August Back to School...But Not Textbooks

Ellis Island by Kate Kerrigan
Ellie and John are just a couple Irish lads, living happily in the heather until John, who is in the Irish Republican Army is injured. Ellie packs her bags and heads to the promised land. In the 1920’s that would be New York City baby! I didn’t know this, but many Irish women in the 20's jumped the pond in order to work as maids for wealthy families. Of course Ellie catches the eye of a wealthy man – don’t you just love fiction? It’s so, well, fictional! ♥

The Ninth Wife by Amy Stolls
Who can ignore the charms of an incredibly handsome Irish musician? Certainly not thirty-five year old Bess Gray on the fast-track to spinsterhood. The only bummer is he’s been married eight times, and even in my dysfunctional math world that amounts to a hell of a lot. So, what’s a girl to do? Obviously she hops in a car and crosses the country to talk with all eight wives. ♥

The Miraculous Journey Kate DiCamillo
O.K. I bought this on a Kindle special before I realized it was a children’s book. But let me tell you it was a heck of a story so get it for your kids or grandkids, or yourself. BTW -- Edward Tulane is a china rabbit who needs a good talking to before his little china heart breaks. ♥

Turn Right at Machu Picchu by Mark Adams
On July 24, 1911 young Yale professor Hiram Bingham III climbed into the Mountains of Peru and discovered an ancient city in the clouds: Machu Picchu. But, hey, not everybody loves a hero. Lately Bingham has been accused of not only smuggling out priceless artifacts, but that he actually stole credit for finding one of the world's greatest archaeological sites. Enter present day adventure writer Mark Adams. Adams spent months investigating the allegations against Bingham – mainly by retracing his path to Machu Picchu. The book is an incredible read, written by a word smith and colored with characters so weird they’ve got to be real. ♥♥♥♥