Fun book to read. Jives well with my style of living and also helps explain maybe why I like things the way I do.

Loved the art work in the book.

Some great looking patterns and motifs in here. Will have to return to this when I am looking to leap into a Norwegian sweater.

So when you pick up a book strictly based on the title and cover you don't really know what you are going to get. But I like Coconut Cake, so I thought I would try it.

This one sat on my shelf for a week when I determined I need a light reading break from the heaviness of Dance of Dragons.

Upon reading the back cover, I could see that this was going to be a typical love gone wrong, then find love in an unsuspecting place story. I wish I hadn't read the back cover. I almost put it down for fear of being disappointed by the story.

The first chapter dives right into the love gone wrong part of the story. Although, it's clear to see that the author didn't want to linger on Lou and Devlin's perfect life together. which it wasnt' a perfect life. Devlin wants to mold Lou into a perfect wife to complement his corporate climbing ideals. He relishes rescuing her from her life of "hard work".

I admire Lou's resolve and confidence in dropping Devlin and not turning back, but I wonder how she got into this relationship where her dreams, desires and passions are squashed by the man she "loves" and she can't even imagine moving in with him, but is wearing his engagement ring. This is probably the one thing that unsettles me about the book that I otherwise love.

Although the storyline is fairly textbook I loved it, and was routing for Al and Lou. I love how the author switches voices between Al and Lou. It really allows the reader to reflect on both sides of the relationship. I found Al endearing as he learned to love Milwaukee and how his demeanor mellowed and relationships grew as he fell in love with both Lou and Milwaukee.

Another review felt that the relationship lacked spark and there wasn't enough actions on the talked about emotions. I would have to disagree. This is not a bodice-ripping romance story, but one of real developing love, full of doubt , uncertainty and restraint. I found my self yelling at Al not to tell Lou the truth, because you knew that once she found out he was the cause of her restaurants demise it would destroy their budding relationship. And in the end I was crying that she took the advice of her surrogate mother and gave Al a second chance. Quickly followed by a hoot and holler when Al proposed.

I grew up near Milwaukee and loved following the authors details of Al and Lou's "dates" So many details were spot on--especially the rootbeer milk at the state fair. You can tell the author has a love of the area, and to see places I know quite well in print. Possibly the only place missing was the Milwaukee Zoo.

And her love of food. So much detail went into the culinary creations described. I am not a chef or a foodie, but the author wrote so lovingly and carefully that it made one hungry for the meals created. And I admit, I can't wait to try out the surprise coconut cake recipe in the back of the book.

well. I slogged through this, then skimmed a bunch. The beginning of the book made me think it was going to a fun quick read, but the chapters on politics and the killing were so slow going for me I ended up skimming. This book was more a highlight of current topics in Denmark than a "how to be danish". Not bad, but not what I expected.

I found it interesting that just like other countries, Denmark has a problem accepting immagrants and has a problem with racism. Although, they don't like to admit it or call it that.

A quick and very interesting read. This is an interview by German television journalist and author Dr. Franz Alt.

I feel that I really connected with the Dalai Lama's ideas of secular ethics. Often times, being not religious, I am challenged by other as to how I maintain a guiding principal. It often seems that others can not comprehend that I am able to develop and maintain my own set of morals. And to discover that they align to what I already use to uphold myself to be a good human and citizen of the world.

His idea that secular ethics needs to be baseline for ALL human on this earth is quite idealistic, but really something we should strive for. In addition, he points out that finding similarities is the way to connection and peace. That continuing to search and exploit our differences are the actions that will continue to cause division, strife, conflict and war.

This is a quick read, and if all you read is the chapter entitled " An appeal by the Dalai Lama for Secular Ethics and Peace" you will find yourself enriched for the better.

I received this book as an advanced reader copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Amazing. A brilliantly written story spanning the lives of 4 siblings over multiple decades. The story begins when the Gold children go to a fortune teller one summer day to hear the dates of their death.

So, going into this, you know there is going to be death. It is unavoidable. But Chloe Benjamin does a masterful job of unfolding their lives- one by one, yet in each person's story, the she brings in the others. Even though the sections are in chronological order, she has a seamless way of weaving in the past, almost as a memory or flashback that makes it effortless to follow the storyline.

William is a young boy in a orphanage when topiaries start showing up in the towns trees overnight.
These topiaries have the effect of bringing the community out and together.

The illustrations are simply beautiful and detailed.

All in all, this is a wonderful story that showcases how the actions of one can have a profound impact on many.

I had really expected to fully cry my eyes out reading this book. Instead what I found was inspiring. And I think that was Heather's intention. To remind people to enjoy life for all its worth while you can.

I didn't know Heather, but she lived in a neighboring community. So her story was well known. It is definitely a sad story and she shares bits of that in her book. But she truly was the brave one. To withstand treatment after treatment so that she could go on and have one more..one more day with her daughter, one more day with her husband. One more, because she didn't know when those one mores were going to end.

This book shows that even on her darkest, hardest days, she chose to turn to laughter to help bring her back up.

It is not easy to read a book when you know it doesn't end a miraculous recovery or a happy ending. But the insights Heather shares from her last months are poignant reminders of how to love a life that everyone should read.

Wow. This would be 4.5 stars if there were half stars.

Ruth Ware can weave a suspenseful story that leaves you guessing right up to the end.

I found this story line to start out much slower and less suspenseful than In a dark, dark wood. It took quite a while for the story to build and to discover the peril that was the main story. This left me frustrated.

About halfway through the book I thought I had figured it out, at least the "who", but not the "why". Well, in what seems to be her way, Ruth Ware proved me wrong. It had only learned a portion of it. She kept the truth well hidden. And even when the real "who" was revealed, there is still a sizeable portion of the book left. I knew at this point there was more to come.

If you were like me and wanted to bail on this story because of the lack of suspense, don't. It'll get there.