Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

A little bit of fun on a Friday, this weekly meme is hosted by A Few More Pages.


The Panama Hotel (1986)

Old Henry Lee stood transfixed by all the commotion at the Panama Hotel. What had started as a crowd of curious onlookers eyeballing a television news crew had now swollen into a polite mob of shoppers, tourists, and a few punk-looking street kids, all wondering what the big deal was. In the middle of the crowd stood Henry, shopping bags hanging at his side. He felt as if he were waking from a long forgotten dream. A dream he’d once had as a little boy.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford is my next read for the Historical Tapestry Challenge.

Easter Christian Graphics

Prophecy - The Fulfullment by Deborah Jaegar

Review from Goodreads:

Prophecy the Fulfillment by Deborah A. Jaeger (Goodreads Author)
A typical teenager, Jillian Macomb, is looking forward to senior high. Or at least she was. Having just broken up with her boyfriend, she receives the stunning and unexpected news that she's pregnant. As if that isn't enough, she must also convince her parents and her doctor that she is still a virgin. Her father's protégé, Stephen Jacobs, and she, form an unlikely allianc...moreA typical teenager, Jillian Macomb, is looking forward to senior high. Or at least she was. Having just broken up with her boyfriend, she receives the stunning and unexpected news that she's pregnant. As if that isn't enough, she must also convince her parents and her doctor that she is still a virgin. Her father's protégé, Stephen Jacobs, and she, form an unlikely alliance as each realize that their nighttime apparitions are more than simple dreams, making it clear to them that the child she carries is no ordinary child. Then the miracles begin. When a geneticist discovers that Jillian's pregnancy holds the key to sudden, inexplicable healings, he will stop at nothing to claim the magnificent discovery as his own. Meanwhile, government officials and representatives from the Catholic Church arrive to investigate the astonishing events, realizing that whoever controls the source of the miracles will become the ultimate world power. Face to face with evil, Stephen and Jillian realize that time is running out to save her child, and they are driven to escape the forces that covet control of the miraculous life she carries. In the ultimate test of faith, they must decide who they can trust, and whether or not to believe the compelling and terrifying message of the prophecy

My Thoughts:
From the very beginning I was hooked on this story. This novel is full of action and is non-stop and totally believable. The premise of a modern day immaculate conception gave me alot to think about while reading. ****Could This Really Happen****. I would highly recommend this book to those who enjoy suspense and intelligent literature.

I would definitely read another Deborah Jaegar novel. - Giving this book a C+

The Unexpected Son by Shobban Bantwal

I am still behind, but "The Unexpected Son" by Shobhan Bantwal is my next read.

There was something odd about it, despite its plain and inconsequential appearance. Vinita gazed at the mystery envelope for a long moment, weighed it in the palm of her hand.

I look forward to seeing my fellow readers. - Have a great week.

Cathy

Linen Queen by Patricia Falvey

From Booklist Abandoned by her father and neglected by her self-absorbed mother, Sheila McGee longs to escape from her small Irish village, where her destiny seems already to be written: forever consigned to working at the mill, forced to hand over her paycheck to her mother. When she gets the opportunity to compete for the title of 1941 Linen Queen, she finally sees a way out, for the prize money will fund her dream of escaping to England. But WWII intervenes, bringing with it travel restrictions and a base set up for American soldiers. She intends to snag American officer Joel Solomon, much to the distress of her childhood friend, Gavin O�Rourke. Joel turns out to be a Jewish soldier of conscience and schools her in the deeper meaning of the fight against Hitler. Falvey well captures the frustrations of a small-town girl with big ambitions, making rueful comedy out of Sheila�s rivalries with her fellow millworkers. She also smoothly traces Sheila�s transformation from self-interested party girl to concerned citizen. A lively read for fans of historical fiction. --Joanne Wilkinson

My Thoughts: In the beginning I thought this was another fluff chick book. Boy was I wrong. I absolutely enjoyed how Patricia Falvey took the main character, Sheila McGee from a self-absorbed teenager into a wonderful caring women. This is actually a love-story, with some historical fiction, and how priorities change. The story starts out in Northern Ireland, during the 1940's. Sheila, a spinner for a linen factory can only dream about the day when she can escape Northern Ireland and get out from under the linen factory and her dysfunctional family. She sets her sights on winning a beauty pageant. She knew that if she could win it would be her ticket out. Sheila does win, but her dreams of leaving Northern Ireland are put on hold due to the brewing war ahead. During the next 4 years the author developed Sheila into the most caring person. Aside from her shallow friends from the factory, Sheila takes Granine Mallory, an evacuee from Belfast, under her wing. When Sheila finds her friend Patsy pregnant and unmarried, it is Sheila who tries to help her. These feeling of protectiveness are strange to Sheila. The country of Ireland is now in the midst of war. Soldiers are stationed nearby. It is during this period when Sheila meets a Jewish-American soldier, Joel Solomon. Sheila's desire to leave Ireland is again heightened. She is going to use this man to get her to England. Sheila did not realize that after spending time with Joel, she would develope true feeling for him. Joel was probably the one person who made the biggest impact on Sheila. In the author's words (thru Rabbi Hurwitz)"Joes wanted you to know yourself, to see yourself as special, he was a messenger. He was never meant to stay in your world" There is also another man in Sheila's life. Gavin O'Rourke has been her childhood friend. Throught the story, Sheila is torn between her feelings for these two men. This was really the best part of the story for me. I loved how the author intertwined the lives of these 3 characters. I was really taken with the end of the novel, when Sheila realizes that the only thing she wanted to escape from was her situation and not actually the country. Patricia Falvey gave the ending real feeling. This is the first novel I have read by this author, but am anxious to read others. I am giving this novel a B+

The Prophecy- The Fulfillment

I am a little behind this week. I am finishing up "The Linen Queen" by Patricia Falvey, but I wanted to post on the "The Beginnings" so I picked the book that I will be reading next. Prophecy-the Fulfillment by Deborah A Jaeger.

From the moment they entered the woods, the dense forest swallowed them as they had never walked

I must confess, I have read about 5 chapters in this book before finishing The Linen Queen, and I am intrigued. I should be able to start Prophecy by Monday. I can't wait.

Saturday Snapshot

I don't usually post family pictures, but I just got this today from my daughter-in-law. This picture was taken during one of our visits to my son, daughter-in-law and my wonderful Granddaughter. She really puts a smile on my face.

The Linen Queen by Patricia Falvey

"From Monday to Thursday we sang to break the monotony, on Friday we sang to celebrate"

This is just the beginning of a young girl from Northern Ireland working in a Linen Factory, and her dreams of her future in England. I am hooked. To me the characters are alive and vivid. I can't wait to see the challenges she will face.

We'd love to hear what's the first line - or paragraph - of your current read. Feel free to share it with us in the comments! Are you liking the book so far? Was the first few lines enough to grip your attention? We're looking forward to hearing from you! :-)