It's Monday,what are you reading? Sanctuary Line

Book Description from Amazon.ca

Release Date: May 1 2012

A highly acclaimed national bestseller, Sanctuary Line is a riveting story of family legacies, love, betrayal and loss by award-winning author, Jane Urquhart.

Set in the present day on a farm at the shores of Lake Erie, Jane Urquhart's stunning new novel weaves elements from the nineteenth-century past, in Ireland and Ontario, into a gradually unfolding contemporary story of events in the lives of the members of one family that come to alter their futures irrevocably. There are ancestral lighthouse-keepers, seasonal Mexican workers; the migratory patterns and survival techniques of the Monarch butterfly; the tragedy of a young woman's death during a tour of duty in Afghanistan; three very different but equally powerful love stories. Jane Urquhart brings to vivid life the things of the past that make us who we are, and reveals the sometimes difficult path to understanding and forgiveness.

my thoughts:

Why I read this book? as   many of you may have presumed, I enjoy historical fiction.  In my effort to read at least 10% Canadian authors, I chose to read this book based on the conversations by the author and our news anchor on November 11, 2013 during the Rememberance Day celebration.

They went on and on, on the topic of repatriation of our fallen soldiers from Afghanistan and the Highway of Heroes, since I've always felt interested in this spontaneous phenomenon, I thought I'd give this novel a try, thinking I'd gain some special insight.  FORGET IT! it wasn't until page 165 this was briefly mentioned and I got NOTHIN' out of that.  This was singularly the most boring book I have ever read, the ending was predictable, the story line not exciting at all, yet there were elements that could have been.  I want to march in protest, on the over pass of the Highway of Heroes, she did not do it justice at all. 

I'm ever so glad I didn't buy this book. I loaned it from our library.  It will be some time if ever  that I read this author at again. 

  This is a weekly meme run by Book Journey!

Monday what are you reading...R.I.P challenge wrap up (late)

 Description from the book jacket:      .

  Riktor doesn't like the way the policeman comes straight into the house without knocking. He doesn't like the arrogant way he observes his home.The policeman doesn't tell him why he's there, and Riktor doesn't ask. Because he knows he's guilty.  But it turns out that the policeman isn't looking for a missing person. He is accusing Riktor of something totally unexpected. Riktor doesn't have a clear conscience, but this is a crime he certainly didn't commit.

my thoughts:

I almost quit reading this one early on in the book.  However, I was stuck at a hospital waiting with nothing to do, so I continued.  Mostly I wanted to throw up.  Riktor is a one sick person.  My fear is that people such as he do exist and work in the health care environment.  A compelling story line, certainly worthy of R.I.P. challenge, way to close to home for me though.  I'm a little slow in posting my R.I.P. challenge, but I must say, I think I may be scared silly till next year. 

Up next:  Line up(another too scary one) I'm continuing my R.I.P. challenge, just because these books were made available to me, I seemed to be on hold forever waiting for them from the library.

Thanks to Vicki for hosting this week.

Saturday Snapshot... Just dreamin' of spring

No these are not up yet, but I had to remind myself how great they looked.  I don't think I'll have any this year, those darn squirrels.  I could understand if they needed to eat them, but they don't they just pull them out and leave them to not grow.  UGH!  I was at the cemetery the other day and someone had brought a lovely flower box full of these beauties and here's me chasing the rodents away and digging them in deeper.  In my back flower bed I put chicken wire around my flower bed and it seems to have worked, but I can't do that everywhere or I'll be picking my letter carrier out of the wires.  Wouldn't Canada Post like that?  What's he doing cutting through my flower bed, I've already told him to stay out, every time he thinks I'm home he does the all the way around route, but I have evidence to the contrary, who does he think he's messing with, I watch CSI.  Anyway hope the weather where you are is wonderfully sunny and springlike and the blooms are a plenty. 

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce from at home with books

On the reading front, I finished The Burning Air, Erin Kelly.  HOLY SMOKE this is definitely going on my list of top ten.  If you like a little mystery and a whole lot of thriller, you must read this one.  Love the character development and the story line was just so gobsmacking in your face,   I'm sure the look on my face made people on the train move to another compartment.  BRAVO Erin Kelly.

On the creative front, I finished my princess chair.  The group have decided it should be called the preparation H chair, when I remember to take a photo, you'll understand why.  I won't have it home for a couple of weeks, it will be in the booth at the Creative Festival along with my cork chair and stool.  Now the request is to write up a little journal of the two transformations and the story behind them.  And I'm finally getting around to making a couple of cushions from some gifted embroidery, my aunt created.  I'm going for a McKenzie Child's look, with a little wild animal print,  the clerk at the fabric store was looking at me kinda strange.

Sunlit Sunday... dreamin' and hopin'

Sunlit Sunday is hosted by My Little Home and Garden.

I'm going to pop over and do Sunday Salon post as well.  I finished reading The Care of Wooden Floors, by Will Wiles.  I couldn't get into this book for quite a few pages, and then BAM (as Emeril would say). I couldn't even remember why I requested it from the library, and then Jenners commented and I remember reading her review and thought I should stretch my wings and read more books written by men, I do find a very different style in the writing. WELL I was not disappointed, I might add I missed my bus/train stop twice, (because I was reading) my very quick trip to the art supply store became an adventure in alternate routing.  Good thing it wasn't dark, I hate being somewhat lost in the night, in Chinatown of all places.  Suffice it to say if you are planning to renovate your house and are thinking of putting down a wood floor you must read this.  I always regretted not doing so, and then I remembered I was married to handy Andy.  Good decision, ceramics it is.  This book has quite a view, post Communism, perfection, a little bit of British, and a whole lot of nerdy friendships and buckets of wine, oops and almost forgot the cats.  For a more intensive review check out Jenners' review, she does a much better job.