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I'm a reader who enjoys posting comments and recommendations about the books I read. You will not find a synopsis with my recommendations because you can just click on the book title for a link to www.goodreads.com for a synopsis and reviews by other readers. I prefer the 3 Reason format: the reason I chose to read it; the reason I liked (or disliked) the book; and the reason I recommend it.

Monday, December 31, 2018

Unlimited Memory: How to Use Advanced Learning Strategies to Learn Faster, Remember More and be More Productive (Mental Mastery Book 1)Unlimited Memory: How to Use Advanced Learning Strategies to Learn Faster, Remember More and be More Productive by Kevin Horsley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I downloaded this for free reading with my Amazon Prime membership when it was available. I give this book five stars because it asked the simple question, "What excuses are you going to make for not using the information that you are going to learn?" Wow, light-bulb moment for me as I listed the excuses and realized the truth of his challenge that they are the same excuses I use every time to stop myself from learning any thing new. His challenge is true, especially when I doubt if this information will be different from previous attempts.
I can recite the names of all 45 presidents, and not just the 12 he starts us with. I am still working on the number method and card method. Yes, I still have to ask some people to remind me of their names because I did not use enough of Horsley's techniques to make their face and name sufficiently memorable. I still sometimes have to ask my husband if he knows where my (shoes, glasses, water bottle) are because I was inattentive when I set them down.
I recommend this book for any one who has an interest in this subject.


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Friday, December 28, 2018

Final VectorFinal Vector by Allan Leverone
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This ebook has been in my Nook library since 2012 when I downloaded it for free from Barnes and Noble.
I recommend it to readers who enjoy suspense.


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Thursday, December 27, 2018

Noblesville (Images of America: Indiana)Noblesville by Nancy A. Massey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This picture book has enough text to explain the historical significance of the buildings, and if they are no longer, where they once were located.
Noblesville is the county seat of Hamilton County, Indiana where I currently reside. It was a quick read.
I recommend it to other readers who have an interest in this part of Indiana history.


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Tuesday, December 25, 2018

Works of Gene Stratton-PorterWorks of Gene Stratton-Porter by Gene Stratton-Porter
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

My lower rating is for this edition in my Nook because the last page is 2,099 and it stops before the end of Her Father's Daughter. I have been reading for six months, and the ebook is incomplete.
I currently live in Indiana, and I wanted to read the books by this Hoosier author. This collection does have the complete novels of At the Foot of the Rainbow, A Daughter of the Land, Freckles, A girl of the Limberlost, and The Harvester. The ones I read were published more than 100 years ago so the style is often dated because it is much slower and the culture she represents has changed so much. As I was reading Her Father's Daughter with Linda's opinions about the threats of the Yellow Menace (and she includes the Brown and the Black,) I considered that was first published four or five generations ago, and it is currently "politically incorrect."


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Saturday, December 22, 2018

Perilous Trust (Off The Grid: FBI Trilogy #1)Perilous Trust by Barbara Freethy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This ebook was a Serial Read for Dec 2018 from Barnes and Noble. Each day of the month, I had access to a new chapter until the book was finished, and then access to all chapters is available for the remainder of the month.
This was fast-paced action and suspense with characters I wanted to figure their way out of this mess.
I recommend it to readers who enjoy page-turning mysteries.


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Tuesday, December 18, 2018

The DASH Diet Younger You: Shed 20 Years--and Pounds--in Just 10 WeeksThe DASH Diet Younger You: Shed 20 Years--and Pounds--in Just 10 Weeks by Marla Heller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I started reading this book while I was in cardiac rehab after open heart surgery to replace my calcified aortic valve. I also read Heller's The DASH Diet Weight Loss Solution, and I had an easier time sticking to its recommendations at first. Now, I think the easier time I had with that book was because I still had little appetite and my husband was doing most of the cooking for the two of us.
I grew stronger while I completed my three-times a week formal exercise program. While we exercised, other members of my cardiac rehab group discussed meal options they used, and my husband and I attended a nutrition session with a nutritionist as part of this formal program. As I returned to the task of meal planning and making a grocery list, I found myself becoming resistant and objecting to information in this book. This was the same kind of resistance I formerly encountered from friends and members of my extended family during the years (1981-2003) I was a lacto-ovo-vegetarian, and I cooked that way when they visited me. My progress with this book was stuck . I was stuck until I started reading Kevin Horsley's book, Unlimited Memory when one of his questions challenged me: "What excuses are you going to make for not using the information that I am going to learn?" That woke me up to the idea that the excuses and objections I had with this book were not my own excuses; these were other people's excuses and objections that I heard so many times that I had been manipulated to agree with them. It was not only the people I knew, the food industry has advertised enough to convince me to agree to use their "vegetarian" options that contain too much high-fructose corn syrup and other sugars, too much sodium, and too many other ingredients that are not really necessary to preserve the food while making my choices for meal preparation "easier" and "more convenient".
I finished the book, and now I am ready to use these menu planners and suggestions with no excuses, only with more information about what works for me and my husband. Now my only objection to this book is the lack of nutritional analysis with each recipe. I rely on MyFitnessPal to track for sodium content.
I strongly and fervently recommend this book and other books by Heller to all readers.


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Sunday, December 16, 2018

Pets in a PicklePets in a Pickle by Malcolm D. Welshman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I downloaded this ebook to my Nook library in 2012 when it was free from Barnes and Noble.
I enjoyed the memoirs of the first year of a vet in a new practice. I recommend it to readers who enjoyed books by James Herriot.


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Friday, December 14, 2018

French ExitFrench Exit by Patrick deWitt


I read this for Feb 2019 selection for book club, and I was disappointed because reading it triggered a depressing emotional response. I was glad to be done with it.


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Thursday, December 13, 2018

Beautiful Storm (Lightning Strikes, #1)Beautiful Storm by Barbara Freethy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This ebook has been in my Nook library since 2017 when I downloaded it for free. I decided to read it while I am reading another book by this author from Barnes and Noble's Serial Read for Dec 2018.
I enjoyed the mystery and the characters caught up in the circumstances.
I recommend it to readers who enjoy the romantic-suspense genre.


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Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Touching the Clouds (Alaskan Skies, #1)Touching the Clouds by Bonnie Leon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This ebook was downloaded to my Nook library when it was offered for free from Barnes and Noble in 2012.
It was entertaining.


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Sunday, November 25, 2018

The Lady Travelers Guide to Scoundrels & Other Gentlemen (The Lady Travelers Society, #1)The Lady Travelers Guide to Scoundrels & Other Gentlemen by Victoria Alexander
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This ebook was the Serial Read from Barnes and Noble during November 2018.
I enjoyed it because the story and characters were entertaining.
I recommend it to all readers who enjoy romantic fiction set in an historical time.


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Friday, November 16, 2018

Sunday, November 04, 2018

Walking on Broken GlassWalking on Broken Glass by Christa Allan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This ebook has been in my Nook library since Aug 2012 when I downloaded it for free from Barnes and Noble.
I got caught up in the story about Leah, an alcoholic, whose best friend encouraged her to go to Brookforest for a 30-day stay in order to stop drinking alcohol. I knocked off a star because I thought the ending was too abrupt.
I recommend it to all readers.


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Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Worth the RiskWorth the Risk by Meryl Sawyer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This ebook has been in my Nook library since August 2012 when I downloaded it for free.
It was an entertaining novella.


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Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Monday, October 29, 2018

Sheltering Hearts (Virgin River, #10.1)Sheltering Hearts by Robyn Carr
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This ebook has been in my Nook library since 2012 when I downloaded it from Barnes and Noble. It was published by Harlequin More Than Words.
This was an entertaining novella inspired by real-life hero Rhonda Clemons.


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Saturday, October 27, 2018

Dancing in the Moonlight (Cowboys of Cold Creek, #2)Dancing in the Moonlight by RaeAnne Thayne
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This ebook has been in my Nook library since I downloaded it for free in 2012.
It was entertaining.
I recommend it to readers who prefer the romance genre.


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Friday, October 19, 2018

The DASH Diet for Beginners Essentials to Get StartedThe DASH Diet for Beginners Essentials to Get Started by John Chatham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I borrowed this book on my library's Hoopla app to get started with the DASH diet as I learn to follow this way of eating because I must limit my sodium intake to below 2000mg as my body heals from open heart surgery which replaced my aortic valve. It was easy to start this diet because I had little appetite while my body detoxified from the anesthesia and pain medications. Applesauce and oatmeal was enough of a choice at the beginning. As my appetite increased after I returned home, my husband learned that "What ever you want to cook" has always been a lousy answer to the cook's question, "What do you think we should have for our next meal?" Chapter 11 has a 7-day menu to help you start deciding what you want to cook.
This book has a list of food which are allowed and not allowed to help make a grocery list to replenish a pantry. There are 4 chapters of new-to me recipes: appetizer and snack; breakfast; lunch; dinner; and dessert.
I recommend this book to all readers. This way of eating has been good for us.


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Wednesday, October 17, 2018

A Bridge Across the OceanA Bridge Across the Ocean by Susan Meissner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I borrowed this book from my local library because it will be my Book Club's selection for January 2019.
I gave it five stars because the author did such a good job with story, plot, characters, and pacing. I had to stay up late to finish it because the suspense really picked up towards the last quarter of the book. Questions for the reader are at the end of the book, and I anticipate this book will provoke interesting discussion at our meeting.
I recommend this book for all readers.


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Tuesday, September 25, 2018

The New Deputy in Town (Whitehorse Montana #2)The New Deputy in Town by B.J. Daniels
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This ebook was free when I downloaded it in 2012 to my Nook library.
It was predictable for the genre.


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Thursday, September 20, 2018

The Midwife's Revolt (The Midwife Series, #1)The Midwife's Revolt by Jodi Daynard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I downloaded this to my Kindle to read when it was offered as a special with Prime. I enjoyed the historical fiction.


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Saturday, September 08, 2018

The First GardenerThe First Gardener by Denise Hildreth Jones
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

This ebook was free when I downloaded it in 2012. I could not finish it because I found the first 24% of it boring.


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Sketch Now, Think Later: Jump into Urban Sketching with Limited Time, Tools, and TechniquesSketch Now, Think Later: Jump into Urban Sketching with Limited Time, Tools, and Techniques by Mike Yoshiaki Daikubara
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I bought this book on the recommendation of a review by Marc Taro Holmes, who is an instructor with Craftsy.com.
This book covers the subject of limited time, tools, and techniques. One piece of advice that stuck with this beginner is "Always finish a sketch" and his 4 bullet points that explain this advice.
I recommend it to all readers interested in Daikubara's art and this hobby of sketching.


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Tuesday, September 04, 2018

 Prepare for Surgery, Heal FasterPrepare for Surgery, Heal Faster by Peggy Huddleston


A friend gave me this book to read before my scheduled surgery. It was helpful because it gave me specific statements to give to my anesthesiologist to request participation in my healing.


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Saturday, August 25, 2018

Before We Were YoursBefore We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I purchased this ebook to read for my book club meeting. The request line at the library was too long to trust I might finish reading it in time. I look forward to the discussion this group of ladies will generate.
I enjoy the way this author tells the story and lets the reader know information through the use of two different narrators.
I recommend this to all readers.


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Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Talk of the TownTalk of the Town by Lisa Wingate
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This ebook was free when I downloaded it to my Nook library in 2012. I enjoy the way the author uses two voices (Mandalay and Imagene) to tell their stories and how those move along yet another story of a singer on a reality show (Amber.)
I recommend it to fans of Lisa Wingate's work as I am currently reading Before We Were Yours.


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The Mother RoadThe Mother Road by Jennifer AlLee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This ebook was free when I downloaded it to my Nook library in 2012. I enjoy most of the free books I have read from Abingdon Press because I enjoy the way the characters are written and the stories that are told here. This also reminds me of some of our destinations and journey when our daughter invited my husband and I to help her drive her belongs to and from California when she attended graduate school at Pepperdine University.
I encourage all readers to take a road trip on Route 66, or parts of it. If you can't take it for yourself, you may still enjoy this story.


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Saturday, August 18, 2018

When We Touch (Whiskey Creek, #0.5)When We Touch by Brenda Novak
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I downloaded this free ebook to my Nook library from Barnes and Noble in 2012. It is a novella that introduces the readers to a group of friends and family members who live in Whiskey Creek.
It was an entertaining and enjoyable romance that I recommend to fans of this author or fans of this genre.


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Friday, August 17, 2018

Hearts That Survive: A Novel of the TitanicHearts That Survive: A Novel of the Titanic by Yvonne Lehman
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I did not finish because I was bored by this author's attempt at storytelling and her failure to create characters I found interesting.


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 Pen and Ink Drawing: A Simple GuidePen and Ink Drawing: A Simple Guide by Alphonso Dunn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is an excellent companion to Dunn's YouTube channel of online instruction.


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Sunday, August 12, 2018

Without a CountryWithout a Country by Ayşe Kulin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was the first free-with-Prime Kindle book I chose to read. I selected it because I just finished Kulin's Last Train to Istanbul and enjoyed it.
Both books introduced me to history of a country and of a group of people of which I was not aware. I recommend both books to readers, especially to those who forget what a blessing the stability of our system of government is.


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Friday, August 10, 2018

A Piece of the WorldA Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a selection for a book club. I look forward to the discussion of the questions listed in the Reading Guide in the back of the book.


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