Ashleigh's Bookshelf

Snowed Inn: The Beginning by Eliza Harwell In 1969, hippie Iris has no idea what she wants to do with her life. So when the opportunity arises to learn how to work an organic farm in rural Virginia, she figures she has nothing to lose. It's been a year since Vern has returned from Vietnam, but he still remembers the trials of war. When his advisor suggests he spend time researching his doctoral thesis in rural Virginia, he welcomes the opportunity. Little do Iris and Vern realize they will find their futures in the woods. This novella is a prequel to Eliza Harwell's Snowed Inn series and tells the story of how the innkeepers, Iris and Vern, met. When I read the blurb, I expected the story to remain in the past, but it not only begins in the present time, but it continues to interrupt the story with flashes back to the present. I would have much preferred a story that was set in the past and stayed there. The story begins with an des...

(Not) In This Lifetime by Rebecca Ouellette When Charlie's van pulls in front of the worst night club in town, he knows that means his career as a rock star has ended. But, he doesn't mind. That was his father's dream, not his. He never expected a the place to end up in flames or for it to result in him seeing another side of his father. And he really never expected for the fire to cause him to start jumping through time, reliving the life of a brother he never knew. Can Charlie change the past for the better? Or does history truly repeat itself? Although I enjoyed this story very much, I don't really have much to say about it. I was captivated by Charlie's inner turmoil as he began to question the life he always knew, as well as delve into a past that wasn't his. I did find myself confused trying to keep the characters straight, especially as Charlie began switching between time periods more rapidly. There was also an occasional slip i...

One for the Hooks by Betty Hechtman Molly has a comfortable life. A middle-aged widow, she works in a local bookstore-slash-yarn shop, is seeing a high-power attorney, and lives alone with several cats and dogs. Until her son moves in with his very pregnant girlfriend. When a horrible, stinky accident causes the death of one of her friends, how could she not try to help. Even if it means working with her ex. I was drawn to this book because of it's crocheting theme and was pleased to see it play such an important role in the story. However, I had a difficult time making it through the book. One of the things that I found irsksome was the narration. I felt the main character was constantly repeating herself. Several characters were introduced multiple times, right into the final chapters, each time as if it were the first. There were also many scenes that were summarized when I would have liked to have seen the action and dialogue instead. Without giving too m...

Death on Tour by Janice Hamrick Texas high school teacher Jocelyn and her cousin Kyla have always been interested in Ancient Egypt, so when presented the opportunity to spend her spring break touring the Great Pyramids, Jocelyn isn't about to say no. She's not even going to let the death of one of her more annoying companions ruin her trip. But, when strange things keep happening to their group, Jocelyn begins to wonder if the trip was really worth it. Unlike most cozy mysteries, this book begins with the murder on page one. For me, this was a definite turn-off. When reading mysteries, I like to have a chance to know my characters before someone dies. I believe it was also possible that I knew the name of the victim before the name of the main character (although I have already returned the book to the library, so I cannot be certain). With such a large cast, I had a very difficult time remembering who was who and sometimes felt I knew everyone else'...