Why We Kare

                                                  Hannah, Mandy Philllips, Kate

There are so many reasons to want school kids to fall in love with reading. There are the the standard 'it is a skill that will help you through life' reasons and the 'it will help you in other subjects' reasons'. But that it not what my so called kindle life kares is all about.

Each of us working with this small, start-up charity is a passionate, long time reader. We love books, whether they be hardback, paperback, or ebooks. Heck, I even read cereal boxes at breakfast, shampoo labels in the shower...I am a reading addict.

When my husband retired from 24 years of service in the Navy and we moved back to the southern middle Tennessee mountains to remodel my grandparent's old home our first step was to put our three kids in school. As a Navy family we had come to realize that education is two-fold: kids get one-half of their education at school and the other half at home. We had learned to make any environment and school setting work.

Sadly, the mountain environment we returned to had not progressed in any way educationally since I had left for college many years ago. Parents - many parents, not all, see no reason for education and only send their children to school because it is required. Teachers do not require homework because they know it will not be done. (This is not so different than inner city schools I have taught in while we have lived off the mountain, but the reasons are sometimes different). In these mountains, the homework cannot be done at home - the parents cannot help- because they cannot read.

We are working on facts and figures, and they are astounding. We will post them as soon as we get the info organized. Adding to the illiteracy is a massive meth problem, (the Aand E special Meth Mountain I think it was called, was filmed less than 30 miles from here on these same mountains).

Wow, I have really gotten off track. You can easily read our sidebar and see why I and a few other parents want to help out in the local schools on this mountain. We spend hours every week in these schools. I have a Master's degree in special ed and have discovered that special ed kids are fascinated by reading with electronic devices. The Kindle is a Godsend for some of these children - the one's who have been lucky enough to be identified. But what about other kids? Even kids without special needs in this area have a million unique needs.

But we are doing so much more than just working with a small population of identified kids ( who we continue to work with every week and love, love, love). We are attempting to get kindles in every classroom and library along with gift cards for books. Kids love technology and teachers are finding great ways to use these devices to motivate kids to read.

We know we will never have the money to give every kid in all of these schools a kindle. Plus, chances are they might be sold for drugs by their parents - who knows at this point? So we are also purchasing loads of books that we can give to kids. We want these kids to have books they can own. Their own library of books - good books.

I love YA books and work with librarians or media specialists, (although that term has yet to reach these mountains!) and some other parents to find what kids are excited about reading. We are purchasing great reading materials, current books and classics.

Using my past teaching experience and the creativity of teachers and other parents we are going into schools and inviting kids to get crazy with books and writing. For example, I may take a quote from a book I am reading and ask students to write for fifteen minutes about the quote, or draw, as music plays. To you this may seem old hat, but for these isolated students it is cutting edge.

I have to admit, this post is all over the place. But I want you to know what we do. Some of the other parents I work with have suggested we film some of the things we are doing and I hope to get permission from the schools, the kids, and the parents to do so...

Bottom line? We need $ to buy kindles, Amazon gift cards, and books for these amazing kids. There is really no future for them here if things remain the same. The mountain are beautiful, but for these kids to have a future - a healthy and positive life here - they will have to leave, get a real education, and return ready to make positive changes in the education system, the government, and much more.

And all of this goes back to those standard reasons to love reading - it follows you wherever you go. Please help us help these kids. Share your passion while we share ours! It may just be one $, but it can be a miracle to the kids of these mountains!

New Fiction For Kindle Week December 6 Hardback and more

                                       Snow flocking a beautiful old magnolia tree. 7 December 2011

What a crazy couple of weeks for weather we have had. Yesterday was yet another lovely, I mean absolutely gorgeous, early snow for us here on the mountain. As many of you know, I missed the snow that made this mountain look like a wonderland for over 20 years following my military (Navy) husband around the globe. This is my second winter to be back after his retirement and I am enjoying every minute. Curled up in my fave chair reading by fire and watching the snow fall. Playing with the dog in the snow. The joy on the faces of my children... endless things to be thankful for.

Publishers seem to be hard at work pushing out books for the holidays - both fiction and non-fiction. We always seem to focus on fiction on this blog but look for an upcoming post on a few amazing non--fiction books I have read recently that would make great gifts, especially if you are looking for a gift for mom  or a special aunt or another great woman in your life. For example, Moonlight on Linoleum by Terry Helwig is a book I am giving my mom, two aunts, my mom-in-law, my sis-in-law, and any other special women I can think of. I have another book treat I am giving some of my kids' teachers. But these books are not just something you want to give - you have to download them to your kindle or buy them and read them too, they are life-changing books and just very darn good. So keep your eye out for the post...it will be up soon.

For this weeks sample of fiction lots of Scarpetta fans are happy for the latest instalment - Red Mist by Patricia Cornwell. She had some hit and miss Scarpetta books and some fans slipped away but I think everyone will be loving this latest entry into the Kay Scarpetta 'tome'...it has everything we want from her and she is definitely back on her game. In this outing (sorry for the cliche) Kay ends up in Georgia as she searches for the killer of her former deputy chief, Jack Fielding. She goes inside the Georgia Prison for Women and meets an inmate with info on Fielding and other horrible crimes that seem unrelated until they meet the pen of Cornwell.

I don't know about you, but I am such a reality TV fan I was hooked the minute I heard that Red Mist took us inside the Georgia Prison for Women. While crime reality TV may not be my 'big thing', I do get enough of it from my husband when my favorites are not on. so I was very interested to see what Cornwell could do with something many of us are now familiar with from reality TV. I don't think you will be disappointed. Cornwell will gain back fans who have disappeared and new ones will flock to her pages. This book rocks. I highly recommend it  - download it now and enjoy some reading during this hectic time of year!

Another exciting release release this week is The Angel Makers by Jessica Gregson. Based on a true story, The Angel Makers relates the events that take place in a small Hungarian village after the village's barbarous men depart for the first World War. The women enjoy the time away from the day to day day demands of the men, but eventually the men returned - many more brutish than before. I do not want to give away any spoilers, but desperate women take desperate measures...you must read this book to discover what binds women together. It is the type of book that leads you to question the men around you, the limits to which they can be pushed, the relationships you have with the women in your 'village'.

Several other heavy hitters have new releases this week, let's take a look. Even Al Roker has a book for all you Today Show fans, The Talk Show Murders.

A sample of new fiction for the week:

The Angel Makers by Jessica Gregson
The Artist of Disappearance by Anita Desai
Collateral Damage by Terrell Griffin
Death Comes to Pemberly by P.D. James
Egypt by Nick Drake
The Forgotten Affairs of Youth by Alexander McCall Smith
I Am Gold by Bill James
Murder in Mount Holly by Paul Theroux
Murder Season by Robert Ellis
Mr. Kill by Martin Limon
Red Mist by Patricia Cornwell
Slash and Burn by Colin Cotterill
Soft Target by Stephen Hunter
Storm Damage by Ed Kovacs
Supervolcano by Harry Turtledove
The Talk Show Murders by Al Roker
The Thirteen Hallows by Michael Scott
Vigilante by Stephen Cannell

New Fiction Kindle and More

What a week we have had. On Tuesday morning we awoke to one of the most beautiful early snows I have ever witnessed. The ground was too warm for the snow to stick around for long but it flocked the trees and buildings making our mountain look like a wonderland. I missed snow so much when traveling post to post with my military husband - we always seemed to end up along a southeastern coast  or the gulf coast, poor me, huh - and now that he has retired and we have moved back to my southern mountain hometown to restore my grandparents old home I get excited every time it snows.



We have had a busy week with our My So Called Kindle Life Kares charity gearing up for Christmas in the local schools. Sorry this post is late but here are some new releases for the week (read below about some of these new releases):

And don't forget #fridayreads on Twitter. My book is Queen of America which I talak about below....not too much though as I am in the middle of book-love! You know, that first blush of love when you are not ready to tell the world. It's that good so far...



The Alpine Winter by Mary Daheim
An Amish Wedding by Beth Wiseman
Angel of Darkness by Cynthia Eden
Dead by Nightfall by Beverly Barton
Fate's Edge by Ilona Andrews
Hunter of Shadows by Nancy Gideon
Legend by Marie Lu
Lifestyles of the Rich and Shameless by Kiki Swinson
The Scottish Prisoner by Diana Gabaldon
Silver Sparks by Starr Ambrose
Queen of America by Luis Alberto Urrea
Vampires Dead Ahead by Cheyenne McCray
Within the Flames by Majorie Lui
You're Not the One by Alexandra Potter

Legend by Marie Lu is a  young adult novel that adults will enjoy as well. It is an awesome gift for any young adults you will be shopping for this holiday season. Why? While Legend does not leave me as breathless as The Hunger Games trilogy, it will thrill fans of The Hunger Games. With the The Hunger Games movie coming out soon, all of you fans will enjoy reading this just because it is hard to find books with this type of adventure, made-up worlds that work. Legend follows a young hero to the people, Day, who is wanted by the government. Set in the far future you will get involved in the world building - I actually wish there was more of it, but I know there are more books in the series coming out so hopefully we will discover more about this crazy world Lu has dreamed up.

In Legend, Day is pursued by the government's top 'agent' who happens to be a young women with amazing skills...should I tell you more? No, you will want to download this one on kindle or by the book!

The Scottish Prisoner by Diana Gabaldon is a real treat for any of her fans, me included, who wait for her next Outlander series book like we wait wait for no other author! The Scottish Prisoner does give us a little extra stocking stuffer with a peek at the next in the Outlander series, so if you have not been following this series of Gabaldon's work you will want to download The Scottish Prisoner to your kindle or buy the book for this treat! Plus, you won't be disappointed. The Scottish Prisoner keeps us sated with Jamie Fraser and Lord John....a little back story is always good, right?

I have been waiting for Queen of America by Luis Alberto Urrea and downloaded it to my kindle Tuesday morning. I loved The Hummingbird's Daughter by this author and Queen of America is a continuation of that story. It follows Teresita Urrea, a mystical healer and known as the 'Saint of Cabora' as she flees from Mexico to the US - Arizona. But she cannot leave her past - the spiritual leader of the Mexican revolution behind! Teresita is beloved by pilgrims and hunted by assassins. Urrea travels take us through turn-of-the-century America and more. This happens to be my #fridayread if you are following us on twitter! So, just to let you know, I am loving it and will tell you more about it soon. But, don't wait for me, this is one you will want to read now!!

What are reading? Let us know. And, if you have a book you would like us to post for release we will be happy to do it - email us or leave a comment.

And, did I mention we are busy getting ready for a big Christmas season with My So Called Kindle Life Kares? I will post again soon about what we are doing with the schools we help and the kids we love! This is an awesome season for us to get books into the hands of kids - great books that will inspire them to read. We are also gifting classrooms and schools with Kindles and working with the schools to get some kindles to the families of children who might not otherwise have any Christmas gifts. We have ideas and we would love any ideas you have!

As always, a big thanks to everyone who has hit that little paypal button at the top of the blog. We can't do this without you!

Am I Reading Too Much...Magical Books and Real Life

Am I reading too much? For the last few weeks we have had beautiful fall leaves in our area. Sadly, they are mostly gone because of the rain, and I suppose it is just time for fall to move on... One of the most amazing trees I observed this fall was a sumac tree, a grove of sumac trees. My teenage son and I saw these trees as I drove him to school, down the mountain, each morning. They were small, but stunning and stood out from the vivid oranges, purples, reds, and stately yellow oaks that normally fascinate me.

These normally not-noticeable sumacs are not very tall standing at about 9 or 10 feet. During the summer I suppose they are skinny with a cluster of green leaves at the top. I honestly did not notice them last summer, ( but I will look this spring when the leaves begin to explode into their beautiful green).

But, back to fall and the magical sumac. This cluster of eye-catching trees stood on their spindly legs with fiery tops. If any tree could be ironic - it was this assemblage of sumacs. At the top of their trunk they opened up with a bright fussilade of brilliant red. But then, like a top hat, a deep cap of verdant green sat atop the bloodshot leaves.

If it had not been for the fact that we we going down a backwoods mountain road with no pullover I would have taken some wonderful photos. I have never seen anything like these trees and did not even know what they where. I had to take my mother-in-law for a field trip to let me know what the tree was!

Now...here is the funny, (reading to much), part. As I pointed the gorgeous trees out to my 15 year old son I went into this long description...story...that we could actually brew the leaves of these outrageous  trees and kill someone! They were poisonous.

My husband picked my son up from school several days later. He immediately came to me upon returning home and told me he would never be drinking any tea I made! Maybe he has watched too many Snapped episodes on the Oxygen network? Should I be glad my son, a teenager, listens to me...internalizes what I say, or afraid that he thinks I am some 21st century witch-y woman?

Okay, let's admit it, this past year, there has been a huge slew of witch books. Most of them very good. I loved The Witch's Daughter by Paula Brackston,  Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz, Daughers of the Witching Hill by Mary Sharratt, (on my to-read list), A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness, and all of the wonderful novels by  Alice Hoffman including Blackbird House and Practical Magic and the books by Sarah Addison Allen like Garden Spells. Whew, there are so many more. I just can't think of them all or type them all. Feel free to comment with your own favorites.

The photo above is one I grabbed from the internet. Sorry it is not a view of the real grove of sumacs that made my son think I am a witch-y mom! Oh, they were so delightful and will stay with me for some time to come! Just one of those how could something so beautiful be so bad....

New Fiction Releases Week of Nov 15 Kindle Hardback More

It is new releases time. Of course, it is November, and we are all still waiting for big releases for the Christmas season - or great reading for the days we have off during the holidays. Some of the biggies have already been released, but more are on the way. Sadly, this was not a week for a huge number of releases. But, there are some interesting releases that will sell big and download to kindle in high numbers.

I hope everyone read the post about #fridayreads on facebook and twitter on Friday's. It is an excellent way to see what everyone is reading - because you know we are all nosey like that, I love to look at other people's book covers or ask what they are reading on Kindle - and #fridayreads also gives you great book ideas for books you may have missed.

My #fridayread last weekend was A Dark and Lonely Place by Edna Buchanan, an author many of you had been telling me to read. Wow, what a great book to start with. I will most defiantly be putting her back list on  my 'to read' list, which seems to grow every minute. This book was so fantastic I finished it way before the weekend was over and started on another recommendation - Dining with Joy. I love foodie fiction just about as much as I love a novel about the south. I don't know how I missed this one. I immediately emailed the author, Rachel Hauck, and she has said she will comment on our blog once I get the review of her book up...

And now, on to a sample of some just released fiction. As always, if you know of any nonfiction or fiction you would like me to post please let me know...

The Angel Esmeralda by Don Delillo
Bones Under the Beach Hut by Simon Brett
Dollhouse by Kim Kardashian
KBL by John Weisman
Kill Alex Cross by James Paterson
Our Man in the Dark by Rashad Harrison
The Silver Lotus by Thomas Steinbeck
V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton

What is the down low on some of these books? A few of them are self-explanatory... we all know and love Sue Grafton and James Patterson. Their books, Kill Alex Cross and V is for Vengeance will be instant bestsellers, great holiday reads for us, and great gifts.

But, what about some of the other books on the list? KBL? This is a novel based on the true event of the death of Ben Laden - KBL...Kill Ben Laden. Okay, I am sure this will be a big seller too. It was a huge pre-order.

Dollhouse is by the Kardashian sisters. On some sites it  is listed as being written y Kim and on others as being written by Kim, Kourtney, and Kloe. The previews give me the impression that the book is a novel about their lives. Another big seller. Look how big their E! TV show is - my Harley riding brother and sister and law are addicted. I guess this could be a Christmas present!

The Silver Lotus is on my SOON to read list. It is listed for fans of Amy Tan, Patrick, O'Brien and Lisa See. Author Thomas Steinbeck's website says he is the oldest son of John Steinbeck - yes, that John Steinbeck. The Silver Lotus follows American Merchant Captain Jeremiah Macy Hammond as he travels throughout the new world trading and facing pirates and more. Along the way he meets Lady Yee, The Silver Lotus, and a great love affair begins. Readers will follow the two across the trading routes of the Pacific Rim and learn about the foundation of the Northern Cali coast. Let me know what you think if you get a chance to read it before I do. I definitely think it is a download it now book.

Veterans Day, Friday Reads, and more

First, a very happy an well meant Veterans Day to anyone who has served, or is still serving, in our armed forces. This is such an important day and I do not know why schools do not focus on it more. My husband just retired from 24 years of service in the Navy so it is one of my 'soap box' issues! When we lived in Virginia Beach, and in other big armed forces areas there were parades and a big deal was made  about the brave men and women who served America. Now that we live in a small village in southern Appalachia it is not such a big deal here. Very sad. But now I am here, the queen of causes, and maybe we can do something at the schools next year to make sure our brave heroes are honored!

Today is Friday. So, I hope everyone in going to facebook or twitter and making their Friday reads known. For facebook fans you only have to like the Friday reads page and then comment on what you are reading. For twitter users, use the hashtag #fridayreads.

When we are in schools with my so called kindle life kares it is amazing how many kids have smartphones. (Although my kids do so I guess I should not be all that shocked). My newest idea is to get these kids to go on to twitter and facebook and list what they are reading for their Friday reads. One of the greatest things about Friday reads is that you get to see what everyone else is reading and get new book ideas. These kids are reading some amazing books. Not all thanks to my so called kindle life kares, but we have taken boxes of books to all of the local schools we are serving now and they are reading some petty exciting and up to date stuff. We know they read the classics in class, ( or they are supposed to), so we are bringing in the types of books that appear to really get kids hooked on reading. Some of our best successes are series in YA. Of course, the Hunger Games, but there are so many more YA series. If any of  our readers have excellent suggestions for us to take into the schools please let us know. So far, we have not dealt with any banning type issues. These schools are just so happy to receive books they don't care! They want their kids to read but don't have the funding to give kids individual books. As readers, we all know what it means to have our own books, whether it be a kindle or a paper book.

So, what I am I reading this Friday for my Friday Read? I downloaded the new Edna Buchanan, A Dark and Lonely Place from amazon for my Kindle and started it earlier in the week. With my crazy schedule this week I did not get to read the normal amount of books I like to go through and am still on this one. However, thanks to all you readers who suggested Edna Buchanan. I cannot believe I never read her before but am glad to start with this one!

And what are your Friday reads?
Get out there and list them so we can all get some great reading ideas. Post some here, too, for our readers...easier to find than plying through the long fridayreads lists.

And....as always, we end with a plea for donations for my so called kindle life kares. If you have been around a while you know what we do, if not read around or feel free to email and ask. Even $1 helps in ways you would not believe. And, if you hit this page from twitter please retweet so all of your friends will have the chance to read about the work we do, and then their friends can retweet, etc....it can be a retweeting revolution for the kids of the southern Apps.

New Fiction November 8

Is it the publisher or is is Amazon? Why are some of the best novels coming out in hardback today and not available for download on our Kindle? I don't have the answer. One entity blames the other. We lose.

What we can do is download the a books in question - this time The Prague Cemetery from the itunes book store and read them on our iphones or ipads. I absolutely hate to recommend this to you. And, not just because this is a kindle blog. I am not a fan of the ibooks user interface, it stinks. If you are a kindle user and use the ibooks user interface you will immediately know what I mean. Pages are harder to turn, there isn't an easy way to keep the page stable if you turn your device - a real problem if you read while in bed. It is slllooooowwww. It always goes back to the bookshelf when you make a purchase. ...Wow, I sound like a whiner and I could go on and on. It is very sad because I am a big apple fan. I love my iphone. It is constantly attached to me, just with my kindle app as my ereader of choice!

But, either big publisher guys or Amazon are not giving us a choice when it comes to release dates. We want to be able to download and read our books on the day they are released. We are kindle lovers. We are not caught up in some 'save the printed book' protest. We just love to read. Anyway, ebooks have made it possible for so many more people to have access to more books than ever before...you don't even want me to get on my soapbox as a mom of a special ed child who used a kindle to improve his reading by amazing stretches!

Okay...I am stepping down. I have to tell you about a book that available on your kindle for download today. A Train in Winter is sure to become one of the next classics in Holocaust literature. It is a magnificant novel. It is sometimes hard to read, sometimes lovely, other times so moving you wonder why you never heard this story before.

I am just going to give you amazon's description of the novel because I am reading it right now and do want to give you any spoilers...oh, it would be so easy to do so:

They were teachers, students, chemists, writers, and housewives; a singer at the Paris Opera, a midwife, a dental surgeon. They distributed anti-Nazi leaflets, printed subversive newspapers, hid resisters, secreted Jews to safety, transported weapons, and conveyed clandestine messages. The youngest was a schoolgirl of fifteen who scrawled "V" for victory on the walls of her lycÉe; the eldest, a farmer's wife in her sixties who harbored escaped Allied airmen. Strangers to each other, hailing from villages and cities from across France, these brave women were united in hatred and defiance of their Nazi occupiers.

Eventually, the Gestapo hunted down 230 of these women and imprisoned them in a fort outside Paris. Separated from home and loved ones, these disparate individuals turned to one another, their common experience conquering divisions of age, education, profession, and class, as they found solace and strength in their deep affection and camaraderie.

In January 1943, they were sent to their final destination: Auschwitz. Only forty-nine would return to France.

A Train in Winter draws on interviews with these women and their families; German, French, and Polish archives; and documents held by World War II resistance organizations to uncover a dark chapter of history that offers an inspiring portrait of ordinary people, of bravery and survival—and of the remarkable, enduring power of female friendship.


The Sisters is another new novel coming out today and available for download to your kindle. It is getting mixed reviews. I love a southern novel as you know so it is on my to read list. It is set in rural Kentucky beginning during the great depression. It follows two sisters, Bertie and Mabel, close until one creates a breach in their relationship, through WWII and Vietnam. Sena Jeter Naslund who I love, love, love said it was hard to put down and would become a classic!

Many of you have long told me to read Edna Buchanan. Well, I am starting with her new one... A Dark and Lonely Place sounds like a book I won't be able to put down. I have cleared the weekend and it will probably be my #fridayread for twitter. The story begins over a hundred years ago in Florida with alligators and swamps and the criminals who called Miami home. It is a Bonnie and Clyde that is said to out do Bonnie and Clyde and follows the family to the present day.... if this writer is as good as ya'll say I will be engrossed in this book. I can't wait. Especially because then I will have a long backlist to read!

If you love a good foo novel White Truffles in Winter will get you salivating and dusting off your old Escoffier cookbook. It is about the man and his two great loves and the dishes he created for them and other famous people.

Okay, I have jabbered enough, her are some samples of new releases for today, remember, some books, like Eco's The Prague Cemetery, are not yet available for Kindle. I just had to put them on for you in case you wanted to order a hard copy or stop by your local bookstore.



11/22/63 by Stephen King
The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson
Battle of the Crater by Newt Gingrich
Blink of an Eye by William Cohen
The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbol
A burial at Sea Charles Finch
Coffin Man by James Doss
A dark and Lonely Place by Edna Buchanan
Endurance by Jay Lake
Hot Water by Erin Brockovich
The Ionia Sanction Gary Corby
Love and Shame and Love by Peter Orner
The Prague Cemetery by Umberto Eco
Rain Falls Like Mercy by Jack Todd
Scholar by L E Modesitt
The Sisters by Nancy Jensen
The Templar Magician P C Doherty
The Time in Between by Maria Duenas
White Truffles in Winter by N M Kelby

If you know of a book I left off pleas let me know and I will add it...
Plus, if you enjoy this site remember my so called kindle life kares....every dollar you donate goes to purchase books for children and kindles for classrooms along with amazon gift cards for teachers to use with the kindles. We spend approximately 30 to 40 hours in the schools each week working with 'our kids'. They love books. They love to read. They love you - our sponsors who help put new books in their hands. Some librarians in these schools are forced to spend money allocated to the them on 'other things' such as computer software or even textbooks. We we able to bring the Hunger Games to one of our schools two weeks ago and almost the whole school are now fanatics, making up their mini-plays in the class. No reason to wait for a movie up here in southern Appalachia!

Thank you all so much who have already helped!

New Fiction October 25 Kindle and More

Hello All!
There are one or two heavy hitters this week but I think we are waiting for the biggies to come out next month.

What am I reading right now? I found this writer on twitter and his book sounded fascinating to me. I am really getting into it and it lives up to what I thought, The Wewelsburg Covenant by John Braun. It just became available for download on Kindle and you will want to download it now! There are no reviews to post yet, hopefully mine will be the first. But, come on Kindle lovers, get this one and give this guy some welcome reviews.


I just downloaded the Tides of War by Stella Tillyard. I have read excellent reviews of this book and cannot wait to read it. Just look at some of the rave reviews:

"In short, war is as transformative for those who remain at home as for those who fight it, and historian Tillyard, making her fiction debut, does a superb job of portraying those transformations with deft, economical prose and metaphors that are as instructive as they are descriptive. This sophisticated, unusual portrait of Regency society will appeal to all readers of historical fiction, especially admirers of Bernard Cornwell."—Library Journal, Starred Review

"Tillyard is at her best with historical figures and when depicting the era; readers share Harriet's discovery of the waltz, Jane Austen, and ice cream, and witness cutting-edge battlefield surgeries under real-life Surgeon Gen. James McGrigor."—Publishers Weekly

"Dazzling—I love this book. It's beautifully written, the characters are deeply involving and the historical settings so right—in short, Tides of War is a triumph."—Simon Schama

"Stella Tillyard is famous for the bravura of her writing, so it should come as no surprise that her fifth book is not a biography but a historical novel… The result suggests that history's loss will be fiction's gain; Tides of War is one of the most assured literary debuts in years… Stella Tillyard has written a modern novel that is the perfect answer to anyone who believes that the past is out of date."—Amanda Foreman, Financial Times

"A remarkably instructive novel. Tillyard embellishes a plot too intricate for summary with a plethora of detail. Readers…will find much to fascinate them... Tillyard is a fluent and attractive chronicler of historical detail and some of her imaginative liberties are ingenious… An entertaining fictional debut."—The Telegraph (UK)

"Hugely enjoyable… In its intelligent, classy, entertaining way, the book is reminiscent of that other fine novelist of the Napoleonic wars, Patrick O'Brian."—Angus Clarke, The Times (UK)

"Love, betrayal, war and peace charge this powerful debut."—Fanny Blake, Woman and Home (UK)

Sounds really good. I'll let you know...
Here are a few samples of this week's new releases in fiction:

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
A Christmas Homecoming by Anne Perry
The Christmas Note by Donna Vanliere
Christmas in Sugarcreek by Shelley Shepard Gray
A Crimson Warning by Tasha Alexander
The Litigators by John Grisham
The Nine Lives of Christmas by Sheila Roberts
Ranchero by Rick Gavin
The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt by Caroline Preston
Tides of War by Stella Tillyard

Gearing Up... We Need You

We are gearing up for Christmas in the schools that My So Called Kindle Life Kares serves. We have lots of ideas and are sitting down this week to formulate some plans. Of course, what we do....what the kids get and benefit from...depends in part from our wonderful supporters. Don't forget to donate when you stop by our site. Thanks so much.
Plus... if you have ideas we ALWAYS welcome them.

New Fiction Releases October 18-21 Kindle and More

Are you looking for a good read for the weekend? We have just had a blast of freezing air come in and it looks like a great weekend for curling up with a great book. Some big names have new releases this week. No matter what you like, you will find something to download to your kindle!

You will defiantly want to download the new Phillipa Gregory, The Lady of the Rivers. This is her third book in the Cousins War series. It promises love, intrigue, and even a little witchcraft set during the War of the Roses.

John Connolly has a new book this week, The Infernals. This is very popular author who I have never read. He is on my 'to read' list so maybe this will be the one...

Zero One by Colson Whitehead received a lot of pre-release press. It is a zombie novel and a big departure from Sag Harbor, his last novel. Justin Cronin, author of one of my favorites in this genre, gives Zone One an excellent review on Amazon.

Here is a sample of some of this week's big releases:

Bonnie by Iris Johansen
Damned by Chuck Palahniuk
Double Dexter by Jeffery P. Lindsay
Ed King by David Guterson
The Infernals by John Connoly
The Lady of the Rivers by Phillipa Gregory
The Maid by Kimberly Cutter
Najing Requim by Ha Jin
Power and Beauty by T. I. Harris
Triangles by Ellen Hopkins
Zone One by Colin Whitehead

We Hit the Schools Running in October

My So Called Kindle Life Kares has been in schools all week. What a blast. This is an awesome time of year to get kids excited about reading. Why? Halloween, of course. What pre-teen/ teen does not love a good vampire book or a great haunted tale? We purchased books especially with this in mind for schools and have had the best time ever with book talks and games and more at many of the local schools.

We spend a lot of our time with 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. They love fantasy and 'Twilight' style (that is their word) books. We listened and when we went on book buying expeditions  recently we choose accordingly for this group and the books really caught their attention this week. Some of the faves were the Beautiful Creatures series, the Hunger Games series, and other books of that type. Do you, our readers have any suggestions? We would love to hear from you! Whenever we have the funds we are out shopping for more great reads for the kids and kindles for the classrooms.

We were very excited to see the Kindles we give out to classrooms in use on our visits these past two weeks. Teachers and students are using them in exciting ways. The pic I have uploaded is of Kelsi M. at MES in Monteagle, TN. Her teacher awards kids with the highest scores a 'kindle for a week'. They get to choose and purchase one book and download it themselves. (We always try to leave gift cards with each kindle if we have the funds but I know teachers are supplementing this with there own money too. Why is our education system so messed up?)

That being said...we always are overjoyed to receive your donations! Every dollar helps. Thanks so much to our wonderful supporters. We love you!

New Fiction Releases for Kindle and More September 13

Are you looking for a great new read?








Oh, how I love a week full of wonderful new releases. It  proves the old saying true...too many books and never enough time. There are so many great new releases this week. You will want to download them all on your kindle or pick or order copies of your faves.

Sharyn McCrumb is back - one of my all time favorites, (southern girl, southern settings, I am in love), with the Ballad of Tom Dooley. This fascinating novel is steeped in Appalachian mystery and history. You will learn how the myths of these fabled mountains are sometimes based on true facts. The Ballad of Tom Dooley is based on the story of Tom Dula and Laura Foster, star-crossed lovers living in the Appalachian Mountains after the Civil War. Pre-release reviews say that McCrumb visited the actual sites  that took place in the novel  - oooh..she is definitely one of the best southern writers we have today.

A lot of press is focusing on The Night Circus. I have recently seen reviews comparing it to new Harry Potter. I have not read the entire novel at this time, only a portion, but I can tell you the writing is lush and descriptive...and that does not even really give you a true hint at how wonderful I have found it thus far. The Night Circus only comes to town at night - it opens at sundown and closes at sunset. However, Erin Morgensten will have you hooked and wanting more with the descriptions of the first lights 'popping' on and giving light to the black and white circus tents.

Another southern favorite of mine and a southern treasure - see, I do read all types of books! - Haywood Smith, is as fun-loving and heartbreakingly funny as ever. She will make you laugh and cry in a novel just as good as the original Red Hat Club. If you have not read any of her books before Wife-in-Law is a great place to start. Plus, if you are not from the south, welcome to our world, she gets everything just right!

And there is more! Here is a sampling of  some stellar new releases. If you know of something I missed, please let me know!

Ballad of Tom Dooley by Sharyn McCrumb
The Blood Royal by Barbara Cleverly
Forbidden by Ted Dekker
Goddess of Vengeance by Jackie Collins
Hot Property by Michele Kleier
King of Badgers by Philip Hensher
Kings of Vice by Ice-t
Lassiter by Paul Levine
Light From a Distant Star by Mary McGarry Morris
Prospero Regained by L. Jagi Lamplighter
New York to Dallas by J. D. Robb
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Or the Bull Kills You by Jason Webster
Robert B. Parker's Killing the Blues by Michael Brandman
There But for The by Ali Smith
The Vault by Ruth Rendell
Wife- in- Law by Haywood Smith

If you are not too busy, take a minute to read about My So Called Kindle Life Kares! We are up and going strong this school year and having a blast in the schools. We love to hear from you and every penny means so much to these kids and the schools!

New Fiction September 6 Kindle and More

Are you looking for new kindle releases? Great new fiction is now available to download to your kindle or to purchase in hardback or paperback from Amazon or other retailers.

Fall is a wonderful time for readers. Big new books hit the shelves...or, for us kindle lovers, the whispernet. Today is no exception. No matter what your favorite escape - you will be happy with today's choices.

I am buried in two of today's big releases - Birds of Paradise by Diana Abu-Jaber and The Taker by Alma Katsu. I am going back and forth between the two... I am so intrigued by both I wish I could read them both at the same time!

Plus, today is the release date of Sanctus - a remarkable new novel that you will want to download to your kindle and read right NOW. I was lucky enough to read a preview copy of this amazing book and can't wait to tell you about it soon...watch out!

And....A Rather Remarkable Homecoming is also now available  for you to download on your kindle. If you have not been following Penny Nichols on her quirky adventures you do not know what you have been missing. I have not had a chance to read this one yet but I cannot wait. The previous books had me turning the pages late into the night. These books are not widely advertised - they are a word of mouth, cult classic kind of thing - don't miss them!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day weekend. We suffered the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee here on my lovely mountain...making it the perfect time to snuggle in and read.

Here is a sample of some of today's new releases:

Birds of Paradise by Diane Abu-Jaber
The Bone House by Stephen Lawhead
The Burning Soul  by John Connolly
A Crack in Everything by Angela Gerst
I Married You for Happiness by Lily Tuck
The Mercy  by Beverly Lewis
Murder in the 11th House by Mitchell Scott Lewis
Naughty in Nice  by Rhys Bowen
The Perfect Suspect by Margaret Coel
Prey by Linda Howard
A Rather Remarkable Homecoming by C. A. Belmond
The Race by Clive Cussler
Sanctus by Simon Toyne
Second Nature by Jacquelyn Mitchard
Secret Obsession by Kimberly Lawson Roby
The Tale of Castle Cottage by Susan Wittig Albert
The Taker by Alma Katsu
Trackers by Deon Meyer