Tag Archives: Grand Central Publishing

The Way We All Became the Brady Bunch

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Author: Kimberly Potts
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Genre: Non-fiction
Source: Kristin of Kritters Ramblings

Goodreads:  In celebration of the Brady Bunch’s 50th anniversary, TV writer Kimberly Potts writes a Seinfeldia-like definitive history of the show that changed the family sitcom and made an indelible impact on pop culture.

There isn’t a person in this country who hasn’t heard of The Brady Bunch. Whether it’s the show they watched growing up, or the one their parents did–whether adored, or great to poke fun at–The Brady Bunch is unarguably one of the most enduring and inspiring TV shows of our time. It’s lived a dozen lives, from its original comedy debut and big-screen movies, to the Emmy-winning TV auteurs it has inspired–everyone from Vince Gilligan to Jill Soloway–and promises to live many more.

In The Way We All Became the Brady Bunch, TV and pop culture writer Kimberly Potts will draw upon her deep knowledge of and appreciation for The Brady Bunch and television and pop culture history, as well as her contacts, connections, and experience, to provide an industry insider narrative of The Brady Bunch. With fresh interviews, The Way We All Became the Brady Bunch will examine the show’s lasting effects on its audience and take readers behind-the-scenes and into the lives of our most beloved characters, all to document why The Brady Bunch was one of the most groundbreaking shows of its time–and why it remains to this day, unforgettable.

Ope’s Opinion: This was just a fun read!  There were so many interesting facts about the way the show got started and how each person became a part of it.  This brought back so many memories for me.  I learned some fun facts while reading this one.

If you are a Brady Bunch fan, you will definitely enjoy reading this book.

The Return

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Author: Nicholas Sparks
Publisher: Grand Centeral Publishing
Genre: Romance
Source: Kristin of Kritters Ramblings

 

Goodreads:  In the romantic tradition of Dear John and The Lucky One, #1 New York Times bestselling author Nicholas Sparks returns with the story of an injured Navy doctor — and two women whose secrets will change the course of his life.

Trevor Benson never intended to move back to New Bern, NC. But when a mortar blast outside the hospital where he worked as an orthopedic surgeon sent him home from Afghanistan with devastating injuries, the dilapidated cabin he inherited from his grandfather seemed as good a place to regroup as any.
Tending to his grandfather’s beloved bee hives while gearing up for a second stint in medical school, Trevor isn’t prepared to fall in love with a local . . . and yet, from their very first encounter, his connection with Natalie Masterson can’t be ignored. But even as she seems to reciprocate his feelings, she remains frustratingly distant, making Trevor wonder what she’s hiding.

Further complicating his stay in New Bern is the presence of a sullen teenage girl, Callie, who lives in the trailer park down the road from his grandfather’s cabin. Claiming to be 19, she works at the local sundries store and keeps to herself. When he discovers she was once befriended by his grandfather, Trevor hopes Callie can shed light on the mysterious circumstances of his grandfather’s death, but she offers few clues — until a crisis triggers a race that will uncover the true nature of Callie’s past, one more intertwined with the elderly man’s passing than Trevor could ever have anticipated.

In his quest to unravel Natalie and Callie’s secrets, Trevor will learn the true meaning of love and forgiveness . . . and that in life, to move forward, we must often return to the place where it all began.

Ope’s Opinion: If you are a Nicholas Sparks fan, you may want to read this one.  It is his traditional book.  The instant love is not something I enjoy.  The story being told solely from Trevors point of view fell flat for me at times.  

The ending was a Nicholas Sparks ending… exactly what you would expect.

 

Thanks for Sharing

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Thank you Kristin of Kritters Ramblings!
When she shares a book,
I know it will be a good read.

Goodreads:  In this intimate, haunting literary memoir, an American icon tells her story for the first time, and in her own gorgeous words–about a challenging and lonely childhood, the craft that helped her find her voice, and a powerful emotional legacy that shaped her journey as a daughter and a mother.

One of the most celebrated, beloved, and enduring actors of our time, Sally Field has an infectious charm that has captivated the nation for more than five decades, beginning with her first TV role at the age of seventeen. From Gidget‘s sweet-faced “girl next door” to the dazzling complexity of Sybil to the Academy Award-worthy ferocity and depth of Norma Rae and Mary Todd Lincoln, Field has stunned audiences time and time again with her artistic range and emotional acuity. Yet there is one character who always remained hidden: the shy and anxious little girl within.

With raw honesty and the fresh, pitch-perfect prose of a natural-born writer, and with all the humility and authenticity her fans have come to expect, Field brings readers behind-the-scenes for not only the highs and lows of her star-studded early career in Hollywood, but deep into the truth of her lifelong relationships–including her complicated love for her own mother. Powerful and unforgettable, In Pieces is an inspiring and important account of life as a woman in the second half of the twentieth century.

The Three Beths

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Author: Jeff Abbott
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Gere: Mystery
Source:  Kristin of Kritters Ramblings

 

Goodreads:  My mom would never leave me.

This has been Mariah Dunning’s motto. Her compass. Her belief. So when she glimpses her mother–who’s been missing and presumed dead for the past two years–on the other side of a crowded food court, Mariah’s conviction becomes stronger than ever. Or is she losing her mind?

Her mother disappeared without a trace and–even without a body or any physical evidence–suspicion for her murder immediately fell upon Mariah’s father, leaving both father and daughter ostracized from their close-knit community.

Until one day, Mariah stumbles upon the fact that two other women have also disappeared recently from Lakehaven. And all three women had the same name: Beth.

Is it merely an unlikely coincidence? Or is there a deeper, sinister connection between the three Beths?

Mariah would give anything to find out what happened to her mother. But the truth may be worse than she could have imagined…

Ope’s Opinion: This had an amazing start, then took a while to take off for me.  There were a lot of people to meet and a lot of clues to figure out – which ones lead somewhere and which ones were dead ends. 

This book is a who done it – not graphic gore or unnecessary details.  Just a constant move in the direction of the person responsible for the death.  The path has twists and I did not figure it out much before it was revealed – even then I wasn’t totally positive.

I am not a fan of civilians doing the detective work that the police could not figure out. It doesn’t feel real for me.  The ending wrapped things up, but I am not sure I liked how they ended.