GUILT BY ASSOCIATION by Marcia Clark

ISBN: 9780316186353
I received an ARC-EBook Bound galley Edition from NetGalley, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
  Synopsis (from NetGalley): Los Angeles D.A. Rachel Knight is a tenacious, wise-cracking, and fiercely intelligent prosecutor in the city’s most elite division. When her colleague, Jake, is found dead at a grisly crime scene, Rachel is shaken to the core. She must take over his toughest case: the assault of a young woman from a prominent family.
  But she can’t stop herself from digging deeper into Jake’s death, a decision that exposes a world of power and violence and will have her risking her reputation–and her life–to find the truth.
  With her tremendous expertise in the nuances of L.A. courts and crime, and with a vibrant ensemble cast of characters, Marcia Clark combines intimate detail, riotous humor, and visceral action in a debut thriller that marks the launch of a major new figure on the crime-writing scene.
  My Thoughts and Opinion: After reading the synopsis, the vast reviews and yes, being one of the millions, glued to the infamous TV trial of the century, my curiosity was piqued as to Ms. Clark’s debut novel. I was a bit leery, however, that it would be filled with a lot of legal jargon but after reading a few chapters I knew that wouldn’t be the case (no pun intended). The suspense pulled me in within the first few pages. I immediately liked the strong willed main character Rachel Knight. The writing style flowed and it kept my interest for the entire read. The author created a story line that wove a cast of characters and 2 separate crimes together to the end, keeping the reader guessing to the last page. However, I felt that there was more “detective” work by the main character than her role as a D.A., not much in the way of a “legal” storyline. As I said, the book held my interest, but I wouldn’t say it was a page turner, can’t put down read. I also thought, and this is my opinion only, that there was too much “filler” of where and what the characters ate and drank. I expected, and again this is only my opinion, more substance.

From Danielle’s blog:
We all leave our “footprint” on the world, in one way or another. We each, individually, do something or are someone that makes the world a little better just by being here. I created this weekly meme to get to know the blogging community I love just a bit better. To know what makes them tick, outside of books, that is. Each week I will post a question to be answered in the following week’s “A Bit of Me(Me)”. Check back each Saturday to get the info for next week’s post and link up with your current post right here.
This week’s question:  Do you believe in ghosts, the paranormal, extraterrestrials and/or life on other planets?
Read more: http://www.theresabook.com/2011/04/a-bit-of-meme-paint-me-a-picture/#ixzz1JgdWFulW

My thoughts on life on other planets are that it is possible but I don’t give it much thought.  And as far as “ghosts” in the true sense of the word and what I think most people think of when they hear that word, is no. 

But I do believe in spiritual beings that have passed on to eternal life that become our guardian angels.  My religious belief is that there is an after life.  I have had too many incidents not to believe.  I lost my Dad when I was 16 years old and feel that he has helped me through some difficult times that I have faced in my life, giving me little signs.  If I shared all the signs, this meme would turn into a novel, so I will just end this by saying, Yes, I do believe in spiritual beings.

GUILT BY ASSOCIATION by Marcia Clark

ISBN: 9780316186353
I received an ARC-EBook Bound galley Edition from NetGalley, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
  Synopsis (from NetGalley): Los Angeles D.A. Rachel Knight is a tenacious, wise-cracking, and fiercely intelligent prosecutor in the city’s most elite division. When her colleague, Jake, is found dead at a grisly crime scene, Rachel is shaken to the core. She must take over his toughest case: the assault of a young woman from a prominent family.
  But she can’t stop herself from digging deeper into Jake’s death, a decision that exposes a world of power and violence and will have her risking her reputation–and her life–to find the truth.
  With her tremendous expertise in the nuances of L.A. courts and crime, and with a vibrant ensemble cast of characters, Marcia Clark combines intimate detail, riotous humor, and visceral action in a debut thriller that marks the launch of a major new figure on the crime-writing scene.
  My Thoughts and Opinion: After reading the synopsis, the vast reviews and yes, being one of the millions, glued to the infamous TV trial of the century, my curiosity was piqued as to Ms. Clark’s debut novel. I was a bit leery, however, that it would be filled with a lot of legal jargon but after reading a few chapters I knew that wouldn’t be the case (no pun intended). The suspense pulled me in within the first few pages. I immediately liked the strong willed main character Rachel Knight. The writing style flowed and it kept my interest for the entire read. The author created a story line that wove a cast of characters and 2 separate crimes together to the end, keeping the reader guessing to the last page. However, I felt that there was more “detective” work by the main character than her role as a D.A., not much in the way of a “legal” storyline. As I said, the book held my interest, but I wouldn’t say it was a page turner, can’t put down read. I also thought, and this is my opinion only, that there was too much “filler” of where and what the characters ate and drank. I expected, and again this is only my opinion, more substance.

From Danielle’s blog:
We all leave our “footprint” on the world, in one way or another. We each, individually, do something or are someone that makes the world a little better just by being here. I created this weekly meme to get to know the blogging community I love just a bit better. To know what makes them tick, outside of books, that is. Each week I will post a question to be answered in the following week’s “A Bit of Me(Me)”. Check back each Saturday to get the info for next week’s post and link up with your current post right here.
This week’s question:  Do you believe in ghosts, the paranormal, extraterrestrials and/or life on other planets?
Read more: http://www.theresabook.com/2011/04/a-bit-of-meme-paint-me-a-picture/#ixzz1JgdWFulW

My thoughts on life on other planets are that it is possible but I don’t give it much thought.  And as far as “ghosts” in the true sense of the word and what I think most people think of when they hear that word, is no. 

But I do believe in spiritual beings that have passed on to eternal life that become our guardian angels.  My religious belief is that there is an after life.  I have had too many incidents not to believe.  I lost my Dad when I was 16 years old and feel that he has helped me through some difficult times that I have faced in my life, giving me little signs.  If I shared all the signs, this meme would turn into a novel, so I will just end this by saying, Yes, I do believe in spiritual beings.

From An Island Life:
In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.
If you’d like to participate, visit An Island Life answer the question and then post your own question on your blog and leave your link below. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!

MY QUESTION:

Are you afraid of flying?

MY ANSWER:

YES!!!

In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and find new book-related blogs that we may be missing out on! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs that they may not know existed! So, grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start HOPPING through the list of blogs that are posted in the Linky list below!!
Your blog should have content related to books, including, but not limited to book reviews.

This Week’s Question:This week’s question comes from Christina who blogs at The Paperback Princesses. She asks:

“If you find a book you love, do you hunt down other books by the same author?”
My Answer:Yes, I have done that many times.  A few authors come to mind.  I picked up books by authors that I had never read, Emilie Richards and Christianne Heggan and was hooked.  If the library didn’t carry past books, I called every used book story within driving distance (this was before internet) trying to track down and buy all works by them.  The internet has solved problems such as these.

From Sarah at The Book Trib….
     I am SO excited about our upcoming book party on BookTrib on 4/26 with Deanna Fei, author of the critically-acclaimed novel A THREAD OF SKY. If you liked Song of the Silk Road, you’ll love A THREAD OF SKY. It truly is an amazing book and Deanna is incredibly talented. I’d love for you and your readers to be a part of it! The details are below.

A New York Times Editors’ Choice
An Indie Next Notable Book
Now in Paperback

“Irene scurried into the cave. A thread of sky—she mouthed it to herself. Light radiating through a pinhole in the cave ceiling. She pictured an undulating line, alive and fine against the dark. The kind of thing you couldn’t help but reach for, knowing there was nothing to grasp.”

As Irene Shen’s husband of thirty years was leaving her, she shut the door behind him and half-jokingly said, “Good riddance,” to the collective eye-rolling of her three daughters. But when he dies suddenly in an accident shortly thereafter, Irene’s family falls apart. Her oldest daughter Nora withdraws to her high-powered Wall Street job and troubled relationship; her strong-willed middle child Kay heads to China to discover her family’s heritage and learn the language; and the youngest, Sophie, a sensitive art student, is miserably trapped at home until college starts. Thus begins Deanna Fei’s stunning debut novel A THREAD OF SKY (Penguin Books; Paperback March 29, 2011; $15.00).

With her family in pieces, Irene formulates a plan to bring them back together: she starts organizing a whirlwind tour of mainland China for her three daughters, her distant poet sister, and her formidable eighty-year-old mother whom she hasn’t seen in years. As the three generations of women tour China, from beautiful temples and remote sections of the Great Wall to the glitzy bars and shops in downtown Shanghai, each woman begins to uncover secrets great and small. And as they continue on their travels across the country, they slowly find their way toward a new understanding of themselves and each other.

Partly inspired by Deanna Fei’s own travels through China with her grandmother, mother, and sisters, A THREAD OF SKY is a beautifully written and deeply haunting story about love and sacrifice, history and memory, sisterhood and motherhood, and the connections that endure.

Deanna Fei was born in Flushing, New York, and has lived in Beijing and Shanghai, China. A graduate of Amherst College and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, she has received a Fulbright grant and a New York Foundation for the Arts fellowship. She currently lives in Brooklyn.

From An Island Life:
In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.
If you’d like to participate, visit An Island Life answer the question and then post your own question on your blog and leave your link below. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!

MY QUESTION:

Are you afraid of flying?

MY ANSWER:

YES!!!

In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and find new book-related blogs that we may be missing out on! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs that they may not know existed! So, grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start HOPPING through the list of blogs that are posted in the Linky list below!!
Your blog should have content related to books, including, but not limited to book reviews.

This Week’s Question:This week’s question comes from Christina who blogs at The Paperback Princesses. She asks:

“If you find a book you love, do you hunt down other books by the same author?”
My Answer:Yes, I have done that many times.  A few authors come to mind.  I picked up books by authors that I had never read, Emilie Richards and Christianne Heggan and was hooked.  If the library didn’t carry past books, I called every used book story within driving distance (this was before internet) trying to track down and buy all works by them.  The internet has solved problems such as these.