Island Beneath the Sea by Isabel Allende - TLC Book Tour

Publication Date: April 2011

Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: Paperback, 480pp

ISBN-13: 9780061988257

ISBN: 0061988251

 

 

Born a slave on the island of Saint-Domingue, Zarité — known as Tété — is the daughter of an African mother she never knew and one of the white sailors who brought her into bondage. Though her childhood is one of brutality and fear, Tété finds solace in the traditional rhythms of African drums and in the voodoo loas she discovers through her fellow slaves.
When twenty-year-old Toulouse Valmorain arrives on the island in 1770, it’s with powdered wigs in his baggage and dreams of financial success in his mind. But running his father’s plantation, Saint-Lazare, is neither glamorous nor easy. It will be eight years before he brings home a bride — but marriage, too, proves more difficult than he imagined. And Valmorain remains dependent on the services of his teenaged slave.
Spanning four decades, Island Beneath the Sea is the moving story of the intertwined lives of Tété and Valmorain, and of one woman’s determination to find love amid loss, to offer humanity though her own has been battered, and to forge her own identity in the cruellest of circumstances.


My thoughts:

The first thing that came to mind when I received this book and looked at the summary was "this is not a book I would normally pick up to read".  I'm very picky at times.

I have a love for books, for reading, but not all genres, like I've said many times before......but still I don't like to judge a book by it's cover, so to speak.

I don't mind reading something that is out of my norm because I've often found that some of my favorites have been exactly those books which I didn't think I would enjoy to begin with.

Isabel Allende is a phenomenal writer, I have read one of her books before and I remember that I found her writing to be so fluid, so brilliantly done that I didn't feel like I was reading a book, it was as if I had been transported into the setting and became part of the story.

For that alone I enjoyed this story, it does completely take me out of my comfort zone.  The backdrop for this story is 1800's in Haiti and the main character is Tete, a slave girl who is the product of an African mother and a White Sailor who sells her into slavery.  We follow her story as she wants more for herself, as she struggles with her daily life and always holds on to the hope that one day she will be free to do what she wants.

I did end up really enjoying the story and if anything it just reiterated the fact that I need to branch out and try different genres.

About the Author

 http://www.isabelallende.com/.

For more reviews on Island Beneath the Sea by Isabel Allende, check out the tour stops here.

 TLC Book Tours provided a proof copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions are mine alone.

Happy Homemaker Monday - #15 - 2011

The weather in my neck of the woods:
63 degrees and really windy, it's totally buggering up my allergies


Things that make me happy:
Time spent with my family


Book I'm reading:
Where to start.....tons for reviews and tons more that I picked up at the library


What's on my TV today:
Bunch of great shows from the UK.  Just watched a whole series this weekend called Outcasts which I LOVED but unfortunately was canceled in the UK.  Bummer!


On the menu for dinner:
Not sure yet, have to check my menu and maybe move some things around

On my To Do List:
Laundry
Sweep and Mop floors


New Recipe I tried or want to try soon:
Turkey Chipotle Wraps

In the craft basket:

Crochet pillows


Looking forward to this week:
Enjoy our first week of Summer break, both kids are done completely with school.  YAY


Tips and Tricks:
When making your menu or grocery list for the following week/month, start with your freezer and use up the meals already in there, plus any meats that you may need to get rid of.
 



My favorite blog post this week:
No blog reading last week


Blog Hopping (a new discovered blog you would like to share with the readers):
See post above


No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):

Lesson learned the past few days:
That I am over big Mother's Day celebrations, it's a day like any other to me and I don't need to be thanked for what I do for my children every single day of the year.  I do it willingly because I love them :)


On my mind:
My family
Troops overseas


Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

Acts 4:13

Books, Books and more Books

I sure am glad to see such a huge response to my Free Books post, it warms my heart to know that there are so many of you out there who love books just as much as I do and I'm pretty confident that the ones I offer here will go to a very good home :)

So this is the first list, I'm planning on doing this at least once a month, when I get through all my review books, might actually do it every two weeks depending on how many I have.

The way we're going to do this, I'm going to post the list, if there is one you are interested in, just let me know in the comments and I'll edit the post and make a note that it's been claimed....first come first served basis :)

Also, some of these I have yet to do the reviews for but I'll let you know which ones, those will have to wait until after the review before I can ship them out.

Body Confidence by Mark McDonald - Claimed by Marcie

Mysteries of the Jesus Prayer by Norris J. Chumley - Claimed by Michelle

A Fierce Radiance by Lauren Belfer - Claimed by Kristy

The Bridge of Peace by Cindy Woodsmall - Claimed by Lisa C.

Too Rich for a Bride by Mona Hodgson (review upcoming) - Claimed by Stacy

Island Beneath the Sea by Isabel Allende (review upcoming)

Island of Lost Girls by Jennifer McMahon - Claimed by Vickie

Don't Breathe a Word by Jennifer McMahon (review upcoming) - Claimed by Mandy

Far to go by Alison Pick - Claimed by Michelle

 God's Wisdom for Mothers (review upcoming) - Claimed by Joanna

A Jane Austen Education by William Deresiewicz (review upcoming) - Claimed by Ashleymarie914

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin (review upcoming)

The Rebellion of Jane Clarke by Sally Gunning


And there you have it, as you can see, quite a few books to go to a good home.  I've included the links to Amazon if you want to read the summary or if you're not sure exactly what a certain book is about.

Again, please remember, first come first serve basis, just let me know in the comments which book you're interested in. :)

Once I have everyone's names and addresses, I'll start mailing the books out, probably this weekend, you know...payday for us military folks and all that.

Enjoy Ladies!

A good trip to the library

No matter how much I say that I have tons of books, full shelves, full baskets and even more coming in to review, there is just an overwhelming pull to the library.

We hadn't been here in quite a few months actually and this afternoon we decided to head there, mainly with the intent of getting books for the children to read now that they're done with their school year.

But I can't ever just go and not pick up a book....or two....or in this case quite a few more than I should have, my love for books knows no bounds, what can I say?

So let me share with you what I got, if you've read any of these, do let me know what you thought.

Romancing Miss Bronte by Juliet Gael
Gwenhwyfar: The White Spirit by Mercedes Lackey
The Thorn by Beverly Lewis - Book 1 in The Rose Trilogy
The Secret by Beverly Lewis - Book 1 in The Seasons of Grace Series
The Missing by Beverly Lewis - Book 2 in The Seasons of Grace Series
Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 3
Cooking Light Fresh Fast Food
Kraft No Oven Summer Sensations
Cooking and Baking for Diabetics
Sommersize Desserts

I think I have good mix of books to read and cookbooks to help me in my healthier cooking journey :)

Military Spouse Appreciation Day

Did you know that today is Military Spouse Appreciation Day? 

If you yourself are a military spouse or have a friend or family member who is, today is the day to let them know just how much you appreciate them and how their sacrifices are just as important as their husbands.

You may be thinking I'm giving myself a pat on the back, truthfully, I'm not.  I don't think I do anything phenomenal or anything out of the ordinary, far as I'm concerned, I'm just supporting the man I love and taking care of our children.

But when you sit back and actually think about everything that a military spouse does, then yes, we do kind of come off as superwomen at times.  It's the life we lead, it's what we've had to learn along the way and it's how we've learned to survive through the hard times.

It's not easy, it's not all tiptoe through the tulips but when you love each other and your family, you get through it no matter what.  I'm proud to serve along these women/men in support of our loved ones......like this man, my own Airman who I love to death and who makes me smile every single day of my life. :)

So with that in mind, I want to send a huge hug out to all my friends who are  military spouses and to all my blog readers who are military spouses and to all those out there who I don't know, but are military spouses.

We serve together in the Silent Ranks, we don't ask for anything but time with our husbands/wives and we've quickly learned that time is precious and you have to make the most of every single minute.

I have a profound love for all the Military Spouses and I hope that at least for this one day, you get all the recognition and love you so richly deserve. :)

I am a military wife -- a member of that sisterhood of women who have had the courage to watch their men go into battle, and the strength to survive until their return.

Our sorority knows no rank, for we earn our membership with a marriage license, traveling over miles, or over nations to begin a new life with our military husbands.

Within days, we turn a barren, echoing building into a home, and though our quarters are inevitably white-walled and unpapered, we decorate with the treasures of our travels, for we shop the markets of the globe. Using hammer and nail, we tack our pictures to the wall, and our roots to the floor as firmly as if we had lived there for a lifetime. We hold a family together by the bootstraps, and raise the best of "brats," instilling in them the motto, "Home is togetherness," whether motel, or guest house, apartment or duplex.

As military wives we soon realize that the only good in "Good-bye" is the "Hello again."

For as salesmen for freedom, our husbands are often on the road, at sea, or in the sky, leaving us behind for a week, a month, an assignment. During separations we guard the home front, existing until the homecoming. Unlike our civilian counterparts, we measure time, not by years, but by tours -- married at Knox, a baby born at Portsmouth, a special anniversary at Yorktown, a promotion in McDill.

We plant trees, and never see them grow tall, work on projects completed long after our departure, and enhance our community for the betterment of those who come after us. We leave a part of ourselves at every stop. Through experience, we have learned to pack a suitcase, a car or hold baggage, and live indefinitely from the contents within: and though our fingers are sore from the patches we have sewn, and the silver we have shined, our hands are always ready to help those around us.

Women of peace, we pray for a world in harmony, for the flag that leads our men into battle, will also blanket them in death. Yet we are an optimistic group, thinking of the good, and forgetting the bad, cherishing yesterday, while anticipating tomorrow.

Never rich by monetary standards, our hearts are overflowing with a wealth of experiences common only to those united by the special tradition of military life.

We pass on this legacy to every military bride, welcoming her with outstretched arms, with love and friendship, from one sister to another, sharing in the bounty of our unique, fulfilling military way of life.

Author Unknown

Slow Cooking Thursday Special Edition

As promised last week, today's Cooking Thursday is ALL about Slow cooking. 

You know I have to tell you, I actually really miss my Slow Cooking Thursdays, do you?

So here we go:

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Sausages
2 lb Italian sausage; sweet, mild, or hot
48 oz Spaghetti sauce
1 cn (6 oz. ) tomato paste
1 lg Green pepper; sliced thin
1 lg Onion; sliced thin
1 tb Grated parmesan cheese
1 ts Parsley flakes
1 c Water
Place sausage in skillet; cover with water. Simmer 10 minutes; drain. Meanwhile, place remaining ingredients in slow cooker; add sausage (cut in hot dog lengths if using sweet sausage). Cover; cook on low 4 hours. Increase temperature to HIGH; cook 1 hour more. Serve on buns or slice and serve over spaghetti. Yield 8 servings.

Would you like some free books???

 
As you all know I get a plethora of review books, there's pretty much one book every other day popping up in the mail.

I enjoy reading them all, matter of fact there's nothing that makes me smile more than to look at my Review Basket and see it overflowing.

But truth be told, I have way too many books of which I will never read again, I can honestly tell you that the only books that I have ever kept and read numerous times and still go back to over and over, are the Jane Austen Classics.

I do have books that I have kept because I really enjoyed but for the most part, I'm trying to get rid of the piles and piles I have on my bookshelves.

All this just to ask a simple question........would you be interested in some books???  They're all in new condition, have only been read once for the blog reviews and I wouldn't mind sending them to someone who would appreciate them.

Let me know what you think and if enough people are interested, I will post a list of the books I have available tomorrow and then it will be a first come first serve basis.

What do you think?

The Rebellion of Jane Clarke TLC Book Tour

Jane Clarke leads a simple yet rich life in the village of Satucket on Cape Cod—until her refusal to marry the man her father has picked out as his son-in-law causes an irreparable tear in the family fabric. Banished to Boston to make her living as best she can, Jane enters a strange, bustling city awash with redcoats and rebellious fervor. And soon her new life is complicated by her growing attachment to her frail aunt, her friendship with the bookseller Henry Knox, and the unexpected kindness of British soldiers, which pits her against the townspeople and her own brother, Nate, a law clerk working for John Adams. But it is the infamous Boston Massacre—the killing of five colonists by British soldiers on a cold March evening in 1770—that forces Jane to question accepted truths as she confronts the most difficult choice of her life.

About Sally Gunning

Sally Gunning is the author of two previous novels, The Widow’s War and Bound. She lives on Cape Cod with her husband.
Find out more about Sally at her website, and add her as a friend on Facebook.


My thoughts:

This book was right up my alley, I know you probably get sick of me saying over and over just how much I love Historical Fiction but I really do. 


For that alone, I enjoyed reading more about the Boston Massacre but also seeing it from a different side of the fence, from the British Red coats and how they were treated or may have been treated.

I didn't however really connect with the main character of Jane, she was actually really irritating to me at times.

Maybe it's because I have no patience for wishy washy people in general and dislike immensely when a person doesn't know on which side of the fence they stand, for that reason alone, the book fell short for me.  The ending was not what I was expecting at all and it did leave me a little annoyed, it almost felt like nothing was resolved nothing was accomplished, kinda like watching those movies where the ending leaves you sitting there with your mouth open wondering what the heck just happened?

Not a bad read, just not my cup of tea.

Check out the other tour stops:

Tuesday, April 26th: The Lost Entwife
Wednesday, April 27th: Bookworm’s Dinner
Thursday, April 28th: Book Reviews by Molly
Monday, May 2nd: The Road to Here
Tuesday, May 3rd: Unabridged Chick
Wednesday, May 4th: Diary of a Stay at Home Mom
Friday, May 6th: Rundpinne
Monday, May 9th: Iwriteinbooks’s blog
Wednesday, May 11th: Books Like Breathing
Thursday, May 12th: nomadreader
Thursday, May 19th: Life In Review

 TLC Book Tours provided a proof copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions are mine alone.

Happy Homemaker Monday - #14 - 2011

The weather in my neck of the woods:
63 degrees right now but then it's only 8am here lol


Things that make me happy:
The news that Osama Bin Laden is dead, while I don't celebrate his death, I rejoice at the end of his wickedness


Book I'm reading:
So many, have tons of reviews coming up


What's on my TV today:

Catching up on last night's show since I was too enthralled in the breaking news


On the menu for dinner:
La Bamba Mexican Casserole

On my To Do List:
Laundry
Housework


New Recipe I tried or want to try soon:
Spaghetti Squash with Garlic Alfredo and Bacon

In the craft basket:

Crochet pillows


Looking forward to this week:
Finishing the school year.  Yep, we're officially ending it today and the kids and I are excited :)


Tips and Tricks:
Got nothing this morning
 



My favorite blog post this week:
No blog reading last week, was busy with schooling.


Blog Hopping (a new discovered blog you would like to share with the readers):
Joyful Abode



No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):

Lesson learned the past few days:
That justice for the innocent will always be served.  You never know when and it may not be right away, but God does not let the wicked and the evil get away.


On my mind:
The troops overseas and at home, we have to be so vigilant right now.  Please keep everyone in your prayers.


Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:

I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.

1 John 2:12

New shows I'm watching.....

So since some of you have asked me to please continue sharing my latest movie and series finds, I thought I would oblige and bring you quite a few today.

Do you think you can handle a bunch more to add to your already growing "To Be Watched" list?

I tell you, I have a huge one and I never run out of anything to watch.  I think I actually get through so many so quick because I tend to carry my laptop around the house and watch my shows while I'm doing housework.  It makes it easier and I feel like I'm not just sitting around watching stuff and being lazy, feels like I'm accomplishing something, you know what I mean?

I've found quite a few lately that I've added to my huge list, now bear in mind that I'm such a huge fan of Period Dramas and Series so I mainly tend to drift towards the British TV Networks.  I don't care what anyone says, I still think they produce some of the best shows for TV in the entire world.  But that's just my measly opinion of course.

Please keep in mind that these are just merely suggestions and that most of them I have yet to see myself or am currently in the middle of watching.  Yes some may contain some raunchy stuff or language, so be forewarned, I would never intentionally promote such things.

So are you ready?  Do you have pen and paper at hand?  I'll try to provide links to where you can watch them online or download them or learn more about the shows.  Here we go:

The Suspicions of Mr Whicher on ITV

Based on the novel by Kate Summerscale.  

In 1860 Scotland Yard's 'Prince of Sleuths' Jack Whicher is sent to rural Wiltshire to investigate the murder of three-year-old Saville Kent,snatched from his bed at night and killed.Saville's nurse Elizabeth Gough is a prime suspect but released for want of evidence though local Superintendant Foley is convinced it is an inside job. Foley gives his help grudgingly,disdainful of 'modern' methods,speculating that Saville woke to see Elizabeth with a lover,possibly Saville's father,an unpopular man. Part of a woman's torn garment is found,stained in blood,and Constance,Kent's sixteen-year-old daughter from his first marriage, claims she lost a night-gown. Dr. Stapleton,the family physician,tells Whicher that Constance,like her mother,is dangerously unstable and jealous of Saville. Both she and younger brother William hate their stepmother Mary,their former nanny,with whom Kent cuckolded their mother. Whicher arrests Constance but fails to get a confession from her and,at her trial,a clever lawyer gets her acquitted,discrediting Whicher,who suffers a breakdown. Saville's killer is never caught.

You can download the movie here.

The Crimson Petal and The White on BBC2

Based on the novel by Michel Faber

Follow Sugar into the underbelly of Victorian London seething with vitality, sexuality, ambition and emotion.

I love a good period piece but usually they are a little lighter and romantic, this one delves into the darker side of the Victorian Era and I think I'm going to enjoy seeing it.  I've watched half of the first episode so far and I'm loving it.  Romola Garai, Gillian Anderson and Blake Ritson make up some of the cast :)


Trailer:


You can also watch the whole series on YouTube at PeriodxDrama's Channel.

Episode 1 - Part 1 
Episode 1 - Part 2
Episode 1 - Part 3
Episode 1 - Part 4
Episode 1 - Part 5
Episode 1 - Part 6

You can find the remaining episodes on their list too.  :)

The Abduction Club

Based on actual events that took place in Waterford, Ireland, in the late 1700s, director Stefan Schwartz's romantic comedy-drama concerns itself with a group of abductors who kidnap usually willing young women in order to persuade them to wed.

Watch the trailer:


You can download the movie here.

The Hotel on Channel 4 England

An intriguing look at life above and below stairs in the Damson Dene, a three-star hotel in a five-star setting - the Lake District

I just got hold of the first 2 episodes and I'm pretty excited to watch this one :)

 Here's a look at one of the episodes

1066:  The Battle for Middle Earth on Channel 4 England

Epic drama revealing the untold story of the Norman Conquest through the eyes of the ordinary villagers caught up in the chaos

I absolutely LOVE movies and shows like this, huge fan of historical pieces so I'm pretty excited to watch this one too.

Watch the trailer:


You can find most of the clips to watch on YouTube.  Or you can download the whole movie here.

Glorious 39

On the eve of World War II, as the formidable Keyes family tries to uphold its traditional way of life, daughter Anne (Garai) sees her life dramatically unravel when she stumbles upon secret recordings of the pro-appeasement movement.

SO looking forward to watching this one today.  Romola Garai is one of my favorite british actresses.

Watch the trailer

The Eagle

In 2nd-Century Britain, two men – master and slave – venture beyond the edge of the known world on a dangerous and obsessive quest that will push them beyond the boundaries of loyalty and betrayal, friendship and hatred, deceit and heroism…The Roman epic adventure The Eagle is directed by Kevin Macdonald and produced by Duncan Kenworthy. Jeremy Brock has adapted the screenplay from Rosemary Sutcliff’s classic novel The Eagle of the Ninth.

Super psyched to see this one.  Channing Tatum plays one of the main characters.

Watch the trailer

I have plenty more up my sleeve, but for now, I think I've given you quite a few selections to pick from. As always if you do watch any of these let me know what you think, or if you've seen them already, likewise, I would love to hear what you thought about them.

I'm off to start watching some of these.  But which to watch first.....decisions, decisions, decisions.