This is what I really needed to read right now. It was funny and at times heartbreaking. Terry McMillan does such an awesome job of writing strong black women characters. Her latest follows 68 year old Loretha Curry. Loretha is not feeling so content with her life. Her daughter (Jalecia) and sister (Odessa) are not speaking to her. Her son lives in Japan with his wife and twin daughters. She loves her husband (Carl) of many years though and runs a successful beauty business. However, when Loretha experiences an unexpected loss, we follow her and other characters (Sadie, Korynthia, Poochie, and Lucky) through a year where a lot of changes comes to her and life-long friends.

 

Loretha is a caring women and though she's angry at her daughter for her constant run-ins with the law and her drinking, she still tries to be there for her. She tries with her granddaughter Cinnamon and makes an unexpected connection to someone that comes into her life that has connections to her husband Carl. Loretha does make you want to shake her sometimes though. She has a health condition that she thinks ignoring will make it go away (she sounds like all of my great aunts I swear) and has some dated attitudes about mental health, but I was glad to see her change that up throughout the book. 

 

Loretha's friends made me laugh since I started thinking that this is how some of the women from "Waiting to Exhale" would have behaved when they get to this age. I just died at some of the exchanges between the group of four women who have seen each other at their best and worst. I don't want to get into every character's development, but man oh man, only best friends can read you for filth and tell you they love you five minutes later. 

 

The writing was really good at times though the flow got wonky in places (why I gave this four stars) and I think the ending was a bit too rushed (another reason why I gave this four stars). 

 

Fall line follows Chris as he works on his ski career and tries to figure out his life on the side.

I usually read Tudor Robins horse themed books, which fall line is not. However I still enjoyed it just as much. There is something about Tudors writing I can't put down. I know nothing about the ski world, I snowboarder when I was younger, but I loves the story. It's a great young adult story that can be enjoyed even when your no longer a teen.

A very scary and very exciting volume in this series. This time we are in the mountains, far away from civilization and we have one very angry ghost.

I really liked the characters, though I think it was a bit silly that no one, not even her friend believed her until they saw it happening. Strange things happen and they just play it off as nothing. I didn't like how the parents reacted to that older lady who came by. I mean rude? Oh it is in his will, well F him and his will, this will become a ski resort if you want it or not. I expect such behaviour from the kids, not from adults.

The creepy factor was quite high, we have mysterious voices, icy messages, hidden passages, objects falling and a whole lot more. I had quite a few goosebumps along the way.

I had expected a slightly better ending, but I kind of like the idea of a new family coming in. Fresh blood. :)

All in all, I would recommend this book.

Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/

Downhill Farm: The final episode - Wesle... Wesley Burroughs wrote "Glenroe", a long running soap in Ireland and you have to wonder how much of this was based on reality and how much based on wishful thinking.

My second golf book in a month. I'm not a fan of the sport but after the horrible [b:Tales from Q School|75635|Tales from Q School Inside Golf's Fifth Major|John Feinstein|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1170878965s/75635.jpg|73167] it deserved a second chance.Hiaasen decided to get back into golf after decades away and spent a year and a half, a sizable chunk of change, and many hours of frustration trying to get his stroke back. I knew I'd like him from the first line of the preface: "There are so many people to blame for this book that it's hard to know where to begin."What makes this memoir better than the Q School slog is that Hiaasen actually has a life and gets away from the action now and then. There are stories about his dad (a golfer himself, who died suddenly many years ago), how courses have become a refuge for wildlife in highly developed Florida, and fly fishing. All relate back to golf in one way or another and allow a breather from the action.While plodding at times (especially during the last tourney) the book was easy enough for this non-golfer to follow and enjoy.