Some Books and Some Soup on a Cold Day

Hi All!

It is another chilly day here in Texas. While the temperature is supposed to climb up the the high 50's a bit later in the day, the morning is chilly and misty with light rain. The perfect day to snuggle up with a good book and a hot bowl of soup.

My soup isn't quite done yet. I ended up going out to lunch with friends yesterday so I have the ham bone broth in the fridge waiting for my ministrations today. I haven't decided what all I will do to it but I know it will be yummy and perfect for this kind of weather!

As for the book, well - I am starting a new one today but I have two good ones to share with you.

The first is an oldie but goodie - Where Love Has Gone by Harold Robbins. Another of my treasures from Grandma's house, it is a pretty satisfying read.

In this book a father who has been separated from his daughter by a nasty divorce is called back to her side in the middle of the night when he learns that she is being charged with the murder of her mother's boyfriend. Leaving his current wife, who is due to have their first child at any time, the father, Luke, travels to California to stand at his young daughter's side during this difficult time. The daughter, Danielle, is only 15 and so will not stand trail for murder but will instead be subject to a juvenile court review of her custody until she is an adult.

The mother, Nora, is a narcissistic sculptor who is widely acclaimed in the American art world. She is vain and controlling and is jealous of her young, beautiful daughter.

Luke returns to his daughter's life after six years away at the insistence of Nora. He is driven to do some investigation on his own of the situation as he simply can't believe that his daughter committed such a crime.

During his time with his daughter he re-examines his life with Nora in poignant flashbacks during which we learn a lot about both Nora and Luke as well as the world which surrounds them both.

The book is an easy read and the trail of Luke's investigation keeps the reader's interest throughout. While I wouldn't put this book on my top ten list of all time favorite reads, it was a nice diversion.

Next is a book which I had trouble putting down. Absolute Power by David Baldacci.



This is the second of Baldacci's books I have read and I was certainly not disappointed. I will say that the picture of Clint Eastwood on the cover had me wondering just what rock I was under since I had no clue that there was ever a movie by this name in theaters!

Anyway - this book is a thriller which starts with a seemingly simple robbery that turns into a nightmare of corruption, murder, and intrigue.

Luther Whitney, a lifetime robber, breaks into a plush mansion and suddenly finds himself an unwilling witness to sex and murder. The murder isn't just your average, run-of-the-mill murder either. It is done by secret service agents and the situation involves the President of the United States!

Once the people involved find out that there was a witness to the crime, and the following cover-up, they are obsessed with finding, and eliminating him. Meanwhile, the homicide detective in charge of the murder case finds himself with a cold trail which just doesn't seem to add up to what it looks like.

With unexpected twists and turns, this book held me on the edge of my seat until the last word of the last paragraph. I had a difficult time doing anything yesterday as I didn't want to stop reading until I had finished the book. What a read!

If you like intrigue, pick up this book. It is worth the time.

Trisha

Voice Update: Well,***Break in the action as I go to investigate a "suspicious sound" from the kitchen. A certain kitten, who shall remain nameless, *cough - Skor - cough* had managed to find my stash of Moonflower seeds. It took me a while to scoop them all up and return them to their containers. Darn kitten! Yesterday I managed only one and a half sessions of massage. Horrible, I know, I know! I am sooo angry at myself. I just can't seem to get into the swing of the routine! I HAVE to get into this routine for the sake of my voice. It would be horrible if not doing my exercises regularly resulted in a relapse of my SD symptoms! ARGHHHHHH!