In Review: Best of Lena's Blog 2011

I'm grateful to see another year. I am also thankful for the wonderful posts and participation from other bloggers and readers. So I decided to make a best of post of my year in blogging. Almost one year of blogging! I am amazed at what I learned. So here are some of my favorite posts, and yours too according to my analytics. I chose them based on your page views, comments and a few are just my personal favorites. Enjoy!

Lena's Tidbits

• Top 25 Blogs for Writers
• 10 Do It Yourself Book Gifts and Ideas
• Interesting Facts About Authors and Books
• Best Gift Ideas for Book Lovers
• Writing Habits of 21 Famous Authors
• Could You Write Over 700 Books?
• 5 Things I Learned From the Smurfs
• And Tango Makes Three: Banned
• May 21st, The Rapture: The World is Ending, So Here's What You Need to Read
• My Lordt Hammercy Moment

Author Interviews

• Nikki Giovanni Interview Part 1
• Nikki Giovanni Interview Part 2
• Nikki Giovanni Interview Part 3
• Donna Hill Interview
• Meet Bestselling Author R.M. Johnson

Book Reviews

• Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
• The Help by Kathryn Stockett
• Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
• Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

Memes

• Friday's Free Ebooks
• Wordless Wednesday: Freedom
• Top Ten Tuesday: What Book Would You Reread?

Guest Posts

• Author Wayne Zurl
• Author Barbara Kyle
• Author Katina Walton: Book Review of How To Get Out of Your Own Way by Tyrese Gibson

Contest/Giveaways

• Lena's Kindle Touch Giveaway
• Spotlight and Poetry Contest
• Spotlight Poetry Contest: Day 3

Do you have a memorable post from my blog?

Book Review: Trouble Don't Last Always by Francis Ray

Mass Market Paperback: Trouble Don't Last Always
Length: 389 Pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperback; First Edition
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1250000343
Received: By Publisher

Synopsis: Amazon
Desperate to escape her abusive marriage, Lilly Crawford files for divorce, then slips away from her small east Texas hometown with little more than the clothes on her back. She points her twelve-year-old car east, hoping to find a new beginning. When her car breaks down in Louisiana, Lilly finds unexpected employment as the caregiver for a wealthy neurosurgeon named Adam Wakefield, who lost his sight in a recent carjacking. At first, this handsome, brooding man reminds her too much of the angry husband she left behind and she reminds him of how far he has fallen from the self-assured man he once was. But as the two spend long days together, an unexpected bond develops---one that will be deeply tested. For Lilly must confront her violent husband before she can ever hope to move on and truly discover a second chance at life and love.


My thoughts:
I read Trouble Don't Last Always some years ago when it had a different title called The Turning Point. It has now been re-released with a new title and a new cover. Trouble Don't Last Always also had a different cover before this current one above. I like the new cover, however something about the old cover conveys the sentiment of the title much better. When I began reading it a second time, I didn't know I had previously read it. The more I read, the more familiar it became to me. I guess the new cover and title threw me off. I enjoyed it, even the second time around.


What I liked: 
The relationship between Dr. Wakefield and Lilly feels organic. It develops naturally. It's presumable that Lilly would have issues trusting another man, so it's nice to see them fighting against what I as a reader could already foresee; true romance. I appreciate the author, Francis Ray, giving Lilly such fortitude amidst adversity, especially as an abused woman trying to escape a terrible marriage. It was a delight to see Lilly come into her own even during Dr. Wakefield's periods of distrust and animosity due to the violent carjacking that left him blind. I also enjoyed the relationship between Adam's mother, Eleanor Wakefield and Jonathan Delacroix. To watch Jonathan's devotion to Eleanor and her children is something magical. I love it when a man loves another man's children as if they are his own. So when Eleanor becomes a widow, Jonathan and Eleanor have a chance to explore upon feelings that were never examined deeply before. This subplot is a mature romance that was just as enjoyable to see unfold as was Lilly and Adam Wakefield.


What I Didn't Like:
Sometimes the romance lingered a little too long. As a reader I could sense early on that these couples would ignite. But at times their romance felt like wet matchsticks unable to strike a flame.


Conclusion:
I know Trouble Don't Last Always is about romance. But it's also about two victims who realize they are stronger than they initially thought. Through reliance on family and each other, they discover love, hope and the realization that trouble doesn't last always.

I highly recommend this book. I give it 4 1/2 STARS 

*** If you think you'd enjoy this book, stay tuned for my giveaway starting at midnight that will include Trouble Don't Last Always, plus many more goodies as I give away three gift boxes bursting with wonderful items just in time for the holidays. 

Please don't forget to leave a comment and tell me what you thought about the book review :-)

BOOK #3, "Caught Up In the Rapture" by Sheneska Jackson, 52 Books in 52 Weeks

This is a novel written by Sheneska Jackson. It is about two young people who want to attain great success in the music industry in South Central Los Angeles. There is 26 year old Jazmine Deems, who has a wonderful talent for singing, but her overbearing, preacher father won't support her and wants her to go to college and have a "normal" career. Jazmine has had no luck with men and has practically given up on finding love. Jazmine has an outgoing friend named Dakota, who's parents are already in the music industry. Dakota takes Jazmine to a music  event, where Jazmine's music demo ends up in the hands of a music executive named Bobby Strong who works for Black Tie Records. Bobby Strong is striving to impress in hopes of becoming boss when his own boss leaves Black Tie Records. However, there is a younger exec who is also vying for the position name Kirk Walker. Kirk Walker has just signed Xavier Honor, otherwise known as X-Man to the label. Xavier is a gangster who is headed in the wrong direction. He hopes his shot at becoming a rap star and hitting it big will take him out of the street life.


Jazmine and Xavier hit it off at the party and begin dating. They try to make their relationship work, hoping that their careers don't get in the way. But there is a war going on within the record label. If Jazmine's career takes off, Bobby Strong will shine. If X-Man's career takes off, Kirk Walker will shine. It doesn't help matters, that Bobby Strong has a drug habit, and a failing marriage.


Jazmine and Xavier hit many road blocks on their way up the music ladder. Jazmine has issues trusting men, while Xavier is trying to run from a past that may just stop his music career before it even gets going.


The novel is told from the point of view of characters Jazmine and Xavier. This does help the reader get a good understanding of what each character is facing as they struggle with imminent crises. However, at times the story moves too slow and at times it moves too fast. There is a feeling of inconsistency throughout the book, that may have been improved if the author had let the characters resolve their issues in a timely fashion that would lend itself to a normal rise and fall pace. Overall, the book is a good read, it could quite possibly be categorized as a young adult novel if it weren't for the strong language and gratuitous profanity.


I highly recommend Sheneska Jackson's debut novel, "Lil Mama's Rules". It has a better flow, a comfortable pace, climaxes where there should be and it sustains its momentum.




** 2 STAR


Favorite Quotes/Excerpts from "Caught Up in the Rapture"


"Dakota says I'm weak when it comes to Daddy, but she just doesn't understand."