A Book Blogger's Diary

One of the loveliest stories I've read in recent times, Mary Balogh's Seducing an Angel ( 416p, Dell, Isbn - 0440244277 ) is a heartfelt, tender story of two unlikely individuals falling in love against all odds. I can honestly say, it seduced me! Warning - Spoilers ahead Her reputation as an axe murderer preceding her, Cassandra, the recently widowed Lady Paget, arrives in London to scandalous whispers and a rapidly dwindling purse. When her only family member refuses to help her and given her violent dislike toward getting married again, a world-weary Cass decides her only option is to use her beauty and become a rich man's mistress which will gain her the funds needed to care for the motley crew of servants and pets who're her bedrock of sanity as well as a pseudo-family. She sets her eyes on Stephen, the rich, young and incredibly attractive and angelic looking Earl of Merton. A good man, inside and out, as well as being highly eligible, Stephen is enjoying being ...

I Can Do It Too!: Handprint Books By Karen Baicker Illustrated by Ken Wilson-Max 18 pp ; board book, full color throughout, ages 2-4 ISBN 9780811875608 This heartwarming story reminds us how satisfying it is to grow up surrounded by love. I Can Do It Too! affirms a little girl's growing independence as she, too, can begin to do all the things she sees her parents, relatives and neighbors do: pouring juice at breakfast, strumming a guitar, and even riding a bike! The simple cadence of text and direct-to-the-heart art result in a book as warm and generous as its message, providing reading pleasure for toddlers, older siblings, and the grown-ups who love them. My kid is in this exact same stage of life and believes himself capable of doing everything he sees us doing. He and I had fun reading this book. And naturally, everything the little girl in the book does, my son proclaimed he could do too. What warmed my heart was that he really can do all that stuff. Except the baking ...