma's associates. When Emma kisses Jack, her spark-o-meter melts from the blazing heat, but their romance's setbacks are smoothed out with a little help from their friends.


Fine Printings' Review


I discovered The Brides Quartet series just this month and LOVED it! Nora Roberts has always produced enjoyable reads, however, this series is a step away from her typical thriller/love stories. Just looking at the covers of these books makes any woman gushy and happy. Who doesn't love a good wedding. Now these books may not be for the boys, but I can guarantee any woman who loves a good romance to get a thrill from these two books! Vision in White kicks off this series with the energetic and fiery Mac, who is so lovable you do not want the story to end. Her fight against the pull of love is enjoyable and you will find yourself laughing at all the antics she and her friends go through. Then move on to Bed of Roses, a bit more "mushy" than the first (I prefer less sappiness and more humor, but was definitely enjoyable) and find yourself swept away with Emma and her constant hunt to find true love. There is no disappointment with these two books, and the preview of the third book at the end of Bed of Roses will certainly strain your patience waiting for its release!


Be sure to look for Savor the Moment, the continuation with Laurel's story on April 27, 2010.

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie

Book Description

The Cultural Revolution of Chairman Mao Zedong altered Chinese history in the 1960s and '70s, forcibly sending hundreds of thousands of Chinese intellectuals to peasant villages for "re-education." This moving, often wrenching short novel by a writer who was himself re-educated in the '70s tells how two young men weather years of banishment, emphasizing the power of literature to free the mind. Sijie's unnamed 17-year-old protagonist and his best friend, Luo, are bourgeois doctors' sons, and so condemned to serve four years in a remote mountain village, carrying pails of excrement daily up a hill. Only their ingenuity helps them to survive. The two friends are good at storytelling, and the village headman commands them to put on "oral cinema shows" for the villagers, reciting the plots and dialogue of movies. When another city boy leaves the mountains, the friends steal a suitcase full of forbidden books he has been hiding, knowing he will be afraid to call the authorities. Enchanted by the prose of a host of European writers, they dare to tell the story of The Count of Monte Cristo to the village tailor and to read Balzac to his shy and beautiful young daughter. Luo, who adores the Little Seamstress, dreams of transforming her from a simple country girl into a sophisticated lover with his foreign tales.

Fine Printings' Review

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress was certainly NOT a favorite of mine. Fellow readers who expressed an interest in this novel and pointed my nose in its direction were led to believe this a tale of a young woman, a coming of age story. I did not find that so. In all actuality, the tale is that of two teenage boys (narrated by one), working among the mountains in communist China. The story documents their own struggles, trials and the discovery of new friends, and of new enemies. On top of all this, the plotline seemed inadequately developed. And more often than not it was tedious and a trial to read through. Though this novel is only a couple hundred pages (short compared to most) it took me twice as long as it normally would to read due to lackluster writing. Of course, this is my opinion and the book did receive a lot of press, and as it is originally written in French, some of the prose could be lost in translation. I will leave it up to the readers to decide. 

The Murder of King Tut by James Patterson and Martin Dugard

Book Description

A secret buried for centuries

Thrust onto Egypt's most powerful throne at the age of nine, King Tut's reign was fiercely debated from the outset. Behind the palace's veil of prosperity, bitter rivalries and jealousy flourished among the Boy King's most trusted advisors, and after only nine years, King Tut suddenly perished, his name purged from Egyptian history. To this day, his death remains shrouded in controversy. 

The keys to an unsolved mystery

Enchanted by the ruler's tragic story and hoping to unlock the answers to the 3,000 year-old mystery, Howard Carter made it his life's mission to uncover the pharaoh's hidden tomb. He began his search in 1907, but encountered countless setbacks and dead-ends before he finally, uncovered the long-lost crypt. 

The clues point to murder

Now, in The Murder of King Tut, James Patterson and Martin Dugard dig through stacks of evidence--X-rays, Carter's files, forensic clues, and stories told through the ages--to arrive at their own account of King Tut's life and death. The result is an exhilarating true crime tale of intrigue, passion, and betrayal that casts fresh light on the oldest mystery of all.

Fine Printings’ Review

For the most part, I am not a fan of non-fiction novels. Not to say that occasionally one stumbles across my desk that has been quite enjoyable, however, I do not go out in search of one to read. This novel has certainly helped change my feelings on the matter, and opened my eyes to the glorious possibility that a real story can certainly hold a reader in its grip, making them wonder, what will happen next?

The story, or at the very least to say, the man called King Tut is not unknown. For almost a century our world has known of this great pharoh, a child king, from over thousands of years ago. Though never has his story been so richly told. Leave it to author James Patterson to make this historical story one into a richly believed one of betrayal, passion and murder.

His novel, The Murder of King Tut—The Plot to Kill the Child King, takes place in three different eras, surrounding the lives of three very different people: Tuthmosis, Howard Carter and James Patterson. The reader is welcomed into a story woven back in 3000 B.C., another in early 1900s, and in Present Day, all three piece together the story, the research, blood and sweat to unearth one of history’s most fascinating stories. Now, was King Tut truly murdered? James Patterson and Martin Dugard really believe so, and after the facts, perhaps they’re right. Though, with history as old as this, who can ever be one hundred percent sure? One thing we can be one hundred percent sure of, however, is that no matter what genre you enjoy, or whether your preference is fiction or non-fiction, this is a book no-one can resist. Once again James Patterson proves to be a force a nature, not only with his fantastic detective fictions, or heartbreaking love stories, but now also in taking real life drama and bringing it to life in modern day writing!

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

Book Description

Maybe it was a grandparent, or a teacher, or a colleague. Someone older, patient and wise, who understood you when you were young and searching, helped you see the world as a more profound place, gave you sound advice to help you make your way through it.

For Mitch Albom, that person was Morrie Schwartz, his college professor from nearly twenty years ago.

Fine Printings’ Review

Tuesdays with Morrie, has made a name for itself. I have seen this book around—in stores, buried under magazines, stuffed in bookcases. Always was recommended as a great read, a book for all ages, entertaining and philosophical. Picked up once or twice, turning it around in my hands, staring at the cover as if it may jump up and bite me. Not sure why I was so apprehensive about reading through … not as if it was a hefty book. At only two hundred pages, the novel is more of a ‘novella’ by my standards, quite easy. Finally, after ten years, I succumbed to the relentless requests for my opinion and turned that first page.

Within ten minutes I was hooked. Mitch’s relationship with his ‘Coach’ Morrie is touching. We have all had that one teacher who has stuck with us throughout the years, well into adulthood. And Morrie is the epitome of that role-model perfect teacher. His honest caring, and life related philosophy steers his student through college and helps him cope with an end-of-life crisis.

Was slightly sluggish at places, the writing appeared to hit some dry spots, and the author leaped timelines throughout the story, which personally I find aggravating. Though all in all, was a very first-rate read and with a little hump work—after getting through the dull spots—I took away some great life lessons, which is more than most novels can provide! 

First Nightline Interview

Second Nightline Interview

Third Nightline Interview

The Final Goodbye

Music Selection for December 2009

In homage of our monthly series selection and the release of the New Moon film last month we took a look at the movie soundtrack. To our delightful surprise this is a fantastic grouping of musicians! Not overly fond of soundtracks in general, or of this saga’s movies, a tasteful group of singers worked together to form a masterful sound for the film. Some of our own favorite groups are featured, such as Death Cab for Cutie and the Editors. Of course, Stephanie Meyer’s preferred band, Muse, makes an appearance with I Belong To You (New Moon Remix), and the haunting voices of Lykke Li, Anya Marina and Sea Wolf make their debuts in the mainstream market.

A delightful blend of music, and not too heavy, makes this musical compilation perfect for a quiet night in with a book. This CD will also make a great Christmas gift for anyone, even if they have never read or seen the saga. Two thumbs up on this one!!

The Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer

Book Descriptions

Twilight (Novel 1)

Seventeen year old, Isabella Swan (aka Bella) moves to small Forks, Washington, where it rains relentlessly, and could have been the most boring move she ever made. Though once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Bella’s life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Bella, the person Edward holds most dear and longs for most. The lovers find themselves balanced precariously on the point of a knife … between desire and danger.

New Moon (Novel 2)

Bella and Edward find themselves facing new obstacles in New Moon, including a devastating separation. As Bella tries to move forward with life, her growing friendship with Jacob Black increasingly becomes more than just “friends” and with the mysterious appearance of dangerous wolves roaming the forest in Forks, and a terrifying threat of revenge from a female vampire, both Bella and Jacob are thrust further together for their own protection. There is also a deliciously disturbing encounter with Italy's reigning royal family of vampires, the Volturi, where Bella or one of the Cullens may not return from.

Eclipse (Book 3)

As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious murders and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her deep friendship with Jacob … knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. Finally, with graduation quickly approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which?

Breaking Dawn (Book 4)

In Breaking Dawn, the final installment in this series, Bella’s tale plays out in some unexpected twists. The ongoing conflicts that made this series so compelling … a human girl in love with a vampire and a werewolf … and the long feud between werewolves and vampires, slowly try to resolve. Bella’s latest opportunity for self-sacrifice leads a large role in this novel: giving her life for someone she loves even more than Edward. Death seems to lurk around every page of this novel and Meyer leads to a questionable end for the “good” vampires when the Volturi arrive in Forks, with one main goal … destruction.

Fine Printings’ Review

Stephanie Meyer’s, Twilight Saga, is riveting and edge-of-your-seat entertainment. Though Meyer’s is not what we would call a “clean writer” her story telling is one of a kind. This series has captivated audiences young and old, male or woman, more than even the Harry Potter novels have. Being a clean novel (making the reading age appropriate) parent’s can approve these books for their young children.

If you have seen the movies based on the first two books, and not yet had the pleasure of reading them, please do not judge the novels by the films. The movies have been a great disappointment, not only in just actor portrayal, but following storyline (a grave disappointment we would say for Twilight aficionados). The series is what spun the love for paranormal, sky-rocketing books that followed into New York Times bestsellers, our hands and hearts go out to Stephanie Meyer’s for creating a saga that will go down in history.