Book Review - The Major's Faux Fiancee by Erica Ridley

I'd give this book 3 1/2 stars. The plot was a little fantastic at first: a vicar's daughter with a small portion has a pirate for a guardian (how did he meet the vicar anyway?) and all these eligible and fairly nice men willing to marry her, but she calls for an old childhood friend instead to help her have a fake engagement even though she hasn't seen him in years. And he jumps to help her even though he's been pushing his family and friends away for months because of the injury he received in the war (oh, and his dead brother). Some of these "plot holes" get resolved in the end (sort of) but between that and Bartholomew saying 'faux fiancee" way too many times, I didn't enjoy the book as much as I thought I should. Both Bartholomew and Daphne were obnoxious at times (she was really sanctimonious) and though Ms. Ridley attempted to justify their feelings, they were fairly unlikable. The secondary characters were more fun. Still I like the last part of the book and there was the requisite HEA. I received this as an ARC for an honest review.

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Trad Tuesday - Beidh Aonach Amárach as sung by Altan

This is a traditional Irish song meaning There's a Fair Tomorrow. The first few verses translate to:
Oh mammy, won't you let me go to the fair 
Oh dearest love, don't plead with me Oh mammy, won't you let me go to the fair Oh dearest love, don't plead with me 
There's a fair tomorrow in County Clare There's a fair tomorrow in County Clare There's a fair tomorrow in County Clare Why should I care, I won't be there 

Altan are an Irish folk music group formed in County Donegal in 1987 by lead vocalist Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh and her since-deceased husband Frankie Kennedy.They brought Donegal's rich collection of Irish language songs and instrumental styles to audiences around the world,and they remain the world's foremost Irish traditional group with over a million records sold (from Wikipedia)

Book Review - Knight by Ian Anderson

This is a very detailed story of a knight who lives in the early 1500s.. Sir Gregory Averill is the king's champion for Henry IV and Henry V. There are a lot of battles and jousts. I found parts of the book fairly fantastic as when his wife is half-Oriental and the story was very slow. But for someone who really likes to read about the everyday life of a knight this is the book for you. I received this book as an ARC for an honest review.

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Book Review - In Too Deep by Tracey Alvarez

This was a nice first romance book. I liked that it took place in New Zealand which is not a local I read about often. The details on diving were interesting and the sex was steamy. I liked the secondary characters but I thought it took a little too long to reveal the reasons for the angst of two main characters. Piper was a mess and not very nice for the first half of the book and I didn't get West at all. Maybe it was me but I thought he was a jerk until the big reveal about his attitude towards loss that came at the very end of the book - then he kind of made more sense. But it was a very satisfactory read and I'd recommend it. I was given this book for an honest review.

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Book Review: The Word Exchange by Alena Graedon

The Word Exchange takes place in a world where people are using their handheld devices (they're called Memes) almost exclusively and books and the written word are disappearing. Memes communicate and with an implant can help you react to what's going on around you, hailing a taxi or finding specific words for you. Ana works for her father Doug who runs one of the last printers. They are currently printing a dictionary (NADEL) but Doug disappears. With his assistant Bart (who's in love with Ana) Anana (she's called both) attempts to find her father. The search is complicated when people start coming down with aphasia or word flu. They lose the ability to think or speak words and eventually die.
The concept is clever and I felt I should have liked this book more than I actually did. For one thing there seemed to be a need to actually use every word in a dictionary as part of the story. I found myself looking up words, but lost that battle when the word flu struck. The author brilliantly starts using imaginary words to illustrate the word flu, sort of like the poem Jabberwocky (Alice in Wonderland is a theme throughout the book). This makes sentences harder to understand but at the same time illustrates the terror the person with aphasia is going through.
The story is slow in parts and I didn't like the footnotes or other literary devices that seemed too cute. The story is told through the POV's of Ana and Bart (he uses a journal). I happened to like Bart better as Ana was a little too much a stereotypical dizzy blonde at times. But the idea that the Luddites are the heroes is attractive and it is a book worth reading. I received this as an ARC for an honest review.

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Vacation in the Oxford Hills - Fairs Edition

Spinning angora from the rabbit on her lap

In The Black Swans Taisie and Conn meet for the first time at a fair. Maine is known for its summer fairs. There is a fair every weekend in some part of the state and crowds of people head to them for fun days of rides, food, agricultural exhibits, and horse racing. The fair season culminates every year in the Oxford Hills at the Fryeburg Fair, maybe the biggest one of them all.

Trying the rockers

Over the years I've been to most of these fairs. The fair in the book is an amalgamation of these, but the fair most like that in the book is the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA)'s Common Ground Fair held on the third weekend in September. It is my very favorite fair. The food is fantastic although if you want a coffee or caffeinated drink you're out of luck - the food is all natural and delicious. There is every type of food you can imagine: Indian, turkey legs, pie, gyros, and so on. There are exhibits over the three days ranging from sheep herding to building a sustainable community to choosing the right fleece. The classes and lectures are great. There's entertainment for everyone with many artists, craftsmen, and musicians. There's a separate childrens area where they can play games and do crafts. There are no rides excepting some horse-drawn wagons, but I don't think anyone misses them at all.

Cross Pollination

Pictures all from 2014 Common Ground Fair







Maine fair schedule  - http://www.mainefairs.org/fairs.html

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