Book review A Collection of Old Time Recipes, Some Nearly One Hundred Years Old and Never Published.

Things Mother Used to Make A Collection of Old Time Recipes, Some Nearly One Hundred Years Old and Some Never Published

Lydia Maria Gurney

A Collection of Old Time Recipes, Some Nearly One Hundred Years Old and Never Published.

New York 1914

I downloaded this free book from Amazon for my Kindle.

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I also found where you can download this book from Gutenberg for free.

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/8542

This recipe book is a wonderful reminder of our past. Some of the things I remember my mother doing. Recipes, household hints, sewing hints.

German Toast:

1 Cupful of Milk 1 Egg Pinch of Salt 4 or 5 Slices of Bread

Beat together one egg, one cupful of milk, and a little salt. Dip slices of stale bread into this mixture, and fry on a griddle in butter or pork fat. Serve hot with butter and maple syrup.

Pies: Rolley Polys: Roll pie crust very thin and cut into strips four inches long and three inches wide. Over these spread jelly and lap the crust, pressing edges together. Brush over the top with milk and sprinkle over a little sugar. Bake fifteen minutes.

Preserves: Queen's Pudding: 1 Pint of Bread 1 Quart of Milk 3 Eggs 1 Cupful of Sugar 1 Teaspoonful of Butter 1 Lemon

Soak one pint of bread in a quart of milk till soft. Beat together the yolks of the eggs, sugar, butter, and the juice and rind of half a lemon. Stir all together and bake until it rises, about an hour and a half. When nearly cold, spread the top with jelly, and then the white of the eggs, beaten stiff. Brown in the oven. To be eaten cold.

Eggs: To Boil Eggs: Put your eggs into a bowl which can be sent to the table. Pour boiling water over them and let stand eight or nine minutes. It is essential that the water be boiling. This way of boiling eggs, though so simple, is going out of fashion, unfortunately, as it makes a wonderful difference in the appearance of the egg when broken open, and above all, in its digestibility. Eggs should never be boiled in any other way for invalids.

Old Time Gingersnaps: 1 Cupful of Molasses 1/2 Cupful of Butter or Lard 1 Teaspoonful of Soda 1 Teaspoonful of Ginger

Boil the molasses five minutes. Remove from the fire, and add soda, butter and ginger. When cooled a little, stir in the flour until thick enough to roll then roll thin as a postage stamp. Cut with a cookie-cutter, and bake in a hot oven, being careful not to burn, Shut in a tin pail. These will keep a long time.

The book contains recipes for:

Breads:

Coffee Cakes, Doughnuts, Biscuits, Crullers, Fried Bread, German Toast, Griddle Cakes, Johnny Cakes, Popovers, Parker House Rolls, Cookies, Old Time Gingersnaps and more.

Candies:

Molasses Candy, Taffy, Butterscotch and more.

Desserts:

Baked Apples, Cream Puffs, Floating Island, Coffee Jelly and more.

Eggs:

Boil, Eggs on Toast, Omelettes and more.

Fish:

Clam Fritters, Lobster, Baked Shad and more.

Meat:

A La Mode Beef, Brunswick Stew, Corn Beef Hash, Veal, Pork Chops and more.

Miscellaneous:

Boston Baked Beans, Crackers Tea for Invalids, Grape Juice and more.

Pickles:

Pickled Cauliflower, Green Chopped Pickles, Chili Sauces, Chow Chow, Cold Catsup, Tomato Catsup, Piccalilli and more.

Pies:

Rich Pie Crust, Pork Apple Pie, Chocolate Pie, Custard Pie, Cocoanut Pie, Pumpkin Pie, Rhubarb Pie, Cranberry Pie, Rhubarb Pie, Rolley Polys and more.

Preserves:

Crab Apple Jelly, Canned Cherries, Cranberry Jelly, Marmalades, Queen's pudding and more.

Sauces:

Chocolate Sauce, Cranberry sauce, Cream Mustard, Salad Dressings and more.

Soups:

Connecticut Clam Chowder, Massachusetts Clam Chowder, New England Fish Chowder, Potato Soup and more.

Vegetables:

Green Corn Fritter, Delicious Stuffed Baked Potatoes, Baked Tomatoes and more.

Appendix:

Household Hints Old and New For Housekeepers Young and Old.

Monday- Wash

Tuesday-Iron

Wednesday- Finish ironing and Bake

Thursday and Friday, Sweep and dust through

Saturday-Bake and prepare for the next day.

How to keep your hands white.

How to keep eggs.

How to lengthen the life of a broom.

How to make starch.

The proper way to sweep a room.

Length of time to cook meats and vegetables.

So many more tips that we would not use today but interesting.

I will give this a five star because it was it was a fun book to read.

Leona Olson

http://www.mnleona.blogspot.com

Book review of Grant, Savior of the Union by Mitchell Yockelson

Grant Savior of the Union (The Generals Series)

By Mitchell Yockelson
Published by Thomas Nelson

Book Description

When Ulysses S. Grant accepted the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Courthouse on April 9, 1865, he became the Savior of the Union. But he was more than just a general during the most controversial and costly time in American history.
One hundred and fifty years since the Civil War commenced, Ulysses S. Grant is still considered one of the greatest officers to wear the uniform of the United States Army. But he began his military career reluctantly.
After his father submitted an application to West Point for his son, Grant reluctantly attended. A few years after graduation he served in the Mexican War and distinguished himself in combat, but while he enjoyed the excitement of war, shortly after he married he became despondent at the amount of time his army life kept him away from his family and resigned. But when the country split apart in 1861 and war between the northern and southern states erupted, Grant was eager to wear a uniform again and serve his country.
Joining the Union Army meant more to Grant than becoming a soldier again. He fought because he believed it was his duty to do so. He firmly believed the war was fought over the issue of slavery, and so even after he was unable to secure a commission with the regular army he signed up with the Illinois volunteer army. Grant was a natural leader and rose quickly to Commander of the Union Army. He was a soldier’s soldier and the men who served under him respected his abilities to lead them in battle.
After the war, Grant went on to become the eighteenth president of the United States, serving two terms and presiding over the second half of Reconstruction, fighting for African American and Native American civil rights, and signing bills promoting black voting rights and Klan prosecution.
After years of resisting offers to write about his Civil War experience he suddenly found himself rushed to complete his memoirs when he was diagnosed with throat cancer. His two-volume memoirs were completed days before he died and were published posthumously in 1885. They are considered to be the greatest work of the genre and through them his military contributions remain with us always.
Leona's Review of Grant, Savior of the Union:
I personally this was a well written book of history on our 18th president of the United States. The time he spent at war, time at West Point and his family are so important in knowing this man. Recently, I re-watched North and South and noticed when Grant's name was mentioned.
We have a hotel/restaurant near our home with the name of the Grant house (Rush City, Minnesota) and an article in the paper last month said Grant had been to this hotel many times.
The book is based on his time in the army and of his personal life. Lots of battle scenes were included in the book. If a reader is a scholar on the Civil War and of Grant, maybe this is not the book for them. For someone who knew little (or forgot from school) this was a good read and informational.
I did tire of the war scenes but when it came to Vicksburg, I had a lot of interest because I have visited there.
I would have liked to have seen some maps.
I would suggest this for a young student. I give it a 4 star because I did learn something.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book to read and review from booksneeze.com and Thomas Nelson Publishers. The opinions are my own.

You may find Mitchell Yockelson on goodreads.

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4628025.Mitchell_Yockelson%22%3EMitchell

Leona Olson
mnleona.blospot.com

Review of The Bridge of Deaths by M. C. V. (Catalina) Egan

Review of The Bridge of Deaths by M. C. V. (Catalina) Egan
A quote from Carl Sagan at the beginning is:
Somewhere,
something incredible
is waiting to be known.
Carl Sagan
1934–1996
American astronomer, writer, and
scientist. (page ix)
This book took me about three or four chapters to really get into it. I did not care for it at the beginning but as I got into it, I was very impressed. The book is in the third person. Catalina Egan has taken historical facts and turned them into a novel. I liked the characters, even with some faults they had.
There is Maggie and Bill, who live in London and the lady from Florida, Catalina, who connect on the Internet and use Skype and emails to communicate.
Bill has been transferred to London where he has recurring dreams about a past life. He meets Maggie at a bookstore and they click right away. They begin to search what is happening to Bill and why.
Catalina is searching for clues to the death of her grandfather, Cesar Agustin Castillo, a Mexican, who worked for Standard Oil of New Jersey and died in an British Airline airplane crash off the coast of Denmark on August 15, 1939.
There were four other passengers that died in the crash; a member of British Parliament, Anthony Crommelin Crossley, a conservative; another employee of Standard Oil of New Jersey, Samuel James Simonton, an American; a German Corporate Lawyer, Erich Bruno Wilhelm Beuss and a crew member for the airline, Alfred Stanley Mardsin Leigh. The pilot, Clifford Frederick Cecil Wright survived.
Catalina has been researching for almost twenty years and the facts she has acquired are very detailed.
There were so many facts, I had to stop reading and give my mind a rest. It is like when I do the genealogy for my family, I need to clear the mind of facts and names. I found myself checking the Internet for more information.
Bill felt he had a past life; Maggie and Bill began to search for answers. They consulted with a hypnotist as well as other means such as the Internet. "Hypnotist's job was to help Bill separate who he was today from who he had been in a past life." (page 302).
The book leads you into the past of many well known names in history. Winston Churchill, Nevile Chamberlain, Ronald Regan as well as many books and movies.
Anyone into genealogy, an interest in World War ll, history and mystery will like this book. Most of the characters are real.
I wish to thank the author, M.C.V. (Catalina) Egan for the complimentary e-book to read and review.
I give this a five star for all the research and facts that are in The Bridge of Deaths. The opinions are my own.
Acknowledgements on page 327
Bibliography on page 335
Films on page 346
Newspaper and Magazine Sources on page 347
Flight Magazine on page 349
Internet Sources on page 350
Archives on page 354
Author Biography on page 355
Epilogue on page 313
There are pictures of planes, people and scanned documents.
Find Catalina Egan at: thebridgeofdeaths.com and facebook.com/mcv.egan
Go to:
http://suzannevanrooyen.com/2012/01/23/guest-post-by-author-maria-catalina-egan/ to read an interview with the author.
Leona Olson
mnleona.blogspot.com ( )

Starting Now: A Blossom Street Novel by Debbie Macomber

Starting Now: A Blossom Street Novel by Debbie Macomber

This is the first book I have read of the Blossom Street series and the first book I have read by Debbie Macomber in a long time. I was not disappointed.

The book begins with the attorney, Libby Morgan, losing her job. Months later, she calls an old friend, Robin, to have lunch with her for a talk. After lunch her friend needed to go to A Good Yarn Shop to buy some yarn for her mother and Libby goes with her. While there, Libby sees two teenagers knitting, or one is learning to knit. Casey is teaching Ava. Libby mentioned she used to knit. They are knitting hats for the preemies at the hospital and encouraged Libby to try to knit again. After a visit to the hospital to help deliver the hats, Libby becomes a volunteer in the nursery rocking and singing to the babies.

This brings the story to Libby making friends at the yarn shop and the introduction to Dr. Philip Stone at the hospital. Phillip is a doctor for the young and infants with heart problems. He is known as the Dr. Heart of Stone because he will not date anyone at the hospital.

The book is based on friendship, romance, love, trials, caring, family and disappointments.

We follow Libby through months of no job, her love for Phillip and her new friendships. At times, as the reader, I wanted to wring her neck and tell her what she should do.

Debbie Macomber has done a good job of pulling the characters and story together. No sex or bad language.

This was a fast read for me and a page turner.

I won a copy of Starting Now in a contest. The opinions are my own.

I give this book a 5 star.

Some characters are:

Libby (Elizabeth) Morgan-One of the main characters, an unemployed attorney

Dr. Phillip Stone- Heart Doctor at the Seattle Hospital

Robin Hamlin- Best friend of Libby

Lydia Goetz- Owner of A Good Yarn Shop on Blossom Street

Brad Goetz- Husband of Lydia

Casey- Adopted daughter of Lydia and friend of Ava also 13 years old

Ava- A pregnant 13 year old who closely connects with Libby

Darlene Carmichael- Grandmother of Ava

Margaret- Sister of Lydia and works at the yarn shop

Roy Bollinger- A Judge that Robin who Robin really likes and more than as a friend

Mrs. Martha Reed- A client when Libby worked at the law office

Hershel Burkhart- Libby's old boss. When he let her go he told her this was a beginning and not an end.

Sarah- Paralegal who worked with Libby at the law office

Mollie Morgan- Mother of Libby who passed away when Libby was a teenager.

Joe Wilson- Ex-husband of Libby

Robert Morgan- Father of Libby

Charlene- Step-mother of Libby

Sharon Jennings- A nurse at the hospital

Book Review of My Familiar Stranger by Victoria Danann

 

My Familiar Stranger by Victoria Danann

My Familiar Stranger is the first book in The Order of the Black Swan series by Victoria Danann. The book begins with Elora Laiken witnessing the death of her family and she is saved from death by Catalonius Monq, the tutor to the royal children. She is given a locket and Mong told she will find someone "very like me" and to give him the locket to retrieve the data within. He sent her through a portal into a "strangish" land with the words "Be Happy".

Members of the B Team of The Order of the Black Swan are in a room known as the Chamber when there is a force of wind and a flash of light and something falls to the stone floor. Sol says don't touch it but Storm was concerned that someone or something was injured. Elora was taken to the infirmary.

While Elora is recovering she becomes close to Storm and Ram.

The book continues with relationships, vampires, friendship, elves and more. There is a lot happening and I thought relationships were the main theme of this book.

I liked H.E.B. grocery store in the book. I shopped there when I lived in Texas.

Sex scenes and the f work used a number of times.

Some Characters are:

Elora Laiwynn Laiken- from a royal family; from the Clan of Laiwynn

Sovereign Sol Nemaiah- the supervisor of the B Team of The Order of the Black Swan

Rammell Hawking. Irish and an Elf. One of the B Team

Engel Storm- One of the B Team

Kay- from Texas. Name is really Chaos Caelian- One of the B Team

Catalonius Monq- tutor to the royal children

Catalonius C. Monq- current Monq at the Black Order. part chemist, part inventor, part magician

I am giving it a 4 star. I liked the book and look forward to reading the other books in the series.

Victoria Danann can be found on her website at www.VictoriaDanann.com

http://www.facebook.com/Victoria.Danann.9

http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8920457-victoria-danann

 

I downloaded this e-book. The opinions are my own.

Leona Olson

www.mnleona.blogspot.com

Book Review of Death on Dartmoor by Dara England

Death on Dartmoor by Dara England

Millicent Wright and her mother have arrived from America to visit Sir Oliver Longbourne whom they met in Chicago. Sir Oliver invited them to visit and the main reason they come is Mrs. Wright is looking for a husband for her daughter.

Sir Oliver is murdered in one of the first chapters and thus begins the search for the person who killed him.

This is a quick read and it leads the reader into following clues to the murders(s).

This is the first book I have read by Dara England and I will give it a 4 star.

I loved the descriptions of Buckfast hall as well as the other places in the book.

No sex and no bad language which was appreciated.

Characters:

Millicent Wright- from America (Chicago), her father died 6 years ago and was a wealthy financier.

Mrs. Wright- mother of Millicent

Sir Oliver Longbourne

Phillip-son of Sir Oliver (about 10 years old)

Joanna Longbourne- Wife of Sir Oliver

Miss Caroline Longbourne- sister of Oliver

Lady Longbourne- grandmother of Sir Oliver

Colonel Quinlan- brother-in-law of Sir Oliver

Detective Abel Lockwood

Lady Edith- guest of Oliver

Amelia Shepherd- a possible romantic interest of Sir Oliver

Clara - a maid

Billy- a servant accused of theft of cuff links of Sir Oliver

Buckfast Hall- home of Sir Oliver

Village of Buckfastleigh on Dartmoor, Devonshire, England

Mrs Wardly's party in Chicago where Millicent and Sir Oliver met

It is part of a series of An American Heiress Mystery.

This is an ebook I downloaded from Amazon.
You can find Dara England at

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4821160.Dara_England

https://twitter.com/Dara_England

www.facebook.com/DaraEngland

website

http://www.daraenglandauthor.com/

The opinions are my own

Leona Olson

http://www.mnleona.blogspot.com

Project Gutenberg

The Travels of Sir John Mandeville written in 1356.
I read about this book on a message board so requested it from my library. It is very detailed and yesterday I thought what if it is on Project Gutenberg and so I checked. I downloaded the book and can read it at my leisure.
Here is the link
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/782

Book Review of Serpent of Moses by Don Hoesel

From the Back Cover

Moses built and lifted up the brass serpent,
healing the afflicted Israelites of snakebites.

King Hezekiah called the serpent Nehushtan. Long thought destroyed, it's been buried for millennia, secreted under the region's shifting sands.

Now the Israeli government wants it back and they will stop at nothing to get their hands on it. Yet they're not the only ones who covet the Nehushtan.

Archaeologist Jack Hawthorne travels to Libya intent on recovering the sacred object, but one does not cross the Mossad and expect to walk away without a fight. Jack and his friends must find the priceless "snake of brass upon a pole" before those who are also hunting it find them...and silence them forever.

About the Author

Don Hoesel, the acclaimed author of Elisha's Bones, Hunter's Moon, and The Alarmists, lives in Spring Hill, Tennessee, with his wife and two children. Don holds a bachelor's degree in mass communication from Taylor University. When not writing novels, he spends his days working in the communications department of a large company.

My review:

This was a really good read. Some have suggested this book is like an Indiana Jones type of adventure.

Jack Hawthorne is the main character in Serpent of Moses. The book starts with Jack in a cave in Libya being chased by men who want the staff Jack has. The book continues with mystery, chasing and searching for Jack who is missing.

It is an interesting book about archaeology, the Bible, the Middle East, Milan, history, friendship, mystery, God, death, suspense danger and the brass staff called the Nehushtan. The Nehushtan is a sacred object in the form of a snake of brass upon a pole. Moses made it to heal people of snake bites from a plague of snakes God sent them. It is said to have been broken into pieces by King Hezekiah. The Israelis has hired Imolene to get the staff back and return it to them.

Jack has disappeared and Espy and her brother go to the Middle East to and Europe search for him. His friend Duckey also joins in the search.

 

Some Characters:

Dr. Jack Hawthorne- an archaeologist in search of the Nehushtan.

Imolene -an Egyptian paid by the Israelis to get the staff..

Dr. Esperanza (Espy) Habilla-girlfriend of Jack, she is from Venezuela and a foreign language expert at the University of Venezuela.

Romero Habilla- brother of Esperanza; an antiquities dealer.

Amadou Boufayed- a Libyan

Martin Templeton- an Englishman also after the staff and Jack.

Milo Sturdivant- a museum curator who hired Jack to bring him the staff.

Jim Duckett- a friend of Jack, a former CIA agent and a professor. Goes by the name of Duckey for his friends.

Stephanie- wife of Jim Duckett.

Marwen Saidani- a Tunisian.

Tom Fitzpatrick- CIA Unit Chief Agent and friend of Jim Duckett.

Some Places:

Milan

Libya

London

Caracas

Tripoli

Tunisia

Turkey

Al Bayda (Africa)

 

This is my first read by Don Hoesel and the second book in the Jack Hawthorne series, but this book can be read without reading the first one. There is violence but no sex or bad language.

I received a complimentary copy of Serpent of Moses by Don Hoesel to read and review from Bethany House. The opinions are my own.

I will give it a 5 star because of the interest it had for me.

You can find the author at www.donhoesel.com and www.goodreads.com/author/show/2113161.Don_Hoesel and

http://www.shelfari.com/authors/a2404055/Don-Hoesel for some sites.

Book Review of Larkspur Road by Jill Gregory

Book Review of Larkspur Road by Jill Gregory.

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My review:

This is a fast and easy romance book to read. I liked the characters and especially Aunt Winny and the two kids, Grady and Britt. Adding Samson, the playful puppy, was a great idea.

The book had many happenings that flow together. A surprise for me at the end of the book.

There is one sex scene and more references to Mia and Travis' time together. Some violence and tense moments and at least one scene that called for tissues (for me). Language was fine. The author found other ways to describe other than using bad language.

Mia is not sure she wants to pick up where she left off years ago when she and Travis were a couple in high school after Travis has moved back to Lonesome way. Both of the main characters have had bad marriages and are now taking care of troubled kids. Mia is the aunt of Britt and Travis is the father of his adopted step-son. Both the kids are learning responsibilities.

This book is dated in the current time frame. Based in a small town where people know each other which can be good and bad. Local hangouts such as A Bun in the Oven Bakery. Some words that help describe the book are small town, family, quilts, love, hate, fear and understanding.

I am going to give this a 4 star.

I look forward to reading other books by Jill Gregory, a New York Times bestselling author. You can find her on Facebook; Twitter (https://twitter.com/Jill_Gregory; email at JillyGreg@aol.com; her site www.jillgregory.net

Leona Olson

http://www.mnleona.blogspot.com

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Book Description.

Release date: May 1, 2012 | Series: Lonesome Way

In this touching new novel by New York Times best selling author Jill Gregory, a woman comes face to face with a love from her past and finds the chance to heal…
Fifth grade teacher Mia Quinn expected a tranquil summer in her hometown of Lonesome Way, Montana, sewing for her quilting group’s exhibition fundraiser and caring for her rescued dog, Samson. But all her plans for a relaxing break are thrown out the window when Travis Tanner—the boy who broke her heart in high school—returns to town with his ten year old adopted step-son.
A former FBI agent, the boy Mia once knew is now well over six feet of male muscle—and he still has the power to make Mia lose her train of thought with just a glance. When Travis asks her to tutor his troubled son, Mia quickly discovers that the sparks between them are hotter than ever. As danger comes to Lonesome Way and family secrets come to light, will Travis and Mia realize that love can be even better the second time around?

Giveaway

Kindle Fire eReader Giveaway!!Follower Appreciation Giveaway - Kindle Fire eReader, Leather Case and US$15 Gift Card
Country available. International
Ending date: February 8, 2013
http://wavesoffiction.blogspot.com/20...

Christmas Carols

The tradition of Christmas carols dates back as far as the thirteenth century, although carols were originally communal songs sung during celebrations like harvest tide as well as Christmas. It was only later that carols began to be sung in church, and to be specifically associated with Christmas. Traditionally, carols have often been based on medieval chord patterns, and it is this that gives them their uniquely characteristic musical sound. Some carols can be traced directly back to the Middle Ages, and are among the oldest musical compositions still regularly sung.

Free Printable Christmas Carol Lyric sheets are great for your family or neighborhood caroling activities. Print some of our Christmas Carol Song sheet pages and teach your group to sing. These are provided for your personal enjoyment and as a guide to learning these classic old Christams Carols.
  Go to BlueBonkers.com

http://www.ohmygoshbeck.com/2012/12/old-navy-gift-card-flash-giveaway/#comment-57116

Giveaway for an Old Navy Gift Card. Ends December 25.  Good luck.

Wn a Nook from Gemma Halliday

Gemma Halliday is giving away a Nook Simple Touch with Glowlight!How to enter? Just subscribe to her newsletter at http://www.gemmahalliday.com/contest.html
Already subscribed? Then you're already entered, BUT you can gain more entries by forwarding this message to all of your friends. For every unique email address you forward this message to, you get one additional entry! (Just be sure to cc: gemmasreadermail@gmail.com she knows how many people you've forwarded it to. And she will NOT save your friends' contact info, and they will NEVER be contacted by her.)
The fine print: Nook Simple Touch with Glowlight can currently only be shipped to U.S. address, so this contest is only open to residents of the U.S. Apologies to my international readers! Winner will be contacted via email on January 1st, and will be announced in my January newsletter.

Review of The Intercept by Dick Wolf

Review of The Intercept by Dick Wolf

This is in the back of the book:
"Dick Wolf makes his literary debut with this tense, driving thriller, reminiscent of the classic The Day of the Jackal, an extraordinary tale filled with the ingenious twists and high-wire suspense we have come to expect from this master storyteller
Days before the July Fourth holiday and the dedication of One World Trade Center at Ground Zero, an incident aboard a commercial jet flying over the Atlantic Ocean reminds everyone that vigilance is not a task to be taken lightly. But for iconoclastic NYPD detective Jeremy Fisk, it may also be a signal that there is much more to this case than the easy answer of this being just the work of another lone terrorist.
Fisk—assigned to the department's Intelligence Division, a well-funded antiterror unit modeled on the CIA—suspects that the event might also be a warning sign that another, potentially more extraordinary scheme has been set in motion. Fluent in Arabic and the ways of his opponents, Fisk is a rule breaker who follows his gut—even if it means defying those above him in the department's food chain. So when a passenger from the same plane, a Saudi Arabian national, disappears into the crowds of Manhattan, it's up to Fisk and his partner Krina Gersten to find him before the celebrations begin.
Watching each new lead fizzle, chasing shadows to dead ends, Fisk and Gersten quickly realize that their opponents are smarter and more agile than any they have ever faced. Extremely clever and seemingly invisible, they are able to exploit any security weak-ness and anticipate Fisk's every move . . . and time is running out."
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The Intercept is written by Dick Wolf , the creator of Law & Order, a TV show.

The book has been dedicated to TK.

The Intercept kept me interested and also in wonder why people think and act as they do. The book is based on terrorism in the United States. A plan to hijack a Scandinavian Airlines plane headed to New York is stopped by six people who become known as "The Six", honored and called heroes.
The book has Jeremy Fisk a detective for the NYPD Intelligence Division, and his partner Krina Gersten, whose family has been in the police force for four generations, searching for a terrorist named Bin-Hezam for most of the book.
The book has many twists and turns which makes it a real page turner. The chapters are short and fast moving. The Arabic language is used throughout the book. Fisk speaks fluent Arabic.
The book goes into details of the murders that take place. I felt this was a "heavy" book with the fear and reality it can give to the reader. I was impressed with the details of the book and descriptions of New York pulled the reader into the book. Real people are included in The Intercept as well as the characters of the book. Commissioner Ray Kelly of the NYPD, President Obama, President George W. Bush, Laura Bush, Mayor Bloomberg and Oprah are mentioned and I felt that added to the book. I liked the characters of the book but not enough information about them.
The book contains one sex scene and language that used the f word a lot.

I will give this a four star rating. I was given a complimentary copy of The Intercept to read and review. The opinions are my own.

I wish to thank goodreads and Dick Wolf for the opportunity to read and review. I look forward to reading the next book written by Dick Wolf.

Part 1: Background Noise page 1
Part 2: October 2009 Abbottabad, Pakistan page 43
Part 3: May 2011 Ramstein Air Base, Germany page 53
Part 4: Chatter Thursday, July 1 page 81
Part 5: Eavesdrop Friday, July 2 page 109
Part 6: Intercepts Saturday, July 3 page 179
Part 7: Double-Speak page 275
Part 8: Moment of Silence,July 4 page 343

Book Review of Revenge at Bella Terra by Christina Dodd

Revenge at Bella Terra by Christina Dodd

Chole is going to California to stay at Eli Di Luca's house to finish her second mystery novel. Her father has offered money for Eli to save his vineyard if he will marry her and produce a grandchild; Chole does not know Eli is the one this time that her father chose because this is not the first time her father has done this. She is driving from Austin, Texas to the Santa Rosa area where her father, Conte, has arranged a place for her to finish her book at Eli's home. First impressions are not favorable for either Eli or Chole. Eli is from an Italian family in the wine country of California. He is very close to his grandmother, Nonna, but there is a hidden secret he carries. Chole's father is an Italian and her mother is ;;;;

The book is full of mystery, family, wine, death, hate, fear and some love. A lot of twists and the end was a surprise to me.

I especially liked the Italian grandmother; my grandmother spelled it with one n, Nona.

This is the first book I have read by Christina Dodd and found it fast moving with lots of twists and turns. It is the second book of the series but still able to be read on it's own.

I did not find it "romantic" as in some books I have read but a different love in that one cares.

I will add when Chloe drove through West Texas, it was described as a god-forsaken place with tarantulas and dust storms. True, we do have sandstorms and tarantulas but I love the area even though I now live in the Land of Lakes of Minnesota. When Chloe had a flat tire, she knew a Texas man would stop and help her. I will add that I used to say, "Drive to West Texas from Austin and people pull over to the shoulder so you can pass; when you drive to Houston from Austin to go east, they pull more into the center lane". I lived in the Austin area, Round Rock, for ten years.

I will give it a 4 star because of the actions, mystery and so many surprises. I look forward to Betrayal, the next book in the Bella Terra series.

I got this book from my library.

You can find Christina Dodd at www.christinadodd.com.

Leona Olson

www.mnleona.blogspot.com

The Dark Age Survivors Of The Pulse by Jeff Horton

The Dark Age
Survivors Of The Pulse
By
Jeff W. Horton

World Castle Publishing
Pensacola, Florida
Copyright © Jeff W. Horton 2011
ISBN: 9781937085872
Library of Congress Catalogue Number 2011928105
First Edition World Castle Publishing July 15, 2011http://www.worldcastlepublishing.com
Licensing Notes
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner
whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied
in articles and reviews.
Cover Artist: Spittyfish Designs
Editor: Beth Price

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"PrologueIt has been five-hundred years since the Pulse bathed the earth in a brilliant flash, instantly ending the Golden Age of humanity. At the speed of light, it destroyed modern technology all over the planet, ushering in the Great Collapse, and the conclusion of ten-thousand years of civilization. There had been no time to prepare, for the end came without warning. The cause of the cataclysm remained a mystery however, until one night people looked to the skies during the time of the Great Collapse, and found a new, beautiful, heavenly light there. Scientists soon uncovered the painful truth behind the fantastic lights; the Pulse was not alone when it struck the earth. The appearance of the powerful electromagnetic pulse had coincided with the arrival of a significant coronal mass ejection from the sun, trapping the power of the Pulse in the earth’s magnetic field, creating a brilliant, nightly light show, similar to the aurora borealis in appearance, which came to be known as The Effect.

The terrible consequence of the Effect kept the people of the Golden Age from re-building the most advanced civilization in human history. Gradually, over the course of time, more and more of the accumulated knowledge that existed during the Golden Age began to fade from human memory. The abrupt loss of all modern technology had been a shock to the world’s collective system, a catastrophe from which it was unable to recover. The subsequent descent into the darkness that began during the Great Collapse continued well into the period known as the Dark Age. After several hundred years, the rapid decline of civilization eventually leveled off, leaving humanity at a level of technology comparable to life during the Middle Ages, a time when illiteracy was the rule instead of the exception, and the world was ruled by the sword, and by the bow.

The Holy Christian Church, which has existed since the time of Christ, has now survived two dark ages. The unified Church has been the only light of hope for the people of the Dark Age, maintaining a continual presence in Rome, which serves as the nerve center of the Church, and a beacon of hope to Christian pilgrims from all over the world.

The Warrior Clan, founded during The Great Collapse by a group of ex-soldiers and civilians, maintains enclaves scattered throughout the Outlands. Shunning contact with the outside world since its inception, members of the Warrior Clan are disciplined fighters, constantly striving to perfect their martial skill. They are recognized and feared throughout the known lands as fierce and accomplished warriors.

Urbas inhabit the crumbling meros, all that remains of the great urban metropolises that once dotted the surface of the Earth. Living together in packs of twenty or more, they are the descendants of the few men and women that remained in the great cities during the Great Collapse. They survive by preying on outsiders and on each other, with allegiance to no one other than their pack, and themselves. The balance of humanity clusters in small, scattered villages, working mostly as farmers.

The Dark Age is a harsh and unforgiving time. The Golden Age and the Ancients are now largely remembered only in bedtime stories for small children. Just as the light always burns brightest in the darkness however, hope remains as some cling stubbornly to their faith, praying that one day the light of civilization will return. For among the many stories passed down from generation to generation over the centuries there exists an ancient prophecy, dating from the time of the Great Collapse. The prophecy holds that one day a sign would appear from God, announcing to believers that the time had come to find and activate the Great Oracle of Knowledge, giving the world the opportunity to emerge from the great darkness, into a glorious new Golden Age."
---

Dark Ages, Survivors of the Pulse by Jeff W. Horton.

The dedication is: For my family, and my God.

The time period is five hundred years since the Pulse ended the Golden Age of humanity and ushered in the Great Collapse. Pope John Paul V is waiting for a sign to find the Oracle that will tell the people how to regain civilization as it was once known. There are really three classes of people now: Warrior Clans, Urbas who live in the meros ( once metropolitans) and ones who live in small villages, mainly farmers

There are 7 pieces of a map around the world that tells where to find the Great Oracle of Knowledge.

The clues where the pieces are: "seven clues listed in the book, written in Latin, which will, I believe, tell us where the pieces of the map are located.
Clue Number 1- Qua Valde Era lux lucis via.
Clue Number 2- Qua Barbatus Vir Sits.
Clue Number 3-Urbs of ventus.
Clue Number 4-Qua quietis miles militis sileo.
Clue Number 5- Qua Democracy Eram Prognatus.
Clue Number 6- Valde urbs of Crocus Vir.
Clue Number 7- Urbs of Silicis - Vir in Gero." Page 81

A Brother and a Clansman are in charge of searching for each one of the maps throughout the world. The one thing they have in common is restoring the world to civilization again.

Anyone interested in a post-apocalypse novel will certainly like this book. This book caught my attention from the beginning and kept it until the end. I am usually pretty good about predicting the end of a book but this one had me way off. I added the prologue so the reader (s) could get a better idea of the book. I wish to thank the author, Jeff W. Horton, for the complimentary e-book copy of this e-book to read and review. I will give this book a 5 star. There is violence, no bad language or sex. The opinions are my own.

Leona Olson

www.mnleona.blogspot.com

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Ferrell Young- a guide who takes the Pilgrims to the ships so they can go to Rome

Pope John Paul V- the leader of the Holy Christian Church- no longer Catholics or Protestants, only Christians. His name was Henry before he became Pope.

Alex Montgomery-helping the Warrior Clan find the book

Hannah Montgomery- the twelve year old daughter of Alex

Kraken- a cruel person who wants to rule

Darius- a young twenty-five priest

Madgar

Brother Mark

Brother Phillip- cousin to Darius

Cardinal Daniel

Pope Matthew- Pope during the Great Collapse

Brother Sebastian- looking for the book that will help lead to the Oracle

Captain Marsh- captain of the pirate ship

General Collins- made to work for Kraken under pressure to protect his family

Jessica- Medina -held captive by Kraken

Bokra- a clansman

Tara- sister of Ferrell

Ariel- loves Ferrell

Julius- a clansman

Brother Francis

Sanjo-a clansman

Brother O'Reilly

David

Michael

Lord Sarkota- teacher of Ferrell

Sergei- friend of Ferrell

Yoshi- a clansman

Captain Abihu-captain of the Nemesis

Brother Wayne

Norris- clansman

The Unity- a group of clergy and scientists

Brother Dan

Manasa- a clansman

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Dedication (pg 3)

Prologue (pg 4)

Chapter One- Pilgrims (pg 6)

Chapter Two- The Expedition (pg 11)

Chapter Three- Kraken (pg 16)

Chapter Four-Vatican City (pg 21)

Chapter Five- Exhausted (pg 26)

Chapter Six- The Book (pg 35)

Chapter Seven- Brother Ramos (pg 43)

Chapter Eight- An Old Friend (pg 47)

Chapter Nine- The Sign (pg 53)

Chapter Ten- The Puzzle (pg 56)

Chapter Eleven- The Mountains (pg 60)

Chapter Twelve- The Ocean (pg 64)

Chapter Thirteen- The Enclave (pg 68)

Chapter Fourteen- The Coming Storm (pg 71)

Chapter Fifteen- The Council Meeting (pg 76)

Chapter Sixteen- The Clue (pg 80)

Chapter Seventeen- The Healer (pg 84)

Chapter Eighteen- The Spy (pg 87)

Chapter Nineteen- The First Map (pg 90)

Chapter Twenty- The Second Map (pg 99)

Chapter Twenty one- The Road Back (pg 108)

Chapter Twenty two- The Third Map (pg 110)

Chapter Twenty three- The Fourth Map (pg 117)

Chapter Twenty four- Rerouting (pg 122)

Chapter Twenty five- The Fifth Map (pg 126)

Chapter Twenty six- The Effect (pg 131)

Chapter Twenty seven- The Sixth Map (pg 136)

Chapter Twenty eight- The Final Map (pg 142)

Chapter Twenty nine- Breaking Points (pg 146)

Chapter Thirty- Bokra (pg 151)

Chapter Thirty one- The Assault (pg 156)

Chapter Thirty two- Two Armies (pg 160)

Chapter Thirty three- Rallying the Troops (pg 163)

Chapter Thirty four- The Deciding Strategy (pg 165)

Chapter Thirty five- The Day Before (pg 168)

Chapter Thirty six- The Night Before (pg 175)

Chapter Thirty seven- Preparations (pg 178)

Chapter Thirty eight- The Final Battle (pg 184)

Chapter Thirty nine- The Stronghold (pg 192)

Chapter Forty- The Map (pg 195)

Chapter Forty one- The Founders (pg 200)

Chapter Forty two- Making Plans (pg 206)

Chapter Forty three- Following the Map (pg 209

Chapter Forty four- The Lake (pg 214)

Chapter Forty five- Into the Darkness (pg 217)

Chapter Forty six- An Old Acquaintance (pg 221)

Chapter Forty seven- The Great Oracle (pg 226)

Chapter Forty eight- After the Darkness (pg 232)

Epilogue (pg 234)

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The Ultimate Starbucks Recipe Book

The Ultimate Starbucks Coffee Recipe Book
http://www.dwallace.net/starbucks.pdf
Download a free recipe e-book. There are 32 pages of recipes using Starbucks Coffee.
Note:Starbucks Coffee if a registered trademark.
Table of Contents:
Beverage Recipes  page 3
Pastry & Coffee Desserts  page 14
Sauces  page 30

A Voice in the Wind

A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers

A historical novel set after the the death of Jesus Christ and most of the book is based in Rome. A graphic book with the details of the Gladiators, brutal treatments of the Christian people and also of the Jewish. Rome is the ruler at this time period. The reader is taken into the lives of the people.

An interesting book to read. The research of the time period is very complete. Some historical characters but most are fictional. The details of the Christians, the Romans, the Coliseum, people, dress, food and even the cemeteries are good. For one that has studied Roman history and knows a lot of the customs, it helps the reader.

Hadassah, the main character, is a Jewish slave that has become a Christian. She is the slave of Julia, sister of Marcus who falls in love with Hadassah. The parents of Marcus and Julia is Phoebe and Decimus Valerian. She is very devout to God. Sometimes, I think I wished she could bend a little. A faithful slave and such an understanding of people.

This is the first book of the Mark of the Lion Series by Francine Rivers. Francine Rivers is a New York Times Best Seller Author.

I would not recommend this book for younger readers, I suggest at least High School. Good for a Christian book club. There is a discussion Guide on page 521. There is a color Roman Empire Map- C. 117 AD. The book is 524 pages including the guide.

Contents:

Forward by Mark D. Taylor ix

Preface xi

Acknowledgements xiii

Part l: Jerusalem page 1

Part ll: Germania page 23

Part lll: Rome page 41

Part lV: Ephesus page 349

Francine Rivers has dedicated this book to her mother, Frieda King.

I look forward to reading the other two books of this series, Echo in the Darkness and As Sure of the Dawn

I give A Voice in the Wind a 5 star.

The author may be reached at www.francinerivers.com

I wish to thank Tyndale Publishers and Francine Rivers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Leona Olson

Questions and Answers for a Genealogy Computer Program

Genealogy Research

1. What are at least two important functions of a genealogy computer program that helps you organize your information?
   
   
2. Where would you locate previous research on a family?
   
   
3. Should you automatically accept a family pedigree from the World Family Tree as a proven source?
   
   
4. Should you accept a published family history as a proven source?
5. How should you record your research results?
   
   
6. Why is it important to record sources that have negative results?
   
   
7. What is the purpose of the research planner?

Answers

1. What are at least two important functions of a genealogy computer program that helps you organize your information?The five most important computer software functions are:
   • Enter individuals easily
   • Link individuals together easily
   • Allow for as many notes as necessary
   • Share information with others
   • Download (copy) files from others
2. Where would you locate previous research on a family?Genealogy.com's Family Finder search (historical data on CD and online), Family Search (Ancestral File, International Genealogical Index, and the Surname section of the Family History Library Catalog), and the Library of Congress (published family histories).
   
   
3. Should you automatically accept a family pedigree from the World Family Tree as a proven source?No. You should contact the contributor and ask for a copy of their sources. Then check the sources of the information for yourself before accepting it.
   
   
4. Should you accept a published family history as a proven source?No. Again, just as with the information from World Family Tree, you should check the sources before accepting them.
   
   
5. How should you record your research results?Using a computer program such as Family Tree Maker is the easiest way, but it can be done on paper. Whichever way you record the results, they should refer to photocopies or sources you have used, and where they might be found.
   
   
6. Why is it important to record sources that have negative results?A research planner records all the essential information in a particular source. This includes what information you were searching for and all the particulars surrounding it.
   
   
7. What is the purpose of the research planner?A research planner records all the essential information in a particular source. This includes what information you were searching for and all the particulars surrounding it.

The Tide of the Mermaid Tears

The Tide of the Mermaid Tears by Marcia Lynn McClure


A romance book that involves the sea, mermaids, mermans and mermaid tears. Ember Taffee is always searching for treasures along the seashore. She is always interested in mermaid's tears which are pieces of glass that have been washed up from the sea. One day she finds a man who has been washed up from the sea. She takes him home where she lives with her mother and sister. Ember's father, Mariner Taffee, had been lost at sea 15 years ago.
Ridge West is nursed back to health by Ember's mother, Tempest. Lily is the sister of Ember.
I liked the stories and tales that are told about the sea in this book. It was a fast reading book. Some violence, no bad language and no sex. I thought at the beginning that Ember was much younger that she was. I tired of the word giggling but that was me. It is a good read for romance and tales of the sea. Some mystery and I really thought the book got better as it got closer to the end.
I am giving it a 4 star because it held my interest.
I wish to thank the author, Marcia Lynn McClure for a complimentary copy to read and review.
Leona